cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evapotranspiration of mixed shrub communities in phreatophytic zones of the Great Basin region of Nevada (USA)

In this study, evapotranspiration (ET) was estimated for three valleys (White River, Spring Valley and Snake Valley) in the Great Basin region of Nevada (USA) during a 3-year period. ET estimates were based on an energy balance approach using the eddy covariance (EC) method and were scaled to the basin level by developing empirical relationships between ET and remotely sensed spectral data (Landsat). Annual EC–ET values for the three basins and previously published values attained for the same valleys during the same time period were correlated to average normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values for the growing period. Resulting empirical relationships accounted for 97% (p < 0·001) of the variation in the EC–ET estimate for the 10 May–5 September growing period, and 93% (p < 0·001) of the variation in the EC–ET estimates based on measured or projected yearly ET totals. Variations in yearly ET estimates at the different shrubland sites ranged from 20 to 50 cm during the two dry years (2006 and 2007, not including the irrigated site). Winter precipitation was shown to be a significant driving force in the physiological response of the plants and the yearly ET totals. In the case of White River Valley, the ratio of winter precipitation to reference evapotranspiration (ETref) declined from 79 to 11% over the 3-year monitoring period. Overall, ET rates in 2007 (May–Sept.) were highly correlated with the percentage cover of greasewood at the monitoring sites (R2 = 0·96***), regardless of the depth to groundwater. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interlaboratory comparison studies on the analysis of hair for drugs of abuse

Eleven laboratories interested in the analysis of human hair for drugs of abuse participated in a study to determine how well drugs could be detected and quantified in hair. For the two exercises completed to date, substances to be determined were limited to cocaine, benzoylecgonine, and morphine. Samples sent to the participating laboratories included hair from drug users, drug-free hair, and hair into which drugs had been soaked. For the first exercise, the hair samples were sent as powders; for the second, they were in the form of short segments. Results from these studies have shown that the laboratories, with a few exceptions, have performed very well qualitatively. However, scatter in quantitative results was high. Various approaches were used to liberate drugs from the hair, with the most commonly used, acid extractions and enzyme digestions, producing similar results. Laboratories using GC/MS generally performed well and reported no false positives. In contrast, one laboratory analyzing hair directly using MS/MS without extractions produced three of the four false positives and the worst quantitative results.
Heuristic Research: A Review and Critique of Moustakas’s Method

Moustakas has made a significant contribution to research in psychology by describing the heuristic research method. This is a way of inquiring into what Wilber has identified as the Upper Left quadrant, or individual internal experience, and what Polanyi referred to as tacit knowledge, which is deeply embedded knowledge not normally available to conscious awareness. However, this article suggests that due to unacknowledged resistance to experiencing unbearable pain, Moustakas’s research focus shifted from the self’s experience of the experience to focusing on the idea of the experience. This shift resulted in a model of ambivalence, as reflected in the differences between what he introduced as his theory of heuristics and what he presented as its application. A clarification of the Moustakas method is presented to overcome ambivalence by recognizing resistance.
Variant specific transcripts from the co-transposed segments of variant surface glycoprotein genes in Trypanosoma brucei.

Abstract We examined steady-state transcripts from the sequences immediately upstream of the 1 and 11 variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) genes in Trypanosoma brucei of the IsTaR 1 serodeme. These sequences, the co-transposed segment, differ in size and sequence, and produce a variety of variant-specific polyadenylated transcripts. Most, if not all, of these transcripts, some of which may be precursors, contain the spliced leader (SL). Variant specific transcription extends from 5′ of the co-transposed segment to 100–400 nucleotides downstream of the major VSG mRNA polyadenylation site. The 1 VSG mRNA has at least 2, and possibly 3, SL addition sites; the major site is 120 nucleotides downstream of the polyadenylation site identified by sequencing a cDNA from the co-transposed segment. Two general models for the production of the co-transposed segment transcripts are discussed.
Chemistry and mineralogy of Precambrian paleosols at the base of the Dominion and Pongola Groups (Transvaal, South Africa)

Abstract We have studied alteration zones found between sedimentary rocks of the (lowest Proterozoic) Dominion and (Archean) Pongola Groups and underlying granitic rocks (Transvaal, South Africa). The alteration zones have a transitional lower boundary, primary igneous minerals are gradually destroyed upward toward the contact with overlying sedimentary rocks. Ca, Mg, Na, P, and Mn are progressively lost upwards in the zone. The chemical and mineralogical variations, and available stratigraphic evidence are all consistent with the interpretation that these zones are paleosols formed by Precambrian weathering 2.8-3.0 Ga ago. After formation the paleosols underwent metasomatism and metamorphism. Sericite now present in the paleosols was probably formed by low temperature potassium metasomatism of original clays. Andalusite in the pre-Pongola paleosol was probably formed by metamorphism of original clays in impermeable zones which prevented groundwater flow and potassium metasomatism. The Dominion paleosol was investigated at three localities. The effects of weathering were similar at the three sites except for the behavior of iron. One site lost about 20% of iron whereas the other sites lost 75% and 80% of initial iron content. The differences in iron loss may be due to variation in soil ventilation and diffusion of atmospheric gases as a function of grain size and topography. Variations in iron loss may be used to place some constraints on the composition of the Precambrian atmosphere. Given constraints imposed by Dominion paleosols, overlying uraniferous conglomerates, requirements for chemical weathering and the greenhouse effect, and possible presence of non-diffusing photochemical oxidants, the partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases probably are in the ranges: PO1 - 0.02% to 0.5% PAL (Present Atmospheric Level) and PCO2 - 5 to 30 PAL.
In vitro cyto- and genotoxicity of organomercurials to cells in culture.

Abstract The sequence of cytotoxic effects for a series of mercury compounds to the BG/F epithelioid cells derived from fin tissue of bluegill sunfish was phenyl mercuric chloride > methyl mercuric chloride > ethyl mercuric chloride ⪢ mercuric chloride. This sequence of in vitro cytotoxicity was similar to that observed in a 48-h LC 50 in vivo acute toxicity assay with rainbow trout. Using induction of micronuclei as an indicator of genetic damage, the organomercurials, but not mercuric chloride, were noted to be clastogenic to the BG/F cells.
Convex partitions of a finite lattice

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the lattice of convex partitions for a lattice L. Then we will show some properties of this lattice. Finally, we will show that if the convex partition lattice of L is finite and modular if and only if L is a finite chain.
Quick-change artist: from excitatory to inhibitory synapse in minutes.

Cultured sympathetic neurons contain an excitatory transmitter, norepinephrine, and one that is inhibitory, acetylcholine. A new paper shows that BDNF increases the ratio of acetylcholine to norepinephrine release, reversing the effect of neural stimulation from excitation to inhibition.
Configurable, Hierarchical, Model-Based Control of Electrical Distribution Circuits

Grid modernization strategies often focus on replacing aging distribution control equipment with state-of-the-art devices capable of remote monitoring, communication, and control. However, wholesale replacement of the existing distribution infrastructure may not be practical or economical. Additionally, even with improved capabilities, “smart” devices may still be ignorant of changes in circuit topology. This paper presents a model-based distribution control scheme that is independent of circuit topology and integrates legacy and modern control equipment. Simulation results indicate the proposed method can improve circuit performance under both normal and abnormal conditions.
A Description of Cohnilembus verminus from Eniwetok Atoll

SYNOPSIS. Cohnilembus verminus, a marine hymenostome ciliate, is described from a culture taken at Eniwetok. Anatomic studies were made on specimens treated primarily with the Chatton-Lwoff silver impregnation technic.
Gold and silver nanoparticles conjugated with heparin derivative possess anti-angiogenesis properties

Silver and gold nanoparticles display unique physical and biological properties that have been extensively studied for biological and medical applications. Typically, gold and silver nanoparticles are prepared by chemical reductants that utilize excess toxic reactants, which need to be removed for biological purposes. We utilized a clean method involving a single synthetic step to prepare metal nanoparticles for evaluating potential effects on angiogenesis modulation. These nanoparticles were prepared by reducing silver nitrate and gold chloride with diaminopyridinyl (DAP)-derivatized heparin (HP) polysaccharides. Both gold and silver nanoparticles reduced with DAPHP exhibited effective inhibition of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2)-induced angiogenesis, with an enhanced anti-angiogenesis efficacy with the conjugation to DAPHP (P<0.01) as compared to glucose conjugation. These results suggest that DAPHP-reduced silver nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles have potential in pathological angiogenesis accelerated disorders such as cancer and inflammatory diseases.
Fire effects on soils in Lake States forests: A compilation of published research to facilitate long-term investigations

Fire-adapted forests of the Lake States region are poorly studied relative to those of the western and southeastern United States and our knowledge base of regional short- and long-term fire effects on soils is limited. We compiled and assessed the body of literature addressing fire effects on soils in Lake States forests to facilitate the re-measurement of previous studies for the development of new long-term datasets, and to identify existing gaps in the regional knowledge of fire effects on forest soils. Most studies reviewed addressed fire effects on chemical properties in pine-dominated forests, and long-term (>10 years) studies were limited. The major gaps in knowledge we identified include: (1) information on fire temperature and behavior information that would enhance
Pedagogy of a Latin American Festival.

Engaging and investigating the cultural production and practice of social groups and organizations that make claims of collective knowledge, democratic values, and social memories around the coordinates of difference, diversity, and representation are consistent with an expansion of postmodern scholarship on public pedagogies and citizen participation. These social groups and organizations often negotiate, carve out, and rework cultural spaces that create and sustain ritual performances of community and identity. This article is an ethnographic exploration of one such organization, which in light of recent and increasing demographic and socioeconomic shifts of Latino immigrants fleeing to resettle in the American South, has organized an annual Latin American festival. The researcher-author traces and interrogates not only the cultural images and knowledge produced by the organization in the process of planning and performing the Latin American festival, but also the complexity, dilemmas, and complicity that arise in subsequent ethnographic portrayal and academic text-making practice.
Simulation of Main Memory Database Recovery

In a main memory database (MMDB), the primary copy of the database may reside permanently in a volatile memory. When a system failure occurs, the database must be reloaded efficiently from archive memory into main memory. This paper presents four different reload schemes and the simulation models constructed to compare the algorithms. Simulation results indicate that the reload scheme based on freguency of data access gives the best overall performance in terms of transaction response time and system throughput.
Biclustering Using Message Passing

Biclustering is the analog of clustering on a bipartite graph. Existent methods infer biclusters through local search strategies that find one cluster at a time; a common technique is to update the row memberships based on the current column memberships, and vice versa. We propose a biclustering algorithm that maximizes a global objective function using message passing. Our objective function closely approximates a general likelihood function, separating a cluster size penalty term into row- and column-count penalties. Because we use a global optimization framework, our approach excels at resolving the overlaps between biclusters, which are important features of biclusters in practice. Moreover, Expectation-Maximization can be used to learn the model parameters if they are unknown. In simulations, we find that our method outperforms two of the best existing biclustering algorithms, ISA and LAS, when the planted clusters overlap. Applied to three gene expression datasets, our method finds coregulated gene clusters that have high quality in terms of cluster size and density.
The Efficacy of Function-Based Interventions for Students with Learning Disabilities Who Exhibit Escape-Maintained Problem Behaviors: Preliminary Results from a Single-Case Experiment:

This single-subject experiment explored the use of functional behavioral assessment to develop an intervention plan for a third-grade student with a learning disability, who exhibited high rates of...
Using an Interface Proxy to Host Versioned Web Services

Web services have become important building blocks of distributed applications and have matured to the point where service lifecycle issues such as version management are now paramount. However, there is a lack of versioning support in relevant standards and tools. We present an approach which leverages the existing WSDL service definition model to build a versioned service hosting solution. We distinguish between a Web service interface (published) version and its implementation version (private). We introduce the concept of a service interface proxy. This proxy, which can be generated automatically, implicitly defines the service interface version, and is published as the logical service endpoint. Client requests are routed dynamically by the proxy to appropriate implementation versions. We have implemented a prototype of our approach to demonstrate its applicability.
Childhood obesity: the health issue.

Overweight and obesity in children is epidemic in North America and internationally. Approximately 22 million children under 5 years of age are overweight across the world. In the United States, the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled in the last two to three decades, and similar doubling rates are being observed worldwide, including in developing countries and regions where an increase in Westernization of behavioral and dietary lifestyles is evident. Comorbidities associated with obesity and overweight are similar in children as in the adult population. Elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and a higher prevalence of factors associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear as frequent comorbidities in the overweight and obese pediatric population. In some populations, type 2 diabetes is now the dominant form of diabetes in children and adolescents. Disturbingly, obesity in childhood, particularly in adolescence, is a key predictor for obesity in adulthood. Moreover, morbidity and mortality in the adult population is increased in individuals who were overweight in adolescence, even if they lose the extra weight during adulthood. Although the cause of obesity in children is similar to that of adults (i.e., more energy in vs. energy utilized), emerging data suggest associations between the influence of maternal and fetal factors during intrauterine growth and growth during the first year of life, on risk of later development of adult obesity and its comorbidities. In addition, recent data suggest that varying biological responses in different racial/ethnic groups differently contribute to overweight, obesity, and their comorbidities. Although differences in gene-nutrient interactions may contribute, the role of varying cultural and socioeconomic variables still needs to be determined to understand these disparities. Novel approaches in the prevention and treatment of childhood overweight and obesity are urgently required. With the strong evidence that a lifecycle perspective is important in obesity development and its consequences, consideration must be focused on prevention of obesity in women of child-bearing age, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and the role of breast-feeding in reducing later obesity in children and adults. Consideration must be given to family behavior patterns, diet after weaning, and the use of new methods of information dissemination to help reduce the impact of childhood obesity worldwide.
BRANDAID: A Marketing-Mix Model, Part 2: Implementation, Calibration, and Case Study

Model implementation starts with introductory steps that include orienting management, forming a team, selecting and formulating a problem, calibrating the model, and initial use. Then on-going steps take over with firefighting, tracking and diagnosis, updating and evolution, and re-use. Calibration of the model is approached eclectically in stages that include judgment, analysis of historical data, tracking, field measurement, and adaptive control. A three-year case study shows that unexpected events intersperse a planned implementation. The model emerges with multiple roles in the marketing management process. The model serves not only as a means of evaluating strategies in annual planning and day-to-day operations but also as part of a monitoring system that compares model predictions with actual sales to uncover marketing problems and focus managerial attention upon them.
Spatially Organized Response Zones in Rat Olfactory Epithelium

Scott, John W., Donna E. Shannon, Jeff Charpentier, Lisa M. Davis, and Craig Kaplan. Spatially organized response zones in rat olfactory epithelium. J. Neurophysiol. 77: 1950–1962, 1997. Electroolf...
Inequalities in Body Mass Index and Smoking Behavior in 70 Countries: Evidence for a Social Transition in Chronic Disease Risk

Despite the growing burden of chronic disease globally, few studies have examined the socioeconomic patterning of risk across countries. The authors examined differences in the social patterning of body mass index (BMI) and current smoking by urbanicity among 70 countries from the 2002–2003 World Health Surveys. Age-adjusted, gender-stratified ordinary least squares and logistic regression analyses were conducted in each country to assess the relation between education and BMI or smoking. Meta-analytic techniques were used to assess heterogeneity between countries in the education-risk factor relations. Meta-regression was used to determine whether the heterogeneity could be explained by country-level urbanicity. In the least urban countries, persons with higher education had a higher BMI, while the opposite pattern was seen in the most urban countries, with this pattern being especially pronounced among women. In contrast, smoking was consistently concentrated among persons of lower education among all men and among women in the least urban countries. For women in the most urban countries, higher education was associated with higher odds of smoking, although there was substantial variability in this relation. These results highlight a global trend toward an increasing burden of chronic disease risk among persons of lower socioeconomic position as countries become more urban.
GENETIC CONTROL OF PATTERN DETERMINATION IN DROSOPHILA. THE ACTION OF HAIRY-WING.

A developmental analysis of the differences in differentiation in tissues of the Hairy-wing (Hw) homozygous, heterozygous and Hw/sup +/ homozygous genotypes was performed utilizing genetic mosaics produced by x-ray-induced crossing over in heterozygous larvae. The mosaics and controls were characterized by a series of measurements and counts in the dorsocentral region. Interactions were observed between the three different genotypes in mosaics. Hw/ Hw tissue acts semiautonomously in mosaics, having an expression, in the dorsocentral region, 0.64 that of the homozygote controls. Hw/sup +//Hw/sup +/ tis sue acts nonautonomously and will occasionally produce extra macrochaetae in the presence of adjacent Hw/Hw tissue. X irradiation causes Hw heterozygotes to express themselves in a homozygous-like fashion. Making Hw/Hw and Hw/sup +//Hw/ sup +/ coisogenic for their second and third chromosomes, while it effects the linear dimensions, does not alter the numbers of chaetae. The evidence suggests that Hw alters both the prepattern and the competence of the differentiating hypodermal cells. (auth)
Practical Covert Channel Implementation through a Timed Mix-Firewall

A theoretical channel to communicate covertly through mix-firewalls has been discussed in previous work. This paper describes implementing this theoretical construction in an actual system. Practical issues involved in implementation are analyzed, and an actual design is given here. Suggested parameters for concatenated codes for the experimental channel are also provided, based on experimental results. We compare our numerically computed information theoretic results for the data rate of covert channels through timed mix-firewalls to the data rate obtained by our actual construction of these covert channels.
Mechanics of Aero-structures

1. Aircraft structural components and loads 2. Elements of elasticity 3. Energy methods 4. Torsion 5. Bending 6. Stability of structures 7. Failure theories.
Donor Requirements and Pockets of Effectiveness in Senegal's Bureaucracy

type="main" xml:id="dpr12134-abs-0001"> Donors increasingly value the work of statistics, project assessment and related offices in developing countries, but can they ensure these offices are able to do their work? This article assesses donors’ efforts to do so in Senegal's ministries of finance, health and agriculture in the mid-2000s. It contends that donors' impact is greatest if they generate political incentives for governments to create ‘pockets of effectiveness’ in these areas. The health and agriculture case studies indicate that direct donor involvement, particularly if incompatible with domestic political forces, produces disappointing results, while the finance case studies suggest donors can induce political support for the work of specific offices if donor incentives coincide with domestic political imperatives.
Coherence of Warm-Season Continental Rainfall in Numerical Weather Prediction Models

Abstract A recent study by Carbone et al. revealed “episodes” of warm-season rainfall over North America characterized as coherently propagating signals often linking multiple mesoscale convective systems over spatial scales of 1000–3000 km and timescales of 1–3 days. The present study examines whether these propagating signals are found in two numerical weather prediction (NWP) models commonly used today, namely, the Eta Model from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the newly developed Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. The authors find that the diurnal cycle of rainfall over much of the United States east of the Rockies is poorly represented, particularly over the central United States, where a nocturnal rainfall maximum is observed. Associated with this nocturnal maximum is an axis of propagating rainfall emanating from the western High Plains in the late afternoon, extending across the Midwest overnight, and occasionally continuing to the Appalachians on the second day. This...
Biofilm versus biofloc: Are artificial substrates for biofilm production necessary in the BFT system?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the addition of artificial substrates in biofloc technology systems that are used for the intensive production of Litopenaeus vannamei. The experiment lasted 35 days. Tanks each with a useful volume of 800 L were filled with water containing bioflocs (25 % of the total volume) and filtered seawater. Three treatments with three replicates each were compared: (1) Ctrl (control), i.e., without the addition of artificial substrate, (2) 200 and (3) 400, with added artificial substrate equivalent to 200 and 400 % of the lateral area of the tanks, respectively. The shrimp with initial weight of 0.40 ± 0.15 g were stocked at a density of 300 shrimp/m2. Feed (Guabi/38 Active, Brazil) was supplied two times per day. The water quality parameters were suitable for the production of L. vannamei. The settleable solids (SS) were higher in the Ctrl treatment (82.1 ± 19 mL L−1) and differed statistically from the 200 and 400 treatments that presented average SS values below 10 mL L−1. The reuse of water with bioflocs accelerated nitrification in the tanks, and no significant differences were shown between tanks. The presence of biofilm did not interfere with ammonium or nitrite levels, but it did serve as a food source that optimized shrimp performance, as shown by higher final weights. More studies are needed to evaluate the circulation and mixing intensity effects of the substrates on water throughout the production cycle.
Distorting the Establishment Clause Into an Individual Dissenter’s Right

The one point on which nearly all scholars agree is that the Establishment Clause jurisprudence is in a state of confusion and disarray. One of the reasons for this confusion and disarray is that Establishment Clause doctrines, when being formulated in the 1960s and 1970s, were detached from their historical roots. As a result, there has been much distortion from the original meaning. One of the more significant distortions has caused the Establishment Clause, particularly in connection with cases involving public displays of religious symbols or expressions, to be turned into a kind of individual right. Moreover, this individual right has become a dissenter’s right — or, in terms used with the Free Speech Clause, a heckler’s veto. This dissenter’s right is asserted on behalf of individuals who are offended by or uncomfortable with a public presence of religion. Therefore, even though the Establishment Clause was never intended to represent or protect an individual right, it has often been so applied. This article will briefly outline the ways in which the Establishment Clause has been applied as an individual dissenter’s right. It will argue that such a right contradicts the original meaning and purpose of the Establishment Clause. The article will also describe how this individual dissenter’s right evolved out of a misinterpretation of separationism, as well as how it is used to achieve a kind of secularization not intended by the ratifiers of the Establishment Clause.
Multi-tree monte carlo methods for fast, scalable machine learning

As modern applications of machine learning and data mining are forced to deal with ever more massive quantities of data, practitioners quickly run into difficulty with the scalability of even the most basic and fundamental methods. We propose to provide scalability through a marriage between classical, empirical-style Monte Carlo approximation and deterministic multi-tree techniques. This union entails a critical compromise: losing determinism in order to gain speed. In the face of large-scale data, such a compromise is arguably often not only the right but the only choice. We refer to this new approximation methodology as Multi-Tree Monte Carlo. In particular, we have developed the following fast approximation methods: (1) Fast training for kernel conditional density estimation by injecting Monte Carlo into state-of-the-art dual-tree methods. Speedups as high as 105 have been shown on datasets of up to 1 million points. (2) Fast training for general kernel estimators (kernel density estimation, kernel regression, etc.) by injecting multiple trees into Monte Carlo. Speedups as high as 106 have been shown on tens of millions of points. (3) Fast singular value decomposition using a new form of sampling tree called the cosine tree. Speedups as high as 10 5 have been shown on dataset matrices containing billions of entries. The level of acceleration shown by our methods represents improvement over the prior state of the art by several orders of magnitude. Such improvement not only speeds existing applications, it represents a qualitative shift, a commoditization, that opens doors to all manner of new applications and method concepts that were previously invisible, outside the realm of practicality. Further, we show how the diverse operations of our approximation methods can be unified in a Multi-Tree Monte Carlo meta-algorithm which lends itself as scaffolding to the development of fast approximations for other methods we have not yet considered. Thus, our contribution includes not just the particular algorithms we have derived but also the Multi-Tree Monte Carlo methodological framework, which we hope will lead to many more fast algorithms that can provide the kind of scalability we have shown here to other important methods from machine learning and related fields.
Effective field theory treatment of the neutrino background in direct dark matter detection experiments

Distinguishing a dark matter interaction from an astrophysical neutrino-induced interaction will be major challenge for future direct dark matter searches. In this paper, we consider this issue within nonrelativistic effective field theory (EFT), which provides a well-motivated theoretical framework for determining nuclear responses to dark matter scattering events. We analyze the nuclear energy recoil spectra from the different dark matter-nucleon EFT operators, and compare them to the nuclear recoil energy spectra that are predicted to be induced by astrophysical neutrino sources. We determine that for 11 of the 14 possible operators, the dark matter-induced recoil spectra can be cleanly distinguished from the corresponding neutrino-induced recoil spectra with moderate-size detector technologies that are now being pursued, e.g., these operators would require 0.5 tonne years to be distinguished from the neutrino background for low mass dark matter. Our results imply that in most models detectors with good energy resolution will be able to distinguish a dark matter signal from a neutrino signal, without the need for much larger detectors that must rely on additional information from timing or direction. In addition we calculate up-to-date exclusion limits in the EFT model space using data from the LUX experiment.
Using Neural Networks with Limited Data to Estimate Manufacturing Cost

Neural networks were used to estimate the cost of jet engine components, specifically shafts and cases. The neural network process was compared with results produced by the current conventional cost estimation software and linear regression methods. Due to the complex nature of the parts and the limited amount of information available, data expansion techniques such as doubling-data and data-creation were implemented. Sensitivity analysis was used to gain an understanding of the underlying functions used by the neural network when generating the cost estimate. Even with limited data, the neural network is able produced a superior cost estimate in a fraction of the time required by the current cost estimation process. When compared to linear regression, the neural networks produces a 30% higher R value for shafts and 90% higher R value for cases. Compared to the current cost estimation method, the neural network produces a cost estimate with a 4.7% higher R value for shafts and a 5% higher R value for cases. This significant improvement over linear regression can be attributed to the neural network ability to handle complex data sets with many inputs and few data points.
Effect of Additives on Decomposition of Sodium Carbonate: Precombustion CO2 Capture Sorbent Regeneration

The effect of various additives on the decomposition of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) was evaluated using temperature-programmed desorption, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray pho...
Temporal Response of the Fetal Pulmonary Circulation to Pharmacologic Vasodilators

AbstractTo determine the temporal response of the fetal pulmonary circulation to pharmacologic vasodilators and to assess vasoreactivity following vasodilation, we infused either acetylcholine, histamine, or bradykinin directly into the left pulmonary artery of 21 chronically prepared fetal sheep. Blood flow (Q) to the left lung was measured by electromagnetic flow transducer. Left pulmonary artery infusion of acetylcholine at 1.5 μg · min-1 for 2 hr produced an increase in Q from 59 ± 8 ml · min-1 to a peak of 113 ± 10 ml · min-1 at 20 min into the infusion (P < 0.001). After the peak at 20 min, Q steadily declined toward baseline to 66 ± 7 ml · min-1 at the end of the 2-hr infusion period (P < 0.01). Q in the 1/2-hr period following infusion was significantly less than the baseline period (47 ± 6; P < 0.04) with no change in pulmonary artery pressure. Similar patterns were seen with 2-hr infusions of histamine (150 ng · min-1) and bradykinin (100 ng · min-1). After a 2-hr infusion of one of the agents, ...
National trends in maternal use of opioid drugs among pregnancy-related hospitalizations in the United States, 1998 to 2009.

Objective The aim of this study is to describe national trends for opioid use among pregnancy-related hospitalizations from 1998 to 2009. Study Design Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we identified hospital discharge records associated with the diagnoses codes for the use of opioids for all eligible pregnancy-related inpatient admissions between 1998 and 2009. Joinpoint regression modeling was used to describe changes in trend of pregnancy-related opioid use. The main outcome measure was the annual percent change for opioids use among pregnancy-related hospitalizations. Results From 1998 to 2009, opioid use was documented in 138,224 of 55,781,966 pregnancy-related inpatient hospitalizations (25 cases per 10,000 discharges). A statistically significant downward trend occurred from 1998 to 2001, whereas from 2002 to 2009 there was a statistically significant upward trend. The increasing trend in opioid use from 2002 to 2009 is notably higher for whites compared with blacks and Hispanics. Conclusions Our findings highlight the continuous need to monitor opioids use and to revise prescription guidelines, practices, and regulatory mechanisms to curtail the progression of the increasing opioids use during pregnancy. It is critical that health care providers weight the benefits of these medications along with their potential risks when discussing analgesic treatment options with pregnant women.
Inhibitory effect of antibiotics on virus of Rous sarcoma.

Summary1. These experiments describe a method of testing the activity of chemotherapeutic drugs against whole tumor cells and against the cell-free agent of Rous chicken sarcoma. 2. Terramycin, aureomycin, neomycin and antibiotic PA96 (Pfizer) in certain concentrations were capable of preventing the formation of tumors of Rous sarcoma when the virus was first exposed to these antibiotics prior to inoculation into susceptible young chickens.
Analysis of adverse drug reactions/events caused by Shuanghuanglian Injection

[Objective]The related factors of severe adverse drug reaction(ADR)cases caused by Shuanghuanglian injection are analyzed to provide the reference for clinical appliance. [Methods]7 cases fatal adverse drug reactions collected by Hunan Center for ADRs from January 2004 to June 2009 were statistically analyzed. [Results]7 cases fatal adverse drug reactions took place at primary level medical establishment, in which 6 cases fatal adverse drug reactions were caused by anaphylactic shock. 3 cases fatal adverse drug reactions occurred the age below 14 years old, with the highest proportion.[Conclusion]Shuanghuanglian should be rational used in clinical practice with strongly monitoring to reduce fatal adverse drug reactions.
Analysis and Coping Strategy on the Reasons about HIV/AIDS Increasing in Rural Area of Hebi

Objective To study AIDS control strategy about rural areas by analyzing the characteristic of HIV infected individuals in rural areas. Methods it is compared and analyzed HIV infected individuals in Hebi from 2003 to 2012.Results There are 246 HIV infected individuals in total and 127 infected farmers(56.69 %). There are 85 male infections(85 %), 40 over-60-year-old infections(31.5 %)and 72 heterosexual transmission(56.69 %)in 127 infected farmers. And there is a sharp increasing from 2011 to 2013. Conclusion Developing preventive measures according to epidemic characteristics of AIDS. It has great significance on AIDS containment
Torsion of Intra-Abdominal Testis: An Unusual Problem in Diagnosis of the Acute Surgical Abdomen

This rare and usually unrecognized cause of the acute surgical abdomen has most always been misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis or acute diverticulitis. One case seen by the author is reported, and other such cases from the literature are reviewed.
The Essential Role of Comparative Maps in Livestock Genomics

Programs in agricultural animal genomics have been in existence for about a decade and have generally been successful in developing linkage maps and in mapping some important traits to chromosomal subregions. The next step, mining the economically important genes from these linkage maps, is a formidable one which will almost certainly require extensive use of comparative mapping data. Comparative positional candidate cloning is an attractive approach to gene mining in livestock species. Using data from cattle genome research as an example, I will define the status of comparative maps of livestock species with those of human and mouse and discuss their potential for finding genes for economically important traits in animals by exploiting the rapidly developing human gene map.
Abstract 1755: Weight change, prostate cancer-specific mortality, and biochemical recurrence in a prospective cohort study of U.S. men

Proceedings: AACR 107th Annual Meeting 2016; April 16-20, 2016; New Orleans, LA Obesity is associated with an increased risk of fatal prostate cancer. However, the relevant timing of obesity for risk has not been established, and the impact of weight change on prognosis has been understudied. We prospectively investigated the association between weight change and obesity with prostate cancer outcomes among 5,173 men diagnosed with prostate cancer (clinical TNM-stage <T3b) from 1986 to 2012 in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Men were followed for biochemical recurrence, development of distant metastasis, and mortality until 2014. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios for change in weight from age 21 to diagnosis and in the 4 years prior to diagnosis, adjusting for potential confounding by lifestyle and clinical factors. Because weight, weight change, and mortality are strongly associated with smoking, we conducted the analysis among all prostate cancer patients and among never smokers only (N = 2,554). Among all patients, weight gain from age 21 to the time of diagnosis was associated with risk of lethal prostate cancer (distant metastases or prostate cancer death). Compared to those with stable weight (±10 lbs) from age 21 to diagnosis, those who gained >30 lbs had a 1.44-fold higher risk of lethal cancer (95% CI 1.03-2.01, p-trend = 0.06, adjusting for lifestyle factors, stage, grade, PSA at diagnosis, and weight at age 21). Among never smokers, this association was stronger (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.31-3.68, p-trend = 0.005). Weight gain in the 4 years preceding diagnosis was suggestively, but not significantly, associated with lethal cancer among never smokers (HR for >5 lbs gain vs stable weight [±5 lbs] 1.48, 95% CI, 0.96, 2.28). No significant associations were found between weight change and biochemical recurrence. Our findings suggest a positive association between adult weight gain and risk of lethal prostate cancer. Metabolic changes associated with weight gain may promote prostate cancer progression. Citation Format: Barbra Dickerman, Thomas Ahearn, Edward Giovannucci, Lorelei Mucci, Kathryn Wilson. Weight change, prostate cancer-specific mortality, and biochemical recurrence in a prospective cohort study of U.S. men. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1755.
Abstract 1244: A novel microtubule-disrupting indole-based chalcone that induces caspase-independent cell death in glioblastoma and melanoma cells

Indolyl-pyridinyl-propenones (a subclass of synthetic indole-based chalcones) have been shown to induce a novel form of cell death termed ‘methuosis’ in glioblastoma and other tumor cell lines. This form of cell death is caspase-independent and involves massive vacuolization of macropinosome and endosome compartments. In the course of structure-activity relationship studies identifying a lead compound, 3-(5-methoxy-2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propene-1-one (abbreviated 5-MOMIPP), we discovered that changing the methoxy substitution from the 5-position to the 6-position on the indole ring markedly alters the biological activity of the compound. 6-MOMIPP exhibits potent anti-proliferative and cytotoxic activity in glioblastoma, melanoma and other cancer cell lines at a concentration of 100 nM, nearly two orders of magnitude lower than the maximally effective concentration of 5-MOMIPP. Instead of inducing methuosis, 6-MOMIPP (at > 500 nM) immediately disrupts microtubules, as confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. By 24 h the majority of the cells are rounded and arrested in mitosis, and by 48 h cell viability is greatly reduced. The few remaining live cells contain multiple abnormal nuclei. Extensive cell death occurs before activation of caspases 3, 7 and 9 can be detected. Scintillation proximity assays show that 6-MOMIPP competes with 3H-colchicine, but not 3H-vinblastine, for binding to tubulin. Studies aimed at testing the toxicity of 6-MOMIPP in normal cells are in progress, but work with a closely related microtubule-active indole-based chalcone indicates that toxicity is substantially reduced in quiescent human fibroblasts and rat neuronal progenitor cells. Although drugs targeted to microtubules (e.g., Vinca alkaloids and taxanes) are widely used as anti-neoplastic agents, they have shown little efficacy in treating primary or metastatic brain tumors, partly due to limited penetrance of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Preliminary pharmacokinetic studies in mice show that 6-MOMIPP injected IP can readily cross the BBB, attaining brain concentrations nearly equal to plasma concentrations within 30 min to 1 h. Therefore, these preliminary findings suggest that 6-MOMIPP merits further preclinical evaluation as a potential therapeutic agent for primary and metastatic brain tumors. Supported by NIH grant CA115495 and by the Helen and Harold McMaster Endowment. Citation Format: Shengnan Du, Jeffrey G. Sarver, Christopher J. Trabbic, Paul W. Erhardt, Jean H. Overmeyer, William A. Maltese. A novel microtubule-disrupting indole-based chalcone that induces caspase-independent cell death in glioblastoma and melanoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1244.
Race and mortality risk after radiation therapy in men treated with or without androgen‐suppression therapy for favorable‐risk prostate cancer

BACKGROUND African American (AA) men are more likely than non-AA men to have a comorbid illness that could interact with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and shorten survival. This study assessed the impact that race had on the risk of all-cause mortality (ACM) and other-cause mortality (OCM) among men definitively treated for favorable-risk prostate cancer (PC). METHODS Between 1997 and 2013, 7252 men with low-risk or favorable intermediate-risk PC were treated with brachytherapy with neoadjuvant ADT (n = 1501) or without neoadjuvant ADT (n = 5751) for a 4-month median duration. Cox and Fine-Gray multivariate regressions were used to analyze whether the risk of ACM and OCM increased among AA men versus non-AA men receiving ADT; adjustments were made for the age at brachytherapy, year of brachytherapy, cardiometabolic comorbidity status, risk group, and ADT treatment propensity score. RESULTS After a median follow-up of 8.04 years, 869 men (12.0%) died: 48 (5.52%) of PC and 821 (94.48%) of other causes. There was a significant association between AA race and an increased risk of both ACM (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-2.94; P = .028) and OCM (AHR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.08-3.19; P = .024) among AA men versus non-AA men who received ADT but not among those who did not receive ADT (AHR for ACM, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.93-1.91; P = .12; AHR for OCM, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.96-2.02; P = .08). CONCLUSIONS ADT use may shorten survival in AA men with favorable-risk PC; therefore, its reservation for the treatment of higher risk PC, for which level 1 evidence supports its use, should be considered. Cancer 2016;122:3608-14. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
The Expanding Role of Natural Killer Cells in Type 1 Diabetes and Immunotherapy

Treatments for autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes (T1D) are aimed at resetting the immune system, especially its adaptive arm. The innate immune system is often ignored in the design of novel immune-based therapies. There is increasing evidence for multiple natural killer (NK) subpopulations, but their role is poorly understood in autoimmunity and likely is contributing to the controversial role reported for NKs. In this review, we will summarize NK subsets and their roles in tolerance, autoimmune diabetes, and immunotherapy.
Topology optimization under thermo-elastic buckling

The focus of this paper is on topology optimization of continuum structures subject to thermally induced buckling. Popular strategies for solving such problems include Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) and Rational Approximation of Material Properties (RAMP). Both methods rely on material parameterization, and can sometimes exhibit pseudo buckling modes in regions with low pseudo-densities. Here we consider a level-set approach that relies on the concept of topological sensitivity. Topological sensitivity analysis for thermo-elastic buckling is carried out via direct and adjoint formulations. Then, an augmented Lagrangian formulation is presented that exploits these sensitivities to solve a buckling constrained problem. Numerical experiments in 3D illustrate the robustness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Baffin Island: Field Research and High Arctic Adventure, 1961–1967

Fifty years ago, the physical geography of the Canadian Arctic was pretty much terra incognita. There was only a crude understanding of the glacial and isostatic history of the region, because very...