cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lignocellulosic biomass feedstock transportation alternatives, logistics, equipment configurations, and modeling

Lignocellulosic biomass feedstock transportation bridges biomass production, transformation, and conversion into a complete bioenergy system. Transportation and associated logistics account for a major portion of the total feedstock supply cost and energy consumption, and therefore improvements in transportation can substantially improve the cost-competitiveness of the bioenergy sector as a whole. The biomass form, intended end use, supply and demand locations, and equipment and facility availability further affect the performance of the transportation system. The sustainability of the delivery system thus requires optimized logistic chains, cost-effective transportation alternatives, standardized facility design and equipment configurations, efficient regulations, and environmental impact analysis. These issues have been studied rigorously in the last decade. It is therefore prudent to comprehensively review the existing literature, which can then support systematic design of a feedstock transportation system. The paper reviews the major transportation alternatives and logistics and the implementation of those for various types of energy crops such as energy grasses, short-rotation woody coppices, and agricultural residue. It emphasizes the importance of performance-based equipment configuration, standard regulations, and rules for calculating transport cost of delivery systems. Finally, the principles, approaches, and further direction of lignocellulosic feedstock transportation modeling are reviewed and analyzed. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Community Concern for Pollution Social and Environmental Influences

A study of 940 residents of the city of Chicago was done in order to assess the social and environmental influences on community concern for pollution. It was found that attitudes toward pollution are influenced by the social characteristics of the community, specifically the housing quality and the degree of neighborhood stability-high mobility rates coupled with high densities. This was true regardless of the racial composition of the community. This suggests that the low-status communities, both Black and white, exhibit more concern about pollution than their high-status counterparts. Environmental quality was also found to be an influence on community concern. There was a high correlation between solid waste levels and community concern as well as an inverse relationship between distance to Lake Michigan and community concern. This suggests that pollution attitudes can be predicated on the basis of solid waste levels and nearness to Lake Michigan. Finally, the relative importance of the social and env...
Glutathione 5-transferase and P-glycoprotein in multidrug resistant chinese hamster cells

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) have been reported to be elevated in some forms of hepatic carcinogenesis, in multidrug resistant (MDR) cells exhibiting elevated P-glycoprotein, and in cells resistant to alkylating agents independent of the MDR phenotype. The reported elevation of GST in association with the MDR phenotype and the overexpression of P-glycoprotein along with induction of GST in hepatic carcinogenesis suggest a correlation in the two mechanisms of cellular detoxification. To evaluate this hypothesis we examined the expression of GSTs in an MDR Chinese hamster fibroblast cell line overexpressing P-glycoprotein. We were unable to demonstrate concordant elevation of GST in these MDR cells. We conclude that GST expression is independent of P-glycoprotein expression in MDR Chinese hamster fibroblasts. The overexpression of GSTs in certain cells may provide an alternative mechanism for the development of drug resistance, either in association with or independent of P-glycoprotein overexpression, but is not essential for the MDR phenotype.
Planned preoperative radiation therapy for advanced laryngeal carcinoma

One hundred ten patients with predominantly advanced laryngeal carcinoma were treated in the period 1969-1978 with planned preoperative radiation therapy followed by surgery. Site distribution was: 63 supraglottic, 26 glottic, 15 transglottic and 6 subglottic. There were 4 Stage II patients, 66 Stage III and 40 Stage IV. Preoperative radiation therapy consisted of Telecobalt irradiation to a total dose of 25 Gy given to a target volume encompassing the larynx and regional neck nodes, given in 5 equal daily fractions of 5 Gy in 5 consecutive days. Surgery was performed 2 days later. Total laryngectomy was performed on 48 patients, total laryngectomy with neck dissection on 55 patients, supraglottic laryngectomy on 5 and supraglottic laryngectomy with neck dissection on 2 patients. Crude actuarial 5 and 10 year survival probability for the whole group is 71 and 61%, respectively. The corrected 5 and 10 year survival is 75%. For patients with T/sub 3/-T/sub 4/-N/sub 0/ tumors 5 and 10 year survival probability is: crude 65 and 58%, and corrected 70% respectively. For T/sub 3/-T/sub 4/-N/sub +/ crude: 75 and 60% and corrected: 78%. Of 110 patients, one died postoperative, three died of intercurrent disease, five died as a result of secondmore » malignancy, and 23 died of their larynx carcinoma: 12/23 because of locoregional failure, and 11/23 because of distant metastasis. We concluded that short intensive preoperative radiation therapy and surgery offer a high cure rate in the treatment of advanced resectable laryngeal carcinoma. The merits of this technique are outlined in the text.« less
Large Memory Applications For Optical Disk

Optical disk provides a unique combination of performance characteristics that make it ideally suited for large memory applications. Application examples are given in imagery, document, and data storage.© (1983) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease: Patterns of worldwide occurrence and the significance of familial and sporadic clustering

The worldwide epidemiology of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is presented from an analysis of 1,435 patients. In the United States, the average annual mortality rate is at least 0.26 deaths per million. Temporal-spatial clustering of cases was not found in the United States, but reports from other countries indicate that such clustering does occur. Fifteen percent of the cases were of the familial type, suggesting a genetic susceptibility to infection. Iatrogenic transmission by corneal transplantation and neurosurgical operations has occurred, and the possibility is raised that previous surgery or preexisting neurological operations has occurred, and the possibility is raised that previous surgery or preexisting neurological disease may be associated with an increased risk of developing CJD. It remains to be determined whether the virus of CJD is maintained only by patient-to-patient transmission, has a zoonotic reservoir such as scrapie, or causes widespread latent infection of man that is occasionally activated.
Alveolar soft part sarcoma: unusual etiology of mediastinal mass in an adolescent

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare malignancy that usually arises in an extremity. Mediastinal involvement is uncommon, with only two reports of primary mediastinal disease and two reports of metastatic mediastinal disease in the literature, all referencing adult patients. To our knowledge, ours is the first report of ASPS presenting with a mediastinal mass in adolescence. Although ASPS is not generally included in the differential for adolescent mediastinal masses, it should be considered when clinical presentation and imaging appearance are characteristic.
Beyond cost: 'responsible purchasing' of managed care by employers.

ABSTRACT: We explore the extent of “responsible purchasing” by employers—the degree to which employers collect and use nonfinancial information in selecting and managing employee health plans. Most firms believe that they have some responsibility for assessing the quality of the health plans they offer. Some pay attention to plan characteristics such as the ability to provide adequate access to providers and services and scores on enrollee satisfaction surveys. A more limited but still notable number of firms take specific actions based on responsible purchasing information. Because of countervailing pressures, however, it is not clear whether or not the firms most involved in responsible purchasing are signaling a developing trend.
Glucose metabolism in isolated adipocytes from lean and obese Zucker rats following treatment with dehydroepiandrosterone

Previous work has demonstrated that chronic administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to obese Zucker rats reduces the severity of hyperinsulinemia that is usually present. There were also significant decreases in body weight, fat depot weight, and adipose tissue cellularity. It was hypothesized that the decreased serum insulin was a reflection of improved tissue responsiveness to insulin. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate this hypothesis by examining the insulin response in isolated adipocytes of DHEA-treated rats. Glucose incorporation into CO2, fatty acids, and glyceride-glycerol was measured in isolated parametrial and retroperitoneal adipocytes. Cells from control and DHEA-treated lean rats and control and DHEA-treated obese rats were used, as well as cells from a group of obese rats pair-fed to the DHEA-obese rats. Increased basal and insulin-stimulated rates of incorporation of glucose into CO2 and fatty acids were found in adipocytes from DHEA-lean rats compared to control, lean rats. In contrast, cells from DHEA-treated obese rats tended to incorporate less glucose into CO2 and fatty acids than either the control or pair-fed obese rats. These data indicate that the decrease in serum insulin levels seen in DHEA-treated obese rats is not due to an improvement of adipose tissue responsiveness.
Divergence excess and simulated divergence excess: diagnosis and surgical management.

An exodeviation that is greater at distance than at near fixation is commonly referred to as divergence excess. This study shows that brief periods of occlusion of one eye may reveal an increase of the deviation at near that matches or exceeds the deviation at distance. Such cases of simulated divergence excess are best treated with recession of a lateral and resection of its antagonistic medial rectus muscle of one eye. When the deviation at distance continues to exceed that at near after occlusion, a recession of both lateral rectus muscles is indicated. Factors contributing to the masking of an exodeviation at near include tonic and fusional convergence.
A comparison of urban climatic modifications in three cities.

Abstract An investigation of climatic modifications in three urban areas over a 16-month period indicates a systematic increase in temperature, comfort index and potential evapotranspiration and a reduction in the relative humidity. For these urban areas ranging in population from about 45000 to over 1 000 000, the average changes in climatic parameters were 5.2°F increase in temperature, 9.5 per cent r.h. decrease, comfort index increase of 3.2 and a potential evapotranspiration increase of 0.09 in. per day. These urban climatic changes were shown to be related to the magnitude of urbanized area through a logarithmic relationship indicating the possibility of predicting modifications resulting from future urban expansion.
Weight gain, dietary restraint, and disordered eating in the freshman year of college.

Objective The aims of the study were to assess whether women during the first year of college experience (1) significant weight gain; (2) a prospective relation between dietary restraint and weight gain; (3) an increase in disordered eating; and (4) a prospective relation between dietary restraint or concern about the Freshmen 15 (i.e., weight gain of 15 lbs during the freshman year of college) and disordered eating. Method Participants were 336 female students in their first year of college who completed questionnaire measures of Body Mass Index (BMI), eating disorder pathology, dietary restraint, body image, and self-esteem. Results Participants' mean weight gain was approximately 3 lbs (1.5 kg), and among those who gained weight, the mean gain was 7.32 lbs (3.3 kg). Dietary restraint in September did not predict weight change in April, but participants who lost weight reported significantly greater dietary restraint than those participants who gained weight. Eating disorder symptoms increased significantly from September to April. Dietary restraint, concern about the "Freshman 15", and self-esteem in September uniquely predicted EDE-Q Weight and Shape Concern subscale scores in April. Discussion Female students in their first year of college gain a small but significant amount of weight, and weight gain was mostly unrelated to dietary restraint. Disordered eating increases during the first year of college and, is predicted by prospective dietary restraint and concerns about weight gain.
Systematics of collective states in lead nuclei from inelastic proton scattering

Abstract From the scattering of 35 MeV protons from 206 Pb accurate excitation energies and angular distributions have been determined for the strongly excited collective states. These states are compared to corresponding states in 207,208 Pb. A possible explanation of the anomaly in the 5 - strength is given in terms of the core wave functions.
Programmed electrical stimulation of the heart in coronary artery disease

The induction of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with a history of malignant ventricular arrhythmia by programmed electrical stimulation (PES) is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the incidence and significance of inducible arrhythmia in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) who do not have a history of serious arrhythmia are unknown. We studied 32 such patients (31 men, mean age 55 years) with PES at the time of cardiac catheterization. Fourteen patients (Group I) manifested ≥3 extraventricular responses when challenged with 1 to 3 propagated right ventricular extrastimuli during ventricular pacing. Twelve (86%) of these 14 had evidence of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), defined by a global ejection fraction of
Secondary attraction and field activity of beetle-produced volatiles inDendroctonus terebrans.

Controlled infestation ofDendroctonus terebrans (Olivier) on bolts of slash pine,Pinus ellionii Engelm. var.elliottii, elicited greater attraction of wild conspecifics than uninfested bolts. Secondary attraction was not apparent, however, to standing slash pines that had received volunteer attacks, when compared with attraction to unattacked but susceptible trees. Hindguts from in-flight or attacking femaleD. terebrans contained frontalin, and those from in-flight or attacking males containedexo-brevicomin.Trans-pinocarveol,cis-verbenol,trans-verbenol, myrtenal, verbenone, myrtenol, and other compounds were produced by both sexes during gallery construction in host trees. Synthetic frontalin, when deployed with a standard host odor mixture of turpentine and ethanol, was very attractive to maleD. terebrans in field-trapping experiments. The addition of eitherexo-brevicomin orendo-brevicomin to the frontalin-turpentine combination negated the attractive effect of frontalin for males.Trans-verbenol, myrtenol, and verbenone had little effect onD. terebrans behavior. Responses of females did not differ among treatments in any of the 11 field experiments.
Marriage and economic well being at older ages

This paper provides new evidence on the wealth advantage of marriage. We analyze the relationship between a lifetime of marital status changes and wealth levels near retirement age. We consider type of change whether from divorce, widowing, remarriage, number and timing of changes, and duration in marriage. We document that lifetime marriage experiences of individuals nearing retirement are very diverse: only about one-half of all individuals experience one continuous marriage throughout their lives. We model the impact of marriage on wealth independent of lifetime earnings, mortality risk, risk aversion and other important confounding factors. Consideration of financial, housing, and public and private pension wealth reveal that unadjusted wealth differences between married, remarried and not married individuals are large; as duration of marriage increases, so does wealth; and lifetime earnings as well as future claims on public and private pensions explain most of the wealth differences by marital status for men but less so for women.
Surgical quality of care in esophageal malignancies

Aim: Esophagectomy is the primary surgical treatment for localized malignant neoplasms of the esophagus, and while outcomes have shown that substantial improvement has been made, the ceiling for improvement is still high. Methods: A total of 2506 publications published from January 2002 to March 2012 were identified from PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library using the keywords: ‘esophagectomy’, ‘esophagus’, ‘neoplasm’ and ‘cancer’ to identify quality key surgical articles in esophagectomy that were broken down into three groups: preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care. Discussion: There have been limited preoperative surgical trials, mostly in preoperative antibiotic use, which have led to changes in surgical management. Key and substantial changes have occurred in the intraoperative management for esophageal malignancies around surgical anastomosis technique and anesthesia. Nutritional outcomes still remain a key challenge, and currently there is no established standard of care in the post...
Dialysis in Africa : A Personal Perspective on a Demonstration Project in Cameroon

Despite belief to the contrary, technologically sophisticated medical care can be established in developing countries. The process requires intense effort. Preliminary work must include resolving ethical dilemmas, acquiring adequate funding, establishing supply lines, and cultivating proper political support within the host country. Our organization, WORTH (World Organization of Renal Therapies) has successfully launched and is maintaining a dialysis unit in the sub-Saharan African country of Cameroon. So far our complications rate has been trivial, and our metrics indicate that we are successfully delivering safe, effective treatment that can preserve the lives of people with end-stage renal disease in a part of the world where medical care is laboring under difficult conditions. Work is about to begin in establishing a second dialysis unit in that country. We try here to delineate our experience, and we offer a direct challenge to other nephrologists to be activists in delivering modern, advanced technology medicine to more challenging places than those where it is currently flourishing.
Nutrition program evaluation: Methodology and inference problems

Summary We have provided criteria for critical comparisons of evaluations of intervention programs—either food supplementation or nutrition education. No evaluation is likely to meet all of the criteria. And because the severity of a shortcoming depends on the context in which it occurs, no general guidelines exist for determining how much a problem may influence the results. A shortcoming can be of little consequence or may bias the findings so strongly that it is almost impossible to interpret the results. Our intention here is to present the essential components of a proper evaluation and to give some insight into how a reader can think critically about the studies.
Investigation of alleged appliance electrocutions and fires caused by internally generated voltages

Many appliances convert the supply sinusoidal voltage to another voltage or waveform. Evaluation of the possible electrocution and fire hazards, which is important for internally generated voltages such as a single pulse from a capacitor, trains of pulses, direct current, and high voltage alternating current, is reviewed. For electrocution studies, the effect of a periodic output waveform is related to an equivalent 60 Hz sinusoidal electrical shock. The lethal effect for shocks from voltages with periodic waveforms is determined by the frequency components on the human body. Electrical injury is related to the energy in the shock for single pulse shocks. For direct current shocks, approximately three times as much current is required for a given effect on the human body as for 60 Hz shocks. Appliance power supplies can be a source of ignition for fires when combustibles are present. High-voltage current-limited supplies can cause fires when output currents track across combustible surfaces or ignite combustible material between the electrodes. >
Quantification of trabecular bone anisotropy by means of tensor scale

Trabecular bone (TB) is a network of interconnected struts and plates that constantly remodels to adapt dynamically to the stresses to which it is subjected in such a manner that the trabeculae are oriented along the major stress lines (Wolf's Law). Structural anisotropy can be expressed in terms of the fabric tensor. Next to bone density, TB has been found to be the largest determinant of bone biomechanical behavior. Existing methods, including mean intercept length (MIL), provide only a global statistical average of TB anisotrophy and, generally, require a large sample volume. In this paper, we present a new method, based on the recently conceived notion of tensor scale, which provides regional information of TB orientation and anisotropy. Preliminary evaluation of the method in terms of its sensitivity to resolution and image rotation is reported. The characteristic differences between TB anisotropy computed from transverse and longitudinal sections have been studied and potential applications of the method to in vivo MR imaging are demonstrated. Finally, the ongoing extension of three-dimensional tensor scale in quantitative analysis of tissue morphology is discussed.
Affinity Calculations for Lipophilic Modulators Binding to Isolated Sites on GABA(A) Receptors

The γ-amino butyric acid type A (GABA(A)) receptor is an ionotropic receptor critical for inhibitory signaling in the central nervous system. GABA(A) receptors are positively modulated by numerous general anesthetics and likely contribute to the effects of general anesthesia. Several site-directed mutagenesis and photoaffinity labeling experiments have suggested numerous potential binding sites for general anesthetics, as well as other modulators of GABA(A) receptors including neurosteroids and thyroid hormone. The absolute affinities of the modulator for each site are unknown, however, making it challenging to determine which of the many sites is occupied at clinical concentrations. Measurement of modulator affinity for individual sites is challenging experimentally, while isolation of individual sites in computational methods is relatively straightforward. Here we use the Alchemical Free Energy Perturbation (AFEP) method combined with molecular dynamics simulations to calculate absolute binding affinities of propofol and sevoflurane for pore and intersubunit sites on a homology model of an α1β3γ2 GABA(A) receptor, after initial coordinates were determined with automated docking. We calculate significant differences in general anesthetic affinity for pore and intersubunit sites at various interfaces, consistent with a complex dose-response curve in which low affinity sites are associated with inhibition and high affinity sites are associated with potentiation.
Atomistic simulation of KCl transport in charged silicon nanochannels: Interfacial effects

Abstract Electroosmotic flow is an important fluid transport mechanism in nanofluidic systems. In this paper, we investigate the ion distribution and velocity profiles of KCl solution in two oppositely charged silicon nanochannels by using molecular dynamics simulations. The continuum theories, based on the Poisson–Boltzmann equation and the Navier–Stokes equations, predict that the distribution of the counter-ions, water flux and ionic conductivity in the two oppositely charged channels are the same. However, molecular dynamics simulations show very different results. First, the counter-ion distributions are substantially different in the two channels. Second, the water flux and ionic conductivity in the two channels differ by a factor of more than three. Third, the co-ion fluxes are in the opposite direction. The different counter-ion distributions in the two channels are attributed to the different size of the K + and Cl − ions and the discreteness of the water molecules, and the asymmetric dependence of the water and ion transport is attributed to the asymmetric dependence of the hydrogen bonding of water near the charged silicon surface, which influences the dynamic behavior of interfacial water significantly.
Topical nonpreserved methylprednisolone therapy for keratoconjunctivitis sicca in Sjögren syndrome.

Abstract Objective To review the efficacy and side effects of topical nonpreserved corticosteroid therapy for treatment of severe keratoconjunctivitis associated with Sjogren syndrome. Design Retrospective, noncomparative case series. Participants Twenty-one patients with Sjogren syndrome-associated keratoconjunctivitis sicca and annoying ocular irritation. Intervention Treatment with topical nonpreserved methylprednisolone sodium succinate. Main outcome measures Symptom severity, frequency of instillation of artificial tears, corneal fluorescein staining scores, resolution of filamentary keratitis, steroid-related side effects. Results Before starting methylprednisolone therapy, all patients were experiencing moderate-to-severe eye irritation despite prior punctal occlusion in most cases and frequent use of nonpreserved artificial tears by all. After 2 weeks of topical application, three to four times per day, moderate (43%) or complete (57%) relief of irritation symptoms was experienced by all patients and no complications were observed. An average decrease in corneal fluorescein scores of 2.6 ± 0.5 points (on a 12-point scale) was observed, and filamentary keratitis resolved in all ten eyes with this condition. Therapy was stopped after 2 weeks in eight patients, and six of these patients reported that their symptoms remained at a tolerable level for weeks to months. Lower dose steroid therapy was continued in the remaining patients, whose symptoms worsened after attempted weaning. Complications of corticosteroid therapy in patients receiving prolonged therapy included increased intraocular pressure in one patient at 3 months, worsening of pre-existing posterior subcapsular cataracts in one patient at 6 months, and formation of posterior subcapsular cataracts in another patient at 6 months. Conclusions These findings indicate that topical nonpreserved methylprednisolone is an effective treatment option for patients suffering from severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca who continue to experience bothersome eye irritation despite maximum aqueous enhancement therapies. They also suggest that inflammation is a key pathogenic factor in this condition. Careful monitoring is essential in dry eye patients treated with corticosteroids for more than 2 weeks because steroid-related complications (increased intraocular pressure and cataract formation) were observed after several months of therapy in this series. Because of the chronic nature of this disease and the likelihood of patients developing steroid-related complications with their long-term use, topical nonpreserved methylprednisolone therapy appears to be most appropriate for short-term “pulse” treatment of exacerbations of keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
Vacuum Welding of Olivine

Welding of olivine was demonstrated by grinding it in a ball mill in an atmosphere of about 2 x 10-7 torr. Most of the sample adhered strongly to the container and grinding balls although adhesion in air is only slight. Similar adhesion should be expected on the lunar surface and may account for the roughness needed to explain the optical properties of the moon and the detail of the una 9 photographs.
The evolution of the U.S. environmental movement from 1970 to 1990: An overview

Abstract The twentieth anniversary of Earth Day in 1990 indicated that environmentalism has become an enduring and successful social movement and thus has avoided the rapid demise that many movements experience. However, the U.S. environmental movement has changed considerably since 1970, most notably by becoming a much more diverse movement. The contributions to this volume describe the major strands of environmentalism that have developed over the past two decades and, in the process, provide an overview of the evolution of the movement.
The hypereosinophilic syndromes: still more heterogeneity

In 1968, the term hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) was coined to refer to a spectrum of eosinophil-associated diseases presumed to be caused by an underlying immunological pathology. In the 1990s, the identification of an HES subset with T lymphocyte clonality and production of cytokines, particularly IL-5, validated this concept. Then, in 2002, imatinib mesylate, which was introduced for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia, effectively controlled another subgroup of HES patients. Imatinib's target is a novel constitutively-active kinase. Most imatinib-responsive HES patients show an increased number of bone marrow mast cells and elevated serum tryptase; mast cells, lymphocytes and neutrophils express the novel kinase. This new information critically modifies our view of HES and indicates that several cell lines are altered and likely to contribute to HES pathophysiology.
Sighted eye for the blind guy: providing personalized responses to visual questions

Technology has fostered many opportunities for increased independence for people with vision impairments, often making visual information available (such as screen readers announcing on-screen text). However, not all entities are made accessible simply by translating visual information into another medium. Many situations present questions that are complex, context-filled, and require personalized responses often based on feedback from others. Our research has encountered such challenges in two specific domains: fashion and pedestrian navigation. Though inroads for providing personalized responses are being made via question-asking and social networking Internet systems and other collaborative technologies, there is no clear ideal solution for facilitating personalized question asking. Thus our work intends to contribute a typology of questions and propose the best technological solutions to help facilitate reliable, trusted responses.
Concentrations of the vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D and odds of metabolic syndrome and its components.

Aim Few epidemiological studies have investigated the association between circulating concentrations of the active vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D and metabolic syndrome. We sought to determine whether blood levels of 1,25(OH)2D are associated with metabolic syndrome and its individual components, including waist circumference, triglycerides, blood pressure, and glucose, and high-density lipoprotein. We also investigated these associations for the more abundant precursor vitamin D metabolite, 25(OH)D.
Fosterage as a System of Dispersed Cooperative Breeding: Evidence from the Himba

Humans are obligate cooperative breeders, relying heavily on support from kin to raise children. To date, most studies of cooperative breeding have focused on help that supplements rather than replaces parental care. Here we propose that fosterage can act as a form of dispersed cooperative breeding, one that enhances women's fitness by allowing them to disinvest in some children and reallocate effort to others. We test this hypothesis through a series of predictions about the costs and benefits of fosterage for mothers, foster parents, and foster children using data from the Himba, a group of Namibian agro-pastoralists. We show that fostering out children enhances mothers' fitness, and we provide evidence for a causal link from fosterage to enhanced fitness by showing that fosterage of early-born children is associated with greater maternal reproductive success. Foster parents minimize the costs of fosterage by skewing their care toward their postreproductive years, and by mainly fostering close kin. However, the system is associated with some detrimental effects on foster children, who are more likely to be stunted and underweight than their non-fostered counterparts.
Method for Determining Margins in Conceptual Design

A method for propagating and mitigating the effect of uncertainty in conceptual level design via probabilistic methods is described. This method provides a rigorous foundation for determining design margins in complex multidisciplinary engineering systems. As an example application, the investigated method is applied to the conceptual design and development of a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. The method begins with identifying a set of tradable system-level parameters. The variables of the design are then classified and assigned appropriate probability density functions. To characterize the resulting system, a Monte Carlo simulation is used. Last, results of this simulation are combined with the risk tolerance of the decision maker(s) to guide in the determination of margin levels. The method is repeated until the decision maker is satisfied with the balance of system-level parameter values. For the pressure vessel example, margins for mass, schedule, cost, and risk form a set of tradable system-level parameters. Use of this approach for the example presented yielded important differences between the calculated design margins and the values typically assumed in conceptual design.
Diazoxide prevents myocyte swelling and reduced contractility secondary to ischemic stress: A potential role in myocyte volume regulation?

METHODS: Right atrial tissue was harvested from patients before and after cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest. Total PKC(n 12) was isolated and specifically the PKC Delta(n 8) and PKC Epsilon(n 8) isoforms were immunoprecipitated for use in functional kinase assays. Cellular fractions (n 4) were separated by differential ultracentrifugation and analyzed via Western blotting for membrane translocation (an indirect indicator of increased activity).
Diverse mechanisms regulate sporulation sigma factor activity in the Firmicutes

Sporulation allows bacteria to survive adverse conditions and is essential to the lifecycle of some obligate anaerobes. In Bacillus subtilis, the sporulation-specific sigma factors, σ(F), σ(E), σ(G), and σ(K), activate compartment-specific transcriptional programs that drive sporulation through its morphological stages. The regulation of these sigma factors was predicted to be conserved across the Firmicutes, since the regulatory proteins controlling their activation are largely conserved. However, recent studies in (Pepto)Clostridium difficile, Clostridium acetobutylicum, Clostridium perfringens, and Clostridium botulinum have revealed striking differences in the order, activation, and function of sporulation sigma factors. These studies indicate that gene conservation does not necessarily predict gene function and that new mechanisms for controlling cell fate determination remain to be discovered in the anaerobic Clostridia.
Assessing User Preferences to Circulate iPads in an Academic Medical Library

Librarians at Texas A&M University's Medical Sciences Library gathered input from 100 patrons about a potential iPad circulation project. Participants were asked to explore an iPad loaded with a sample of resources and to complete a survey. Information collected included (1) patron's profile, (2) preferred iPad check-out period, (3) how the iPad would be used, and (4) preferred applications. Results indicated high patron interest in iPad check-out for supporting classwork, searching the Internet, using apps, and reading e-books. Librarians used results to create an iPad check-out program. User feedback is instrumental to libraries developing services with mobile devices.
Results and performance after microfracture in National Basketball Association athletes.

BackgroundMicrofracture technique is commonly used to treat symptomatic chondral lesions of the knee. Performance outcomes and attrition rates associated with this injury/surgery in National Basketball Association athletes are unclear.HypothesisNational Basketball Association players undergoing microfracture for symptomatic chondral lesions of the knee will have demonstrable differences in performance compared with preinjury and with matched controls.Study DesignCase control study; Level of evidence, 3.MethodsWe evaluated 24 National Basketball Association players who underwent microfracture between 1997 and 2006. Descriptive data and performance data for the first full season preceding and following the index surgery were collected. Data were obtained from 48 matched controls. Univariate/multivariate statistical methods were used to assess change in performance and return to play.ResultsThirty-three percent (8 of 24) of National Basketball Association athletes who underwent microfracture surgery never re...
Susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR probes.

Abstract For mass-limited samples, the residual sample volume outside the detection coil is an important concern, as is good base line resolution. Here, we present the construction and evaluation of magnetic susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR sample cells which address these issues. Mixed-epoxy glue and ultem tube plugs that have susceptibility values close to those of perfluorocarbon FC-43 (fluorinert) and copper were used in small volume (0.5–2 μL) and larger volume (15–20 μL) thin glass capillary sample cells. Using these plugs, the sample volume efficiency (i.e. ratio of active volume to total sample volume in the microcoil NMR cell) was improved by 6–12-fold without sensitivity and resolution trade-offs. Comparison with laser etched or heat etched microcoil sample cells is provided. The approaches described are potentially useful in metabolomics for biomarkers detection in mass limited biological samples.
Improving scalability of task allocation and scheduling in large distributed real-time systems using shared buffers

Scheduling precedence-constrained tasks in a distributed real-time system is an NP-hard problem. As a result, the task allocation and scheduling algorithms that use these heuristics do not scale when applied to large distributed systems. In this paper we propose a novel approach that eliminates inter-task dependencies using shared buffers between dependent tasks. The system correctness, with respect to data-dependency, is ensured by having each dependent task poll the shared buffers at a fixed rate. Tasks can, therefore, be allocated and scheduled independently of their predecessors. To meet the timing constraints of the original dependent-task system, we have developed a method to iteratively derive the polling rates based on end-to-end deadline constraints. The overheads associated with the shared buffers and the polling mechanism are minimized by clustering tasks according to their communication and timing constraints. Our simulation results with the task allocation based on a simple first-fit bin packing algorithm showed that the proposed approach scales almost linearly with the system size, and clustering tasks greatly reduces the polling overhead.
An Automated Temperature-Based Option for Estimating Surface Activity and Refuge Use Patterns in Free-Ranging Animals

Accurately assessing free-ranging animals’ patterns of surface activity and refuge use is critical, yet fundamentally challenging for biologists and wildlife managers. We evaluate the accuracy of an automated technique—temperature-based activity estimation (TBAE)—in estimating surface activity and refuge use patterns of two sympatric reptiles, the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) and the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) in the Sonoran Desert. TBAE derived from a comparison of body temperature to shaded air temperature was effective in estimating the overall percent surface activity for both rattlesnakes (observed surface activity 51.8%, TBAE estimated surface activity 48.2%) and Gila monsters (observed 22.3%, TBAE 24.5%). There was, however, considerable interspecific difference in the effectiveness of TBAE in predicting surface activity at specific time points; TBAE was far more accurate for Gila monsters than for rattlesnakes (96% vs. 66% time point-specific accuracy, respectively). We assert that, when validated, TBAE can be used to yield concurrent and accurate body temperatures and activity estimates for multiple free-ranging animals, particularly in arid environments, which improves our understanding of animal biology and can be used to inform management decisions. r 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The vascularity of the lunate bone and Kienbock's disease

The extraosseous and intraosseous vascularity of the lunate was studied in 35 fresh cadaver limbs. The specimens were injected with latex, debrided by a nondissection technique, and cleared by a modified Spalteholtz method. The extraosseous vascularity was profuse through two to three dorsal and three to four volar vessels feeding dorsal and volar capsular plexuses. One to two nutrient vessels were observed entering the dorsal and volar poles of the Innate from both plexuses. The intraosseous vascularity formed one of three consistent patterns with anastomoses of dorsal and volar vessels in each specimen. The vascular patterns support a theory of compression fracture from repeated trauma as the most likely cause of Kienbock's disease.
Flowshop sequencing problem with ordered processing time matrices: A general case

The ordered matrix flow shop problem with no passing of jobs is considered. In an earlier paper, the authors have considered a special case of the problem and have proposed a simple and efficient algorithm that finds a sequence with minimum makespan for a special problem. This paper considers a more general case. This technique is shown to be considerably more efficient than are existing methods for the conventional flow shop problems.
Education techniques for lifelong learning: writing multiple-choice questions for continuing medical education activities and self-assessment modules.

The multiple-choice question (MCQ) is the most commonly used type of test item in radiologic graduate medical and continuing medical education examinations. Now that radiologists are participating in the maintenance of certification process, there is an increased need for selfassessment modules that include MCQs and persons with test itemwriting skills to develop such modules. Although principles of effective test item writing have been documented, violations of these principles are common in medical education. Guidelines for test construction are related to development of educational objectives, defining levels of learning for each objective, and writing effective MCQs that test that learning. Educational objectives should be written in observable, behavioral terms that allow for an accurate assessment of whether the learner has achieved the objectives. Learning occurs at many levels, from simple recall to problem solving. The educational objectives and the MCQs that accompany them should target all levels of learning appropriate for the given content. Characteristics of effective MCQs can be described in terms of the overall item, the stem, and the options. Flawed MCQs interfere with accurate and meaningful interpretation of test scores and negatively affect student pass rates. Therefore, to develop reliable and valid tests, items must be constructed that are free of such flaws. The article provides an overview of established guidelines for writing effective MCQs, a discussion of writing appropriate educational objectives and MCQs that match those objectives, and a brief review of item analysis. © RSNA, 2006
Tropical tree growth is correlated with soil phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, though not for legumes

Tropical forest productivity is widely assumed to be limited by soil phosphorus (P), but biogeochemical processes that deplete P also could deplete base cations, suggesting multiple resource limitation. Limitation by several resources could arise from species and functional diversity and from variation among groups in resource requirements, including ecophysiological strategies that minimize P limitation. We hypothesized that tree growth is positively related to soil base cation and P availability and negatively related to local competition; Fabaceae growth is weakly correlated with soil resources if fixed N is used indirectly to acquire other resources; growth of species with low wood density is more strongly related to soil resource availability than that of species with high wood density. Diameter growth and soil resource availability were measured in five mapped stands situated across natural soil resource gradients in lowland wet tropical forest (La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica). Soil resourc...
Computer-mediated communication with distant friends: Relations with adjustment during students' first semester in college.

Because of recent technological innovations, college freshmen can readily communicate with friends who they see infrequently (e.g., friends from home). The current study addressed whether computer-mediated communication with these distant friends can compensate for a lack of high-quality on-campus friendships during students' first semester of college. Data were collected from 242 freshmen (140 female, Mage = 18.4) at midsemester and 1 month later. At low levels of face-to-face friendship quality, computer-mediated communication with distant friends predicted lower levels of emotional distress. Furthermore, when face-to-face friendship quality was low, depressive affect predicted higher levels of subsequent computer-mediated communication with distant friends. Relations with adjustment also depended on the quality of distant friendships. Implications for helping students transition to college are addressed.
An analysis of the information efficiency of single photon avalanche diodes

In this work, we model single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) as communication channels. We apply classical Shannon results for a Gaussian channel to typical SPAD circuits. Thus we look at the information rate and the bit energy of the circuit. By considering the noise sources for a generic SPAD sensor we develop the information rate model as a function of the excess bias voltage and perimeter gate voltage. We find that when considering only the dark count rate that there is a single optimum excess bias voltage that gives the maximum information rate. We conclude there is an excess voltage, gate voltage pair that optimizes the information rate.
An incidence angle correction for a conical scanning microwave radiometer

The Ka-band conically-scanning, two-look airborne microwave radiometer (C-STAR) was developed by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to investigate a new polarimetric remote sensing technique for inferring ocean surface winds (speed and direction). During C-STAR flight testing, unwanted systematic errors in ocean brightness temperatures, caused by changes in aircraft attitude, were observed. In this paper, we present results of a data processing procedure used to remove these unwanted effects by correcting airborne microwave ocean brightness temperatures for incidence angle changes caused by aircraft attitude (roll and pitch) variations during flight. Experimental verification of the incidence angle normalization is presented using measured data.