cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulated effect of drainage water management operational strategy on hydrology and crop yield for Drummer soil in the Midwestern United States

The hypothetical effects of drainage water management operational strategy on hydrology and crop yield at the Purdue University Water Quality Field Station (WQFS) were simulated using DRAINMOD, a field-scale hydrologic model. The WQFS has forty-eight cropping system treatment plots with 10 m drain spacing. Drain flow observations from a subset of the treatment plots with continuous corn (Zea mays L.) were used to calibrate the model, which was then used to develop an operational strategy for drainage water management. The chosen dates of raising and lowering the outlet during the crop period were 10 and 85 days after planting, respectively, with a control height of 50 cm above the drain (40 cm from the surface). The potential effects of this operational strategy on hydrology and corn yield were simulated over a period of 15 years from 1991 to 2005. On average, the predicted annual drain flows were reduced by 60% (statistically significant at 95% level). This is the most significant benefit of drainage water management since it may reduce the nitrate load to the receiving streams. About 68% of the reduced drain flow contributed to an increase in seepage. Drainage water management increased the average surface runoff by about 85% and slightly decreased the relative yield of corn crop by 0.5% (both are not statistically significant at 95% level). On average, the relative yield due to wet stress (RYw) decreased by 1.3% while relative yield due to dry stress (RYd) increased by 1%. Overall, the relative crop yield increased in 5 years (within a range of 0.8�6.9%), decreased in 8 years (within a range of 0.2�5.5%), and was not affected in the remaining 2 years. With simulated drainage water management, the water table rose above the conventional drainage level during both the winter and the crop periods in all years (except 2002 crop season). The annual maximum winter period rise ranged between 47 cm (1995) and 87 cm (1992), and the annual maximum crop period rise ranged between no effect (2002) and 47 cm (1993).
Investigation of dry friction of submicrometer thick polyurethane films on a hard, smooth substrate

Our research on friction mechanisms has shown that the frictional force between sliding surfaces at moderate speeds and loads is primarily due to mechanical effects, such as plowing of surfaces by entrapped wear particles. In the absence of mechanical interactions, the coefficient of friction is extremely low. In this paper, one way of eliminating mechanical interactions is presented. Hard, smooth single crystal silicon wafers were dip coated in aqueous polyurethane dispersions. The film thickness was varied from 90 to 250 nm by diluting the elastomeric material with different amounts of water, yielding a mean surface roughness comparable with that of the substrate, i.e. 3 nm. Borosilicate glass balls, 4 mm in diameter, were used as the counterface. An ultra-low friction coefficient of 0.04 in dry sliding was achieved through an appropriate selection of film thickness and crosslinking density. The friction coefficient of such films is dependent on the normal load, exhibiting a minimum friction coefficient under a specific normal load. Higher loads result in tearing of the surface, whereas at low loads the viscoelastic losses of the surface layer contribute to the increase in the coefficient of friction. Under the optimal normal load and film thickness, there is no visible damage to the surface after the friction tests. However, atomic force microscopy of the tested surfaces revealed that, even when the friction coefficient was as low as 0.05, the surface of the films was plowed. In general, a higher friction coefficient corresponds to greater surface damage.
Review: Breast cancer is associated with a family history of the disease in first-degree relatives

Source Citation Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Familial breast cancer: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 52 epidemiological studies including 58 209 women ...
Phosphorylation-Independent Regulation of Atf1-Promoted Meiotic Recombination by Stress-Activated, p38 Kinase Spc1 of Fission Yeast

Background Stress-activated protein kinases regulate multiple cellular responses to a wide variety of intracellular and extracellular conditions. The conserved, multifunctional, ATF/CREB protein Atf1 (Mts1, Gad7) of fission yeast binds to CRE-like (M26) DNA sites. Atf1 is phosphorylated by the conserved, p38-family kinase Spc1 (Sty1, Phh1) and is required for many Spc1-dependent stress responses, efficient sexual differentiation, and activation of Rec12 (Spo11)-dependent meiotic recombination hotspots like ade6-M26. Methodology/Principal Findings We sought to define mechanisms by which Spc1 regulates Atf1 function at the ade6-M26 hotspot. The Spc1 kinase was essential for hotspot activity, but dispensable for basal recombination. Unexpectedly, a protein lacking all eleven MAPK phospho-acceptor sites and detectable phosphorylation (Atf1-11M) was fully proficient for hotspot recombination. Furthermore, tethering of Atf1 to ade6 in the chromosome by a heterologous DNA binding domain bypassed the requirement for Spc1 in promoting recombination. Conclusions/Significance The Spc1 protein kinase regulates the pathway of Atf1-promoted recombination at or before the point where Atf1 binds to chromosomes, and this pathway regulation is independent of the phosphorylation status of Atf1. Since basal recombination is Spc1-independent, the principal function of the Spc1 kinase in meiotic recombination is to correctly position Atf1-promoted recombination at hotspots along chromosomes. We also propose new hypotheses on regulatory mechanisms for shared (e.g., DNA binding) and distinct (e.g., osmoregulatory vs. recombinogenic) activities of multifunctional, stress-activated protein Atf1.
Not-for-profit hospitals’ provision of community benefit during the 2008 recession: An analysis of hospitals in Maryland

During the 2008 recession, many U.S. hospitals had to lay off staff and cut services to reduce costs, yet little is known about how these cuts affected hospitals’ provision of community benefits. While the need for charitable programs and services grew during this economically difficult time, financial pressures may have forced hospitals to cut back on their community benefit spending. Using data for not-for-profit hospitals in the state of Maryland for the years 2006 to 2010, this study explored whether, and if so how, hospitals changed their provision of community benefit during the 2008 recession. The findings showed that, on average, Maryland hospitals increased their charitable activities during the recent recession. Between 2006 and 2010, total spending on community benefits grew from an average of 5.6 % to 7.7 % of operating expenses with the most substantial growth in hospitals’ provision of charity care and mission-driven health services. Panel regression analysis showed that this increase in charitable activity was associated with increases in community need. Hospitals’ financial performance, on the other hand, was unrelated to their community benefit spending. These findings indicate that even in times of constrained budgets, Maryland hospitals provided substantial amounts of community benefit in response to the needs of the communities they serve. Hospital-based community benefit programs thus have the potential to play an important role in on-going community-wide efforts aimed at reducing the burden of illness and improving population health.
Nonclassical effects in optical spectra

The incoherent part of the Mollow spectrum for resonance fluorescence has a subnatural linewidth in the weak-field limit. We show that this is due to squeezing of the fluctuations in the induced atomic dipole. The reduced linewidth persists for driving field intensities of approximately 12% of the saturation intensity, where Rabi sidebands begin to appear. We find a similar linewidth narrowing in the transmitted and fluorescent spectra for a single atom in a weakly driven resonant cavity. In this system single-quantum frequency splitting can produce a two-peaked spectrum. Both peaks have a narrowed linewidth. The spectrum of the transmitted light shows a second nonclassical effect that is due to squeezing. A spectral hole may appear at line center, giving a two-peaked spectrum even when there is no frequency splitting.
Crack-ing down on black drug offenders? Testing for interactions among offenders' race, drug type, and sentencing strategy in federal drug sentences

The interaction between a defendant's race and type of drug has long been argued to affect sentencing for drug offenses. Many assert that blacks receive harsher sentences than do whites merely because of harsher penalties associated with specific drugs. This argument is particularly strong in federal sentencing, where large differences exist in the specified sanctions for the various types of drugs. We analyze the relationship among a defendant's race, sentencing strategy, and drug type net of other theoretically relevant factors. Our findings question previous assumptions regarding this relationship, suggesting that a defendant's race “conditions” the effects of drug and other factors differently from one sentencing strategy to the next.
The Nature of Social Saving

UBLICATION of Robert William Fogel's study of the American railroads2 marked the -beginning of a controversy in economic history. That controversy has expanded well beyond the study's initial question of the importance of the railroads to American output, until today it includes many methodological aspects of economic history as well. When John Meyer reviewed Fogel's book he predicted: "Those who propose challenging Fogel's numbers will almost surely have to follow at least the general outlines of his analysis. . ."3 In other words, the critics of the book would be forced to answer Fogel in the context of the book's own framework. Many of the critics have not felt so compelled, and as a consequence the incisiveness of the resulting exchange has suffered. The surprising part of the controversy following from Fogel's work is not so much the intensity of the emotions it has aroused as the scarcity of disputants who have understood the methods of the railroad study and, as a -consequence, what results the study could claim. To measure the contribution of the railroad, Fogel introduced the tool of economic analysis called "social saving". Social saving was at the heart of his framework of analysis. In order to understand Fogel's work and the subsequent literature, one must understand social saving. In fact, most of the controversy has been about social saving, its structure, and its relevance to economic history. This article considers this wide-ranging controversy, of necessity tying together and organizing previously scattered comments. In order to present a complete picture of social saving it is necessary to delineate some of its previously
Studies on the mechanism of renal transport depression caused by pretreatment with 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate.

Relatively low toxicity in the adult has been reported for the organic acid herbicides 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetate and 2,4,5‐trichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4,5‐T). Although small doses of these herbicides are excreted rapidly, acute impairment of renal excretion has been reported when large doses of herbicide were administered. After the administration of 2,4,5‐T in vitro analysis of renal proximal tubular function showed a decrease in the activity of the organic acid transport system which handles these herbicides. In addition, the pretreated animals show an impairment in the organic base transport system. To determine the nature of 2,4,5‐T renal depression, renal cortical slices from herbicide‐pretreated animals were studied. Alterations in the initial influx of organic ions, steady‐state accumulation, and efflux were measured. Furthermore, a specific and reversible depression of tissue oxygen consumption was demonstrated. These changes do not appear to be the result of alterations in the gross morphology, e...
Inhibitory Effect of Rancid Milk on Certain Bacteria

Summary Milk which had undergone lipolysis to the extent that a reduction of about 10 dynes per centimeter in the surface tension occurred was found to have a definite inhibitory effect toward S. lactis , S. zymogenes and L. casei . The inhibition of S. bovis and E. coli , though detectable, was definitely less than that of the above organisms. L. bulgaricus and Ps. aeruginosa were not measurably affected. Use of control samples in connection with the rancid milk demonstrated that the inhibition displayed by the rancid milk was not caused by either the slight reduction in pH or the reduced surface tension noted in such milk. Sterile active lipase showed no direct effect on the growth of S. lactis other than through its lipolytic action on the fat in the milk. The data indicated that inhibition was caused by some component of rancid milk and that the extent of inhibition of S. lactis was in direct proportion to the degree of lipolysis occurring in the milk.
Solid-Phase Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of C-Sialosides

The chemoenzymatic regioselective acylation of Neu5Ac followed by SmI2-mediated C-glycosylation on a solid support is described for five C-glycosides. This method should facilitate the construction of combinatorial libraries of inhibitors of neuraminidase activity and hemagglutinin interaction as potential antiviral agents.
The removal of NO by low-temperature O3 oxidation

Abstract The features of a process removing NO at low temperatures by O3 are examined. The process is modeled employing “full” chemistry and simulated in a perfectly stirred reactor (PSR). A generic reaction set that also has implications for the nighttime removal of NOx and O3 from the atmosphere is collated and utilized. The issues addressed include (1) the percentage of NO representative of flue gas that can be removed by the process under various parametric conditions, and the corresponding range of ozone demand for high NO removal; (2) the mechanisms of NO conversion; and (3) the effect of temperature on NO removal. It is determined that the removal of NO due to ozone oxidation occurs largely through a single reaction NO + O3 ↔ NO2 + O2. The oxidation of NO to NO2 is favored at lower temperatures, and the NO inlet mole fraction can be reduced by two orders of magnitude at the outlet in the absence of high SO levels in the feed stream even with moderate ozone input. However, the presence of SO assists in the re-conversion of NO2 to NO. Furthermore, higher residence times do not necessarily imply larger NO removal. If the PSR is operated as a locally homogeneous volume analogous to nighttime atmospheric conditions OH radicals become a significant sink for NO, and reactions of hydroxyl with CO and CH4 assume secondary significance.
Colloidal Dispersions in Lyotropic Lamellar Phases

Phase behavior studies and small-angle neutron scattering measurements of nonionic lamellar phases that contain dispersed colloidal particles show a strong interplay between semiflexible bilayers and particles. Addition of charged silica particles to lamellar phases formed with either mixtures of the nonionic surfactant n-dodecylpentaoxyethylene glycol monoether (C12E5) or C12E5 and hexanol (C6E0) in water changes the temperature of the phase transition from the single lamellar phase to its adjacent two-phase region. Close to the ternary phase boundary, particles weaken the long-range correlation between the highly undulated surfactant bilayers, as evidenced from the changes in the structure factor of the bilayers measured in the small-angle neutron scattering experiments. A self-consistent thermodynamic model is developed based on the free energy contributions of the binary interactions describing the phase behavior of the C12E5−water−colloid mixture. This model shows the effect of concentration, tempera...
Registration of KX2-Hawaii, Interspecific-Hybrid Leucaena

KX2-Hawaii (Reg. No. CV-281, PI 647963) (Leucaena hybrid) is a tropical, multipurpose, woody forage legume developed at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) of the University of Hawaii. It was derived from hybrids made in 1976 between Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit and L. pallida Britton & Rose, followed by six cycles of recurrent mass selection. Each cycle involved 2- to 4-yr growth of -2000 plants pollarded quarterly. All trees were eliminated except self-sterile segregants with high forage-regrowth vigor and with high tolerance of the psyllid (Heteropsylla cubana Crawford). Approximately 120 remaining trees were chosen as parents for the next cycle of selection. KX2-Hawaii was released by CTAHR in 2007.
Photocleavable peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates for protein kinase assays by MALDI-TOF MS.

Robust methods for highly parallel, quantitative analysis of cellular protein tyrosine kinase activities may provide tools critically needed to decipher oncogenic signaling, discover new targeted drugs, diagnose cancer and monitor patients. Here, we describe proof-of-principle for a novel protein kinase assay with the potential to help overcome these challenges. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry provides an ideal tool for label-free multiplexed analysis of peptide phosphorylation, but is poorly matched to homogeneous assays and complex samples. Thus, we conjugated a common oligonucleotide tag to multiple peptide substrates, offering efficient capture from solution-phase kinase reactions by annealing to the complementary sequence tethered to PEG-passivated superparamagnetic microparticles. To enable reversible conjugation, we developed a novel bifunctional cross-linker allowing simple and efficient preparation of photocleavable peptide–oligonucleotide conjugates. After washing away contaminants and following photorelease, MALDI-TOF analysis yielded relative phosphorylation of each peptide with high sensitivity and specificity. Validating the hybridization-mediated multiplexed kinase assay, when three peptide substrate–oligonucleotide conjugates were mixed with the tyrosine kinase c-Abl and ATP, we readily observed their differential phosphorylation yet measured a common IC50 for the Abl kinase inhibitor imatinib. This new assay enables analysis of protein kinase activities in a multiplexed format amenable to screening inhibitors against multiple kinases in parallel, an important capability for drug discovery and predictive diagnostics.
Closed-Chest Cardiac Massage: Progress Measured by the Exceptions

Cardiac resuscitation after cardiac arrest or ventricular fibrillation has been limited by the need for open thoracotomy and direct cardiac massage. As a result of exhaustive animal experimentation a method of external transthoracic cardiac massage has been developed. Immediate resuscitative measures can now be initiated to give not only mouth-to-nose artificial respiration but also adequate cardiac massage without thoracotomy. The use of this technique on 20 patients has given an over-all permanent survival rate of 70%. Anyone, anywhere, can now initiate cardiac resuscitative procedures. All that is needed are two hands.See PDF for full text of the original JAMA article.
Wave spectral energy variability in the northeast Pacific

[1] The dominant characteristics of wave energy variability in the eastern North Pacific are described from NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) buoy data collected from 1981 to 2003. Ten buoys at distributed locations were selected for comparison based on record duration and data continuity. Long-period (LP) [T > 12] s, intermediate-period [6 ≤ T ≤ 12] s, and short-period [T < 6] s wave spectral energy components are considered separately. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analyses of monthly wave energy anomalies reveal that all three wave energy components exhibit similar patterns of spatial variability. The dominant mode represents coherent heightened (or diminished) wave energy along the West Coast from Alaska to southern California, as indicated by composites of the 700 hPa height field. The second EOF mode reveals a distinct El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-associated spatial distribution of wave energy, which occurs when the North Pacific storm track is extended unusually far south or has receded to the north. Monthly means and principal components (PCs) of wave energy levels indicate that the 1997–1998 El Nino winter had the highest basin-wide wave energy within this record, substantially higher than the 1982–1983 El Nino. An increasing trend in the dominant PC of LP wave energy suggests that storminess has increased in the northeast Pacific since 1980. This trend is emphasized at central eastern North Pacific locations. Patterns of storminess variability are consistent with increasing activity in the central North Pacific as well as the tendency for more extreme waves in the south during El Nino episodes and in the north during La Nina.
Oscillatory Spherical Traveling-Wave–Type Solutions to the Cardiac BVP

This study demonstrates how the assumption of a spherical traveling wave form for the general solution to the reaction–diffusion simplified cardiac system of PDEs can lead to a semi-analytical nonlinear iterative particular solution to an associated two-point boundary value problem (BVP). We demonstrate that a conventional traveling wave solution to this BVP does not exist in spherical geometry. Satisfaction, however, of a certain asymptotic parametric stability condition by the solution to the cardiac BVP is shown to be possible only when the spherical traveling wave speed is purely imaginary. The pertaining fundamentally oscillatory and bifurcative spherical traveling-wave–type solution yields further a direct iterative relation for the space–time phase of some associated scroll-type waves.
Measurement of continuous distributions of ventilation-perfusion in non-alveolar lungs.

Abstract We modified the multiple inert gas elimination technique, which was originally developed for alveolar lungs, to measure continuous distributions of V/Q in the cross-current lungs of birds. In theory, the method is also applicable to counter-current gas exchangers. The algorithms for inferring essentially continuous V/Q distributions from a limited number of measurements and the least-squares approach for dealing with experimental error are independent of the model of gas exchanges being studied. A Monte-Carlo procedure was used to predict the expected frequency of occurrence of given magnitudes of experimental error for each model. If the observed frequency distribution of error exceeds the predicted, then this indicated an incorrect choice of model (analogous to chi-square tests). Thirty-four data sets from 8 geese indicate that: (1) the assumptions of the technique are adequately met; (2) the alveolar model is not appropriate for birds, but the cross-current model is; and therefore; (3) the cross-current modification of the multiple inert gas elimination technique can be used to assess V/Q inequality in avian lungs.
Linear IgA bullous dermatosis in a patient with chronic renal failure: Response to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis is a blistering disease with a heterogeneous clinical manifestation, characterized by deposition of IgA along the basement membrane zone of perilesional skin on direct immunofluorescence. We describe a patient with chronic renal failure who experienced linear IgA bullous dermatosis. Long-term administration of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy was associated with clinical remission lasting more than 12 months.
Racial differences in IGF1 methylation and birth weight

The birth weight of Black neonates in the United States is consistently smaller than that of their White counterparts. Epigenetic differences between the races may be involved in such disparities. The goal of these analyses was to model the role of IGF1 methylation in mediating the association between race and birth weight. Data was collected on a cohort of 87 live born infants. IGF1 methylation was measured in DNA isolated from the mononuclear fraction of umbilical cord blood collected after delivery. Quantitative, loci-specific methylation was assessed using the Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadArray (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA). Locus specific methylation of the IGF1 CpG site was validated on a subset of the original sample (N = 61) using pyrosequencing. Multiple linear regression was used to examine relationships between IGF1 methylation, race, and birth weight. A formal mediation analysis was then used to estimate the relationship of IGF1 methylation to race and birth weight. Black race was associated with a 7.45% decrease in gestational age-adjusted birth weight (aBW) (P = 0.04) and Black infants had significantly higher IGF1 methylation than non-Black infants (P < 0.05). A one standard deviation increase in IGF1 methylation was associated with a 3.32% decrease in aBW (P = 0.02). Including IGF1 methylation as a covariate, the effect of Black race on aBW was attenuated. A formal mediation analysis showed that the controlled direct effect of Black race on aBW was −6.26% (95% CI = −14.15, 1.06); the total effect of Black race on IGF1 methylation was −8.12% (95% CI = −16.08, −0.55); and the natural indirect effect of Black race on aBW through IGF1 methylation was −1.86% (95% CI = −5.22, 0.18) The results of the mediation analysis along with the multivariable regression analyses suggest that IGF1 methylation may partially mediate the relationship between Black race and aBW. Such epigenetic differences may be involved in racial disparities observed in perinatal outcomes.
Nitrosamine carcinogenicity: A quantitative relationship between molecular structure and organ selectivity for a series of acyclic N-nitroso compounds

A mathematical model has been developed which describes the selectivity between liver and other target organs for a series of carcinogenic N-nitro-sodialkylamines. The relationship requires structural terms for the parent molecule as well as for the potential metabolites. This suggests that the nitrosamine metabolites are involved in tumor induction and that they participate directly in the mechanisms responsible for selecting the target organ.
Social stereotypes and judgments of individuals: An instance of the base-rate fallacy

Abstract Social stereotypes may be defined as beliefs that various traits or acts are characteristic of particular social groups. As such, stereotypic beliefs represent subjective estimates of the frequencies of attributes within social groups, and so should be expected to “behave like” base-rate information within the context of judgments of individuals: specifically, individuating target case information should induce subjects to disregard their own stereotypic beliefs. Although the results of previous research are consisten with this prediction, no studies have permitted normative evaluation of stereotypic judgments. Because the hypothesis equates base rates and stereotypes, normative evaluation is essential for demonstrating equivalence between the base-rate fallacy and neglect of stereotypes in the presence of individuating case information. Two experiments were conducted, allowing for normative evaluation of effects of stereotypes on judgments of individuals. The results confirmed the hypothesis and established the generalizability of the effect across controversial and uncontroversial, socially desirable and socially underirable stereotypic beliefs. More generally, an examination of the differences between intuitive and normative statistical models of the judgment task suggest that the base-rate fallacy is but one instance of a general characteristic of intuitive judgment processes: namely, the failure to appropriately adjust evaluations of any one cue in the light of concurrent evaluations of other cues.
Promoting cooperation using lkinr biased conditional strategy in the iterated prisoner's dilemma game

Abstract This paper introduces a new mechanism using tit-for-tat (TFT)-like strategy that successfully promotes cooperation in the iterated prisoner's dilemma (IPD) game. The mechanism is based on a corollary of our previously presented kinship hypothesis : cooperation can emerge when players tend to cooperate with players that are similar but tend to defect to players that are dissimilar. A theoretical motivation for the new mechanism is presented as well as experimental results supporting the theory. The experimental results show that kinship biased conditional cooperation (KBCC) greatly improves the survival of cooperative individuals, eventually driving the population to cooperating equilibrium.
Methylation of a CpG site near the ALDH1A2 gene is associated with loss of control over drinking and related phenotypes.

Background The pathophysiology of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) may be influenced by epigenetics processes such as DNA methylation, but the identification of DNA methylation patterns associated with AUDs has largely been limited to a handful of candidate genes. Methods Participants were hazardous drinkers from the local community (n = 309). All participants completed a baseline clinical interview in which they reported on their loss of control over drinking. A subsample participated in an ethanol (EtOH) infusion experiment (n = 50). DNA was extracted from saliva samples and assayed on the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 DNA Analysis BeadChip. Results We identified significant associations between loss of control over drinking and DNA methylation at multiple CpG sites. In follow-up analyses of one of our top results, a CpG site near the ALDH1A2 gene, we found that methylation was negatively associated with rate of intoxication and self-reported feelings of intoxication, consistent with the view that DNA methylation at ALDH1A2 may be associated with changes in alcohol metabolism. Conclusions While these findings require replication, they provide evidence that DNA methylation at multiple CpG sites is associated with loss of control over drinking. It may be useful to examine DNA methylation patterns using several related phenotypes to establish the biological coherence of results and to help prioritize markers for further study.
Long-term followup of patients with renal cell carcinoma treated with radio frequency ablation with curative intent.

ABSTRACTPurpose:: We defined the role of radio frequency ablation in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.Materials and Methods:: A total of 16 patients with biopsy proven renal cell carcinoma were treated with radio frequency ablation in an outpatient setting and followed for a minimum of 4 years.Results:: Of the 16 patients 5 died before 4 years of followup of unrelated causes. All except 1 tumor was successfully treated. All patients with exophytic tumors were successfully treated.Conclusions:: Radio frequency ablation of exophytic renal cell carcinomas less than 5 cm in diameter is effective in eradicating the tumor and comparable to surgical extirpation at 4 years.
Evaluation of Coated Abrasive Grain Geometry and Wear via Continuous Time Series Models.

Abstract The coated abrasive profiles are characterized using the second order continuous autoregressive model. Based on a two sided moving average representation of this model, expressions are derived to calculate the geometry (apex angle, base width and orientation) of an average grain. Experimental results and analysis for six new and one worn coated abrasive are presented; and the capability of the grain geometry parameters to quantize wear is discussed.
ESCA Study of Polymer Surfaces Treated by Plasma

Surfaces of polymers [polyethylene, polystyrene, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(oxymethylene), cellulose acetate, polyacrylonitrile, nylon 6, and polytetrafluoroethylene] treated with argon (inert) and nitrogen (reactive) plasma were examined by ESCA (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis). Argon plasma treatment generally introduces oxygen functionalities into the polymer surface. Nitrogen treatment generally incorporates nitrogen and oxygen functionalities into the treated surface. The extent of oxygen incorporation is typically less than that produced by argon plasma. When nitrogen and oxygen functional groups are already in a polymer structure, the extent of additional incorporation of these two elements as a result of plasma treatment is very much less than with other polymers. Polymers which contain only one of the elements tend to incorporate the other element to much the same degree as polymers without either element initially present.
Stage‐dependent responses to emergent habitat heterogeneity: consequences for a predatory insect population in a coffee agroecosystem

Interactions among members of biological communities can create spatial patterns that effectively generate habitat heterogeneity for other members in the community, and this heterogeneity might be crucial for their persistence. For example, stage-dependent vulnerability of a predatory lady beetle to aggression of the ant, Azteca instabilis, creates two habitat types that are utilized differently by the immature and adult life stages of the beetle. Due to a mutualistic association between A. instabilis and the hemipteran Coccus viridis – which is A. orbigera main prey in the area – only plants around ant nests have high C. viridis populations. Here, we report on a series of surveys at three different scales aimed at detecting how the presence and clustered distribution of ant nests affect the distribution of the different life stages of this predatory lady beetle in a coffee farm in Chiapas, Mexico. Both beetle adults and larvae were more abundant in areas with ant nests, but adults were restricted to the peripheries of highest ant activity and outside the reach of coffee bushes containing the highest densities of lady beetle larvae. The abundance of adult beetles located around trees with ants increased with the size of the ant nest clusters but the relationship is not significant for larvae. Thus, we suggest that A. orbigera undergoes an ontogenetic niche shift, not through shifting prey species, but through stage-specific vulnerability differences against a competitor that renders areas of abundant prey populations inaccessible for adults but not for larvae. Together with evidence presented elsewhere, this study shows how an important predator is not only dependent on the existence of two qualitatively distinct habitat types, but also on the spatial distribution of these habitats. We suggest that this dependency arises due to the different responses that the predator's life stages have to this emergent spatial pattern.
Applied Physiology of Diving

Recreational diving is a popular sport, although human ability to stay in and under water is severely limited physiologically. An understanding of these limitations enhances safety and enjoyment of sports diving. Breath-hold diving involves head-out water immersion, apnoea and submersion, exercise, cold stress, and pressure exposure. Each of these components, by itself, elicits prominent and specific physiological effects. Combination of these factors produces a unique and interesting physiological response generally known as diving reflex. Humans display weak diving responses, but exhibit no oxygen conservation function. Nevertheless, application of diving-induced physiological changes is now finding its way into clinical practice. Apnoea, face immersion, and head-out water immersion all show promise of clinical application. There are several spin-offs from diving research worth noting. Diuresis, enhancement of cardiac performance, and redistribution of blood flow, all produced by head-out water immersion, have been shown to be clinically useful, besides providing physiological data useful to space travel. Results from investigations on apnoea have been shown to be relevant to the following: treating some forms of cardiac arrhythmias; understanding drowning, sudden infant death syndrome and sleep apnoea; and confirming hyperventilation as the major cause of drowning. In comparison to marine mammals, humans are poor divers because of severe physiological constraints which limit their breath-hold time, diving depth, and ability to conserve body heat. Although under special circumstances humans can achieve unusually long breath-hold time and reach exceptional depth with a single breath, the sustainable working time and depth are only about 1 minute and 5 metres, respectively. Hypothermia inevitably results in divers working in the ocean. Without thermal protection, the intolerable limit of 35 degrees C is reached within 30 minutes in winter (10 degrees C) water and within 60 to 90 minutes in summer. Nevertheless, effective harvest work can be performed by humans in the ocean, and recreational benefits enhanced when these physiological limitations are respected. An unusual circulatory state exists during head-out water immersion in that there is a sustained increase of stroke volume. This results in 30% increase in cardiac output when the subject is resting in thermal neutral water, indicating a substantial overperfusion for the oxygen requirement. Furthermore, animal experiments showed that the elevated blood flow is preferentially channeled to the liver, fat, and the organs in the splanchnic region.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Display's the thing: The real stakes in the conflict over high‐resolution displays

Japan has a strong lead over both the United States and Western Europe in the development of liquid crystal displays (LCDs). We argue in this article that LCDs and associated integrated display technologies are critical for competition in a growing proportion of global electronics markets. The “architecture of supply” is the issue here, and U.S. firms need help from the government to insure that they will have access to the latest display technologies in a timely manner at market prices. Besides adopting foreign economic policies designed to achieve this purpose, it will be necessary for the government to continue to work with the domestic electronics industry to raise the industry's technological capabilities in new display technologies.
NTFP income contribution to household economy and related socio-economic factors: lessons from Bangladesh.

Abstract Exploring extent and pattern of non-timber forest product (NTFP) income contribution to livelihoods of forest-adjacent people and the income related socio-economic factors is crucial in designing any development and conservation initiative. This paper examines NTFPs' role in contributing to the household economy and how different socio-economic factors may influence this contribution. Field methods involved quantitative and qualitative data collection of forest-adjacent households of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Results show that the contribution of different types of NTFPs to household economy varies in terms of subsistence and cash income. However, overall NTFP income is much higher than income from timber or firewood which indicates a larger dependence of the households on NTFPs. Income data analysis also finds that the poor households are relatively more dependent on NTFPs for their subsistence and cash income than the better-off households. Moreover, the study reveals that there are many other socio-economic factors at the household level such as number of members in household and total value of household implements and furniture that are significantly correlated with the NTFP income. More site-specific applied research on NTFP income and influential factors is necessary to generalize the findings for other parts of the world with similar socio-economic and environmental settings.
Output-feedback model predictive control with constraints - improve robustness using past information

We present nonlinear model predictive control design for a type of discrete-time nonlinear system. Range constraints are imposed on input, output and input rate. When states are not available, an observer based on Newton's algorithm is used to estimate all states. We also present an idea to improve robustness of the control system when plant is subjected to modeling uncertainties. By using past information, the correction to the plant model can be computed from the difference between past actual states and past model states using a simple linear least-square algorithm. The correction is applied to the plant model in the future time step. Two illustrative examples are included
Feminist Security Studies: Celebrating an Emerging Field

As feminist international relations enters its third decade as a subdiscipline within IR, it is particularly fitting that we recognize and celebrate the stimulating and important new research that is being done in Feminist Security Studies. In the early days of feminist IR, feminists tended to stay away from security studies, at least as it is conventionally defined, a tendency that, fortunately, is no longer the case. The rich and varied research being done by contributors to this volume is evidence that the field has taken off and that its research agendas are flourishing.
Senior design projects: initiation into the professional community

The authors discuss some issues that are involved in helping students, as well as others, recognize the different communities that students function in. They begin with a discussion of discourse community as theoretical background to the observations made. Next they analyze the role that the student plays in the laboratory setting and in the design course setting. They conclude with an appraisal of student performance in the industry setting. The authors' analysis is based on: (1) a comparison of design course experiences and academic laboratory experiences, (2) observation and participation in three design course projects that were sponsored by industry, and (3) interviews with the faculty monitors and industry sponsors of the projects. A comparison of student laboratory and design project experiences reveals that the distinguishing characteristics of the design project experience that are similar to industry experiences include solving of open-ended problems, acquiring background knowledge, and recognizing industry priorities. >
All Fall Down: The Demise of the New Dance Group and the ‘‘Highest’’ Stage of Communism

In February 2009, the New Dance Group (NDG) closed its doors after 77 years.1 The New York Times obituary reported that the group was founded in the Depression by choreographers who produced works ...
Chloride Influx Aggravates Ca2+-Dependent AMPA Receptor-Mediated Motoneuron Death

AMPA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of stroke, neurotrauma, epilepsy, and many neurodegenerative diseases such as motoneuron disease. We studied the role of Cl- in AMPA receptor-mediated Ca2+-dependent excitotoxicity in cultured rat spinal motoneurons. Using the gramicidin perforated patch-clamp technique, the intracellular Cl- concentration could be calculated from the reversal potential of the GABA-induced current. The membrane depolarization caused by AMPA receptor stimulation resulted in Cl- influx through 5-nitro-2(3-phenylpropyl-amino) benzoic acid- and niflumic acid-sensitive Cl- channels. Cl- influx during AMPA receptor stimulation aggravated excitotoxic motoneuron death by two mechanisms: an increase of AMPA receptor conductance and an elevation of the Ca2+ driving force through a partial repolarization. The Cl- influx during AMPA receptor stimulation was enhanced by coadministration of GABA. This resulted in an increased Ca2+ influx and an enhanced cell death, suggesting that concomitant GABAergic stimulation may aggravate excitotoxic motoneuron death.
Optimization of ultraviolet laser doping for crystalline silicon solar cells with a novel segmented selective emitter design

This paper reports on the use of ultraviolet laser for forming segmented selective emitters on POCl 3 n + –p–p + solar cells. Laser scan speed, pulse power, and repetition rate are optimized to minimize laser-induced defects, which are found to enhance recombination and reduce the local open-circuit voltage. Laser-doped selective emitters formed by locally driving in additional phosphorous from the diffusion glass are well suited for an etchback process without the need for a mask. In this paper, we show a novel selective emitter design that is segmented instead of continuous, combined with an emitter etchback process gives an efficiency improvement of about 0.3% absolute over a standard industrial type solar cell and 0.2% absolute improvement over a non-segmented selective emitter solar cell. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Treatment outcome in bulimia

Abstract This paper selectively addresses methodological issues in treatment outcome studies of bulimia. Among the issues examined are the following: methodological strengths; problems, such as the comparability of treatments and lack of long-term follow-ups; dependent measures and their interrelationships; how to gauge treatment success and attrition rates. The quality of studies reflects lessons learned in research with other disorders. Increasingly, studies are showing greater methodological rigor.
Hierarchical qualitative research teams: refining the methodology:

Qualitative research traditionally has been done by individual researchers or by collaborating researchers of equal status. In recent years, a number of prominent qualitative research efforts with ...
Adjustable nanomanufacturing using template-guided self-assembly

Template-guided self-assembly is one of the most promising approaches for creating functional nanosystems and effective methods are needed in order to generate micro and nanoscale templates for a diverse type of materials necessary for different applications. In this paper a plasma lithography technique is demonstrated which can directly pattern a wide variety of substrates including polystyrene, PDMS and glass for self-assembly of nanomaterials. The technique employs a deformable mold made using PDMS replication molding. The mold protects selective areas of the substrate from plasma surface treatment, which will spatially alter the surface properties of the substrate. Nanomaterials will then selectively self-assemble onto the pattern. Three-dimensional control is achieved by means of mold geometry and self-assembly conditions. Nanomaterials including nanoparticles, proteins, and salts have been patterned on configurations from arrays of lines and dots to arbitrary shapes in sizes ranging from millimeters to hundreds of nanometers.
On the periodic motions of simple hopping robots

Discrete dynamical systems theory is applied to the analysis of simplified hopping robot models. A one-dimensional vertical hopping model that captures both the vertical hopping dynamics and nonlinear control algorithm is reviewed. A more complicated two-dimensional model that includes both forward and vertical hopping dynamics and a foot placement algorithm is presented. These systems are analyzed using a Poincare return map and hopping behavior is investigated by constructing the return map bifurcation diagrams with respect to system parameters. The diagrams show period doubling leading to chaotic behavior. Using the vertical model results as a guide, dynamic behaviour of the planar hopping system is interpreted. >
Performance of reverse link CDMA in a multi-cell environment with moving cells

We present the bit error performance and capacity of the reverse link of a DS-CDMA cellular system, taking into account the effect of power-controlled interfering users from other cells. A convolutionally encoded, BPSK modulated, waveform is considered. The channel is assumed to undergo flat Rayleigh fading, which is typical of narrowband CDMA systems. All the mobile users are power-controlled by their assigned base stations. A cellular CDMA system with 25 cells in a square grid layout is simulated, and the performance in the center cell surrounded by 2-tiers of interfering cells is estimated. The effect of power control is accounted for by assuming the power control error to be log-normally distributed. We present the performance results when the base station of interest moves relative to other fixed base stations, resulting in overlapping cells, a situation possible in a battlefield environment where the base stations could be mounted on jeeps, tanks, UAVs, etc.