cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bacterial valorization of pulp and paper industry process streams and waste

The pulp and paper industry is a major source of lignocellulose-containing streams. The components of lignocellulose material are lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose that may be hydrolyzed into their smaller components and used as feedstocks for valorization efforts. Much of this material is contained in underutilized streams and waste products, such as black liquor, pulp and paper sludge, and wastewater. Bacterial fermentation strategies have suitable potential to upgrade lignocellulosic biomass contained in these streams to value-added chemicals. Bacterial conversion allows for a sustainable and economically feasible approach to valorizing these streams, which can bolster and expand applications of the pulp and paper industry. This review discusses the composition of pulp and paper streams, bacterial isolates from process streams that can be used for lignocellulose biotransformations, and technological approaches for improving valorization efforts. KEY POINTS: • Reviews the conversion of pulp and paper industry waste by bacterial isolates. • Metabolic pathways for the breakdown of lignocellulose components. • Methods for isolating bacteria, determining value-added products, and increasing product yields.
Financial feasibility of embryo transfer

Embryo transfer technology has been used as a laboratory technique since the late 1800’s, but it was not used commercially until recently. The advent of exotic breeds of cattle in the 1970’s provided the economic incentives for application of the technology for commercial purposes. Previous economic studies have indicated that the cost per calf may be as high as $2,414 or as low as $200 as reported in a popular source. Van Vleck has stated that increased milk production will not pay for the extra costs of embryo transfer. This conclusion was based on the net present value of the additional milk after taking into consideration the genetic potential of the dam and sire. Another study estimated that for milk receipts alone to pay for the added cost, the cost of embryo transfer would have to drop to below $200 per pregnancy. Predictions for the future of embryo transfer range from optimistic to the cautious. The cautious note that the basic motivation for present use of the technology is not increased milk production, but tax incentive exploitation by livestock breeders and investors. None of these previous studies have presented the financial feasibility along with the tax benefits. Tax incentives from embryo transfer are very attractive and often entice investors in the high marginal tax brackets into the industry. Investors as well as livestock breeders can take advantage of investment tax credit, depreciation, capital gains and can expense the costs of embryo transfer under the Internal Revenue Tax Codes. The objectives of this paper are to: determine the feasibility of embryo transfer including tax benefits and to determine by sensitivity analysis some conditions under which it becomes feasible.
Modernizing a General Education Requirement in Computing to Emphasize Critical Thinking

In this paper, we describe the process of replacing a general education requirement in computing at a private liberal arts/professional American university. The original requirement evaluated students' ability to utilize spreadsheet and presentation software, meaning traditional CS1 courses did not satisfy the requirement. The new requirement emphasizes critical thinking and requires students to create digital artifacts in order to solve problems or analyze models in their major discipline. We describe our motivations for updating the general education requirement, and the feedback that we received during the revision process. We also describe the learning outcomes used during the assessment process. We briefly describe the results from the previous cycle of assessment in 2014 using the original requirement as well as the results from the current cycle in 2020 using the new requirement. Rather than being limited to spreadsheet and presentation software, assessed student artifacts in 2020 also included Excel, Python, MATLAB, and Mathematica source code, as well as written analyses. We conclude with recommendations from the assessment team for improving the general education requirement and associated assessment procedure.
Current polarity effects on laboratory plasma jets

Plasma jets produced by a pulsed power machine were investigated using Thomson scattering and other diagnostics in order to make detailed comparisons to simulations. These jets were produced from a 15 μm thick disk of Al foil on a 1.2 MA, 100 ns rise time, pulsed power machine. Experiments were performed with both a radially inward and a radially outward current flow in the Al foil to investigate the effects of voltage polarity in the experiments and determine how extended magnetohydrodynamic (XMHD) effects, such as the Hall effect, change the formation of the jet. We recorded Thomson scattering spectra with a low enough laser energy to not perturb the plasma while providing a high enough signal to noise ratio to resolve the scattered features. This enabled the measurement of the electron temperature in the jet region of the plasma, 15.5±4 eV for both current polarities. Jets with a radially outward current flow were heated more from inverse bremsstrahlung when 10 J of laser energy was used, implying that these jets are denser than the ones with a radially inward current. This higher density was confirmed by interferometry measurements. Experimental results were compared with XMHD computer simulations, which predicted electron temperatures 1.5–3 σ above those measured, and significantly higher density than experiments in both polarities. Possible sources of this discrepancy are discussed.
Sexual dimorphism in intestinal absorption and lymphatic transport of dietary lipids.

Key points Significant differences in intestinal lipid absorption and lymphatic transport were found between female and male animals. Estrogen treatment significantly reduced [3 H]-triacylglycerol (TAG) lymphatic output through suppressing TAG transport in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and this effect is associated with enhanced vegfa gene expression in the intestine. Progesterone treatment significantly decreased the output of [14 C]-cholesterol (Chol) in lymph by inhibiting Chol absorption in the OVX rats. Estrogen treatment also increased lymphatic output of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) in the OVX rats, which may contribute to the reduced risk of atherosclerosis in females. Abstract Although the basic process of intestinal lipid absorption and transport is understood, many critical aspects remain unclear. One question, in particular, is whether intestinal lipid absorption and transport differ between the sexes. Using a well-established lymph fistula model, we found that intact female mice exhibited lower lymphatic output of triacylglycerol (TAG) than male mice. Further analysis revealed that the female mice segregated into two groups: the high group having similar lymphatic TAG transport to the males, and the low group having significantly less lymphatic output, implying the impact of cyclical variation of ovarian hormonal levels. These led us to examine whether estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) affect intestinal absorption and lymphatic transport of dietary lipids. In ovariectomized (OVX) rats, E2 treatment significantly reduced [3 H]-TAG lymphatic output through reducing TAG transport; and P-treatment decreased [14 C]-cholesterol (Chol) lymphatic output by inhibiting Chol absorption, compared to vehicle treatment. Gene expression data suggested that E2 enhances vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) signaling to reduce the permeability of lacteals, leading to reduced CM transport through the lymphatic system. Interestingly, E2 treatment also increased lymphatic output of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), but not apoB-48 and apoA-IV, in the OVX rats. Collectively, these data suggested that ovarian hormone-induced reductions of intestinal lipid absorption and lymphatic transport, as well as increased lymphatic output of apoA-I, may contribute to a beneficial protection from atherosclerosis in females. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Difficulties with Object-Oriented Frameworks

The goal of an object-oriented framework is to provide a reusable design that supports the development of multiple related applications. In practice, frameworks are distributed as source code with little or no design documentation. This complicates both the instantiation and extension of these frameworks.
The skeletal manifestation of malaria: An epidemiological approach using documented skeletal collections.

Objectives Recent studies in paleopathology have shown promise in associating some skeletal lesions with malarial infection. However, malaria's skeletal manifestation has never been confirmed using a large clinical reference sample from an endemic area for malaria with known individual causes of death. Materials and Methods To pinpoint evidence of malaria infection on ancient skeletal remains, this study uses an epidemiological approach to compare skeletal lesions in a modern reference sample of 98 individuals from Uganda, where malaria is holoendemic, to a similar modern sample of 106 individuals from a malaria-free area. Results Five porous skeletal lesions are identified that appear more frequently in the endemic area population, especially in anemic individuals. These appear on the cranium, vertebral column, and humeral and femoral necks. Periostitis also associates strongly with individuals in the endemic population; however, linear enamel hypoplasias show an inverse association. The identified lesions are tested for their association with each other, and then tested individually for their diagnostic power through measures of sensitivity and specificity. A diagnostic outcome algorithm is formed from the remaining skeletal lesions and their inter-lesion associations. Discussion Several etiological explanations for the characteristic malarial skeletal lesions are explored, including severe malarial anemia, an imbalance in bone remodeling, and extramedullary erythropoiesis. The importance of careful differential diagnoses between other infectious and noninfectious causes of these lesions is discussed, including the potential for coinfection of malaria with other infectious diseases. The findings of this study are pivotal in establishing diagnostic criteria by which we can identify the prevalence and impact of malaria on past populations. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:624–635, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Signaling, Learning and Screening Prior to Trial: A Theory of Preliminary Injunctions

The decision to request a preliminary injunction-a court order that bans a party from certain behavior until its lawfulness is ascertained in a final court ruling at trial-is an important litigation instrument in many areas of the law including antitrust, copyright, patents, trademarks, employment and labor relations as well as contracts. The process of filing for a preliminary injunction and the court's ruling on such a request generates information that can affect possible settlement decisions. We consider these implications when there is uncertainty about both the plaintiff’s damages as well as the merits of case in the eyes of the court. Both plaintiff and defendant revise their beliefs about the case strength in dispute once they observe the court's ruling on preliminary injunctive relief. We study how such learning affects the likelihood of settlement. A precursor to this analysis is the study of the strategic role of preliminary injunctions as a means to signal the plaintiff's willingness to settle.
Integrated 105 dB SNR, 0.0031% THD+N Class-D Audio Amplifier With Global Feedback and Digital Control in 55 nm CMOS

It is traditionally challenging to implement higher-order PWM closed-loop Class-D audio amplifiers using analog intensive techniques in deep-submicron, low voltage process technologies. This is primarily attributed to reduced power supply, degraded analog transistor characteristics, including short-channel effects, increased flicker noise, random telegraph noise, transistor reliability concerns and passive component performance. In this paper, we introduce a global closed-loop mixed-signal architecture incorporating digital control and integrate a fourth-order amplifier prototype in 55 nm CMOS. A systematic approach to analyze, design and compensate the feedback loop in the digital domain is also presented. The versatility of implementing the loop gain poles and zeros digitally attains high gain throughout the audio band and attenuates residual high frequency ripples around the loop, simultaneously accomplishing improvements in THD+N and PSRR. The overall architecture is inherently amenable to implementation in deep-submicron and is therefore compatible with scaled CMOS. The measured prototype achieves a high 105 dBA SNR, 0.0031% THD+N, 92 dB PSRR and 85% efficiency when supplying 1 W into emulated 8 $\Omega$ speaker load. This performance is competitive with conventional designs using large feature size precision CMOS or specialized BCD technologies and reports the highest output power (1.5 W) for deep-submicron designs.
Drought Increases Consumer Pressure on Oyster Reefs in Florida, USA

Coastal economies and ecosystems have historically depended on oyster reefs, but this habitat has declined globally by 85% because of anthropogenic activities. In a Florida estuary, we investigated the cause of newly reported losses of oysters. We found that the oyster reefs have deteriorated from north to south and that this deterioration was positively correlated with the abundance of carnivorous conchs and water salinity. In experiments across these gradients, oysters survived regardless of salinity if conchs were excluded. After determining that conchs were the proximal cause of oyster loss, we tested whether elevated water salinity was linked to conch abundance either by increasing conch growth and survivorship or by decreasing the abundance of a predator of conchs. In field experiments across a salinity gradient, we failed to detect spatial variation in predation on conchs or in conch growth and survivorship. A laboratory experiment, however, demonstrated the role of salinity by showing that conch larvae failed to survive at low salinities. Because this estuary’s salinity increased in 2006 in response to reduced inputs of freshwater, we concluded that the ultimate cause of oyster decline was an increase in salinity. According to records from 2002 to 2012, oyster harvests have remained steady in the northernmost estuaries of this ecoregion (characterized by high reef biomass, low salinity, and low conch abundance) but have declined in the southernmost estuaries (characterized by lower reef biomass, increases in salinity, and increases in conch abundance). Oyster conservation in this ecoregion, which is probably one of the few that still support viable oyster populations, may be undermined by drought-induced increases in salinity causing an increased abundance of carnivorous conchs.
Understanding Differences in Perceived Peer-Review Helpfulness using Natural Language Processing

Identifying peer-review helpfulness is an important task for improving the quality of feedback received by students, as well as for helping students write better reviews. As we tailor standard product review analysis techniques to our peer-review domain, we notice that peer-review helpfulness differs not only between students and experts but also between types of experts. In this paper, we investigate how different types of perceived helpfulness might influence the utility of features for automatic prediction. Our feature selection results show that certain low-level linguistic features are more useful for predicting student perceived helpfulness, while high-level cognitive constructs are more effective in modeling experts' perceived helpfulness.
Effects of decapitation-stress on the phosphorylation of cortical membrane proteins.

Abstract The endogenous phosphorylation of membrane-bound proteins was studied in preparations from the cerebral cortex of rats sacrificed by immersion in liquid nitrogen or by decapitation. Compared to quick-frozen rats, samples from decapitated animals demonstrated a two-fold increase in 3 2P-phosphate incorporation into specific protein bands with apparent molecular weights of 56K, and 52K (designated E1 and E2) and a decreased incorporation into a phosphoprotein of 47K (designated F). The phosphorylation of two proteins (78K and 34K) in membranes from decapitated rats was found to be highly stimulated by exogenously added cyclic AMP. On the other hand, the phosphorylation of specific protein bands in preparations from quick frozen rats was minimally affected by addition of cyclic AMP. The results indicate that conditions which lead to increases in cyclic AMP levels in the brain in situ induce specific changes in phosphorylative activity, and these can be detected by assaying isolated membrane fragments in vitro.
Monaural and binaural spectral cues created by the external ears of the pallid bat

The acoustic properties of external ears transform the spectra of incident sound in a location-dependent manner, and provide monaural and binaural spectral information used in 2-dimensional localization. Human studies suggest that binaural spectral differences, and spectral peaks and notches in monaural transfer functions, may all provide spatial information. This study examined the acoustic properties of the pallid bat ear to determine directionality, interaural intensity differences spectral peaks and notches in transfer functions, as well as acoustic gain. The pallid bat is a gleaning bat that uses passive sound localization to find prey, and echolocation for general orientation. It is capable of very accurate passive sound localization, and the primary focus of this study was to determine the spectral cues that might support this localization acuity. Results show that the external ears of this bat create spectral maxima and minima that vary systematically with azimuth and elevation. The monaural spectral cues resemble those reported in humans and cats and suggest that similar spectral cues are used across taxa. The ears also create robust interaural spectral differences that vary systematically with both sound azimuth and elevation. These monaural and binaural spectral cues may provide the basis for the 1 degrees angular resolution apparent in it this bat's passive sound localization performance.
Etanercept improves the health-related quality of life of patients with psoriasis: results of a phase III randomized clinical trial

In this randomized, double-blind, phase III trial, patients with psoriasis received etanercept for 24 weeks or placebo for 12 weeks followed by etanercept for 12 weeks. At week 12, improvement in Dermatology Life Quality Index was 47% to 61% with etanercept compared with 11% with placebo ( P
Building language towers with ziggurat

Ziggurat is a meta-language system that permits programmers to develop Scheme-like macros for languages with nontrivial static semantics, such as C or Java (suitably encoded in an S-expression concrete syntax). Ziggurat permits language designers to construct ‘towers’ of language levels with macros; each level in the tower may have its own static semantics, such as type systems or flow analyses. Crucially, the static semantics of the languages at two adjacent levels in the tower can be connected, allowing improved reasoning power at a higher level to be reflected down to the static semantics of the language level below. We demonstrate the utility of the Ziggurat framework by implementing higher level language facilities as macros on top of an assembly language, utilizing static semantics such as termination analysis, a polymorphic type system and higher order flow analysis.
Performance, digestion, nitrogen balance, and emission of manure ammonia, enteric methane, and carbon dioxide in lactating cows fed diets with varying alfalfa silage-to-corn silage ratios

Two trials were conducted simultaneously to study the effects of varying alfalfa silage (AS) to corn silage (CS) ratio in diets formulated to avoid excess protein or starch on lactating dairy cow performance, digestibility, ruminal parameters, N balance, manure production and composition, and gaseous emissions [carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and ammonia-N (NH3-N)]. In trial 1 all measurements, except gas emissions, were conducted on 8 rumen-cannulated cows in replicated 4×4 Latin squares. In trial 2, performance and emissions were measured on 16 cows randomly assigned to 1 of 4 air-flow controlled chambers in a 4×4 Latin square. Dietary treatments were fed as total mixed rations with forage-to-concentrate ratio of 55:45 [dietary dry matter (DM) basis] and AS:CS ratios of 20:80, 40:60, 60:40, and 80:20 (forage DM basis). Measurements were conducted the last 3d of each 21-d period. Treatments did not affect DM intake, DM digestibility, and milk/DM intake. However, responses were quadratic for fat-and-protein-corrected milk, fat, and protein production, which reached predicted maxima for AS:CS ratio of 50:50, 49:51, and 34:66, respectively. Nitrogen use efficiency (milk N/N intake) decreased from 31 to 24g/100g as AS:CS ratio increased from 20:80 to 80:20. Treatments did not alter NH3-N/milk-N but tended to have a quadratic effect on daily NH3-N emission. Treatments had a quadratic effect on daily CH4 emission, which was high compared with current literature; they influenced CH4 emission per unit of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake and tended to influence CO2/NDF intake. Ruminal acetate-to-propionate ratio and total-tract NDF digestibility increased linearly with increasing AS:CS ratio. In addition, as AS:CS ratio increased from 20:80 to 80:20, NDF digested increased linearly from 2.16 to 3.24kg/d, but CH4/digested NDF decreased linearly from 270 to 190g/kg. These 2 counterbalancing effects likely contributed to the observed quadratic response in daily CH4 emission, which may have been influenced also by increasing starch with increasing CS in the diet as reflected by the increased ruminal propionate molar proportion. Overall, production performances were greatest for the intermediate AS:CS ratios (40:60 and 60:40), but daily excretion of urine, manure, fecal N, urinary urea N, and urinary N decreased with increasing proportion of CS in the diet, whereas daily CH4 emission was reduced for the 2 extreme AS:CS ratios (20:80 and 80:20). However, the proportion of AS and CS in the diet did not affect CH4/fat-and-protein corrected milk.
Reducing Satisfaction of Search Errors in Visual Search

Several occupations rely upon the ability to accurately and efficiently perform visual search. For example, radiologists must successfully identify abnormalities, and airport luggage screeners must recognize threatening items. By investigating various aspects of such searches, psychological research can reveal ways to improve search performance. We (Fleck, Samei, & Mitroff, in press) have recently focused on one specific influence that had previously been explored almost exclusively within the study of radiology: Satisfaction of Search (SOS), wherein the successful detection of one target can reduce detection of a second target in the same search array. To eliminate SOS errors, we must delineate the sources of the errors. Combined with our prior work, here we examine the specific roles of target heterogeneity and the decision-making component of target-distractor discrimination (i.e., how easy it is to determine whether a stimulus is a target or a distractor). In the current experiments, subjects searched arrays of line-drawn objects for targets of two different categories (tools and bottles) amongst several categories of distractor objects. On any given trial, there could be no targets, one target (either a tool or bottle), or two targets (both a tool and a bottle). The relative occurrence of these trial types varied across experiments. Compared to previous experiments that employed homogeneous targets and that required effortful evaluation to discriminate targets from distractors, the SOS effect was reduced here. That is, search accuracy for easily discriminable, heterogeneous objects was no worse for dual-target trials than for single-target trials. These results suggest that target heterogeneity and target-distractor discriminability may both play key roles in multiple target search accuracy.
Reversal of prolonged suxamethonium apnoea with fresh frozen plasma in a 6-week-old infant

Summary A period of apnoea lasting 480 minutes following suxamethonium in a 6-week-old male infant is described. Neuromuscular function recovered following the administration of fresh frozen plasma. The infant was found to be homozygous for atypical cholinesterase (E1a E1a). This is believed to be the youngest reported case of suxamethonium apnoea.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Individual Differences in Frequency of Play with Pets among Middle-Aged Men: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis.

There is growing evidence that pet ownership and human–animal interaction (HAI) have benefits for human physical and psychological well-being. However, there may be pre-existing characteristics related to patterns of pet ownership and interactions with pets that could potentially bias results of research on HAI. The present study uses a behavioral genetic design to estimate the degree to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in frequency of play with pets among adult men. Participants were from the ongoing longitudinal Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA), a population-based sample of 1,237 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins aged 51–60 years. Results demonstrate that MZ twins have higher correlations than DZ twins on frequency of pet play, suggesting that genetic factors play a role in individual differences in interactions with pets. Structural equation modeling revealed that, according to the best model, genetic factors accounted for as much as 37% of the variance in pet play, although the majority of variance (63–71%) was due to environmental factors that are unique to each twin. Shared environmental factors, which would include childhood exposure to pets, overall accounted for <10% of the variance in adult frequency of pet play, and were not statistically significant. These results suggest that the effects of childhood exposure to pets on pet ownership and interaction patterns in adulthood may be mediated primarily by genetically-influenced characteristics.
A note on Blastocladiella (Blastocladiaceae)

For the purpose of emphasizing more sharply the differences in complexity and length of the life cycles the 12 known species ofBlastocladiella are segregated in 3 new subgenera:Blastocladiella, Eucladiella, andCystocladiella. These correspond, respectively, to the subgeneraBrachyallomyces, Allomyces (Euallomyces) andCystogenes of the genusAllomyces.
The durability of bonded coated steel joints

Abstract This paper presents results from the first three years of an investigation into the durability of bonded coated steel joints under tropical conditions. Three different steels are being evaluated, bonded with three epoxy adhesives, and joints are being exposed with and without imposed stress. The uncoated mild steel joints exhibited poor durability. The retained strength of unstressed joints declined rapidly as the extent of bondline corrosion increased. Failure times of stressed joints were rapid and also due to bondline corrosion except when a more flexible adhesive was used, failure then being due to creep of the adhesive. The durability of the electrogalvanized and zinc-nickel coated steel joints was generally much better, the retained strengths were higher and the failure times of stressed joints were usually longer. This is mainly attributed to the absence of bondline corrosion. However, it was found that coating failure sometimes occurred with the zinc-nickel coated steel when bonded with the stiffer adhesives. This affected both the initial strength and the durability of joints, although the degree of coating failure was seen to reduce as exposure time increased.
The Revival of Classical Political Economy and the Cambridge Tradition: From Scarcity Theory to Surplus Theory

Hilary Putnam and Vivian Walsh argue that Amartya Sen's contribution can, like the writings of Piero Sraffa, be best interpreted as a revival of classical political economy, in which Sen brings back into economics a richer conception of the human agent, and a moral dimension. Sen criticises the conception of rationality that underpins mainstream microeconomic theory, and suggests an alternative framework that can accommodate a variety of motivations, including moral motivations, as will be argued here. Furthermore, the work of Sen, and other authors of the Cambridge tradition who also devoted much time to the revival of classical political economy, are complementary in many respects, and provide the basic tools for an alternative economic theory, which is centred on the economic, social and ethical analysis of the production and distribution of the economic surplus, and not on the modelling of the activity of optimising agents in a context of scarcity. While the notion of scarcity is very important for th...
Hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid: In vitro and possible in vivo reaction with DNA

Abstract Exposure of DNA solutions to low levels (2 · 10−3M) of hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid (HOS) resulted in limited degradation accompanied by increases in the buoyant density of the DNA. The thermal helix-coil profile of the DNA was not changed significantly following exposure to HOS. Upon thermal denaturation, the treated DNA specimens exhibited buoyant density values similar to those of heated control DNA. This is taken to mean that an added function or a modified DNA base is removed upon heating. Exposure of DNA to elevated levels of HOS (>0.2 M) resulted in extensive degradation which was accompanied by spectral changes: a hyperchromic shift and an increase in the wavelength of maximum absorbance. Exposure of individual deoxynucleosides to HOS also resulted in spectral changes and in the detection of new reaction products by paper Chromatographic means. HOS preferentially inhibited the growth of a bacterial strain deficient in DNA polymerase. This is a property also exhibited by known mutagens and carcinogens. This is taken to mean that HOS is capable of reacting with the DNA of living cells as well.
Young children communicating in the classroom: Selected research

(1979). Young children communicating in the classroom: Selected research. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 18, Communicating with Young Children, pp. 244-250.
Conservation of the herpetofauna on the Dutch Windward Islands: St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Maarten

The Dutch Windward Islands (St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Maarten) support a collective herpetofauna consisting of two frogs (both introduced), six turtles (one introduced, one of uncertain origin, and four sea turtles, of which three are known to nest in the islands), 15 or 16 lizards (depending on whether the iguanas of Saba are a species distinct from Iguana iguana), and three snakes (one introduced). Although politically united, the islands are distinct biogeographic entities and binary similarity indices for the herpetofauna are 0.38 for St. Eustatius/Saba, 0.35 for St. Eustatius/St. Maarten, and 0.20 for Saba/St. Maarten (with values varying only little when the introduced species are included). Only three species, Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, Hemidactylus mabouia, and Thecadactylus rapicauda, are found on all three islands. Species given formal recognition as being in need of protection include the sea turtles (listed in CITES appendices and the IUCN Redlist), Geochelone carbonaria (CITES), Iguana delicatissima (CITES and IUCN), Iguana iguana (CITES), and two species of Alsophis (IUCN). Other species of conservation concern include two species of Ameiva, both of which are restricted to areas of considerable human activity on islands where mongooses (Herpestes javanicus) are established, and Mabuya sp., which may be extirpated on St. Maarten. Three factors largely responsible for the status of these species are: (1) large size and economic value (turtles and iguanas), (2) persecution by people who fear them (snakes), and (3) diurnally active, terrestrial, and vulnerable to predation by mongooses (snakes, Ameiva, Mabuya). Non-governmental organizations on each island are largely responsible for conservation and related educational efforts. Specific recommendations for each island are listed.
Redundant chemical sensors for calibration-impossible applications.

Abstract Multiple chemical sensors are used to measure the same analyte simultaneously to determine whether the redundant signals can improve the long-term accuracy and circumvent the need for periodic calibrations. A specific marine chemistry application was investigated where six glass pH electrodes were placed in a synthetic seawater solution for nearly 2 months without recalibration. The pH accuracy was evaluated by comparison with spectrophotometric pH measurements. The standard deviation, t-test and principal-component analysis were used to evaluate the redundant signals. The average signal standard deviation was useful for determining the onset of drift, whereas, the principal-component analysis readily identified specific sensors that were drifting. The sensor signals, shown through t-tests to be outliers, were eliminated from the data set, resulting in a significant improvement in measurement accuracy. After 56 days, the signals from non-drifting and drifting sensors resulted in a pH accuracy of ±0.012 and ±0.040, respectively, over a threefold improvement. The residual ±0.012 inaccuracy was limited by the performance of the remaining sensors, which appeared to drift with similar magnitude and could therefore not be statistically separated. These results indicate that redundant sensors coupled with a principal-component analysis are a potential alternative for situations where calibrations are not feasible.
When a rose is Eros: A demianagramatical study of brand names

(1998). When a rose is Eros: A demianagramatical study of brand names. Consumption Markets & Culture: Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 449-455.
Initial prospective multicenter clinical trial of robotically-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting.

Abstract Background . This multicenter prospective trial was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of using a robotically-assisted microsurgical system to create endoscopic coronary anastomoses. Methods . Thirty-two patients scheduled for elective primary coronary surgery underwent endoscopic anastomosis of the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) to the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Three thoracic ports (two for instruments and one for a camera) were placed, and a robotic system was used to perform the LITA–LAD graft. Conventional techniques were used to perform the other grafts. Thirty-one patients underwent median sternotomy and 1 patient underwent a limited anterior thoracotomy. Results . Graft flow was measured in the operating room and averaged 37 ± 19 mL/min. Mean anastomosis time was 24 ± 9 minutes. There were three intraoperative revisions (9%). Two were for inadequate flow and one for an inadvertent injury. Each of these grafts was successfully revised by hand. There were no technical failures of the robotic system. Average postoperative length of stay was 5.5 ± 2.7 days. There were three reoperations for bleeding, but none of these were related to the LAD anastomosis. Two months following the operation, selective angiography revealed a graft patency of 93%. The patients have been followed for 16 ± 4 months. Conclusions . This initial prospective multicenter trial documents the feasibility of robotically-assisted coronary bypass grafting. Further trials are warranted to establish the safety and efficacy of this new technology.
Holographic and Nonholographic Organic–Inorganic Hybrids

In this article, we review the concepts of holographic and nonholographic organic-inorganic hybrids, both comprising a liquid crystal layer adjacent to inorganic crystalline windows. Photo-generated fields from photorefractive (holographic) or photovoltaic (nonholographic) crystalline windows govern the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the hybrid cells. Holographic hybrids have been used to demonstrate a high gain Bragg-matched beam coupling, whereas nonholographic hybrids have been used to demonstrate a lensing effect.
Is there a future for coral reef parks in poor tropical countries

There has been a proliferation in the legal gazettement of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the past three decades (Gubbay 1995; Kelleher et al. 1995). There is also a growing recognition that many marine "sheries are heavily exploited (Pauly and Christensen 1995; Polunin et al. 1996), that associated ecosystems are being changed, sometimes greatly (Dayton et al. 1995; Jennings and Lock 1996; Jennings and Kaiser 1998; Watling and Norse 1998), and that MPAs are among the least di$cult ways to manage overexploited "sheries (Bohnsack 1993; Roberts and Polunin 1993; Roberts 1997). A recent world-wide summary of MPAs produced an impressive list of over 1300 MPAs with subtidal components (Kelleher et al. 1995). The positive impression is tempered, however, with the recognition that 923, or 71%, of the MPAs have &unknown management' and the median MPA size is only about 16 km2. There are a number of very large MPAs, such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (344000 km2) and Galapagos Island Marine Resource Reserve (8000 km2) but, like many of the IUCN categories for protected areas (Gubbay 1995), much of these areas are zoned for various types of resource extraction, enforcement is often poor, and the outcome of zoning often poorly known. Only around 9% of the MPAs had a &high management level that generally achieve their management objectives' (Kelleher et al. 1995). These sobering statistics indicate that a very small fraction of the oceans' 361 million km2 surface is under some true protective management. This picture appears even gloomier when one considers that most of the MPAs of unknown management are little more than wishful thinking of international agencies like the World Bank, United Nations organizations as well as national donors. The World Bank
Nonlinear versus Linear Deflection Analysis of Microcantilever

An important aspect in modeling and analysis of MEMS is related to decomposition of the problem to the usual O.D.E's and P.D.E's which are also used in macro scale mechanics. Whereas scaling-down of the macro devices might increase the nonlinearity. It is natural for one to ask the question: how much one could decrease the dimension of a device and still uses the linear form of differential equation for modeling that system? In this research, the difference of linear and nonlinear analysis of a baseline microcantilever which represents the fundamental element of a microstructure is theoretically investigated. This has applications in many MEMS devices like micro-sensors and micro-actuators. In the present work, a comparison in the deflection of a microcantilever subjected to point and distributed forces by nonlinear and linear analysis of the O.D.E's is carried out. Further, the results are compared with finite analysis performed in ANSYS. Another method of solving the O.D.E's is Taylor series expansion; the results of this method are compared by those resulting from the non-linear analysis. For better understanding of the difference between the results of the nonlinear analysis versus the linear analysis, the O.D.E for various initial conditions are solved and results are compared with the ones yielded by the nonlinear approach. Finally, the errors of the linear analysis in comparison with the nonlinear analysis are analyzed and relative error for various dimensions is presented.
Do Deficiencies of Endothelial Derived Relaxing Factor Contribute to Myocardial Stunning

Myocardial stunning is a phenomenon in which ventricular function is depressed by prior ischemia and remains suboptimal when blood flow is resumed. It is also characterized by coronary vascular endothelial dysfunction that is related to the duration of ischemia and can result in protein leakage, myocardial hemorrhage, or increased coronary vascular resistance. It is thought that local vascular tone is regulated by endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF), a compound commonly believed to be identical to nitric oxide (NO). EDRF increases the effects of other vasodilators through the formation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) by guanylate cyclase. Patients with various cardiovascular disorders have been found to have dysfunction in the EDRF system, and EDRF paradoxically produces vasoconstriction in atherosclerotic arteries. Similarly, EDRF stimulation of vasodilation due to acetylcholine, calcium ionophores, or platelets appears to be reduced in coronary arteries that have been damaged by ischemia and reperfusion. By increasing EDRF production or inhibiting its breakdown, EDRF precursors such as L-arginine, the superoxide radical scavenger superoxide dismutase, nitroglycerin, and nitroprusside all cause vasodilation by increasing NO levels in the setting of myocardial ischemia. These therapies may also improve local "microvascular" function, thereby improving ventricular function.
Pressure-flow relationships in the peripheral circulation of the dog with practolol.

SUMMARY 1. The influence of practolol (a proposed β1-adrenoreceptor antagonist) upon the pressure-flow relationships in the peripheral circulation was studied in eight anaesthetized dogs during right heart by-pass procedures. 2. Practolol (1 mg/kg) produced a significant increase in the resistance to venous return which resulted in a significant fall in venous return. 3. There was no significant change in arterial resistance. 4. This study suggests that practolol should not be classified as an exclusive cardioselective β-adrenoreceptor antagonist.
Examination of Cadmium(II) Complexation by the Suwannee River Fulvic Acid Using 113Cd NMR Relaxation Measurements

Aquatic and terrestrial fulvic acids are environmentally important because they affect the bioavailability and transport of metal ions. Prior studies demonstrated that Cd(II) binds to the oxygen co...
A pilot feasibility study of massage to reduce pain in people with spinal cord injury during acute rehabilitation.

To determine the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial of massage therapy for patients with a new spinal cord injury (SCI) during acute inpatient rehabilitation. A pilot single-center, randomized, single-blind, cross-over clinical trial. Free-standing, not-for-profit, comprehensive rehabilitation center specializing in SCI rehabilitation. Forty adults ages 18 years and older undergoing acute rehabilitation following an SCI reporting any type of pain. Rehabilitation nurses trained to give broad compression massage (BCM) and a control light contact touch (LCT) treatments. Participants were randomized to receive either BCM or LCT first, in six 20-min treatment sessions over 2 weeks, with a 1-week washout between the 2-week treatment periods. Primary outcomes were changes in pain intensity and in fatigue, measured daily. Secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire−9 (PHQ−9) and an assessment of pain medication usage. Pain intensity was higher at baseline and reduced more in the LCT-first group compared with the BCM-first group in period 1 (P=0.014), although this pattern was not found in period 2 (P=0.58). LCT and BCM groups did not significantly differ on any secondary measures except PHQ−9. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using rehabilitation nurses to provide tactile therapy to patients with an SCI and suggests a model for controlled clinical trials examining the efficacy of massage therapies. Although efficacy was difficult to assess, BCM was safe and well tolerated.
Growth of epitaxial Si 1-x Ge x layers at 750 °C by VLPCVD

Silicon-germanium epitaxial layers have been grown on (100) silicon at 750° C by very low pressure chemical vapor deposition (VLPCVD). Pure SiH4 and GeH4 were used as the processing gases. Commensurate films of Si1-x withx < 0.13 have been deposited up to a critical thickness about 2-4 times larger than the equilibrium value. Interrupted growth, controlled by gas switching, was employed to improve interfacial abruptness. The films have been characterized as a function of SiH4 and GeH4 flow rates and germanium content. Growth rate and germanium incorporation as a function of GeH4:SiH4 input ratio and total gas flow rate have been studied. We observed that the growth rate of the Si1-x Ge x layer decreases as the germanium content in the film or the GeH4:SiH4 ratio increases at 750° C using VLPCVD. We also found that, for a given GeH4:SiH4 ratio, the germanium incorporated in the solid is independent of the total gas flow rate.
Measurement of vapour pressures of Fenitrothion and Matacil

Abstract Vapour pressures of Fenitrothion and Matacil were measured using a gas saturation method. Polyurethane foam was used to trap the volatilized materials from sand and glass surfaces, and Porapak Q for trapping materials volatilized from leaf surfaces. The vapour pressures (VP) were linearly related to the reciprocal temperature by the equation: Log (VP) = 6.3362 − ( 3197.8 T ) for a sand incorporated with Fenitrothion and Log (VP) = 8.8316 − ( 4021.4 T ) for a sand incorporated with Matacil. The greatest vapour loss rates were from sand incorporated with fenitrothion, followed by vapour loss rates from glass surfaces; the least vapour loss rate was from leaf surfaces.
Nonlinear optics in photonics nanowires

Nonlinear optical processes benefit from high field intensities and long interaction lengths between light and the media within which it propagates. In bulk media, high optical intensities can be achieved by tightly focusing the light, but this leads to reduced interaction lengths, which usually results in no net efficiency increase. Waveguiding geometries, such as optical fibers, enable high optical intensities over extended interaction lengths as long as km’s, but dispersion and loss can act to cap the effective interaction length for nonlinear processes. Integrated, sub-micron silicon waveguides, on the other hand, have been shown to enable nonlinear processes at the chip scale due to the fact that their engineered dimensions increases the effective nonlinearity. Such waveguides, when compared to other Si and silica waveguides, offer exceptional confinement significantly below the wavelength of light due to the high index contrast between the Si core and the SiO2 cladding. As a result of the strong confinement and the large nonlinear refractive index of Si, the effective nonlinearity γSi ∼ 300 (W·cm)−1 of Si nanowaveguides is extremely high and is typically more than 4,000 times that of conventional optical fiber. Driven by the 3 orders of magnitude increased effective nonlinearity, silicon structures can now be envisioned to encompass complete optical-domain processing functionalities within a single integrated platform, with complexities that were simply unimaginable in prior material systems.
Hierarchical analysis of SUR models with extensions to correlated serial errors and time-varying parameter models☆

We consider the use of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to analyze hierarchical versions of Zellner's SUR model. In this context, the questions of Bayes estimation and model adequacy checking are considered. The approach is extended to SUR model with vector autoregressive and vector moving average errors of the first order. Finally, an efficient algorithm is developed to estimate a Markov time-varying parameter SUR model. The ideas are applied to both simulated and real data.