cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Avoiding “regulatory mismatch in regulating workplace ergonomics: The case for an informational approach

My basic point is simple: OSHA, in its zeal to ensure safer workplaces, should remember that its primary task as a regulatory agency is to correct market failures and should tailor its regulatory solutions to respond to market failures efficiently. The most efficient solution to a market failure will generally be the least restrictive regulatory alternative, for such an alternative maximizes the ability of individual actors to engage in wealthcreating private ordering. With respect to inadequate ergonomic protections in the workplace, the culprit market failure is not a negative externality but is — if there truly is a market failure — systematic informational inadequacies on the part of employees (about ergonomic risks) and employers (about available precautions). The most narrowly tailored regulatory solution, and therefore the one most likely to preserve the wealth-creation benefits of private ordering, would focus on providing the systematically under-produced information to the relevant actors.
Knowledge-base browsing: an application of hybrid distributed/local connectionist networks

We describe a knowledge base browser based on a connectionist (or neural network) architecture that employs both distributed and local representations. The distributed representations are used for input and output thereby enabling associative noise-tolerant interaction with the environment. Internally all representations are fully local. This simplifies weight assignment and facilitates network configuration for specific applications. In our browser concepts and relations in a knowledge base are represented using " microfeatures. " The microfeatures can encode semantic attributes structural features contextual information etc. Desired portions of the knowledge base can then be associatively retrieved based on a structured cue. An ordered list of partial matches is presented to the user for selection. Microfeatures can also be used as " bookmarks" they can be placed dynamically at appropriate points in the knowledge base and subsequently used as retrieval cues. A proof-of-concept system has been implemented for an internally developed Honeywell-proprietary knowledge acquisition tool. 1.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Accommodating missingness when assessing surrogacy via principal stratification.

BackgroundWhen an outcome of interest in a clinical trial is late-occurring or difficult to obtain, surrogate markers can extract information about the effect of the treatment on the outcome of int...
Effects of different harvesting and site preparation operations on the peak flows of streams in Pinus Elliottii flatwoods forests

Abstract Stream flows on three poorly drained and contiguous pine flatwoods catchments were monitored for 3.5 years. One was left untouched. Pine timber from another was manually harvested at the end of the 1st year, residues were chopped, terrain was bedded, and pine seedlings planted — a minimum series of forest operations. The third was subjected to a maximum series of forest operations — harvesting of tree-length logs with heavy equipment, lightwood stump removal, burning, windrowing, discing, bedding, and planting. Unlike the minimum series, the maximum series of forest operations significantly increased the peak outflows, particularly following windrowing. The increase was estimated to exceed sixfold immediately following windrowing and to decrease slowly and linearly with time thereafter (equation 3).
Ultrathin coatings from isocyanate terminated star PEG prepolymers: patterning of proteins on the layers.

This study presents the easy and fast patterning of low molecular weight molecules that act as binding partners for proteins on Star PEG coatings. These coatings are prepared from isocyanate terminated star shaped prepolymers and form a highly cross-linked network on the substrate in which the stars are connected via urea groups and free amino groups are present. Streptavidin has been patterned on these layers by microcontact printing (μCP) of an amino reactive biotin derivative and consecutive binding of streptavidin to the biotin. Patterns of Ni^(2+)-nitriltriacetic acid (NTA) receptors have been prepared by printing amino functional NTA molecules in freshly prepared Star PEG layers that still contain amino reactive isocyanate groups. Complexation of the NTA groups with Ni(II) ions enabled the binding of His-tag enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in the desired pattern on the substrates. Since the unmodified Star PEG layers prevent unspecific protein adsorption, His-EGFP could selectively be bound to the sample by immersion into crude, nonpurified His-tag EGFP containing cell lysate.
Contrast Sensitivity in Amblyopia: The Fellow Eye of Untreated and Successfully Treated Amblyopes

Purpose: We sought to investigate contrast sensitivity on the fellow eyes of amblyopic and successfully treated amblyopic subjects. Methods: Contrast sensitivity was tested monocularly on both eyes of 48 amblyopic patients (mean age, 11.51 years) and of 22 successfully treated amblyopic subjects (visual acuity 20/20 in each eye; mean age, 11.22 years). Inclusion criteria were visual acuity in the amblyopic eye 20/40 or better (mild amblyopia) and 20/20 or better in the fellow eye, steady fixation, no signs of congenital, latent or manifest/latent nystagmus on clinical examination. Twenty normal subjects (20 eyes) were used as age-matched controls. Results: Contrast sensitivity functions from the fellow eye of the 48 amblyopic patients, even those who had never been treated with occlusion therapy before, were significantly decreased ( P P Conclusions: We suggest that the nonamblyopic, "normal" eye of amblyopic patients behaves abnormally when evaluated for contrast sensitivity functions. Neither the previously amblyopic nor the fellow eyes of successfully treated subjects were comparable with controls. Occlusion therapy may not be implicated for depressed contrast sensitivity of the fellow eye in amblyopia. The assessment of contrast sensitivity can provide important information on the visual function and the influence of occlusion therapy in amblyopia.
Video track screening using syntactic activity-based methods

The adversary in current threat situations can no longer be identified by what they are, but by what they are doing. This has lead to a large increase in the use of video surveillance systems for security and defense applications. With the quantity of video surveillance at the disposal of organizations responsible for protecting military and civilian lives come the issues regarding storage and screening of this data. This paper defines a screening and classification method based upon activity-based screening and recognition to provide that filtering mechanism. Activity recognition from video for such applications seeks to develop semi-automated screening of video based upon the recognition of activities of interest rather than merely the presence of specific persons or vehicle classes developed for the Cold War problem of “Find the T72 Tank.” This paper examines the approach to activity recognition, consisting of heuristic, semantic, and syntactic methods, based upon tokens derived from the video as applied to relevant scenarios involving behavior as captured from entity tracks. The proposed architecture discussed herein uses a multi-level approach that divides the problem into three or more tiers of recognition, each employing different techniques according to their appropriateness to strengths at each tier using heuristics, syntactic recognition, and Hidden Markov Model's of token strings to form higher level interpretations. Performance of activity-based screening and recognition as applied to example scenarios has been demonstrated to reduce the quantity of tracks (analogous to video frames) by orders of magnitude with little loss of relevant information.
Movement of Phakopsora pachyrhizi (soybean rust) spores by non-conventional means

Soybean, caused by the rust fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is the most important foliar pathogen infecting soybean. Historically, the disease was important only in the Eastern Hemisphere, but since 1994 the disease has been reported in many countries in Africa and the Americas. In the U.S.A., soybean rust has been perceived as a threat to soybean production and monitoring of the disease occurs throughout the country where soybean is grown. The objectives of this study were to show conclusive evidence that soybean rust spores can be transported by non-conventional means such as clothing. The implication may affect how researchers approach monitoring this disease in research and sentinel plots.
The Effect of Affective State and Emotional Arousal on Music Appreciation

Summary To test the effect of variations in subjects' affective and emotional states on their subsequent appreciation of music, subjects were exposed to one of four film segments which had been selected and pretested to effect a factorial variation in (a) hedonic tone (positive, negative) and (b) excitatory potential (low, high) and then heard and rated three musical selections. A hedonic-contrast effect was observed for the song heard immediately after termination of affect-inducing stimulation. For the second song, heard 2′15″ after induction of affect, an excitation-transfer effect was observed, with residual portions of the excitation produced by the highly arousing films intensifying positive responses to the music. The ratings of the third song, heard after 4′45″, were not significantly affected by communication exposure. The findings were discussed in terms of their implications for the manipulation of responses to music and to other affect-producing communications through variations in prior stimu...
Renal cortical blood flow and angiography in low- and normal-renin essential hypertension

Renal cortical blood flow and angiography in low- and normal-renin essential hypertension. Renal cortical blood flow was measured by the 133 xenon washout technique in association with renal vein renin activity in patients with untreated normal- and low-renin essential hypertension. The extent and degree of renal vascular disease was documented by using selective magnification renal arteriograms. The studies revealed that renal cortical blood flow was significantly lower in patients having normal renin activity (353 ± 62 [SD] ml/100 g/min) and in patients having low renin activity (276 ± 54 ml/100 g/min) than in normotensive controls (416 ± 83 ml/100 g/min) (P Debit sanguin renal cortical et angiographie dans l'hypertension arterielle a renine basse ou a renine normale. Le debit sanguin renal cortical a ete mesure par la technique de lavage du 133 Xenon en meme temps qu'etait determinee l'activite renine des veines renales chez des malades atteints d'hypertension arterielle essentielle non traitee, a renine normale ou a renine basse. L'etendue et l'importance de la maladie vasculaire renale a ete jugee sur des agrandissements selectifs de l'angiographie renale. Cette etude montre que le debit sanguin renal cortical est significativement inferieur a la fois chez les malades a renine normale (353 ± 62 [SD] ml/100 g/min) et a renine basse (276 ± 54 ml/100 g/min) a la valeur obtenue chez les sujets normaux (416 ± 83 ml/100 g/min) (P
Total and High-Molecular-Weight Adiponectin and Resistin in Relation to the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Women

Participants: 1038 initially healthy women of the Nurses’ Health Study who developed type 2 diabetes after blood sampling (1989 to 1990) through 2002 and 1136 matched control participants. Measurements: Plasma concentrations of total and high-molecularweight adiponectin and resistin. Results: In multivariate models including body mass index, higher total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin levels were associated with a substantially lower risk for type 2 diabetes (odds ratio [OR] comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles, 0.17 [95% CI, 0.12 to 0.25] for total adiponectin and 0.10 [CI, 0.06 to 0.15] for high-molecular-weight adiponectin). A higher ratio of high-molecular-weight to total adiponectin was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk even after adjustment for total adiponectin (OR, 0.45 [CI, 0.31 to 0.65]). In the multivariate model without body mass index, higher resistin levels were associated with a higher risk for diabetes (OR, 1.68 [CI, 1.25 to 2.25]), but the association was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for body mass index (OR, 1.28 [CI, 0.93 to 1.76]). Limitation: The findings apply mainly to white women and could be partly explained by residual confounding from imperfectly measured or unmeasured variables. Conclusion: Adiponectin is strongly and inversely associated with risk for diabetes, independent of body mass index, whereas resistin is not. The ratio of high-molecular-weight to total adiponectin is related to risk for diabetes independent of total adiponectin, suggesting an important role of the relative proportion of high-molecular-weight adiponectin in diabetes pathogenesis.
Fictional Methods in Ethnography: Believability, Specks of Glass, and Chekhov

With recent calls for new, often radical and experimental ways of "doing" ethnographic writing (e.g., Denzin, Ellis & Bochner, Harrington, Richardson), the responsibility of ethnographers to write convincingly comes to the fore. In this article, the author explores the use, worldview, and evaluation of writing that stems from a humanistic tradition for the human disciplines. The author delineates some strands of ethnography—the use of fictional methods, the use of fiction that has been factualized, and the use of fictional ethnography. He examines why fiction and fictional devices may in fact be more effective in conveying certain aspects of lived experience, especially to academics, than so-called scienttfic language, and explores, throughout the article, selected macro- and microtech niques that may make fictional ethnography more engaging, palatable, and effective as but one form of the ethnographic strand.
Guaranteeing correctness and availability in P2P range indices

New and emerging P2P applications require sophisticated range query capability and also have strict requirements on query correctness, system availability and item availability. While there has been recent work on developing new P2P range indices, none of these indices guarantee correctness and availability. In this paper, we develop new techniques that can provably guarantee the correctness and availability of P2P range indices. We develop our techniques in the context of a general P2P indexing framework that can be instantiated with most P2P index structures from the literature. As a specific instantiation, we implement P-Ring, an existing P2P range index, and show how it can be extended to guarantee correctness and availability. We quantitatively evaluate our techniques using a real distributed implementation.
Acoustic near-field properties associated with broadband shock noise

Shock noise associated with unheated supersonic jets was investigated using a near-field microphone array and a single-sensor wedge-shaped hot-film probe. Both over- and underexpanded cases were investigated using Mach 1.45 and 1.99 convergent-divergent nozzles. Correlation measurements through each shock cell of a single underexpanded case with the Mach 1.45 nozzle were obtained between the hot-film probe and the microphone array. The results of the hot-film/near-field microphone correlations show general agreement with certain theoretical models as to the location for shock noise production, and provide evidence for the existence of some large-scale flow structure that collectively interacts and phases the motion of the downstream shocks. The nearfield microphone correlations demonstrate that downstream shocks dominate shock noise production and suggest the existence of a Doppler effect in the near field of the sources. In addition, broadband shock noise is found to propagate at small angles to the jet axis.
BIOENERGETIC ALTERATIONS CORRELATED WITH GROWTH, FECUNDITY AND BODY BURDEN OF CADMIUM FOR MYSIDS (MYSIDOPSIS BAHIA)

Reduced growth and reproductive potential are common sublethal stress responses. Bioenergetic alterations as evidenced by scope for growth or O:N ratio measurements are also sensitive sublethal stress responses for certain animals. The O:N ratio, which is the ratio of oxygen consumed to nitrogen excreted in atomic equivalents, reflects the relative utilization of protein in energy metabolism. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether concentration-dependent alterations in the O:N ratio for mysids (Mysidopsis bahia) could be detected at various times during a life-cycle toxicity test and to assess the utility of this index for diagnosing bioenergetic responses that result in reduced growth and reproductive inhibition. Juvenile M. bahia were exposed to cadmium (CdCl2) in a continuous-flow proportional diluter system. The exposure concentrations were monitored routinely throughout the test and varied less than ±10% from the nominal concentrations. The O:N ratio measurements were made at 4, 10 and 18 d of exposure. Dry weights and cadmium body burdens of individual mysids were made at day 18 and day 33, the termination of the test. Significant alterations in the O:N ratio were evident by 4 d and indicated a shift toward lipid utilization with increasing cadmium concentration. Growth was significantly reduced in the lowest concentration (4 ppb) at 18 d and a linear concentration-dependent increase in the cadmium body burden was observed at the termination of the test. These results suggest that alterations in the O:N ratio are a sensitive and early diagnostic index for detecting sublethal stress responses. We feel that this approach could be used in place of the standard life-cycle toxicity test for determining the concentration of a toxicant at which no effect on growth and reproductive processes will occur.
Pseudomorphic Yttrium Iron Garnet Thin Films With Low Damping and Inhomogeneous Linewidth Broadening

Nanometer-thick yttrium iron garnet films, grown on gadolinium gallium garnet substrates by pulsed laser deposition, exhibit remarkably high crystallinity and atomically smooth surfaces. The pseudomorphic growth mechanism leads to large negative out-of-plane uniaxial anisotropy, narrow resonance linewidths, and minimal damping. Magnetic resonance measurements indicate that both the Gilbert damping parameter and inhomogeneous linewidth broadening $\Delta H_{pp,0}$ are consistently low for films of various thicknesses. Even at film thickness $\approx 20$ nm, we attain $\alpha \approx 2\times 10^{-4}$ and $\Delta H_{pp,0} \approx 1$ Oe, which are among the lowest values ever reported.
Multiple layers of silicon-on-insulator islands fabrication by selective epitaxial growth

This paper presents for the first time, multiple layers of silicon-on-insulator (MLSOI) device islands fabricated using selective epitaxial growth (SEG) and epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) techniques. MLSOI has the potential for ultra dense device integration. SOI device islands as small as 150 nm/spl times/150 nm, with thickness down to 40 nm have been fabricated. SOI device islands (5 /spl mu/m/spl times/500 /spl mu/m) in the second layer have shown no stacking faults in the 1290 islands inspected. To demonstrate the device quality material, fully depleted SOI (FD-SOI) P-MOSFET's were fabricated in the first layer SOI islands with gate lengths down to less than 170 nm. Typically they had low subthreshold leakage, below 0.2 pA//spl mu/m, and a subthreshold swing of 76 mV/dec was measured.
Fossil Ceratiaceae; a restudy and new taxa from the Mid-Cretaceous of the Western Interior, U.S.A.

Abstract Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages from the upper Albian Kiowa Formation in Kansas contain 13 species assignable to the Ceratiaceae. Three genera, Nyktericysta, Vesperopsis, and Balmula, are described as new, as are eight species, Odontochitina ancala, O. rhakodes, Pseudoceratium interiorense, Nyktericysta davisii, N. arachnion, Vesperopsis mayi, V. nebulosa, and Balmula tripenta. Several of these species occur elsewhere in the Western Interior in mid‐Cretaceous sediments. Morphologically, ceratioid cysts fall into three groups. The first contains Odontochitina Deflandre 1935 and Xenascus Cookson & Eisenack 1969 (which differs only in bearing spines) and is characterized by uncompressed cysts with one lateral horn. The second group contains Pseudoceratium Gocht 1957 (herein emended to include Aptea Eisenack 1958), Endoceratium Voz‐zhennikova 1965, and possibly some species of Cyclonephelium Deflandre & Cookson 1955 in which cysts are dorsoventrally compressed and have one (or no) lateral horn. The t...
Detection of reactive oxygen species by flow cytometry after spinal cord injury

The monitoring of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in injured nervous tissue is critical for both studying the mechanism of secondary damage and evaluating the effectiveness of antioxidants. Flow cytometry is an excellent method to detect ROS in cultured cells and naturally suspended individual cells. However, its use in nervous tissue is limited due to the difficulties in obtaining single cells in suspension. We have developed a new method which minimizes the error during conventional dissociation. Specifically, we introduced a fixation step (with formaldehyde) between the dye loading and dissociation. As a result, the post-injury ROS signals detected by flow cytometry increase significantly when using hydroethidine as superoxide indicator. The injury-induced elevation of ROS obtained from this new method was also in better agreement with the two other standard ROS detection methods, fluorescence microscopy and lipid peroxidation assay. Furthermore, more pronounced decrease of ROS was found in this improved method in response to treatment with a superoxide scavenger, manganese(III)tetrakis(4-benzoic acid)porphyrin. Based on these observations, we suggest that the data obtained from the cells by this new method are more accurate than those from the classic cell dissociation method that dissociates cells directly from fresh tissues.
Knee Dislocations: Lessons Learned From 20-Year Follow-up.

Background:Traumatic knee dislocation is becoming more prevalent because of improved recognition and increased exposure to high-energy trauma, but long-term results are lacking.Purpose:To present 2...
Increased utilization of postmastectomy radiotherapy in the United States from 2003 to 2011 in patients with one to three tumor positive nodes.

Background and Objectives There have been few recent studies that have examined the use of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for patients with 1–3 positive nodes. Methods We utilized the National Cancer Data Base to examine trends in PMRT for 346,218 patients with Stage I–III breast cancer from 2003 to 2011. Neoadjuvant therapy cases were excluded. Log linear models examined trends in PMRT and logistic regressions were used to examine factors related to PMRT. Results The proportion of pT1-2N1 patients receiving PMRT increased from 23.9% in 2003 to 36.4% in 2011 with an annual percent change (APC) of 6.2% (P < 0.001). There were significant increases in the use of PMRT amongst patients with one (APC = 7.7%), two (APC = 6.7%), and three (APC = 4.2%) positive nodes. In 2011, 27.8%, 43.8%, and 57.8% of patients with one, two or three positive nodes underwent PMRT, respectively. The number of positive nodes and tumor size were the strongest independent predictors of PMRT in the 1–3 node group; lymphovascular invasion, invasive lobular histology, and triple negative phenotypes were also associated with PMRT use. Conclusion PMRT for patients with pT1-2N1 disease has increased with the greatest increase seen in those with one tumor positive node. Tumor factors remain strong independent predictors of PMRT. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015;112:809–814. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Future directions in visual display systems

Visual displays have evolved in several parallel application areas including television, computer monitors, graphics monitors, portable displays, projection displays and most recently, immersive displays. Film, too, has matured as the highest resolution display medium available. One might mistakenly proclaim that today's visual displays produce an image quality which nearly matches that of our perception. The truth is that primitive cave petroglyphs viewed in fire-light far exceed the visual capacity of any modern imaging and display system. Our visual displays only represent a small piece of what our eyes perceive to be reality.Consider the visual content in a highly ornate architectural space such as the Sistine Chapel. One is immersed within great columns, arches and a ceiling covered with Michelangelo's paintings containing hundreds of human figures. One could argue that this space is a vast immersive display system designed to invoke a sense of awe and communicate a biblical world view. The environment is static, but viewing it involves a great deal of eye, head and body motion. Even our best large-format film displays are at a loss to reproduce the range of colors, dynamic range of intensities, field of view and level of detail present in such a space.Visual displays are arguably becoming our primary means of information delivery. Their design can profoundly affect how we daily communicate and interact with information. As image capture, generation and display technologies advance, we will see visual systems improve in both realism and level of immersion. Arrayed display systems are already providing a leap in simultaneous wide field of view and high resolution. These advances are fundamentally changing the way in which information can be represented by increasing information bandwidth and enabling a deeper engagement of our visual senses.
Three‐Dimensional Magnesia‐Based Nanocrystal Assemblies Via Low‐Temperature Magnesiothermic Reaction of Diatom Microshells

A low-temperature (≤700°C) magnesiothermic reaction has been used for the first time to convert three-dimensional (3-D) silica-based diatom microshells into nanocrystalline magnesia-based replicas. Exposure of diatom microshells to Mg(g) at only 650°–700°C resulted in the initial (direct) formation of MgO and Si nanocrystals (≤5 nm), that is, no intermediate magnesium silicate compounds were detected. Further reaction of Si with Mg(g) led to the formation of Mg2Si, and then a Mg–Si liquid that sweated away to yield free-standing, nanocrystalline MgO-based replicas. Such direct low-temperature magnesiothermic conversion of diatom microshells enables the synthesis of large numbers of 3-D nanocrystal assemblies with well-controlled morphologies for catalytic/chemical, biological, optical, and other applications.
Soil Clean Up by in-situ Surfactant Flushing. I. Mathematical Modeling

Mathematical models for the in-situ surfactant flushing of hydrophobic organic compounds from soil and aquifers and for the flushing of samples in laboratory columns are described, and numerical results obtained with the models are presented.
Metatarsal robusticity in bipedal rats

All metatarsals have a significantly greater robusticity in the male than in the female rat. The robusticity formula of the rat's foot is 1 > 5 > 2 > 3 > 4. In bipedal rats that formula remains unchanged, but the robusticity of the metatarsals is increased especially in females. The tripod arrangement of the human foot with its particular robustness of the marginal metatarsals 1 and 5 and a strong calcaneum has been related to upright posture. The similar robusticity pattern in the rat's marginal metatarsals 1 and 5 raises the question of whether that part of the formula might not represent a more general plantigrade pattern.
An open-label comparison of local anesthesia with or without sedation for minor hand surgery

Background The purpose of this study was to assess satisfaction and pain intensity in patients undergoing minor hand surgery under local anesthesia (LA) with or without sedation.
Sublethal metal stress response of larvae of Aedes aegypti

Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) has adapted to urban environments; the urbanisation process provides suitable habitats for this disease vector subsequently increasing the probability of the transmission of pathogens in high-density environments. Urban environments provide metal stressed larval habitats. However, little is known about the physiological cost of metal stress or how this might affect the performance of this mosquito species. This study aims to characterise the sub-lethal physiological consequences of metal stress in Aedes aegypti. Various parameters of mosquito physiology under larval metal stress are assessed including larval metallothionein expression and the effects of larval metal stress on adult performance and their progeny. Results show that environmentally relevant larval metal stress compromises larval and adult development and performance, and results in larval metal tolerance along with an increase in lipid consumption. These performance costs are coupled to a dramatic increase in metallothionein expression in the midgut. Metal stress results in lowered adult body mass and neutral storage lipids at emergence, starvation tolerance, fecundity and starvation tolerance of offspring compared to non-metal stressed individuals. Ironically, larval metal stress results in increased adult longevity. Together, these findings indicate that even low levels of environmentally relevant larval metal stress have considerable physiological consequences for this important disease vector.
Attitudes toward the Survivors of Suicide as a Function of the Motive for Suicide.

The impact of the motives expressed in the suicide note on the reactions of the survivor of a suicide were explored by presenting respondents with cases of suicide to read and judge which were iden...
The Importance of Caloric Restriction in the Early Improvements in Insulin Sensitivity After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Surgery

OBJECTIVE Many of the metabolic benefits of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) occur before weight loss. In this study we investigated the influence of caloric restriction on the improvements in the metabolic responses that occur within the 1st week after RYGB. RESEARCH METHODS AND DESIGN A mixed meal was administered to nine subjects before and after RYGB (average 4 ± 0.5 days) and to nine matched, obese subjects before and after 4 days of the post-RYGB diet. RESULTS Weight loss in both groups was minimal; the RYGB subjects lost 1.4 ± 5.3 kg ( P = 0.46) vs. 2.2 ± 1.0 kg ( P = 0.004) in the calorically restricted group. Insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance) improved with both RYGB (5.0 ± 3.1 to 3.3 ± 2.1; P = 0.03) and caloric restriction (4.8 ± 4.1 to 3.6 ± 4.1; P = 0.004). The insulin response to a mixed meal was blunted in both the RYGB and caloric restriction groups (113 ± 67 to 65 ± 33 and 85 ± 59 to 65 ± 56 nmol · l −1 · min −1 , respectively; P −1 · min −1 ; P = 0.04) and peaked higher (45.2 ± 37.3 to 84.8 ± 33.0 pg/ml; P = 0.01) in response to a mixed meal after RYGB, but incretin responses were not altered after caloric restriction. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that an improvement in insulin resistance in the 1st week after RYGB is primarily due to caloric restriction, and the enhanced incretin response after RYGB does not improve postprandial glucose homeostasis during this time.
Electromagnetic Fields of Hertzian Dipoles in Layered Negative Refractive Index Materials

The electromagnetic fields of a Hertzian dipole in layered negative refractive index material (NIM) are efficiently calculated using the fast all modes method (FAM) combined with the numerical modified steepest-descent path method (NMSP). The exact locations of all surface wave modes and all leaky wave modes are found for various NIM slab thicknesses. Both lossless and lossy cases are studied. It is observed that there are different types of surface wave modes or even no surface wave mode at certain slab thicknesses. The electromagnetic fields vary significantly when modes are excited or disappear at certain thicknesses.
Slow migration of a gas bubble in a thermal gradient

The steady migration velocity of a gas bubble placed in a liquid with a linear temperature field in the absence of gravity is obtained for small Marangoni Numbers using a matched asymptotic expansion procedure for solving the governing equations. A result good to 0(N) is obtained, and in the limiting case of zero Marangoni Number, the results of Young, Goldstein and Block are recovered.
Clinical utility of desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d for treating MDD: a review of two randomized placebo-controlled trials for the practicing physician.

AbstractBackground:Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common, seriously impairing illness. Desvenlafaxine (administered as desvenlafaxine succinate) is the third serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) approved in the United States for the treatment of MDD. Short-term clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of 50 to 400 mg/d doses, with no evidence that doses greater than 50 mg/d confer additional benefit.Objective:This paper summarizes published data on the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the desvenlafaxine 50-mg/d recommended therapeutic dose for MDD and discusses clinical practice considerations.Methods:A systematic review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PubMed (all years through June 2009) was performed using the terms desvenlafaxine, DVS, and ODV. The criteria for inclusion in the review were a double-blind design, a placebo control or active comparator group, the 50-mg desvenlafaxine dose group, and enrollment of patients with a diagnosis of MDD. Posters were included...
Politics, Capacity, and Pass-Through Decisions in the American States: Evidence from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

State governments have considerable discretion regarding when they use federal grants to deliver goods and service themselves and when they pass those grants through to fund service delivery by local governments, nonprofit organizations, and other substate entities. This discretion influences the expenditure, and potentially the impact, of many billions of dollars every year. Unfortunately, we know very little about the decisions states make regarding the volume of federal grant aid they pass through, or about the types of subrecipients most likely to receive that money. Drawing on delegation theory, this study develops the argument that the amount and target of pass-through funding will be a function of the state's capacity to produce desired goods, shared policy preferences between state and local actors, and the relative capacity of substate actors to produce those same goods. We test these hypotheses in analyses of the pass-through of ARRA grants to subrecipients by state governments between 2009 and 2012. The results from those analyses suggest that delegation theory provides a useful way to understand both the volume of pass-through that states engage in as well as the target of those monies.
Effects of fermentation on phytate phosphorus and mineral content in black gram, rice, and black gram and rice blends.

Quantitative changes in phosphorus compounds and mineral content of black gram, rice, and black gram and rice blends were investigated during fermentation. Black gram cotyledons and polished Texas long-grain rice had phytate phosphorus content of about 4.80 and 0.97 mg/g, respectively, on a dry weight basis. Phytate phosphorus accounted for about 51% of total phosphorus in rice. Fermentation of rice alone for 8 hr resulted in complete hydrolysis of phytate phosphorus with simultaneous increase in the quantities of nonphytate phosphorus. At 45 hr fermentation, about 13.33% and 48.80% of phytate phosphorus was hydrolyzed in black gram and black gram and rice blends, respectively, with subsequent increases in non-phytate phosphorus. No apparent changes were observed in the concentrations of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron; the inorganic sulfur content was decreased in black gram, rice, and black gram and rice blends as the fermentation progressed to 45 hr. The 20-hr fermented black gram and rice batter was judged to produce an optimum quality of steamed product (Idli) which contained about 1.51 mg/g of phytate phosphorus. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to study the physical changes in the black gram and rice fermented batters and Idli. The Idli had a fine net work (spongy) type of texture and did not contain the starch granules compared to corresponding unsteamed samples.
Photosystem II cyclic heterogeneity and photoactivation in the diazotrophic, unicellular cyanobacterium cyanothece species ATCC 51142

The unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 demonstrated important modifications to photosystem II (PSII) centers when grown under light/dark N 2 -fixing conditions. The properties of PSII were studied throughout the diurnal cycle using O 2 -flash-yield and pulse-amplitude-modulated fluorescence techniques. Nonphotochemical quenching ( q N ) of PSII increased during N 2 fixation and persisted after treatments known to induce transitions to state 1. The q N was high in cells grown in the dark, and then disappeared progressively during the first 4 h of light growth. The photoactivation probability, e, demonstrated interesting oscillations, with peaks near 3 h of darkness and 4 and 10 h of light. Experiments and calculations of the S-state distribution indicated that PSII displays a high level of heterogeneity, especially as the cells prepare for N 2 fixation. We conclude that the oxidizing side of PSII is strongly affected during the period before and after the peak of nitrogenase activity; changes include a lowered capacity for O 2 evolution, altered dark stability of PSII centers, and substantial changes in q N .
Energy, Carbon-emission and Financial Savings from Thermostat Control

Among the easiest approaches to energy, and cost, savings for most people is the adjustment of thermostats to save energy. Here we estimate savings of energy, carbon, and money in the United States of America (USA) that would result from adjusting thermostats in residential and commercial buildings by about half a degree Celsius downward during the heating season and upward during the cooling season. To obtain as small a unit as possible, and therefore the least likely to be noticeable by most people, we selected an adjustment of one degree Fahrenheit (0.56 degree Celsius) which is the gradation used almost exclusively on thermostats in the USA and is the smallest unit of temperature that has been used historically. Heating and/or cooling of interior building space for personal comfort is sometimes referred to as space conditioning, a term we will use for convenience throughout this work without consideration of humidity. Thermostat adjustment, as we use the term here, applies to thermostats that control the indoor temperature, and not to other thermostats such as those on water heaters. We track emissions of carbon only, rather than of carbon dioxide, because carbon atoms change atomic partners as they move through the carbon cycle,more » from atmosphere to biosphere or ocean and, on longer time scales, through the rock cycle. To convert a mass of carbon to an equivalent mass of carbon dioxide (thereby including the mass of the 2 oxygen atoms in each molecule) simply multiply by 3.67.« less
Long-term Effects of Implanted Cardioverter-Defibrillators on Health Status, Quality of Life, and Psychological State

BACKGROUND: Living with an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator increases survival, but the effects of the device on health status, quality of life, and psychological state over time are not clear. OBJECTIVES: To investigate changes in health status, quality of life, and psychological state associated with implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator from implantation to 4 years later. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal design was used to measure changes in scores on the Short Form 36 of the Medical Outcomes Study, the Quality of Life Index-Cardiac III, and the Profile of Moods States short form at implantation, 6 months, and 1, 2, 3, and 4 years later. RESULTS: A total of 30 men and 11 women (mean age, 60.4 years) completed all 4 years of follow-up. The physical and mental health composite summary scores of the Short Form 36 changed significantly over time; the mental health score improved (F = 2.95; P = .03), and the physical score worsened (F = 3.69; P = .003). Scores on the Quality of Life Index-Cardiac III did not change significantly. Negative moods were significantly fewer, and the total psychological distress score was significantly lower (F = 10.21; P < .001) during the 4 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Patients had improved mental health and reduced psychological distress by 6 months after implantation. Perception of physical health declined during the 4 years after implantation; the role physical subscore of the Short Form 36 indicated significant improvement in functioning at 6 months and a trend toward reduced functioning at 3 and 4 years after implantation.
Suppression of Sitotroga cerealella in shelled corn by the parasitoid Pteromalus cerealella

The parasitoid Pteromalus cerealellae (Ashmead) was introduced at densities of one, five, or 10 pairs into 0.47-liter jars containing 500 g of corn that had been infested with one, five or 10 pairs of the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), adults. The abundance of S. cerealella progeny was significantly reduced by all release rates of parasitoids and at all densities of S. cerealella. As release rates increased from one to 10 pairs of P. cerealellae, the average percentage suppression increased from 85.5 to 99.2 at one pair of S. cerealella, from 77.2 to 98.0 at five pairs of S. cerealella, and from 66.9 to 95.8 at 10 pairs of S. cerealella. However, the degree of suppression was significantly influenced by both the numbers of P. cerealella released and the initial density of S. cerealella. With greater host density, more progeny of P. cerealellae were produced, but releasing more parasitoids did not significantly increase the number of P. cerealellae progeny.
The Determinants of Territorial Property Rights in a Spatial Commons Experiment (Online Appendix)

This online supplement contains additional materials related to "The Determinants of Territorial Property Rights in a Spatial Commons Experiment".The paper to which these Appendices apply is available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2503260
The Role of Modification of DNA Damage in the Radioprotective Action of Aminothiols

The role of DNA damage modification in the protection of mammalian cells from the lethal effects of radiation by aminothiols has been the subject of much research over the last 20 years since the early demonstrations that cysteamine reduced the level of DNA single-strand breaks (SSBs) in irradiated cells (1, 2). Despite this considerable effort, the actual mechanisms of radioprotection at both the cellular and DNA level remain poorly defined. Perhaps one barrier to our understanding of these effects has been the failure to recognize that many chemical modifiers of radiosensitivity, including sensitizers such as oxygen and protectors such as cysteamine, may not simply dose-modify numbers of DNA lesions but may also change the “spectrum” of lesions induced by low-LET radiations. For example, lesions such as DNA-protein cross-links (DPCs) (3) and 8,5’-cycloadenosine (4) are actually preferentially induced under hypoxia despite the fact that this condition offers considerable radioprotection to the cell. Even these presumably minor lesions could contribute significantly to lethality under appropriate conditions, e.g. in cells exhibiting a particular repair defect (3). Evidence that aminothiols also cause a shift in the spectrum of radiation-induced lesions comes from the recent report by Radfotd (5) that cysteamine altered the levels of 4 types of roiA lesion—SSBs, double-strand breaks (DSBs), DPCs and base damage—in different proportions.
Economics of Thermochemical Conversion of Crop Residue to Liquid Transportation Fuel

An economic analysis of producing Fischer–Tropsch (FT) liquid fuel such as diesel from crop residue is presented. The process is thermochemical based involving fast pyrolysis and autothermal reforming (ATR) followed by FT synthesis. A spreadsheet for estimating economics is presented, which is simple to use and transparent in its input parameters and its output. Plant sizes of 2000, 10 000, and 35 000 dry metric tons (t) per day were calculated at 8% return on capital to require sales prices (exclusive of tax) of $3.30, $2.40, and $2.06 per gallon (gal), respectively. U.S. tax would add another ∼$0.50/gallon. A biomass feed stock cost of $61.20/dry t was assumed. Capital cost for the 2000 dry t/day plant is estimated to be $M231. These estimates, of course, must be regarded as rough, but they suggest that even without the benefit of imposed regulations liquid fuel derived from biomass could be competitive at current price levels. Sale of char produced in the pyrolysis step for soil amendment as a byproduc...
Wetting transition in water.

Optical images were used to study the wetting behavior of water on graphite, sapphire, and quartz along the liquid vapor coexistence curve from room temperature to $300\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$. Wetting transitions were identified by the temperature at which the contact angle decreased to zero and also by the disappearance of dropwise condensation. These two methods yielded consistent values for the wetting temperatures, which were $185\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$, $234\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$, and $271\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$ for water on quartz, sapphire, and graphite, respectively. We compare our results with the theoretical predictions based on a simplified model of the water-substrate potential and sharp interfaces.
Distribution of lipids, lipase and alkaline phosphatase in renal tubule of the cat.

SummaryIn the proximal convoluted tubule (its neck protruded epithelium and medullary segment) the presence of large amounts of lipids including triglycerides correlated with the positive reactions for lipase and alkaline phosphatase. If the terminal part of the medullary segment contained little or no fat7 there was little or no indication of the presence of lipase or alkaline phosphatase. In those other regions of the tubule where lipids were scant or absent, there were slight or no reactions for lipase and none for alkaline phosphatase with the exception of the free surface of the first part of the ascending limb of the loop of Henle which gave a positive reaction. Protrusions of tubular epithelium into the capsular space were common in the kidneys of old cats.
Four-Impulse Rendezvous Near Circular Orbit

Using the Clohessy-Wiltshire equations, the well-known problem of minimizing the total characteristic velocity of a spacecraft in an impulsive rendezvous with a satellite in circular orbit is considered. It is well-known that, for boundary conditions in the plane of the orbit, at most four impulses are required. This paper presents the mathematical framework for fourimpulse rendezvous near a circular orbit resulting in simple formulas for the computation of the four optimal velocity increments.