cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase formations in the copper-germanium system: Reactions, structures and resistivities

Abstract The reaction of germanium with copper begins with the formation of the monoclinic Cu 3 Ge at temperatures as low as 125°C. At approximately 200°C, Cu 3 Ge reacts with excess copper to form a copper-rich phase, ζ, with a hexagonal close-packed structure. These results are compared with similar ones obtained with copper-silicon samples. The resistivity of ζ, measured as 47 μΩ·cm for a germanium content of 15 at%, is compared to that which is calculated from the specific resistivity of germanium in copper. If sufficient amounts of copper are present the last process to happen is the dissolution of ζ into the remaining copper to form a solid solution: to be quite precise, the formation of the solid solution can already be found simultaneously with the formation of ζ. Marker experiments reveal that Cu 3 Ge forms by the motion of copper atoms, while ζ forms by the motions of both copper and germanium in nearly equal proportions. Experiments, where Cu 3 Ge was prepared next to silicon, show that silicon atoms (and consequently those of germanium also) become mobile in Cu 3 Ge at a temperature considerably higher than required for the mobility of copper, namely about 250°C versus 125°C. In the presence of silicon Cu 3 Ge ceases to be stable at 300°C.
AN APPLICATION OF GENERALIZABILITY THEORY IN DISATTENUATING A PATH MODEL OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Attenuation of hypothesized relationships due to measurement error is a recognized problem in the interpretation of path analytic models. In a recent study an attempt was made to characterize an explanatory model of teaching and learning by means of path analysis (Stayrook, Corno, and Winne, 1978). The results supported hypothesized relationships, although the path coefficients of primary interest were not all statistically significant. The relatively small sample (N = 32 classes), with concomitantly wide confidence bands, was considered responsible for the weakness of relationships. An alternative consideration, however, is measurement error. Accordingly, in the present study the path coefficients in the proposed model were corrected for error of measurement.
Male detention affects extra-pair copulation frequency and pair behaviour in western bluebirds

Abstract Male western bluebirds, Sialia mexicana show patterns of mate following consistent with mate guarding. The hypothesis that males prevent extra-pair copulations by guarding their mates was tested using 1-h male detention experiments. Males were caged on territory in view of the female, visually occluded on territory or removed from the territory altogether (visually+vocally occluded). Extra-pair males were more likely to join females within 15 m and attempt to copulate with them in the three detention treatments than in treatments where males were captured and released or not manipulated at all. Detention also increased the number of females accepting one or more extra-pair copulations. The increased frequency of extra-pair copulations was not caused by movement of females away from their nests, nor by increased rates of vocalization by resident males or females. Extra-pair events occurred shortly after the resident male was caught, suggesting that extra-pair copulations can occur during brief lapses in mate following. Intruding males were usually neighbours with mates and nests of their own. Half intruded when their own mates were at peak receptivity, suggesting that males leave their own fertile mates to seek extra-pair copulations. Detained males did not compensate for detention by increasing the frequency with which they copulated with their mates after they were returned to the territory. Acceptance of extra-pair copulations by females did not increase with the number of extra-pair copulation attempts and females were no more likely to participate in extra-pair copulations when resident males were visually occluded than when they were visually present. Only half of the females that experienced extra-pair copulation attempts accepted one or more extra-pair copulations. Although male detention resulted in an increase in the frequency of extra-pair copulations in western bluebirds, females appeared to be selective about participating in extra-pair matings.
Differentiation, differentiation/gene therapy and cancer.

"Differentiation, Differentiation/Gene Therapy and Cancer" is intended to suggest that an understanding of the cell and molecular biology of cell differentiation should advance the development of new cancer therapies. This article, therefore, reviews four general topics and their relationship to each other: (1) the multistep process of cell differentiation in nontransformed and transformed cells, (2) the use of drugs that induce differentiation in vitro as potential clinical differentiation therapy agents for cancer, (3) the evolving emphasis on gene therapy as a new cancer therapy modality, and (4) the concept of differentiation/gene therapy.
Predictors of outpatient kidney function recovery among patients who initiate hemodialysis in the hospital.

Background Recent policy clarifications by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have changed access to outpatient dialysis care at end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities for individuals with acute kidney injury in the United States. Tools to predict "ESRD" and "acute" status in terms of kidney function recovery among patients who previously initiated dialysis therapy in the hospital could help inform patient management decisions. Study Design Historical cohort study. Setting & Participants Incident hemodialysis patients in the Mayo Clinic Health System who initiated in-hospital renal replacement therapy (RRT) and continued outpatient dialysis following hospital dismissal (2006 through 2009). Predictor Baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), acute tubular necrosis from sepsis or surgery, heart failure, intensive care unit, and dialysis access. Outcomes Kidney function recovery defined as sufficient kidney function for outpatient hemodialysis therapy discontinuation. Results Cohort consisted of 281 patients with a mean age of 64 years, 63% men, 45% with heart failure, and baseline eGFR≥30mL/min/1.73m 2 in 46%. During a median of 8 months, 52 (19%) recovered, most (94%) within 6 months. Higher baseline eGFR (HR per 10–mL/min/1.73m 2 increase eGFR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.16-1.39; P P P =0.007) were independent predictors of recovery within 6 months, whereas first RRT in the intensive care unit and catheter dialysis access were not. There was a positive interaction between absence of heart failure and eGFR≥30mL/min/1.73m 2 for predicting kidney function recovery ( P Limitations Sample size. Conclusions Kidney function recovery in the outpatient hemodialysis unit following in-hospital RRT initiation is not rare. As expected, higher baseline eGFR is an important determinant of recovery. However, patients with heart failure are less likely to recover even with a higher baseline eGFR. Consideration of these factors at hospital discharge informs decisions on ESRD status designation and long-term hemodialysis care.
Smokeless Tobacco: How Exposed are Our Schoolchildren?

The use of smokeless tobacco (ST) is linked to poor health outcomes, including oral and esophageal cancers. Adolescents who use ST are also more likely to use cigarettes and develop lung cancer later in life. Evidence shows that proximity to tobacco retailers increases youth initiation of use. We assessed availability of ST in neighborhoods surrounding ten high schools in New York City. Three hundred and twenty-one retailers were visited. Sixty-three percent of likely tobacco-selling businesses surrounding schools sold cigarettes. About 20 % sold snus, while 3 % sold snuff. Culturally-linked ST products, such as paan and gutka, were largely confined to ethnic neighborhoods, while snuff was more prevalent in neighborhoods with predominantly US born residents. A variety of ST products are easily accessible to adolescents and are located within close proximity to schools, perhaps facilitating use, as has been documented with youth smoking. Further research is needed on adolescent use of culturally-linked ST products. This research can serve as a foundation for development of interventions to reduce ST use among adolescents and for policy recommendations.
Survey of laser injury

Laser use is pervasive and steadily expanding both in the private sector and the Department of Defense (DoD). For more than 20 years, Rockwell Laser Industries, the U.S. Army, and the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health have separately collected data on injuries occurring during, or resultant from, the use of lasers. However, data from these sources is incomplete and has not recently undergone a thorough compiling, statistical analysis, review and summarization. It is our belief that in order to evaluate current related medical surveillance, safety and training procedures, this data needs such an examination. Persons maintaining these databases were contacted and any available data on laser injury was collected. The data was analyzed and examined for pertinent similarities and differences among a wide range of parameters. We summarize these findings in this paper and also comment on the injuries, current safety measures and injury reporting protocols associated with laser use.
American society for apheresis guidelines on the use of apheresis in clinical practice: Practical, concise, evidence‐based recommendations for the apheresis practitioner

The 6th Guidelines on the use of therapeutic apheresis in clinical practice published by the American Society of Apheresis provide practical, concise, and evidence based guidance for the apheresis medicine practitioner. The overall format of the Guidelines has remained unchanged with the 6th edition, compared to the 5th edition, with enhancements in the committee process of creating the guidelines. Because of changes in the writing committee structure, a number of changes have occurred in the ASFA category and recommendation grade for the use of apheresis in the treatment for a number of previously categorized clinical indications. In addition, eight new indications for apheresis, twenty three new clinical situations for previously categorized diseases, and ten new apheresis treatments for previously categorized disorders have been added. The 6th Guidelines continue to be an invaluable resource for those involved in apheresis medicine.
Transport of reef corals into the Great Barrier Reef

MAJOR submarine pumice eruptions have occurred repeatedly during the past 25 years in the Tonga–Kermadec region1–3. Pumice from this area drifts through Fiji and New Caledonia, reaching Australia roughly one year after an eruption1,2. Coral larvae settle and grow on the floating pumice fragments (Fig. 1). The geographic pattern of abundance and size distribution of rafted corals found on drift pumice in relation to the pumice source area suggests massive transport of corals into the Great Barrier Reef from regions of lower diversity lying far to the east and southeast. Dispersal range is not limited by longevity of larvae and centres of diversity may be sites of species accumulation rather than sites of species origin.
An examination of prerequisite relations, positive transfer among learning tasks, and variations in instruction for a seriation hierarchy

Abstract This study investigated the hypothesis that prerequisite skills in a seriation learning hierarchy mediate positive transfer for superordinate skills. In addition, the effect of instructional conditions involving modeling combined with variations in feedback on skill acquisition at different levels in the seriation sequence was examined. Application of the White and Clark test of inclusion revealed a close correspondence between hypothesized and observed prerequisite relations in the seriation hierarchy. However, structural analysis of the data revealed that positive transfer did not occur in many instances in which it was expected. In addition, instructional variations were found not to be uniformly effective at all levels in the sequence.
Artifactual endocervical atypia induced by endocervical brush collection.

The cytologic distinctions between artifactual atypia induced by endocervical brush collection, endocervical glandular repair, and endocervical glandular dysplasia or neoplasia are often difficult. This difficulty is amplified by the lack of accepted cytologic criteria for endocervical glandular dysplasia, and the fact that earlier studies defining the significant cytologic features of endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ and endocervical adenocarcinoma (endocervical neoplasia) utilized a swab for endocervical cell retrieval. With the almost universal adoption of the endocervical brush, it is important to redefine those cytologic characteristics that differentiate true endocervical glandular dysplasia or neoplasia from reactive or reparative processes and instrument artifact. From our data, it appears that the classically described cytologic discriminators between a negative smear and smears of endocervical dysplasia or neoplasia are basically unchanged with some minor modifications for endocervical brush-collected samples. Diagn Cytopathol 1994; 11:79–84. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, inc.
An Ecological Analysis of Monthly "Bursts" in Early Adolescent Substance Use

This study focuses on modeling environmental covariates of monthly changes in substance use, (i.e., tobacco, marijuana, alcohol). Using a structured protocol, monthly interviews were conducted of 181 young adolescents, ages 11-14, and their parents. Composite scores were derived from their monthly telephone reports describing variation in parent involvement, exposure to peer deviance, peer conflicts, and level of family stress. Interviews were analyzed as separate observations, using generalized estimation equations. Consistent with an ecological framework on development, environmental covariates varied by gender and family constituency. Across gender in both 1- and 2-parent families, exposure to peer problem behavior covaried with increased substance use in the same month. Other monthly predictors varied by gender. Findings suggest intervention programs for high-risk youth targeting adolescent problem behavior need to focus on substance use and managing the peer environment.
Electroretinograms in early fungal endophthalmitis.

To facilitate the early diagnosis of exogenous fungal endophthalmitis, we developed a rabbit model for Aspergillus fumigatus endophthalmitis. Six eyes of six New Zealand white rabbits were inoculated with forty spores of A. fumigatus. A control group of their six contralateral eyes received a similar but sterile inoculum. The rabbit eyes were evaluated with respect to clinical appearance and the electroretinogram. Clinically evident endophthalmitis developed in all six infected eyes at an average of five days after injection (range 3–7 days). Data samples each 48 hours showed transient b-wave amplitude elevations in three infected eyes. These were greater than two standard deviations above the mean pre-injection values (p < 0.05). These amplitude increases preceded the onset of ophthalmoscopically recognizable infection and were observed at 2 to 5 days after injection (mean = 4 days). B-wave amplitudes in the infected eyes fell below two standard deviations of pre-injection values (p < 0.05) at an average of 5 days (range 3–7 days) after injection, a time corresponding to the onset of clinically obvious infection. At an average of 7 days after injection, all the infected eyes exhibited unmeasurable electroretinogram waveforms and severe infection. Histopathologic study of infected eyes showed extensive fungal infiltration of retina and vitreous tissues. The electroretinogram may be helpful in the early diagnosis of fungal endophthalmitis.
Walleye dermal sarcoma virus Orf B functions through receptor for activated C kinase (RACK1) and protein kinase C.

Walleye dermal sarcoma virus is a complex retrovirus that is associated with walleye dermal sarcomas that are seasonal in nature. Fall developing tumors contain low levels of spliced accessory gene transcripts A and B, suggesting a role for the encoded proteins, Orf A and Orf B, in oncogenesis. In explanted tumor cells the 35 kDa Orf B accessory protein is localized to the cell periphery in structures similar to focal adhesions and along actin stress fibers. Similar localization was observed in mammalian cells. The cellular protein, receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1), bound Orf B in yeast two-hybrid assays and in cell culture. Sequence analysis of walleye RACK1 demonstrated high conservation to other known RACK1 sequences. RACK1 binds to activated protein kinase C (PKC). Orf B associates with PKCα, which is constitutively activated and localized at the membrane. Activated PKC promoted cell survival, proliferation, and increased cell viability in Orf B-expressing cells.
Role of Filter Structure and Electrostatics in Dust-Cake Formation

This study has examined the relationship between filter performance and dust-cake formation. The latter is found to be dependent on filter structure and on electrostatic effects. An important feature of the dust cake is the distribution of mass with distance from the fabric surface. When the cake forms close to the upstream surface, lower dust retention and lower pressure drop result, as well as better capture efficiency. This upstream concentration of the dust cake can be achieved by proper choice of the fibers of which the filter is made, by certain layered constructions of the filter, and by application of an electric field at the filter surface.
Proteinuria and outcome of 444 pregnancies complicated by hypertension

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of proteinuria on pregnancy outcome in 444 hypertensive women with singleton pregnancies. The patients were divided into three hypertensive groups: 98 with chronic hypertension, 199 with nonproteinuric gestational hypertension, and 147 with proteinuric preeclampsia and chronic hypertension with superimposed proteinuric preeclampsia. The presence of increased proteinuria (>0.3 gm/L) predicted an adverse pregnancy outcome. Furthermore, the majority of small-for-gestational-age infants occurred in the group with proteinuric preeclampsia (52%), whereas the rate of small-for-gestational-age infants was 18% and 12% in the group with nonproteinuric gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension, respectively. The group with chronic hypertension did not show any increased risk for fetal outcome. Perinatal mortality rate was extremely poor in the group with proteinuric preeclampsia at 129 per 1000, four times higher than those of the other two groups.
Introduction: Globalization and Guatemala's Maya Workers

Guatemalan Maya workers have been subjected over the past two decades to government decentralization, the privatization of public industries and services, and an increasingly export-oriented economy. Nontraditional export agriculture, transnational textile factory production (maquilas), international tourism, and wage-labor migration have become central to the Guatemalan economy as the government, businesses, and workers have adjusted to the globalization of capital and free-trade agreements such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Even the traditional export sectors of coffee and sugarcane have been caught up in new marketing schemes and labor reorganization to make them more competitive in the world market. These structural-political and economic changes have affected the ways indigenous individuals, families, and communities work and organize. In this global economy, Maya workers have developed new strategies for earning a livelihood and organizing for more equitable working conditions. The articles in this issue focus on these strategies, contextualizing the labor relations within local political and economic settings by attending to the new forms of organization and resistance that workers employ. In large part, the ethnographic analyses of economic practices provided by Jennifer Burrell, Edward Fischer and Sarah Hamilton, Liliana Goldin, Walter Little, and Sarah Blue draw inspiration from Laurel Bossen's (1984) economic ethnography of four structurally different Guatemalan communities, which situated laborers within the economic spheres of the 1970s. This research provided a benchmark for understanding the dramatic economic changes that have occurred since its time. Bossen's ethnography looked specifically at the ways in which the expansion of capital affected the economic relations between genders by comparing structurally different segments of Guatemalan society: Maya peasants, plantation laborers, urban poor workers, and middle-class professionals. Today, although Maya peasants and plantation laborers persist, alternative economic strategies have emerged in
Modeling the climate-induced changes of lake ecosystem structure under the cascade impacts of hurricanes and droughts

Abstract Lake Okeechobee, located in south Florida and originated about 6000 years ago during oceanic recession, is the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the United States. During recent years, four major hurricanes, Irene (1999), Frances (2004), Jeanne (2004), and Wilma (2005), made landfall near Lake Okeechobee. As a result, the lake's hydrodynamic patterns, water level, and water quality have been extensively influenced by hurricanes in the past decade. The direct landfall of Hurricane Wilma on the Lake Okeechobee area led to a drastic structural change to the ecosystem, resulting in an abrupt population decrease of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). During the same time period, south Florida also suffered from intermittent droughts in 2000–2001 and 2006–2008 due to climate variability. Drought stress and hurricane impacts induce complex ecosystem responses, including pervasive changes in species composition and productivity that may persist as changes in habitat, lake trophic state, light penetration depth, water levels, and nutrient cycling. After the 2006–2008 drought, decreased turbidity due to reduced sediment hydrodynamics, along with the increased runoff and nutrient inflows to the aquatic ecosystem, led to a range of ecological responses associated with gradual increases in primary productivity and the recovery of SAV in lake shore environments. The ecosystem then recovered after the population increase of SAV, triggering active ecodynamics among phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish that had abruptly vanished after successive hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. To address such a unique structural change in the lake ecosystem, this study developed a structurally dynamic model to quantify the ecodynamics of the four main aquatic system organisms (SAV, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and fish) based on a thermodynamics index (exergy) and elucidated the ecosystem recovery pathways under the coupled impact of hurricanes and droughts.
Purposes and Procedures of Validation

Summary Validation is defined as a general scientific procedure for investigating the nature of reality, encompassing all scientific disciplines, regardless of the utilitarian value of the information. When the process is employed in the context of a discipline such as psychology, certain subcategories emerge whose interrelations, if viewed in the light of possible or intended uses of the collected information, demonstrate the interdependence of a variety of validation procedures some of which have been viewed in the past as separate entities. A hierarchical representation of purposes and procedures is presented to facilitate an understanding of their interrelations and interdependence.
Bootstrap percentile confidence bands based on the concept of curve depth

We propose and study the construction of confidence bands for unknown curves based on the bootstrap and the concept of “curve depth”. A large collection of curve estimates can be obtained based on the bootstrap samples. The curve depth is then used to delete a certain portion of the estimates, curves in this case, from the collection. The curves being deleted are those with lower depths, or equivalently those that lie most outwardly. With the remaining curves in the collection, a bootstrap percentile confidence band can be constructed. For any given point on the x–axis, the boundary points of the band are taken to be the maximum and the minimum of the curve values within the remaining collection of curves. Two implementations of the proposed method are presented. Some related problems and possible future research along the direction are discussed.
Hi-Speed Versatile Serial Crate Controller for CAMAC

A serial crate controller, primarily for use in the SLC CAMAC control system, has been designed, and has been in use for about 2 years. The design supports a party line approach, with up to 16 crates on a single twisted pair for data transfers, plus another pair for prompt L response. The bit rate is 5 megabits/s, and complete transaction times of about 10 ps are achieved for 16-bit data transfers over cables up to 1000 feet long. One of the primary objects of the design was simplicity - there are approximately 60 chips in the two-board unit.
Geochemical zoning of volcanic chains associated with Pacific hotspots

Lavas erupted from volcanoes in the north of the Hawaiian volcanic island chain have a different geochemical signature from those in the south. Analysis of the geochemistry of lavas erupted in the Samoan and Marquesas volcanic chains reveals similar trends, implying that the lowermost mantle beneath the southern Pacific is isotopically enriched. Recent Hawaiian volcanism is manifest as two geographically and geochemically distinct groups of volcanoes1, the Loa trend in the south and the Kea trend in the north2,3. The differences between the Loa and Kea lavas are attributed to spatial variations in the geochemical structure of the underlying Hawaiian mantle plume4,5,6,7,8,9. In turn, the Hawaiian plume structure is thought to reflect heterogeneities in its mantle source7,8. Here we compile geochemical data10 from the Hawaiian and two other volcanic ocean island chains—the Samoan and Marquesas—that formed above mantle plumes upwelling beneath the Pacific plate. We find that the volcanoes at both Samoa11 and the Marquesas12 show geographic and geochemical trends similar to those observed at Hawaii. Specifically, two subparallel arrays of volcanoes exist at both locations. In each case, the southern trend of volcanoes has higher radiogenic lead isotope ratios, 208Pb*/206Pb*, and lower neodymium isotope ratios, ɛNd, than those of the corresponding northern trend. We suggest that geochemical zoning may be a common feature of mantle plumes beneath the Pacific plate. Furthermore, we find that the pattern repeats between island chains, with the highest 208Pb*/206Pb* and the lowest ɛNdfound at Samoa in the south and the lowest 208Pb*/206Pb* and the highest ɛNd observed at Hawaii in the north. We infer that isotopically enriched material is preferentially distributed in the lower mantle of the Southern Hemisphere, within the Pacific low seismic velocity zone.
Towards optical manipulation of Casimir force using free-standing membranes with engineered optical and mechanical properties

By engineering supporting beams of a thin opto-mechanical membrane, we are able to reduce the stress-induced deflection, and realize devices that feature strong optical force for probing the Casimir force.
Time to Tackle the Tough Issues in Patient Safety

Evidence that medication errors occur commonly in all patient care settings continues to mount. Kozer et al1 demonstrate in this issue of Pediatrics that the pediatric emergency department (ED) is no exception, with errors noted in 10.1% of records during a 12-day study period. As the authors point out, this error rate almost certainly is an underestimate of the magnitude of the problem, because the study was a retrospective chart review. For example, errors intercepted before an order actually was written and errors occurring while dispensing or administering drugs would not have been detected by the methodology used by the investigators. Although only 2 errors were “severe” (had the potential to cause death or decrease chances of successful treatment of a life-threatening condition), this translates into >100 “severe” mistakes annually in just 1 ED. Moreover, nearly half of the errors were “significant” and could have had important clinical consequences. And these are just medication errors. They do not include other important types of errors and near misses, such as diagnostic and procedure-related errors that undoubtedly occur in every ED every day. Although troubling, these findings are not surprising. The ED is a particularly error-prone environment. There has been a striking increase in acuity and volume in many EDs in recent years, accompanied by increased emphasis on efficient, rapid throughput. Patients present with acute, unanticipated, sometimes baffling illness. Generally, the treating physicians have never seen the patient waiting for them in an ED examination room, and previous medical records may not be available. Cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic barriers may impede accurate transfer of information, such as medication allergy or previous conditions that might affect drug disposition or efficacy. The patient may be taking prescription drugs, over-the-counter remedies, or complementary therapies that have important interactions with the drugs the ED physician …
Thermal and moisture habitat preferences do not maximize jumping performance in frogs

Summary Amphibians are suffering population declines globally, and understanding how environmental parameters influence their thermal and moisture preferences and performance at various tasks is crucial to understanding how these animals will be influenced by climate change. Body temperature and hydration affect organismal performance at many fitness-related tasks. Since amphibians are ectotherms with highly water-permeable skin, environmental temperature and moisture directly affect their body temperature and hydration. Therefore, amphibians should select habitats with the optimal combination of temperature and moisture to perform tasks necessary for survival. However, interactions between environmental temperature and moisture can influence habitat selection and task performance in different and often unpredictable ways, and this has only infrequently been considered. We tested for interactions between environmental temperature, moisture and organismal hydration on temperature and moisture preferences and jumping performance in green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) in the laboratory, using thermal and moisture gradients, and high-speed video and force plate data. We then integrated the laboratory experiments with field data. In the thermal and moisture gradients, frogs selected environmental conditions that minimized cutaneous evaporative water loss, hydroregulating more stringently than thermoregulating. These results are consistent with frogs in the field, which had highly variable body temperatures, but were always hydrated above 95% of their standard mass. However, conditions that minimized evaporative water loss frequently did not maximize jumping performance because warmer temperatures conferred greater performance. The ecology of L. clamitans may explain the discrepancy between their preferences and jumping performance optima because the frogs remain in wet environments that serve as refuges from dehydration. In parts of their range where frogs are subjected to warmer and drier conditions, they are likely to select microhabitats that minimize the risk of dehydration, possibly at the expense of their ability to forage and escape from predators.
Centrimag Right Ventricular Support After Tricuspid Valvectomy for Endocarditis

Recurrent endocarditis of a bioprosthetic tricuspid valve is a challenging condition, which sometimes requires complete valvectomy. We report a case in which a right ventricular assist device, a Thoratec Centrimag Blood Pump (Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA), was successfully used for temporary hemodynamic support to protect the right ventricle until the new tricuspid bioprosthesis could be safely implanted.
Algorithms for a Sparse Reconfigurable Adaptive Filter and a Photonic Switch Architecture

A nonblocking photonic switch can be used to implement a tapped delay line with a large number of adaptive weights and a wide range of time delays. An advantage of using optical tapped delay lines for adaptive filtering is that the operating frequency can be quite high, in the 10-100 GHz range. We present a sparse reconfigurable adaptive filter (SRAF) based on a photonic switch with an input/output connection architecture that can be represented by a matrix of adaptive weights. This unique parallel structure can be reconfigured in an adaptive manner to implement a sparse filter impulse response for use in many applications. We consider an adaptive algorithm for this filter that chooses the input and output delays using a cross-correlation-based approach and connects these delays by weights that are adapted using a gradient algorithm. An alternative adaptive algorithm is also considered that is based on a system identification formulation where the weights are first adapted, and then the appropriate delay combinations are chosen. A search algorithm for implementing the connection constraint required by the SRAF is also discussed whereby each input is connected to only one output at any moment. Computer simulation examples are presented to illustrate the behavior of the filter for a system identification model.
Effects of Invasive Western Mosquitofish and Ammonium Nitrate on Green Frog Tadpoles

Invasive fish frequently negatively affect amphibian populations around the world. In agricultural regions of the world, the effects of invasive fish on amphibians may coincide with pollution by agricultural fertilizers. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to examine the potential independent and interactive effects of introduced Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and ammonium nitrate, an agricultural fertilizer, on Green Frog (Lithobates clamitans) tadpoles. Mosquitofish had a negative effect on the survivorship of Green Frog tadpoles. Green Frog tadpoles from mesocosms with mosquitofish were larger than tadpoles from mesocosms without mosquitofish, possibly due to a thinning effect that reduced intraspecific competition, as well as increased primary productivity. Ammonium nitrate additions did not affect survivorship in Green Frogs. However, Green Frog tadpoles in ammonium nitrate addition treatments were larger than those from treatments without ammonium nitrate addition, possibly due to increased phytoplankton abundance. In conclusion, mosquitofish and ammonium nitrate addition each had independent and additive effects on Green Frog tadpoles, but there was no evidence for significant interactions between these two stressors. Our results suggest that environmental stressors can have additive effects in some systems and that introduced fish predators may have greater impacts on amphibian populations than low level chemical contamination.
Functional interaction between p53, the TATA-binding protein (TBP), andTBP-associated factors in vivo.

The transcriptional activator p53 is known to interact with components of the general transcription factor TFIID in vitro. To examine the relevance of these associations to transcriptional activation in vivo, plasmids expressingap53-GAL4chimeraandDrosophilaTATA-bindingprotein(dTBP)weretransfectedintoDrosophila Schneider cells. p53-GAL4 and dTBP displayed a markedly synergistic effect on activated transcription from a GAL4 site-containing reporter that was at least 10-fold greater than observed with other activators tested. A mutant p53 previously shown to be defective in both transcriptional activation in vivo and in binding to TBP-associated factors (TAFs) in vitro, although still capable of binding dTBP, did not cooperate with dTBP, suggesting that TAFs may contribute to this synergy. Providing further support for this possibility, transfected dTBP assembled into rapidly sedimenting complexes and could be immunoprecipitated with anti-TAF antibodies. While overexpression of any of several TAFs did not affect basal transcription, in either the presence or the absence of cotransfected dTBP, overexpression of TAFII230 inhibited transcriptional activation mediated by p53-GAL4 as well as by GAL4-VP16 and Sp1. Overexpression of TAFII40 and TAFII60 also inhibited activationbyp53-GAL4buthadnegligibleeffectsonactivationbyGAL4-VP16andSp1,whileTAFII110didnot affect any of the activators. TAF-mediated inhibition of activated transcription could be rescued by high levels of exogenous dTBP, which also restored full synergy. These data demonstrate for thefirst time that functional interactions can occur in vivo between TBP, TAFs, and p53.
Atom Exchange between Aqueous Fe(II) and Structural Fe in Clay Minerals

Due to their stability toward reductive dissolution, Fe-bearing clay minerals are viewed as a renewable source of Fe redox activity in diverse environments. Recent findings of interfacial electron transfer between aqueous Fe(II) and structural Fe in clay minerals and electron conduction in octahedral sheets of nontronite, however, raise the question whether Fe interaction with clay minerals is more dynamic than previously thought. Here, we use an enriched isotope tracer approach to simultaneously trace Fe atom movement from the aqueous phase to the solid (57Fe) and from the solid into the aqueous phase (56Fe). Over 6 months, we observed a significant decrease in aqueous 57Fe isotope fraction, with a fast initial decrease which slowed after 3 days and stabilized after about 50 days. For the aqueous 56Fe isotope fraction, we observed a similar but opposite trend, indicating that Fe atom movement had occurred in both directions: from the aqueous phase into the solid and from the solid into aqueous phase. We ...
Effectiveness of Six Methods for Marking Juvenile Shortnose Sturgeons

Abstract The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum), an endangered species, was the subject of a stock enhancement trial. Some standard methods of marking individuals for later identification as cultured fish appeared to be ineffective. Therefore, six marking techniques were tested on several groups of cultured juvenile shortnose sturgeons (mean total lengths, 115–500 mm) during 1989–1990. The methods evaluated were: (1) coded wire tags implanted in the snout cartilage, (2) dorsally implanted T-bar tags, (3) dorsally implanted dart tags, (4) abdominally implanted T-anchor tags, (5) abdominally implanted disk anchor tags, and (6) barbel clipping. After 2 years, 100% of the clipped barbels were partially or completely regenerated. Retention of coded wire tags was highly variable (70–100%) in trials of 62–410 d. Retention was greater for the T-anchor tag (92%) than for any of the other tag types. However, in most cases, tag incisions and wounds persisted for the duration of the experiment.
Impact of tourism on economic growth and development in Africa

Over the decade of the 1990s, Africa has experienced a rise in tourist arrivals from 8.4 million to 10.6 million and receipts growth from $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion, respectively. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO, 2006), the tourism industry in Sub-Saharan Africa enjoyed a robust annual market share growth rate of 10 percent in 2006. In spite of this, there are only few empirical studies that investigate the contributions of tourism to economic growth and development for African economies. Using a panel data of 42 African countries for the years that span from 1995 to 2004, this study explores the potential contribution of tourism to economic growth and development within the conventional neoclassical framework. The results show that receipts from the tourism industry significantly contribute both to the current level of gross domestic product and the economic growth of Sub-Saharan African countries as do investments in physical and human capital. Our findings imply that African economies could enhance their short-run economic growth by strategically strengthening their tourism industries.
Young adult health promotion: supporting research design with eye-tracking methodologies

Despite increasing mental health problems among college undergraduate students, little work has been done to investigate factors that can improve health promotion among this population. To address this need we designed a research program that addresses health promotion toward young adults. In particular, we are interested in addressing mental health and risky health behaviors among college undergraduate students. The research reported in this study is the result of the first basic step in our research program.
Slug flow heat transfer with mass injection and linearly varying wall temperature

The purpose of this study was to determine the two-dimensional temperature field for a fluid in slug flow through tubes with uniform mass injection and linearly decreasing wall temperature. A series solution was obtained, the first ten eigenvalues for which were determined from the characteristic equation by the method of Runge-Kutta. Expressions for local conductive heat flux at the tube wall and local Nusselt number were obtained as a function of inlet Peclet number, injection Peclet number, tube radius, temperature boundary conditions, and fluid properties. Sample results are presented for several injection rates at different wall temperature conditions. In general, mass injection was found to decrease the local heat flux and increase temperature driving force causing a decrease in the Nusselt number.
The Clinical Utility of Force/Displacement Analysis of Muscle Testing in Applied Kinesiology

Manual muscle testing procedures are the subject of a force and displacement analysis. Equipment was fabricated, tested, and employed to gather force, displacement, and time data for examining muscle test parameters as practiced by applied kinesiology (A.K.) clinicians. Simple mathematical procedures are used to process the data in an effort to find potential patterns of force and displacement which would correspond to the testing of strong and weak muscles on healthy subjects. Particular attention is paid to the leading edge of the force pulses, as most clinicians report that they derive most of their assessment from the initial thrust imparted on the patient's limb. An analysis of the simple linear regression of the slope of the leading edge of a force pulse reveals that a high dx/dF is indicative of a weak muscle test result (as perceived by the tester), and a low dx/dF is indicative of a strong muscle test. Thresholds for dx/dF are determined to discriminate between inhibited and facilitated muscle te...
Ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations of crystalline systems using full-symmetry analysis of basis-set expansions

A technique is presented for carrying out ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations on systems of infinite three-dimensional periodicity. The method represents an adaptation of standard molecular basis-set expansion techniques and fully utilizes translational and point-group symmetry to simplify the calculations. It is shown that the expression for total energy may be written as a sum of pairwise interactions between neutral charge units consisting of a nucleus and a localized compensating electronic charge. The resulting sums are rapidly convergent. The technique is illustrated with sample calculations on face-centered-cubic lattices of hydrogen, lithium, and sodium. Generalization to systems of lower symmetry is discussed.
Rapid Cognitive Screen: Sensitivity and specificity for cognitive dysfunction and predictive validity for poor health outcomes

Background: The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study was founded in 1991 in response to a NIARFA. The primary aim of the ADCS is to ‘advance research in the development of interventions thatmight be useful for treating, delaying, or preventingAD’. Toward that goal theADCS has designed,managed, and analyzed 20 large, multi-site AD clinical trials. The psychometric, clinical, and biological data from these trials have been collected using a locally-developed, web-based electronic data capture (EDC) system. This system serves as a central hub used to coordinate the data management, quality assurance, and monitoring activities of thousands of staff across several continents. Methods: The management of medical images collected in the course of a clinical trial usually involves the use of a specialized repository which combines acquisition, de-identification, sharing, processing, and analysis capabilities. These monolithic repositories tend to be complex, inflexible, and resource-intensive. Furthermore, they contribute to the more general problem of “data sprawl”, a state of highly fragmented datasets that are difficult to manage and analyze. In the most extreme cases, the sprawl extends beyond institutional boundaries. As an alternative, we have chosen to extend the ADCS EDC to accommodate the collection, de-identification, and management of medical images while allowing analysis workflows to be handled flexibly via a standard set of APIs (application programming interfaces). This integrated approach ensures that timely access to a well structured and comprehensive trial data set can be easily provided. Results: This poster has the following aims:1. Provide a description of the ADCS EDC system’s image management capabilities.2. Discuss how these capabilities are used to support ongoing ADCS clinical trials.3. Outline opportunities for future improvement. Conclusions: The ADCS EDC system supports integrated image management that mitigates the need for specialized image management systems thereby avoiding the issues associated with dispersed datasets or “data sprawl”.
Lyme Disease-Causing Borrelia Species Encode Multiple Lipoproteins Homologous to Peptide-Binding Proteins of ABC-Type Transporters

To identify cell envelope proteins of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, we constructed a library of B. burgdorferi genes fused to the Escherichia coli phoA gene, which expresses enzymatically active alkaline phosphatase. One such gene, oppA-1, encodes a predicted polypeptide with significant similarities to various peptide-binding proteins of ABC-type transporters. Immediately downstream of oppA-1 are two genes, oppA-2 and oppA-3, whose predicted polypeptide products show strong similarities in their amino acid sequences to OppA-1, including a sequence that resembles the most highly conserved region in peptide-binding proteins. By labeling with [3H]palmitate, OppA-1, OppA-2, and OppA-3 were shown to be lipoproteins. DNA hybridization analysis showed that the oppA-1 oppA-2 oppA-3 region is located on the linear chromosome of B. burgdorferi, and the genes are conserved among different Borrelia species that cause Lyme disease (B. burgdorferi, B. garinii, and B. afzelli), suggesting that all three homologous genes are important to the maintenance of Lyme disease spirochetes in one or more of their hosts.
Kinetic energy release in ionic fragmentations: Use as an ion structure probe

The kinetic energy released in unimolecular reactions, as measured from the width of the corresponding metastable peak, shows only a small dependence on such parameters as source temperature, ion-source residence time and ion acceleration voltage. Similarly, fragmenting ions generated from different members of an homologous series of molecular ions have been found to release the same kinetic energy and hence do not exhibit a degrees-of-freedom effect analogous to that for metastable abundances. In general, molecular ions formed by electron-impact have been found to release slightly less kinetic energy on fragmentation than the corresponding ions formed via a fragmentation sequence. These observations suggest that kinetic energy release is a useful method of structural characterization of metastable ions; while increase in the average internal energies of the ions sample lead to larger energy releases, this effect is usually small. The use of a very narrow energy resolving (β) slit and a procedure in which the metastable peak width is extrapolated to zero slit width has been found to improve the accuracy of measurement of the kinetic energy release, particularly when the metastable and main beam peak widths are of comparable magnitude.