cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rare earth element patterns in manganese nodules and micronodules from northwest Atlantic

Abstract The shale-normalized REE patterns of manganese nodules from the northwest Atlantic show enrichment in Sm and Eu relative to the heavier and lighter REE, excluding Ce, and are similar to the patterns previously observed in deep water (> 3000m) nodules from the Pacific. The inverse relation of this pattern to that of sea water and the high Ce anomaly (average 5.5) indicate that probably the REE in the nodules originate from sea water and the nodules are possibly hydrogenous. The patterns for micronodules are similar to those of the nodules but the concentrations of REE were substantially higher in two of them. The red clay occurring on abyssal hills where nodules and micronodules are found also shows higher REE concentrations over terrigenous gray clay. The latter is devoid of nodules and micronodules and occurs in abyssal plains. The excess REE in the red clay also show a pattern similar to those of the nodules and micronodules. Most of the micronodule samples show a lower Ce anomaly (1.7) and lower Co concentration compared to the nodules, so it is inferred that at least some micronodules were formed during post-depositional periods when the conditions were less oxidizing than average.
Evaluation of the activity and localization of 15-lipoxygenase-1 after introduction into human colorectal carcinoma Caco-2 cells.

In human colorectal carcinoma Caco-2 cells, sodium butyrate (NaBT) induces the expression of the reticulocyte, 15-lipoxygenase-1 (15-LO-1) and causes these cells to undergo differentiation and apoptosis. 15-LO-1 is also expressed in human colorectal epithelium with a significant higher expression observed in colorectal tumors. In this study, we have prepared stable Caco-2 cells that expressed 15-LO-1 under control of an inducible promoter. These cells provide a model system to study regulation of 15-LO-1 activity in colorectal cells without the interfering presence of NaBT and are useful to study the biological function of 15-LO-1. The expressed 15-LO-1 was highly active as measured in cell lysates, but we were unable to detect metabolism in intact cells. The addition of calcium to the media for the Caco-2 cells was required for 15-LO-1 to translocate from the cytosol to the membrane which is frequently a requirement for lipoxygenase activity. Despite the addition of calcium and translocation, little lipoxygenase activity was detected with intact cells. However, after removal of phenol red, a common constituent of cell culture media, we were able to detect 15-LO-1 activity in the transfected Caco-2 cultured cells. Thus the presence of calcium and the absence of antioxidants present in commonly used culture media are required for expressed 15-LO-1 to be catalytically active and to permit an examination of its biological effects.
Health promotion information: sources and significance for those with serious and persistent mental illness.

Abstract For 19 sources of health promotion information 41 adult outpatients with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) indicated by questionnaire how much information they received from each source and their opinion of its reliability. Nonpsychiatrist physicians, psychiatrists, nurses and pharmacists provided the most health promotion information and were regarded as the most reliable sources. Nurses and pharmacist were seen as providing more, and media and print sources as providing less, information than in similar studies of nonmentally ill samples. Nonpsychiatrist physicians, psychiatrists, nurses and pharmacists are significant sources of health promotion information for persons with SPMI[ndash ]perhaps even more so than for those with no mental illness.
Content authentication for printed images utilizing high capacity data hiding

Authentication of content in printed images poses a challenge that cannot be addressed by conventional digital signature schemes because under the analog transport provided by the printing channel the verifier does not have access to the original digital content in pristine form. We present a method for cryptography-based authentication of the content in printed images that also provides the capability for identifying localized changes made by informed malicious attackers—key functionality that is missing in print scan robust hashes that have traditionally been used for print content authentication. The proposed method operates by embedding, within the printed image, an authentication signature that consists of an encrypted thumbnail of the image using a high capacity data hiding method for halftone images. To authenticate the content, the embedded signature is extracted from a scan of the printed image and, after decryption, compared with the printed content. An implementation of the method that incorporates human or automated verification and identifies potential local tampering by informed malicious attackers is developed and successfully demonstrated.
Relationship between low intensity shear stress, aortic histamine formation, and aortic albumin uptake.

The relationship between aortic histamine forming capacity (HFC) and aortic albumin uptake, as measured through fluorometric determination of the intraaortic content of bovine serum albumin conjugated to fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITCBSA) under steady-state conditions has been examined in relationship to the applied mean shear stress intensity created by pulsatile perfusion of rabbit aortas with platelet-free blood for a 1-hr period. HFC and FITCBSA determinations were made on aortic segments exposed to entrance and exit flow conditions as well as on those segments in which flow was stable; mean shear stresses in the latter ranged from 7 to 21 dynes/cm2. Regression analyses between the HFC and intraaortic FITCBSA content yielded the equation y = 0.41x + 38.6, r = 0.81 (P < 0.005), where y = HFC and x = FITCBSA. These results indicate that the local rate of aortic histamine formation may influence local wall permeability to blood-borne macromolecules such as albumin; they also suggest that de novo histamine synthesis, mediated via the aortic histidine decarboxylase system, may have the potential of coupling altered hemodynamic states with subsequent alterations in wall resistance to macromolecule penetration and, as such, may have important ramifications with respect to vascular wall permeability increases involved in the initiation of atherosclerosis.
On the qth power algorithm

Leonard and Pellikaan developed the qth power algorithm to compute module bases for the integral closure of the polynomial ring F"q[x] in a class of function fields. In this paper, their algorithm is adapted to efficiently obtain an F"q-basis for a class of Riemann-Roch spaces without having to compute the entire integral closure. This reformulation allows one to determine the complexity of the algorithm. Further, we obtain a simple characterization of the integral closure.
Exacerbation of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in the rat by methamphetamine

Abstract The effect of methamphetamine cotreatment on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver toxicity was examined in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Concurrent administration of methamphetamine was found to greatly increase the extent of liver injury resulting from carbon tetrachloride treatment, as indicated both by measurement of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and from direct histopathologic examination. Concurrent administration of methamphetamine doses less than 10 mg/kg (i.p.), or administration of methamphetamine either before (−3 h) or after (3–9 h) the carbon tetrachloride dose, did not significantly increase liver injury from carbon tetrachloride. These observations indicate that the potentiation by methamphetamine of carbon tetrachloride hepatoxicity previously observed in the mouse also occurs in the rat, and that the timing of the methamphetamine and carbon tetrachloride doses is critical for the interaction.
Open-field behavior is not related to treadmill performance in exercising rats

Abstract We examined the association between open-field behavior and treadmill performance in 39 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Three daily, five-minute trials were conducted in an open field of 49 19 cm squares. The objectivity of the open-field test was established by intraclass correlations (R) for observer agreement on total squares traversed (R=.99) and a subjective behavioral rating scale for anxiety (R=.92). As expected, total squares were inversely correlated (r=−.86) with the subjective anxiety ratings. An independent observer also rated animals on treadmill performance across six daily, five-minute trials of level running at 15 m/min. Performance ratings were objective (r s =.89) and reproducible (R=.91). A volitional endurance run at 30 m/min on level grade was also conducted on a subsequent day. Extreme groups of low anxious (N=7) and high anxious (N=7) animals were then identified from convergent responses on total square traversals and the subjective behavioral ratings that were reproducible (R=.72 to .78) of trials two and three of the open-field test. Repeated measures ANOVA showed no group differences ( p >0.10) on mean treadmill performance across trials. Endurance was also the same for each group ( p >0.05). Our findings indicate that the open-field test is objective and reliable, and it does not reveal a selection bias effect on treadmill performance or endurance. Thus, open-field behavior can be used as a dependent or subject-matching variable in studies of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats when motor-driven treadmill running is a behavioral intervention or outcome measure.
Dominance: The baby and the bathwater

The concept of dominance is used in the behavioral and biological sciences to describe outcomes in a variety of competitive interactions. In some taxa, a history of agonistic encounters among individuals modifies the course of future agonistic encounters such that the existence of a certain type of relationship can be inferred. If one is to characterize such relationships as dominance, however, then they must be distinguished from other kinds of interaction patterns for which the term tends to be used, as well as from factors such as territoriality and "trained" winners and losers, which may also influence the expression of agonistic behavior. Operational definitions based on causal, functional, evolutionary, and ontogenetic considerations have been proposed. Reliability and validity problems have been discussed, but the dominance concept has proved useful despite methodological difficulties. The confusion of dominance relationships (which involve two or more individuals) with dominance ranks (which are assigned to a single individual) has obscured the possible evolutionary basis of dominance relationships. If benefits accrue to dominant members of pairs, then those attributes which allow an animal to establish dominance can be selected. Dominance per se and dominance ranks, on the other hand, cannot be genetically transmitted since they constitute relationships with other individuals rather than absolute attributes. Dominance rankings in particular may be useful for describing behavioral patterns within a group, but they may reflect our own ability to count rather than any important variable in social organization.
The effect of storage on the ganglioside content of human platelets

Gangliosides are glycolipids which contain sialic acid and are found in the membranes of mammalian cells. By analogy with recent studies of other cells, it is possible that gangliosides play a role in the membrane functions and in vivo survival of platelets. In order to determine if ganglioside destruction plays a role in the storage-induced loss of platelet viability and function (storage lesion), the ganglioside content of platelets was measured after 24 and 96 hours of storage. Samples were taken from platelet concentrates that were stored either on a flat-bed shaker (n = 6) or on a circular rotator (n = 6). Total ganglioside content was determined colorimetrically from the total lipid extracts of purified platelet pellets using the Svennerholm resorcinol method. Ganglioside GM3 content was determined by Folch partitioning, high performance thin-layer chromatography, and densitometric scanning. Ganglioside content, measured as microgram of lipid-bound sialic acid per 10(10) platelets, was significantly decreased (p less than 0.005) between 24 and 96 hours of storage, whether measured as total or GM3 ganglioside. The mean values +/- SEM at 24 and 96 hours of storage were 9.4 +/- 0.6 and 6.7 +/- 0.6, respectively (n = 12 for each). These data indicate that storage causes irreversible loss of membrane ganglioside, which may be detrimental to the function and in vivo survival of platelets.
Laminar Entrance Length in Microtubes

The goal of this study was to determine the entrance length — the distance from a microtube entrance to the point where flow is fully developed — for laminar liquid flow in smooth, straight, circular-microtubes and trapezoidal microchannels. Knowledge of the entrance length and pressure losses in this region for microtubes are of interest in microfluidic devices, in porous media, and in other networks of small ducts or pores. Although laminar entrance length has been studied extensively in macroscale tubes, only recently has attention been paid problem of entrance length in microtubes. Some differences do exist in macro versus micro flow, sometimes attributed to the relatively small volume to surface area ratio at the microscale. The entrance length determined in this study is intended to provide a means to analyze and design microtubes or networks of microtubes. The inlet velocity was varied to provide a Reynolds number of 10 to 2000 and the length was varied based on Reynolds number to ensure the length captured the entire entrance region. Simulations of water at standard conditions were performed using FLUENT and a custom written computer code, which automated the process of creating the flow geometries, extracting results, and determining the entrance length for each run. A grid resolution study was performed to ensure grid size was not a factor. Pressure and velocity distributions as a function of position were extracted to determine flow characteristics. Fluid velocity magnitudes from the tube centerline to 95% of the distance to the tube wall were used to determine when fully developed flow was reached by finding the point at which all velocity magnitudes did not change by more than 1% for additional distance along the tube. Results were compared to results from the literature for entrance length in macro-scale tubes and found to be qualitatively the same. The entrance length (in units of the number of diameters) for circular tubes is often expressed as C times the Reynolds number. For Reynolds numbers greater than 100, this study found C to be 0.0505, which is in general agreement with macroscale experiments and simulations, where C is reported to be between 0.05 and 0.2. For trapezoidal microchannels we found a relationship for entrance length over hydraulic diameter that is proportional (slope of 0.674) to Reynolds number for Reynolds number over 100. As Reynolds numbers get small the value of entrance length over hydraulic diameter goes to 0.674.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
FINITE ELEMENT MODELING OF NONLINEAR WAVE TRANSFORMATION USING ELLIPTIC MILD SLOPE EQUATION

Accurate modeling of nonlinear wave transformation is important for studies related to harbor and nearshore design. While sophisticated finite-element models based on the elliptic mild-slope equation are often used for wave prediction, they do not include wave-wave interactions. These interactions, in general, involve transfer of energy and wave phase coupling among spectral components and are known to be quite significant especially in shoaling regions and inside harbors. To overcome this limitation, and to provide a basis for the eective modeling of nonlinear wave transformation in complex coastal and harbor environments, the development of a finite-element model based on the second-order nonlinear mild-slope equation of Kaihatu and Kirby (1995) is considered. The model uses an iterative procedure for solving the second-order boundary value problem. To ensure eective boundary treatment, a combination of frequently-used boundary conditions and the method of internal wave generation is used. Two cases involving nonlinear shoaling and harbor resonance are considered for model validation. Modeled results are compared with experimental data, and good agreement is observed in most cases. The methodology described in this paper can improve the applicability of existing finite-element based mild-slope models.
A physical scattering model for the ultra-wideband (UWB) propagation channel

This paper presents a discrete scattering model for the ultra-wideband (UWB) propagation channel in dense multipath environments. A method is introduced whereby the complex and highly cluttered UWB propagation channel is replaced with a finite impulse response (FIR) filter. Subtractive deconvolution method is applied to obtain the filter parameters from channel transfer function measurement data. Channel transfer characteristics obtained from the discrete scattering model are then compared to the experimental data based on the UWB channel measurements
Pediatric glaucoma suspects

Purpose To report demographic and ocular features of pediatric glaucoma suspects in an ethnically diverse population of North Central Texas.
Intolerable human suffering and the role of the ancestor: literary criticism as a means of analysis

Intolerable human suffering and the role of the ancestor: literary criticism as a means of analysis This essay explores the experience of intolerable human suffering in Toni Cade Bambara's novel, The Salt Eaters. The method of analysis is literary criticism, a technique that shares many of the same goals as other types of inquiry. It employs close reading to illuminate the novel's meaning(s), thereby revealing information about the nature of intolerable human suffering. Morrison's characteristics of black art is the literary and cultural framework that guides the analysis of Bambara's novel. The paradigm has broad application for nursing. The purpose of this analysis was to describe the role of the ancestral system as a predictor of the trajectory of suffering. The results extend Morrison's paradigm and her notion of ancestor to include traditions and other non-corporeal factors that are essential for well-being and survival. The protagonist in Bambara's novel, Velma Henry, is the patient and exemplar who does not succumb to intolerable suffering because of its cumulative weight, but because she has lost touch with the traditions of her people, an essential component of her ancestral system. The ancestral system is a rich and complex network of individuals, groups, customs and beliefs that are instructive, protective and benevolent. Ancestors are also timeless and provide wisdom, but when the ancestral system is weak or absent, the trajectory of suffering is not favourable. Nurses must learn to recognize intolerable human suffering, to identify the patient's ancestral system, and to work within that system to keep suffering patients from harm.
Using Discriminant Analysis to Identify Gifted Children

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of discriminant analysis and an illustrative example of how this powerful technique can maximize the effectiveness and efficiency (Pegnato and Birch, 1959) of screening procedures for identifying intellectually gifted students. The best predictors of scores on an individually-administered intelligence test were scores on group IQ and achievement tests.
Passive stabilization of sources using a dielectric resonator and a modified ring hybrid

An approach to the frequency stabilization of sources, high power or low, vacuum tube or solid-state, is described. The method uses a high-Q dielectric resonator coupled to a three-arm ring hybrid. Stabilization factors of three-arm ring hybrid. Stabilization factors of three to five have been successfully achieved (in X- and Ku-bands) with pulsed magnetrons over an operating temperature range of -55 degrees C to +95 degrees C, and stabilization factors of 2 to 24 have been successfully achieved with X- and Ku-band pulsed IMPATT (impact avalanche and transit time) oscillators, some, but not all, operating over temperature ranges of -46 degrees C to +80 degrees C. >
Are we all Keynesians now? The US press and the American Recovery Act of 2009

It is widely believed that the media has an important role to play in promoting development and in shaping economic policy. This is done partly by the media’s framing of the issues for public debat...
QoS-aware service selection via collaborative QoS evaluation

We present in this paper a novel collaborative filtering based scheme for evaluating the QoS of large scale Web services. The proposed scheme automates the process of assessing the QoS of a priori unknown service providers and thus facilitates service users in selecting services that best match their QoS requirements. Most existing service selection approaches ignore the great diversity in the service environment and assume that different users receive identical QoS from the same service provider. This may lead to inappropriate selection decisions as the assumed QoS may deviate significantly from the one actually received by the users. The collaborative filtering based approach addresses this issue by taking the diversity into account instead of uniformly applying the same QoS value to different users. They predict a user's QoS on an unknown service by exploiting the historical QoS experience of similar users. Nevertheless, when only limited historical QoS data is available, these approaches either fail to make any predictions or make very poor ones. The cornerstone of the proposed QoS evaluation scheme is a Relational Clustering based Model (or RCM) that effectively addresses the data scarcity issue as stated above. Experimental results on both real and synthetic datasets demonstrate that the proposed scheme can more accurately predict the QoS on unknown service providers. The efficient performance also makes it applicable to QoS evaluation for large scale Web services.
Evaluation of synthetic osteochondral implants.

This translational animal model study was designed to assess function, bone ingrowth and integration, and joint pathology associated with two different synthetic, bilayered osteochondral implants over a 3-month period after implantation into the femoral condyles of dogs. SynACart-Titanium (n = 6) and SynACart-PEEK (n = 6) (Arthrex, Naples, FL, and Sites Medical, Columbia City, IN) implants were press-fit into the lateral or medial femoral condyle (alternating location) of purpose-bred adult research dogs. Dogs were humanely euthanized 3 months after surgery and the operated knees were assessed radiographically, arthroscopically, grossly, and histologically. Based on all assessments, both types of implants were well tolerated and safe with no evidence for infection, migration, or rejection. Half of the SynACart-PEEK implants showed radiographic and histologic evidence of poor incorporation with all of these being in the lateral femoral condyle. SynACart-Titanium implants were considered effective in terms of integration into bone, lack of damage to surrounding and apposing articular cartilage, and maintenance of implant integrity and architecture for the duration of the study.
Exploring gender norms, agency and intimate partner violence among displaced Colombian women: A qualitative assessment

Women displaced by conflict are often exposed to many factors associated with a risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) such as high levels of community violence and the breakdown of social support systems. Previous research found that Colombian women perceived IPV to increase after displacement. This study explored how the experience of displacement altered gendered roles in ways that influenced the risk of IPV. Thirty-three qualitative interviews were conducted with displaced partnered Colombian women. Women disclosed that couples often held patriarchal gender norms; however, the roles of each partner necessitated by conditions of displacement were often in conflict with these norms. Men's underemployment and women's employment outside the home were viewed as gender transgressive within some partnerships and increased relationship conflict. Economic resources intended to empower displaced women, notably women's earnings and home ownership, had unintended negative consequences for women's agency. These consequences included a corresponding decrease in partner financial contributions and reduced mobility. Women's ability to obtain support or leave violent relationships was hindered by interpersonal, social and structural barriers. For women to have agency to leave violent relationships, power relationships at all levels from the interpersonal to societal must be recognised and addressed.
A visual aid for teaching ventilation-perfusion relationships.

To help students understand the concept of the ventilation-perfusion ratio (VA/Q) and the effects that VA/Q mismatching has on pulmonary gas exchange, a "sliding rectangles" visual aid was develope...
Return Migration to Region of Birth Among Retirement-Age Persons in the United States

This study addresses some the methodological difficulties one encounters in assessing the question of whether older persons display an increasing tendency to return to their state of birth after reaching retirement age. It reanalyzes previously studied data on the question and concludes that there is no indication that elderly people are more prone than non-elderly people to return home to their native state. (EXCERPT)
Specification of motoneurons from human embryonic stem cells

An understanding of how mammalian stem cells produce specific neuronal subtypes remains elusive. Here we show that human embryonic stem cells generated early neuroectodermal cells, which organized into rosettes and expressed Pax6 but not Sox1, and then late neuroectodermal cells, which formed neural tube–like structures and expressed both Pax6 and Sox1. Only the early, but not the late, neuroectodermal cells were efficiently posteriorized by retinoic acid and, in the presence of sonic hedgehog, differentiated into spinal motoneurons. The in vitro–generated motoneurons expressed HB9, HoxC8, choline acetyltransferase and vesicular acetylcholine transporter, induced clustering of acetylcholine receptors in myotubes, and were electrophysiologically active. These findings indicate that retinoic acid action is required during neuroectoderm induction for motoneuron specification and suggest that stem cells have restricted capacity to generate region-specific projection neurons even at an early developmental stage.
Shear‐Thinning Supramolecular Hydrogels with Secondary Autonomous Covalent Crosslinking to Modulate Viscoelastic Properties In Vivo

Clinical percutaneous delivery of synthetically engineered hydrogels remains limited due to challenges posed by crosslinking kinetics - too fast leads to delivery failure, too slow limits material retention. To overcome this challenge, we exploit supramolecular assembly to localize hydrogels at the injection site and introduce subsequent covalent crosslinking to control final material properties. Supramolecular gels were designed through the separate pendant modifications of hyaluronic acid (HA) by the guest-host pair cyclodextrin and adamantane, enabling shear-thinning injection and high target site retention (>98%). Secondary covalent crosslinking occurred via addition of thiols and Michael-acceptors (i.e., methacrylates, acrylates, vinyl sulfones) on HA and increased hydrogel moduli (E=25.0±4.5kPa) and stability (>3.5 fold in vivo at 28 days). Application of the dual-crosslinking hydrogel to a myocardial infarct model showed improved outcomes relative to untreated and supramolecular hydrogel alone controls, demonstrating its potential in a range of applications where the precise delivery of hydrogels with tunable properties is desired.
Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication by Powder Slurries

Thermoelastohydrodynamic analysis ofa powder slurry containing a mixture of MoS 2 particles and a carrier fluid is presented for a line-contact configuration. The constitutive equation of the slurry is a non-Newtonian formulation based on experimental data. The model includes provisions for elastic/plastic deformation of particles in the slurry. Through this deformation, particles are shown to contribute to the load-carrying capacity. The viscosity of the carrier fluid is shown to increase considerably as a result of adding a large amount of particles, thus appreciably affecting the EHL behavior of powder slurries. Performance results are presented for the pressure profile, film thickness, temperature distribution, and traction coefficient for a number of sliding/rolling ratios. The existence of particles in slurry is shown to give rise to a higher temperature field and tends to increase the traction coefficient compared to typical shear thinning fluids.
Modeling the human hand as it interacts with a telemanipulation system

Abstract This paper describes the development of a linear lumped-parameter hand/arm model for the operator of a telemanipulation system. The authors previously developed a control architecture that implements frequency-domain loop-shaping compensators to improve the transparency or “feel” of a telemanipulation system, and a human model is used when simulating this architecture. Typically, the human is modeled as a second order mass–spring–damper system. The five-parameter model presented in this paper, however, includes an additional spring and damper to better approximate the dynamics within the specific frequency range for which compensators will be designed, typically below 20–30 Hz. The model form and parameters were determined from experimental data taken from a telemanipulation system with a single translational degree-of-freedom. Additional data was taken from a system with three actuated degrees-of-freedom, and a set of model parameters was determined for each direction of motion. Each set of model parameters presented in this paper is for the specific grip type and hand/arm orientation used during interaction with each particular telemanipulation system, however similar sets of parameters using this human model could be obtained for interaction with other telemanipulation systems and haptic interfaces. A comparison of the five-parameter model with a two-parameter spring–damper model suggests that in some cases the use of additional model parameters may not offer a significant improvement.
Robust power gating reactivation by dynamic wakeup sequence throttling

The wakeup sequence for power gating techniques has become an important issue as the rush current typically causes a high voltage drop. This paper proposes a new wakeup scheme utilizing an on-chip detector which continuously monitors the power supply noise in real time. Therefore, this scheme is able to dynamically throttle the wakeup sequence according to ambient voltage level. As a result, even the adjacent active circuit blocks induce an unexpectedly high voltage drop, the possibility of the occurrence of excessive voltage drop is reduced significantly.
Studies of acid aerosols in six cities and in a new multi-city investigation: design issues.

Techniques for measuring acid aerosols in the ambient environment have been developed only recently. As part of the on-going Harvard Study on the Health Effects of Sulfur Dioxide and Respirable Particulates, we have developed monitoring equipment for acidic particles that can be used in multiple field settings. Preliminary data suggest that these strong acid aerosol measurements may correlate with respiratory symptoms more closely than similar measurements of particulate matter less than 15 microns in size. These results have led to the beginning of a U.S.-Canadian cooperative study to assess the chronic effects of acid aerosols on the health of North American children. Communities are being selected on the basis of anticipated levels of H2SO4 in ambient air along with predicted levels of ozone and nitrates. Each community will undergo a 1-year period of every other day, 24-hr monitoring with newly developed monitoring equipment that will allow for quantification of H+ ion concentrations, as well as for specific measures of ozone and acid fractions. At the end of the 1-year period, while measurements are still being made, approximately 600 children aged 7 to 11 in each of up to 24 communities will be assessed with standardized questionnaires completed by parents, and pulmonary function will be measured in the children while in school. By estimating chronic exposure from the year-long measurement of acid aerosols and consideration of specific criteria for selecting communities to study, we hope to minimize potential confounding to allow us to assess the chronic impact of strong acid in the atmosphere on the respiratory health of these children.
Passages through Time and Space: In Memory of Chantal Akerman

Film historian Giuliana Bruno commemorates celebrated filmmaker Chantal Akerman (1950–2015), whose intimate portraits of cities, lands, and homes captured the passing of everyday life and intensified our own sense of time, memory, and space. Akerman's breakthrough film, Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975), exposed the strictures of women's time and space while creating a new cinematic language of observation and duration. She continued to experiment with moving images throughout her life, moving easily between fiction and documentary, cinemas and gallery exhibitions. In the mid-1990s, Akerman began to engage in an expanded field of film-based installation art, at an early stage of the cultural movement that still drives today's filmmakers and artists to work between media. Bruno's personal evocation of Akerman's oeuvre highlights the filmmaker's use of the screen as both filter and threshold, in order to convey a relationship between interiority and exteriority, and physical and me...
A REEXAMINATION OF THE POLLEN-DONATION HYPOTHESIS IN AN EXPERIMENTAL POPULATION OF ASCLEPIAS EXALTATA.

The evolution of large floral displays in hermaphroditic flowering plants has been attributed to natural selection acting to enhance male, rather than female, reproductive success. Proponents of the "pollen-donation hy- pothesis" have assumed that maternal resources, rather than levels of effective pollination, limit fruit set. We inves- tigated the pollen-donation hypothesis in an experimental population of poke milkweed, Asclepias exaltata, where effective pollination did not limit fruit set. Specifically, we examined the effects of flower number per plant, and flower number per umbel on male reproductive success (number of fruits sired) and female reproductive success (number of fruits matured). In 1990, a paternity analysis was performed on fruits collected from 53 plants whose inflorescences were not manipulated. Flower number per plant was significantly' correlated with male success, but not with plant gender. Flower number per plant was also significantly correlated with female success, but umbel number and stem number per plant together explained more than half (58%) the variation in female success. The percentage of fruit set was not significantly correlated with flower number per plant. Plants with large floral displays did not disproportionately increase in male reproductive success, relative to female success, as predicted by the pollen-donation hypothesis. In 1991, the effect of flower number per umbel on male and female reproductive success was investigated. Flower number per umbel was manipulated on four umbels per plant by removing flowers to leave 6, 12, or 18 flowers in each umbel. Plants with the largest umbels effectively pollinated twice as many flowers on other plants, but produced only 1.35 times as many fruits as plants with 6 and 12 flowers per umbel. Relative maleness of plants with large umbels was nearly twice that of small and medium umbels. Although these observations are consistent with the pollen- donation hypothesis at the level of umbels, they are problematic, because much of the variation in flower number per umbel exists within, rather than among, plants in natural populations. Thus, plants consist of both reproductively male (large) and female (small) inflorescences, which act to increase total reproductive success. It is therefore inappropriate to explain the evolution of large floral displays in milkweeds solely in terms of potential male reproductive success.
Abstract 4725: Interrogating region 4 of 8q24.13 for prostate cancer risk in African Americans

In the USA, African American (AA) men are at higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer (Pca). Strong and replicable associations between prostate cancer risk and regions 1, 2, and 3 of 8q24 among cohorts of European ancestry have been found but few for those of African ancestry. Recently, we discovered in a study of AAs, a fourth region of Pca risk at 126 Mb of 8q24.13 surrounding SNP rs7008482. Region 4 is 2 Mb upstream of the other three regions on 8q24 and contains two interesting candidate genes for Pca risk. To further interrogate region 4, we performed fine-mapping within a 500-Kb region (126.1Mb-126.6Mb). SNPs were selected for fine-mapping of the region based on the following characteristics: tagging SNPs from Yoruba HAPMAP data and non-synonymous or potential regulatory SNPs. We genotyped 250 SNPs in 263 AA Pca cases and 562 AA healthy controls. A structured-association analysis taking into account African ancestry, (local 8q24 ancestry and genomic ancestry) revealed that several SNPs within two genes KIAA0196 and NSMCE2 were significantly associated with Pca risk. The majority of the associated SNPs were common and exhibited low to moderate risk which may contribute to high population attributable risk in African Americans. Among these, rs16900305, located in an intronic region of KIAA0196, exhibited the strongest association (P=0.0003). KIAA0196 has been shown to be over-expressed in clinical prostate carcinomas and in approximately 30% of hormone-refractory tumors. Our findings strongly support region 4 in 8q24.13 as a candidate locus influencing prostate cancer risk among African Americans. Given the two interesting genes in this region and strong associations in a high risk group for Pca, further attention to this region is warranted. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4725.
Measuring Adolescent Social and Academic Self-Efficacy Cross-Ethnic Validity of the SEQ-C

Objective:This study examines the psychometric strength, including cross-ethnic validity, of two subscales of Muris’ Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children: Academic Self-Efficacy (ASE) and Social Self-Efficacy (SSE).Methods:A large ethnically diverse sample of 3,358 early and late adolescents completed surveys including the ASE and SSE. Analyses focused on the subscales’ psychometric properties for the aggregate sample as well as for specific racial/ethnic subgroups.Results:For the ASE, Cronbach’s α for the aggregate sample is .85, ranging from .84 to .86 across racial/ethnic subgroups. For the SSE, the aggregate Cronbach’s α is .81, ranging from .77 to .86 across these subgroups.Conclusions:While aggregate findings indicate psychometric strength, analyses of cross-ethnic validity find some factor structure and item loading differences across racial/ethnic subgroups, indicating the need to ensure accurate measurement of self-efficacy across diverse youth samples.
Successful reimplantation of the penis using microvascular techniques.

Abstract The second case of traumatic amputation of the proximal shaft of the penis is reported. Micro vascular techniques were used for direct anastomoses of the dorsal arteries of the penis. The apparent advantage of immediate restoration of arterial blood supply to the corpora and skin with a reduced amount of skin slough is evident.
Silent myocardial infarction secondary to cardiac autonomic neuropathy in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

An 83-year-old female patient with rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension presented to the emergency department with fever and chills of 1 day duration. On examination, temperature was 100.9 F, heart rate 111/min and she had orthostatic hypotension. Laboratory tests showed elevated blood urea nitrogen and white cell count. The patient underwent treatment for symptomatic urinary tract infection and while her fever and leucocytosis resolved, tachycardia persisted. An EKG done showed T inversions in leads II, III, arteriovenous fistula, V2 and V3. Troponin-I was elevated. Nuclear stress test revealed apical wall motion abnormality confirming myocardial infarction. Ewing9s tests were carried out at bedside and these diagnosed severe autonomic neuropathy. Rheumatoid arthritis can cause cardiac autonomic neuropathy from chronic inflammation. This case entails the importance of assessing and detecting cardiac autonomic neuropathy in chronic inflammatory conditions, and the need to be cautious of acute coronary events in these patients, even for minimal or no symptoms.
Vitamin D and its impact on maternal-fetal outcomes in pregnancy: A critical review

The role of vitamin D beyond its classical function in calcium homeostasis has been of significant interest in recent years. There has been expanding research on the pleiotropic role of vitamin D in pregnancy and the implications of its deficiency on maternal-fetal outcomes. Several studies have associated low maternal vitamin D status to adverse outcomes in pregnancy, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm births, low birth weight, and others. Several randomized controlled clinical trials of Vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy have also been conducted. Though some of the studies found improvement in pregnancy outcomes with vitamin D supplementation, others have not shown any association. In this article, we have critically reviewed the observational and interventional studies, published primarily within the past two years (January 2014 to February 2016) on the influence of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy and the impact of its supplementation. The potential underlying mechanisms of vitamin D in regulating each of the outcomes have also been discussed.
U.S. Bishops in the Public Square: Prophets or Pilgrims ?

Dans cette contribution, on formule l’hypothese qu’il y a deux styles de leadership dominants dans les discours episcopaux qui emergent de nos jours aux Etats-Unis : un premier, plutot agressif, qui adopte une attitude defensive vis-a-vis de la culture ambiante ; un second, plus traditionnel, qui se contente de relayer l’enseignement de l’Eglise et laisse les laics incarner cet enseignement dans la culture.
A microscopic view of the cell

Light microscopy has long been an indispensable tool for cell biology research. From biological problems to biological knowledge, there are two more critical links in the light microscopy approach: labeling and quantitative analysis. Therefore, an integrative approach is desirable in order to deal with practical challenges in biological light microscopy.
Overcoming the Tower of Babel in Medical Science by Finding the "EQUATOR": Research Reporting Guidelines.

You are hosting a journal club on chest pain management in the emergency department (ED) for colleagues and trainees in your department. Interested in understanding the history of cardiac biomarkers to evaluate ED patients with chest pain, you search PubMed using the combination of terms “cardiac biomarker”, “chest pain”, and “emergency department”. Your search nets no studies prior to 2002 which you doubt is accurate, so you take the old-fashioned approach and start flipping through the oldest issues of emergency medicine journals at your local medical school library. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Damage Accumulation and Crack Initiation Detection Based on the Evolution of Surface Roughness Parameters

Abstract Cyclic strain localization generates sharp surface slip markings in the form of depressions and elevations on the surface of materials. The process gives rise to the formation of persistent slip bands and results in immanent changes that manifest themselves in the form of surface roughening. The heights and depths of these extrusions and intrusions grow during cyclic loading up to a critical value leading to crack initiation. In this study, we investigate the evolution of the surface roughness parameters starting from pristine specimens and ending in final fracture in fully-reversed cyclic bending tests. Results are presented for both low-and high-cycle fatigue that covers a wide range of surface finish. Two types of contacting (via a stylus) and no-contacting (optical) profilometers were used in this investigation. The most sensitive and useful surface roughness parameter for the assessment of fatigue growth in low-and high-cycle fatigue is identified, and it is shown that results can be utilized to detect the onset of fatigue crack nucleation. For this purpose, a surface roughness criterion for detecting crack initiation at different applied loads is introduced.
Proton-Coupled Electron Transport in Anthraquinone-Based Zirconium Metal–Organic Frameworks

The ditopic ligands 2,6-dicarboxy-9,10-anthraquinone and 1,4-dicarboxy-9,10-anthraquinone were used to synthesize two new UiO-type metal–organic frameworks (MOFs; namely, 2,6-Zr-AQ-MOF and 1,4-Zr-AQ-MOF, respectively). The Pourbaix diagrams (E vs pH) of the MOFs and their ligands were constructed using cyclic voltammetry in aqueous buffered media. The MOFs exhibit chemical stability and undergo diverse electrochemical processes, where the number of electrons and protons transferred was tailored in a Nernstian manner by the pH of the media. Both the 2,6-Zr-AQ-MOF and its ligand reveal a similar electrochemical pKa value (7.56 and 7.35, respectively) for the transition between a two-electron, two-proton transfer (at pH pKa). In contrast, the position of the quinone moiety with respect to the zirconium node, the effect of hydrogen bonding, and the amount of defects in 1,4-Zr-AQ-MOF lead to the transition from a two-electron, three-proton transfer to a t...