cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of White and Nonwhite Homeless Men and Women

The majority of the homeless population are people of color. There has been little study of racial differences among the homeless population, and racial findings have not been reported separately for homeless men and women. This study investigated differences between white and nonwhite homeless people in a randomly selected sample of 600 homeless men and 300 homeless women in St. Louis. The 900 homeless people were interviewed using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and Homeless Supplement. About three-fourths of the sample were African Americans. The homelessness of the white people was more often internally related, for example, substance abuse in men and non-substance abuse psychiatric illness in women. The homelessness of nonwhite people was more often externally related, for example, socioeconomic problems caused by lower incomes for men and reliance on a failing welfare system by women and their dependent families. These differences point to potentially divergent emphases for intervention with these subpopulations. Because of the diversity within racial subgroups, however, all need a variety of interventions for both external and internal problems.
Definitive seton management for transsphincteric fistula‐in‐ano: harm or charm?

Aim The treatment of transsphincteric anal fistula requires a balance between eradication of the disease and preservation of faecal control. A cutting seton is an old tool that is now out of vogue for many surgeons. We hypothesized that the concept remains reliable and safe with results that exceed those reported for many of the more recently described methods. Method A retrospective review was conducted of real-time electronic health records (single institution, single surgeon) of patients presenting during the 14 years between 2001 and 2014 with a transsphincteric anal fistula who were treated with a cutting seton. Excluded were patients with Crohn's disease, fistulae related to malignancy or a previous anastomosis and patients whose fistula was treated by another method including a loose draining seton. Data collection included demographics, duration of the disease, duration of the treatment, outcome and continence. Results In all, 121 patients (80 men) of mean age 40.2 ± 12.2 years (range 18–76) with a mean follow-up of 5.1 ± 3.3 (1–24) months were included in the analysis. The median duration of symptoms was 6 (1–84) months; 36% had failed other fistula surgery, 12% had a complex fistula with more than one track and 35% had some form of comorbidity. The median time to healing was 3 (1–18) months; 7.4% required further surgery, but eventually 98% had complete fistula healing. The incontinence rate decreased postoperatively to 11.6% from 19% before treatment with 17/121 with pre-existing incontinence resolved and 8/107 new cases developing. Conclusion Despite its retrospective non-comparative design, the study has demonstrated that a cutting seton is a safe, well tolerated and highly successful treatment for transsphincteric anal fistula and is followed overall by improved continence. The results compare very favourably with other techniques.
Stabilization of an Organic Photochromic Material by Incorporation in an Organogel

A series of 1‘-substituted 6-nitro-3‘,3‘-dimethylspiro(2H-1-benzopyran-2,2‘-indoline) compounds (3−8) of different functionality were synthesized, and the rate of thermal decay was measured in polar and nonpolar solvents and in two organogels. A significant retardation of the decay rate was observed for spiropyrans substituted with a succinyl ester functionality in a gel derived from 4-tert-butyl-1-phenylcyclohexanol (BACO1). The gel network has been shown to consist of a three-dimensional network of bimolecular associations of the BACO1 molecules, and it is hypothesized that a unique mode of interaction exists between the succinyl group of the spiropyran and the gelling agent. The lifetime of the colored photomerocyanine was increased by over 300-fold in the organogel versus solution with a succinyl ester functionality present. Structurally similar spiropyrans without the succinyl ester functionality showed relatively little change in the lifetime of the photomerocyanine.
Bridges and Barriers: The Lake Superior Borderlands

This paper investigates the Canada–US borderlands relationship along the two geographic corridors as bounded by Lake Superior: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario–Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Thunder Bay, Ontario–Duluth, Minnesota. Borderland communities—driven by their shared cultural characteristics (ethnicity, language, religion)—are said to challenge the border as a dividing device and undermine the very essence of international borders. Moreover, borderlands regions are dynamic and overlapping, providing the first point of contact and interaction between nations. Our results depict inherent differences between these particular border regions, with each illustrating characteristics that both connect and divide. Despite the passage of time and both countries' determined efforts to make the passage safe and less demanding, the peoples in these border regions perceive a continuing frustration with crossing the border and connecting to the people on the other side of the border.
Theory of High Frequency Gas Discharges. II. Harmonic Components of the Distribution Function 1

The type of distribution function employed in the foregoing paper is not sufficiently general to be applicable to all conditions of frequency and field strength. To examine its limitations, and the limitations of corresponding d.c. treatments, the function is developed as a series in Legendre polynomials of $\frac{{v}_{x}}{v}$, $x$ being the field direction, and Fourier functions of $\ensuremath{\omega}t$, $\ensuremath{\omega}$ being the field frequency. Attention is limited to steady states and to elastic collisions between electrons and gas molecules. By solving the resulting recurrence equations a number of successive approximations has been obtained, and from each approximation the range of validity of the preceding one is determined. Questions of mathematical convergence are not dealt with, since the physical meaning of the results is usually clear and reasonable. The current through the gas is shown to take on d.c. character when $\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\ll}(\frac{m}{M})v$, $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ being the mean free path and $v$ the (mean) velocity of the electrons producing the current.
The effect of nonindependence on significance testing in dyadic research.

Relationship researchers regularly gather data from both members of the dyad, and these two scores are likely to be correlated. This nonindependence of observations can bias p values in significance testing if person is the unit in the statistical analysis. A method for determining how much bias results from dyadic interdependence is presented. Correction factors based on the degree of interdependence, design type, and the number of dyads are used to adjust the F statistic and its degrees of freedom to produce a corrected p value. Bias depends on the type of design and the degree of nonindependence, while the number of dyads in the study ordinarily has only a small effect on bias. Various strategies for controlling for nonindependence are briefly reviewed.
Strength Evaluation of Deteriorated RC Bridge Columns

Condition-rating methods followed by load rating calculations are used for evaluating existing bridges in the United States. Ratings are assessed visually based on engineering expertise and experience, and in some cases supplemented by nondestructive tests. Good understanding of the effects of deterioration on the structural performance leads to better inspection procedures, planning, and cost-effective rehabilitation methods. This paper presents a bridge pier column strength evaluation method that can be adapted into a currently used bridge condition evaluation method. This method uses damaged material properties, and accounts for amount of corrosion and exposed bar length for each reinforcement, concrete loss, bond failure, and type of stresses in the corroding reinforcement. The proposed evaluation method provides a good estimate of the condition and load-carrying capacity of bridge piers that currently cannot be obtained by normal visual surveys. In addition, the proposed evaluation approach will help reduce repair costs, avoid overconservative condition ratings, and result in a more uniform level of safety of concrete bridge substructure in the United States.
Primary magnesium production costs for automotive applications

Focusing on primary magnesium production cost estimates, this paper provides a forecast of the long-term competitiveness of magnesium in automotive applications. Competing magnesium production technologies are considered, with particular emphasis on the long-term viability of cheap supplies using Chinese production technology. Also considered are two yet-to-be commercialized production processes.
Microfluidic Study of Drainage and Imbibition in Porous Media: Definition of Amott Indices

The wettability of reservoir rocks plays a critical role in oil recovery operations. This property is traditionally defined in terms of the contact angle between the fluid-fluid interface and the solid surface. In natural porous media, it has been preferred to characterize the wettability and its effects on fluid flow behavior in terms of Amott indices, through the capillary pressure-fluid saturation relationship. This “bulk” definition is based on the steady states reached by the two phases, the wetting one and the non-wetting one, upon drainage (removal of the wetting fluid) and imbibition (removal of the non-wetting fluid). These indices provide some indirect indication of the rock surface chemistry and porosity structure. Previous studies on Amott indices have mostly focused on numerical modeling of rocks. In this paper, we present an experimental study on two phase flow in regular lattices of glass microchannels. A wet etching technique is used to fabricate 2D networks composed of hundreds of repeat units. The repeat units are square, hexagonal, or triangular, with a lattice parameter of about 100 micrometers. Controlling and varying the microchannel wettability, network geometry, and fluid properties allow correlating the physical chemistry of the system and the characteristics of the multiphase flow. We perform drainage-imbibition cycles by controlling the pressure difference across the device. For each pressure difference, we record and characterize the distribution of the two phases at equilibrium. Our results capture the dependance of the Amott index on both fluid and network properties. The values obtained are consistent with previous studies on wetting phenomena at the pore level. The drainage-imbibition cycles also provide information on the patterns of invasion. We show that the study of the cycles can further predictability of Amott indices.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Sehkraft aus der Wüste

Die gezielte Expression einer mikrobiellen licht-sensitiven Chloridpumpe in verbliebenen Zellen fuhrt zur funktionellen Reaktivierung der vormals blinden Netzhauten in der degenerativen Erkrankung Retinitis Pigmentosa und verspricht somit Heilung.
Antilocalization in Coulomb blockade

We study the effect of spin-orbit scattering on the statistics of the conductance of a quantum dot for Coulomb blockade peaks and valleys. We find the distribution function of the peak heights for strong spin-orbit scattering in the presence and absence of time reversal symmetry. We find that the application of a magnetic field suppresses the average peak height, similar to the antilocalizaion in the bulk systems. For the valleys, we consider the elastic cotunneling contribution to the conductance and calculate its moments at the crossover between ensembles of various symmetries.
Correlation of neutral beam injection parameters and core β with anomalous first-wall heating during QH-mode

Anomalous first-wall heating has been observed far from the divertor strike point during QH-mode in DIII-D, with measured heat flux comparable to that at the outer strike point. The data are consistent with deuterium ions of approximately the pedestal energy carrying the anomalous heat flux. Although an instability has not been identified that is correlated with the anomalous heat flux, two classes of behavior have been observed: one in which the anomalous heat flux depends linearly on core {beta}, and another class with no {beta}-dependence. The anomalous heat flux depends strongly on the injected beam energy of the non-tangentially-injected neutral beams but not that of the tangential beams.
Assembly Sequence Planning Based on Max-Min Ant Colony System

An assembly sequence planning (ASP) method that combined the advantages of ant colony system (ACS) and Max-Min ant system (MMAS) is proposed. To identify the best sequence easily, five optimization criterions are automatically quantified, including reorientation, parallelism, continuity, stability and auxiliary stroke, and then integrated into the multi-objective heuristic and fitness functions of ant colony optimization (ACO). To improve the search capability for the global-best sequence, several measures are presented from aspects of determining number of ant, max-min pheromone limits, performance appraisal for initial components allocation and the group method for same components. The ASP algorithm based on Max-Min ant colony system (MMACS) is proposed. An assembly planning system AutoAssem is developed based on Siemens NX platform, and the actual effectiveness of each optimization measure is testified through case study of a valve.
Determinants of fibrin formation, structure, and function.

Purpose of reviewFibrinogen is the protein substrate of the multifaceted procoagulant and proinflammatory enzyme, thrombin. Fibrin, the product of thrombin's proteolytic cleavage of fibrinogen, provides biophysical and biochemical support to blood clots, and subsequent degradation of fibrin by plasm
Pathology and host responses induced by Schistosomatium douthitti in the freshwater snail Lymnaea catascopium

Abstract Most Schitosomatium douthitti miracidia penetrated the esophageal wall of Lymnaea catascopium without provoking amoebocyte encapsulation responses or extensive pathological changes. Amoebocytes frequently attached to developing mother and daughter sporocysts, but did not encapsulate or destroy them. Pressure resulting from extensive growth of mother sporocysts ruptured the transverse membrane of some snails. After releasing daughter sporocysts, mother sporocysts in some snails were destroyed by amoebocytes. Many migrating cercariae became trapped in the tissues of L. catascopium , particularly in the posterior portion of the foot, and were encapsulated and destroyed. Large increases in numbers of amoebocytes in the anterior portion of the lung roof of infected snails were noted, even before cercarial production had been initiated. Atrophy of the digestive gland occurred in infected snails.
Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Reactivity of Zirconium Complexes Containing Trimethylenemethane-Based Ligands

General synthetic routes to zirconium metallocene-like complexes containing derivatives of the dianionic trimethylenemethane (TMM) ligand are presented. One approach consists of reacting the dilithium salts of TMM, tribenzylidenemethane (TBM), tert-butyltribenzylidenemethane (t-Bu-TBM), and dibenzylidenemethylenemethane (DBM) with either Cp*ZrCl3 or CpZrCl3(DME). In the case of the small TMM fragment, the product is the zwitterionic Cp*(TMM)Zr(μ-Cl)2Li(TMEDA) (1). Larger TMM derivatives give discrete salts such as [Cp*(TBM)ZrCl2][Li(TMEDA)2] (2), [Cp(TBM)ZrCl2][Li(TMEDA)2] (3), [Cp(t-Bu-TBM)ZrCl2][Li(TMEDA)2] (4), [Cp*(t-Bu-TBM)ZrCl2][Li(TMEDA)2] (5), and [Cp*(exo-endo-DBM)ZrCl2][Li(TMEDA)2] (6). The reaction of TBM(LiTMEDA)2 with Cp*ZrCl2CH2Ph affords [Cp*(TBM)ZrCl(CH2Ph)][Li(TMEDA)2] (9); thus the retention of LiCl(TMEDA)2 by zirconium is strong. Structural characterization of these complexes reveals crowded environments around the zirconium, especially when both TBM and Cp* are coordinated. It is also ...
Genetics and Consequences of Crop Domestication

Phenotypic variation has been manipulated by humans during crop domestication, which occurred primarily between 3000 and 10000 years ago in the various centers of origin around the world. The process of domestication has profound consequences on crops, where the domesticate has moderately reduced genetic diversity relative to the wild ancestor across the genome, and severely reduced diversity for genes targeted by domestication. The question that remains is whether reduction in genetic diversity has affected crop production today. A case study in maize (Zea mays) demonstrates the application of understanding relationships between genetic diversity and phenotypic diversity in the wild ancestor and the domesticate. As an outcrossing species, maize has tremendous genetic variation. The complementary combination of genome-wide association mapping (GWAS) approaches, large HapMap data sets, and germplasm resources is leading to important discoveries of the relationship between genetic diversity and phenotypic v...
Sleep and Oligodendrocyte Functions

Transcriptomicstudieshaverevealedthatthebrains of sleeping and awake animals differ significantly at the molecular level, with hundreds of brain transcripts changing their expression across behavioral states. However, it was unclear how sleep affects specific cell types, such as oligo- dendrocytes, which make myelin in the healthy brain and in response to injury. In this review, I summarize the recent findings showing that several genes expressed at higher levels during sleep are involved in the synthesis/maintenance of all membranes and of myelin in particular. In addition, I will discuss the effect of sleep and wake on oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), providing a working hypothesis on the function of REM sleep and acetylcholine in OPC proliferation.
Alzheimer's disease and CADASIL are heritable, adult-onset dementias that both involve damaged small blood vessels.

This essay explores an alternative pathway to Alzheimer’s dementia that focuses on damage to small blood vessels rather than late-stage toxic amyloid deposits as the primary pathogenic mechanism that leads to irreversible dementia. While the end-stage pathology of AD is well known, the pathogenic processes that lead to disease are often assumed to be due to toxic amyloid peptides that act on neurons, leading to neuronal dysfunction and eventually neuronal cell death. Speculations as to what initiates the pathogenic cascade have included toxic abeta peptide aggregates, oxidative damage, and inflammation, but none explain why neurons die. Recent high-resolution NMR studies of living patients show that lesions in white matter regions of the brain precede the appearance of amyloid deposits and are correlated with damaged small blood vessels. To appreciate the pathogenic potential of damaged small blood vessels in the brain, it is useful to consider the clinical course and the pathogenesis of CADASIL, a heritable arteriopathy that leads to damaged small blood vessels and irreversible dementia. CADASIL is strikingly similar to early onset AD in that it is caused by germ line mutations in NOTCH 3 that generate toxic protein aggregates similar to those attributed to mutant forms of the amyloid precursor protein and presenilin genes. Since NOTCH 3 mutants clearly damage small blood vessels of white matter regions of the brain that lead to dementia, we speculate that both forms of dementia may have a similar pathogenesis, which is to cause ischemic damage by blocking blood flow or by impeding the removal of toxic protein aggregates by retrograde vascular clearance mechanisms.
Biologically Relevant Phosphoranes: Structural Characterization of Glucofuranose- and Xylofuranose-Based Phosphoranes

Carbohydrate-based phosphoranes were synthesized by reacting 2,2'-ethylidenebis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenyl)fluorophosphite with 1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose, beta-chloralose, and 1,2-isopropylidene-alpha-D-xylofuranose to form the monocyclic biophosphoranes 1-3, respectively, in the presence of N-chlorodiisopropylamine. Synthesis of the monocyclic biophosphorane 4 was achieved by reacting tris(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)phosphite with 1,2-O-isopropylidene-alpha-D-glucofuranose in the presence of N-chlorodiisopropylamine. X-ray analysis of 1-4 revealed trigonal bipyramidal structures with the carbohydrate components occupying axial-equatorial sites. An eight-membered ring in 1-3 occupied diequatorial sites of the trigonal bipyramid. Solution and solid state 31P and solution 19F, 1H, and 13C NMR measurements including variable temperature and correlation spectroscopy studies established retention of the solid state structure in solution. A dynamic equilibrium exists among two isomeric forms. These biophosphoranes serve as models for active sites of phosphoryl transfer enzymes. The rapid exchange process reorients the carbohydrate component of the trigonal bipyramidal phosphorane. At an active site, this type of pseudorotational behavior provides a mechanism that could bring another active site residue into play and account for a means by which some phosphoryl transfer enzymes express promiscuous behavior.
Musculoskeletal mechanobiology: Interpretation by external force and engineered substratum

Mechanobiology aims to discover how the mechanical environment affects the biological activity of cells and how cells' ability to sense these mechanical cues is converted into elicited cellular responses. Musculoskeletal mechanobiology is of particular interest given the high mechanical loads that musculoskeletal tissues experience on a daily basis. How do cells within these mechanically active tissues interpret external loads imposed on their extracellular environment, and, how are cell-substrate interactions converted into biochemical signals? This review outlines many of the main mechanotransduction mechanisms known to date, and describes recent literature examining effects of both external forces and cell-substrate interactions on musculoskeletal cells. Whether via application of external forces and/or cell-substrate interactions, our understanding and regulation of musculoskeletal mechanobiology can benefit by expanding upon traditional models, and shedding new light through novel investigative approaches. Current and future work in this field is focused on identifying specific forces, stresses, and strains at the cellular and tissue level through both experimental and computational approaches, and analyzing the role of specific proteins through fluorescence-based investigations and knockdown models.
Real-Time Visualization of a Fluorescent Gαs: Dissociation of the Activated G Protein from Plasma Membrane

To study behavior of activated G(alpha)(s) in living cells, green fluorescent protein (GFP) was inserted within the internal amino acid sequence of G(alpha)(s) to generate a G(alpha)(s)-GFP fusion protein. The fusion protein maintained a bright green fluorescence and was identified by immunoblotting with antibodies against G(alpha)(s) or GFP. The cellular distribution of G(alpha)(s)-GFP was similar to that of endogenous G(alpha)(s). G(alpha)(s)-GFP was tightly coupled to the beta adrenergic receptor to activate the G(alpha)(s) effector, adenylyl cyclase. Activation of G(alpha)(s)-GFP by cholera toxin caused a gradual displacement of the fusion protein from the plasma membrane throughout the cytoplasm in living cells. Unlike the slow release of G(alpha)(s)-GFP from the membrane induced by cholera toxin, the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol caused a rapid partial release of the fusion protein into the cytoplasm. At 1 min after treatment with isoproterenol, the extent of G(alpha)(s)-GFP release from plasma membrane sites was maximal; however, insertion of G(alpha)(s)-GFP at other membrane sites occurred during the same time period. Translocation of G(alpha)(s)-GFP fusion protein induced by isoproterenol suggested that the internalization of G(alpha)(s) might play a role in signal transduction by interacting with effector molecules and cytoskeletal elements at multiple cellular sites.
Bernoulli–Hurwitz numbers, Wieferich primes and Galois representations

Abstract Let K be a quadratic imaginary number field with discriminant D K ≠ − 3 , − 4 and class number one. Fix a prime p ⩾ 7 which is unramified in K . Given an elliptic curve A / Q with complex multiplication by K , let ρ A ¯ : Gal ( K ¯ / K ( μ p ∞ ) ) → SL ( 2 , Z p ) be the representation which arises from the action of Galois on the Tate module. Herein it is shown that, for all but finitely many inert primes p , the image of a certain deformation ρ A : Gal ( K ¯ / K ( μ p ∞ ) ) → SL ( 2 , Z p 〚 X 〛 ) of ρ A ¯ is “as large as possible”, that is, it is the full inverse image of a Cartan subgroup of SL ( 2 , Z p ) . If p splits in K , then the same result holds as long as a certain Bernoulli–Hurwitz number is a p -adic unit which, in turn, is equivalent to a prime ideal not being a Wieferich place. The proof rests on the theory of elliptic units of Robert and Kubert–Lang, and on the two-variable main conjecture of Iwasawa theory for quadratic imaginary fields.
Recent progress in congenital long QT syndrome.

Purpose of reviewAs genetic testing for long QT syndrome (LQTS) has become readily available, important advances are being made in understanding the exact link between ion channel mutation and observed phenotype. This paper reviews recent findings in the literature.Recent findingsCongenital LQTS is
Ubiquitin-dependent 26S proteasomal pathway: a role in the degradation of native human liver CYP3A4 expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

Abstract Cytochrome P450, CYP3A4, is the dominant human liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) hemoprotein enzyme, responsible for the metabolism of over 60% of clinically relevant drugs. We have previously shown that mechanism-based suicide inactivation of CYP3A4 and its rat liver ER orthologs, CYPs 3A, via heme-modification of their protein moieties, results in their ubiquitin (Ub)-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation (Korsmeyer et al. (1999) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 365, 31; Wang et al. (1999) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 365, 45). This is not surprising given that the heme-modified CYP3A proteins are structurally damaged. To determine whether the turnover of the native enzyme similarly recruited this pathway, we heterologously expressed this protein in wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae and mutant strains (hrd1Δ, hrd2-1, and hrd3Δ) previously shown to be deficient in the Ub-dependent 26S proteasomal degradation of the polytopic ER protein 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (isoform Hmg2p), the rate-limiting enzyme in sterol biosynthesis, as well as in strains deficient in ER-associated Ub-conjugating enzymes, Ubc6p and/or Ubc7p (Hampton et al. (1996) Mol. Biol. Cell 7, 2029; Hampton and Bhakta (1997) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 12,944). Our findings reveal that in common with the degradation of Hmg2p, that of native CYP3A4 also requires Hrd2p (a subunit of the 19S cap complex of the 26S proteasome) and Ubc7p, and to a much lesser extent Hrd3p, a component of the ER-associated Ub-ligase complex. In contrast to Hmg2p-degradation, that of native CYP3A4 does not appear to absolutely require Hrd1p, another component of the ER-associated Ub–ligase complex. Furthermore, studies in a S. cerevisiae pep4Δ strain proven to be deficient in the vacuolar degradation of carboxypeptidase Y indicated that CYP3A4 degradation is also largely independent of vacuolar (lysosomal) proteolytic function. The degradation of two other native ER proteins, Sec61p and Sec63p, normal components of the ER translocon, were also examined in parallel and found to be stabilized to some extent in HRD2- and UBC7-deficient strains. Together these findings attest to the remarkable mechanistic diversity in the normal degradation of ER proteins.
Home Range Areas and Activity Patterns of Red Tree Voles (Arborimus longicaudus) in Western Oregon

Abstract We radiocollared 45 red tree voles (Arborimus longicaudus) in western Oregon and monitored their movements during July 2002–September 2003. We predicted that home range areas would be larger in young forests than in old forests and that males would have larger home ranges and use more nests than females. We tracked individual voles for 82 ± 9 days (mean ± SE; range = 24–307 days). Voles were active primarily at night, although we did see voles outside their nests during the day on two occasions. Of the 45 voles, 18 (4 males, 14 females) occupied a single nest tree and adjacent foraging trees that had interconnecting branch pathways with the nest tree. The other 27 voles (11 males, 16 females) used ≥2 nest trees (range = 2–6). Average distance between alternate nests use by individuals was 45 ± 5 m (range = 4–162 m). Estimates of mean (± SE) and median home range size were 1,732 ± 366 m2 and 760 m2, respectively (range = 36–10,308 m2). Little variation in home range size was explained by gender or...
Molecular basis of nanomelia, a heritable chondrodystrophy of chicken☆

Abstract Nanomelia is a recessively inherited connective tissue disorder of chicken affecting cartilage development. Other investigators have demonstrated that it involves low aggrecan production and diminished aggrecan mRNA levels. Based on genetic linkage studies showing a high likelihood that the mutation responsible for the nanomelic phenotype lay within the aggrecan gene, a series of experiments was performed to define the molecular basis of the trait. Aggrecan mRNA was present in the nucleus of the nanomelic chondrocyte but greatly reduced in the cytoplasmic compartment, a finding suggestive of a premature stop codon within the aggrecan transcript. Since no defect in mRNA splicing could be demonstrated by ribonucleasease protection studies, direct DNA sequencing was initiated by polymerase chain reaction of the mRNA and of genomic DNA. A stop codon was demonstrated at codon 1513, which is located in the eighth repeat of the chondroitin sulfate 2 domain of the large trenth exon. The mutation creates a unique BasBI restriction site which readily distinguishes the mutant and wild-type alleles.
Full-Wafer Voltage Contrast Inspection for Detection of BEOL Defects

This paper details an application where E-beam inspection (EBI) can be used for 100% full wafer inspection, generally considered a mythical target for EBI. For process layers where the line-widths and defects of interest are large, very large pixel size and high scan frequency can be used, thereby making full wafer inspection feasible. The metal layers in the back-end-of-line fit this bill when scanned in voltage contrast (VC) mode. Shorts or opens at any previous layer connected to the surface nodes can cause a VC signal, therefore the electrical health of each wafer is assessed for multiple layers simultaneously across the full wafer. The advantage of this scan is that failure sites can be identified and somewhat localized well before wafer final test. This application is more appropriate for semi-mature technologies where there are few defects per wafer, and therefore a full wafer scan is needed to catch a reasonable number of defects. The challenge with this type inspection is in identification of the root cause. A number of studies to map VC defect strength to types of physical defects are described. These studies demonstrated that this technique successfully finds yield limiting defects, but not all yield limiting defects will be detected. A plan for how to use the VC inspection to find root cause is presented.
The fractal interpretation of the weak scattering of elastic waves

Nondestructive methods, in particular the measurement of elastic waves, have become increasingly important in determining the microstructure of many materials in recent years. One of these methods is observing the attenuation of ultrasonic waves of known amplitude and direction, e.g., in granular metals. The waves are exponentially attenuated with distance with a frequency-dependent attenuation fractor. The attenuation factor can be decomposed into two parts: absorption and scattering. Experimentally, the absorption part varies linearly with frequency, while the scattering part has a noninteger power law behavior, the exponent of which is related to the strength of the material. Theoretically, at long wavelengths the exponent is 4 (Rayleigh scattering) while for grain-sized wavelengths it is 2 (diffusive scattering). We relate the attenuation factor to the forward scattering amplitude which is related to the frequency dependence of the scatterers and their cross sections. We attribute the noninteger attenuation exponent to a fractal distribution of grain shapes and sizes.
Robust Closed-Loop Minimal Sampling Method for HIV Therapy Switching Strategies

The emergence of drug-resistant strains of human immunodeficiency virus during antiretroviral therapy is a major cause of treatment failure and disease progression. Development of a resistant strain necessitates switching to a new antiretroviral regimen composed of novel drugs. Recent work has shown that current methods of switching antiviral therapies carry significant unnecessary risk of subsequent failures, and optimal switching schedules to minimize this risk have been proposed. These switching schedules require frequent sampling of viral load during an induced phase of transient viral load reduction, with the goal of switching to the new antiviral regimen at an induced viral load minimum. The proposed frequent sampling carries an unacceptable level of cost both in terms of measurement expense and inconvenience to the patient. In this paper, we propose a closed-loop sampling algorithm to reduce the number of samples required to achieve the desired reduction in risk. We demonstrate through the Monte-Carlo analysis that the proposed method is able to robustly achieve an average 50% reduction in the number of required samples while maintaining a reduction in the risk of subsequent failure to under 3%, despite experimentally verified levels of model and measurement uncertainty.
Characteristics of invertebrates consumed by mallards and prey response to wetland flooding schedules

We examined characteristics of the invertebrates consumed by mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and green-winged teals (Anas crecca) and responses of these invertebrates to manipulations of flooding date in Suisun Marsh, Solano County, CA. Numbers ofChironomus stigmaterus midge larvae (Chironomidae) andEogammarus confervicolus amphipods (Gammaridae) in mallard esophageal samples were positively correlated with abundance of these invertebrates in wetlands. Mallards primarily consumed large midge larvae (fourth instars) and amphipods (>5 mm in length). Smaller green-winged teals consumed smaller midges. Mallards consumed fewTrichocorixa verticalis water boatmen (Corixidae) orCricotopus sylvestris midge larvae, despite their being abundant. Wetlands first flooded in early September had higher winter populations of amphipods andBerosus ingeminatus beetle larvae (Hydrophilidae) than wetlands first flooded in late October. Late-winter abundance of benthicC. stigmaterus midge larvae was highest at 40-cm water depths in the former habitats and at 20-cm depths in the latter habitats.
Eternity has no duration

In 1981 Eleonore Stump and Norman Kretzmann published a landmark article aimed at exploring the classical concept of divine eternity.1 Taking Boethius as the primary spokesman for the traditional view, they analyse God's eternity as timeless yet as possessing duration. More recently Brian Leftow has seconded Stump and Kretzmann's interpretation of the medieval position (with qualifications) and attempted to defend the notion of a durational eternity as a useful way of expressing the sort of life God leads.2 However, there are good reasons to reject the idea that divine timelessness should be thought of as having duration. The medievals probably did not accept it, as it contradicts a principle of classical metaphysics even more fundamental than the atemporality of the divine. In any case, it is not possible to express the notion of durational eternity in even a minimally coherent way, and the attempt to salvage the concept by appealing to the Thomistic doctrine of analogy is unsuccessful. The best analogy for God's eternity is still the one proposed by Augustine at the end of the fourth century. God lives in a timeless ‘present’, unextended like our temporal present, but immutable and encompassing all time.
Time trends in personnel certification and turnover in the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study

Background The purpose of this analysis was to examine and quantify the coordinating center workload in regard to certification and turnover of clinical personnel who participated in the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS).Methods The COMS was a set of multicenter, multidisciplinary randomized clinical trials conducted to evaluate radiotherapy for initial treatment of choroidal melanoma, a primary eye cancer. Patients were screened, enrolled, treated, and followed for mortality and clinical outcomes at 43 clinical centers in the United States and Canada, beginning late in 1986. Clinical centers were added to the COMS during three calendar periods. Training and certification of clinical personnel was performed by five resource centers and coordinated at the COMS coordinating center. A personnel database was maintained at the coordinating center for tracking certification progress, recertification, transfers and resignations. Certification records were analyzed for the period 1986 through 1998 when p...
Mucosal burn resulting from chewable aspirin: report of case

A 4-year-old female patient with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis received a mucosal burn from chewable-aspirin therapy. She was given five chewable aspirin tablets before bedtime, and fell asleep before swallowing them. Mucosal bums from incomplete aspirin ingestion can be prevented by not administering aspirin at bedtime, and by cleaning the buccal vestibules with a cotton swab to ensure complete removal of all aspirin.
Effects of reserpine and tyramine on release of norepinephrine from synaptosomes.

Abstract Synaptosomes incubated with norepinephrine-14C and subsequently treated with reserpine released labeled deaminated products of the catecholamine. Tyramine, however, resulted in release of unmetabolized norepinephrine-14C. These findings are similar to those found in peripheral organs and suggest that in brain, as well as in peripheral sympathetic nerves, intraneuronal release of norepinephrine is attended by deamination.
From disease prevention to health promotion.

Today, the phrase "disease prevention and health promotion" is commonly encountered. The idea of disease prevention alone is quite clear: "Primary prevention means averting the occurrence of disease . . . [and] . . . secondary prevention means halting the progression of a disease from its early unrecognized stage to a more severe one." During this century, disease prevention has changed largely from focusing on reducing environmental exposures over which the individual had little personal control, such as providing potable water, to emphasizing behaviors such as avoiding use of tobacco, fatty foods, and a sedentary lifestyle. Although individuals have a choice in these matters, as early as 1952 the President's Commission on Health Needs of the Nation noted that such individual responsibility for health can be fully effective only if society ensures access to necessary education and professional services. More recent reviews also have cited the need for social support for individual health initiatives. Language: en
Differential effects of amphetamine and related compounds on locomotor activity and metabolic rate in mice.

Abstract Locomotor activity was measured by photobeam interruptions, and metabolic rate by the production of CO 2 (as minute volume expired CO 2 , or V E CO 2 ) in mice. d-Amphetamine (0.3 to 10 mg/kg IP) increased locomotor activity in a dose-dependent manner while suppressing V E CO 2 over the same 72-min test period, compared to saline-injected controls. This phenomenon of divergent effects on locomotor activity and metabolic rate required central stimulation, as neither ammonium sulfate nor p-hydroxyamphetamine suppressed V E CO 2 . Oxygen consumption was also suppressed by d-amphetamine, indicating that the suppression of V E CO 2 involved more than a change in respiratory quotient. When baseline activity rates were increased with running wheels, V E CO 2 and activity were both suppressed by d-amphetamine more in exercising mice than in sedentary mice. Anorexigenic agents phenmetrazien, animoxaphen, and fenfluramine, when administered in doses equimolar to maximally effective doses of d-amphetamine, did not consistently affect activity or V E CO 2 . Evidence for mediation of the V E CO 2 response by corticosterone and endogenous opioid peptides was negative. Further work, with other mediators of the stress response, or with more complete dose-effect studies with anorexigenic compounds, may be necessary to explicate the mechanism of this counter-intuitive divergence of two measures of activity in mice.
Quitting smoking using health issue-specific Social Networking Sites (SNSs): What influences participation, social identification, and smoking cessation self-efficacy?

Introduction: This study examined members of health issue-specific social networking sites (SNSs) for smoking cessation, applying Social Identity Theory (SIT).Aims: The aim of the study was to test the relationships between perceived verbal, affective, cognitive and physical intimacy on the sites, participation level, social identification and smoking cessation self-efficacy.Methods: An online questionnaire (N = 252) assessed members of SNSs for smoking cessation. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modelling (SEM), mediation analysis, MANOVA and ANOVA tests were used to test the hypotheses.Results/Findings: Verbal, affective, cognitive and physical intimacy significantly predicted participation; participation significantly predicted social identification and smoking cessation self-efficacy; and social identification mediated between participation and smoking cessation self-efficacy. Active participants and lurkers differed significantly on perceived verbal, affective, cognitive and physical intimacy, social identification, and smoking cessation self-efficacy.Conclusions: Health issue-specific SNSs for smoking cessation have a positive impact on members’ smoking cessation self-efficacy. Higher perceived intimacy facilitates participation online, which in turn influences smoking cessation self-efficacy, with social identification mediating this relationship.
Contribution of congestive heart failure and ischemic heart disease to excess mortality in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective Although mortality among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is higher than in the general population, the relative contribution of comorbid diseases to this mortality difference is not known. This study was undertaken to evaluate the contribution of congestive heart failure (CHF) and ischemic heart disease (IHD), including myocardial infarction, to the excess mortality in patients with RA, compared with that in individuals without RA. Methods We assembled a population-based inception cohort of individuals living in Rochester, Minnesota, in whom RA (defined according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology [formerly, the American Rheumatism Association]) first developed between 1955 and 1995, and an age- and sex-matched non-RA cohort. All subjects were followed up until either death, migration from the county, or until 2001. Detailed information from the complete medical records was collected. Statistical analyses included the person-years method, cumulative incidence, and Cox regression modeling. Attributable risk analysis techniques were used to estimate the number of RA deaths that would be prevented if the incidence of CHF was the same in patients with RA and non-RA subjects. Results The study population included 603 patients with RA and 603 subjects without RA. During followup, there was an excess of 123 deaths among patients with RA (345 RA deaths occurred, although only 222 such deaths were expected). The mortality rates among patients with RA and non-RA subjects were 39.0 and 29.2 per 1,000 person-years, respectively. There was a significantly higher cumulative incidence of CHF (but not IHD) in patients with RA compared with non-RA subjects (37.1% versus 27.7% at 30 years of followup, respectively; P < 0.001). The risk of death associated with either CHF or IHD was not significantly different between patients with RA and non-RA subjects. If the risk of developing CHF was the same in patients with RA and individuals without RA, the overall mortality rate difference between RA and non-RA hypothetically would be reduced from 9.8 to 8.0 excess deaths per 1,000 person-years; that is, 16 (13%) of the 123 excess deaths could be prevented. Conclusion CHF, rather than IHD, appears to be an important contributor to the excess overall mortality among patients with RA. CHF contributes to this excess mortality primarily through the increased incidence of CHF in RA, rather than increased mortality associated with CHF in patients with RA compared with non-RA subjects. Eliminating the excess risk of CHF in patients with RA could significantly improve their survival.
Magnetization and static scaling of the high- T c disordered molecular-based magnet V(tetracyanoethylene ) x ⋅ y ( CH 3 CN) with x ∼1.5 and y ∼2

We report field (H) and temperature (T) -dependent magnetization (M) of a member of the new class of high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ molecular-based magnets V(tetracyanoethylene${)}_{\mathit{x}}$\ensuremath{\cdot}y(solvent) with ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ in an accessible range (solvent =${\mathrm{CH}}_{3}$CN). The M(H) at low T saturates slowly with increasing H. The random magnetic anisotropy model is applied to study the behavior of this disordered material, yielding values of anisotropy strengths and exchange constant. The results of an equation-of-state and scaling analysis near ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ are given and compared to theoretical results.
Using conceptual spaces to fuse knowledge from heterogeneous robot platforms

As robots become more common, it becomes increasingly useful for many applications to use them in teams that sense the world in a distributed manner. In such situations, the robots or a central control center must communicate and fuse information received from multiple sources. A key challenge for this problem is perceptual heterogeneity, where the sensors, perceptual representations, and training instances used by the robots differ dramatically. In this paper, we use Gardenfors' conceptual spaces, a geometric representation with strong roots in cognitive science and psychology, in order to represent the appearance of objects and show how the problem of heterogeneity can be intuitively explored by looking at the situation where multiple robots differ in their conceptual spaces at different levels. To bridge low-level sensory differences, we abstract raw sensory data into properties (such as color or texture categories), represented as Gaussian Mixture Models, and demonstrate that this facilitates both individual learning and the fusion of concepts between robots. Concepts (e.g. objects) are represented as a fuzzy mixture of these properties. We then treat the problem where the conceptual spaces of two robots differ and they only share a subset of these properties. In this case, we use joint interaction and statistical metrics to determine which properties are shared. Finally, we show how conceptual spaces can handle the combination of such missing properties when fusing concepts received from different robots. We demonstrate the fusion of information in real-robot experiments with a Mobile Robots Amigobot and Pioneer 2DX with significantly different cameras and (on one robot) a SICK lidar.yyyy