cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Sparse Range Data

To represent more concisely the spatial layout of objects in the environment, the three-dimensional data produced by the cooperative sensing process must be segmented into meaningful clusters. But which data points “belong” together? And what are “meaningful” clusters? The clustering problem (described in Chapter 1) is to partition objects, represented by measurements in a multidimensional space, into groupings reflecting the “natural” structure of the data, without the utilization of any a priori information about class membership.
Abortion and moral safety.

If one has read the popular literature on the Catholic position, one might question putting it in the category of assuming that the fetus is a person. Is it not, one might ask, the position of the Church that it is certain that the fetus is a person? This is indeed the view that is commonly held, and there are some very definite statements by popes and others which seem to indicate it. Consider, for example, the 1930 statement of Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Casti Connubii:
Sleep Quality as a Potential Mediator Between Psychological Distress and Diabetes Quality of Life in Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes

Objective The goal of this study was to explore sleep quality as a potential mediator between depression symptoms and diabetes quality of life (DQOL), and anxiety symptoms and DQOL. Method Participants were 83 male and 3 female veterans with type 2 diabetes (Mage = 62.4). Self-report measures were completed during the baseline assessment of a larger intervention study conducted at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Results Depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep quality were all associated with DQOL. Additionally, sleep quality had a partial indirect effect on the relationships between depression symptoms and DQOL, and between anxiety symptoms and DQOL. Conclusions These findings suggest that sleep quality may have an important role in the way that psychological distress affects diabetes quality of life. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Clin. Psychol. 00:1-11, 2012.
The Effect of Rain and Runoff When Assessing Timing of Manure Application and Dissolved Phosphorus Loss in Runoff1

Vadas, Peter A., William E. Jokela, Dory H. Franklin, and Dinku M. Endale, 2011. The Effect of Rain and Runoff When Assessing Timing of Manure Application and Dissolved Phosphorus Loss in Runoff. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(4):877-886. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00561.x Abstract: A significant pathway of nonpoint source, agricultural phosphorus (P) transport is surface runoff, to which surface-applied manure can contribute. Increasing the time between manure application and the first rain-runoff event is proposed as a practice to reduce runoff P loss. Few studies have investigated this aspect of manure P loss in runoff, with mixed results. Studies observing a decrease in runoff P as the time between application and the first rain-runoff attribute the decrease to adsorption of manure P by soil and manure drying effects, but do not consider the effect of storm hydrology on runoff P. We ran the manure P runoff model SurPhos with data from nine published studies that investigated the effect of time between application and the first rain event on runoff P. SurPhos successfully simulated the experimental conditions in the studies and predicted runoff P loss. Simulation results suggest soil adsorption of manure P is not the dominant mechanism that will significantly decrease manure P availability to runoff. Rather, regardless of when the first rain-runoff event occurs, storm hydrology will significantly affect manure P loss in runoff. Although model scenarios indicate that increasing the time between manure application and the first rain-runoff event will typically decrease P loss in runoff, runoff P could be equal to or greater 30 days after application than the day after application if a more intense rain and runoff event occurs at the latter date.
Nonlinear Dynamical Systems in Speech Perception and Production

Research examining the nonlinear, dynamical-systems aspects of speech production and perception is reviewed. Examples are provided from studies of phonation, speech respiration, vocal tract acoustics, speech gestures, and auditory-phonetic perception. Results support a conclusion that nonlinear, dynamical system behaviors and principles are represented in speech production and perception at several levels of system behavior. The results are interpreted as suggesting that the communicative distinctions in speech are represented in task-relevant, order parameters which are preserved over a wide range of sets of task-irrelevant, control parameters. The control parameters, in turn, define the domains of behavior for each of the relevant acoustic, biological, or psychological systems. More specifically, it is proposed that speech order parameters may be understood in terms of collective variables defined, in production, over the degrees of, and opening/closing rates of, the vocal tract and, in perception, over the rates, amounts, and relative phases of the broad-band temporal modulations in speech signals.
Helping Coaches Use Research Results

(1975). Helping Coaches Use Research Results. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 46, No. 8, pp. 28-28.
A mathematical model of pattern formation.

This paper presents an explicit mathematical model describing pattern formation in monolayer epithelia. The approach is a generalization of the equations describing soap bubble configurations ( Plateau, 1873 ; Thompson, 1917 ; Almgren & Taylor, 1976 ) that allows adjacent cells to adhere with differing intensities ( Steinberg, 1962 , Steinberg, 1978 ). The model is a system of simultaneous non-linear equations that considers cell-cell interactions in a two-dimensional sheet. The implementation involves using the equations of the model to predict explicitly the energy-minimizing configuration of a system of cells, based on the adhesivity of their membranes. The model can thus be used to explore the effects of varying adhesions on the dynamics of pattern formation. Following Chichilnisky (1985) , such a descriptive system is introduced in this paper, and its predictive properties explored.
Dynamic computational geometry on parallel computers

This paper surveys our parallel algorithms for determining geometric properties of systems of moving objects. The properties investigated include nearest (farthest) neighbor, closest (farthest) pair, collision, convex hull, diameter, and containment. The models of computation include the CREW PRAM, mesh, and hypercube.
Accelerated Langevin simulations of lattice QCD and other models

Abstract A fast algorithm is presented for simulating lattice field theories. The algorithm uses the Langevin equation and incorporates several innovations that greatly increase the speed and efficiency of the simulation. These innovations include the reduction of critical slowing down via Fourier acceleration and the use of a bilinear noise term to include the effects of fermion loops.
It’s New but Is It Good? New Product Development and Macromarketing:

New product development is integral to marketing. There are questions, however, regarding the extent to which new products are good and for whom they are good. While benefits may be obvious for manufacturers, sellers, and users of any particular product, stakeholders beyond the transaction and direct usage of said product may receive no benefits and perhaps may be harmed by new products. Some of the complex systemic effects of new products are examined in this article, with the hope that readers will ponder some of these complexities and various trade-offs and, more important, devise measures and practices that might help to determine the extent to which products truly are or can be systemically “good.”
How does daily treatment with human chorionic gonadotropin induce superovulation in the cyclic hamster

Daily s.c. injection of 2.0 IU hCG per day, begun on Day 1 of the cycle (estrus), results in hamsters ovulating 20.7 +/- 0.7 eggs instead of the normal number of 13.3 +/- 0.5 (SEM). This is associated with a reduced rate of follicular atresia so that more of the 10 developing follicles per ovary (large preantral stages) normally recruited on Day 1 of the cycle mature and go on to ovulate. The hCG-treated follicles were larger than control follicles, but contained similar amounts of DNA/follicle; increased size of the antral cavity accounted for their greater size. Moreover, DNA synthesis was significantly reduced in the hCG follicles on Days 2 and 4. Thecal vascularity as judged by the number of red blood cells retained in the theca or microsphere uptake by follicles indicates that on Day 2, thecal blood flow was significantly lower in the hCG-treated animals than in controls. On the other hand, after hCG treatment begun on Day 1, serum levels and in vitro incubation of individual follicles revealed that on Day 2 and beyond, androstenedione (A) and estradiol (E2) levels were elevated. After hCG treatment, the elevated serum E2 correlated with reduced serum LH on Days 3 and 4 whereas FSH was unaffected. To study in vitro steroid accumulation, the 10 largest follicles (the developing follicles) were dissected from alternate left and right ovaries from control and hCG-treated animals and incubated individually, and their histology was then compared with the steroid profiles. Accumulation of A and E2 was significantly greater in the hCG-treated follicles than in controls in a 1-h basal incubation and after the addition of 50 ng LH. Progesterone accumulation usually did not differ between the control and hCG-treated follicles. Early stage 1 atretic follicles (judged by histology) were still capable of producing A and E2 in vitro, comparable to control follicles; but, as atresia progressed, the follicles synthesized only progesterone. This is consistent with the temporal pattern previously observed in a model of induced follicular atresia in the hamster [Greenwald, Biol Reprod 1989; 40:175-181]. It is concluded that superovulation resulting from hCG injections is due to thecal production of androgens from follicles normally destined for atresia. For the untreated cyclic hamster, the critical time for thecal androgen production is the first 2 days of the cycle. The aromatizable androgens are then converted into estrogens, which in turn may maintain the microenvironment of the antral cavity, which is essential for viability of the granulosa cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Separating H-sets by Open Sets

In an -closed, Urysohn space, disjoint -sets can be separated by disjoint open sets. This is not true for an arbitrary H-closed space even if one of the -sets is a point. In this paper, we provide a systematic study of those spaces in which disjoint -sets can be separated by disjoint open sets.
Inhibition of development in Drosophila by cortisone.

GENE transcription, whereby enzyme reactions mediate the synthesis of RNA molecules from DNA templates, has been investigated mostly in microbial organisms, but studies with higher organisms have made fundamental contributions to our knowledge of this process. One of the more rewarding areas of study has centred on the role of hormones in the regulation of transcription. Investigations in vertebrates have revealed that RNA synthesis can be stimulated in some cases1,2, and inhibited in others3,4. There have been analogous findings on the regulatory effects of hormones in invertebrates. The phenomenon of puff formation in the polytene chromosomes of certain Diptera5 has been extensively investigated. Autoradiographic techniques have established unequivocally a direct relation between puff formation and RNA synthesis, and these studies have long been accepted as cytological evidence of gene transcription6.
On monodromy matrix computation

Abstract We present a study on the critical time step for the numerical integration based on the Runge–Kutta method of the monodromy matrix (the fundamental matrix solution) associated with a set of n first-order linear ordinary differential equations with periodic coefficients. By applying the Lyapunov–Schmidt method, for any dimension n and systems which are perturbations of autonomous systems, we give an approximation to the critical time step which involves the autonomous part as well as the periodic perturbations.
Oxygen electrocatalysis in alkaline electrolyte: Pt(hkl), Au(hkl) and the effect of Pd-modification

Abstract The kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied in alkaline electrolyte at 293–333 K on bare and Pd modified Pt(hkl) and Au(hkl) surfaces. The rotating ring-disk electrode technique was used to study the ORR with solution phase peroxide detected at the ring electrode. Pd modification was either by electrodeposition (Pt) or by vapor deposition in vacuum (Au). The surface concentration of Pd was determined in vacuum using low energy ion scattering. In agreement to the structure sensitivity found at room temperature previously, on the bare Au(hkl) surfaces the ORR was found to be strongly structure sensitive in the temperature range from 293 to 333 K, with order of activity being (100)≫(110)>(111). The structure sensitivity for Pt(hkl) is much less and varies in the nearly the opposite order (111)>(100)>(110). The peroxide intermediate pathway is clearly operative on Au(hkl) surfaces. At elevated temperature, significantly smaller amounts of peroxide are formed. The kinetics of the ORR were significantly enhanced by modification of both Pt(hkl) and Au(hkl) surfaces with Pd. The catalytic effect is most pronounced on the surfaces that are less active surfaces in the unmodified state, with enhancement at least an order of magnitude faster kinetics. Pd modification of the Au(hkl) surfaces, therefore, significantly reduces the structure sensitivity of the ORR. Even on the highly active Pt(111) surface the kinetics can be improved by a factor of approximately two to four due to Pd modification. The catalytic enhancement can be achieved with as little as 18 at.% Pd in the Au(hkl) surface.
Error Analysis of Simple Algorithms for Determining Fluorescence Lifetimes in Ultradilute Dye Solutions

We have evaluated the use of two simple algorithms for determining the decay parameters describing a single exponential process for dyes with nanosecond and subnanosecond fluorescence lifetimes in the limit of low concentrations and high backgrounds from scattered photons generated by the solvent using experimental and Monte Carlo simulation results. These algorithms, the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) and the rapid lifetime determination (RLD), are computationally easy to perform, allowing the evaluation of large amounts of data quickly and efficiently. The MLE and RLD methods were used to calculate the fluorescence lifetimes of three near-IR dyes with lifetimes spanning the range of 0.57 ns to 1.12 ns. For low-concentration conditions and high background-to-fluorescence ratios, the MLE method resulted in larger errors when compared to RLD, although both methods yielded comparable standard deviations. However, when the interval over which the lifetime was calculated within the decay profile was shifted to latter times in order to reduce the amount of scattered photons included in the calculation, significant improvements in the accuracy were observed with the use of MLE. Shifting the start channel of the calculation to latter time channels within the decay profile did not affect the lifetime with the use of RLD. Inclusion of large amounts of scattering photons was found to bias the calculated lifetime to lower values, reducing the accuracy of the determination. The relative standard deviations for MLE and RLD were found to be approximately 2-3% at a background-to-fluorescence ratio of 0.5. The absolute relative error in the methods at the 0.50 background-to-fluorescence ratio ranged from 14 to 27% for MLE and 8 to 18% for the RLD method when the calculation was initiated at t = 0. This error was found to decrease to < 1% with the use of MLE when the calculation was initiated at t ≈ 100 ps.
Peripheral neuropathies following total hip arthroplasty.

Abstract The authors reviewed the complication records following total hip arthroplasty at their institution between January 1976 and July 1989. Forty-two patients (12 men and 30 women) with 45 neurologic complications were identified following 7,133 consecutive total hip arthroplasties; an incidence rate of 0.63%. The average age of these patients was 58 years (range, 27–81 years). Thirty-four nerve injuries were noted in the lower extremity (0.48% incidence rate) and 11 in the upper extremity (0.15% incidence rate). The majority of patients (64%) with neurologic injury to the upper extremity had the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis. The common peroneal was most often involved in the lower extremity. The ulnar nerve was most commonly involved in the upper extremity. The pathogenetic factors leading to neurologic injury in the majority of patients were not clearly established. Leg lengthening did not seem to be a major cause. The prognosis of patients with nerve palsy of the upper extremity is favorable compared with injury to the lower extremity. Similarly, the percentage of patients with a permanent neurologic deficit was lower in the primary surgery group (27%) compared with the revision/reoperation group (43%). The overall percentage of permanent nerve palsy was 33%. Female patients, for unclear reasons, appear to have a higher risk for neurologic injury. Also, the risk of neurologic injury following total hip arthroplasty appears to be higher with revisions/reoperations and with an inexperienced surgeon.
On the Radar Echo from Aircraft

The nonstationarity of the low-frequency radar echo envelope observed from an aircraft is shown and a simple model of the echo is suggested. This model, devised specifically for simulation studies using computers, reproduces the characteristics of the observed envelope, demonstrating the correlation between the observed nonstationarity and aircraft motion relative to the receiver.
The Free Will-Determinism Debate and Social Work

Social workers'judgments about the determinants of clients' problems have a substantial effect on practitioners' willingness to provide assistance. There is considerable variation in professionals' beliefs about the extent to which clients are themselves responsible for their difficulties, as opposed to factors that are beyond their control. This article examines the philosophical controversy known as the free will-determinism debate, and assesses its implications for the profession of social work.
Long-term phenotypic evolution of bacteria

For many decades comparative analyses of protein sequences and structures have been used to investigate fundamental principles of molecular evolution. In contrast, relatively little is known about the long-term evolution of species' phenotypic and genetic properties. This represents an important gap in our understanding of evolution, as exactly these proprieties play key roles in natural selection and adaptation to diverse environments. Here we perform a comparative analysis of bacterial growth and gene deletion phenotypes using hundreds of genome-scale metabolic models. Overall, bacterial phenotypic evolution can be described by a two-stage process with a rapid initial phenotypic diversification followed by a slow long-term exponential divergence. The observed average divergence trend, with approximately similar fractions of phenotypic properties changing per unit time, continues for billions of years. We experimentally confirm the predicted divergence trend using the phenotypic profiles of 40 diverse bacterial species across more than 60 growth conditions. Our analysis suggests that, at long evolutionary distances, gene essentiality is significantly more conserved than the ability to utilize different nutrients, while synthetic lethality is significantly less conserved. We also find that although a rapid phenotypic evolution is sometimes observed within the same species, a transition from high to low phenotypic similarity occurs primarily at the genus level.
A Coupled Particle-Continuum Model of Nanoparticle Targeted Delivery Under Vascular Flow With Experimental Validation

Nanomedicine poses a new frontier in medical technology with the advantages of targeted delivery and patient specific design. In applications of nanoparticle targeted drug delivery, the delivery efficiency is controlled by the physical properties of the nanoparticle such as its size, shape, ligand density, as well as external environmental conditions such as flow rate and blood vessel diameter. Proper drug dosage choice relies on determination of the attachment and detachment rates of the nanoparticles at the active region and the understanding of the complex process of targeted drug delivery. A few particulate models have been proposed to study the adhesion individual spherical or non-spherical nanoparticles on receptor coated wall. Meanwhile, continuum convection-diffusion-reaction models have been widely used to calculate the drug concentration under various conditions, which usually assumes specific binding and de-binding constants. In reality, these binding and de-binding rates largely vary with physical properties of the particles and local flow conditions. However, there has not been any study that links the particulate level nanoparticle size and shape information to the system level bounded particle concentration. A hybrid particle binding dynamics and continuum convection-diffusion-reaction model is presented to study the effect of shear flow rate and particle size on binding efficiency. The simulated concentration of bounded nanoparticles agrees well with experimental results in flow chamber studies.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Treatment of oil spill water by ozonation and sand filtration

Increasing volumes of crude oil being produced and transported throughout the world in recent decades have resulted in increased risks of spill and high-profile spill incidents of significant environmental and ecological impacts over extended periods of time. While immediate in situ and ex situ responses have been implemented, none are available for onsite treatment of contaminated water for immediate release of the treated water. We demonstrate here a potential treatment scheme involving ozonation and sand filtration intended for immediate treatment and discharge of the impacted water. Waters of tap, Utah Lake, and Great Salt Lake sources were spiked with crude oil of the Great Natural Butte of Utah at 2.5% and 0.025% oil (v/v) and tested for treatment. The results showed near complete removal (100%) of both Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and oil and grease (O&G) from initially 20000 and 11000 mg L(-1), respectively, via flotation pretreatment, ozonation in pressure cycles, and sand filtration. At lower oil level of 0.025%, complete removal of COD and O&G from waters were achieved without floatation. The treated waters showed reduction of turbidity to <1 from 4000 NTU and high Biochemical Oxygen Demand/COD ratio of 0.3-0.5 that reflected highly biodegradable residual organics. The results showed synergistic oil removal when two well practiced methods, namely ozonation and sand filtration that either alone seems ineffective, are combined sequentially. It indicates a potential on-site treatment response for oil spill incidents where the collection and transport of a large amount of contaminated water may be avoided.
A prospective assessment of mortality in chronic spinal cord injury.

Prospective mortality study. To assess the relationship between comorbid medical conditions and other health-related factors to mortality in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Boston, MA, USA. Between 1994 and 2000, 361 males ⩾1 year after injury completed a respiratory health questionnaire and underwent pulmonary function testing. Cause-specific mortality was assessed over a median of 55.6 months (range 0.33–74.4 months) through 12/31/2000 using the National Death Index. At entry, mean (±SD) age was 50.6±15.0 years (range 23–87) and years since injury was 17.5±12.8 years (range 1.0–56.5). Mortality was elevated (observed/expected deaths=37/25.1; SMR=1.47; 95% CI=1.04–2.03) compared to US rates. Risk factors for death were diabetes (RR=2.62; 95% CI=1.19–5.77), heart disease (RR=3.66; 95% CI=1.77–7.78), reduced pulmonary function, and smoking. The most common underlying and contributing causes of death were diseases of the circulatory system (ICD-9 390–459) in 40%, and of the respiratory system in 24% (ICD-9 460-519). These results suggest that much of the excess mortality in chronic SCI is related to potentially treatable factors. Recognition and treatment of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and lung disease, together with smoking cessation may substantially reduce mortality in chronic SCI.
STABILITY CONSTANTS OF CERTAIN LANTHANIDE(III) AND ACTINIDE(III) CHLORIDE AND NITRATE COMPLEXES

Abstract By means of acid-dependency studies, the extractant di[para(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenyl] phosphoric acid, HDOΦP, in toluene as a carrier diluent has been shown to extract M(III) lanthanides and actinides from aqueous perchlorate, chloride and nitrate media as species containing none of the anions present in the aqueous phase. Consequently, extraction of M(III) lanthanides and actinides from mixed perchlorate-chloride and from mixed perchlorate-nitrate aqueous phases may be used to determine the stability constant, k c , for MCl 2+ and M(NO 3 ) 2+ . The k c values, at 22±1° C, μ = 1·0, so determined are: MCl 2+ , La(0·9 ± 0·3), Ce(0·9 ± 0·3), Pr(0·9 ± 0·3), Eu(0·9 ± 0·3), Tm(0·8 ± 0·3), Yb(0·6 ± 0·2), Lu(0·4 ± 0·2), Am(0·9 ± 0·2); M(NO 3 ) 2+ , La(1·3 ± 0·3), Ce(1·3 ± 0·3), Pr(1·7 ± 0·3),Eu(2·0 ± 0·3), Tm(0·7 ± 0·2), Yb(0·6 ± 0·2), Lu(0·6 ± 0·2), Am(1·8 ± 0·3).
Long-Term Neurological Effects of Bone Marrow Transplantation in a Canine Lysosomal Storage Disease

ABSTRACT: A naturally occurring disease in Plott hound dogs, caused by deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme α-L-iduronidase, was used to study the feasibility of bone marrow transplantation therapy in a neurodegenerative storage disease. Three long-term survivors of transplantation with littermate marrow at 5 months of age (before clinical signs) had CNS enzyme activity, glycosaminoglycan storage, and light microscopic and ultrastructural changes evaluated 594, 628, and 740 days after treatment. Iduronidase activity in small amounts (1–3% of donor values) was detectable in brain tissue. Cerebrospinal fluid had higher iduronidase activity after transplantation (7–15% of donor values). Enzyme activity within the CNS resulted in significant reductions in stored glycosaminoglycans and resolution, to a large extent, of light microscopic and ultrastructural lesions observed in affected, untreated littermate control dogs.
Staudinger Ligation of Peptides at Non-Glycyl Residues

The Staudinger ligation provides a means to form an amide bond between a phosphinothioester and azide. This reaction holds promise for the ligation of peptides en route to the total chemical synthesis of proteins. (Diphenylphosphino)methanethiol is the most efficacious of known reagents for mediating the Staudinger ligation of peptides, providing high (>90%) isolated yields for equimolar couplings in which a glycine residue is at the nascent junction. Surprisingly, the yields are lower (<50%) for non-glycyl couplings due to an aza-Wittig reaction that diverts the reaction toward a phosphonamide byproduct. Here, the partitioning of the reaction toward Staudinger ligation (and away from the aza-Wittig reaction) is shown to increase with increasing electron density on phosphorus. This electron density can be tuned either by installing functional groups on the phenyl substituents of (diphenylphosphino)methanethiol or by changing the polarity of the solvent. Installing p-methoxy groups and using a solvent of l...
Immunity of rodents to malaria.

Abstract This study reviews recent work in our laboratory on the immune response of rats to Plasmodium berghei infection. It gives special emphasis to our studies on the mechanisms for implementation of the immune response by humoral antibody and phagocytes and to our studies of the changes in the cellular systems upon which the development of the immune response depends.
From Orality to Image: Traditional Qatari Narratives and the Visual Media

Abstract From Orality to Image: Traditional Qatari Narratives and the Visual Media is a UREP project whose aim is to preserve and re-present traditional Qatari culture by adapting cross-generational oral narratives into text and graphic form. We are using traditional Qatari oral folk tales as the basis of a series of graphic stories. These graphic stories will be collected in an anthology targeted at all readers who are interested in Qatari culture in general, and young adult readers in particular. We believe that these stories, which are both informative and engaging, could be of valuable use in the classroom and beyond to educate young readers about traditional Qatari culture and lore, to promote literacy, and to instil an appreciation for reading and the visual arts. The main aims are: To increase awareness of Qatari history, tradition and culture among the general reading public and particularly among young adults in Qatar and beyond; To increase reading among young adults who may be resistant to book...
Precocious cervical ripening as a screening target to predict spontaneous preterm delivery among asymptomatic singleton pregnancies: a systematic review.

Routine second-trimester transvaginal ultrasonographic (TVU) screening for short cervical length (CL) predicts spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD), albeit with limited sensitivity (35-40%) and a moderate positive likelihood ratio of 4-6. However, CL describes one of the multidimensional changes that are associated with precocious cervical ripening (PCCR) and that also include cervical softening, cervical funneling (CF), and dilation. PCCR, a precursor and a strong predictor for SPTD, was proposed as a potential screening target. We hypothesized that screening for composite measures of PCCR (eg, CL, CF, cervical consistency, and dilation) with the use of either digital examination or TVU would improve the prediction of SPTD compared with screening for short CL alone. We searched PubMed and EMBASE electronic databases for observational cohort studies to evaluate cervical screening in asymptomatic obstetric populations. Multidimensional composite cervical measures were assessed in 10 datasets (n = 22,050 pregnancies) and 12 publications. Appreciable heterogeneity in cervical measurements, data quality, and outcomes across studies prevented quantitative metaanalysis. Only one study reported intra- and interobserver reliability of cervical measurements. The prevalence of CF ranged from 0.7–9.1%. Five studies compared composite measures of PCCR (ie, CL and CF) with short CL alone and consistently reported improved screening performance. Among 3 TVU studies, gains in sensitivity ranged from 5–27%, and increases in positive likelihood ratio ranged from 3–16. Our findings suggest that composite measures of PCCR might serve as valuable screening targets. High-quality interdisciplinary studies that integrate epidemiologic approaches are needed to test this hypothesis and to accelerate the translation of advances in cervical pathophysiology into effective preventive interventions.
Impact of Biodiesel on Fuel Preparation and Emissions for a Liquid Fired Gas Turbine Engine

This paper reports the fuel injection, vaporization, and emissions characteristics when running a 30 kW gas turbine engine on biodiesel (B99), and diesel fuel distillate # 2. Compositional analysis is used to assess the distillation of these fuels and a comparison is made with ethanol. The role of the liquid properties on fuel preparation and the subsequent engine performance is also assessed. The results show that while compositionally simple, biodiesel features some properties that result in inferior atomization and longer evaporation times compared to DF2. In addition, the overall spray behavior differs substantially in terms of density and width. The measured NO and CO emissions levels produced by the engine reveal significant increases with the use of biodiesel which is expected given the inferior fuel preparation characteristics. It appears reasonable to modify the fuel injector in order to overcome the deleterious effects observed for biodiesel. The benefits of blending biodiesel and ethanol in order to eliminate duel fuel operation during cold startup are discussed.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Use of the DIPPR Database for Development of QSPR Correlations: Surface Tension†

Combination of commercial QSPR (quantitative structure-property relationship) software with an evaluated database creates a powerful tool for development of thermophysical property correlations. By using data quality codes in the DIPPR relational database, a training set of property values within a desired accuracy level can be obtained for use in QSPR regression software. Moreover, additional database queries can be used to restrict the training set to specified families or functional groups and further refine the molecular descriptors that are used to correlate the property. This provides a good basis for rapid development of QSPR correlations of known uncertainty and chemical domain. This procedure is illustrated by its application to the extension of the Macleod-Sugden (Trans. Faraday Soc. 1923, 19, 38. Chem. Soc. 1924, 125, 32.) correlation for surface tension based upon the parachor. Quayle (Chem. Rev. 1953, 53, 439-591.) correlated the parachor in terms of additive atomic and structural increments but used a training set limited in temperature and scope. In this work, new molecular descriptors were selected consistent with the accuracy of the training set extracted from the DIPPR database, and their additive increments to the parachor were regressed from 8697 surface tension values of uncertainty less than 5% for 649 different compounds. This produced a correlation with an average absolute deviation (AAD) of 3.2%. This can be compared with an AAD of 6.9% using the Quayle descriptors for the same set.
QUASI-FREE SCATTERING OF ELECTRONS AND NUCLEAR SHELL STRUCTURE.

Abstract Quasi-free scattering of electrons on nuclei resulting in the emission of proton is investigated using the effective Hamiltonian of Mc Voy and Van Hove for the electron-nucleon interaction. The coincidence cross section for (e, e′, p) reaction is deduced in the impulse approximation. The shell structure of the nucleus can directly be studied since the energy of the outgoing proton depends upon the shell from which it is ejected and its binding energy. The angular distribution of the outgoing proton reveals interesting features and numerical results are presented for 12C, 16O, and 28Si.
Neural precursor cells possess multiple p53-dependent apoptotic pathways

Neural precursor cells (NPCs) are markedly sensitive to apoptotic insults. p53-dependent transcriptional activation of proapoptotic genes has been hypothesized to regulate NPC death in response to DNA damage. Recent studies of non-NPCs have also indicated that p53 may directly interact with Bcl-2 molecules and thereby regulate death independently of transcription. The contribution of transcription-independent p53 activation in NPC death has not been characterized. In this study, we found that apoptosis caused by chemotherapeutic agents in NPCs required p53 expression and new macromolecular synthesis. In contrast, NPC death induced by staurosporine, a broad kinase inhibitor, is regulated by p53 in the absence of macromolecular synthesis. The apoptosis effector molecules Bax and Bak, Apaf-1, and caspase-9 were shown to be downstream of p53 in both pathways. These findings indicate that p53 is in a unique position to regulate at least two distinct signaling portals that activate the intrinsic apoptotic death pathway in NPCs.
Influence of the scattering phase function on light transport measurements in turbid media performed with small source-detector separations.

Many methods of optical tissue diagnosis require that measurements be performed with small source-detector separations in a backscatter geometry. Monte Carlo simulations are used to demonstrate that for these situations light transport depends on the exact form of the angular scattering probability distribution, P(theta). Simulations performed with different forms of P(theta) with the same value of ?cos theta? result in the collection of significantly different fractions of the incident photons, particularly when small-numerical-aperture delivery and collection fibers are employed. More photons are collected for the distribution that has a higher probability of scattering events with theta > 125 degrees . For the clinically relevant optical parameters employed here, the differences in light collection are >60%.
A stratospheric ozone profile data set for 1979–2005: Variability, trends, and comparisons with column ozone data

[1] A global stratospheric ozone data set for 1979–2005 is described. Interannual variations are derived from analysis of Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE I and II) profile measurements, combined with polar ozonesonde data from Syowa (69°S) and Resolute (75°N). These interannual changes are combined with a seasonally varying ozone climatology from Fortuin and Kelder [1998] to provide a monthly global data set. These data are intended for use in global modeling studies and for analysis of global variability and trends. In order to generate continuous fields from the gappy SAGE data, we use a regression fit that includes decadal trends, solar cycle, and QBO terms, and the spatial structure of these variations is studied in detail. Decadal trends are modeled using an equivalent effective stratospheric chlorine proxy. Ozone variability from the vertically integrated SAGE/sonde data set is compared with results derived from a merged Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer/solar backscatter ultraviolet column ozone data set, showing good overall agreement (in particular for trends in extratropics). We also compare the SAGE data with ozonesonde measurements over Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes and find excellent agreement for lower stratospheric variability and trends. In the tropics, the SAGE ozone data show relatively large percentage decreases in the lower stratosphere. However, the vertically integrated SAGE data do not agree with column ozone trends in the tropics, so there is less confidence in the SAGE results in this region.
Intrasexual Competition and Mate Choice in Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Rocky Mountain bighorn (Ovis canadensis canadensis) rams employed three distinct mating tactics. When tending, rams defended single estrous ewes. In coursing, rams forced copulations with defended ewes, and, in blocking, rams sequestered ewes from more dominant rams. Ewes utilized a traditional area when tended, attempted to escape to this area when blocked, and resisted coursing ram attempts to force copulations. Between-year variation in the dispersion of estrous ewes about the tending area strongly influenced the consort and probably mating success of dominant rams. Thus, ewe spatial predictability during estrus — achieved by clustering in tended estrus and resisting blocking rams — appears to be an important mechanism of mate choice in this species. Ewes apparently did not gain material or risk-related benefits by mating dominant rams. That such males provide ewes with “good genes” is an attractive remaining possibility.
Adrenal disruption of maternal behavior in the caesarean-sectioned rat.

Abstract Female rats subjected both to Caesarean section and intraperitoneal injections of saline either failed to behave maternally or showed abnormally long latencies to the onset of this behavior. This interference with the initiation of pup care was reversed either by adrenalectomy or the injection of dexamethasone, indicating adrenal mediation. Radioimmunossay of plasma progesterone revealed that progesterone was not the adrenal agent involved in the observed behavioral disruption.
Methods for estimating proportions of convex combinations of normals using linear feature selection

Let X be a random n-vector whose density function is given by a mixtur.e of two density functions, h1 and h2 with unknown mixture proportions, Y1 and Y2 We assume that each of h1 and h2 is a convex combination of known multivariate normal density functions whose corresponding mixture proportions are also unknown. We present three numerically tractable methods for estimating Y1 and Y2 related to the technique of Guseman and Walton (1977), and based on the linear feature selection technique of Guseman, Peters and Walker (1975).
Computational chaos in the nonlinear Schrödinger equation without homoclinic crossings

Abstract A Hamiltonian difference scheme associated with the integrable nonlinear Schrodinger equation with periodic boundary values is used as a prototype to demonstrate that perturbations due to truncation effects can result in a novel type of chaotic evolution. The chaotic solution is characterized by random bifurcations across standing wave states into left and right going traveling waves. In this class of problems where the solutions are not subject to even constraints, the traditional mechanism of crossings of the unperturbed homoclinic orbits/manifolds is not observed.
The Future of the Comparative Systems Course in the Undergraduate Economics Curriculum

Using a survey of undergraduate economics departments, the author makes the case for teaching a modified and updated comparative systems course that must differ from the relatively standardized comparative systems course in the 1950–1985 period.
Morphology of defects and the transport properties of high-Tc superconductors

The distribution of the pinning energies f(E) at low temperatures for polycrystalline Bi-2212 thin rods were recently determined from experimental measurements using an inversion scheme. An analysis is proposed to calculate the same distributions for the same samples directly with few simple assumptions. This approach depends on the fact that in the long time limit, the magnetization relaxation behavior is controlled by the diffusion coefficient D of the local vortex lines. The diffusion coefficient has a temperature and field dependence which influences the relaxation time constants of the magnetization curves. The calculated distributions also take into account the effects of the thermal driving forces on the vortex dynamics and consequently on the transport properties. Excellent agreements between the measurements and the model predictions indicate that the proposed distribution of the activation energy is consistent with those determined from the experimental measurements using inversion methods.
A Faint-Object Grism Spectrograph With Multiple Slits And CCD Detector

A high-efficiency spectrograph for research on faint astronomical objects has been successfully built and is in regular use on the Multiple-Mirror Telescope (MMT). It is equipped with a motorized multi-slit mechanism to allow simultaneous observations of several objects. The combination of high throughput, multiple object capability, and low-noise CCD detector has allowed routine work to be extended to objects of V magnitude 23 and fainter.
The four functions of nonprofits

On Being Nonprofit: A Conceptual and Policy Primer, by Peter Frumkin. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2005. 232 pp., $19.95 paper.
Effects of passive stretch on growth and regression of muscle from chickens of various ages.

Abstract 1. 1. A non-invasive procedure was used to determine the effect of animal age on the growth response of muscle to passive stretch. 2. 2. Stretch increased patagialis muscle weight 61% in 6-week-old chicks and 34% in 10-month-old chicks, 28-month-old animals had an 18% loss of muscle mass during passive stretch. 3. 3. Removal of the stretch stimulus was followed by a rapid return of patagialis weight to control values in 6-week and 10-month animals, while muscle size of 28-month-old animals had not returned to control levels by 22 days, following removal of the stretch. 4. 4. The stretch-induced changes in muscle wet weight could, in part, be attributed to changes in muscle protein. 5. 5. Total muscle DNA content increased during rapid growth in 6-week- and 10-month-old chickens, and returned to control levels during muscle regression. 6. 6. Muscle hydroxyproline content increased in parallel with increases in muscle mass but did not return to control levels during muscle regression in 6-week-old animals. 7. 7. Results of the present study indicate that there was an effect of animal age on stretch-induced hypertrophy and regression of the patagialis muscle.
The intratracheal administration of endotoxin: X. Dexamethasone downregulates neutrophil emigration and cytokine expression in vivo

Intratracheal instillation of endotoxin (LPS) causes acute pulmonary inflammation characterized by the accumulation of plasma proteins and leukocytes within the pulmonary airways. The synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone 1) inhibits the LPS-initiated vascular leak of plasma proteins into the airspace, 2) inhibits the LPS-initiated emigration of neutrophils and lymphocytes into the airspace in a dose-dependent fashion, and 3) inhibits LPS-initiated mRNA and/or bronchoalveolar lavage protein expression of cytokines (TNF, IL-1 and IL-6) and chemokines (MIP-1 alpha, MIP-2 and MCP-1). In conclusion, dexamethasone inhibits both the vascular and cellular aspects of acute inflammation by downregulation of a broad spectrum of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
Trans−Cis Isomerization of Proline 22 in Bovine Prothrombin Fragment 1: A Surprising Result of Structural Characterization†

The calcium ion-mediated interaction of bovine prothrombin (BF1) with negatively charged phospholipid membranes is assumed to be largely via the Gla domain of BF1 with the fold of the Gla domain essential for binding. It has been reported that Pro22 undergoes classical trans to cis isomerization in the presence of calcium ions with the cis conformation of Pro22 of BF1 responsible for membrane binding [Evans, T. C., Jr., and Nelsestuen, G. L. (1996) Biochemistry 35, 8210−8215]. However, Pro22 was found to be in the trans conformation in the crystal structure of BF1. In the present work, we have used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the relative importance of the two conformations of Pro22 to the structural and dynamical properties of BF1. The initial trans conformation of Pro22 in BF1 was slowly converted to cis-Pro22 using constrained dynamics. The second-generation AMBER force field in conjunction with the particle mesh Ewald method to accommodate long-range interaction was employed in the t...
Sensitivity and stability analysis in dea

Abstract : Sensitivity analyses may be regarded as a mathematical programming counterpart of significance testing in statistics since each is concerned with examining allowable ranges of variation in the data. In statistical analysis, this may take the form of examining ranges of possible chi sq values obtained from the data relative to a fitted function from and hypothesized class of statistical distributions. In linear programming, it may take the form of ascertaining ranges within which data may be varied without requiring a change in the set of vectors that constitute an optimum basis. Additional keywords: Reprints.
China's New Sorrow: Water-Management Policies, Environmental Degradation, and Salar-Tibetan Minority Relations in Qinghai Province, 1862–1978

This article analyzes the effect of post-1949 policies on minority peoples in China’s watershed—Qinghai province. Salar and Tibetan peoples had lived in relative harmony for centuries in Xunhua County. Access to the Tibetan highlands and a monopoly on wool production had provided Tibetan herders with an upper hand. New policies that encouraged agricultural production over the course of the twentieth century not only brought radical changes to these long-standing relationships but also initiated new strains on the local environment. The Mao era saw a particularly rapid expansion of new water projects designed to tame the Yellow River. The resulting environmental catastrophe is a major contributing factor to the river’s current inability to flow to the Yellow Sea.