cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control of Zooplankton Production by Food Quantity and Quality

Zooplankton growth and reproduction, which are measured here in terms of secondary production, are potentially affected by quality and quantity of the food resource. The following analysis attempts to identify and quantify this influence on Lake Lanao herbivores. Mortality mechanisms are potentially confounding to the analysis because mortality exercises some feedback control over total growth and reproduction through its alteration of the numerical base to which growth rates apply. It would seem that the influence of mortality on secondary production (P) could be minimized by expressing P on a relative basis (P/B) Although this method of expressing production would reduce the influence of the numerical base, it would not be defensible because of the manner in which P is estimated. The estimate of secondary production is dependent partly upon the number of individuals and partly upon their age distribution. Since the ratio of P to B is dependent on the age structure of a population as well as the conditions for growth, changes in age structure might cause substantial alterations in the ratio of P to B even when there is no change in growth control mechanisms (cf. Edmondson, 1965). The analysis of growth control mechanisms must therefore be based on P rather than P/B. The potential confusing effect of mortality on the analysis can be reduced, however, by examination of lag effects. Time lags allow for compensatory growth to alter the numerical base in response to changes in growth control mechanisms.
Beta-functions for a SU(2) matrix model in 2 + epsilon dimensions

To investigate the nonperturbative, electric sector of a deconfined gauge theory at nonzero temperature, we consider a $SU(2)$ matrix model. We compute $\ensuremath{\beta}$-functions to one loop order for the simplest extension of the $O(4)$ nonlinear sigma model, which involves three coupling constants. Computing in the ultraviolet limit in $2+ϵ$ dimensions, we find that at least one coupling is not asymptotically free.
Ethics in Surgical Research

There is an increasing awareness and concern about the importance of ethics in both the practice of medicine and research. In particular, biomedical/surgical research – which involves the search for new technologies, techniques, and therapies – is frequently at the center of ethical issues. In fact, ethical issues are often at the forefront of both clinical and basic science research. Ethical concerns around clinical research include informed consent, respect for autonomy, acceptable risk-benefit ratio, and ensuring that the research is scientifically rigorous enough to justify human subject involvement.
CHARACTERIZATION OF A NON-H-2 LINKED GENE CLUSTER CODING FOR THE MURINE B CELL ALLOANTIGENS LYB-2, LYB-4, AND LYB-6

ABSTRACT Lyb-6 is the 45,000 dalton polypeptide, B lymphocyte surface membrane target of an antiserum raised in CBA/N mice against CBA/J spleen cells. The antigen is identified by its mobility (reduced) in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after immunoprecipitation from radioiodinated cells of appropriate mouse strains. The B cell localization of this antigen was verified by the inability of extensive absorptions with cells from nonlymphoid tissues to remove Lyb-6 reactivity from this serum, and by the ability to isolate this antigen from B cell populations but not from B cell-depleted populations. Because the strain distribution of Lyb-6 (further defined as the 6.1 allele) was strikingly similar to the published distributions of Lyb-2.1 and Lyb-4.1 (defined serologically), we performed linkage analyses for these and other markers in (C57BL/6 × DBA/2)F 1 × C57BL/6 back-cross mice. The results indicated conclusively that Lyb-2, −4, and −6 are products of distinct genes which are linked to the Mup-1 locus on chromosome 4. The pattern of recombinations observed establishes the probable gene order as Lyb-2-Lyb-4-Lyb-6-Mup-1, with a recombination frequency of 3–5% between the Lyb-2 and Lyb-6 loci.
Radical retropubic prostatectomy after transurethral prostatic resection.

AbstractThe 36 patients who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma after transurethral resection of the prostate were reviewed to evaluate the difficulty of the radical operation, the rate of morbidity and the survival. In 24 patients (67 per cent) the dissection proved to be routine; 18 patients (50 per cent) had perfect urinary control, whereas 4 were totally incontinent. There appears to be no untoward effect on survival, since all patients remain alive, 22 per cent having had followup for 5 years or more.
Using 2D Phase-Based Motion Estimation and Video Magnification for Binary Damage Identification on a Wind Turbine Blade

Videos (sequence of images) as three-dimensional signals may be considered as a very rich source of information for several applications in structural dynamics identification and structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Within this paper high-speed cameras are used to record the sequence of images (video) of a baseline and damaged wind turbine blade (WTB) while vibrating due to the external loadings. Among several computer vision algorithms for motion extraction from the videos, phase-based motion estimation technique is used to extract the response of both the baseline and damaged wind turbine blade. Modal parameters (natural frequencies and operating deflection shapes) were used as damage sensitive features in order to detect the occurrence of damage in the wind turbine blade. The first four natural frequencies of the both baseline and damaged wind turbine blade are extracted by analyzing the estimated motion provided by the phase based motion estimation in the frequency domain. The motion magnification algorithm is also utilized to visualize and extract the operating deflection shapes of the wind turbine blade which may be used later as an indicator of the presence of damage. It has been shown that changes in the dynamic behavior of the wind turbine blade will result to deviations in the nominal natural frequencies and operating deflection shapes, and the damaged wind turbine blade can be differentiated from the baseline WTB using this non-contact measurement approach.
Co-occurrence of Anaerobes in Human Chronic Wounds.

Chronic wounds are wounds that have failed to heal after 3 months of appropriate wound care. Previous reports have identified a diverse collection of bacteria in chronic wounds, and it has been postulated that bacterial profile may contribute to delayed healing. The purpose of this study was to perform a microbiome assessment of the Wound Healing and Etiology (WE-HEAL) Study cohort, including underlying comorbidities less commonly studied in the context of chronic wounds, such as autoimmune diseases, and investigate possible relationships of the wound microbiota with clinical healing trends. We examined chronic wound specimens from 60 patients collected through the WE-HEAL Study using 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. A group of co-occurring obligate anaerobes was identified from taxonomic analysis guided by Dirichlet multinomial mixtures (DMM) modeling. The group includes members of the Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) of the Clostridia class (i.e., Anaerococcus, Finegoldia, and Peptoniphilus) and additional strict anaerobes (i.e., Porphyromonas and Prevotella). We showed that the co-occurring group of obligate anaerobes not only co-exists with commonly identified wound species (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas, Corynebacterium, and Streptococcus), but importantly, they could also predominate the wound microbiota. Furthermore, examination of clinical comorbidities of the WE-HEAL specimens showed that specific obligate and facultative anaerobes were significantly reduced in wounds presented with autoimmune disease. With respect to future healing trends, no association with the wound microbiome community or the abundance of individual wound species could be established. In conclusion, we identified a co-occurring obligate anaerobic community type that predominated some human chronic wounds and underrepresentation of anaerobes in wounds associated with autoimmune diseases. Possible elucidation of host environments or key factors that influence anaerobe colonization warrants further investigation in a larger cohort.
Inter-reader agreement of magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction and its longitudinal change in a clinical trial of adults with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

To determine the inter-reader agreement of magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and its longitudinal change in a clinical trial of adults with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We performed a secondary analysis of a placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial of a bile acid sequestrant in 45 adults with NASH. A six-echo spoiled gradient-recalled-echo magnitude-based fat quantification technique was performed at 3 T. Three independent readers measured MRI-PDFF by placing one primary and two additional regions of interest (ROIs) in each segment at both time points. Cross-sectional agreement between the three readers was evaluated using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and coefficients of variation (CV). Additionally, we used Bland–Altman analyses to examine pairwise agreement between the three readers at baseline, end of treatment (EOT), and for longitudinal change. Using all ROIs by all readers, mean PDFF at baseline, at EOT, and mean change in PDFF was 16.1%, 16.0%, and 0.07%, respectively. The 27-ROI PDFF measurements had 0.998 ICC and 1.8% CV at baseline, 0.998 ICC and 1.8% CV at EOT, and 0.997 ICC for longitudinal change. The 9-ROI PDFF measurements had corresponding values of 0.997 and 2.6%, 0.996 and 2.4%, and 0.994. Using 27 ROIs, the magnitude of the bias between readers for whole-liver PDFF measurement ranged from 0.03% to 0.06% points at baseline, 0.01% to 0.07% points at EOT, and 0.01% to 0.02% points for longitudinal change. Inter-reader agreement for measuring whole-liver PDFF and its longitudinal change is high. 9-ROI measurements have only slightly lower agreement than 27-ROI measurements.
Maximizing Fault Detectability with Closed-Loop Control

Abstract This paper addresses the fault detectability problem for PCA-based process monitoring methods under closed-loop control. Unlike previous research assuming the same process variation for both modeling and monitoring periods, the impact of controller on data variation is considered. The effective fault direction is given in order to describe the effect of process variation on fault detection index under different controllers. The minimum variance along the effective fault direction is developed by introducing the concept of block-lower-triangular interactor matrix and conditional minimum variance control. The sufficient condition for a fault to be detectable under any controllers is provided. The proposed method is demonstrated with the simulation examples.
From Ascetic to Poet: Poetic Renunciation

This chapter analyzes the aesthetic variant of the renunciation archetype. In Borges’s poet stories, the king-and-ascetic pair morphs into a king-and-poet pair, with renunciation serving an artistic goal. The discussion traces this aesthetic appropriation back to the ancient and Renaissance tradition of artists’ lives, and explores ascetic conceptions of art from Romanticism and Symbolism to modern art’s debt to Cynicism, focusing on Borges’s poet stories and artist stories from the Borgesian hypertext (by Flaubert, Schwob, Yourcenar, and Yi Mun-yol), where renunciation is a requirement of the creative process.
Making the Best Clinical Decisions for Patients: The Pros-CAT ProtocolTM

The Pros-CAT protocol critical appraisal method uses accepted strategies to identify and summarize best evidence to support patient care through evidence-based analysis that includes assessing the patient; developing a concise clinical question; conducting a literature search to identify pertinent research; critically appraising the identified literature for validity, reliability, and applicability to the patient situation; synthesizing the literature into a meaningful conclusion using an organized method; and applying that synthesis to the patient's need. The Pros-CAT protocol is applicable for practicing clinicians, dental students, postgraduate students, and residents. The Pros-CAT index compares evidence strength for patient applicability.
Dependence of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect Energy Gap on Electron Layer Thickness

A fundamental characteristic of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) is the existence of an energy gap (Δ) separating the ground state from its elementary quasi-particle and quasi-hole excitations [1], In this paper we report an experimental study of the dependence of Δ for the FQHE states at Landau-level filling factors v = 1/3 and 2/3 on the thickness of the electron layer. We have determined Δ from the temperature dependence of the magnetoresistance minima at v = 1/3 and 2/3 in a variable-width electron system realized in a selectively-doped, parabolic AlGaAs quantum well. We observe a dramatic decrease in the measured Δ for the FQHE states at these filling factors with increasing electron layer thickness. This dramatic decrease of Δ may manifest the collapse of FQHE electron correlations expected in the theory of the FQHE as either the electron layer thickness is increased or the subband separation is decreased.
High Temperature Superconductors: A Review

Already several years ago, J. G. Bednorz and K. A. Muller’ announced the discovery of superconductivity in a ceramic copper-oxide material at a temperature of about 30K. These compounds are poor conductors, and thus their result was unexpected and cautiously considered. However, the confirmation of these experiments by Takagi et al.2 generated a frenetic race for the preparation of materials with even higher critical temperatures. Dozens of “high-Tc” compounds have been discovered in the last few years, and currently a mercury-based material has the highest confirmed critical temperature of about 133K.3 Since 77K is the boiling temperature of nitrogen, it is quite possible that new technologies may emerge from the field of high-Tc like SQUID magnetometers and Josephson integrated circuits, although flashy early promises of levitating trains seem unlikely. The critical current densities are still not high enough for most technological applications, but progress is very rapid on this front.
Impact of Heart Failure Drug Therapy on GI Bleeding Rates in LVAD Recipients: An INTERMACS Analysis

Purpose Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) remains a common and vexing complication of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. Recent single-center analyses suggest that ACE inhibitors (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) and digoxin may prevent GIB in LVAD patients. Here we evaluate the effect of heart failure (HF) drug therapies on rates of GIB through analysis of the INTERMACS registry database. Methods 13,732 patients who received a continuous-flow LVAD and were on antiplatelet therapy coupled with warfarin anticoagulation at 3 months of pump support were included in the analysis. GIB events beyond 3 months following implant were assessed receipt of ACEi/ARB, beta-blockers (BB), aldosterone antagonists (AA), amiodarone (Amio), digoxin, loop diuretics, and phosphiesterase inhibitors (PDE5) at 3 months of support. Backwards stepwise cox regression was used to control for confounding of each drug class on each other, as well as for clinical variables like age, gender, renal function, HF etiology, and device strategy. Results Medication use in LVAD patients were BB (65.0%), ACEi/ARB (51.7%), Amio (43.7%), AA (37.9%), and loop diuretics (70.1%) at 3 months of pump support. In patients with available data, PDE and digoxin use were 18.2% and 16.9% respectively. The overall incidence of GIB was 23.7% at 2 years of support. After adjustment for other clinical variables, loop diuretics (HR 1.274, p Conclusion Despite recent reports, ACEi/ARB, AA, Amio, and digoxin use have minimal association with GIB on LVAD support. The heightened risk seen in those on loop diuretics may reflect venous congestion in these patients, while antiplatelet effects of PDE5 could drive the higher risk of GIB.
Ophthalmic Medication Expenditures and Out-of-Pocket Spending: An Analysis of United States Prescriptions from 2007 through 2016.

Purpose To estimate temporal trends in total and out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures for ophthalmic prescription medications among adults in the United States. Design Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. Participants Participants in the 2007 through 2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 18 years of age or older. The MEPS is a nationally representative survey of the noninstitutionalized, civilian United States population. Methods We estimated trends in national and per capita annual ophthalmic prescription expenditures by pooling data into 2-year cycles and using weighted linear regressions. We also identified characteristics associated with greater total or OOP expenditures with multivariate weighted linear regression. Costs were adjusted to 2016 United States dollars using the gross domestic product price index. Main Outcome Measures Trends in total and OOP annual expenditures for ophthalmic medications from 2007 through 2016 as well as factors associated with greater expenditures. Results From 2007 through 2016, 9989 MEPS participants (4.2%) reported ophthalmic medication prescription use. Annual ophthalmic medication use increased from 10.0 to 12.2 million individuals from 2007 and 2008 through 2015 and 2016. In this same period, national expenditures for ophthalmic medications increased from $3.39 billion to $6.08 billion and OOP expenditures decreased from $1.34 to $1.18 billion. Per capita expenditure increased from $338.72 to $499.42 (P Conclusions Total ophthalmic medication expenditure in the United States increased significantly over the last decade, whereas OOP expenses decreased. Increases in coverage, copayment assistance, and use of expensive brand drugs may be contributing to these trends. Policy makers and physicians should be aware that rising overall drug expenditures ultimately may increase indirect costs to the patient and offset a decline in OOP prescription drug spending.
MiR-690, an exosomal-derived miRNA from M2-polarized macrophages, improves insulin sensitivity in obese mice.

Summary Insulin resistance is a major pathophysiologic defect in type 2 diabetes and obesity, while anti-inflammatory M2-like macrophages are important in maintaining normal metabolic homeostasis. Here, we show that M2 polarized bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) secrete miRNA-containing exosomes (Exos), which improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity when given to obese mice. Depletion of their miRNA cargo blocks the ability of M2 BMDM Exos to enhance insulin sensitivity. We found that miR-690 is highly expressed in M2 BMDM Exos and functions as an insulin sensitizer both in vivo and in vitro. Expressing an miR-690 mimic in miRNA-depleted BMDMs generates Exos that recapitulate the effects of M2 BMDM Exos on metabolic phenotypes. Nadk is a bona fide target mRNA of miR-690, and Nadk plays a role in modulating macrophage inflammation and insulin signaling. Taken together, these data suggest miR-690 could be a new therapeutic insulin-sensitizing agent for metabolic disease.
Stagnant services and the gradual disinflation of advanced economies

Abstract In advanced economies, nominal wage growth and inflation have been falling in secular terms since the early 1980s. Drawing on debates on industrial composition and industrial dualism, I argue that a key driver of falling wage growth and inflation has been the growing share of employment in “stagnant services”: those with limited productivity growth, competitive product markets, and thin profit margins. In these services, it is difficult to raise wages and prices. I use these insights to revisit Baumol's cost disease theory, arguing that weak wage growth in stagnant services has spilled over to other sectors with more room for wage growth, resulting in the gradual disinflation observed in recent decades. Using graphical plots and error correction models of nominal wage growth and inflation in 21 advanced economies from 1972-2009, the analysis shows that employment growth in stagnant services over this period was associated with a reduction of nominal wage growth and inflation by more than half. Without deep changes in stagnant services, slow wage and price growth are here to stay.
Experimental Investigation of Aeroelastic Deformation of Slender Wings at Supersonic Speeds Using a Video Model Deformation Measurement Technique

A video-based photogrammetric model deformation system was established as a dedicated optical measurement technique at supersonic speeds in the NASA Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. This system was used to measure the wing twist due to aerodynamic loads of two supersonic commercial transport airplane models with identical outer mold lines but different aeroelastic properties. One model featured wings with deflectable leading- and trailing-edge flaps and internal channels to accommodate static pressure tube instrumentation. The wings of the second model were of single-piece construction without flaps or internal channels. The testing was performed at Mach numbers from 1.6 to 2.7, unit Reynolds numbers of 1.0 million to 5.0 million, and angles of attack from -4 degrees to +10 degrees. The video model deformation system quantified the wing aeroelastic response to changes in the Mach number, Reynolds number concurrent with dynamic pressure, and angle of attack and effectively captured the differences in the wing twist characteristics between the two test articles.
TU-EF-304-12: Proton Radiation Therapy for Left-Sided Breast Cancer: LET and RBE Considerations for Cardiac Toxicity

Purpose: Increased risk of coronary artery disease has been documented for patients treated with radiation for left-sided breast cancer. Proton therapy (PRT) has been shown to significantly decrease cardiac irradiation, however variations in relative biological effectiveness (RBE) have been ignored so far. In this study we evaluate the impact of accounting for RBE variations on sensitive structures located within high linear energy transfer (LET) areas (distal end) of the proton treatment fields, for this treatment site. Methods: Three patients treated in our institution with PRT for left-sided breast cancer were selected. All patients underwent reconstructive surgery after mastectomy and treated to a total dose of 50.4Gy with beam(s) vertical to the chest wall. Dose and LET distributions were calculated using Monte Carlo (MC-TOPAS - TOol for PArticle Simulation). The LET-based, variable-RBE-weighted dose was compared to the analytical calculation algorithm (ACA) and MC dose distributions for a constant RBE of 1.1, based on volume histograms and mean values for the target, heart and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Results: Assuming a constant RBE and compared to the ACA dose, MC predicted lower mean target and heart doses by 0.5% to 2.7% of the prescription dose. For variable RBE, plan evaluation showed increased mean target dose by up to 5%. Mean variable-RBE-weighted doses for the LAD ranged from 2.7 to 5.9Gy(RBE) among patients increased by 41%–64.2% compared to constant RBE ACA calculation (absolute dose: 1.7–3.9Gy(RBE)). Smaller increase in mean heart doses was noticed. Conclusion: ACA overestimates the target mean dose by up to 2.7%. However, disregarding variations in RBE may lead to significant underestimation of the dose to sensitive structures at the distal end of the proton treatment field and could thus impact outcome modeling for cardiac toxicities after proton therapy. These results are subject to RBE model and parameter uncertainties.
Regulation of the Primary Intestinal Fructose Transporter GLUT5 is Dependent on Metabolism by FK and on Trafficking by Rab11a-dependent Endosomes

Identifying the mechanisms underlying the regulation by dietary fructose (F) of the F transporter GLUT5 (Slc2a5) and of F metabolizing enzymes (FMEs) is essential in understanding the metabolic dis...
Natural is Not in It: Hurricane Katrina, Race, and the Built Environment

Hurricane Katrina was not a natural disaster; rather it illustrates the role that human choices play in many arenas we tend to think of as governed by chance natural occurrence. This essay explores this theme on three different levels. First, insights from the legal analysis of the built environment illuminate the disaster as an example of the influence of human choices on the shape of the environment, including urban planning and flood control policy. Second, Katrina underscores the role of race-based choices in the fate of Americans. Like environmental decisions, deliberate racial segregation and neglect were as critical as chance occurrence in contributing to the disaster. While the impact on African Americans is obviously a central aspect of the disaster, a racial analysis of Katrina must go beyond a mere black-white dichotomy. Katrina raises additional issues such as the intersection of race and class and the strained relationships between African Americans and Latino immigrant laborers in the reconstruction of New Orleans. Third and finally, the essay critiques the current trend to conflate social justice with economic efficiency. That view attempts to avoid moral responsibility for policy choices by allowing purportedly natural market forces to determine outcomes. In the wake of Katrina, some argue that New Orleans would do better without assisting the return of its poor residents displaced by Katrina. But not all social choices can be made by balancing material considerations against moral ones: sometimes we must make outright material sacrifices in the name of moral duty. Market-driven decisionmaking is not morally neutral, but constitutes a conscious choice of self-interest over compassion.
Automata for specifying component interfaces

Interfaces play a central role in component-based design and verification. An interface should specify no more and no less than the information necessary for checking if the corresponding component fits together with other components. This makes an interface specification different from a component specification. While component specifications are pessimistic (they must be satisfied in every environment), interface specifications are optimistic (they must be satisfiable by some environment). For example, assuming inputs x and y and output z, the formula “y = 0 ⇒ z = x/y” is a component specification; the type declaration “x : int; y : int \ {0}; z : rat;” is an interface specification. While the former has no control over the input y, the latter puts a design constraint on y, namely, that y be different from 0. The division component can be composed with a client component if and only if the constraint y = 0 is guaranteed by the interface of the client. Note that not every input y satisfies the constraint y = 0, but it is a meaningful input constraint because it is satisfiable. While for component specifications C and C′, composition C||C′ is a (more or less) total function, for interface specifications I and I ′, composition I||I ′ is partial: the composition is defined iff I and I ′ are compatible, that is, if the input constraints of I are guaranteed by the output constraints of I ′, and vice versa. For simple interfaces, which constrain input and output values, compatibility checking is type checking. We present a series of formalisms for specifying richer interfaces, which constrain input and output behavior and timing, as well as computational resources such as memory and power usage. For example, the interface of a file server with two methods A (“open file”) and B (“read file”) may require that B is not called before A is called. Such behavioral interfaces can be specified using input/output automata, and compatibility checking for automaton-based interfaces is a game-theoretic problem: the interface automata I and I ′ are compatible iff the environment has a way (i.e., strategy) to provide free inputs that prevent the composite automaton I||I ′ from entering incompatible states. For behavioral interfaces, an incompatible state arises when the input and output constraints of I and I ′ do not match; for example, if the server I expects a call of A, but the client I ′ calls instead B. For resource interfaces, an incompatible state arises when, by putting I and I ′ together, the available resources are exceeded. The requirement that the environment of I||I ′ follows a strategy that avoids incompatible states (provided such a strategy exists) is then the new input constraint of the composite interface. An algebra of interfaces contains, in addition to parallel composition, also a preorder for refining (or abstracting) interfaces. While the refinement of component specifications treats inputs and outputs covariantly, as in trace containment or simulation, the refinement of interface specifications treats inputs
Crack Turning in Integrally Stiffened Aircraft Structures

Current emphasis in the aircraft industry toward reducing manufacturing cost has created a renewed interest in integrally stiffened structures. Crack turning has been identified as an approach to improve the damage tolerance and fail-safety of this class of structures. A desired behavior is for skin cracks to turn before reaching a stiffener, instead of growing straight through. A crack in a pressurized fuselage encounters high T-stress as it nears the stiffener--a condition favorable to crack turning. Also, the tear resistance of aluminum alloys typically varies with crack orientation, a form of anisotropy that can influence the crack path. The present work addresses these issues with a study of crack turning in two-dimensions, including the effects of both T-stress and fracture anisotropy. Both effects are shown to have relation to the process zone size, an interaction that is central to this study. Following an introduction to the problem, the T-stress effect is studied for a slightly curved semi-infinite crack with a cohesive process zone, yielding a closed form expression for the future crack path in an infinite medium. For a given initial crack tip curvature and tensile T-stress, the crack path instability is found to increase with process zone size. Fracture orthotropy is treated using a simple function to interpolate between the two principal fracture resistance values in two-dimensions. An extension to three-dimensions interpolates between the six principal values of fracture resistance. Also discussed is the transition between mode I and mode II fracture in metals. For isotropic materials, there is evidence that the crack seeks out a direction of either local symmetry (pure mode I) or local asymmetry (pure mode II) growth. For orthotropic materials the favored states are not pure modal, and have mode mixity that is a function of crack orientation.
Chapter 22 Panel data

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the models that are static conditional on a latent variable. The panel aspect of the data has been primarily used to control for the latent variable. Much work needs to be done on models that incorporate uncertainty and interesting dynamics. Exploiting the martingale implications of time additive utility seems fruitful. There is, however, a potentially important distinction between time averages and cross-section averages. A time average of forecast errors over T periods should converge to zero as T→ ∞. But an average of forecast errors across N individuals surely need not converge to zero as N→ ∞; there is a common component in those errors, due to economy-wide innovations. The same point applies when considering covariances of forecast errors with variables that are in the agent's information sets. If those conditioning variables are discrete, one can think of averaging over subsets of the forecast errors; as T→ ∞, these averages should converge to zero but not necessarily as N → ∞.
Human engineering in stereoscopic viewing devices

Introduction. Stereoscopic Properties of the Human Visual System. Methods of Viewing 3D Images. Double Camera Systems. Single Camera Systems. SpatiallySampling Cameras and Monitors. The Observer. Moving Objects in the Work Space. Reducing Depth Distortions for Converged Cameras. Setting Up a Stereoscopic Camera System. Index.
Energy and land use: An instrument of US conservation policy?

Abstract Energy consumption in society is a function, among other things, of its spatial distribution. The author describes studies of energy usage in metropolitan areas of the USA, simulation studies of alternative building types and the potential for energy conservation. Rearranging the urban housing pattern into more compact high-rise patterns could lead to significant savings in domestic and transport energy consumption. Some policy of encouraging more energy conserving urban structures might be beneficial but caution is needed in case the detrimental side-effects outweigh the benefits.
T cell anergy.

T cell clonal anergy is a proposed mechanism of immunologic self tolerance in which T cells become functionally inactivated after previous stimulation. MHC class II-restricted antigen presentation by different cell types has been speculated to have a role in determining activation vs. anergy in responding T cells. Human T cells express MHC class II after activation and have been shown to present high concentrations of degraded peptide antigen to autologous T cells resulting in clonal anergy. In contrast to low antigen dose T cell clonal anergy, which occurs in the absence of costimulation, T cell anergy induced by human T cell presentation of antigen results in both primary proliferation and secondary unresponsiveness to high-dose antigenic stimulation. Although clonal anergy was previously thought to prevent autoreactive T cells from ever responding to self antigen presented without costimulation, we postulate that T cell presentation of antigen represents a "fail-safe" mechanism of immunologic self tolerance that would anergize clonally expanded autoreactive T cells when they are surrounded by a high extracellular concentration of degraded self antigen.
Sexual activity modulates shifts in TH1/TH2 cytokine profile across the menstrual cycle: an observational study

Objective To investigate if sexual activity moderated menstrual cycle–related shifts in cytokines associated with T-helper type 1 (T H 1) cells (e.g., interferon [IFN] γ) and T-helper type 2 (T H 2) cells (e.g., interleukin [IL] 4). Immune activity shifts across the menstrual cycle, with higher follicular-phase T H 1-cell activity but higher luteal-phase T H 2-cell activity. Little is known about how social behaviors alter T H 1-T H 2 ratios, despite evidence that psychosocial factors can influence immunity. Of particular interest is how sexual activity influences immune responses that may support conception, such as the T H 1-T H 2 balance. Design Participants provided saliva samples at four time points (menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases), which were assayed by means of ELISA. Setting Academic laboratory. Participant(s) Thirty healthy premenopausal women (16 sexually abstinent, 14 sexually active) not taking hormonal or immunoactive medications. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Salivary E 2 , P, IFN-γ, and IL-4. Result(s) Sexually active, but not abstinent, women were significantly more likely to express T H 2-like cytokine ratios (IFN-γ 2 ratios, in the luteal phase than did abstinent women. The P-E 2 ratio mediated menstrual variations in cytokine ratios in sexually active women. Conclusion(s) These results support the hypothesis that shifts in immune response across the menstrual cycle may reflect tradeoffs between reproduction and immunity. These findings point to the need for further research on the interaction between sexual behavior, the menstrual cycle, and immune response.
Preparation and thermoelectric properties of CeFe4As12

The thermoelectric properties of CeFe4As12 have been measured. The compound was synthesized by reacting a powder mixture of CeAs2 and FeAs2 with As metal. The sample was characterized by both x-ray diffractometry and electron microprobe analysis. The Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, Hall effect, and the thermal conductivity were measured between room temperature and about 900 K. The results indicate that CeFe4As12 possesses semimetallic behavior similar to that of CeFe4Sb12 with a room temperature electrical resistivity of 0.49 mΩ cm and a Seebeck coefficient of about 40 μV/K. The thermal conductivity of CeFe4As12 lies between that of CeFe4P12 and CeFe4Sb12 as may be expected from considerations of anionic mass and rattling effect of Ce atoms inside the skutterudite unit cell. A maximum thermoelectric figure of merit value of about 0.4 was obtained at 850 K for this compound.
INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG MYCOBACTERIA AND NOCARDIAE

Manion, R. E. (Veterans Administration Hospital, Minneapolis, Minn.), S. G. Bradley, H. H. Zinneman, and W. H. Hall. Interrelationships among mycobacteria and nocardiae. J. Bacteriol. 87:1056–1859. 1964.—A total of 134 strains of mycobacteria and nocardiae were tested for susceptibility of 24 mycobacteriophages. On the basis of capability of diverse strains to serve as alternative propagating hosts for particular viruses, relationships among the actinomycetes were proposed. Cultures received as Mycobacterium smegmatis, M. ranae, M. butyricum, and M. chelonei were nearly identical, indicating that they are members of a single taxon. M. phlei and M. fortuitum strains constituted two distinct but related groups. Moreover, strains of M. smegmatis and Nocardia asteroides were susceptible to two variant actinophages originally isolated on N. brasiliensis.
Retrograde Ascending Aortic Dissection After Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Distal Aortic Dissection or With Zone 0 Landing: Association, Risk Factors, and True Incidence.

Background We attempted to determine the true incidence of retrograde ascending aortic dissection (rAAD) and to challenge its reported association with distal aortic dissection or zone 0 deployment. Methods From January 2005 to August 2014, 305 patients who were at risk for rAAD underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair. We excluded patients with prior ascending, hemiarch, or traditional or frozen elephant trunk grafts, or who required concomitant ascending graft placement. Patients in group A (n = 111, 36.4%) had distal aortic dissection or hematoma (n = 75, 67.6%) or required landing of the endograft in zone 0 of the native ascending aorta (n = 36, 32.4%). Patients in group B (n = 194, 63.6%) had nondissected descending or distal arch aneurysm (n = 172), penetrating ulcer (n = 9), coarctation (n = 6), endoleak not caused by dissection (n = 3), aortobronchial fistula (n = 3), or transection (n = 1). Results The incidence of rAAD was 1.3% overall (n = 4), 0.9% in group A (n = 1, Cook Zenith TX2), and 1.5% in group B (n = 3; 1 Talent Captivia, 2 Cook Zenith TX2; p = 0.64). No zone 0–treated patient had rAAD. Two patients from group B died, and 1 was treated nonoperatively. The median interval between thoracic endovascular aortic repair and rAAD was 11 days (range, 0 to 90 days). Conclusions Post–thoracic endovascular aortic repair rAAD is a rare but lethal complication. Operator experience is crucial for prompt recognition and prevention. It does not appear that rAAD is specifically associated with distal aortic dissection or landing in zone 0. To our knowledge, this is one of the few studies to report the true incidence of rAAD in at-risk patients.
Closing Words: Hidden Traps

Organizations that do not change, do not survive. If an organization is to survive, it's strategy must be integrated into a fluent and synchronized focus. It is the act of collaborative integrations that causes strategy to be advantageous. Fragmentation causes organizations to fail. Simply put, the way an organization's leadership thinks reflects its success or failure.
Assembly into chromatin and subtype-specific transcriptional effects of exogenous linker histones directly introduced into a living Physarum cell

The apparent diversity of linker histone subtypes may be related to their specific roles in defining functional states of chromatin in vivo. We have developed a novel method to study constitutive peptides throughout the cell cycle and have demonstrated that an exogenous linker histone could be introduced into a living cell of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Here, we have used this method to assess the functional differences between three somatic linker histone subtypes in vivo, and to demonstrate the general applicability of this method. Exogenous linker histone proteins H1 degrees, H5 and H1 were directly absorbed into living cell segments of the naturally synchronous Physarum macroplasmodia at precise cell cycle stages. Fluorescence microscopy, native nucleoprotein gels and immunoblotting of nuclei and chromatin with subtype-specific antibodies revealed that exogenous linker histones were efficiently transported into nuclei and were integrated into chromatin. The immunoreactivity of a preparation of anti-H1 degrees antibodies that are blocked from binding to specific H1 degrees epitopes in native chromatin indicates that the exogenous linker histones were similarly associated into Physarum chromatin. Interestingly, linker histones were found to be less stably associated with Physarum chromatin during S-phase than during G(2)-phase. Furthermore, we show that exogenous linker histones incorporated in early G(2)-phase inhibited transcription and that the level of inhibition correlates with the apparent role of the linker histone subtype in regulating transcription in cells where it normally occurs.
Differential Requirements for l-Citrulline and l-Arginine during Antimycobacterial Macrophage Activity

Microbicidal NO production is reliant on inducible NO synthase-mediated L-arginine metabolism in macrophages (MΦs). However, L-arginine supply can be restricted by arginase activity, resulting in inefficient NO output and inhibition of antimicrobial MΦ function. MΦs circumvent this by converting L-citrulline to L-arginine, thereby resupplying substrate for NO production. In this article, we define the metabolic signature of mycobacteria-infected murine MΦs supplied L-arginine, L-citrulline, or both amino acids. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we determined that L-arginine synthesized from L-citrulline was less effective as a substrate for arginase-mediated L-ornithine production compared with L-arginine directly imported from the extracellular milieu. Following Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin infection and costimulation with IFN-γ, we observed that MΦ arginase activity did not inhibit production of NO derived from L-citrulline, contrary to NO inhibition witnessed when MΦs were cultured in L-arginine. Furthermore, we found that arginase-expressing MΦs preferred L-citrulline over L-arginine for the promotion of antimycobacterial activity. We expect that defining the consequences of L-citrulline metabolism in MΦs will provide novel approaches for enhancing immunity, especially in the context of mycobacterial disease.
External Conditionalities and Institutional Change Constructing Constituencies for the Rule of Law in Kosovo

Kosovo is one of several Western Balkan countries that are part of the next round of accession to the EU. Like Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia, it is also a country in which the history of conflict is recent and the benefits of EU membership ought to be a strong economic and political enticement to meet the standards necessary for membership. Yet, instead of major transformation of the post-conflict society towards democratization, economic development, and a robust human rights regime, the prospect of European Union membership appears to be leading to superficial legal changes without enforcement. This article investigates the tensions between internal challenges to legal change and external pressures for reform, adding to the literature on the decoupling of Europeanization and domestic change in candidate countries. A short analysis of one policy area, women’s property rights, illuminates the gaps between legal change and enforcement processes. The article also considers how and when a change in law can lea...
Computation of the energy levels of large-amplitude low-frequency vibrations. Comparison of the prediagonalized harmonic basis and the prediagonalized distributed Gaussian basis

Abstract The formalism involved in the solution of the Schrodinger equation for two-dimensional vibrational potential energy surfaces for large-amplitude low-frequency motions is reviewed. The performance of two different bases, the prediagonalized harmonic basis (PHB) and the prediagonalized distributed Gaussian basis (PDGB), is investigated. The calculated energy levels obtained with the two basis sets are in excellent agreement with one another.
Finite element analysis of electromagnetic scattering from a cavity

A finite element method (FEM) is implemented to compute the radar cross section of a two-dimensional (2D) cavity embedded in an infinite ground plane. The method is based on the variational formulation which uses the Fourier transform to couple the fields outside the cavity and those inside the cavity; hence, the scattering problem can be reduced to a bounded domain. The convergence of the discrete finite element problem is analyzed. Numerical results are presented and compared with those obtained by the standard finite element-Green function method and by the 2D integral equation method.
c = 5/2 free fermion model of WB(2) algebra

We investigate the explicit construction of the WB2 algebra, which is closed and associative for all values of the central charge c, using the Jacobi identity and show the agreement with the results studied previously. Then we illustrate a realization of c=5/2 free fermion model, which is m→∞ limit of unitary minimal series, c(WB2)=5/2[1−12/(m+3)(m+4)] based on the cosets at level (1, m). We confirm by explicit computations that the bosonic currents in the WB2 algebra are indeed given by the Casimir operators of .
Dissociation of Human Albumin Dimer by Heating

. Exclusion chromatography was used to prepare human albumin dimer from normal serum albumin (human) which had been heated repeatedly at 56 °C and from un-heated fraction V which had been treated with ethanol and dried at 25 °C. When these purified dimer preparations were heated in solution for 10 h at 60°C in the presence of acetyltryptophan and sodium caprylate, 20–23% of the protein was converted to monomer.