cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The increase in phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity in strawberry leaf disks and its correlation with flavonoid synthesis

Abstract Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity increased rapidly on exposure of leaf disks to light. The activity increase was necessary to permit the high rates of flavonoid synthesis in leaf disks and was correlated with the rates of synthesis of flavonoids. Although light stimulated the increase in PAL activity, the increase was not altered by short exposure to Red or Far-red light as was flavonoid synthesis.
Numerical Simulations of Supersonic Flow Over an Elliptic Section Projectile With Jet Interaction

Abstract : Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches were used to compute the supersonic flow fields and aerodynamic forces and moments on an elliptic projectile with jet interaction. Steady state numerical results have been obtained for the jet interaction problem at a supersonic Mach number, Mach = 4.0, and several angles of attack from 0 deg to 12 deg via Navier-Stokes computational techniques. The jet modeled in this problem is a supersonic helium jet exhausted into the free stream flow at a high pressure. Computed CFD results show the qualitative features and strong flow interaction between the jet and the free-stream flow. In general, very good agreement of the computed aerodynamic coefficients with the experimental data was achieved for all angles of attack investigated for the "jet-on" conditions. The results show the predictive capabilities of CFD techniques for supersonic flow over elliptic projectiles with jet interaction.
School-based intervention for the modification of excessive absenteeism†

Three procedures to modify excessive absenteeism were implemented by an elementary school principal and assessed with an across-subjects multiple baseline design. In one condition, the principal praised the child in the classroom for attending school. In a second and third condition, parents were contacted by telephone and either praised for their child's attendance or given disapproval for absences and prompts for future attendance. Results indicated that classroom intervention with the child produced a transitory increase in attendance. However, intervention with parents, both approval for attendance and disapproval for absences, produced sustained increases in attendance and parent-initiated contacts with the school. The data suggest that intervention with parents of elementary school children is more effective and efficient than direct intervention with the child in the modification of excessive school absences. School-based intervention strategies for early reduction of absenteeism may be important in the prevention of chronic truancy and of the necessity for extensive remediation.
Ordered and specific pattern of gene expression in neoplasia.

Abstract The present paper outlined the evidence for the specificity of the alterations observed in the neoplastic liver in terms of their ability to provide an integrated system of quantitative and qualitative discriminants that can clearly distinguish the neoplastic liver from the rapidly growing fetal, newborn, adult, or regenerating liver. This examination of the specificity of the imbalance of enzymes and metabolic pathways in hepatomas is based also on studies on the ordered nature of the biochemical pattern in hepatomas of different growth rates that has been documented in earlier publications. The evidence leads to the conclusion that in the model system of hepatomas of different growth rates and in a control system of rapidly growing differentiating and regenerating liver there is a biochemical pattern that is ordered and specific to neoplasia. The results examined in this paper deal with key enzymes and metabolic pathways in carbohydrate, pyrimidine, DNA and ornithine metabolism. Similar considerations should apply to other biological systems and control mechanisms. The application of the conceptual and experimental approaches of the molecular correlation concept to the cyclic AMP system is reported elsewhere.
Evaluation and role of rheological properties in sludge management

Rheological characterization of sludges represents one of the few examples of fundamentally derivable properties that has also been successfully related to actual sludge treatment processes. In understanding the relevance and utility of sludge rheology for practical applications, an historical perspective is of some initial value, and this paper summarizes previous developments in the rheological characterization of sludges and other non-Newtonian slurries, both from a theoretical and empirical perspective. In both cases, attention is brought to subtleties that must be considered if uniform and consistent rheological descriptions are to be obtained. Causes of the complex and variable rheological properties observed in sludges are then considered, with attention brought to particular aspects of upstream processes where some influence on sludge viscosity might be exerted. Finally, some practical aspects of rheometry are described. Recent research suggests that a variety of methods for sludge characterization and process optimization can be based on rheological measurements. Examples are presented that utilize both complex and relatively simplified technologies for this purpose, and some predictions are attempted of the probable directions for future developments. Internationally, approaches have differed and, while this diverse and competitive environment favors technological advances, the paper concludes by pointing out the need for consistency in rheological methods where fundamentally based parameters or regulatory concerns may be involved.
Influence of Organic Matter on the Estimation of Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Estimation of soil hydraulic properties by pedotransfer functions (PTFs) can be used in many applications. Some of existing PTFs estimate saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s ) of the soil, using organic matter (OM) content as one of the input variables. Several authors have shown an increase in K, with increasing OM content, a soil property that presumably improves soil structure. We used three popular PTFs to examine the relationship between OM content and K,. We also used data originating from the U.S., Hungary, and the European HYPRES database, to develop additional PTFs with the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH). It appears that existing PTFs negatively correlate K, with OM content for some soils. We found indications of negative relationship between OM content and K, with the newly developed PTFs both for directly estimated K s , and for K s estimated via the effective porosity of the soil, using a generalized Kozeny-Carman approach. It is not straightforward to define the exact range of soils with the inverse relationship between OM and K,. The range appeared to be data set dependent, but it was extensive within the valid input range of each PTF.
Peripheral nerve sheath tumors: An electron microscopic study of 43 cases

To obtain data concerning their histogenesis, 23 benign solitary schwannomas (including five cellular variants), 10 neurofibromas, and 10 malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors were studied by electron microscopy. The results confirm previous findings that solitary schwannomas (so-called neurilemomas) are composed principally of cells showing features of differentiated Schwann cells. The principal cells of neurofibromas on the other hand did not resemble differentiated Schwann cells. The predominant cell type in six cases was indistinguishable from normal perineurial cells. Schwann cell-axon complexes seen in three cases may have represented entrapped normal structures or perhaps one component of a hamartomatous tumor. In contrast to the benign neoplasms the cells of the ten malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors were in general poorly differentiated. When differentiated, they shared some features with Schwann and perineurial cells. Cell forms intermediate between them and fibroblastic cells were also identified. These findings indicate that schwannoma and neurofibroma are distinct entities. In the authors' experience schwannomas rarely undergo malignant change. For this reason and because it is unclear whether malignant tumors of peripheral nerves arise from more than one sheath cell, the designation of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) is preferable to malignant schwannoma.
Inhibition of production of macrophage-derived angiogenic activity by the anti-rheumatic agents gold sodium thiomalate and auranofin

We have investigated the effect of gold sodium thiomalate and auranofin, gold compounds employed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, on production of macrophage-derived angiogenic activity. Elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages were cultured in the presence or absence of gold compounds or thiomalic acid, and the macrophages or their conditioned media were then assayed for their angiogenic activity in rat corneas. Control macrophage conditioned medium was potently angiogenic. In contrast, conditioned medium from gold or thiomalic acid treated macrophages was not. Addition of gold compounds or thiomalic acid to control macrophage conditioned medium did not inhibit its angiogenic activity. Drug treatments did not significantly affect macrophage lactate dehydrogenase release, lysozyme release, or protein synthesis. We conclude that gold sodium thiomalate and auranofin potently reduce the detectable angiogenic activity produced by macrophages.
Comparison of cannulated screws with FiberWire or stainless steel wire for patella fracture fixation: A pilot study.

Purpose This pilot study tested whether FiberWire provides similar protection to steel wire against repair displacement in patella fractures.
CranialVault and its CRAVE tools: a clinical computer assistance system for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy

A number of methods have been developed to assist surgeons at various stages of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy. These include construction of anatomical atlases, functional databases, and electrophysiological atlases and maps. But, a complete system that can be integrated into the clinical workflow has not been developed. In this paper we present a system designed to assist physicians in pre-operative target planning, intra-operative target refinement and implantation, and post-operative DBS lead programming. The purpose of this system is to centralize the data acquired a the various stages of the procedure, reduce the amount of time needed at each stage of the therapy, and maximize the efficiency of the entire process. The system consists of a central repository (CranialVault), of a suite of software modules called CRAnialVault Explorer (CRAVE) that permit data entry and data visualization at each stage of the therapy, and of a series of algorithms that permit the automatic processing of the data. The central repository contains image data for more than 400 patients with the related pre-operative plans and position of the final implants and about 10,550 electrophysiological data points (micro-electrode recordings or responses to stimulations) recorded from 222 of these patients. The system has reached the stage of a clinical prototype that is being evaluated clinically at our institution. A preliminary quantitative validation of the planning component of the system performed on 80 patients who underwent the procedure between January 2009 and December 2009 shows that the system provides both timely and valuable information.
The effects of temperature and inter-individual variation on the locomotor performance of juvenile turtles.

The effects of temperature on aquatic and terrestrial locomotor performance, including measures of burst speed, endurance, and righting response, the inter-individual correlation between measures of locomotor performance, and the temporal repeatability of performance were assessed in juvenile western painted turtles, Chrysemys picta bellii. Locomotor performance increased as temperature increased, with Q 10 values ranging from 1.33 to 1.98 for burst speed and 2.28 to 2.76 for endurance measures. Righting response performance also increased with temperature. Aquatic and terrestrial measures of locomotor performance were highly correlated; however, righting response was not correlated with any other measure of performance. Measures of terrestrial locomotor performance were highly repeatable over the entire 30-week study period, whereas aquatic locomotor performance was only repeatable through week 12. The righting response was repeatable over a 6-week study period. Both the interindividual variation and temperature effects on locomotor performance likely influences the survival of turtles, especially juveniles, by affecting the length of time turtles are exposed to potential predators and their ability to escape.
Transsexual limb transplants in fiddler crabs and expression of novel sensory capabilities.

We used transsexual limb transplants in fiddler crabs to examine how peripheral sensory structures interact with the central nervous system (CNS) to produce a sexually dimorphic behavior. Female and male chemosensory feeding claws were transplanted onto male hosts in place of nonfeeding, nonchemosensory claws. Successfully transplanted claws retain donor morphologies and contain chemosensory neurons. Neurons in successfully transplanted female feeding claws express the enhanced sensitivity to chemical cues seen in female, but not male, neurons in claws of normal animals. When chemically stimulated, the transplanted claws evoke feeding behavior not observed in normal males, even though the sensory neurons in the transplanted limb project to the host’s sexually dimorphic neuropil not known to receive chemosensory input. Behavioral sensitivity is directly related to the sensitivity of peripheral neurons in the transplanted feeding claw. Thus, the interactions between peripheral neurons and their targets may restructure the CNS so that novel sensory capabilities are expressed, and this can produce sexually dimorphic behaviors. J. Comp. Neurol. 440:311‐320, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Indexing terms: sexual dimorphism; limb transplants; fiddler crabs; sensory capabilities; neuronal plasticity
Kersey–Kuner terrace investigations at the Dent and Bernhardt sites, Colorado

The Dent site provided the first association of fluted points with mammoth bones in the New World. However, the stratigraphic integrity of the site has remained in doubt since the original excavations in 1932 and 1933. Core sampling at the Dent Clovis site indicates that the site, on Kersey terrace gravel, extends under railroad tracks adjacent to the original area of excavation. Four hundred meters south the Kuner strath terrace has been exposed by a roadcut at the Bernhardt site. An Archaic hearth dated 4030 ± 60 B.P. is near the top of a 1-m-thick eolian sand overlying 1 m of fine-grained alluvium dated 5740 ± 60 B.P., which in turn overlies sand and gravel of the Kuner strath terrace with an AMS radiocarbon age of 10,105 ± 90 B.P. The South Platte River appears to have been quasistable at the Kuner level during the Younger Dryas when Paleoindians from Clovis to Cody hunted megafauna on the Kersey terrace. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Copy-Years Viremia as a Measure of Cumulative Human Immunodeficiency Virus Viral Burden

Plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) viral load is a valuable tool for HIV research and clinical care but is often used in a noncumulative manner. The authors developed copy-years viremia as a measure of cumulative plasma HIV-1 viral load exposure among 297 HIV seroconverters from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (1984–1996). Men were followed from seroconversion to incident acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), death, or the beginning of the combination antiretroviral therapy era (January 1, 1996); the median duration of follow-up was 4.6 years (interquartile range (IQR), 2.7–6.5). The median viral load and level of copy-years viremia over 2,281 semiannual follow-up assessments were 29,628 copies/mL (IQR, 8,547–80,210) and 63,659 copies × years/mL (IQR, 15,935–180,341). A total of 127 men developed AIDS or died, and 170 survived AIDS-free and were censored on January 1, 1996, or lost to follow-up. Rank correlations between copy-years viremia and other measures of viral load were 0.56–0.87. Each log10 increase in copy-years viremia was associated with a 1.70-fold increased hazard (95% confidence interval: 0.94, 3.07) of AIDS or death, independently of infection duration, age, race, CD4 cell count, set-point, peak viral load, or most recent viral load. Copy-years viremia, a novel measure of cumulative viral burden, may provide prognostic information beyond traditional single measures of viremia.
Strategic, value-based delivery in global health care: innovations at Harvard University and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Investments in global health have more than doubled over the past decade, generating a cadre of new institutions. To date, most of the funded research in global health has focused on discovery, and, more recently, on the development of new tools, which has tightened the implementation bottleneck. This article introduces the concept of global health delivery and the need to catalog and analyze current implementation efforts to bridge gaps in delivery. Global health delivery is complex and context-dependent and requires an interdisciplinary effort, including the application of strategic principles. Furthermore, delivery is necessary to ensure that the investments in research, discovery, and development generate value for patients and populations. This article discusses the application of value-based delivery to global health. It provides some examples of approaches to aggregating implicit knowledge to inform practice. With global health delivery, the aim is to transform global health scale-up from a series of well-intentioned but often disconnected efforts to a value-based movement based upon 21st-century technology, standards, and efficiency. Mt Sinai J Med 78:458–469, 2011 © 2011 Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Adaptation at Specific Loci. III. Field Behavior and Survivorship Differences among Colias Pgi Genotypes Are Predictable from IN VITRO Biochemistry.

Previous work on the phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) polymorphism of Colias butterflies led to predictions concerning aspects of differential survivorship and fecundity among the polymorphic genotypes in the wild. Explicit assumptions underlying these predictions were that functional differences among genotypes at the in vitro biochemical level reflected roughly corresponding differences in vivo, and that the interaction of such differences with the thermal dependence of flight capacity was correctly understood. All those predictions tested were confirmed. We now report experimental designs for testing three more of these predictions. They concern both differential survivorship and the flight activity component of differential fecundity. We find, as predicted: (1) certain heterozygotes, kinetically most effective at low temperature, begin flight earlier in the day than do other genotypes (six replicates); (2) among the three most common genotypes, the order of kinetic effectiveness, i.e., 3/4 > 3/3 >> 4/4, is reflected in asymmetric order of heterotic advantage, 3/4 > 3/3 >> 4/4, in time of flight initiation, breadth of flight time and/or overall flight density through the day (six replicates); (3) under high temperature stress, the usual survivorship advantage of kinetically favored genotypes is reversed, and the three most thermally stable genotypes show better survivorship.——These results strengthen further the case for direct natural selection on this locus. Implications for population sampling practices, for studies of the adaptive organization of metabolism, and for studies of the interaction of genetic variation with patterns of environmental variability are discussed.
Interferons and Their Clinical Value

Interferons were discovered from their antiviral effects. It is now known that they are the products of families of genes found in many vertebrate species and that they bind to cell surfaces and produce a range of effects, varying from an antiviral state to increased expression of tissue transplantation antigens, decreased cell division, and modified immune responses, among others. Interferons are induced by exposure to viruses and double-stranded RNA, and one class, gamma interferon, is a lymphokine produced after a mitogenic or antigenic stimulus. The genes for human alpha, beta, and gamma interferons have been cloned and sequenced, and some have been expressed. When given parenterally to humans, interferons cause signs and symptoms such as fever, tachycardia, and malaise, and they may well be responsible for symptoms of this sort in viral infections. Preparations of natural and recombinant alpha interferon have been shown to be active in prophylaxis and treatment of certain viral infections.
Super Hydrophobic Parylene-C Produced by Consecutive ${\rm O}_{2}$ and ${\rm SF}_{6}$ Plasma Treatment

The wetting behavior of polymeric biomaterials is of great importance for biomedical research and pharmaceutical applications. Tailoring of polymer surface wettability is particularly effective to address biomedical issues such as biofouling control and biocompatibility improvement. In this paper, we conducted comprehensive experiments and analytical modeling to understand the effects of a consecutive- ${\rm O}_{2}{\hbox{-}}{\rm SF}_{6}$ plasma treatment on the super hydrophobicity of parylene-C. Experimentally, super hydrophobic parylene-C surfaces with a maximum water contact angle of ${\sim}{169}^{\circ}$ have been successfully achieved. Atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results strongly suggest that the modification of surface wettability can be attributed to the variation in surface roughness and the plasma-induced surface chemistry. Analytically, a transition of droplet status from the Wenzel state to the Cassie state on hydrophobic parylene-C surfaces has been demonstrated after sufficient roughening by ${\rm O}_{2}$ plasma pre-treatment. The surface morphology of plasma-treated parylene-C films has also been analyzed and the hexagonal-close-packed model of downward crowns shows the best agreement with experimental results. Our simple and time-efficient treatment eliminates the need for creating well-defined patterns, is completely compatible with conventional microfabrication techniques, and can also be applied to curved parylene surfaces. $\hfill[2013{\hbox{-}}0144]$
Surgically corrected urethral diverticula: long-term voiding dysfunction and reoperation rates.

OBJECTIVES To present the largest reported cohort of women with urethral diverticula and to evaluate the surgical outcomes and long-term voiding symptoms after urethral diverticulectomy. Studies evaluating the outcomes after urethral diverticulectomy have been limited by small patient numbers and short-term follow-up. METHODS Women who had undergone diverticulectomy at our institution from 1996 to 2008 were mailed surveys. Urinary bother was assessed using the Urogenital Distress Inventory 6-item questionnaire, and patients were asked to report subsequent urethral or vaginal surgery and the number of urinary tract infections within the previous year. To determine the rate of surgical recurrence, the charts of women not responding to the survey were reviewed. RESULTS A total of 122 women were identified as having undergone urethral diverticulectomy during the study period. Of these, 13 (10.7%) had an eventual recurrence that required repeat surgical excision. Patients with a proximal diverticulum, multiple diverticula, or previous pelvic or vaginal surgery (excluding previous diverticulectomy) were more likely to develop recurrence (P = .01, P = .03, and P < .001, respectively). For the 61 women (50%) responding to our survey, the mean follow-up was 50.4 months. Of these 61 women, 24 (39.3%) had had a urinary tract infection within the previous year, with 14 (23%) women having had ≥3 within the previous year. Also, 16 (26.2%) had persistent pain or discomfort with urination. The mean ± SD total Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 score was 31.1 ± 25.5 for the survey responders. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, our study represents the largest study with the longest follow-up after urethral diverticulectomy. Patients with proximal or multiple diverticula and those with previous pelvic surgery should be counseled appropriately regarding the risks of recurrence and persistent voiding dysfunction.
70 nm lensless diffractive microscopy using tabletop soft x-ray sources

We use curvature correction and high-numerical-aperture imaging to demonstrate a soft-X-ray diffraction microscope with 70-90 nm resolution using two tabletop coherent sources. This near-diffraction-limited resolution of 1.5lambda is a first for X-ray diffractive imaging.
Boundary estimation from intensity/color images with algebraic curve models

A concept and algorithm are presented for non-iterative robust estimation of piecewise smooth curves of maximal edge strength in small image windows-typically 8/spl times/8 to 32/spl times/32. This boundary-estimation algorithm has the nice properties that it uses all the data in the window and thus can find locally weak boundaries embedded in noise or texture and boundaries when there are more than two regions to be segmented in a window; it does not require step edges-but handles ramp edges well. The curve-estimates found are among the level sets of a dth degree polynomial fit to "suitable" weightings of the image gradient vector at each pixel in the image window. Since the polynomial fitting is linear least squares, the computation to this point is very fast. Level sets then chosen to be appropriate boundary curves are those having the highest differences in average gray level in regions to either side. This computation is also fast. The boundary curves and segmented regions found are suitable for all purposes but especially for indexing using algebraic curve invariants in this form.
Anthocyanins of Asparagus

SUMMARY— Four anthocyanin pigments were isolated from asparagus spears, Asparagus officinalis L., and identified by chromatographic, spectral, and chemical properties. The major pigment was a linear triglycoside, cyanidin-3-rhamnosylgluco-sylglucoside, followed by cyanidin-3-rhamnosylglucoside. The peonidin analogues of the above pigments were also present in minor quantities.
Low-Intensity picosecond fluorescence kinetics and excitation dynamics in barley chloroplasts

The fluorescence decays of barley chloroplasts have been measured by single-photon counting with tunable picosecond dye laser excitation. The fluorescence decays of dark-adapted chloroplasts are best fitted to a sum of three exponential lifetime components with 1e lifetimes of 112, 380 and 2214 ps. The relative magnitude of each component is shown to be dependent on the excitation wavelength and collected emission wavelength. The excitation wavelength dependence is correlated with the Photosystem (PS) I and PS II action study of Ried [36] and with the measured pigment distributions in the photosynthetic unit [37,41]. Experiments varying the single excitation pulse intensity from 108 to 1012 photons/cm2 pulse show that our results are not distorted by singlet-singlet annihilation. Unflowed samples where the cloroplasts are under constant illumination show 2-fold increases in quantum yield of fluorescence primarily in the two longer 1e lifetime components. Theoretical calculations of Shipman [31] on an isolated reaction center with a homogeneous antenna are discussed and the principles extended to discussion of the measured barley chloroplast fluorescence decay components in terms of photosynthetic unit light-harvesting array models and earlier experimental work. Our data support a photosynthetic unit model in which 70–90% of the photons absorbed are quenched by either PS I or efficiently quenching PS II in a process where the fluorescence lifetime is 100 ps. The origin of the intermediate 380 ps. component is probably due to excitation transfer to a PS II reaction center in a redox state which quenches less efficiently.
A new role for BiP: closing the aqueous translocon pore during protein integration into the ER membrane.

In mammalian cells, most membrane proteins are inserted cotranslationally into the ER membrane at sites termed translocons. Although each translocon forms an aqueous pore, the permeability barrier of the membrane is maintained during integration, even when the otherwise tight ribosome–translocon seal is opened to allow the cytoplasmic domain of a nascent protein to enter the cytosol. To identify the mechanism by which membrane integrity is preserved, nascent chain exposure to each side of the membrane was determined at different stages of integration by collisional quenching of a fluorescent probe in the nascent chain. Comparing integration intermediates prepared with intact, empty, or BiP-loaded microsomes revealed that the lumenal end of the translocon pore is closed by BiP in an ATP-dependent process before the opening of the cytoplasmic ribosome–translocon seal during integration. This BiP function is distinct from its previously identified role in closing ribosome-free, empty translocons because of the presence of the ribosome at the translocon and the nascent membrane protein that extends through the translocon pore and into the lumen during integration. Therefore, BiP is a key component in a sophisticated mechanism that selectively closes the lumenal end of some, but not all, translocons occupied by a nascent chain. By using collisional quenchers of different sizes, the large internal diameter of the ribosome-bound aqueous translocon pore was found to contract when BiP was required to seal the pore during integration. Therefore, closure of the pore involves substantial conformational changes in the translocon that are coupled to a complex sequence of structural rearrangements on both sides of the ER membrane involving the ribosome and BiP.
Too old for school? Barriers nurses can overcome when returning to school.

ABSTRACT Nurses may face a number of perceived barriers, such as geographical location, time, and cost, when deciding to return to school for additional education. Viable solutions to overcome these barriers include distance education, effective time management, and tuition assistance programs. AORN J 89 (February 2009) 335–345. © AORN, Inc, 2009.
In Search of the Present State of Buddhism in Japan

RECENT years have seen mounting evidence of the decline of vitality and prestige in older (i.e., "traditional," "established," or "sectarian") Buddhism in Japan. Studies have appeared ranging from attitude surveys by a government ministry and full-scale sociological studies by Japanese and Western scholars to reports on student views in Buddhist universities. Studies of the last type may be summarized as follows to provide a succinct indication though by no means a full representation of the current crisis within traditional Buddhism in Japan:
Feed Gate Adaptation of a Spinner Spreader for Uniformity Control

Variable rate application of fertilisers with traditional spinner-type spreaders is known to suffer from spread pattern uniformity variability as a function of application rate. To demonstrate this variability, simulations using models from the literature were carried out for two cases: (1) a dual disc spreader with segment-type feed gates; and (2) a single disc spreader with conical feed gates. Simulations for the dual disc spreader showed that for higher application rates the pattern becomes 'M'-shaped, whereas for a single disc spreader the pattern becomes skewed, even though the pattern for low rates was near-Gaussian shaped in both cases. In this research, an attempt to eliminate the uniformity variability was made, by developing a feed gate control method based on an optical feedback sensor. Simulations showed that the feed gate method is capable of producing high-quality patterns for any given application rate, in both cases, the dual disc spreader with segment-type feed gates, as well as the worst-case scenario being the single disc spreader with conical feed gates. The performance of the feed gate control method was assessed using data collected from a single disc Lowery 300 spreader. Although the original, uncontrolled pattern of this spreader was of low quality, the adaptive gate control algorithm was capable of producing acceptable patterns around the flow rate of 0·2 kg/s.
Uroguanylin: structure and activity of a second endogenous peptide that stimulates intestinal guanylate cyclase

Abstract The intestinal hormone guanylin and bacterial heat-stable enterotoxins (STs) are members of a peptide family that activates intestinal membrane guanylate cyclase. Two different peptides that activate the human intestinal T84 cell guanylate cyclase have been purified from urine and intestinal mucosa of opossums (Didelphis virginiana). The highly acidic peptide, QEDCELCINVACTGC, was named uroguanylin because it was isolated from urine and shares 53% identity with guanylin. A second peptide, SHTCEICAFAACAGC, was purified from urine and intestinal mucosa. This alanine-rich peptide was 47% identical to uroguanylin and 73% identical to human guanylin, suggesting that it may be an opossum homologue of guanylin. Synthetic uroguanylin-(2-15) (i.e., EDCELCINVACTGC) was 10-fold more potent than synthetic rat guanylin, but both peptides were less potent than Escherichia coli ST in the T84 cell cGMP bioassay. Uroguanylin-(2-15) and guanylin inhibited 125I-ST binding to T84 cell receptors in competitive radioligand binding assays. Transepithelial Cl- secretion was stimulated by 1 microM uroguanylin, indicated by an increase in the short circuit current of T84 cells. Thus, uroguanylin is another paracrine hormone in the emerging peptide family that activates intestinal membrane guanylate cyclase. The second peptide may be the opossum form of guanylin, or perhaps, it is still another member of this peptide family. The presence of uroguanylin and guanylin in urine and receptors in proximal tubules suggests that these peptides may also originate from renal tissue and may regulate kidney function.
A Fast Content-Based Data Distribution Infrastructure

We present Sieve – an infrastructure for fast content-based data distribution to interested users. The ability of Sieve to filter and forward high-bandwidth data streams stems from its distributed pipelined architecture. The complex message filtering task is broken-up into a sequence of light-weight filtering components resulting in high end-to-end throughput. Furthermore, since each component is assigned to a node based on its resource constraints, the queue buildup inside the nodes is minimal resulting in low end-to-end latency. Our experimental results based on real system implementation show that Sieve can sustain a throughput of more than 5000 messages per second for 100000 subscriptions with predicates of 10 attributes.
Costs of implementing a tuberculosis control plan: a complete education module that uses a train-the-trainer concept.

Background : Tuberculosis once was thought to be nearly eradicated, but there was a 14% increase in cases of tuberculosis between 1985 and 1993, although decreases were observed in both 1994 and 1995. To reduce spread of this disease, health care workers must be familiar with tuberculosis, its signs, symptoms, and modes of transmission. In October 1994 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued "Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health Care Facilities." The combination of persistently high tuberculosis case rates, the development of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement has mandated large-scale training in health care facilities. Methods : A tuberculosis control plan was developed and the train-the-trainer concept was selected after review of the hospital's tuberculosis risk assessment, staff members requiring training, and available teaching staff. The training program that was developed included tuberculosis pathology and transmission, national and local epidemiology, placement and evaluation of skin tests, and an algorithm to assist in determining when isolation is indicated. Results : One hundred forty-six trainers were trained in 4 days. During the next quarter, 66% (1989/3000) of staff members requiring instruction were trained. The total cost involved in development and training was approximately $26,000 and involved 1600 person-hours. Conclusion : Tuberculosis training should be directed toward high-risk areas, including intensive care units, emergency departments, and acute medicine wards. Large-scale training is time-consuming and expensive. Evaluation remains difficult. To facilitate compliance, pretest and posttest results should be provided, linked to Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance and quality indicators for the hospital.
Anisotropic yield function of hexagonal materials taking into account texture development and anisotropic hardening

Because of twinning and texture evolution, the yield surface for hexagonal close-packed (hcp) metals significantly changes its shape with accumulated plastic deformation. Traditional hardening laws cannot accurately model these phenomena. In this paper, an anisotropic model that captures the influence of evolving texture on the plastic response of hcp metals is proposed. Initial yielding is described using a recently developed analytical yield function that accounts for both anisotropy and strength differential effects. To describe the change of the shape of the yield surface during monotonic loading, the evolution of the anisotropic coefficients involved in the expression of the yield function is considered. The evolution laws for the anisotropic coefficients are obtained based on experimental data and crystal plasticity theory, together with a macroscopic-scale interpolation technique. This approach is further applied to the description of the mechanical behavior of high-purity zirconium at room temperature. Validation of the proposed model is provided by applying it to the simulation of the three-dimensional deformation of a beam subjected to four-point bending along different directions with respect to the hard-to-deform AEcae-axis predominant orientation of the material. Comparison between predicted and measured macroscopic strain fields and beam sections shows that the proposed model describes very well the difference in response between the tensile and compressive fibers and the shift of the neutral axis.
Visualization of the Conventional Outflow Pathway in the Living Human Eye

Purpose We sought to visualize the aqueous outflow system in 3 dimensions (3D) in living human eyes, and to investigate the use of commercially available spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic (SD-OCT) systems for this purpose. Design Prospective, observational study. Participants One randomly determined eye in each of 6 normal healthy subjects was included. Testing We performed 3D SD-OCT imaging of the aqueous humor outflow structures with 2 devices: The Cirrus HD-OCT and the Bioptigen SDOIS. Main Outcome Measures We created 3D virtual castings of Schlemm's canal (SC) and more distal outflow structures from scan data from each device. Results Virtual casting of the SC provided visualization of more aqueous vessels branching from SC than could be located by interrogating the 2-dimensional (2D) image stack. Similarly, virtual casting of distal structures allowed visualization of large and small aqueous outflow channel networks that could not be appreciated with conventional 2D visualization. Conclusions The outflow pathways from SC to the superficial vasculature can be identified and tracked in living human eyes using commercially available SD-OCT. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
A Path Made of Words: The Journalistic Construction of the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail was built with mostly volunteer labor during the years 1921 to 1937. As conceived by forester, regional planner, and writer Benton MacKaye, it was to have included ambitious social projects, such as cooperative farms and residence camps. Instead, it became a weekend tramping ground for middle-class recreationists from nearby eastern cities. Newspaper journalists led by Raymond Torrey of the New York Evening Post rallied the hiking community and helped negotiate the trail's two-thousand-mile route across public and private land. This article argues that the path was “made of words,” in the sense that journalists projected multiple meanings on the landscape to motivate volunteers and, when necessary, to win government cooperation assuring its completion. Debate over the trail became a staging area for the wilderness movement, demonstrating the malleability inherent in landscapes that are journalistically constructed.
The forensic significance of the correlation of density and refractive index in glass evidence

Abstract The high correlation of density and refractive index has tended to obscure certain aspects of the interpretation of glass evidence. The fundamental relationship of the two properties are examined here from the standpoint of composition and heart treatment, and considerations which may lead to conceptual errors in the interpretation of provenance are identified. An argument is presented for the necessity of an absolute determination of both refractive index and density for the proper forensic interpretation of glass evidence data. By doing so, the analysis may be extended to the constrained limits set by within-item variation.
Trying to adhere to the ADA: understanding “mental disability” in hiring personnel

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has done a great deal to address the problem of discrimination against individuals with disability. In fact it is considered to be the most influencing civil‐rights legislation to come down in the last 25 years. In the Fiscal Year 2002, the EEOC received 15,964 charges of disability discrimination. The EEOC resolved 18,804 disability discrimination charges in FY 2002 and recovered $50.0 million in monetary benefits for charging parties and other aggrieved individuals. While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has had a positive effect since it was enacted in 1992: in 2000, 22 per cent of employed people with disabilities report encountering job discrimination as opposed to 36 per cent in 1996. This article examines what is Mental Disability and discusses what questions regarding mental disability can be asked when managers are hiring salespeople.
Are the CMS Hospital Outpatient Quality Measures Relevant for Rural Hospitals

Context: Quality measures focused on outpatient settings are of increasing interest to policy makers, but little research has been conducted on hospital outpatient quality measures, especially in rural settings. Purpose: To evaluate the relevance of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) outpatient quality measures for rural hospitals, including Critical Access Hospitals. Methods: Researchers analyzed Medicare hospital outpatient claims and Hospital Compare outpatient quality measure data for rural hospitals to assess the volume of conditions addressed by the measures in rural hospitals. A literature review and information from national quality organizations were used to assess the external and internal usefulness of the measures for rural hospitals. A panel of rural hospital quality experts reviewed the measures and provided additional input about their usefulness and data collection issues in rural hospitals. Results: The rural relevant CMS outpatient measures include most of the Emergency Department (ED) measures. The outpatient surgical measures are relevant for the majority of rural hospitals providing outpatient surgery. Several measures were not selected as relevant for rural hospitals, including the outpatient imaging and condition-specific measures. Conclusions: To increase sample sizes for smaller rural hospitals, CMS could combine data for similar inpatient and outpatient measures, use composite measures by condition, or use a longer time period to calculate measures. A menu of outpatient measures would allow smaller rural hospitals to choose relevant measures depending on the outpatient services they provide. Global measures and care coordination measures would be useful for quality improvement and have sufficient sample size to allow reliable measurement in smaller rural hospitals.
Clinician-administered PTSD scale: A review of the first ten years of research

The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) is a structured interview for assessing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnostic status and symptom severity. In the 10 years since it was developed, the CAPS has become a standard criterion measure in the field of traumatic stress and has now been used in more than 200 studies. In this paper, we first trace the history of the CAPS and provide an update on recent developments. Then we review the empirical literature, summarizing and evaluating the findings regarding the psychometric properties of the CAPS. The research evidence indicates that the CAPS has excellent reliability, yielding consistent scores across items, raters, and testing occasions. There is also strong evidence of validity: The CAPS has excellent convergent and discriminant validity, diagnostic utility, and sensitivity to clinical change. Finally, we address several concerns about the CAPS and offer recommendations for optimizing the CAPS for various clinical research applications.
Prediction of IMF Percentage of Live Cattle by Using Ultrasound Technologies with High Accuracies

The purpose of this study is to produce algorithms that are able to predict the intramuscular fat (IMF) percentage of live cattle. Two algorithms based on linear regression analysis and neural network models are developed. These two algorithms extract feature information from live cattle ultrasound images and calculate the predicted IMF percentage values. The results show that these algorithms perform better than the previous studies in the same field. A brief description of the data acquisition process, the ROI extraction, the mathematics of the feature selection methods, statistical analysis on P-value and correlation, and the outputs from Matlab programs is presented
Mosses New to Hong Kong (II)

Ten moss species - Thamnobryum plicatulum (Lac.) Iwats., Ditrichum pallidum (Hedw.) Hampe, Brachythecium moriense Besch., Eurhynchium hians (Hedw.) Lac., Atrichum undulatum (Hedw.) P. Beauv., Bryum coronatum Schwaegr., Pseudoleskeopsis zippelii (Dozy & Molk.) Broth., Weissia controversa Hedw., Trichosteleum mammosum (C. Muell.) Jaeg. and Vesicularia reticulata (Dozy & Molk.) Broth. are reported new to Hong Kong. Among them, seven are new to Guangdong Province of China.
Portoazygous disconnection for bleeding esophageal varices.

Summary Between 1971 and 1982, 20 portoazygous disconnections (modified Tanner's operation) were performed in patients with bleeding esophagogastric varices who were anatomically unsuitable or at high risk for conventional portosystemic shunting. Immediate control of variceal hemorrhage was achieved in all patients, although rebleeding occurred after eight operations at intervals from 2 days to 7.5 years postoperatively, requiring additonal surgery at a mean interval of 2.5 years. There were eight perioperative deaths. Analysis has suggested increased mortality in patients with more severely impaired liver function according to Child's classification, and in patients who require urgent or emergent operations. There was an 80 percent incidence of major and minor complications. Portoazygous disconnection is not a satisfactory alternative to portosystemic shunting, except in a selected group of patients with intact hepatic function and with anatomic characteristics that preclude usual shunting procedures.