cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wetlands of Central America

The wetlands of seven Central American countries – Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama – are reviewed. The region's wetlands are classified into five systems: marine, estuarine, riverine, lacustrine, and palustrine. At a minimum, wetlands cover ≈40,000 km2 (≈8%) of the land area of Central America. These wetlands support high levels of biological diversity, especially of invertebrates, amphibians, and migratory birds. Because of intensive deforestation and conversion of forest lands to agriculture, many species of birds and mammals that formerly were abundant in upland forests now are restricted to wetland refugia. Annual primary productivity of some Central American wetlands equals or exceeds that of tropical rainforests, and wetlands also provide essential ecosystem services such as maintaining water quality. Population and development pressures formerly restricted to upland areas are expanding rapidly into wetlands, resulting in losses of wetlands at rates comparable to losses of rainforests. Since 1990, all seven Central American countries have become signatories to the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance, but integrated planning for management and conservation of wetlands in the region only began in 2002. A specific set of recommendations for wetland inventory, ecological research, and management is provided that would be feasible and effective within the social and cultural framework of the Central American countries.
On Distribution of Well-Rounded Sublattices of Z²

A lattice is called well-rounded if its minimal vectors span the corresponding Euclidean space. In this paper we completely describe well-rounded full-rank sublattices of Z2, as well as their determinant and minima sets. We show that the determinant set has positive density, deriving an explicit lower bound for it, while the minima set has density 0. We also produce formulas for the number of such lattices with a fixed determinant and with a fixed minimum. These formulas are related to the number of divisors of an integer in short intervals and to the number of its representations as a sum of two squares. We investigate the growth of the number of such lattices with a fixed determinant as the determinant grows, exhibiting some determinant sequences on which it is particularly large. To this end, we also study the behavior of the associated zeta function, comparing it to the Dedekind zeta function of Gaussian integers and to the Solomon zeta function of Z2. Our results extend automatically to well-rounded sublattices of any lattice AZ2, where A is an element of the real orthogonal group O2(R).
Across Crimes, Criminals, and Contexts: Traps Along the Troubled Path Towards a General Theory of Crime

In the search for the etiology of transgression, one theoretical venture is prized above all others: a general theory of crime. However, the term itself is inconsistently defined and its feasibility rarely questioned. This paper forms an explicit definition of general theory as that which purports to explain one or more of the following: (1) all types of crime, (2) crime committed by all types of people, and (3) crime across all contexts. While the search for a general theory has refined theoretical thinking and guided decades of empirical research, each of these three goals constitutes a conceptual trap wherein the desire for parsimonious universality inherently discounts the complex and multifaceted nature of human behavior. Thus, theorists of the etiology of crime must begin to explicitly acknowledge and further explore the justifications for and ramifications of general theories of crime.
Depletion as a signature of interconnection

Abstract If the magnetosphere is open, the magnetosheath must contain the separatrix surface between magnetic flux tubes connected and not connected to Earth. This paper suggests that the separatrix may form the outer boundary of the depletion layer, which is normally assumed to reside on flux tubes with neither end connected to Earth. Depletion on interconnected flux tubes should be more pronounced owing to their proximity to the magnetopause and to particle precipitation through the cusp to the ionosphere. Observations of magnetospheric ions in the depletion layer and energetic electrons at its outer boundary are consistent with magnetospheric particle outlfow on newly opened field lines. Depletion layers as signatures of interconnection should occur for all IMF orientations. For northward IMF, the depletion layer should form part of the overdraped lobe topology that has recently been proposed a condition for reverse convection. This topology is consistent with reported depletion and boundary layer structure.
Predictors of success after embryo transfer: Experience from a single provider

Abstract Objective: Our goal was to examine the variables present at the time of embryo transfer and to determine their effects on the clinical pregnancy rate. Study Design: All fresh and frozen embryo transfers during a 3-year period in a university-based in vitro fertilization program were examined. Female age, previous in vitro fertilization attempt, diagnosis, embryo number and quality, transfer technique, and presence of a clinical pregnancy were recorded for each couple. Logistic regression analyses were performed both univariately and multivariately to determine the association between a clinical pregnancy and the independent variables. Results: All transfers during the study period were included in the analysis. The four primary diagnoses were pelvic or tubal disease, male factor infertility, unexplained infertility, and endometriosis. The 46 frozen embryo transfers had a clinical pregnancy rate similar to that among the 159 fresh embryo transfers and were therefore included in the analysis. One variable was found to significantly affect the outcome, the number of high-grade embryos placed. The presence of a previous failed embryo transfer tended to lower the success rate for future attempts; however, this result did not reach statistical significance. The catheter type and the transfer difficulty did not affect outcome. Conclusion: The two most important variables for predicting a clinical pregnancy are a first-time transfer and the number of high-grade embryos placed. Neither the type of embryo transfer catheter used nor the diagnosis affected outcome. In this small sample difficult embryo transfers did not diminish the chance for a successful outcome. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1001-4.)
The natural history of Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) and its cultural aspects

Simmondsia chinensis is unique in many ways. Endemic to the Sonoran Desert of Mexico and the United States, its broad, persistent, heavy leaves are unlike any of its associates. Its large edible seeds contain about 50% oil, which is directly used as a cooking oil and as a hair oil. The oil has excellent qualities for many industrial and medicinal uses. Chemically it is a liquid wax and by hydrogenation is easily converted to a hard white wax. Jojoba’s singular characteristics as a desert shrub, however, present many problems facing its development as a cultivated plant.
hvps34, an ancient player, enters a growing game: mTOR Complex1/S6K1 signaling

Recent studies have shown that the nutrient input to the mTOR Complex1/S6K1 signaling pathway is mediated by class 3 PI3K or hVps34, the oldest member of the PI3K family. Moreover, studies to date would suggest that during the evolution of multicellular organisms this ancient branch of the pathway was merged with the growth-factor-hormone-controlled class 1 PI3K pathway at the level of mTOR Complex1 to control the development and growth of the organism. However, hVps34 also plays a role in the regulation of macroautophagy - the mechanism by which cells generate nutrients, such as amino acids, through the degradation of intracellular complexes, including mitochondria and ribosomes. These functions of hVps34 initially appear contradictory, since increased mTOR Complex1 activation is triggered by increased amino acid levels, while autophagy is triggered when cells are faced with amino acid deprivation.
Outcomes following kinesthetic feedback for gait training in a direct access environment: A case report on social wellness in relation to gait impairment.

The purpose of this case report was to describe the outcomes following the use of kinesthetic feedback as a primary intervention strategy for gait training. The plan of care for this 22-year-old female addressed the patient's social wellness goal of “walking more normally,” using motor learning principles. At initial examination, the patient demonstrated asymmetries for gait kinematics between the left and right lower extremity (analyzed using video motion analysis), pattern of force distribution at the foot, and activation of specific lower extremity muscles (as measured by surface electromyography). Interventions for this patient consisted of neuromuscular and body awareness training, with an emphasis on kinesthetic feedback. Weekly sessions lasted 30–60 minutes over 4 weeks. The patient was prescribed a home program of walking 30–60 minutes three times/week at a comfortable pace while concentrating on gait correction through kinesthetic awareness of specific deviations. Following intervention, the pati...
Searching XML documents via XML fragments

Most of the work on XML query and search has stemmed from the publishing and database communities, mostly for the needs of business applications. Recently, the Information Retrieval community began investigating the XML search issue to answer information discovery needs. Following this trend, we present here an approach where information needs can be expressed in an approximate manner as pieces of XML documents or "XML fragments" of the same nature as the documents that are being searched. We present an extension of the vector space model for searching XML collections via XML fragments and ranking results by relevance. We describe how we have extended a full-text search engine to comply with this model. The value of the proposed method is demonstrated by the relative high precision of our system, which was among the top performers in the recent INEX workshop. Our results indicate that certain queries are more appropriate than others for the extended vector space model. Specifically, queries with relatively specific contexts but vague information needs are best situated to reap the benefit of this model. Finally our results show that one method may not fit all types of queries and that it could be worthwhile to use different solutions for different applications.
Mouse Trap: A Text-Critical Problem with Rodents in the Ark Narrative

The book of 1 Samuel presents the interpreter with a number of textual difficulties, and where the Masoretic Text is problematic, scholars routinely turn to other versions (such as the Greek Septuagint or the Qumran material) for assistance. There are occasions, however, when the MT is intelligible enough, yet the LXX features a divergence, and the usual text-critical methods are hard pressed to explain the reason for divergence as a result of scribal error or lapse in transmission. One such example can be found in the so-called ‘Ark Narrative’ of 1 Samuel, where the Ark of the Covenant is captured by Philistines and taken to the temple of Dagon. When comparing the Hebrew and Greek texts of 1 Samuel 5-6, there is a discrepancy in the presentation of mice in the story. In the LXX mice are featured at an early point in the story, whereas in the MT mice are not even mentioned until the ark is poised to return to Israel. In this article I survey the scholarship on the issue and evaluate the differences in the two textual traditions, paying attention to the unique literary voices of each trajectory.
Distributed adaptive control of flexible structures

ABSTRACT In this paper a new method of distributed parameter control of flexible structures is considered. It is based on finiteelement approximation, from which the auto-regressive moving average (ARMA) representation of the distributed parametersystem is derived. First, a discrete-time recursive least squares (RLS) estimation algorithm is designed to estimate mass,stiffness and damping coefficient ofthe structure. It is then combined with a continuous time linear quadratic regulator(LQR) algorithm, to form a hybrid distributed adaptive control system for the suppression of vibration in flexible structures. Simulation results are furnished to demonstrate the performance of the estimation algorithm and the adaptive controller. 1. INTRODUCTION Flexible structures are in general, distributed parameter systems governed by partial differential equations'(PDE). Inorder to actively control the vibration in such structures, conventional lumped parameter control theory may not be effectiveand hence application of distributed parameter control theory has been investigated by several researchers2'3. Such structuresoften find applications in space structures, aerospace industries etc. In such cases, due to prolonged exposition to extremeenvironmental conditions the properties of these structures may change significantly4 (upto 500%). To suppress vibration insuch structures by electrical means, the variation in material properties has to be constantly monitored and proper action betaken while designing the adaptive controller. This calls for the design of distributed parameter adaptive control system.Various algorithms for estimating the parameters in such systems have been reported in5'6'7'8. However, these algorithms in
Clinical and biochemical analysis of two families with type I and type II mannosidosis

We report on two unrelated patients with different presentations of mannosidosis. One patient was affected in early childhood with a severe phenotype characteristic of type I mannosidosis. The other was diagnosed with type II mannosidosis only after the onset of progressive neurologic deterioration in late adulthood. Both were detected by non-invasive urinary screening of oligosaccharides. Lymphoblasts transformed from both patients' blood cells had markedly reduced lysosomal α-mannosidase activity. Kinetic analyses showed that α-mannosidase from the type I patient had a 400-fold reduction in affinity while that from the type II patient was reduced 40-fold. Lymphoblasts from all 4 parents had reduced α-mannosidase activity, but there were overlapping activities among these type I and type II obligate heterozygotes. We conclude that screening urinary oligosaccharides will detect mannosidosis over a wide range of phenotypes, that lymphoblasts transformed from affected heterozygotes have decreased enzymatic activity, and that the severity of clinical expression is related to the degree of enzyme impairment. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mathematical relationships between the generalized functional, edge-ray, aplanatic, and SMS design methods

We explore the mathematical relationships between generalized functional designs and edge-ray, aplanatic, and simultaneous multiple surface (SMS) designs. We show that both edge-ray and dual-surface aplanatic designs are special cases of generalized functional designs. In addition, we show that dual-surface SMS designs are closely related to generalized functional designs, and that certain computational advantages accrue when the two design methods are combined. A number of examples are provided.
Mechanistic insights into folic acid-dependent vascular protection: Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-mediated reduction in oxidant stress in endothelial cells and angiotensin II-infused mice: A novel HPLC-based fluorescent assay for DHFR activity

Folate supplementation improves endothelial function in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. Mechanistic insights into potential benefits of folate on vascular function in general population however, remain mysterious. Expression of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) was markedly increased by folic acid (FA, 50 micromol/L, 24 h) treatment in endothelial cells. Tetrahydrofolate (THF) is formed after incubation of purified DHFR or cellular extracts with 50 micromol/L of substrate dihydrofolic acid. THF could then be detected and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescent detector (295/365 nm). Using this novel and sensitive assay, we found that DHFR activity was significantly increased by FA. Furthermore, FA improved redox status of Ang II treated cells by increasing H(4)B and NO() bioavailability while decreasing superoxide (O(2)(-)) production. It however failed to restore NO() levels in DHFR siRNA-transfected or methotrexate pre-treated cells, implicating a specific and intermediate role of DHFR. In mice orally administrated with FA (15 mg/kg/day, 16 days), endothelial upregulation of DHFR expression and activity occurred in correspondence to improved NO() and H(4)B bioavailability, and this was highly effective in reducing Ang II infusion (0.7 mg/kg/day, 14 days)-stimulated aortic O(2)(-) production. 5'-methyltetrahydrofolate (5'-MTHF) levels, GTPCH1 expression and activity remained unchanged in response to FA or Ang II treatment in vitro and in vivo. FA supplementation improves endothelial NO() bioavailability via upregulation of DHFR expression and activity, and protects endothelial cells from Ang II-provoked oxidant stress both in vitro and in vivo. These observations likely represent a novel mechanism (intermediate role of DHFR) whereby FA induces vascular protection.
A mild four-carbon homologation of 4-formyl-azetidinones

A mild, four-carbon homologation of a 4-formyl-substituted azetidinone provides a route to compound I, a key intermediate in the total synthesis of the carbacephem antibiotics. The route features homologation with phosphorane IV and facile dioxenone opening in the final step of the sequence.
Structural disorder and enhanced ion transport in amorphous conductors

Abstract Conductivity (σ) data are reported for Li2B4O7 and LiBO2 crystals. While the σ behavior of boracite glass has been suggested to be comparable to its fast ion conducting (FIC) crystalline form, diborate and metaborate glasses are observed to be substantially better conductors than their crystalline counterparts. Both here and in the literature, framework disorder can be associated with enhanced σ's. Data on density and lithium vibration spectra are considered in a critical analysis of the borate structures. The distribution of anionic species about the framework, and in turn, about interstices in the carrier sublattice, is shown to influence critically the transport behavior. Paradigms for FIC are reevaluated in light of a closer inspection of structure-transport relationships in polymorphic materials.
Determination of Soil Stabilizer Content Using X-Ray Fluorescence

Currently, there are no simple methods routinely used to quantify the amount of chemical additive mixed into the soil during subgrade stabilization. Such a method was developed and validated for commonly used chemical additives including lime, cement kiln dust, and Class C fly ash mixed with different fine-grained soil types. The method employs the well-established x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. X-ray fluorescence was used to detect the amount of stabilizer, in the form of calcium oxide (CaO), in several stabilized subgrade soils. This technique was validated using four soils of different mineralogy and classification stabilized with three chemical stabilizers, and successfully implemented on several roadway stabilization projects. The results show that XRF accurately measures the amount of CaO in various soils, using different stabilizers, and can be a valuable tool for not only quality control, but forensic geotechnical investigations as well.
Epithelial cell proliferation in the mouse vagina during the estrous cycle, pregnancy and lactation: a radioautographic study.

A radioautographic study of epithelial cell proliferation in the vaginas of mice during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, lactation, and under certain experimental conditions is reported. Data were expressed as labeled cells per 1000 basal cells counted. The proportion of labeled cells that were basal or nonbasal was determined. The highest rates of proliferation were recorded during the estrous cycle, specifically during late diestrus, proestrus and early estrus. During pregnancy the rates of proliferation increased from metestrous levels beginning on day three and reaching a maximum on day 4 just before implantation, followed by a decrease on days 6 and 8. There was an increase on day 12 followed by a more marked increase on day 19, the last full day of pregnancy. On the first day post partum the rate of proliferation was very low. A small increase followed during early lactation. Data on rates of vaginal epithelial proliferation were used to infer the estrogen secretion pattern during reproduction in the mouse. In addition it was concluded that progesterone augmented the proliferative response of the vaginal epithelium to estrogen, specifically promoting proliferation of nonbasal cells. Experiments using mated, castrated mice and estrogen or progesterone replacement confirmed these conclusions. Data and conclusions are discussed relative to recently reported data on ovarian plasma estrogen and progesterone content in rats during reproduction.
Capillary high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric analysis of proteins from affinity-purified plasma membrane.

Proteomics analysis of plasma membranes is a potentially powerful strategy for the discovery of proteins involved in membrane remodeling under diverse cellular environments and identification of di...
Non-deterministic preamble sampling periods for low-power listening

In this paper, we propose a novel low-power listening scheme that is comprised of non-deterministic preamble sampling periods and demonstrate how the mean of these sampling periods can be varied through the use of a preamble sampling probability parameter. This is in contrast to the existing literature which treats the preamble sampling periods as deterministic and seeks to vary them directly using heuristic algorithms. Per packet energy consumption analysis and accompanying simulation results for our non-deterministic approach are provided and we show that energy consumption can be minimized by varying this preamble sampling probability parameter.
Heart Probe—A Method for Obtaining Blood Samples from Chickens

Abstract The increasing use of the inorganic phosphorus and calcium content of blood plasma and sera in the diagnosis of rickets makes a simple method for obtaining blood for such analyses desirable. Though blood so obtained can no doubt be used for other kinds of analyses, the method described here was developed primarily for use in connection with studies of rickets in chicks at the Laboratory of Poultry Nutrition at the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station and has proved very satisfactory during the past three years in which time 3,000 chicks and about 300 hens have been bled. Though the idea was not original with the authors, it has been developed by them to the extent that the time consumed is relatively short and the mortality of the chicks is sufficiently low to make it practical. The possibility that the use of blood analyses in nutritional investigations may be limited somewhat . . .
Analysis of the autoimmune epitopes on human testicular NASP using recombinant and synthetic peptides

The human nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein, NASP, is a testicular histone-binding protein of 787 amino acids to which most vasectomized men develop autoantibodies. In this study to define the boundaries of antigenic regions and epitope recognition pattern, recombinant deletion mutants spanning the entire protein coding sequence and a human NASP cDNA sublibrary were screened with vasectomy patients' sera. Employing panel sera from 21 vasectomy patients with anti-sperm antibodies, a heterogeneous pattern of autoantibody binding to the recombinant polypeptides was detected in ELISA and immunoblotting. The majority of sera (20/21) had antibodies to one or more of the NASP fusion proteins. Antigenic sites preferentially recognized by the individual patients' sera were located within aa 32–352 and aa 572–787. Using a patient's serum selected for its reactivity to the whole recombinant protein in Western blots, cDNA clones positive for the C-terminal domain of the molecule were identified. The number and location of linear epitopes in this region were determined by synthetic peptide mapping and inhibition studies. The epitope-containing segment was delimited to the sequence aa 619–692 and analysis of a series of 74 concurrent overlapping 9mer synthetic peptides encompassing this region revealed four linear epitopes: amino acid residues IREKIEDAK (aa 648–656), KESQRSGNV (aa 656–664), AELALKATL (aa 665–673) and GFTPGGGGS (aa 680–688). All individual patients' sera reacted with epitopes within the sequence IRE….GGS (aa 648–688). The strongest reactivity was displayed by peptides corresponding to the sequence AELALKATL (aa 665–673). Thus, multiple continuous autoimmune epitopes in NASP involving sequences in the conserved C-terminal domain as well as in the less conserved testis-specific N-terminal region comprising the histone-binding sites, as predicted for an antigen-driven immune response, may be a target of autoantibodies in vasectomized men and may provide a relevant laboratory variable to describe more accurately the spectrum of autoantibody specificities associated with the clinical manifestation of vasectomy.
Image Defects Useful In Teaching Students

In the early stages of teaching students the subject of lens design, the author has found it useful to present the concept of image defects in a form which relates the aberration polynomial terms to specific ray intercept data. The normal development of exact ray intercept errors (ex,ey) as a power series in terms of the canonical coordinates (ρ,θ,H,e) following Buchdahl is in general observed to be theoretically pleasing. Students often find it difficult, however, to quickly grasp the physical interpretation of the numerous aberration coefficients. On the other hand, they seem to readily visualize the concept of real ray intercept deviations from the ideal image point. By expressing the actual ray intercept error at the image plane as additive contributions, it has been found illustrative to show how ray intercept data from a few selected trigonometrically-traced rays can be utilized to compute these contributions including explaining how to identify the oblique spherical and higher-order coma portions of the astigmatic and comatic error contributions. The necessity for including ray-trace data not in either the tangential or sagittal planes [e.g., (ρ,θ,H,e)=(ρ,45°,H,e)] to assure that all aberration coefficients are accounted for is also discussed.
Interleaved water and fat dual-echo spin echo imaging with intrinsic chemical-shift elimination.

A new technique was developed to simultaneously acquire water and fat dual-echo spin echo images in a single acquisition period. Chemical shifts between water and fat images are intrinsically eliminated, and the images are combined to form water-plus-fat image. In vivo water-only images show fat suppression superior to that of conventional spin echo images. This technique may be clinically useful for musculoskeletal imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2001;13:318–323. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A systematic review of cognitive behavioral interventions in advanced cancer

Objective To systematically review cognitive behavioral interventions for people with advanced cancer.
Effect of processing parameters on inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores in milk using pulsed electric fields

Abstract The inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores in milk by treatment using pulsed electric fields (PEF) was studied. The effects of the electric field, temperature, number of pulses, pulse width, frequency and nisin concentration were tested in skim and whole milk. Results showed high resistance of spores to PEF alone; mild thermal treatment (40 °C) applied together with PEF had an antagonistic effect, and treatment at 50 °C enhanced spore death. Skim milk was a better medium than whole milk for inactivation; stronger thermal treatment (65 °C) together with PEF achieved a slight increase in spore reduction. The effect of pulse width was not consistent. Addition of nisin (50 IU mL −1 ) was synergistically effective (40 kV cm −1 , 144 pulses, 65 °C), reducing spore count (by 3.6 log) in skim milk. Regardless of the severity of the treatment, spores showed resistance to the different processing variables.
The association between emotional intelligence and early adolescent tobacco and alcohol use

Abstract A study was conducted to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and adolescent tobacco and alcohol use (TAU). Subjects were 205 multi-ethnic adolescents (52% male) from middle schools in southern California (mean age=12.63 years), 153 from a public school and 52 from a parochial school. An abbreviated version of the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale, Student Version [Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (1997). Multifactor emotional intelligence scale, student version. Durham, NH] was used to assess the EI of the students. EI was negatively correlated with a general, overall measure of tobacco and alcohol use, and with individual tobacco and alcohol scales and items. It is plausible that the adolescents with high EI may possess a greater mental ability to read others well and detect unwanted peer pressure. These abilities may have led to an increased resistance to TAU, thus explaining the negative correlations found in this study. Further research is needed to validate these findings.
Posture-Related Headaches and Pachymeningeal Enhancement in CSF Leaks from Craniotomy Site:

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak is recognized to cause headaches that typically but not invariably have orthostatic features (present in upright posture, relieved by recumbency). Head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) typically shows diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement. A 24-year-old woman, after resection of a right temporoparietal glioma, developed CSF leak from the craniotomy site, resulting in subgaleal fluid collection and associated with diffuse pachymeningeal gadolinium enhancement as well as posture-related headaches. The headaches, however, were present in a recumbent position and relieved after several minutes of being in an upright position. It is postulated that CSF leak took place when the patient was recumbent and ceased when she was upright, a position in which there is decrease in intracranial pressure. After cessation of the leak, along with disappearance of subgaleal collection of CSF, both the headaches and the pachymeningeal enhancement resolved.
On the continuity of the Volterra variational derivative

Abstract We give a sufficient condition for the continuity of the Volterra variational derivative of a functional with respect to a fixed function. For linear functionals this condition is automatically satisfied, and so the Volterra variational derivative of a linear functional is always continuous.
Synthetic seismograms for marine sediments and determination of porosity and permeability

We present numerical simulations of vertical seismic profiles (VSPs) of marine sediments. The theoretical seismograms, which are computed for vertically incident waves in flat layered poroelastic media, include the effects of dispersion and attenuation predicted by Biot theory. According to Biot theory, fast and slow compressional waves are excited and there is mode conversion at the interfaces. We include this effect in the calculation of reflection and transmission coefficients as an energy‐loss mechanism through the slow compressional waves. Finally, we examine the spectral ratio method for determining porosity and permeability from synthetic seismogram data. Analytical expressions for the velocity and specific attenuation are found based on the weak‐frame approximation. Once the frequency‐dependent velocity and specific attenuation are calculated, the porosity and permeability of marine sediments can be determined by using the proposed weak‐frame approximations. Spectral ratio calculations on syntheti...
Shifting ground: archaeological surveys of upland Adak Island, the Aleutian Islands, Alaska and changing assumptions of Unangan land use patterns

Abstract Archaeological site surveys in the Aleutian archipelago of western Alaska understandably focused along the shoreline, based on an assumption that land resources were a minor contribution to Unangan life. This view was the dominant but not unanimous view from the 1960s through the 1990s. There were occasional reports of upland sites. In 2007 through 2009, a concerted effort was made to survey a portion of the upland areas on Adak Island. In 2007, eight new sites with two to 22 cultural depressions were found between 33 and 115 m above sea level. Radiocarbon dates of 190±50 rcybp and 590±40 rcybp from two sites demonstrate that these are not modern features. The results of the 2007 season nearly doubled, from 12 to 20, the number of upland sites with cultural depressions reported in the Aleutian Islands. Three additional upland sites found in 2008 included an isolated flake, a lithic scatter, and a heavily vegetated site with a cultural stratum. The 2009 survey on the Pacific coast resulted in no n...
Quantum mechanical calculations of uranium phases and niobium defects in γ-uranium

Abstract Depleted uranium (U) from fuel enrichment processes has a variety of applications due to its high density. With the addition of a small concentration of niobium (Nb), U becomes stainless. Nb is fully miscible with the high-temperature γ phase of U and tends to segregate upon cooling below 1050 K. The starting point of segregation is the configuration of Nb substitutional or interstitial defects. Using quantum mechanical calculations, the authors find that the formation energy of a single vacancy is 1.08 eV, that of Nb substitution 0.59 eV, that of Nb interstitial at octahedral site 1.58 eV, and that of Nb interstitial at tetrahedral site 2.35 eV in the dilute limit of isolated defects; all with reference to a reservoir of the pure γ phase U and pure Nb. The analysis of electronic structures reveals the correlation of formation energies of Nb defects with the local perturbations of electron distribution. Higher formation energy of Nb defects correlates with larger perturbation. Based on this study, Nb atoms thermodynamically prefer to occupy substitutional sites in the γ phase U.
Prevention of post-operative recurrence of Crohn’s disease

Endoscopic and clinical recurrence of Crohn’s disease (CD) is a common occurrence after surgical resection. Smokers, those with perforating disease, and those with myenteric plexitis are all at higher risk of recurrence. A number of medical therapies have been shown to reduce this risk in clinical trials. Metronidazole, thiopurines and anti-tumour necrosis factors (TNFs) are all effective in reducing the risk of endoscopic or clinical recurrence of CD. Since these are preventative agents, the benefits of prophylaxis need to be weighed-against the risk of adverse events from, and costs of, therapy. Patients who are high risk for post-operative recurrence should be considered for early medical prophylaxis with an anti-TNF. Patients who have few to no risk factors are likely best served by a three-month course of antibiotics followed by tailored therapy based on endoscopy at one year. Clinical recurrence rates are variable, and methods to stratify patients into high and low risk populations combined with prophylaxis tailored to endoscopic recurrence would be an effective strategy in treating these patients.
Experimental Analysis of Prey Selection by Largemouth Bass: Role of Predator Mouth Width and Prey Body Depth

Abstract Piscivorous fish are size-selective predators. Although sizes of prey selectively ingested by piscivores traditionally have been measured in terms of prey length relative to predator length, the relationship between prey body depth (measured dorsoventrally) and piscivore mouth gape may be a more appropriate measure of prey size selection. In 2-d feeding trials with three sizes of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides, I offered various sizes of shallow-bodied fathead minnows Pimephales promelas and deep-bodied pumpkinseeds Lepomis gibbosus in assemblages of one or both species. All sizes of predators preferred pumpkinseeds with body depths well below the maximum size ingestible. Small predators also preferred fathead minnows with body depths below the maximum size ingestible, whereas intermediate and large predators selectively ingested the largest fathead minnows offered. Largemouth bass never ingested prey of body depth greater than their own external mouth width. Although lengths of selectivel...
Secretin, a stimulus for duodenal and pancreatic “gastrin” release: Possible pathogenetic significance in Zollinger-Ellison (ZE) syndrome

Abstract Ex vivo hemoperfused pancreaticoduodenal preparations from dogs have been used to study intraluminal and circulatory patterns of release of immunoreactive gastrin under basal conditions and after secretin stimulation. Bidirectional release of immunoreactive gastrin was maximal at 3 U/min secretin infusion, and release into pancreatic and duodenal juice exceeded that into portal venous blood. Molecular sieving chromatography of peptides with gastrin-like immunoreactivity recovered from duodenal and pancreatic juice indicated a single species of a molecular size equivalent to CCK8 and smaller than minigastrin (G-14). The exact identity has not been defined. This study demonstrates that secretin stimulates release of gastrin-like peptides into blood and lumen of extra-antral gastrin-producing tissues in the dog. Unidirectional gastrin release patterns from gastrinoma tissue may explain the paradoxical increase in plasma gastrin levels in response to secretin in patients with gastrinomas (Zollinger-Ellison syndrome).
Improving dementia care: The role of screening and detection of cognitive impairment

Abstract The value of screening for cognitive impairment, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease, has been debated for decades. Recent research on causes of and treatments for cognitive impairment has converged to challenge previous thinking about screening for cognitive impairment. Consequently, changes have occurred in health care policies and priorities, including the establishment of the annual wellness visit, which requires detection of any cognitive impairment for Medicare enrollees. In response to these changes, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation convened a workgroup to review evidence for screening implementation and to evaluate the implications of routine dementia detection for health care redesign. The primary domains reviewed were consideration of the benefits, harms, and impact of cognitive screening on health care quality. In conference, the workgroup developed 10 recommendations for realizing the national policy goals of early detection as the first step in improving clinical care and ensuring proactive, patient-centered management of dementia.
Approximate scaling laws for saturation in the FEL (1-D theory)

Abstract Approximate scaling laws for the saturation intensity and the saturation length in a free electron laser amplifier are derived by expressing them in terms of naturally defined characteristic values. The characteristic intensity is defined as that for which the power gain of the laser field equals the synchrotron wave number of the electrons. The characteristic length is defined as the gain length at saturation. Comparison with simulation results shows that the scaling laws are accurate to within ±10%.
Temperature dependence of the decay time and quantum efficiency of F-center luminescence in KCl

Improved measurements of τ and η in the range 4.2–170°K reveal a temperature dependence of the radiative lifetime, τR = τη, consistent with recent Stark effect measurements.
Psychological Adjustment of Children with Cystic Fibrosis: The Role of Child Cognitive Processes and Maternal Adjustment

Found 60% of children 7-12 years old with cystic fibrosis to have a parent-reported behavior problem and 62% met the criteria for a DSM-III diagnosis based on a structured clinical interview with the child. Mixed internal and external behavior problem patterns and diagnoses of anxiety and oppositional disorder were most frequent. Support was provided for the hypothesized psycho-social/mediational roles of child perception of self-worth and maternal anxiety in child adjustment. Together, the variables of the transactional stress and coping model accounted for 39 and 43% of the variance in mother-reported internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and for 68% of the variance in child-reported problems.
A VALIDATION STUDY OF THE ROBERTSON-BERGER METER

An evaluation of the Robertson-Berger meter was done in order to address the question of whether instrumental and calibration factors can cause what might be interpreted as a change in the ground level solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) flux. The evaluation consisted of reviewing information about the instrumentation and components in the published literature, a review of the records and procedures in both operations and calibrations, and examination of two instruments including tempera- ture tests of them. It is shown that the instrument is basically stable and that the calibration procedures did not support data drift. There is a slight dependance of the two instruments upon temperature, 0.3"C/y and 0.6"Cly, which is not sufficient to lead to the reported UV-B trends of the order of 0.7 %/y. There is negligible temperature drift in the control electronics.
Production of Cell Wall-Degrading Enzymes by Aspergillus nidulans: A Model System for Fungal Pathogenesis of Plants

The cell wall-degrading enzymes polygalacturonase and pectate lyase have been suggested to be crucial for penetration and colonization of plant tissues by some fungal pathogens. We have found that Aspergillus nidulans (= Emericella nidulans), a saprophytic Ascomycete, produces levels of these enzymes equal to those produced by soft-rotting Erwinia species. Induction of polygacturonase and pectate lyase in A. nidulans requires substrate and is completely repressed by glucose. Surprisingly, inoculation of excised plant tissues with A. nidulans conidia leads to formation of necrotic, water-soaked lesions within which the organism sporulates. Thus, A. nidulans has phytopathogenic potential. The release of glucose and other sugars from wounded tissues may repress pectolytic enzyme production and limit disease development. Therefore, we tested creA204, a mutation that relieves glucose repression of some A. nidulans carbon utilization enzymes, for its effect on production of pectolytic enzymes. creA204 failed to relieve catabolite repression of polygalacturonase or pectate lyase and had no effect on disease severity.
Children and Religion

This essay demonstrates how the perspectives of children can both inform and expand our understanding of religious traditions. It examines the current scholarship on the topic, which primarily centers on adult efforts to socialize children into a tradition, but is beginning to examine the ability of children to negotiate a religiously diverse world. Children sort through the networks of support and influence in their lives to find meaningful ways to express their religious beliefs and develop practices that synthesize adult teachings with their own interpretations and needs. If scholars hope to achieve some understanding of how young people do this sorting and sifting, much more work needs to be done in all areas of study with religion and children, from how parents and congregations teach children about their faith to how children respond to and reinterpret these efforts. By exploring the available resources on children and investigating the themes that arise in this research with respect to young people and their faith, I hope to encourage and continue the upward trend of including children in religious studies research and suggest areas for further study.
Morphological asymmetry of insular freshwater populations of threespine stickleback

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), random deviations from perfect symmetry in a bilateral organism, has been widely used as a proxy for developmental instability in stressed populations. In order to test the utility of FA of resident freshwater threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as a biomonitoring tool for contaminated sites, we compared levels of asymmetry of seven morphological traits of threespine stickleback collected from lakes at three islands with a history of military contamination and three islands with no military history, in the Aleutian Archipelago, Alaska. Traits examined include eye diameter, operculum width, pectoral fin ray number, pectoral fin width, lateral plate number, lateral plate length, and pelvic spine length. All morphometric traits demonstrated some degree of FA or directional asymmetry (DA), but the military history of a lake was not a predictor of the degree or type of asymmetry. Overall, the patterns of asymmetry were similar for all traits, irrespective of military contamination at a lake. Our results demonstrate that the suite of threespine stickleback traits measured are not suitable for examination of FA as a proxy for aquatic pollution in this region. DA also does not appear to be suitable as an indicator of aquatic pollution, but may instead be driven by local ecological factors such as predation.
Relative Brightness in Natural Images Can Be Accounted for by Removing Blurry Content

One critical question regarding visual cognition concerns how the physical properties of the visual world are represented in early vision and then relayed to high-level vision. Here, we posit a simple theory: Processes that encode object appearance reduce their response to spatial content that is coarser than the size of the attended object. We show that a filtering procedure based on this theory can account for the relative brightness levels of test patches placed in images of natural scenes and for many hard-to-explain brightness illusions. The implication is that the perception of brightness differences in most brightness illusions actually corresponds to physical differences present in the images. Portions of the visual system may encode these physical differences by means of neural processes that adaptively reduce their response to low-spatial-frequency content.
Fluorescence lifetime studies of terbium doped dipicolinic acid (DPA) using a high PRF UV laser

We have used a high-power, high-PRF laser to measure the relatively slower fluorescence lifetime of DPA by modeling the dynamic, time dependent population rate-equations of terbium doped dipicolinate in water. Good agreement was found.
White Ethnic Neighborhoods and Assimilation: The Greater New York Region, 1980–1990

The authors reexamine the role of the white ethnic neighborhood for assimilation versus the persistence of ethnicity. They employ a geographic mapping strategy to identify ethnic neighborhoods as clusters of proximate census tracts where a particular group has a disproportionate share of the population. This strategy is applied to German, Irish, and Italian in the Greater New York region in 1980 and 1990. German are found to have few and small neighborhoods, while Italian have many and large ones; Irish are in between. The neighborhoods of all three groups are frequently in suburbs, including ones that are distant from central cities, and are not limited to working-class enclaves. However, they do represent concentrations of group members with more ethnic characteristics, as measured by single ethnic ancestry and use of a mother tongue. During the 1980s, the most ethnic of these neighborhoods, located in central cities, were declining, while the least ethnic of them, in outer suburbs, were growing. This spatial shift was linked to invasion and succession in inner-city neighborhoods by minorities, chiefly new immigrant groups