cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Current Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome

The goal of this paper is to review the current evidence on diagnosis and management of chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) of the lower leg. We sought to answer the question of whether recent research and innovations have demonstrated diagnostic alternatives or adjuncts to intramuscular compartment pressure testing and whether there are effective treatment options other than surgical fasciotomy. Research has shown promising outcomes with non-operative management including targeted alterations to running biomechanics. There is also research demonstrating efficacy in the use of botulinum injection as well as ultrasound-guided fascial fenestration and fasciotomy. Innovations in the diagnosis of CECS include the use of continuous compartment pressure monitoring during exercise as well as some early research on the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound and particular MRI protocols of the lower leg. Non-surgical management includes intervention to improve running biomechanics, botulinum toxin injection, and ultrasound-guided fasciotomy. Future research is needed on alternative diagnostic modalities including musculoskeletal ultrasound and exercise MRI protocols and on alternative management strategies including botulinum toxin injection and ultrasound-guided fascial fenestration or fasciotomy.
Sexual Pain Disorder

The assessment and treatment of sexual pain presents a daunting challenge and demands close collaboration between the behavioral health provider (BHP) and the medical treatment team. Some of the primary factors that contribute to the difficulty of assessing and treating sexual pain include confusion about what constitutes “sexual pain” (and what separates it from nonsexual pain, e.g., for those with ongoing pain in the area), the wide array of etiological factors that shape the course and presentation of the pain, and the paucity of empirically supported treatments (Binik et al., 2002; Van Lankveld et al., 2010). The purpose of this chapter is to serve as a guide for navigating assessment and treatment of sexual pain.
When standard genetic testing does not solve the mystery: a rare case of preimplantation genetic diagnosis for campomelic dysplasia in the setting of parental mosaicism.

Objective To report a rare case of somatic mosaicism with a germline component of campomelic dysplasia in a woman undergoing in vitro fertilization with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (IVF-PGD). Design Case report. Setting Clinic. Patient(s) A 28-year old G2P0110 and her 34-year old husband had two previous pregnancies complicated by fetal campomelic dysplasia with suspected germline mosaic mutation. The couple, both phenotypically normal, underwent IVF-PGD to reduce their chances of transmission. None of the embryos could initially be determined to be disease free, because all embryos shared either a maternal or a paternal short tandem repeat haplotype with the products of conception from her last pregnancy. Intervention(s) Peripheral-blood cytogenomic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray to identify the carrier of the mutation, and IVF-PGD to identify the disease-free embryo. Main Outcome Measure(s) Disease-free embryo. Result(s) Only one of the five euploid embryos was identified as disease free. Conclusion(s) A woman with suspected germline mosaicism for campomelic dysplasia was found to be a somatic mosaic with a germline component via a peripheral blood SNP microarray test. This identified her solitary disease-free embryo, which was transferred to her uterus but did not result in a viable pregnancy.
Hydration and health

Abstract Water is an often-forgotten and understudied nutrient although it composes 55%–80% of the human body and is involved in nearly all physiological processes. However, the literature has begun to shift from investigating hydration and athletic performance to how the process of fluid homeostasis is implicated in health and well-being. Hormonal and mechanical responses to underhydration may potentially be associated with several physiological systems including glucose regulation, kidney health, obesity, cardiovascular health, oxidative stress, cognition, and bladder cancer. Health outcomes related to these issues may occur when thirst is not even stimulated and therefore remains unnoticed by mildly underhydrated populations. Considering the potential health implications of maintaining fluid homeostasis, it is important to elucidate the mechanisms of these particular health-related outcomes.
Risk Parity Optimality Even with Negative Sharpe Ratio Assets

A stopped clock is right twice a day. Similarly, any portfolio allocation is likely to be optimal at least at some point. Risk parity is no stopped clock. The authors derive a general result regarding when and why risk parity is Sharpe ratio optimal, even with negative-Sharpe-ratio assets. This derivation goes beyond the simple observation that risk parity is Sharpe ratio optimal when asset correlations and Sharpe ratios are identical. Based on the analytical result, the authors develop an indicator to describe when risk-parity strategies are likely to be more or less optimal. They also explain how negative-Sharpe-ratio assets can still be an important part of a portfolio—whether it is a risk-parity portfolio or not. Although risk parity and risk balancing in general do not require assumptions about returns, the authors provide guidance regarding how to infer returns that are consistent with the portfolios built from targeting risk. TOPICS:Statistical methods, portfolio theory, portfolio construction Key Findings • Conditions that are generally sufficient for risk-parity portfolios to be Sharpe ratio optimal are provided, beyond the special case of identical cross-asset correlations and Sharpe ratios. From this, an indicator of how likely risk parity is to be Sharpe ratio optimal can be derived. • Based on diversification properties of assets, the generally sufficient conditions for risk-parity portfolios to be Sharpe ratio optimal explain why even negative-return assets can be included in a diversified portfolio. • A method is provided to translate risk targets into a rank ordering of asset returns. With an additional set of assumptions, these rank orderings can be translated into returns for a coherent set of risk targets, risks, and returns.
Evaluating lignin valorization via pyrolysis and vapor-phase hydrodeoxygenation for production of aromatics and alkenes

Lignin valorization to chemicals is an important component of creating economically viable biofuels production from lignocellulosic biomass. Any such strategy should aim at producing chemicals used at scales that can appropriately match lignin availability. Herein, a combined pyrolysis and low-pressure hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) process configuration is proposed to achieve total oxygen removal and obtain hydrocarbon (aromatic and alkene) products. This approach is tested for its robustness for lignin feedstocks obtained from a variety of sources and extracted using different procedures. The experimental results demonstrate that regardless of the lignin source, the HDO process using a MoO3 catalyst was able to funnel the complex mixture of pyrolysis vapors to mono-aromatics (17–29 C%), as well as alkenes and alkanes. The formation of char from lignin pyrolysis retains more than 50% of the feed carbon in the pyrolyzer, allowing only a portion of carbon to volatilize and be converted to products. A partial depolymerization technique is employed on one of the lignin samples prior to pyrolysis as an example of how the amount of char can be drastically reduced leading to an increased yield of aromatics (53–55 C%). Techno-economic analysis based on the experimental results suggest significant economic benefit of this strategy compared to using lignin as simply a boiler feed.
Phytoplankton composition in the subtropical coastal shelf environment of Cape Canaveral, Florida

The abundance and composition of the phytoplankton community off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida was examined from Fall 2013 to Summer 2015. The region is a shallow shelf environment. Water samples were collected quarterly at 24 sites from the surface and bottom of the water column; temperature and nutrient concentrations were determined. Photoautotrophic picoplanktonic prokaryotes (PPP) were consistently important in terms of numerical abundance and biomass throughout the study. Among the cyanobacteria, a surface bloom of the nitrogen-fixing filamentous species Trichodesmium was observed in Fall 2013. Dinoflagellates and diatoms were also major contributors to phytoplankton biomass. Many of the dominant dinoflagellates were mixotrophic or heterotrophic species. Nanoplanktonic eukaryotic algae were also periodically an important group in terms of biomass, such as prasinophytes (Chlorophyta). No consistent and reoccurring spatial patterns were observed, likely due to the dynamic water circulation in the open Cape Canaveral shelf environment. Depth-related differences in biomass were observed for dinoflagellates and diatoms. Dinoflagellate biomass was on average higher in surface samples, related to their motility. Conversely, diatom biomass was on average higher in bottom waters, reflecting the negative buoyancy of most species and the potential for re-suspension of cells from the sediment surface. The strong increase in the importance of PPP biomass observed in year 2 of the study may reflect the influence of high rainfall resulting from El Nino conditions on nutrient loads from regional land masses, as indicated by increases in phosphorus concentrations.
Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of adenine substituted nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) analogs

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) is an indispensable metabolic co-substrate and nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is an important Ca2+ releasing intracellular second messenger. Exploration of the NADP and NAADP interactome often requires the synthesis of NADP derivatives substituted on the adenosine nucleoside. The introduction of the 2'-phosphate of NADP makes the synthesis of substituted NADP derivatives difficult. We have employed recombinant human NAD kinase expressed in E. coli as an enzymatic reagent to convert readily available synthetic NAD derivatives to NADP analogs, which were subsequently transformed into NAADP derivatives using enzyme catalyzed pyridine base exchange. 8-Ethynyl-NADP, 8-ethynyl-NAADP and 5-N3-8-ethynyl-NAADP were synthesized starting from a protected 8-ethynyladenosine using a combination of chemical and enzymatic steps and the NAADP derivatives shown to be recognized by the sea urchin NAADP receptor at low concentration. Our methodology will enable researchers to produce mono- and bi-substituted NADP and NAADP analogs that can be applied in proteomic studies to identify NADP and NAADP binding proteins.
The complex relationship between estrogen and migraines: a scoping review

Migraines are a chronic disease for millions worldwide and have been hypothesized to be hormonally mediated due to their higher prevalence in females and menstrual associations. Estrogen has been commonly implicated in migraine pathogenesis, yet its exact role in the pathophysiology of migraines has yet to be fully understood. We conducted a scoping review of the literature regarding estrogen’s role in migraine pathogenesis and included 19 studies out of an initial 202 in the final review. Two independent reviewers screened and extracted data from included studies based on predetermined inclusions and exclusion criteria. The estrogen withdrawal hypothesis, discussed by 12 of the reviewed studies, is the most discussed theory about estrogen’s role in migraine physiology and describes the association of migraine onset with natural declines in estrogen levels, particularly when estrogen levels fall below 45–50 pg/mL after an extended period of priming. Additional findings suggest that women with a history of migraine have an increased sensitivity to physiologic fluctuations in estradiol levels. Several studies suggest that migraines are associated with menstruation. It appears that estrogen is very likely to play a key role in migraine pathogenesis, but seems to affect patients in different ways depending on their past medical history, age, and use of hormonal therapy. Further research is warranted to isolate the effects of estrogen in each unique patient population, and we believe that studies comparing menstruating women to postmenopausal women could help shed light in this area.
Fifty Years of Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment: A Personal History.

Background It has been 50 years since the first explorations of the physiology of cerebral ischemia by measuring cerebral blood flow (CBF), and 25 years since the approval of tissue plasminogen activator for treating acute ischemic stroke. My personal career began and matured during those eras. Here, I provide my perspective on the evolution of acute stroke research and treatment from 1971 to the present, with some in-depth discussion of the National Institutes of Neurologic Disease and Stroke (NINDS) tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) stroke trial and development of mobile stroke units. Summary Studies of CBF and metabolism in acute stroke patients revealed graded tissue injury that was dependent on the duration of ischemia. Subsequent animal research unraveled the biochemical cascade of events occurring at the cellular level after cerebral ischemia. After a decade of failed translation, the development of a relatively safe thrombolytic allowed us to achieve reperfusion and apply the lessons from earlier research to achieve positive clinical results. The successful conduct of the NINDS tPA stroke study coupled with positive outcomes from companion tPA studies around the world created the specialty of vascular neurology. This was followed by an avalanche of research in imaging, a focus on enhancing reperfusion through thrombectomy, and improving delivery of faster treatment culminating in mobile stroke units. Key Messages: The last half century has seen the birth and evolution of successful acute stroke treatment. More research is needed in developing new drugs and catheters to build on the advances we have already made with reperfusion and also in evolving our systems of care to get more patients treated more quickly in the prehospital setting. The history of stroke treatment over the last 50 years exemplifies that medical "science" is an evolving discipline worth an entire career's dedication. What was impossible 50 years ago is today's standard of care, what we claim as dogma today will be laughed at a decade from now, and what appears currently impossible will be tomorrow's realities.
Critical Reflection and Civic Discourse within and across the Alternative Food Movement

Born out of resistance to a faceless and essentially placeless food system, the alternative food movement has acquired a global reach. Now, in the early twenty-first century, the practice and politics of local food encompass everything from backyard (and front-yard) gardens, to national appellations, to calls for indigenous sovereignty. Organics are standardized, mass produced, and traded nationally and internationally. Fair trade products are familiar grocery store fare, their value represented by logos and their processes often dominated by multinationals. There are those who see these changes as evidence of the movement’s success. What was once an alternative vision has now moved into the mainstream, into popular (and global) awareness, bringing with it many enlightened values – care, ecology, sustainability, health, equity. There are others who see these changes as yet another demonstration of the power of market (or corporate) capitalism, its ability to commodify anything, underwrite neo-liberal policies, and reinforce the structures that gave rise to the original resistance. Frequently, opposing arguments (among practitioners, activists and academics) are as polarized and impassioned as the initial rhetoric that advocated ‘a turn toward the local’ and away from an industrial food system. But, there are problems with either/or thinking, with seeing the world only in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Not the least of these is the question of who gets to say – act on and enforce – what is and isn’t possible; who gets to decide what does or doesn’t matter. Stated a bit differently, such essentialist thinking can lead to a loss of critical insight into the behavioural and thought processes that play out in lived contexts as well as across the many levels of what hopefully will become a generative and socially just food system. Given the severity of the problems we face on this once blue-green planet and the essential nature of food to our survival, we really need to stop cleaving to simplistic images and attacking convenient straw men. We need to expand our thinking and our tool chest in ways that permit, no, I really mean continually enable, public discourse and engaged citizenship. We also need to learn how to listen. Alternative Food Networks: Knowledge, Practice and Politics is a bold step in this direction. From the outset, authors Goodman, DuPuis and Goodman explain that they want to steer a course between arguments of food system conventionalization and accounts celebrating the tenacity and virtuosity of the alternative vision. As they put it:
Dynamic Budget-Constrained Pricing in the Cloud

We introduce a new model of user-based dynamic pricing in which decisions occur in real time and are strongly influenced by the budget constraints of users. This model captures the fundamental operation of many electronic markets that are used for allocating resources. In particular, we focus on those used in data centers and cloud computing where pricing is often an internal mechanism used to efficiently allocate virtual machines. We study the allocative properties and dynamic stability of this pricing model under a standard framework of cloud computing systems which leads to highly degenerate systems of prices. We show that as the size of the system grows the user-based budget-constrained dynamic pricing mechanism converges to the standard Walrasian prices. However, for finite systems, the prices can be non-degenerate and the allocations unfair, with large groups of users receiving allocations significantly below their fair share. In addition, we show that improper choice of price update parameters can lead to significant instabilities in prices, which could be problematic in real cloud computing systems, by inducing system instabilities and allowing manipulations by users. We construct scaling rules for parameters that reduce these instabilities.
Metaprogramming with traits

In many domains, classes have highly regular internal structure. For example, so-called business objects often contain boilerplate code for mapping database fields to class members. The boilerplate code must be repeated per-field for every class, because existing mechanisms for constructing classes do not provide a way to capture and reuse such member-level structure. As a result, programmers often resort to ad hoc code generation. This paper presents a lightweight mechanism for specifying and reusing member-level structure in Java programs. The proposal is based on a modest extension to traits that we have termed trait-based metaprogramming. Although the semantics of the mechanism are straightforward, its type theory is difficult to reconcile with nominal subtyping. We achieve reconciliation by introducing a hybrid structural/nominal type system that extends Java's type system. The paper includes a formal calculus defined by translation to Featherweight Generic Java.
Robust Nonlinear Control Design: State-Space and Lyapunov Techniques

Presenting advances in the theory and design of robust nonlinear control systems, this volume identifies two potential sources of excessive control effort in Lyapunov design techniques and shows how such effort can be greatly reduced. Within the framework of Lyapunov design techniques the authors develop a variety of control design methods suitable for systems described by low-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations. There is an emphasis on global controller designs, that is designs for the entire region of model validity.
Reforming water supply in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire : mild reform in a turbulent environment

Compared with other urban water systems in West Africa, the water supply system in Abidjan performs very well. Documenting the recent history of that system, the authors try to answer three questions: What motivated reform in a system that was already performing well? How and why did the reform affect sector performance, and what additional changes might improve performance further? And what explains the relatively strong performance of Abidjan's water system? Is the success attributable primarily to an efficient contractual arrangement or more generally to Cote d'Ivoire's institutional environment? In a region plagued by political instability, Ivorian political institutions were remarkably stable for close to 40 years. In part, the success of the Ivorian model is the result of these institutions' stability and credibility. The single-party system in place at the time of reform might suggest that there were few restraints in place to prevent the government from behaving opportunistically. But several features of the institutional environment protected against such opportunism. Because of this, and because reform was based on a system already performing well, the contractual arrangement with a private operator proved exceptionally capable of adjusting even in the face of dramatic changes in the external environment. Institutional environments are not as favorable in other countries in the region, so similar contractual arrangements might be less successful elsewhere. Reform in Cote d'Ivoire was motivated primarily by a macroeconomic crisis, which reduced the resources available for public investment. Without either a sector crisis or a realignment of political forces, the will for reform was weak. Consequently, opportunities for improvement were missed and some problems remain. Among other ways in which the system could be improved: Splitting the water system into autonomous subsystems in different cities, and allowing bidding for investment contracts, would increase the chances of competition for investment, which does not currently exist.
Challenges in assessing transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in long-term-care facilities

In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 3.2 cases of tuberculosis (TB) per 100,000 persons in the United States.1 Although TB incidence has declined during the past several decades, the 2010 goal of < 1 case per 1,000,000 persons—as established in the national strategic plan for TB elimination—has yet to be achieved.2 Although persons aged ≥ 65 years accounted for only 14% of the population in 2012, this group represented 22% of reported cases of TB.3,4 An analysis of 1993–2008 cases reported in the United States showed that the rate of TB among elderly adults was as much as 30% higher than among younger adults.5 Even more striking are the disproportionate rates documented among those living in long-term-care facilities (LTCFs). Previous reports have estimated that adults aged ≥ 65 years residing in LTCFs may have between 4 and 50 times the risk of developing TB disease than elderly persons living in the community.5–7 As of April 2014, approximately 3.2 million workers were employed in LTCFs.8 The size of this occupational group will grow significantly in the coming years if LTCF resident populations increase as expected. Past estimates suggest the TB case rates are 3 times higher among LTCF workers compared with those working in any other job.9 Therefore, prevention and control of TB in LTCFs are essential to protect both the residents and employees in these settings. The goal of this article is to summarize findings of an LTCF TB outbreak investigation to highlight the unique challenges posed by Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in these settings.
Selective Regulation of N-Type Ca Channels by Different Combinations of G-Protein β/γ Subunits and RGS Proteins

We examined the effects of G-protein beta and gamma subunit heterodimers on human alpha(1B) (N-type) Ca channels expressed in HEK293 cells. All of the known beta subunits (beta1-beta5) produced voltage-dependent inhibition of alpha(1B) Ca channels, depending on the gamma subunit found in the heterodimer. beta1-beta4 subunits inhibited Ca channels when paired with gamma1-gamma3. However, beta5 subunits only produced inhibition when paired with gamma2. In contrast, heterodimers between beta5 subunits and RGS (regulators of G-protein signaling) proteins containing GGL domains did not produce inhibition of Ca channels. However, GGL domain-containing RGS proteins (e.g., RGS6 and RGS11) did block the ability of Gbeta5/gamma2 heterodimers to inhibit Ca channels. Because all of the G-protein beta subunits are found in the nervous system, we conclude that they may all potentially participate in Ca channel inhibition. The interaction of GGL-containing RGS proteins with Gbeta5gamma2 suggests a novel way in which Ca channels can be regulated.
Factors involved in encystment in the ciliate didinium nasutum

The results of the study of certain factors which affect encystment in Didinium nasutum indicate the following: Absence of food constitutes an adverse environmental condition which induces encystment in approximately 50 per cent of the didinia subjected to it, though the presence of a certain amount of food in the cell body is requisite for encystment. The prevention of encystment for 750 generations does not affect the percentage of didinia which encyst in the absence of food, and hence Didinium does not become progressively more disposed to encystment as generations pass. Conjugation does not affect the percentage of didinia which encyst in the absence of food. Metabolic by-products of Paramecium inhibit encystment to a striking degree when didinia are deprived of food in the presence of these products. Metabolic waste of Didinium markedly facilitates its encystment in the absence of food. Hay-infusion culture fluids of different ages have singularly diverse effects on the encystment of didinia in the absence of food; recently prepared infusions inhibit encystment; infusions four to six days old induce encystment in 90 to 100 per cent of the specimens, and infusions seven to fourteen days old, in approximately half of the specimens.
Sensor development programs at NASA Ames Research Center

Two sensor development programs being conducted at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory, NASA Ames Research Center are described, one in progress and the other being initiated. The ongoing program involves digital image velocimetry for velocity field measurements of time-dependent flows. The new program involves advanced acoustic sensors for wind tunnel applications.
Computational mereology: A study of part-of relations for multimedia indexing

How to index or retrieve multimedia objects is by no means obvious, because the computer can retrieve right multimedia material only if it reasons about its contents. We show that it is possible to write formal specifications of this reasoning process using set theory and mereology. We discuss the theoretical consequences of trying to use mereology and set theory for multimedia indexing and retrieval. We re-examine the roles of mereology and set theory in knowledge representation. We conclude that both commonsense set theories and mereologies should play the role of constraining databases of arbitrary multimedia objects, e.g. video clips. But although both should be viewed as database constraints, we argue that part-of hierarchies should be used to encode relatively permanent background knowledge, elsewhere names thereferential level, while member-of hierarchies should describe arbitrary multimedia records. We also propose a language and a set of axioms, SetNM, for natural mereologies with sets. A multimedia indexing system can then be viewed as a particular SetNM theory.
Consolidation and Cementation of Recent Sediments in the Atchafalaya Basin

Studying the chemical characteristics of Holocene sedimentary accumulations and some of the diagenetic products formed after deposition provides some clues to the history of shale beds and contributes to the understanding of the effects of overburden on compaction, dewatering, and increase in compressive strength with depth of burial. X-ray radiography was utilized extensively in examining core slabs from a fresh-water clay sequence in the Atchafalaya River Basin. From the radiographs, detailed diagenetic features such as cementation by secondary precipitated minerals, pyrite and carbonate replacement of organic fragments, and progressive formation of nodules were revealed. Selected samples were analyzed for various chemical and mineralogical constituents by means of differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, Kjeldahl method for total nitrogen and wet combustion for organic carbon. The results indicated the presence of various cementing agents. The diagenetic mineral accumulations consisted of CaCO 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , FeCO 3 , and Mg and Mn compounds of unknown nature and have contributed significantly to the observed strength increase with depth. The dewatering process, commonly attributed solely to compaction resulting from overburden, may also be brought about by a gradual replacement of the pore-water space by secondary mineral accumulation. Numerous processes are responsible for the initial mineral accumulations and chemical reactions, especially of soluble organic compounds.
The effects of low frequency, whole body vibration on rats: Prolonged training, predictability, incremental training, and taste conditioning

Five experiments were done on the effects of low frequency whole body vibration on rats. In Experiment I, it was found that vibration mediated escape learning throughout a 50-day period. Predictable vibration (Experiment II) and incremental training (Experiment III) were observed to produce less escape responding than random unpredictable vibration. In Experiments IV and V, taste conditioning was studied using vibration as an US. It was concluded that vibration is an aversive stimulus like shock which mediates escape conditioning but not taste conditioning.
Dispersive properties of electromagnetically induced transparency.

An atomic transition that has been made transparent by applying an additional electromagnetic field exhibits a rapidly varying refractive index with zero group velocity dispersion at line center. A 10-cm-long Pb vapor cell at an atom density of 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{15}$ atoms/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ and probed on its 283-nm resonance transition has a calculated optical delay of 83 ns [(c/${\mathit{V}}_{\mathit{G}}$)=250].
A mass spectrometry analysis of hard segment length distribution in polyurethanes

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry was utilized to determine the hard segment length distribution in poly(urea−urethane)s. Although hard segment length is expected to vary with water content in the initial formulations, the actual distribution is rather similar for all samples analyzed. A more detailed analysis, however, revealed that the principal difference is in the region corresponding to hard segments with greater than eight urea repeat units. This finding has implications for both in the origin of phase separation behavior and the mechanical performance of phase separated heterogeneous polymers. The similarity in hard segment distribution suggests that phase separation behavior in these polyurethane foams cannot be due solely to the orientational entropic contribution. The presence of these long hard segments, although not extensive (7% of the total number fraction), may contribute significantly to mechanical performance. MALDI also revealed the presence of side pr...
Dionysius Thrax Vs Marcus Varro

SUMMARYThis article critically assesses how Dionysius and Varro differ with respect to particular matters of linguistic theory and practice. It emphasizes the absence of declensions in Dionysius' Techne (and in subsequent Greek grammar), his inability to distinguish between derivation and inflection, and the confusion — both conceptual and descriptive — in his account of conjugation, all of which are topics that Varro addresses elegantly and with linguistic sophistication. Dionysius therefore compares unfavorably with Varro in these respects, and the author concludes, suggestively, that Varro is responsible for transforming the Alexandrian word-class system of grammar into the word-and-paradigm system that is the Roman ars grammatica.RESUMEL'article evalue d'un oeil critique les differences entre les ouvrages de Denys le Thrace et Varron a l'egard de la theorie et la pratique linguisti-ques. Il insiste sur l'absence d'un traitement des declinaisons dans le Techne (et, par consequent, dans la grammaire grecque) et l'incapacite chez Denys a distinguer entre la derivation et l'inflexion ainsi que la confusion — a la fois conceptuelle et descriptive — creee par son explication de la conjugai-son, le tout representant des sujets repris par Varron de facon elegante et avec une grande complexite linguistique. Donc, l'oeuvre de Denys differe grandement de celle de Varron a ce sujet et l'auteur de cet article conclue, de facon suggestive, que c'est Varron qui est responsable de la transforma-tion du celebre systeme grammatical alexandrin des classifications des mots en un systeme des mots et des paradigmes qui constituent l'ars grammatica de la tradition romaine.
A similarity solution of the Navier-Stokes equations with wall catalysis and slip for hypersonic, low Reynolds number flow over spheres

The slip conditions for a multicomponent mixture with diffusion, wall-catalyzed atom recombination and thermal radiation are derived. The more realistic multicomponent species slip conditions are shown to be necessary for accurate merged shock layer solutions on a sphere. These slip conditions are used in a first-order similarity solution of the Navier-Stokes equations with nonequilibrium chemistry for the merged shock layer. Results of this quick numerical solution are compared with a time dependent solution around the sphere and with measured arc jet results at low Reynolds numbers. The similarity solution, unlike the time dependent solution, shows smooth radial profiles of the pressure and smooth variations of velocity slip, skin friction, temperature slip and heat transfer around the body. The present first-order similarity solution is valid up to 25 deg from the stagnation point and takes less than 1% of the computer time to run a time dependent scheme. The smaller stand-off distance obtained from the similarity solution is supported by experimental data. The measured heat flux is closer to the similarity solution than the time dependent method at the stagnation point and shows the proper variation with circumferential angle up to at least 40 deg.
Health survey of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), Reared in Adriatic Cages from 2003 to 2006

Tuna, Thunnus spp. (Linnaeus, 1758), is the most valuable finfish aquaculture product currently recognized around the world, with two main methods of farming presently employed. The most common is the fattening process where fish are kept in captivity for 6-10 months ; a method in wide use in the Mediterranean, Australia, Mexico and Japan. In the Adriatic Sea however, smaller specimens are caught and reared for a longer period of time (up to 3 years), in order to gain 50-80 kg of weight for marketable sale. Differences in the rearing technology are implicated in the isolation of different pathogen groups, as well as the diseases’ etiology. Between 2003 and 2006, parasitological examination was done on newly caught tuna specimens, fish reared for one or two years, harvested tuna and occasional mortalities. Bacteriological examination assessed by the incubation of bacterial colonies on different media and API system, and diagnosis of β nodavirus by immunohistochemistry, was done only when fish suffered elevated mortalities. The total number of isolated parasite species was 23, composed mostly of didymozoid digeneans, and showing variable impact on general tuna health. Secondary bacterial infections were contracted seasonally caused by Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, to whom the highest losses were attributed during the spring epizootic outbreaks. During the study period, no nodavirus infections were diagnosed in fish suffering mortalities. Based on four years of findings, we argue that the major risk factor for the propagation of known and introduction of new pathogens in reared tuna is strongly related to the feeding methods employed. Imported frozen or fresh local baitfish represents a potential source of different pathogens, or if of poor quality, acts as a trigger for development of secondary bacterial diseases.
News stories relevance effects on eye-movements

Relevance is a fundamental concept in information retrieval. We consider relevance from the user's perspective and ask if the degree of relevance can be inferred from eye-tracking data and if it is related to the cognitive effort involved in relevance judgments. To this end we conducted a study, in which participants were asked to find information in screen-long text documents containing news stories. Each participant responded to fourteen trials consisting of an information question followed by three documents each at a different level of relevance (irrelevant, partially relevant, and relevant). The results indicate that relevant documents tended to be continuously read, while irrelevant documents tended to be scanned. In most cases, cognitive effort inferred from eye-tracking data was highest for partially relevant documents and lowest for irrelevant documents.
Evaluation of 1MDS electropositive microfilters for simultaneous recovery of multiple microbe classes from tap water

The 1MDS electropositive microfilter was designed specifically for virus capture and recovery from water, but its electrostatic properties raise the possibility that 1MDS filters can also effectively capture bacteria and parasites present in water samples. This filter is recommended by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for recovering human enteric viruses from water matrices through the Virus Adsorption-Elution (VIRADEL) technique. If bacteria and parasites can also be concentrated and recovered using 1MDS filters, this sampling technique would have greater utility and cost-effectiveness for microbial water quality testing. In this study, both 142-mm flat and 25.4-cm cartridge 1MDS filters (Cuno) were tested to determine their effectiveness for recovery of MS2 and phi X174 bacteriophage, Salmonella enterica (serovar Typhimurium), Bacillus globigii endospores, and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts from a tap water matrix. By amending the USEPA standard beef extract/glycine eluent with a surfactant (Tween 80) and dispersant (sodium polyphosphate) and varying the pH and temperature, multiple eluent conditions were compared in order to identify an optimum eluent for all organisms. While viruses, bacteria, and parasites are effectively retained by the 1MDS filter, elution efficiencies and associated recovery efficiencies varied for each organism.
Application of the Yoshida-Ruth Techniques to Implicit Integration and Multi-Map Explicit Integration

The full power of Yoshida's technique is exploited to produce an arbitrary order implicit symplectic integrator and multi-map explicit integrator. This implicit integrator uses a characteristic function involving the force term alone. Also we point out the usefulness of the plain Ruth algorithm in computing Taylor series map using the techniques first introduced by Berz in his 'COSY-INFINITY' code.
PALMAR‐DORSAL SKIN CONDUCTANCE DIFFERENCES DURING CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

The sweat gland-epidermis basis of the skin conductance response (SCR) was investigated in a study in which measurements were obtained from both the palmar and dorsal surfaces of the hand during classical conditioning. In a previous study using a long CS-UCS interval, it was found that the palmar measurements, representing mainly the sweat gland component, gave rise to larger anticipatory conditional responses. Under the conditions of the present study (CS-UCS interval =. 5 seconds) it was predicted on the basis of an adaptation theory that the epidermal component (dorsal measurement) would predominate and be equal to or greater than that of the sweat gland (palmar measurement). This prediction was confirmed.
A test of contemporary misconceptions in psychology

Abstract The purpose of this study was to construct and evaluate a contemporary misconception test based on popular myths in psychology. Misconceptions in psychology are commonplace, strongly held, and can be problematic for teaching accurate information. This study examined several predictors of misconceptions in eleven psychological topic areas. We also evaluated test construction by comparing statements worded as true versus false. Participants were 137 undergraduate students from two higher education institutions. On average, participants believed misconceptions to be partly true and partly false. There were significant differences in misconception levels between the 11 topic areas. Reported reading of news magazines predicted lower misconception scores. We found no difference between statements presented in true versus false formats. Internal consistency of the scale was high (α = .85). We conclude that students continue to believe many popular misconceptions and that identification and refutation of those misconceptions is necessary as part of the instructional process.
Stimulus control of a differentiated operant

Two pigeons were trained to strike different locations on a 10 in long panel of response keys in the presence of different intensities of white light. Generalization testing was undertaken during extinction by varying the intensity of light through intermediate values. Response distributions to intermediate stimulus values were bi-modal with modes at the response locations used in training. The size of each mode decreased as the test stimulus became more disparate from the appropriate training stimulus. No large rise in the strength of intermediate response categories was noted at intermediate values of the test stimuli.
Detection of the free amino-acids of plant cells by partition chromatography.

ACCORDING to the classical and perhaps most generally accepted theory of protein synthesis in plants the amino-acids are intermediates in a process which proceeds after the pattern first outlined by Emil Fischer in the well-known polypeptide theory. On other views the amino-acids are regarded rather as the products of protein hydrolysis and as the form in which soluble nitrogen may be stored and eventually mobilized when synthesis proceeds1. Whichever of these views is held, it is a commonplace that free amino-acids are widespread in plants and they are known to exist dissolved in the cell sap, to which they contribute part of the buffering properties which titration curves reveal. This is neither the place nor the occasion to give the number of free amino-acids which have been identified in plant materials.
Total finger ridge count and 45,X mosaicism (with and without Y chromosome).

We have observed that in patients with 45, X mosaicism without a Y chromosome, the influence of the 45, X cell line on the total finger ridge count (TFRC) may be pronounced enough to produet a markedly elevated count, whereas in patients with 45, X mosaicism with a Y, the TFRC may not be significantly increased. We have reviewed 21 of our cases of 45, X mosaicism (14 cases without Y and 7 cases with Y) in an attempt to test our observation. The TFRC of 14 cases of 45, X mosaicism without Y (mean of 167.3) is very significantly increased (P 0.05) from the 10 normal control males (mean of 138.4). These results have thus far confirmed our hypothesis. The finding of a high TFRC may also be used as a clinical indication of the existence of a 45, X cell line in a mosaic without a Y chromosome.
Water and its ions: mass action control of reaction rates in lipid-protein membranes.

Although the limited permeability of lipid-protein membranes such as those that contain the enzyme systems that carry out oxidative phosphorylation and photophosphorylation has been recognized for some time and although this fact has entered into projected explanations for certain functions of the membranes, the operation of this limit in directly controlling reaction rates seems not to have been considered as fully as it warranted. A novel point of view is required in thinking about reactions in these membranes because any reaction requiring or producing any of these normally ubiquitous constituents, in contrast to the situation in aqueous solution even on large enzyme complexes that may exist in the cytosol, must have a mechanism built into the membrane for providing or removing H 2 O, H + , and OH − . The limited permeability of the non-aqueous phase in the membranes interior requires this. Water and its ions are reactants in these systems. The non-aqueous environment allows the concentration of water and its ions to be controlled at a level much lower than the concentration in an aqueous solution. The non-aqueous membrane is the means of making the water concentration comparable to the concentration of the other reactants. It is proposed that the enzymes in lipid-protein membranes such as the mitochondrion are so arranged that water and its constituent ions are “handed on” from catalytic site to site and that the low amounts of these constituents can control the overall rate of O 2 consumption as is found in cytochrome oxidase in lipid vesicles.
Confirmation Testing and Preliminary Dynamic Measurements of a Journal Bearing Test Rig

Current modeling of the static and dynamic characteristics of fluid film bearings typically employs a single impedance matrix to represent the force transfer between a bearing and journal centerlines. A numerical method has been proposed that distributes the bearing impedances around the circumference of the fluid film to allow for more accurate modeling of higher order circumferential modes. In order for this method to be used with confidence, its results must first be validated. For this purpose, an experimental test method and apparatus capable of measuring these distributed bearing impedances has been developed. This paper will present the preliminary bearing displacement and pressure measurements collected from the journal bearing test apparatus and will compare these experimental results to those calculated numerically. Discrepancies between the data sets will be discussed and future steps will be outlined.© 2008 ASME