cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Schools Leaders Successfully Partner With Community Organization Providing Nutrition So Students Focus on Learning Instead of on Hunger

Due to the closing of the GM Manufacturing Plants, Grand Rapids, Michigan area experienced an extreme loss of jobs, which led to low-socioeconomic hardships such as “food insecurity” that was witnessed in the needs of the many students who attend the Grand Rapid Public Schools. This case provides insight into how educational leader Principal MaryAnn Prisichenko and community activist Mary K. Hoodhood collaborated to form the Kid’s Food Basket in 2001, which feeds more than 3,000 students with sack suppers every weekday. This type of program could be utilized as a model program for other districts that are experiencing similar issues due to low economic status and child hunger in their schools.
Patellar kinematics, part I: the influence of vastus muscle activity in subjects with and without patellofemoral pain.

Background and Purpose. Reduced motor unit activity of the vastus medialis muscle relative to the vastus lateralis muscle has been implicated as a cause of lateral patellar subluxation. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of vastus muscle motor unit activity on patellar kinematics. Subjects. Twenty-three women (mean age=26.8 years, SD=8.5, range=14–46) with a diagnosis of patellofemoral pain and 12 women (mean age=29.1 years, SD=5.0, range=24–38) without patellofemoral pain participated. Only female subjects were studied because of potential biomechanical differences between sexes. Methods. Patellar kinematics (kinematic magnetic resonance imaging) and vastus muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity using indwelling electrodes were measured during resisted knee extension. Measurements of medial and lateral patellar displacement and tilt obtained from magnetic resonance images were correlated with normalized vastus lateralis:vastus medialis oblique muscle and vastus lateralis:vastus medialis longus muscle EMG ratios at 45, 36, 27, 18, 9, and 0 degrees of knee flexion using a stepwise regression procedure. Results. The vastus lateralis:vastus medialis longus muscle EMG ratio contributed to the prediction of lateral patellar displacement at 27 degrees of knee flexion ( r =−.48), with increased vastus medialis longus muscle activity being associated with greater lateral patellar displacement. A similar inverse relationship was evident with lateral patellar tilt at 36, 27, 18, and 9 degrees of knee flexion. Conclusion and Discussion. These results suggest that increased motor unit activity of the vastus medialis muscle appears to be associated with abnormal patellar kinematics in women, but it is not necessarily a cause of abnormal patellar kinematics.
Geometric texture synthesis by example

Patterns on real-world objects are often due to variations in geometry across the surface. Height fields and other common parametric methods cannot synthesize many forms of geometric surface texture such as thorns, scales, and bark. We present an example-based technique for synthesizing a variety of geometric textures on a model's surface. The applied textures can be from models specifically created for this purpose, or may be drawn from user-specified regions of an example model. We extend existing neighborhood-based texture synthesis algorithms to operate on volumetric models. Similar to image analogies [11], given a training pair of unfiltered and filtered source models and an unfiltered destination model (all volumetric grids), we synthesize a filtered fourth model that exhibits the desired geometric texture. The user defines vector fields to specify the direction of texture anisotropy on the source and destination models. The vector field defines a coordinate frame on the destination object's surface that is used to sample the voxel density values in the neighborhood near a given voxel, which then gives a feature vector that is matched to the neighborhoods in the source model. Destination voxels are visited in an order that is dictated by the vector field. We show geometric synthesis results on a variety of models using textures such as pits, grooves, thru-holes and thorns.
Effectiveness of Monazite Coatings in Oxide/Oxide Composites after Long-Term Exposure at High Temperature

The effectiveness of monazite (LaPO4) in providing an oxidation-resistant weak fiber/matrix interface was evaluated in a fiber roving/thin coating/ceramic-matrix composite with >20% fiber volume fraction. Nextel™ 610/monazite/alumina composites were fabricated and tensile tested after isothermal exposures of up to 1000 h. Some strength loss was seen after short-term exposures (1100°–1200°C/5–250 h); however, no further loss was observed after 1000 h at 1200°C. Conversely, control samples containing uncoated fiber displayed >70% strength losses after only 5 h at 1200°C. Fiber pullout was seen in monazite-containing samples even after 1000 h at 1200°C. Debonding was predominantly in the coating or at either the fiber/coating or coating/matrix interface. Push-out testing confirmed the weakness of the monazite coating interface.
Energy balance and expenditure while consuming guar gum at various fat intakes and ambient temperatures

We devised a new model to evaluate whether dietary composition affects whole-body energy metabolism in rats. Dietary guar gum, but not corn starch, elevates both fecal energy excretion and energy expenditure. Neither ambient tem- perature (21 vs 28 #{176}C) nor fat content of the basal diet (15% vs 33% metabolizable energy) has a marked effect on guar gum's thermogenic stimulus. Starch and guar gum each contribute 17.5 kJ/g to gross energy intake. This energy is fully available from the starch but guar gum contributes only 9- 13 kJ/g to digestible energy intake on the low-fat diet (15% of energy), only 6 kJ/g to digestible energy on the higher-fat diet (33% of energy) (because of a fat-gum interaction), decreases urinary energy loss by 1.4-2.7 kJ/g gum, and elevates energy expen- diture by 11.6-14.8 kJ/g. The thermogenic effect of the guar gum is highly reproducible. Several potential mechanisms to explain such elevated energy expenditure are considered. The model used to quantify the thermogenic stimulus is highly sen- sitive and could be applied to the trial of potentially thermo- genic drugs as well as dietary ingredients. Am J Clin Nutr l994;60:956-64.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in acute and chronic leukemias

Introduction: Since the initial approval of imatinib much has been learned about its resistance mechanisms, and efforts have continued to improve upon BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Targeted therapy with TKIs has continued to be an area of active research and development in the care of acute and chronic leukemia patients. Areas covered: This article reviews current approved and investigational TKI treatments for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), Philadelphia-chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Expert opinion: There are now more potent BCR-ABL TKIs approved, which allow for additional options when determining front-line and second-line CML and Ph + ALL treatments. The T315I mutation is an ever-present challenge. Ponatinib, a pan BCR-ABL TKI, while still under investigation, is very hopeful with its ability to overcome T315I mutations in resistant CML and Ph + ALL patients. Because nilotinib and dasatinib have not been directly comp...
Selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibition lowers spinal cord prostaglandin concentrations after injury.

Abstract Background context: Prostaglandin E2 (PGE 2 ) and thromboxane B2 (TxB 2 ) concentrations are elevated in the injured spinal cord for hours to days after injury. Treatment of animals with a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor has been shown to improve functional outcome in an animal model. Purpose: We sought to characterize the effects of COX-2 inhibition on prostaglandin concentrations in the spinal cord after injury. Study design/setting: A drug study was performed using 76 male Long Evans rats. Outcome Measures: PGE 2 and TxB 2 concentrations were measured by enzyme immune assay. Methods: Fifty-six rats were subject to spinal cord injury, and 4 rats served as sham controls. Twenty eight rats received 3 mg/kg of celebocid by means of an orogastric tube within 20 minutes after injury, and 28 received vehicle alone. The animals were sacrificed at time points between 2 and 72 hours after injury, and PGE 2 and TxB 2 levels were measured. A second study was performed using transcardiac saline perfusion in order to reduce intragroup variance in measured PGE 2 and TxB 2 levels. Sixteen animals underwent spinal cord injury. Animals were sacrificed at 4 and 24 hours after injury, and PGE 2 and TxB 2 levels were measured. Results: PGE 2 and TxB 2 concentrations were elevated after injury in all animals. Administration of celebocid resulted in a delayed reduction of PGE 2 and TxB 2 concentrations in the initial drug study. These results were not statistically significant. Transcardiac perfusion with normal saline reduced the intragroup variance. Using this technique, administration of celebocid resulted in a statistically significant reduction in PGE 2 and TxB 2 concentrations in the injured cord segment 4 and 24 hours after injury. Conclusion: Administration of a selective COX-2 inhibitor after injury results in a decrease of PGE 2 and TxB 2 concentrations in the injured spinal cord. Transcardiac perfusion after sacrifice reduces measured variance, probably through reducing the contribution of blood-borne prosta-glandins.
A self-perpetuating bamboo disturbance cycle in a neotropical forest

We investigate a hypothesis for explaining maintenance of forest canopy dominance: bamboo (Guadua weberbaueri and Guadua sarcocarpa) loads and crushes trees, resulting in a self-perpetuating disturbance cycle. Forest inventory data revealed a peculiar pattern of tree form and size class distribution in bamboo-dominated plots within the Tambopata River watershed, Madre de Dios, Peru. Bamboo disproportionately loaded trees 5-29 cm in diameter, and this size class had over seven times more canopy damage than trees in control plots without bamboo. These differences were accompanied by reduced tree basal area and tree density in the 5-29-cm-diameter size class in the presence of bamboo. Elevated tree canopy damage was not apparent for trees ≥30 cm dbh, which are beyond the reach of bamboo. Additional evidence for the impact of bamboo was revealed by an experiment using artificial metal trees. Artificial trees in bamboo-dominated forest plots had nine times higher frequency of physical damage and nine times more plant mass loading as compared with control plots. Our results support the hypothesis that bamboo loading causes elevated physical damage to trees and suppresses tree recruitment, particularly for trees 5-29 cm in diameter.
Efficiency of a Binary Comparison Storage Technique

The efficiency of an information storage technique based on binary comparisons is analyzed. Generating functions are applied to finding the mean and variance of the number of comparisons needed to retrieve one item from a store of n items. Surprisingly, the variance approaches 7 - 2/3p2 for large n.
Oxygenated Interface on Biomass Burn Tar Balls Determined by Single Particle Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy

Carbonaceous particles originating from biomass burning can account for a large fraction of organic aerosols in a local environment. Presently, their composition, physical and chemical properties, as well as their environmental effects are largely unknown. Tar balls, a distinct type of highly spherical carbonaceous biomass burn particles, have been observed in a number of field campaigns. The Yosemite Aerosol Characterization Study that took place in summer 2002 occurred during an active fire season in the western United States; tar balls collected during this field campaign are described in this article. Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy are used to determine the shape, structure, and size-dependent chemical composition of ∼150 individual spherical particles ranging in size from 0.15 to 1.2 μm. The elemental composition of tar balls is ∼55% atomic carbon and ∼45% atomic oxygen. Oxygen is present primarily as carboxylic carbonyls and oxygen-s...
Role of ventral medial prefrontal cortex in incubation of cocaine craving.

Abstract Cue-induced drug-seeking in rodents progressively increases after withdrawal from cocaine, suggesting that cue-induced cocaine craving incubates over time. Here, we explored the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, a brain area previously implicated in cue-induced cocaine seeking) in this incubation. We trained rats to self-administer cocaine for 10 days (6 h/day, infusions were paired with a tone–light cue), and then assessed after 1 or 30 withdrawal days the effect of exposure to cocaine cues on lever presses in extinction tests. We found that cue-induced cocaine-seeking in the extinction tests was higher after 30 withdrawal days than after 1 day. The time-dependent increases in extinction responding were associated with large (ventral mPFC) or modest (dorsal mPFC) increases in ERK phosphorylation (a measure of ERK activity and an index of neuronal activation). After 30 withdrawal days, ventral but not dorsal injections of muscimol + baclofen (GABAa + GABAb receptor agonists that inhibit neuronal activity) decreased extinction responding. After 1 withdrawal day, ventral but not dorsal mPFC injections of bicuculline + saclofen (GABAa + GABAb receptor antagonists that increase neuronal activity) strongly increased extinction responding. Finally, muscimol + baclofen had minimal effect on extinction responding after 1 day, and in cocaine-experienced rats, ventral mPFC injections of muscimol + baclofen or bicuculline + saclofen had no effect on lever presses for an oral sucrose solution. The present results indicate that ventral mPFC neuronal activity plays an important role in the incubation of cocaine craving.
Radar Open System Architecture provides net centricity

The second generation of the Radar Open Systems Architecture has been developed and put into practice. This approach consists of a layered architecture that isolates applications from underlying hardware and software elements such as operating systems, middlewares, communication fabrics, and computer platforms. The framework also consists of a set of component libraries that are being populated as the framework is applied in an expanding series of application domains. Easy swap ability for the library components or newly-developed components along with a high degree of hardware independence allows systems built using this infrastructure to be easily maintained and upgraded.
Examination of the Potential Role of γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid in Eggshell Quality

Abstract The outer portion of the outer shell membrane of hen eggs was removed, subjected to alkaline hydrolysis and analyzed for γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) via amino acid analysis. Although the presence of a ninhydrin positive substance was found in close proximity to the Gla reference peak, gas chromatographic-mass spectrophotometric analyses of this peak revealed that it was not Gla. γ-Carboxyglutamic acid has been recently found in the shell matrix, and it was of interest to determine if the presence of Gla in the shell matrix is essential for the production of a strong shell. This was accomplished by feeding hens a vitamin K antagonist and evaluating their eggs for shell quality. Although prothrombin times were significantly increased, no significant changes occurred in the specific gravity measurements of eggs laid during the 14 days of treatment. This information strongly suggests that the carboxylation of glutamic acid is not an essential step in the formation of a strong eggshell.
Spatial Guilds in the Serengeti Food Web Revealed by a Bayesian Group Model

Food webs, networks of feeding relationships in an ecosystem, provide fundamental insights into mechanisms that determine ecosystem stability and persistence. A standard approach in food-web analysis, and network analysis in general, has been to identify compartments, or modules, defined by many links within compartments and few links between them. This approach can identify large habitat boundaries in the network but may fail to identify other important structures. Empirical analyses of food webs have been further limited by low-resolution data for primary producers. In this paper, we present a Bayesian computational method for identifying group structure using a flexible definition that can describe both functional trophic roles and standard compartments. We apply this method to a newly compiled plant-mammal food web from the Serengeti ecosystem that includes high taxonomic resolution at the plant level, allowing a simultaneous examination of the signature of both habitat and trophic roles in network structure. We find that groups at the plant level reflect habitat structure, coupled at higher trophic levels by groups of herbivores, which are in turn coupled by carnivore groups. Thus the group structure of the Serengeti web represents a mixture of trophic guild structure and spatial pattern, in contrast to the standard compartments typically identified. The network topology supports recent ideas on spatial coupling and energy channels in ecosystems that have been proposed as important for persistence. Furthermore, our Bayesian approach provides a powerful, flexible framework for the study of network structure, and we believe it will prove instrumental in a variety of biological contexts.
The autoregressive backpropagation algorithm

Describes an extension to error backpropagation that allows the nodes in a neural network to encode state information in an autoregressive 'memory'. This neural model gives such networks the ability to learn to recognize sequences and context-sensitive patterns. Building upon the work of A. Wieland (1990) concerning nodes with a single feedback connection, the authors generalize the method to n feedback connections and address stability issues. The learning algorithm is derived, and a few applications are presented. >
Fostering a Conceptual Understanding in Undergraduate Materials Education: A Multivariable Animated Spreadsheet Approach

We describe how students explore materials science concepts using animated interactive spreadsheets. An engaging pedagogy is created in the classroom using spreadsheets in a way that initially camouflages mathematical complexity, which can later be revealed and taught. Use of off-the-shelf spreadsheet software, including freeware makes these spreadsheets universally available.
Early and Late Effects of Angiotensin-II on Ca2+ Fluxes in Bovine Adrenal Zona Glomerulosa Cells*

Previous studies have yielded conflicting results concerning the effects of angiotensin-II (Ang II) on Ca2+ fluxes in adrenal zona glomerulosa (ZG) cells. The present study was designed to investigate the kinetics and dose-dependency of Ang II-mediated changes in Ca2+ influx and efflux in cultured bovine ZG cells. At a high (10 nM) Ang II concentration, cytosolic Ca2+ (Cai) shows a peak-plateau response for the first 15 min, with small Cai transients commonly observed with longer stimulations. At 50 pM Ang II, more sustained Cai changes were elicited, typically consisting of Cai oscillations. The underlying changes in Ca2+ influx and efflux were studied. The early modifications of Ca2+ influx after 2 min of agonist stimulation were biphasic, with uptake increased by 90% between 1-100 pM Ang II and inhibited by 30% at 10 nM Ang II. Furthermore, high (10 nM) Ang II doses inhibited extracellular K(+)-stimulated Ca2+ influx. After 30 min of Ang II stimulation, the later dose response of Ca2+ influx was of similar magnitude but shifted to the left, showing a maximal influx at 10 pM Ang II and a modest enhancement at 10 nM. Basal Ca2+ efflux followed a two-compartment exponential decay, reflecting rapid Ca2+ displacement from extracellular sites (k1) and active Ca2+ transport (k2). A high (10 nM) Ang II concentration induced a transient large increase (130%) in k2 during the initial phase of Ang II stimulation, which returned to basal values within 10 min. A low (50 pM) Ang II concentration induced a small sustained increase (30%) in k2. A 10-nM Ang II concentration markedly reduced the exchangeable Ca2+ pool, as Ca2+ mobilized from intracellular stores into the cytosol was rapidly extruded, while Ca2+ influx was inhibited. A more physiological (50 pM) concentration of Ang II did not significantly alter the total exchangeable Ca2+ pool due to modest stimulation of both Ca2+ efflux and influx. In summary, the initial transient Cai response to high Ang II results from a large Ca2+ mobilization combined with inhibition of Ca2+ influx, which does not allow for the refilling of Ca2+ stores. At later times, small increases in Ca2+ influx allow for the eventual recovery of exchangeable cell Ca2+ and an enhanced elevation in Cai. At low Ang II concentrations, stimulation of both Ca2+ influx and efflux are concurrent and maintained, allowing for a sustained increase in Cai with little change in exchangeable cell Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Crystal structure of tropomyosin at 7 Angstroms resolution.

Tropomyosin is a 400A-long coiled coil that polymerizes to form a continuous filament that associates with actin in muscle and numerous non-muscle cells. Tropomyosin and troponin together form a calcium-sensitive switch that is responsible for thin-filament regulation of striated muscle. Subtle structural features of the molecule, including non-canonical aspects of its coiled-coil motif, undoubtedly influence its association with f-actin and its role in thin filament regulation. Previously, careful inspection of native diffraction intensities was sufficient to construct a model of tropomyosin at 9A resolution in a spermine-induced crystal form that diffracts anisotropically to 4A resolution. Single isomorphous replacement (SIR) phasing has now provided an empirical determination of the structure at 7A resolution. A novel method of heavy-atom analysis was used to overcome difficulties in interpretation of extremely anisotropic diffraction. The packing arrangement of the molecules in the crystal, and important aspects of the tropomyosin geometry such as non-uniformities of the pitch and variable bending and radius of the coiled coil are evident. Proteins 2000;38:49–59. ©2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Counterterrorism as War: Identifying the Dangers, Risks, and Opportunity Costs of U.S. Strategy Toward Al Qaeda and Its Affiliates

The U.S. war on Al Qaeda is well into its second decade—why has this particular conflict been so difficult to end? This article argues it is not due to the strategic acumen of Al Qaeda, but because of the problems intrinsic to relying on war as the framework for U.S. counterterrorism policy. The normal means of ending wars are complicated with a terrorist enemy and at odds with strategies that have historically had success at the end stages of counterterror campaigns. Continuing along the current path risks an ongoing war the United States will likely neither win nor fully end.
Terrestrial water storage response to the 2012 drought estimated from GPS vertical position anomalies

Historically, drought monitoring systems have not incorporated observations of terrestrial water storage (TWS). Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments can be used to estimate TWS variations in near real time because the solid Earth responds elastically to changes in hydrologic loading. Here GPS vertical position data, u, are used to assess the timing and duration of TWS anomalies in the High Plains caused by the 2012 drought; u indicates an initial TWS minimum in 2012, consistent with GRACE TWS, several months after the most severe meteorological forcing. Standard drought indices show recovery from drought during spring 2013. In contrast, u indicates that the TWS anomaly intensified by approximately 15% during summer 2013, an interval when no GRACE data are available. Hydrologic observations indicate that depletion of groundwater, not soil moisture, is the source of the persistent TWS anomaly. These results show that GPS data could be used to monitor drought-induced variations in TWS in near real time.
Improvements and extensions to simulation interval procedures

The paper presents improvements to two common confidence interval procedures: the two stage Student's t intervals and the paired t intervals. Further, we provide a conservative extension to the paired t intervals to deal with any finite number of alternatives. Also, we include an approximate procedure that performs better with large numbers of alternatives. These procedures have been presented previously (F.J. Matejcik and B.L. Nelson, 1993), but special elementary cases, revised notation, and comparison to common methods should make these procedures accessible to a broader audience. Numerical examples are included.
Age correction factor in noise-induced hearing loss: a quantitative model.

This paper considers the factors of presbyacusis and noise exposure in relation to permanent hearing loss and provides a quantitative model from which an age correction factor in occupational hearing loss may be derived. The rationale for a presbyacusis correction is provided in terms of physiological and audiometric data. The additivity hypothesis is considered and constraints on this approach are presented. A quantitative model for assessing the age component in occupational hearing loss is then derived from empirical functions. The model is based on the concept of a variable ratio for partitioning the effects of presbyacusis and noise exposure. Consideration is given to the application of the model in medico-legal cases of occupational hearing loss in which the degree of hearing impairment must be assessed.L'exposition au bruit et l'aˇge sont les deux principaux facteurs ayant des effets nocifs sur l'audition. Ces facteurs sont-ils complementaires, s'ajoutent-ils, ou bien agissentils l'un sur l'autre? ...
Using Bloom Filters to Ensure Access Control and Authentication Requirements for SCADA Field Devices

The critical infrastructure cannot operate without SCADA systems; this has made the task of securing SCADA systems a national security priority. While progress has been made in securing control networks, security at the field device level is still lacking. Field devices present unique security challenges and these challenges are compounded by the presence of legacy devices. This paper describes a technique that uses Bloom filters to implement challenge-response authentication and role-based access control in field devices. The approach, which is implemented in an in-line security pre-processor, provides for rapid and constant access check times. Experiments involving a prototype device demonstrate that the false positive rate can be kept arbitrarily low and that the real-time performance is acceptable for many SCADA applications.
Lincoln&Davis: Imagining America, 1809–1865. By Brian R. Dirck. (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2001. xiv, 326 pp. $34.95, ISBN 0-7006-1137-1.)

Abraham Lincoln: the Great Emancipator, savior of the Union, and revered national hero. Jefferson Davis: defender of slavery, leader of a lost cause, and forlorn object of scorn. Both Lincoln and Davis remain locked in the American psyche as iconic symbols of victory and defeat. They presided over a terrible war that decided the fate of slavery and severely tested each man's resolve and potential for greatness. But, as Brian Dirck shows, such images tend to obscure the larger visions that compelled both men to pursue policies and actions that resulted in such a devastating national tragedy. Going well beyond most conventional accounts, Dirck examines Lincoln's and Davis's respective ideas concerning national identity, highlighting the strengths and shortcomings of each leader's worldview. By focusing on issues that have often been overlooked in previous studies of Lincoln and Davis-and of the war in general-he reveals the ways in which these two leaders viewed that imagined community called the American nation. The first comprehensive and detailed study to compare the two men's national imaginations, Dirck's study provides a provocative analysis of how their everyday lives-the influence of fathers and friends, jobs and homes-worked in complex ways to shape Lincoln's and Davis's perceptions of what the American nation was supposed to be and could become and how those images could reject or accommodate the institution of slavery. Dirck contends that Lincoln subscribed to the notion of a "nation of strangers" in which people never really knew one another's hearts, reflecting his wariness of sentimental attachment, while Davis held to a "community of sentiment" based on honor and comradeship that depended a great deal on emotional bonding. As Dirck shows, these two ideals are very much a part of the current national conversation-among citizens, scholars, and politicians that has brought Davis back into the fold of great Americans while challenging many of the cliches that surround the Lincoln myth. Ultimately, Dirck argues, the imagined communities of these two remarkable men transcend the experience of war to illuminate the ongoing debates over what it means to be an American. Through this engaging and original work, he urges a restoration of balance to our understanding not only of "Lincoln and Davis," but also of the contributions made by North and South alike to those debates."
Source scaling and moment estimation for the Pacific Northwest seismograph network using S-coda amplitudes

Earthquake coda waves can be used for investigating both source and medium parameters. In this investigation, we introduce a method for estimating the scalar seismic moment of local earthquakes using S -coda amplitudes recorded by regional network stations. Assuming a single-scattering coda model, more than 8000 coda amplitude measurements from 78 local western Washington earthquakes (with coda-duration magnitudes from 2.4 to 5.0) are used to estimate source spectra in the narrow frequency band 2 to 12 Hz. Using a transmission model based on previous studies, we find that our source modeling best supports an omega-square, constant stress drop, far-field scaling model. An average stress drop of 32 bars is inferred for the earthquakes studied. To calibrate the moment estimation procedure, a reference event with known moment and corner frequency is required. Using a suitable reference event, we estimate moments for the remaining 77 events in the data set. The moment values range from 5.1 × 1019 to 4.4 × 1023 dyne-cm.
Using the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Framework to Understand Belief Systems and Types of Awareness in Young Men Exposed to Chronic Community Violence: Implications for Mental Health Professionals

The purpose of the current study was to give voice to urban young men who have had exposure to chronic community violence. A qualitative, phenomenological method was used to explore and describe eight participants' exposure to violence, their beliefs about the event, and the resulting types of awareness. Four distinct types of awareness were identified, and their implications for counseling are explained. The findings suggest that it is important to understand the different types of awareness when providing treatment of any kind for the exposure.
Field Studies on Mosquito-Arbovirus Relationships in Iowa, 1971

Mosquitoes were collected monthly from June through September at 24 different locations in Iowa during 1971. Twenty-four mosquito species were identified and processed for arbovirus isolations. Aedes trivittatus, A. vexans, Anopheles punctipennis and species in the Culex pipiens complex were collected at all 24 trap sites. Mansonia perturbans, C. tarsalis and Culiseta inornata were also taken at most sites. Forty-one arbovirus isolates were obtained from a total of 69,464 mosquitoes collected with dry ice-baited light traps. Twenty of the isolates were trivittatus virus. In addition, there were 10 Flanders, 6 western equine encephalitis, 3 Cache Valley, 1 St. Louis encephalitis and 1 La Crosse (California) virus isolates. Twenty of the 41 isolates were from pools of A. trivittatus mosquitoes , 7 were from pools of C. tarsalis and 6 were from M. perturbans . Isolates were made from 8 different species of mosquitoes. The northwestern regions of Iowa yielded the most viruses. Trivittatus, western equine encephalitis and Flanders viruses were widely distributed in the state.
A Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Stator (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Except for designating Bruchus pruininus Horn as its type-species, Bridwell did not indicate what bruchid species should be assigned to his genus Stator . This genus is now found to include also Bruchus limbatus Horn, B. sordidus Horn, B. subaeneus Schaeffer, B. pythonicus Pic, and Stator beali , a new species from Texas. These six species are keyed; each is described, its male genitalia are figured, and its distribution is given. The known range of the genus is from Texas to California (and Hawaii), and south into Mexico.
Magnetoelastic Properties of Rare Earth-Iron Alloys

The origin of magnetostriction and magnetoelastic effects in amorphous rare earthtransition element alloys is discussed in terms of local magnetoelastic coupling. Experimental determinations of saturation magnetostriction, elastic moduli and local anisotropy are presented and related to the picture of local magnetoelastic coupling.
Adverse Effects of By-products from Polymers Used for Joint Replacement

Total joint replacement (TJR) is a highly successful surgical intervention that relieves pain and improves function. Medical-grade polymers are commonly used in TJRs. Fortunately, most TJRs last for decades. However, excessive use of the TJR and impact-loading activities are generally prohibited due to potential fracture and degradation of the cement mantle and excessive wear of the polyethylene-articulating surface. Polymer wear particles and by-products stimulate the innate immune system. This manifests as a chronic inflammatory and foreign body reaction that may result in periprosthetic osteolysis, undermining the connection of the implant to bone. This leads to loss of fixation and painful loosening of the implant. This chapter outlines fundamental, clinical, material, and biological information in relation to the use of polymers in TJRs and the adverse effects associated with polymer wear debris.
KAREZ WELL IN XINJIANG

There are the developing conditions of geomorphology, climate, geo-hydrology inthe oa sis, east of xinjiang.Since liberation, the karez well has been got greatprogression in agricultural production. The writer con firmed that the karez has thecharacters of lower cost and higher economic efficiency. It also offers us theproblems on the improvement of the karez well
Single Stranded DNA Translocases can Push Single Stranded DNA Binding Proteins along Single Stranded DNA

Single-stranded (ss) DNA binding proteins (SSBs) protect ssDNA intermediates during genome maintenance. These SSBs must eventually be displaced or reorganized and one potential mechanism for reorganization is pushing of the SSB along the DNA by ssDNA translocases (ATP-dependent motors). Single molecule FRET total internal reflection fluorescence (smTIRF) microscopy allows for observation of such phenomena that would otherwise be averaged out in ensemble experiments. When Cy5-labeled E. coli SSB or human replication protein A (RPA) is bound to 3’-Cy3 labeled ssDNA immobilized to the slide surface, anti-correlated donor and acceptor fluctuations are seen, consistent with a bound SSB diffusing randomly along the ssDNA. For both EcSSB and hRPA, introduction of S. cerevisiae Pif1, a SF1 5’ to 3’ ssDNA translocase/helicase, in the presence of ATP causes a decrease in the number of diffusing SSB molecules observed and an appearance of isolated, irregularly spaced ‘saw-tooth’ FRET signals. These asymmetric FRET spikes reflect the translocase pushing the acceptor-labeled SSB towards the donor-labeled 3’ end of the ssDNA followed by dissociation of the SSB. This translocase-induced effect is ATP dependent and is not observed with the addition of Pif1 alone, indicating that SSB clearance and ‘pushing’ are due to Pif1 translocation and not simply Pif1 binding. Simulations of translocase-induced directed motion of the SSB indicate that the ATP dependence observed is more consistent with an active pushing mechanism rather than passive rectification of SSB diffusion. Similar pushing events are observed on 5′-Cy3 labeled ssDNA with E. coli UvrD and Rep (both 3′ to 5′ ssDNA translocases). These results provide direct evidence for translocase-induced pushing of SSB proteins along ssDNA as a potential mechanism for SSB reorganization and clearance. (TML: NIH GM030498/GM045948, RG: NIH GM098509, JES: ACS 127658).
Direct measurement of negative optical Goos-Hänchen shift from photonic crystal

Asymmetric, low-loss, Photonic Crystal mirrors exhibit negative Goos-Hanchen shift up to −16.2 μm at 1532 nm wavelength. The shift is a strong function of wavelength, polarization and incident angle.
Non-State Law in the Hague Principles on Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts

Article 3 of the Hague Principles on Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts is the first quasi-legislative text to allow explicitly for the choice of non-state law also before state courts. This article puts the provision into a broader context, discusses their drafting history and particular issues involved in their interpretation. It also provides a critical evaluation. Article 3 does not respond to an existing need, and its formulation, the fruit of a compromise between supporters and opponents of choosing non-state law, makes the provision unsuccessful for state courts and arbitrators alike.
Quantification of Small Extracellular Vesicles by Size Exclusion Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection.

Chemical analysis of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) circulating in body fluids holds potentials in noninvasive diagnosis of diseases and evaluation of therapeutic treatments. However, quantification of sEVs remains a challenge due to lacking of cost-effective analytical protocols. Herein we report a facile method based on size exclusion chromatography with fluorescence detection (SEC-FD) for sEVs quantification. After removal of cells and cell debris, a 0.50 mL sample (e.g., cell culture medium) is incubated with CM-Dil dye to fluorescently label sEVs. The incubation solution is then separated on a SEC column packed with Sepharose CL-4B. The eluent is monitored fluorescently at Ex553 nm/Em570 nm by using a fluorometer equipped with a 50-μL flow through cuvette. Separation efficiency of the proposed SEC-FD method was evaluated by analyzing 100 nm liposomes and albumin-FITC conjugate. Liposomes were eluted out in less than 6 min, about 10 min before albumin-FITC. A separation repeatability (RSD in rete...
Genetic variants associated with toxicity-related discontinuation of adjuvant aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy.

525 Background: Discontinuation of adjuvant AI therapy due to intolerable symptoms occurs in up to 30% of patients. Predictors of which patients will be unable to tolerate these medications have not been defined. We hypothesized that inherited variants in candidate genes are associated with treatment discontinuation because of AI-associated toxicity. Methods: We prospectively evaluated reasons for treatment discontinuation in women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer initiating adjuvant AI through a multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial of exemestane (exe) versus letrozole (let). Using multiple genetic models, we evaluated potential associations between 136 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 24 candidate genes, selected a priori, primarily with roles in estrogen metabolism and signaling, and discontinuation of AI therapy because of toxicity. To account for multiple comparisons, statistical significance was defined as p<0.0003. Results: Of the 467 enrolled patients who had avai...
Development of best practices for scientific research vessel operations in a changing Arctic: A case study for R/V Sikuliaq

Abstract Reduced sea ice has made the Arctic Ocean more accessible for vessel traffic. In turn, the heightened interest to better understand rapidly changing sea ice dynamics, ecosystems, and related ocean processes in the Arctic Ocean has led to closer interactions with and the need to avoid potential conflicts between scientific researchers and Indigenous coastal communities. In particular, researchers need to minimize spatial and temporal overlap of science activities with subsistence hunts as the Arctic is essential to Indigenous communities for their food security and cultural heritage. In this regard, a Community and Environmental Compliance Standard Operating Procedure (CECSOP) was recently developed for the R/V Sikuliaq, which is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and is part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. The CECSOP was developed with input and guidance from Alaska Indigenous community groups, state and federal agencies, and sea-going scientists. Here the document's basic principles and procedures are described, as well as its utility in helping guide constructive discussions and interactions between scientific users of R/V Sikuliaq and subsistence hunting communities when research and subsistence hunt activities have spatial and temporal overlap. The CECSOP is a “living” document and subject to future modifications and improvements. It may serve as a model for other scientific, commercial and industrial vessel operators to ensure best practices between subsistence hunting communities and vessel operators in the Arctic.
On Cyber-Enabled Information Warfare and Information Operations

The United States has no peer competitors in conventional military power. But its adversaries are increasingly turning to asymmetric methods for engaging in conflict. Much has been written about cyber warfare as a domain that offers many adversaries ways to counter the U.S. conventional military advantages, but for the most part, U.S. capabilities for prosecuting cyber warfare are as potent as those of any other nation. This paper advances the idea of cyber-enabled information warfare and influence operations (IWIO) as a form of conflict or confrontation to which the United States (and liberal democracies more generally) are particularly vulnerable and are not particularly potent compared to the adversaries who specialize in this form of conflict. IWIO is the deliberate use of information against an adversary to confuse, mislead, and perhaps to influence the choices and decisions that the adversary makes. IWIO is a hostile activity, or at least an activity that is conducted between two parties whose interests are not well-aligned, but it does not constitute warfare in the sense that international law or domestic institutions construe it. Cyber-enabled IWIO exploits modern communications technologies to obtain benefits afforded by high connectivity, low latency, high degrees of anonymity, insensitivity to distance and national borders, democratized access to publishing capabilities, and inexpensive production and consumption of information content. Some approaches to counter IWIO show some promise of having some modest but valuable defensive effect. But on the whole, there are no good solutions for large-scale countering of IWIO in free and democratic societies. Development of new tactics and responses is therefore needed.
Immunoglobulin a Antibody to Epstein-Barr Viral Antigens and Prognosis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

IgA immunoglobulin fractions containing antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced membrane antigens were isolated from the sera of two patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), from one non-NPC patient, and from three persons with sera negative for IgA antibodies. IgA antibodies were not cytotoxic against cells expressing EBV-induced membrane antigens in the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. However, IgA antibodies blocked IgG-mediated ADCC, which indicated that these antibodies could serve as a blocking "factor" in patients with disease and, therefore, were potentially detrimental to the host.
Magnetic force microscopic study of Ce2(Fe, Co)14B, and its modifications by Ni and Cu

Abstract The domain width and domain wall energy of the Ce2Fe14-xCoxB solid solution are studied for the first time in this work. The influence of Co content on these properties has been analyzed with the aid of magnetic force microscopy using diffusion couple and key alloys. The domain widths of Ce2Fe14-xCoxB decreased with increasing Co content at about 0.02 μm per 1 at.% Co. In Ce2Fe14-xCoxB, phase shift, domain width and saturation magnetization are related in a way that lower average domain width is associated with higher phase shift and higher saturation magnetization. The highest domain wall energy of Ce2Fe14-xCoxB is measured as 31.7 erg/cm2 after dissolving 14 at.% Co (x = 2.38). The effects of Ni and Cu on the domain width and domain wall energy of Ce2Fe14-xCoxB (x = 1.02) are also studied and reported using response surfaces. The domain width and domain wall energy of this solid solution increased after doping with 1 at.% Ni at constant Co content of 6 at.%, measuring 1.39 μm for domain width and 33.4 erg/cm2 for domain wall energy. Both properties were determined as 0.71 μm and 18.6 erg/cm2, respectively, after doping with 0.8 at.% Cu, while keeping Co content constant at 6 at.%. When Ce2Fe14-xCoxB (x = 1.02) is doped with both Ni (1 at.%) and Cu (0.8 at.%), the domain width and domain wall energy measured 0.99 μm and 33.8 erg/cm2, respectively.
Multi-speed sedimentation velocity simulations with UltraScan-III

Recent developments in the UltraScan-III software make it possible to model multi-speed analytical ultracentrifugation sedimentation velocity experiments using finite-element solutions of the Lamm equation. Using simulated data, we demonstrate here how these innovations can be used to enhance the resolution of sedimentation velocity experiments when compared to single-speed experiments. Using heterogeneous systems covering as much as five orders of magnitude in molar mass and fivefold in anisotropy, we compare results from runs performed at multiple speeds to those obtained from single-speed experiments, fitted individually and analyzed globally over multiple speeds, and quantify resolution for sample heterogeneous in size and anisotropy. We also provide guidance on the design of multi-speed experiments and offer a program that can be used to deduce optimal spacing of rotor speeds and speed step durations when a few parameters from the experiment can be estimated. These include the meniscus position, the sedimentation coefficient of the largest species in a mixture, and a solute distribution. Our results show that errors observed in the determination of hydrodynamic parameters for system with great heterogeneity are markedly reduced when multi-speed analysis is employed.
The vulnerability of interdependent urban infrastructure systems to climate change: could Phoenix experience a Katrina of extreme heat?

Continued growth in the American Southwest depends on the reliable delivery of services by critical infrastructure systems, including water, power, and transportation. As these systems age, they ar...