cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of feeding a quebracho–chestnut tannin extract on lactating cow performance and nitrogen utilization efficiency

The effects of feeding a quebracho-chestnut tannin extract mixture on performance and nitrogen (N) utilization were assessed with 36 multiparous lactating Holstein cows (mean ± standard deviation; 706 ± 59 kg of body weight; 126 ± 20 d in milk) randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. Following a 2-wk covariate adjustment period, cows were fed their assigned treatment diets for 13 wk. Rice hulls were removed from a total mixed ration with a 54:46 forage:concentrate ratio (% of dry matter; DM), and a tannin extract mixture from quebracho and chestnut trees (2:1 ratio) was included at 0, 0.45, and 1.80% of dietary DM. There was no interaction between dietary treatments and experimental week for the reported measurements except milk lactose percentage. Overall, treatments did not affect milk yield (48.6 ± 7.8 kg/d), fat- and protein-corrected milk (46.1 ± 7.6 kg/d), milk fat content (3.88 ± 0.65%) and yield (1.85 ± 0.38 kg/d), and true protein yield (1.45 ± 0.21 kg/d). However, incremental levels of tannin extracts in the diet produced a linear increase in DM intake (29.2 to 30.9 kg/d) and a linear decrease in kilograms of milk per kilogram of DM intake (1.67 to 1.57 kg/kg) and MUN (12.2 to 10.8 mg/dL). Furthermore, there was a quadratic effect of tannin extracts on milk true protein content (2.96, 3.13, and 3.00% for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin extract, respectively) and a tendency for linear and quadratic response for body weight gain (0.31, 0.16, and 0.44 kg/d for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin, respectively). Intake of N increased linearly (782, 795, and 820 g/d) and N utilization efficiency (milk N/intake N) decreased linearly (0.300, 0.301, and 0.275 for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin, respectively). Relative to the 0% diet, 1.80% tannin extract reduced estimated urinary N excretion by 11%. In this study, adding 0.45% tannin extract to the diet reduced feed efficiency but had a positive effect on milk protein content. Feeding a tannin extract mixture from quebracho and chestnut may reduce environmental labile urinary N excretion without affecting milk yield but at the expense of a lower feed utilization efficiency.
"Like Shock Absorbers": Understanding the Human Infrastructures of Technology-Mediated Mental Health Support

Significant research in HCI and beyond has sought to understand end-user needs in formal and informal technology-mediated mental health support (TMMHS) systems. However, little work has been done to understand the experiences and needs of the individuals who power or support these systems, particularly in the Global South. We present a qualitative study of one of the most accessible forms of mental health care in India  helplines. Through in-depth interviews conducted with 12 helpline volunteers, we research the human infrastructure responsible for the functioning of helplines. We foreground the often invisible labor involved in erecting and maintaining the institutional, interpersonal, and individual boundaries that are critical to realizing the goals of these helplines. Finally, we discuss the implications of our research for future work examining human infrastructures, particularly in mental health settings, and for the design of future TMMHS systems that deliver on-demand care to diverse, underserved, and stigmatized populations.
Understanding Students' Needs for Better Collaborative Coding Tools

Collaborative coding offers many benefits to students, but there has been little research on evaluating the applications that students use to collaborate on code. In this preliminary work, we ask "are students' needs being met by existing applications for collaborative coding"? A survey was distributed to students and faculty of computer science to determine if students had experience collaborating on programming projects and identify what applications, if any, they used to facilitate their collaborations. Survey respondents were also asked about the strengths and weaknesses of the applications they used. From the 126 student responses and 23 faculty responses representing 31 unique institutions, over 50 applications were mentioned. We manually clustered the applications based on their affordances and used participant responses to identify opportunities for improvement. We found that many students are retrofitting non-coding applications for their programming projects as a workaround to facing the large learning curves that many collaborative coding tools require. Our findings suggest a need for more novice-friendly collaborative tools.
Bispectral index-guided intraoperative sedation with dexmedetomidine and midazolam infusion in orthopaedic surgery of lower limbs

Objective To compare and evaluate the effect and safety of dexmedetomidine(DEX) and midazolam sedation in lower limbs orthopaedic surgery. Methods Fifty-two patients undergoing lower limbs surgery were randomly assigned to group D (n=27,DEX, 0.5 μg·kg-1·h-1, loading dose 0.5 μg/kg) and group M(n=25, midazolam, 50 μg·kg-1·h-1, loading dose 30 μg/kg). An infusion was administered after mounting a bispectral index (BIS) monitor under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia. The target BIS level was≤85. An additional bolus dose of the study drug or cessation of the infusion was adjusted according to the BIS level, and the change should be recorded. Respiratory rates (RR), heart rate (HR), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were continually monitored. Sedation should be evaluated according to the Ramsay sedation scale(RSS) before the drug withdrawal. Results HR was lower in group D (72±7) bpm than that in group M (83±8) bpm (P<0.05) 30 min after infusion. There was no significant difference in the RR, MAP and RSS score between two groups. Dose adjustments were required in six and seven patients Groups D and M, respectively. Five patients needed to raise the mandible due to SpO2 decline by glossocoma in Group M, but none in Group D. Conclusion DEX infusion mildly decreased heart rate in the later periods of lower limbs surgery, with no significant influences on the MAP. Compared with midazolam, DEX might show more advantages in maintaining the unobstructed of the respiratory tract, and be more suitable for sedation in lower limbs surgery. Key words: Bispectral index; Dexmedetomidine; Midazolam; Lower limbs of orthopaedic surgery
Recent Methodological Advancements in Indirect Service Delivery: An Introduction to the Special Issue

This article introduces the special issue, Recent Methodological Advancements in Indirect Service Delivery. The authors first highlight salient aspects of each of the five articles included in the ...
Progress in quasi-optical transistor power amplifiers

Progress in the construction of a millimeter-wave power amplifier using an array of field-effect transistors and a novel quasi-optical power combining technique is reported. Experimental results from microwave models of the circuits are presented.
Assessing information synthesis within and across multiple texts with verification tasks: a signal detection theory approach

To extend the existing research examining multiple text comprehension and its assessment, we developed a verification task approach to assessing of information that was explicitly and implicitly pr...
Remote Antenna Impedance Measurement

Due to the comparable size of the feeding cable to the original device and the induced current on the outer surface of the cable, the electrically small antenna (ESA) input impedance measurement using a network analyzer is a debatable technique. A remote impedance measurement technique is therefore implemented using an electrostatic discharge (ESD) to excite the ESA and remotely measure the ESA's terminated impulse response to three standard loads, short - open - matched load. The ESA's input impedance is evaluated based on three corresponding impulse responses, treating the measurement system as a three-port network and incorporating the advantage of microwave network analysis and the impulse responses resulting from the derived complex natural resonances (CNRs). To confirm the proposed technique, the input impedance of different antennas is directly measured via a network analyzer as well as a remote measurement technique, and the results are compared.
Porous materials for carbon dioxide separations.

Global investment in counteracting climate change has galvanized increasing interest in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a versatile emissions mitigation technology. As decarbonization efforts accelerate, CCS can target the emissions of large point-source emitters, such as coal- or natural gas-fired power plants, while also supporting the production of renewable or low-carbon fuels. Furthermore, CCS can enable decarbonization of difficult-to-abate industrial processes and can support net CO2 removal from the atmosphere through bioenergy coupled with CCS or direct air capture. Here we review the development of porous materials as next-generation sorbents for CO2 capture applications. We focus on stream- and sector-specific challenges while highlighting case studies within the context of the rapidly shifting energy landscape. We conclude with a discussion of key needs from the materials community to expand deployment of carbon capture technologies. Porous materials can selectively and reversibly adsorb large quantities of gas. This Review highlights progress made in using this class of materials for CO2 capture processes and discusses key gaps that the materials community can address to accelerate greater adoption of adsorptive carbon capture technologies.
Mouse models of epithelial ovarian cancer for preclinical studies

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of gynecological cancer-related mortality in the developed world. EOC is a heterogeneous disease represented by several histological and molecular subtypes. Therefore, exploration of relevant preclinical animal models that consider the heterogenic nature of EOC is of great importance for the development of novel therapeutic strategies that can be translated clinically to combat this devastating disease. In this review, we discuss recent progress in the development of preclinical mouse models for EOC study as well as their advantages and limitations.
Relationship between blood glucose variability and muscle composition in ICU patients receiving nutrition support: A pilot study.

Summary Background and aims Many critically ill patients experience increased blood glucose variability (BGV). The objective of the current pilot study was to assess the relationship between muscle composition (defined as average Hounsfield units (HU)) among ICU patients with an abdominal CT scan within seven days of intubation, and BGV (defined as coefficient of variation (CV)) calculated from blood glucose levels measured each morning while intubated. Methods The first serum blood glucose measurement obtained each day during intubation was recorded, blood glucose CV ((mean/SD)∗100) was calculated. Cross-sectional muscle area (CSA; cm2) at the third lumbar region was identified using the −29 to +150 HU range; muscle composition was calculated as the average HU. BGV predictors were determined using linear regression. Results Eighty-two patients were included (53% female), with a median age of 64 (25th, 75 percentile (IQR): 51, 70) years. The median CV was 29% (IQR: 20, 37); 40% of subjects required insulin. The median CSA was 100.4 cm2 (IQR: 84.0, 120.8) and muscle composition was 20.4 HU (IQR: 12.2, 29.4). Patients received only 36% of estimated calorie requirements. Insulin administration, history of diabetes, and muscle composition were significant BGV predictors. Conclusion Among these adult intubated ICU patients, higher muscle composition was associated with lower BGV. Future research is needed to corroborate these findings, determine other factors associated with poor muscle quality, and identify methods to describe muscle composition for all ICU patients.
Predicting suicidal thoughts and behavior among adolescents using the risk and protective factor framework: A large-scale machine learning approach.

Introduction Addressing the problem of suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB) in adolescents requires understanding the associated risk factors. While previous research has identified individual risk and protective factors associated with many adolescent social morbidities, modern machine learning approaches can help identify risk and protective factors that interact (group) to provide predictive power for STB. This study aims to develop a prediction algorithm for STB among adolescents using the risk and protective factor framework and social determinants of health. Methods The sample population consisted of more than 179,000 high school students living in Utah and participating in the Communities That Care (CTC) Youth Survey from 2011-2017. The dataset includes responses to 300+ questions from the CTC and 8000+ demographic factors from the American Census Survey for a total of 1.2 billion values. Machine learning techniques were employed to extract the survey questions that were best able to predict answers indicative of STB, using recent work in interpretable machine learning. Results Analysis showed strong predictive power, with the ability to predict individuals with STB with 91% accuracy. After extracting the top ten questions that most affected model predictions, questions fell into four main categories: familial life, drug consumption, demographics, and peer acceptance at school. Conclusions Modern machine learning approaches provide new methods for understanding the interaction between root causes and outcomes, such as STB. The model developed in this study showed significant improvement in predictive accuracy compared to previous research. Results indicate that certain risk and protective factors, such as adolescents being threatened or harassed through digital media or bullied at school, and exposure or involvement in serious arguments and yelling at home are the leading predictors of STB and can help narrow and reaffirm priority prevention programming and areas of focused policymaking.
Association Between Anemia Subtypes and Insomnia Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Insomnia and anemia can lead to poor health. We determined the cross-sectional association between anemia and insomnia symptoms in 1,066 adults (71.6±10.7 yr) from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study ...
On the use of bandwidth aggregation over heterogeneous last miles

The next generation wireless communication devices are expected to be capable of communicating with the best possible last mile networks as well as to utilize multiple networks simultaneously. Existing solutions such as the interoperability mechanisms and the always best connected (ABC) paradigm limit the access of wireless devices to only one, preferably the best possible network. Such schemes, though found to be better than the traditional single interface communication, are limited in their ability to utilize the services in the best possible way. Existing work focuses mainly on network layer or transport layer bandwidth aggregation mechanisms which either need to change the existing TCP protocol or require proxy nodes to perform the bandwidth scheduling process. We, in this paper, propose a new wireless access paradigm for multi-homed hosts based on a session layer bandwidth aggregation mechanism. The major advantages of our solution are the high end-to-end throughput, glitch free transition during both mobility and interface changes, dynamic selection of number of end-to-end paths, and above all our solution can work with existing transport and network layer protocols in today's Internet. In this paper, we provide the architectural and protocol solutions for the proposed scheme and results from extensive simulations and a Linux based implementation
Rotaciones y traslaciones en la narrativa de Enrique Jaramillo Levi

Este ensayo examina el concepto de metaficcion en los cuentos de Enri que Jaramillo Levi. Se comienza por una explicacion de los origenes de la metaficcion en la literatura universal asi como de su establecimiento mas solido en el contexto de la narrativa moderna de la literatura escrita en len gua espanola. Se desarrolla luego la aplicacion particular de lo metaficticio en la obra cuentistica de Jaramillo Levi dejando claramente establecido que en su caso se trata de un estilo posmoderno cuya plasmacion difiere del uso encontrado en la modernidad artistica hispana. Finalmente en el analisis de un conjunto especifico de cuentos del autor panameno se discute la manera como esas particulares tecnicas posmodernas demuestran la funcion plural de lo metaficcional, contribuyendo asi a la riqueza estetica de la narrativa de Jaramillo Levi y, por ende, de la centroamericana. This essay scrutinizes the concept of metafiction in Enrique Jaramillo Levi’s short stories. The article starts with an explanation regarding the genesis of metafiction in world literature as well as its more solid establishment in the context of modern literature written in Spanish. It continues with the particular uses of metafictional discourse in Jaramillo Levi’s short stories by asserting that in his work there is a clear postmodern use whose literary rendition diverges from the one depicted by the works produced during Spanish artistic modernity. Finally, there is a discussion of specific short stories written by Jaramillo Levi, intended to show how those particular postmodern techniques point to the plural functionality of the metafictional mode, thus contributing to the aesthetic qualities of Jaramillo Levi’s narrative as well as to those of Central American fiction.
Cell lineage and the differentiation of corneal epithelial cells.

Purpose. Studies were designed to determine whether cell division and cell differentiation are linked directly in the corneal epithelium. To obtain these data, corneal basal epithelial cells were labeled during DNA synthesis, and the resultant daughter cells were followed for as long as 2 weeks. Methods. Adult rats were injected with 5-bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analog, and were killed 6 hours to 14 days later. Corneas were fixed and permeabilized, and BrdU-labeled nuclei were detected with a monoclonal antibody to BrdU and a fluorescent-labeled secondary antibody. Fluorescent nuclei were visualized in three dimensions in corneal whole-mounts using a laser scanning confocal microscope. Optical sections were collected and displayed as serial images, three-dimensional anaglyphs, color-encoded projections, or three-dimensional reconstructions. Data were confirmed using 3 H-thymidine autoradiography of epithelia sectioned parallel to the corneal surface. Results. Cells synthesizing DNA at the time of injection incorporated BrdU into their DNA. Pairs of labeled nuclei were produced by the division of cells that had been labeled with BrdU. These daughter cells remained in the basal layer of the epithelium for a variable period of time. Some daughter cells continued to divide, producing clusters of labeled basal cells. When labeled daughter cells left the basal layer and began the process of terminal differentiation, they nearly always did so together. The synchronous differentiation of daughter cells was evident from the pairs of labeled nuclei seen throughout the depth of the epithelium from 2 to 14 days after labeling. Conclusions. Cell division and differentiation are not linked directly in the corneal epithelium. After cell division, daughter cells either remain in the basal layer, where they may undergo additional rounds of cell division, or both cells differentiate synchronously. When the daughter cells of a mitosis differentiate, the time between the previous cell division and differentiation is highly variable. This suggests that the coordination of cell division and differentiation in the corneal epithelium involves a complex regulatory network.
Genetic Algorithms Are NOT Function Optimizers

Abstract Genetic Algorithms (GAs) have received a great deal of attention regarding their potential as optimization techniques for complex functions. The level of interest and success in this area has led to a number of improvements to GA-based function optimizers and a good deal of progress in characterizing the kinds of functions that are easy/hard for GAs to optimize. With all this activity, there has been a natural tendency to equate GAs with function optimization. However, the motivating context of Holland's initial GA work was the design and implementation of robust adaptive systems. In this paper we argue that a proper understanding of GAs in this broader adaptive systems context is a necessary prerequisite for understanding their potential application to any problem domain. We then use these insights to better understand the strengths and limitations of GAs as function optimizers.
Understanding adoption of energy efficiency technologies: Applying behavioral theories of technology acceptance & use to understand the case of led lighting for commercial, residential, and industrial end-users

What factors are most significant in understanding adoption behavior for energy efficiency technologies by commercial, residential, and industrial customers? The case of energy efficient lighting technologies is specifically examined. Several types of lighting technologies are compared to indoor LED lighting to determine how the technology meets the needs the various user types. What factors are most significant in motivating technology adoption for such technologies, and preventing subsequent technology disadoption? This is particularly important for energy efficient lighting technologies, as both technology adoption and technology disadoption can be extremely rapid, and ongoing user involvement is often required to recognize full benefits from these technologies. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is useful in explaining adoption behavior related to stakeholder expectation and buy-in for the new technologies. UTAUT contains four elements that can be adapted to fit this research: (1) Performance Expectancy; (2) Effort Expectancy; (3) Social Influences; and (4) Facilitating Conditions. In the case of energy efficient lighting adoption, and LED adoption in particular, performance expectancy and effort expectancy can be related to factors such as future energy price expectancies, actual savings results, and ease of energy savings. Factors involving social influences include perceptions of environmental friendliness among different user groups, and facilitating conditions include policies, incentives, and educational programs to encourage adoption. Some conclusions are then drawn regarding adoption factors for emerging energy efficient lighting technologies.
ON HELPING ONE'S NEIGHBOR

Few people doubt that severe poverty is a pressing moral issue. But what sorts of obligations, if any, do affluent people have toward the severely poor? If one accepts the idea that one has some obligations to the severely poor there still remains disagreement about the magnitude of this obligation and when it obtains. I consider Peter Singer's influential “shallow pond” argument, which holds that affluent people have greater obligations toward the severely poor than ordinary moral judgments suggest. Critics hold that Singer's view is excessively demanding and therefore untenable. I thus turn to the parable of the Good Samaritan and Christian accounts of neighbor-love to help attenuate this criticism. Drawing from Christian conversations on neighbor-love, I attempt to demonstrate that accepting an obligation to assist does not necessarily result in one abandoning one's special relations, abnegating self-regard, or no longer pursuing other non-moral strivings.
Eleven Reasons Why Presidential Power Inevitably Expands and Why it Matters

In this essay I contend that the power of the presidency has been expanding since the founding, and that we need to consider the implications of this expansion within the constitutional structure of separation of powers, no matter which party controls the White House. Part I makes the descriptive case by briefly canvassing a series of factors that have had, and continue to have, the effect of expanding presidential power. Part II suggests this expansion in presidential power has created a constitutional imbalance between the executive and legislative branches, calling into doubt the continued efficacy of the structure of separation of powers set forth by the Framers. Part III then offers some suggestions as to how this power imbalance can be alleviated, but it does not present a silver bullet solution. Because many, if not all, the factors that have led to increased presidential power are the products of inevitable social and technological change, they are not easily remedied. The essay ends with only the modest conclusion that regardless of who wins the Presidency, it is critical that those on both sides of the aisle work to assure that the growth in presidential power is at least checked, if not reversed.
Functional Monomerization of a ClC-Type Fluoride Transporter.

Anion channels and antiporters of the ClC superfamily have been found to be exclusively dimeric in nature, even though each individual monomer contains the complete transport pathway. Here, we describe the destabilization through mutagenesis of the dimer interface of a bacterial F−/H+ antiporter, ClCF-eca. Several mutations that produce monomer/dimer equilibrium of the normally dimeric transporter were found, simply by shortening a hydrophobic side chain in some cases. One mutation, L376W, leads to a wholly monomeric variant that shows full activity. Furthermore, we discovered a naturally destabilized homologue, ClCF-rla, which undergoes partial monomerization in detergent without additional mutations. These results, in combination with the previous functional monomerization of the distant relative ClC-ec1, demonstrate that the monomer alone is the functional unit for several clades of the ClC superfamily.
Development of a New Paenibacillin-Producing Strain and Testing its Usability in Improving Food Safety.

UNLABELLED A new bacterial strain that produces a bacteriocin (paenibacillin) without polymyxin was developed from Paenibacillus polymyxa that co-produces the 2 antimicrobial agents. Gamma radiation was used successfully to develop the new strain, P. polymyxa OSY-HG. Subsequently, we explored the feasibility of using food or food ingredients as growth media for the new strain. Milk supported the growth of P. polymyxa OSY-HG which produced up to 32 mg paenibacillin/L milk without polymyxin. Fermentation crude extract was applied in a model food (Vienna sausage) to control Listeria innocua, a Listeria monocytogenes surrogate. The treatment increased Listeria lag time by 2 d at 7 °C and at least 6 h at 37 °C. In conclusion, a new paenibacillin-producing P. polymyxa strain has been developed for potential industrial use. Using the new strain in applications that enhance food safety is feasible. PRACTICAL APPLICATION As low concentrations of paenibacillin can inhibit Listeria in a food matrix, paenibacillin has potential to be used as a natural food preservative to deter this pathogen’s growth in food, after FDA approval.
Molecular design of supported niobium oxide catalysts

Abstract The current investigation demonstrates that it is possible to molecularly design supported niobium oxide catalysts with the assistance of molecular characterization methods such as Raman spectroscopy. The formation and location of the surface niobium oxide species are controlled by the surface hydroxyl chemistry, and the surface niobium oxide species are located in the outermost layer of the catalysts as an overlayer. The catalyst composition is a critical parameter since it affects the presence of different niobium oxide species (several different surface species and crystalline phases), and the reactivity also varies somewhat with surface niobium oxide coverage. The preparation method is not a critical parameter since it does not appear to influence the structure or reactivity of the surface niobium oxide species. However, for silica supported niobium oxide catalysts the preparation method does affect the amount of niobium oxide that can be dispersed as a two-dimensional overlayer. Calcination temperature is an important parameter that controls the activation and deactivation of the supported niobium oxide catalysts, but calcination temperature is not critical if moderate temperatures, 400–500°C, are used. The specific oxide support is a critical parameter since it dramatically affects the reactivity of the surface niobium oxide species and determines if the surface niobium oxide site is active for redox or acid catalysis. Thus, the critical parameters that affect the catalytic properties of the supported niobium oxide catalysts are the specific oxide support and catalyst composition.
Perspectives from the Second Generation of Pastoral Counselors

The author, representing the second generation of pastoral counselors, reviews and responds to Susan E. Myers-Shirk’s book on the early history of the pastoral counseling movement, entitled, Helping the Good Shepherd: Pastoral Counselors in a Psychotherapeutic Culture 1925–1975. Among other observations, the author comments on the importance and lasting influence of Howard Clinebell and the relationship between pastoral counseling and Christian counseling.
An accurate prediction of two-dimensional carrier density profile in IGBT and its significances on steady-state and transient analysis

This work presents a piecewise two-dimensional steady-state analytical model for insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The proposed model can accurately describes the dependence of carrier density profile on the ratio of accumulation gate width (L g ) to the half cell width (L cell ) without ignoring the recombination in the drift region. The drift region of IGBT is divided into four regions in this model. By determining the boundary that separates one- and two-dimensional regions, the carrier density profiles in the four regions can be derived with proper boundary conditions. The model is originally developed for, but not limited to, 4H-SiC p-IGBT. The results of proposed model are in good agreement with the simulation results at varied current densities and with different values of L g /L cell . The I–V curves in the linear region generated by the proposed model match well with the simulated results. The error of the amount of stored charge generated by one-dimensional model will also be examined.
Review of "Discrete Neural Networks: A Theoretical Foundation by Kai-Yeung Siu, Vwani Roychowdhury and Thomas Kailath", Prentice Hall PTR, 1995, ISBN 0-13-300708-1.

This book is an important addition to the neural networks literature and fills a void by presenting, in one volume, the important computational issues in discrete neural networks. The book deals with the computational complexity of problems being solved by systems of parallel processing elements.
Aftershocks are well aligned with the background stress field, contradicting the hypothesis of highly heterogeneous crustal stress

[1] It has been proposed that the crustal stress field contains small-length-scale heterogeneity of much larger amplitude than the uniform background stress. This model predicts that earthquake focal mechanisms should reflect the loading stress rather than the uniform background stress. So, if the heterogeneous stress hypothesis is correct, focal mechanisms before and after a large earthquake should align with the tectonic loading and the earthquake-induced static stress perturbation, respectively. However, I show that the off-fault triggered aftershocks of the 1992 M7.3 Landers, California, earthquake align with the same stress field as the pre-Landers mechanisms. The aftershocks occurred on faults that were well oriented for failure in the pre-Landers stress field and then loaded by the Landers-induced static stress change. Aftershocks in regions experiencing a 0.05 to 5 MPa coseismic differential stress change align with the modeled Landers-induced static stress change, implying that they were triggered by the stress perturbation. Contrary to the heterogeneous stress hypothesis, these triggered aftershocks are also well aligned with the pre-Landers stress field obtained from inverting the pre-Landers focal mechanisms. Therefore, the inverted pre-Landers stress must represent the persistent background stress field. Earthquake focal mechanisms provide an unbiased sample of the spatially coherent background stress field, which is large relative to any small-scale stress heterogeneity. The counterexample provided by the Landers earthquake is strong evidence that the heterogeneous stress model is not widely applicable.
Enhanced in-source fragmentation in MALDI-TOF-MS of oligonucleotides using 1,5-diaminonapthalene

The capability to rapidly and confidently determine or confirm the sequences of short oligonucleotides, including native and chemically-modified DNA and RNA, is important for a number of fields. While matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) has been used previously to sequence short oligonucleotides, the typically low fragmentation efficiency of in-source or post-source decay processes necessitates the accumulation of a large number of spectra, thus limiting the throughput of these methods. Here we introduce a novel matrix, 1,5-diaminonapthalene (DAN), for facile in-source decay (ISD) of DNA and RNA molecular anions, which allows for rapid sequence confirmation. d-, w-, and y-series ions are prominent in the spectra, complementary to the (a-B)- and w- ions that are typically produced by MALDI post-source decay (PSD). Results are shown for several model DNA and RNA oligonucleotides, including combinations of DAN-induced fragmentation with true tandem TOF MS (MS/MS) for pseudo-MS3 and “activated-ion PSD.”
A multielectrode microcompartment culture platform for studying signal transduction in the nervous system

This paper describes the design, fabrication, and characterization of a microfabricated compartmented culture system (μ-CCS) useful for electrophysiological signaling studies in cultured neurons. The focus of the paper is the process of interfacing the μ-CCS with cultured neurons and to demonstrate the applicability of the system for biochemical-mediated electrophysiological studies. Moreover, we show that we can record action potentials from cultured neurons through the extracellular compartmented application of elevated levels of K+ ions. Finally, we show that we can isolate the electrophysiological effects of the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin in one of the compartments of a two compartment culture while recording electrophysiological data from both compartments.
Strength Analysis of Spherical Indentation of Piezoelectric Materials

The present paper deals with theoretical and computational analysis of quasi-static, normal indentation of a transversely isotropic, linear elastic, piezoelectric half-space by a rigid spherical indenter. The contact is axisymmetric, nonconforming, monotonically advancing with load, frictionless and adhesionless. The indenter was modeled either as perfect conductor or as perfect insulator. The mechanical and electrical fields below the surface were examined. The issues of mechanical and dielectric strength due to indentation were examined using Weibull statistics of surface imperfections. The particular cases of PZT-4, PZT-5A, BaTiO 3 , and (Ba 0.917 Ca 0.083 )TiO 3 indented by rigid punches having either zero electrical potential or zero electric charge were solved with finite element analysis.
U.S. Latino Arrest An Analysis of Risk by Nativity and Origin

This article examines the impact of Latino nativity and origin on the risk of arrest. Survey data are used to compare the odds of arrest within and between various U.S. race-ethnic groups over one decade. Net of legal, demographic, and social correlates of arrest in teen and young adult samples, Blacks consistently experience higher odds of arrest than other groups. Puerto Rican arrest risk approximates that of Blacks while foreign-born Latinos consistently experienced a lower arrest risk than Whites. This effect was nearly indistinguishable from that of U.S.-born Latinos. The study has implications for the life-course perspective in terms of how arrest correlates change for all groups over time. For Latinos, findings also inform acculturation and segmented assimilation perspectives. Language: en
Hybrid Global Optimization Algorithms for Protein Structure Prediction: Alternating Hybrids

Hybrid global optimization methods attempt to combine the beneficial features of two or more algorithms, and can be powerful methods for solving challenging nonconvex optimization problems. In this paper, novel classes of hybrid global optimization methods, termed alternating hybrids, are introduced for application as a tool in treating the peptide and protein structure prediction problems. In particular, these new optimization methods take the form of hybrids between a deterministic global optimization algorithm, the αBB, and a stochastically based method, conformational space annealing (CSA). The αBB method, as a theoretically proven global optimization approach, exhibits consistency, as it guarantees convergence to the global minimum for twice-continuously differentiable constrained nonlinear programming problems, but can benefit from computationally related enhancements. On the other hand, the independent CSA algorithm is highly efficient, though the method lacks theoretical guarantees of convergence. Furthermore, both the αBB method and the CSA method are found to identify ensembles of low-energy conformers, an important feature for determining the true free energy minimum of the system. The proposed hybrid methods combine the desirable features of efficiency and consistency, thus enabling the accurate prediction of the structures of larger peptides. Computational studies for met-enkephalin and melittin, employing sequential and parallel computing frameworks, demonstrate the promise for these proposed hybrid methods.
Multigrid on Composite Meshes

The multigrid method is applied to the numerical solution of elliptic equations on general composite overlapping meshes. Computational results show that good convergence rates are obtained.
A Preliminary Report on the Validation of the Geriatric Depression Scale in Arabic

The validity of an Arabic translation of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is examined in this preliminary report. The GDS and Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) were administered to 200 elderly Ara...
Mandibular dimensional change

Abstract A study was conducted in which the dimensional changes in the mandibles of 25 subjects during opening were measured at various degrees of jaw opening. It was found that the mandible contracted an average of 0.78 ± 0.05 mm. during maximum opening. The data were plotted as the per cent of contraction of the mandible versus the per cent of jaw opening. There was no change in the width of the mandible up to 28 per cent opening: Thereafter, the change in width is directly related to the per cent of opening. The change in mandibular width is due to stresses exerted by the muscles of mastication responsible for depression of the mandible.
Ocular fireworks injuries.

A survey in Arkansas of 14 cases of ocular injuries caused by the explosion of Class C fireworks showed significant, and possibly permanent, visual loss in five men. The most common injuries, corneal abrasion and hyphema, occurred in nine male patients with no residual ocular damage. Language: en
Control of growth of mammalian cells in cell culture

Recent studies of the control of growth of mammalian cells are considered and it is concluded that the factors that control growth are probably polypeptide hormones, or hormone-like materials, as well as a variety of low molecular weight nutrients. An understanding of the control of growth of mammalian cells will probably be found in the complex interactions of cells with these common types of materials.
Allozyme Variability in the Tepary Bean, Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray

The tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) is the object of renewed interest because it possesses some interesting agronomic attributes such as tolerance to drought and salinity. In order to gain a better understanding of the organisation of its genetic diversity, we have examined patterns of diversity for nine polymorphic enzyme systems representing 12 loci, in a sample of 55 wild and 8 cultivated accessions. Several geographic patterns were identified, including an East-West differentiation, (across the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains), a North-South differentiation, and a localized differentiation. Wild teparies displayed a higher number of polymorphic loci, as well as a higher number of alleles per polymorphic locus compared to cultivars, consistent with previous observations indicating a reduction of phaseolin diversity on domestication. No clearcut separation with respect to isozyme differentiation was observed between P. acutifolius var. tenuifolius and var. acutifolius, further questioning the validity of this taxonomic separation based on leaflet shape.
Dissolved Trace Metals in Lakes Superior, Erie, and Ontario

In spite of continuing large inputs from anthropogenic sources, average concentrations of many trace metals in the Great Lakes remain quite low: 2.8−4.5 ng L-1 for Cd, 3.2−11 ng L-1 for Pb, and 87...
An Interaction between Insulin-like Growth Factor-binding Protein 2 (IGFBP2) and Integrin α5 Is Essential for IGFBP2-induced Cell Mobility

In the study we report here, we tested the hypothesis that insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) promotes cell mobility through its interaction with integrin α5. Our previous microarray studies showed that IGFBP2 activates the expression of integrin α5. In addition, IGFBP2 has an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) domain, which is a known integrin binding motif. We first confirmed our microarray results by showing that the expression of integrin α5 is indeed up-regulated at the protein level in IGFBP2-overexpressing SNB19 glioma cells. Using co-immunoprecipitation, we confirmed that IGFBP2 does interact with integrin α5. To confirm that IGFBP2 interacts directly with integrin α5 through the RGD domain, we created an RGD → RGE mutant (D306E) IGFBP2 and stably overexpressed the mutant IGFBP2 in the same cell line. Co-immunoprecipitation then showed that D306E-IGFBP2 had no detectable binding with integrin α5. We further observed that IGFBP2-overexpressing cells have extensive cell surface lamellipodia, whereas D306E-IGFBP2-overexpressing cells show abundant cell surface focal adhesions. Consistent with this, phenotype analysis then showed that IGFBP2-overexpressing cells have elevated migration rates compared with vector control; in contrast, the migration rates of the D306E-IGFBP2-overexpressing cells were not elevated and were comparable with that of vector control. Decreased expression of integrin α5 by small interference RNA in IGFBP2-overexpressing cells also reduced cell mobility. Therefore, we have concluded that one mechanism by which IGFBP2 activates IGFBP2-induced cell mobility is through its interaction with integrin α5 and this interaction is specifically mediated through the RGD domain on IGFBP2.
Simultaneous diffusion and sedimentation of aerosol particles from Poiseuille flow in a circular tube

Abstract The deposition of aerosol particles from simultaneous diffusion and sedimentation in Poiseuille flow in a horizontal circular tube is studied. The relative importance of settling as compared to diffusion is determined by a parameter σ = v g R/D where v g is the settling velocity. R is the tube radius and D is the Brownian diffusion coefficient. A series solution is found for the concentration distribution near the tube entrance and the results of a numerical solution are presented for the concentration distribution over the penetration distance for various values of σ.
Electrophoretic Mobility of an Immune Globulin from Rainbow Trout Serum

CONSIDERABLE interest has been focused recently on the comparative aspects of the immune response in vertebrates. A sound knowledge of the development of the immune response at various phylogenetic stages in existing vertebrates may clarify the evolution of the various aspects of vertebrate immunity through its highest development in mammals and birds, and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved. This communication reports findings concerning the immunoelectrophoretic mobility of an immunologically active fraction of serum from a teleost fish, rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri).
Assessment of Perturbative Explicitly Correlated Methods for Prototypes of Multiconfiguration Electronic Structure.

The performance of the [2]S and [2]R12 universal perturbative corrections that account for one- and many-body basis set errors of single- and multiconfiguration electronic structure methods is assessed. A new formulation of the [2]R12 methods is used in which only strongly occupied orbitals are correlated, making the approach more amenable for larger computations. Three model problems are considered using the aug-cc-pVXZ (X = D,T,Q) basis sets: the electron affinity of fluorine atom, a conformational analysis of two Si2H4 structures, and a description of the potential energy surfaces of the X 1Σg+, a 3Πu, b 3Σg-, and A 1Πu states of C2. In general, the [2]R12 and [2]S corrections enhance energy convergence for conventional multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) and multireference perturbation theory (MRMP2) calculations compared to their complete basis set limits. For the electron affinity of the F atom, [2]R12 electron affinities are within 0.001 eV of the experimental value. The [2]R12 conforme...
0.5A fast CMOS LDO

The paper presents a 0.5A fast response CMOS LDO built in a double-metal 0.5µm 5.5V CMOS technology. It includes a symmetrical op amp configured as voltage follower, having a built-in adaptive bias behavior. The frequency compensation is cascode-Miller type. The circuit consumes 55µA without load, less than 90 µA at full load, and uses a 1V voltage reference. Output current capability is 0.5A, while dropout voltage value is typical 300mV.
Modeling hurricane-caused urban forest debris in Houston, Texas

Abstract Information on post-hurricane urban forest debris in the Southeastern United States is limited. A stratified subset of permanent plots within the city of Houston, Texas, originally established in 2001 were selected and measured for hurricane impacts on urban forest structure and debris generation following Hurricane Ike which struck the Houston region on September 13, 2008. Three statistical models were developed and input parameters included measured urban forest structure data, land cover data from existing plots, the National Hurricane Center's H*Wind dataset, and the United States Geological Survey's National Land Cover Database. The statistical models estimated tree debris based on alignment of pre- and post-storm data. Land cover was tested as a proxy variable for pre-storm urban forest biomass and post-storm tree debris. Estimates of pre-storm, urban forest biomass were established to test the statistical relationship between pre-storm biomass and poststorm debris. Testing of both land cover as a proxy variable and the biomass–debris relationship were performed to simplify volumetric estimates of debris produced through statistical modeling. Debris models were spatially analyzed to determine debris distribution and to compare with existing literature and available vegetation debris estimation models. Results suggest that urban forest structure variables have greater influence over variation in debris estimates than storm-related variables.