cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Benthic Versus Planktonic Foundations of Three Lake Superior Coastal Wetland Food Webs

Abstract The structure of aquatic food webs can provide information on system function, trophic dynamics and, potentially, responses to anthropogenic stressors. Stable isotope analyses in a Lake Superior coastal wetland (Allouez Bay, WI, USA) revealed that the food web was based upon carbon fixed by phytoplankton. We report analyses of two Lake Superior coastal wetland food webs not based upon plankton, indicating that Allouez Bay is not the prototype. In Lost Creek and West Fish Creek wetlands (WI, USA), upper trophic levels appear to be supported by benthic, rather than planktonic, food web pathways. Also, zooplankton in Lost Creek and West Fish Creek wetlands are enriched in 13 C relative to periphyton, rather than 13 C-depleted as reported in most other systems. This appears to be a consequence of zooplankton feeding on detrital seston that is 13 C-enriched relative to phytoplankton. We suggest possible causes for the observed differences in food web structure among these wetlands, including hydrologic differences among the systems, and responses to nutrient enrichment among the dominant forms of primary producers, similar to those described in lakes.
MICROSCOPIC PROPERTIES AND BEHAVIOR OF SILICIDE INTERFACES

Abstract Over the past few years there has been substantial progress in understanding the microscopic chemistry and properties of transition-metal/Si and corresponding silicide/Si interfaces. The application of new techniques to these interfaces has given new insight into the two fundamental issues in this field, which are: (1) What is the microscopic chemistry of atoms at the reactive metal/Si (or silicide/Si) interface? (2) What microscopic mechanisms are responsible for determining the Schottky barrier height of the interface? Recent results, reviewed in this paper, demonstrate clearly that the interface properties are dominated by the basic chemical reactivity of the interface, in which suicide compound formation represents the main chemical driving force. At the same time, it is becoming apparent that these characteristics play an important role in determining the Schottky barrier height.
A bandwidth selection for kernel density estimation of functions of random variables

Abstract In this investigation, the problem of estimating the probability density function of a function of m independent identically distributed random variables, g ( X 1 , X 2 ,…, X m ) is considered. The choice of the bandwidth in the kernel density estimation is very important. Several approaches are known for the choice of bandwidth in the kernel smoothing methods for the case m =1 and g is the identity. In this study we will derive the bandwidth using the least square cross validation and the contrast methods. We will compare between the two methods using Monte Carlo simulation and using an example from the real life.
Experimental Characterization and Simulation of Three Dimensional Plastic Deformation Induced by Microscale Laser Shock Peening

Different experimental techniques and 3D FEM simulations are employed to characterize and analyze the three dimensional plastic deformation and residual strain/stress distribution for single crystal Aluminum under microscale laser shock peening assuming finite geometry. Single pulse shock peening at individual locations was studied. X-ray micro-diffraction techniques based on a synchrotron light source affords micron scale spatial resolution and is used to measure the residual stress spatial distribution along different crystalline directions on the shocked surface. Crystal lattice rotation due to plastic deformation is also measured with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The result is experimentally quantified and compared with the simulation result obtained from FEM analysis. The influence of the finite size effect, crystalline orientation are investigated using single crystal plasticity in FEM analysis. The result of the 3D simulations of a single shock peened indentation are compared with the FEM results for a shocked line under 2D plain strain deformation assumption. The prediction of overall character of the deformation and lattice rotation fields in three dimensions will lay the ground work for practical application of μLSP.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Complex-Analytic Theory of the μ-Function

.In this paper, we consider the determinant of the multivariable return difference Nyquist map, crucial in defining the complex m-function, as a holomorphic function defined on a polydisk of uncertainty. The key property of holomorphic functions of several complex variables that is crucial in our argument is that it is an open mapping. From this single result only, we show that, in the diagonal perturbation case, all preimage points of the boundary of the Horowitz template are included in the distinguished boundary of the polydisk. In the block-diagonal perturbation case, where each block is norm-bounded by one, a preimage of the boundary is shown to be a unitary matrix in each block. Finally, some algebraic geometry, together with the Weierstrass preparation theorem, allows us to show . that the deformation of the crossover under holomorphic variations of ‘‘certain’’ parameters is continuous. Q 1999 Academic Press
House sparrow, Passer domesticus, parents preferentially feed nestlings with mouth colours that appear carotenoid-rich

When the potential contributions that offspring can make to parental fitness vary, parents benefit by diverting resources towards the offspring offering the highest return on investment. In birds, nestling begging has been hypothesized to allow parental assessment of the relative contribution that each offspring can make to parental fitness. Although begging is often interpreted as a signal of need, studies of nestling morphology, specifically carotenoid-based mouth colours, suggest that these traits signal not the need, but the quality of the nestlings. Here, I manipulated flange colour in a free-living population of house sparrows with experimental paints that did not feature a UV reflectance peak, but otherwise approximated carotenoid-based colours within the range of natural variation. I presented parents with one nestling that appeared to have the carotenoid-rich rictal flanges associated with high condition and one that appeared to have the carotenoid-poor flange colour associated with poor condition. Parents delivered more food items to the nestling that appeared to have carotenoid-rich flanges, a pattern driven by a strong female bias and a similar, but nonsignificant, trend in males. This study shows that parents attend to these visual signals rather than correlated features of nestling physiology associated with carotenoids. Broadly, this result suggests that at least some components of begging are used by parents to bias resource allocation towards their most promising, rather than most needy, offspring.
A pressure cooker method to extract glomalin from soils

Glomalin, a glycoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, is an important constituent of soil organic matter. Glomalin is insoluble in water or salt solutions commonly used in soil extractions. Solubilization of glomalin does occur in the presence of citrate at the temperature achieved by an autoclave (121°C, 103 kPa). Most soil-testing laboratories have access to all of the instruments required for glomalin analysis except an autoclave. Small (4-L) and large (14-L) pressure cookers were compared with a bench-top autoclave to test glomalin extraction from three soils using 50 mM citrate, pH 8.0 as the extracting agent. Glomalin concentrations, as measured by the Bradford protein assay, were identical for extracts from the autoclave and the 14-L pressure cooker when 103 kPa (121°C) was achieved in both vessels. The 4-L pressure cooker extracted less glomalin than the other vessels. A pressure cooker that will achieve 103 kPa is a low-cost substitute for an autoclave to extract glomalin from soils.
Comparison of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Formulations: Product, Formulary, and Cost Considerations

Purpose: A review of the different formulations of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement therapy for primary immunodeficiency and other severe diseases, focusing on the comparative efficacy, safety, and tolerability of these formulations. This review discusses the manufacturing processes, physicochemical properties, and other attributes of IVIG therapy that affect its clinical utility.Summary: IVIG therapy is a preferred treatment for patients with certain types of primary immunodeficiency, neuroimmunologic, and autoimmune hematologic disorders, as well as for immunomodulation in bone marrow and some solid organ transplants. The IVIG products available in the United States include lyophilized, 5% liquid, and 10% ready-to-use liquid formulations. Differences among these formulations in their manufacturing processes, excipients, pH, and physicochemical properties may be reflected as differences in clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability. For example, compared with lyophilized and 5% liquid IVIG ...
Electronic energy-band structure of the calcium fluoride crystal

A self-consistent-field calculation for the electronic energy-band structure of the Ca${\mathrm{F}}_{2}$ crystal has been performed by using the method of linear combinations of atomic orbitals. The basis set consists of 90 Bloch sums formed by atomic wave functions of Ca and F as well as single-Gaussian orbitals. The valence-band states are composed chiefly of F $2p$ orbitals with both the upper and lower edges at the $X$ point. The x-ray structure factors are obtained from the valence-band wave functions and are compared with the observed values. The conduction states in the energy range of 1-3 eV above the threshold have substantial admixture of the Ca $3d$ orbitals, resulting in high density of states in that region. The calculated band gap is 10.0 eV which is somewhat smaller than the experimental value estimated from the reflectance spectra. Comparison of the calculated joint density of states with experimental optical data is discussed.
Quantitative analysis of unit response patterns in cat visual cortex

Abstract Extracellular recordings were made of the responses of 122 neurons in cat visual cortex to a momentary flash stimulus to the contralateral eye. Responses were compiled on-line into peristimulus time histograms and analyzed quantitatively in order to identify periods of significantly increased or decreased activity (called here “excitatory and inhibitory periods”). A striking diversity was seen among types of response pattern. Observed relationships among latencies, strengths, and durations of excitatory and inhibitory periods were shown to be accounted for by the assumption that trial-to-trial variance in response latency increases as latency itself increases. Type of response pattern was significantly related to cortical area. Cells in area 18 showed, on the average, more periods of excitatory and inhibitory activity than cells in area 17, and these periods were of greater overall strength and duration. Responses of greater complexity and often containing long-latency components were encountered relatively more frequently in area 18. Finally, it was noted that nearby cells in the same vertical column often showed related response patterns.
Evaporation and Discharge Dynamics of Highly Charged Multicomponent Droplets Generated by Electrospray Ionization

We investigate the Rayleigh discharge and evaporation dynamics of highly charged two-component droplets consisting principally of methanol with 2-methoxyethanol, tert-butanol, or m-nitrobenzyl alcohol. A phase Doppler anemometer (PDA) characterizes droplets generated by electrospray ionization (ESI) according to size, velocity, and charge as they move through a uniform electric field within an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). Repeated field reversals result in droplet “ping-pong” through the PDA. This generates individual droplet histories of solvent evaporation behavior and the dynamics of charge loss to progeny droplets during Rayleigh discharge events. On average, methanol droplets discharge at 127% their Rayleigh limit of charge, qR, and release 25% of the net charge. Charge loss from methanol/2-methoxyethanol droplets behaves similarly to pure 2-methoxyethanol droplets which release ∼28% of their net charge. Binary methanol droplets containing up to 50% tert-butanol discharge at a lower percent qR th...
The changing face of digital science: new practices in scientific collaborations

The confluence of two major trends in scientific research is leading to an upheaval in standard scientific practice. A new generation of scientists, working in large-scale collaborations, is repurposing social software for use in collaborative science. Existing social tools such as chat, IM, and FriendFind are being adopted and modified for use as group problem-solving facilities. At the same time, exponentially greater and more complex datasets are being generated at a rate that is challenging the limits of current hardware, software, and human cognitive capability. A concerted effort to develop new software tools to handle this data tsunami is redefining the collaboratory and represents a new frontier for computer supported cooperative work. We are hoping this workshop can build community among researchers studying and/or building software for scientific collaborations.
Recent trends in precipitation and streamflow in the Rio Puerco Basin

Abstract River systems in semiarid regions are susceptible to rapid and dramatic channel erosion and arroyo formation. Climate plays an important role in arroyo development through changes in precipitation intensity, seasonality, and variability. Here, trends in precipitation and streamflow at the annual, monthly, and daily timescales for the last 50 yr are analyzed for the Rio Puerco Basin in northwestern New Mexico, and connections with recent watershed and channel changes are examined. The increasing trend in annual precipitation in the basin is shown to be part of larger-scale climatic variability that affects the U.S. Southwest region, which is associated with climatic anomalies in the northern Pacific. Results of hydroclimatic data analyses point to a general increase in wetness in nonsummer months—an increase in the number of rainy days and in the frequency of flow days in the stream system is observed. There are substantial shifts in the distributions of both daily precipitation and streamflow. Ra...
Interpersonal and genetic origins of adult attachment styles: A longitudinal study from infancy to early adulthood.

One of the assumptions of attachment theory is that individual differences in adult attachment styles emerge from individuals' developmental histories. To examine this assumption empirically, the authors report data from an age 18 follow-up (Booth-LaForce & Roisman, 2012) of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a longitudinal investigation that tracked a cohort of children and their parents from birth to age 15. Analyses indicate that individual differences in adult attachment can be traced to variations in the quality of individuals' caregiving environments, their emerging social competence, and the quality of their best friendship. Analyses also indicate that assessments of temperament and most of the specific genetic polymorphisms thus far examined in the literature on genetic correlates of attachment styles are essentially uncorrelated with adult attachment, with the exception of a polymorphism in the serotonin receptor gene (HTR2A rs6313), which modestly predicted higher attachment anxiety and which revealed a Gene × Environment interaction such that changes in maternal sensitivity across time predicted attachment-related avoidance. The implications of these data for contemporary perspectives and debates concerning adult attachment theory are discussed.
Gender-linked self-attributions and mental health among middle-aged parents.

Abstract Middle-aged mothers ( n = 149) and fathers ( n = 127) completed self-report measures of gender-linked attributes (the PRF-Andro), self-esteem (Rosenberg), sense of mastery, and psychosomatic symptom distress (the SCL-90), as part of a larger interview study of inter generational relations. Factor analyses revealed three major factors in the masculinity and three in the femininity scales. Factor scores were significantly related to sex and occupational status; some factor scores were associated with age. Mental health measures were related to the gender factors, with distinctive relationships for each group defined by sex, occupational status, and age. Gender-linked attributoons were most predictive of mental health measures among older (55+), upper status “gender sensitive” men. The older upper status women seemed most “gender-transcendent,” since none of the gender factor scores significantly predicted their mental health scores.
Iron acquisition by Haemophilus influenzae.

The mechanisms for acquisition of iron by Haemophilus influenzae and their role in pathogenesis are not known. Heme and nonheme sources of iron were evaluated for their effect on growth of type b and nontypable strains of H. influenzae in an iron-restricted, defined medium. All 13 strains acquired iron from heme, hemoglobin, hemoglobin-haptoglobin, and heme-hemopexin. Among nonheme sources of protein-bound iron, growth of H. influenzae was enhanced by partially saturated human transferrin but not by lactoferrin or ferritin. Purified ferrienterochelin and ferridesferrioxamine failed to provide iron to H. influenzae, and the supernatants of H. influenzae E1a grown in iron-restricted medium failed to enhance iron-restricted growth of siderophore-dependent strains of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Arthrobacter terregens. Marked alterations in the profile of outer membrane proteins of H. influenzae were observed when the level of free iron was varied between 1 microM and 1 mM. Catechols were not detected in the supernatants of strain E1a; however, iron-related hydroxamate production was detected by two biochemical assays. We conclude that the sources of iron for H. influenzae are diverse. The significance of hydroxamate production and iron-related outer membrane proteins to H. influenzae iron acquisition is not yet clear. Images
Rapid electron capture dissociation of mass-selectively accumulated oligodeoxynucleotide dications

Abstract We have performed extended characterization of the fragmentation patterns of oligodeoxynucleotide dications following electron capture dissociation (ECD) utilizing improved instrumentation. Our current results from a 9.4 T Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer equipped with mass-selective external ion accumulation and an indirectly heated dispenser cathode electron source demonstrate much richer fragmentation than from a previous 7 T instrument with a directly heated filament electron source. We propose the previous absence of backbone product ions from purine-containing oligonucleotides is a result of intramolecular hydrogen bonding, preventing product ions from separating. Similar behavior is observed at non-optimized ECD conditions with the current instrumentation. However, infrared laser heating of the resulting charge-reduced radical species results in extensive backbone fragmentation (different from infrared multiphoton dissociation) of the oligonucleotide dA6, demonstrating potential for ECD to characterize nucleic acid secondary structure. Under more optimized conditions, rich fragmentation, mostly in terms of w, (a/z−B), and (c/x−B) products, is observed for dA6, dC6, dG5, and d(GCATGC) following ECD only, allowing complete sequencing in several cases. The current ECD spectra contain some doubly charged products, indicating that populations of gas-phase oligodeoxynucleotide dications are zwitterionic.
Plasma-neutral interaction in thermally collapsed plasma

A systematic experimental study of the power, length, and gas pressure dependence of plasma density and temperature profiles in thermally collapsed magnetized helium plasmas has been performed on the Princeton divertor simulator apparatus. The recombination edge and recombination radiation from highly excited levels (to n = 12) have been identified. The importance of radiation and neutral particles to heat transport has been demonstrated. A region of stable plasma detachment has been found and is suggested as being suitable for divertor operational space.
The Effect of Surface Additives on the Oxidation of Chromia-Forming Alloys

Abstract The influence of the surface application of active elements on the composition, morphology, adherence, and growth rate of oxide scales formed during high temperature exposure has been investigated. The active elements were applied as aqueous solutions of nitrate salts that were subsequently transformed into oxide. The active elements used were: Y, Ce, La, Hf, Ca, and Zr. The chromia-forming substrates used were AISI 304 and 310 stainless steels and IN 738, a nickel base alloy. To determine the effect of the minor alloying elements in stainless steels on the surface doping effect, Y was applied to three alloy modifications of AISI 304. The effect of the presence or absence of Mn and Si in the alloy on high temperature corrosion behavior was determined. Several different application techniques were used to determine which technique was most beneficial to the behavior of the oxide barrier scale. The application of Y, Ce, and La was found to enhance the oxidation resistance of the commercial stainles...
Focal atrophy in dementia with Lewy bodies on MRI: a distinct pattern from Alzheimer's disease

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common cause of degenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease. However, unlike the latter, the patterns of cerebral atrophy associated with DLB have not been well established. The aim of this study was to identify a signature pattern of cerebral atrophy in DLB and to compare it with the pattern found in Alzheimer's disease. Seventy-two patients that fulfilled clinical criteria for probable DLB were age- and gender-matched to 72 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease and 72 controls. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess patterns of grey matter (GM) atrophy in the two patient groups, relative to controls, after correction for multiple comparisons (P < 0.05). Study-specific templates and prior probability maps were used to avoid normalization and segmentation bias. Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses were also performed comparing loss of the midbrain, substantia innominata (SI), temporoparietal cortex and hippocampus between the groups. The DLB group showed very little cortical involvement on VBM with regional GM loss observed primarily in the dorsal midbrain, SI and hypothalamus. In comparison, the Alzheimer's disease group showed a widespread pattern of GM loss involving the temporoparietal association cortices and the medial temporal lobes. The SI and dorsal midbrain were involved in Alzheimer's disease; however, they were not identified as a cluster of loss discrete from uninvolved surrounding areas, as observed in the DLB group. On direct comparison between the two groups, the Alzheimer's disease group showed greater loss in the medial temporal lobe and inferior temporal regions than the DLB group. The ROI analysis showed reduced SI and midbrain GM in both patient groups, with a trend for more reduction of SI GM in Alzheimer's disease than DLB, and more reduction of midbrain in DLB than Alzheimer's disease. Significantly greater loss in the hippocampus and temporo-parietal cortex was observed in the Alzheimer's disease patients when the two patient groups were compared. A pattern of relatively focused atrophy of the midbrain, hypothalamus and SI, with a relative sparing of the hippocampus and temporoparietal cortex is, therefore, suggestive of DLB and this may aid in the differentiation of DLB from Alzheimer's disease. These findings support recent pathological studies showing an ascending pattern of Lewy body progression from brainstem to basal areas of the brain. Damage to this network of structures in DLB may affect a number of different neurotransmitter systems which in turn may contribute to a number of the core clinical features of DLB.
Tissue-specific cytokine release from human extra-placental membranes stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in a two-compartment tissue culture system

The extra-placental gestational membranes secrete cytokines in response to bacteria and other infectious agents, with potentially adverse consequences for pregnancy. The present study used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a prototype endotoxin to investigate the pattern of stimulated cytokine release from the amniotic and choriodecidual sides of full-thickness human gestational membranes in a two-compartment tissue culture system. Gestational membranes were collected from healthy non-laboring caesarean deliveries at term. Full-thickness membranes from each placenta were cut into pieces, mounted on Transwell frames, and placed in culture wells to create a two-compartment culture with the gestational membranes serving as the barrier between compartments. The LPS (100 ng/ml) was added to the amniotic, choriodecidual or both chambers of the culture, and cytokines were assayed in the medium of the amniotic and choriodecidual chambers after 8 h of LPS exposure. Cytokine concentrations were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance for effects of treatment and side specificity of cytokine release from the membranes. LPS exposure on the choriodecidual side of the membranes significantly increased TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-8 in the choriodecidual compartment, whereas TNF-alpha was the only cytokine observed to increase in the amniotic compartment. When LPS treatment was to the amniotic side of the membranes, there were significant increases in TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the amniotic compartment as well as increased concentrations of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 in the choriodecidual compartment; however, there were no statistically significant differences for IL-10 in either compartment. No statistically significant differences were observed for IL-1beta, TGF-beta or IL-4 concentrations in response to LPS, regardless of the exposure modality. The amnion and choriodecidua exhibited distinct patterns of response to LPS with evidence of inflammatory signaling across the layers of the gestational membranes. These results suggest a complicated network of signaling within the gestational membranes, in which cytokine- and tissue-specific responses to inflammatory stimulation may have important implications for maintaining pregnancy in the challenge of microbial invasion of the uterine compartment.
Buckling of anisotropic films on cylindrical substrates: insights for self-assembly fabrication of 3D helical gears

We propose an effective way of fabricating true three-dimensional helical gear-like structures (with inclined gear teeth) by using self-assembled stress-driven buckling of anisotropic films on compliant cylindrical substrates. Key parameters characterizing the helical undulation profile, in particular the gear teeth number and the inclined teeth angle, are investigated numerically using finite element simulations. Based on the insights from numerical calculations, a simplified theoretical model is established to effectively predict the teeth number. The results show that the anisotropic modulus ratio has a larger effect on the teeth number than the anisotropy angle. The orientation of gear teeth is related to the coupled effects of the anisotropic modulus ratio, anisotropy angle, substrate curvature and substrate aspect ratio. In general, the undulation orientation tends to be perpendicular to the direction of minimum bending stiffness in the film. The findings in this paper provide useful guidance for the self-assembly fabrication of helical gears and other 3D structures at various length scales.
Identification of the Compounds in Ku Shen (Sophora flavescentis), an active constituent of ASHMI (Anti-asthma Herbal Medicine Intervention) that Inhibit IgE synthesis

Trabajo presentado al American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting celebrado en Nueva Orlenas (US) del 26 de febrero al 2 de marzo de 2010.
Synapsis of DNA ends by DNA‐dependent protein kinase

The catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKCS) is required for a non-homologous end-joining pathway that repairs DNA double-strand breaks produced by ionizing radiation or V(D)J recombination; however, its role in this pathway has remained obscure. Using a neutravidin pull-down assay, we found that DNA-PKCS mediates formation of a synaptic complex containing two DNA molecules. Furthermore, kinase activity was cooperative with respect to DNA concentration, suggesting that activation of the kinase occurs only after DNA synapsis. Electron microscopy revealed complexes of two DNA ends brought together by two DNA-PKCS molecules. Our results suggest that DNA-PKCS brings DNA ends together and then undergoes activation of its kinase, presumably to regulate subsequent steps for processing and ligation of the ends.
The Antinomies of Black Identity Formation in West Africa, 1820–1848

Abstract During the mid-nineteenth century, a group of United States-born property-holding free blacks struggled to establish themselves and fashion a new polity on the coast of West Africa. In doing so, these Liberians embraced a pair of simultaneously complementary and opposing aspirations: first, the insertion, entrenchment and expansion of a successful black commercial bourgeoisie into the global Atlantic economy of the nineteenth century, an aspiration tied to and dependent upon the accumulation of capital and the creation of a state which would operate in the interest of this group and no other. Secondly, they aspired to the creation and institutionalisation of a separate and distinct black nationality - a black identity - that covered the entire spectrum of people of African descent, that held out the prospect of solidarity for all black people in republican equality and citizenship, and that subsumed all other classes and categories of black people under the tent of the imagined black nation. In t...
Generalized tomosynthesis for focusing on an arbitrary surface

Previous implementations of tomosynthesis used reconstruction algorithms that generate planar tomograms where the structures in one plane are visualized and the structures out of the plane are blurred. In many applications, however, the structures of interest do not reside in a single plane and it is desirable to generalize the reconstruction algorithm to generate a tomogram focused on the structure itself. A procedure that allows such a reconstruction is described, and its usefulness in focusing on a three-dimensional object is demonstrated. >
Duration of a Maximal Isometric Muscular Contraction

Abstract The maximum force exerted by forearm flexors, during isometric contraction at 60, 100 and 120 degrees at the elbow joint, was measured on nine male subjects by means of an electric dynamometer. The intensity of the effort was recorded in ft-lb. of torque to make measurements independent of the length of the forearm. The maximum force was reached on the average in 2.6 sec. (range .6–6.7 sec.) and lasted .7 sec. (range .2–2.4 sec.). The torque was from 19% to 25.7% greater when an elbow support was used. A sustained contraction was maintained from 2.9 to 8.6 sec.; thus if no sensitive instrument for recording the intensity of contraction is used, a sustained submaximal contraction may be mistaken for a maximal one.
Ratio Statistics for Randomized Experiments in Precipitation Stimulation

Abstract A variety of ratio statistics has been used in the design and evaluation of weather modification experiments and their significance has usually been estimated by rerandomization. These ratios, and especially their logarithms, are asymptotically normal with null expectations and variances that can be readily calculated. This paper reviews and generalizes several useful ratio statistics and derives their variances. The variances presented here should make it easier for users of these ratios statistics in large experiments, 100 or more units, to assess significance without going through a large number of rerandomizations. It also shows how these formulas can be used to evaluate power and the required sample sizes. Some illustrations from Israel and from Puglia, Italy, are given.
Liver injury from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the United States.

Background & Aims Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used and have been associated with hepatotoxicity. Studies of liver injury from NSAIDs have been retrospective and prospective data are lacking. The aim was to report the features and outcomes of the subjects with severe drug-induced liver injury from NSAIDS. Methods The U.S. Drug Induced Liver Injury Network is a prospective registry of idiosyncratic drug hepatotoxicity. All patients are evaluated in a standard fashion and followed up for at least 6 months. Results Of 1221 Drug Induced Liver Injury Network cases that were adjudicated, 30 cases were attributed to eight different NSAIDs. The mean age was 52 years old, 24 (80%) were women, and 21 (70%) were Caucasian. The mean latency was 67 days. Common signs and symptoms at presentation were nausea (73%), jaundice (67%) and dark urine (67%). Mean peak serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase were 898 U/L, 1060 U/L, 12.2 mg/dl and 326 U/L. The most common pattern of injury was hepatocellular (70%) and autoantibodies were detected in 33% of cases. Diclofenac, was the most frequently implicated NSAID (16/30 cases), and characterized by hepatocellular injury. Seventeen cases resulted in hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization and one patient died from complications of Stevens–Johnson syndrome because of diclofenac. Conclusions Hepatocellular injury is the most common pattern seen with NSAID hepatotoxicity, and diclofenac is the most frequently implicated agent. Given the number of NSAID alternatives, diclofenac should be reserved for patients who fail other NSAIDs and a high level of suspicion for hepatotoxicity should be maintained.
Learning Spatial Decision Trees for Land Cover Mapping

Given learning samples from a raster dataset, spatial decision tree learning aims to find a decision tree classifier that minimizes classification errors as well as salt-and-pepper noise. The problem has important societal applications such as land cover classification for natural resource management. However, the problem is challenging due to the fact that learning samples show spatial autocorrelation in class labels, instead of being independently identically distributed. Related work relies on local tests (i.e., testing feature information of a location) and cannot adequately model the spatial autocorrelation effect, resulting in salt-and-pepper noise. In contrast, in my recent papers, we proposed a focal-test-based spatial decision tree (FTSDT), in which the tree traversal direction of a sample is based on both local and focal (neighborhood) information. We introduced a focal test approach with adaptive neighborhoods that avoids over-smoothing in wedge-shaped areas. We also conducted computational refinement on the FTSDT training algorithm by reusing focal values across candidate thresholds. Theoretical analysis shows that the refined training algorithm is correct and more scalable. Experiment results on real world datasets show that new FTSDT with adaptive neighborhoods improves classification accuracy, and that our computational refinement significantly reduces training time.
Assembly of hair bundles, an amazing problem for cell biology

The hair bundle—the sensory organelle of inner-ear hair cells of vertebrates—exemplifies the ability of a cell to assemble complex, elegant structures. Proper construction of the bundle is required for proper mechanotransduction in response to external forces and to transmit information about sound and movement. Bundles contain tightly controlled numbers of actin-filled stereocilia, which are arranged in defined rows of precise heights. Indeed, many deafness mutations that disable hair-cell cytoskeletal proteins also disrupt bundles. Bundle assembly is a tractable problem in molecular and cellular systems biology; the sequence of structural changes in stereocilia is known, and a modest number of proteins may be involved.
“Gambia on My Soul”: Africa and the African in the Writings of Phillis Wheatley

Although Phillis Wheatley is accepted as the first major black American author, her reputation as a Negro continues to suffer. Both contemporary and modern notices of the poet have so emphasized the place of convention and piety in her art that they have often, intentionally or unintentionally, suggested that she had little interest in the institution of slavery and less in her race and the land of her origin. Benjamin Brawley finds her "abstract, polite, restrained"; J. Saunders Redding notes a "negative, bloodless, unracial quality" in this black who had adopted the "terrific New England conscience" of her masters; and M. A. Richmond sees in her writing a "near surgical, lobotomy-like excision of a human personality with warmth and blood and the self-assertiveness that is grounded in an awareness of one's self and relationship of this self to contemporary society." Perhaps she was "unequipped for abolitionism," as Julian Mason has suggested, but there can be no doubt that she was deeply concerned.1 Her Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773) gives suggestions, if often meager ones, and now more evidence is available which shows she was far from content to enjoy by herself the fruits of her own good fortune or to leave racial justice for another world. In her mature years, she expressed herself with increasing vigor on the state of Africa and the welfare of the African.
Elastic Optical Networking Architecture, System, and Technologies

We will discuss architectures, systems, and technologies for elastic optical networking. Control and management planes, RSMA, defragmentation, and elastic space/time/frequency techniques involving OAWG and OAM will also be covered.
Effect of Calcium on the Digitalized Heart.

ConclusionIn the normal unanesthetized rabbit heart the effects of calcium and digitalis are not additive.
Studies on Uptake Characteristics of Nutrients in Super Hybrid Rice Liangyou Peijiu

The uptake characteristics of nutrients at different growth stages of the super hybrid rice combination Liangyou Peijiu were studied on field experimental conditions. The results showed that the percentages of the absorbed nutrient quantity to the total value in tillering, shooting, booting and grain filling stages were 46.7%, 10.3%, 17.8% and ~15.6 % for nitrogen, 46.5%, 17.8%, 24.7% and 8.3% for phosphorus, and 54.7%, 9.2%, 20.8% and 11.3% for potassium. To produce 1 000 kg of grains (rough rice), 16.0 kg of nitrogen, 3.9 kg of phosphorus and 20.9 kg of potassium were needed to be absorbed in the production of the super hybrid rice combination Liangyou Peijiu.
[Study on the etiology of hand-foot-mouth disease outbreaks in Beijing in 2007].

Objective To identify the etiology of 8 human hand-foot-mouth disease(HFMD)outbreaks in Beijing,during May to July 2007.Methods Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) method was used to directly type the specimens including fluid from the herpes and throat swabs from the HFMD patients.Using RD cell lines,the collected stool specimens were cultured followed by typing.Partial VP1 region of selected EV positive specimens and cultures were sequenced and both nucleic acid sequence and predicted amino acid sequence were analyzed.Results The two HFMD outhreaks in Daxing region in Beijing in 2007 were caused by enterovirus 71 type(EV71),and the others were caused by Coxsackie virus A16(Cox A16).Two EV71 strains caused epidemics in Daxing region in 2007 belonged to C4 subgenotype but on different branches in VP1 gene phylogenefic tree.The differences on nucleic acid sequence and amino acid sequence were 3.7% and 0.8% between the two EV71 stains.respectively.The Cox A16 strain in Shunyi region and the other strains were on different branches in phylogenetic tree,and the difference on nucleic acid and amino acid sequence were 3.7% and 0% respectively between the two Cox A16 shams.Conclusion The HFMD outbreaks occurred in Beijing in 2007 were caused mainly by EV71 and Cox A16, and there were two individual epidemic virus strains.Cox A16 seemed to spread more widely than EV71 in Beiiing,2007. Key words: Hand-foot-mouth disease; Enterovirus 71; Coxsackie virus A16; Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction
Editorial Launching IEEE Transactions on Green Communications and Networking

The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within the last few decades has improved our lives tremendously, made information highly accessible, and increased productivity to unprecedented levels. However, this extraordinary improvement in our lives has a hidden cost. ICT employs computers, their peripherals, and communications equipment, all of which use energy, in many cases even when they are idle. As a result, energy consumption, and therefore the generation of greenhouse gases by this technology are already at very high levels. It is currently estimated that the ICT industry is responsible for approximately 2–4% of all of the carbon footprint generated by human activity. This corresponds to about 25% of all car emissions and is approximately equal to all airplane emissions in the world. This trend will only increase. It is estimated that there will be an annual growth rate of nearly 50% in global mobile data traffic in 2016–2021. With the proliferation of smart phones, video, and social networking, this rate of increase can be expected to be at least sustained for many years to come. As a result, serious concerns about the carbon footprint impact of this development have been raised, and the topic of “green communications and networking” has been attracting attention in ICT circles. Increasingly, more workshops, conferences, special issues of magazines and journals, and industry initiatives focus on the need to develop new approaches to communications and networking that result in drastically lower energy consumption. As the current communications and networking systems and protocols were not designed with this consideration, and since in many cases a greenfield approach needs to be taken, this effort will likely take a long time.
“The Middle” and the “Masipag”: Ideas on Faith, Family, and Responsibility

In this chapter, Collantes begins to explore the tensions, contradictions, and incongruities of individual sentiments about reproductive health and religion. Despite the “either/or” dialectics of the RH Law debates, individuals from parishes, faith-based organizations, and academia complicate the binary rhetoric on faith and family planning with their own ideas and views on reproduction. In addition, Collantes discusses the concepts of responsibility and self-discipline (“masipag”), which “pro life” discussants argue to be necessary to natural family planning and to the preservation of the country’s moral fabric. Even without direct references to the workings of global markets, such viewpoints on reproduction, family, and individual sexual conduct are underlined by neoliberal ideology, which guides and upholds global development and restructuring.
Outsourcing of Academic Clinical Laboratories: Experiences and Lessons From the Association of Pathology Chairs Laboratory Outsourcing Survey

American hospitals are increasingly turning to service outsourcing to reduce costs, including laboratory services. Studies of this practice have largely focused on nonacademic medical centers. In c...
Relationship among team dynamics, care coordination and perception of safety culture in primary care.

Background There remains a need to improve patient safety in primary care settings. Studies have demonstrated that creating high-performing teams can improve patient safety and encourage a safety culture within hospital settings, but little is known about this relationship in primary care. Objective To examine how team dynamics relate to perceptions of safety culture in primary care and whether care coordination plays an intermediating role. Research Design This is a cross-sectional survey study with 63% response (n = 1082). Subjects The study participants were attending clinicians, resident physicians and other staff who interacted with patients from 19 primary care practices affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Main Measures Three domains corresponding with our main measures: team dynamics, care coordination and safety culture. All items were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. We used linear regression clustered by practice site to assess the relationship between team dynamics and perceptions of safety culture. We also performed a mediation analysis to determine the extent to which care coordination explains the relationship between perceptions of team dynamics and of safety culture. Results For every 1-point increase in overall team dynamics, there was a 0.76-point increase in perception of safety culture [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.82, P < 0.001]. Care coordination mediated the relationship between team dynamics and the perception of safety culture. Conclusion Our findings suggest there is a relationship between team dynamics, care coordination and perceptions of patient safety in a primary care setting. To make patients safer, we may need to pay more attention to how primary care providers work together to coordinate care.
Overview of Dietary Exposure

The general principles for exposure assessment in conjunction with the design and use of total diet studies (TDS) are presented. The most appropriate data, algorithms, and models for conducting an exposure assessment are discussed. TDS can provide data that are particularly useful for conducting assessments for chemicals found in multiple foods over long periods of time. TDS can combine food consumption data collected using a variety of different methods with the analytical results to estimate exposure for the entire population as well as for subgroups of interest. High-quality TDS exposure estimates based on levels of the chemical in foods as consumed provide the most realistic assessment of potential health risk to the population.
Unraveling the Genetic Mysteries of the Cat: New Discoveries in Feline-Inherited Diseases and Traits

The domestic cat is one of man’s most beloved species, living in households as companions, working on farms for vermin control, and co-habitating in urban environments as semi-feral occupants. Advances in veterinary medicine provide health care and diagnostics for the domestic cat on a comparable level to humans. Fancy breeds result in the selection of aesthetically pleasing traits and, sometimes, undesired health conditions, both of which can be useful as models for human development, physiology, and health. Reproductive techniques have allowed research in the cat to expand into cloning studies and genomic tools are assisting the cat with the same research scrutiny as the more prominent research animal models, rodents and humans. This chapter explores the genetic mysteries of the cat and provides a current state of the union for cat genetic research.
Human leukemic cells. Effect of human growth hormone.

Abstract Human (pituitary) growth hormone of known primary structure exerts a stimulatory effect(s) on experimentally growing human leukemic lumphoblasts in culture, as reflected by temporary increases in DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. This observation may provide for development of an in vitro bioassay for human growth hormone.