cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MAPPING OF AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION FLOWS FOR YAM MINISETT TECHNOLOGY IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT This study examined information flow on minisett technology among yam farmers in Delta State, Nigeria. A sample size of 180 respondents was involved in the study. Data were obtained from respondents of the study through the use of a validated interview schedule. Percentage, frequency count and mean scores were used to summarize data, while line diagrams were used to develop maps of information flows. Results of the study reveal that the Chain type of information flow was associated with the Delta North agricultural Zone, while Delta Central and Delta South Agricultural Zones were associated with Community based and Multiple contact types of information flows respectively. Federal and State government establishments, youth clubs, mass media, socio- cultural groups, farmersâ€™ cooperatives, religious bodies, community development committees and non-governmental organizations were useful in driving information flows on yam minisett technology. The study also revealed that only few farmers used agricultural extension officers as source of information in Delta State. The major sources of information on yam minisett technology include radio (M=2.51); relatives (M=1.83); neighbours (M=1.61); contact and fellow farmers (1.47) and television (1.26). Based on these findings, The study recommends that multi-media approach should be adopted in the dissemination of information on yam based technologies. Also, farm radio and television broadcasts should be extensively used to air agricultural information to farmers on regular basis. Â KEYWORDS: Mapping; Agricultural information; minisett technology; Yam. Information flow Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Radiogenic neoplasia in the thyroid and mammary clonogens: progress, problems and possibilities.

It appears unlikely that the human epidemiological data available, or apt to become available, will allow distinction among the various mathematical models of radiation dose-neoplasia risk. Hence, risk estimates in the critical low dose and low dose-rate regions based on the human experience alone remain open to question.
Time to cash in on positive interactions for coral restoration

Coral reefs are among the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, and provide critical ecosystem services such as protein provisioning, coastal protection, and tourism revenue. Despite these benefits, coral reefs have been declining precipitously across the globe due to human impacts and climate change. Recent efforts to combat these declines are increasingly turning to restoration to help reseed corals and speed-up recovery processes. Coastal restoration theory and practice has historically favored transplanting designs that reduce potentially harmful negative species interactions, such as competition between transplants. However, recent research in salt marsh ecosystems has shown that shifting this theory to strategically incorporate positive interactions significantly enhances restoration yield with little additional cost or investment. Although some coral restoration efforts plant corals in protected areas in order to benefit from the facilitative effects of herbivores that reduce competitive macroalgae, little systematic effort has been made in coral restoration to identify the entire suite of positive interactions that could promote population enhancement efforts. Here, we highlight key positive species interactions that managers and restoration practitioners should utilize to facilitate the restoration of corals, including (i) trophic facilitation, (ii) mutualisms, (iii) long-distance facilitation, (iv) positive density-dependence, (v) positive legacy effects, and (vi) synergisms between biodiversity and ecosystem function. As live coral cover continues to decline and resources are limited to restore coral populations, innovative solutions that increase efficiency of restoration efforts will be critical to conserving and maintaining healthy coral reef ecosystems and the human communities that rely on them.
Nest Defense by Male Red-Winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) Improves Survival of Broods They Provision

ABSTRACT I observed male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) defend and provision nests, and I documented survival of pair-fed and female-fed broods to determine whether male parental behavior affects nestling survival and nest success. Broods provisioned by both males and females (n = 208) had significantly higher daily survival and were significantly more likely to produce fledglings than those fed only by females (n = 268). Examination of male responses to a crow model during incubation (n = 114) showed that males were more aggressive towards the simulated predator at nests they would later provision than at nests fed only by females. These results show that male provisioning is associated with more aggressive nest defense and increased nestling and nest survival, and suggest that parental behavior of male Red-winged Blackbirds is both plastic and adaptive.
Method for measuring the electric field strength under UHV/EHV AC/DC parallel transmission lines

In the measurement of hybrid electric field strength such as electric field under UHV/EHV AC/DC parallel transmission lines, simultaneous measurement of direct current component and ac electric field components is a key problem to be solved. In this paper, an improved method for AC/DC hybrid field strength measuring device (rotary voltmeter) is proposed, and a type of Bernoulli curve stator is designed. After using the new structure, when the rotor is rotating, the stator area exposed to the electric field changes sinusoidally. The mathematical expression of the change of the area is derived from the principle of mathematics, based on this, the spectral characteristics of the output of the measuring equipment under the AC and DC hybrid electric fields are studied. In addition, the corresponding relationship between the AC/DC electric field and the spectrum of the result of the measurement is established. This paper presents a method of measuring the ground electric field of AC/DC parallel transmission lines considering both AC/DC components. A calibration experiment is carried out in DC electric field, which verifies the accuracy and effectiveness of the method.
Structural dynamics of protein S1 on the 70S ribosome visualized by ensemble cryo-EM.

Abstract Bacterial ribosomal protein S1 is the largest and highly flexible protein of the 30S subunit, and one of a few core ribosomal proteins for which a complete structure is lacking. S1 is thought to participate in transcription and translation. Best understood is the role of S1 in facilitating translation of mRNAs with structured 5′ UTRs. Here, we present cryo-EM analyses of the 70S ribosome that reveal multiple conformations of S1. Based on comparison of several 3D maximum likelihood classification approaches in Frealign, we propose a streamlined strategy for visualizing a highly dynamic component of a large macromolecular assembly that itself exhibits high compositional and conformational heterogeneity. The resulting maps show how S1 docks at the ribosomal protein S2 near the mRNA exit channel. The globular OB-fold domains sample a wide area around the mRNA exit channel and interact with mobile tails of proteins S6 and S18. S1 also interacts with the mRNA entrance channel, where an OB-fold domain can be localized near S3 and S5. Our analyses suggest that S1 cooperates with other ribosomal proteins to form a dynamic mesh near the mRNA exit and entrance channels to modulate the binding, folding and movement of mRNA.
Optometrie oder Ophthalmologische Assistenz

Die eindrucksvolle Entwicklung der Optometrie in den Vereinigten Staaten wird skizziert. Die Ausbildung der 27.000 Optometristen und 16.000 Ophthalmologen wird verglichen. Die gesetzlichen Berufsgrundlagen, die zur Ausubung von diagnostischen und therapeutischen Masnahmen in der optometrischen Praxis gefuhrt haben, werden geschildert. Die offizielle Position optometrischer Organisationen sieht in Optometristen die Primarversorger der Augengesundheitspflege.
PBHoover and CigarRoller: a method for confident haploid variant calling on Pacific Biosciences data and its application to heterogeneous population analysis

Motivation: Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing has important and underutilized advantages that amplification-based platforms lack. Lack of systematic error (e.g. GC-bias), complete de novo assembly (including large repetitive regions) without scaffolding, can be mentioned. SMRT sequencing, however suffers from high random error rate and low sequencing depth (older chemistries). Here, we introduce PBHoover, software that uses a heuristic calling algorithm in order to make base calls with high certainty in low coverage regions. This software is also capable of mixed population detection with high sensitivity. PBHoover's CigarRoller attachment improves sequencing depth in low-coverage regions through CIGAR-string correction. Results: We tested both modules on 348 M.tuberculosis clinical isolates sequenced on C1 or C2 chemistries. On average, CigarRoller improved percentage of usable read count from 68.9% to 99.98% in C1 runs and from 50% to 99% in C2 runs. Using the greater depth provided by CigarRoller, PBHoover was able to make base and variant calls 99.95% concordant with Sanger calls (QV33). PBHoover also detected antibiotic-resistant subpopulations that went undetected by Sanger. Using C1 chemistry, subpopulations as small as 9% of the total colony can be detected by PBHoover. This provides the most sensitive amplification-free molecular method for heterogeneity analysis and is in line with phenotypic methods' sensitivity. This sensitivity significantly improves with the greater depth and lower error rate of the newer chemistries. Availability and Implementation: Executables are freely available under GNU GPL v3+ at http://www.gitlab.com/LPCDRP/pbhoover and http://www.gitlab.com/LPCDRP/CigarRoller. PBHoover is also available on bioconda: https://anaconda.org/bioconda/pbhoover.
Modes of a Gaussian Random Walk

It is demonstrated that a one-dimensional gaussian random walk (GRW) possesses an underlying structure in the form of random oscillatory modes. These modes are not sinusoids, but can be isolated by a well-defined procedure. They have average wavelengths and amplitudes, both of which can be determined by experiments or by theoretical calculations. This paper reports such determinations by both methods and also develops a theory that is ultimately shown to agree with experiments. Both theory and simulations show that the average wavelength and the average amplitude scale with the order of the mode in exactly the same way that the modes of the well-known Weierstrass fractal scale with mode order. This is remarkable since the wave generated by the Weierstrass function, $$W(x) = \sum\nolimits_{m = 1}^\infty {(\tfrac{1}{a}} )^m \cos (g^m x)$$ , is fully determined for the variable x whereas the GRW is stochastic. By increasing the size of the steps in the GRW, it is possible to selectively remove the fastest modes, while leaving the remaining modes almost unchanged. For a GRW, the parameters corresponding to a and g in the Weierstrass function are found to be 2.0 and 4.0, respectively. These values are independent of the variance associated with the GRW. Application of the random modes is reserved for a later paper.
Toggle PRM: A Coordinated Mapping of C-Free and C-Obstacle in Arbitrary Dimension

Motion planning has received much attention over the past 40 years. More than 15 years have passed since the introduction of the successful sampling-based approach known as the Probabilistic RoadMap Method (PRM). PRM and its many variants have demonstrated great success for some high-dimensional problems, but they all have some level of difficulty in the presence of narrow passages. Recently, an approach called Toggle PRM has been introduced whose performance does not degrade for 2-dimensional problems with narrow passages. In Toggle PRM, a simultaneous, coordinated mapping of both C free and C obst is performed and every connection attempt augments one of the maps – either validating an edge in the current space or adding a configuration ’witnessing’ the connection failure to the other space. In this paper, we generalize Toggle PRM to d-dimensions and show that the benefits of mapping both C free and C obst continue to hold in higher dimensions. In particular, we introduce a new narrow passage characterization, α-e-separable narrow passages, which describes the types of passages that can be successfully mapped by Toggle PRM. Intuitively, α-e-separable narrow passages are arbitrarily narrow regions of C free that separate regions of C obst , at least locally, such as hallways in an office building. We experimentally compare Toggle PRM with other methods in a variety of scenarios with different types of narrow passages and robots with up to 16 dof.
Isolation and Mass Spectrometry of Specific DNProteins

A subset of the proteome that binds to specific DNA sequences is at the center of genome function, integrity, and dynamics. We present a detailed protocol that allows the isolation of any specific DNA binding protein and its subsequent identification by mass spectrometry. The procedure involves prefractionation of crude nuclear extract by phosphocellulose (P11) chromatography, followed by a series of positive/negative selections on wild-type and site-mutated ligand DNA in a magnetic microparticulate format. DNA-affinity capture requires concatamerized and biotinylated ligand, selective salt conditions, and improved competitor DNAs. The amount of protein(s) captured on DNA-magnetic beads is generally sufficient for successful MALDI-TOF and TOF/TOF MS-based protein identification. As an example, we describe the procedures used to isolate and identify four specific transcription factors from 2 x 10(9) promyelocytic NB4 cells.
SURGICAL APPROACH IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE PANCREATITIS: Is Infected or Sterile Necrosis an Indication—in Whom Should This Be Done, When, and Why?

Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory disease of the pancreas that occurs in both mild and severe forms. Approximately 80% of patients have a mild, usually self-limiting process associated with edema in the interstitial pancreatic tissue or peripancreatic tissue (or both). In these patients, the disease process usually resolves with supportive medical management. The remaining 20% of patients develop a severe, potentially life-threatening disease characterized by variable amounts of necrosis of the organ and adjacent tissue. These patients are at risk for infection of the necrotic material, multisystem organ failure, and death. In this group with severe disease, surgery to remove the necrotic and infected tissue may be life-saving.
Fractal Analysis of Pharmaceutical Particles by Atomic Force Microscopy

Purpose. Reliable methods are needed to characterize the surface roughness of pharmaceutical solid particles for quality control and for finding the correlation with other properties. In this study, we used fractal analysis to describe the surface roughness.
The United States: School Choice and Test-Based Accountability

This is an unusual time in the USA for policy concerning primary and secondary education—kindergarten through 12th grade. The forces shaping K-12 policy are remarkably aligned with both major political parties devoted to two fundamental approaches: test-based accountability and school choice. While these lawmakers differ over details, including the proper role of the federal government, there is little disagreement regarding reliance on these basic approaches. While individual states and school districts have embarked on enough different reforms so as to decorate this remarkably aligned political landscape with a variety of interesting gardens worthy of notice, this chapter focuses on explaining the history and current import of the two dominant policies.
A Commentary on Horton's Designing and Writing Online Documentation

The technical writing community is fortunate to have William Horton's book because it is among the first to provide comprehensive, well thought-out advice about the issues writers and online designers face almost daily. But as one reviewer has already pointed out, "gaps exist, and we should be willing to review" Horton's book (Johnson, 1990, p. 181).
A new era for improving cardiothoracic transplantations

Abstract Cardiothoracic transplantation research dates back to the late 1800s, yet the first human heart transplantation did not occur until 1967. Today, more and more centers worldwide are performing such procedures with increasing success, long-term survival rates, and, importantly, with an improved quality of life for recipients. Much work remains to increase the number of available hearts and lungs for these transplants, but progress is being made for many reasons that are discussed in this chapter. The use of ex vivo lung and heart perfusion technologies along with pharmacological advancements (e.g., preservation solutions) has expanded the time available between organ recovery and transplantation, allowing for enhanced functional assessment and providing a platform for therapeutic delivery. In this chapter, we provide a brief history of cardiothoracic transplantation, review the current state of transplantation procedures, and discuss future directions for research and technological advancements.
Development and combustion characterization of a novel twin-fluid fuel injector in a swirl-stabilized gas turbine burner operating on straight vegetable oil

Abstract Prior studies have indicated that the flow blurring (FB) injection generates fine sprays, hence clean and premixed combustion of fuels with a wide range of viscosity, though the increase in fuel viscosity causes lifted flames that might undergo blow off, and offset flame sustainability. The present study aims to achieve improved fuel pre-vaporization and fuel-air mixing hence, less-lifted flames and ultimately yield stable, clean, and premixed combustion of viscous fuels using a novel twin-fluid injector, called swirl burst (SB) injector. The novel injector design integrates the advantages of the FB atomization with swirling atomizing air (SAA). Preliminary spray diagnostics have shown that the novel SB injector effectively generated the SAA and enhanced secondary atomization in terms of shorter breakup length and wider spray angle compared to the FB injector. The current study investigates the global combustion performance of the SB injector for viscous straight vegetable oil (VO) by comparing with that of the FB injection. The work also explores the effect of atomizing air to liquid mass ratio (ALR) on the SB flames. The investigated combustion features include visual flame images, emissions, and thermal characteristics of straight VO sprays in a lab-scale (7 kW) swirl-stabilized gas turbine burner. Results of blue flames, temperature profiles of the combustor outer surface and gas products, ultra-low emissions of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, consistently show that the novel SB concept and FB successfully achieved clean and stable lean premixed combustion for non-preheated straight VO. Compared to the FB injection, the use of the SB injector successfully resulted in a less-lifted VO flame with lower CO emissions due to early atomization completion and longer droplet path for faster fuel pre-vaporization, and better fuel-air mixing by the strengthened aerodynamic interaction between the SAA and primary combustion air. Increase in ALR for the SB injector resulted in cleaner combustion, again due to possible finer droplet evolution and enhanced aerodynamic interaction between reactant flows.
Differences in citizen perceptions of interactions with police officers

The topic of this study is how different demographics and crime rates in police beats differ in their perceptions of interactions with police officers. The research questions for this study are: ‘D...
Association of Shadowing Program for Undergraduate Premedical Students with Improvements in Understanding Medical Education and Training.

Author(s): Thang, Christine; Barnette, Natalie M; Patel, Kunal S; Duong, Courtney; Dejam, Dillon; Yang, Isaac; Lee, James H | Abstract: OBJECTIVE:Physician shadowing has become ubiquitous to the premedical experience. However, students without connections to a medical professional are oftentimes forced to reach out to physicians independently from a program. Subsequently, these inquiries may go unanswered as they oftentimes appear unsolicited. The primary goals in the design and development of our program were to increase access to a clinical observership experience at our academic institution utilizing resident physicians as primary supervisors. METHODS:In January 2017, the Educational Shadowing Program (ESP) was established at our institution wherein undergraduate students could shadow within the Pediatric Continuity Clinic (PCC) staffed by pediatric resident physicians. ESP undergraduates shadowed the residents as they performed their history taking and physical exams and as they presented their patients to the attending physicians. Between patient encounters, the students assisted the residents in their administrative work which was completed as needed. ESP students were surveyed at their first orientation meeting and during the final case conference. RESULTS:The pre-participation survey showed that none of the student participants strongly agreed to having a good understanding of what the job of a resident physician entails. By the end of their 30 weeks, the proportion of participants with a strongly perceived understanding increased significantly. The proportion of student respondents that strongly agreed with their understanding of the physician-patient interaction also improved significantly over the study period, from 33% to 78%. Seventy-two percent of the residents surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they enjoyed having the undergraduates in the clinic, affirming the positive effects of the program on the resident physicians. Forty-five percent of residents agreed or strongly agreed that the undergraduates improved their workflow in the clinic. CONCLUSION:This study demonstrates that establishing an undergraduate shadowing program in a busy academic pediatric clinic that involves resident physicians can be an overall positive experience for all participants. Fostering premedical student interest in pediatric care and primary care can possibly lead to more physician commitment to these fields, potentially helping to alleviate impending physicians in these specialties.
Estimating the global burden of disease from occupational exposures

When the global burden of disease (GBD) methodology was introduced some 30 years ago, it represented a significant step toward providing systematic, comparable disease surveillance data on a worldwide scale. Since that time, the GBD approach has led to valuable insights about the relative importance of various risk factors and causes of death and how they have changed over time. As a result, data from GBD reports have become a common source of supporting data for the background sections of research papers, grant proposals and policy documents. The three related papers on the burden of occupational disease and injury in this issue of the journal1–3 are likely to have similar impacts. These papers based on 2016 GBD data present a welcome updated estimate of the overall burden of illness and injury from occupational exposures1 and more detailed burden assessments for cancer2 and non-malignant, non-infectious respiratory diseases.3 A notable finding from this work is that an estimated 1.5 million deaths worldwide in 2016 were attributable to occupational exposures. While the corresponding attributable proportion, 2.8% of all deaths, may look like a small part of the public health picture, contributing, perhaps, to an impression that occupational exposures are not very important anymore, other GBD data4 indicate that, in fact, occupational exposures account for more deaths than a number of well-known risk factors that tend to receive far more attention from the public and policy makers, including low physical activity, low dietary fibre, high red and processed meat consumption, drug use and unsafe sex. Another finding of broad interest is the observation that while …
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates from a Fatal Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis

ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterial pathogen with serious implications for human health and is recognized as an urgent threat by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Total DNA from two A. baumannii clinical isolates collected over 3 days from a fatal case of necrotizing fasciitis has been sequenced to >30× coverage.
Principals' Perceptions of Non-Traditional Gender Vocational Teachers

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of secondary school principals toward hiring vocational teachers for positions where the teacher is from the minority gender (e.g. females as vocational agriculture teachers and males as home economics teachers). A simple random sample of high school principals in Louisiana was surveyed by mailed questionnaire. Ten items, incorporated into an existing instrument, were used to assess the principals' perceptions. Overall the findings revealed that the principals were ambivalent toward minority gender teachers. In addition, the principals were found to perceive nontraditional vocational teaching occupations more positively for women than for men. School size and population density were both found to be positively related to the administrators' perceptions such that principals in larger schools and in more densely populated school communities tended to have more positive perceptions toward nontraditional gender vocational teaching occupations for both men and women.
“A mere business affair”?Women in the social and commercial worlds of nineteenth-century Madagascar

The port of Mahajanga in northwestern Madagascar was home to a diverse commercial community during the nineteenth century. Merchants from East Africa, India and the Arabian Peninsula drew upon exte...
CHAPTER 6 – Bone and the Immune System

Publisher Summary Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants play a pivotal role in inducing post-transplant bone disease (PTBD), a common complication of solid organ transplantation and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). But bone loss and fractures also occur frequently in patients subjected to autologous BMT who are not routinely treated with these agents. This observation suggests that additional pathogenetic factors play a key role in PTBD. Among them, and of particular importance, is sex steroid deficiency. The main mechanism by which sex steroid deficiency leads to bone loss is the augmentation of the production of osteo-clastogenic and inflammatory cytokines by T cells, bone marrow macrophages, and bone cells. Some recent studies also show increased osteo-clastogenic cytokine levels in patients with PTBD. Hence, the main osteo-clastogenic cytokines presently known to regulate bone mass are extremely relevant for PTBD. Among the cytokines involved in the regulation of osteoclast formation are Receptor Activator of NFκB Ligand and macrophage colony stimulating factor. This chapter reviews the current knowledge pertaining to their effects and mechanisms of regulation.
Postoperative Disposition Following Pediatric Sistrunk Procedures: A National Database Query.

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS Variability exists in the postoperative disposition of children following Sistrunk procedures. Management options include discharge home versus overnight observation, with the latter allowing monitoring for immediate postoperative complications, presumably reducing the need for subsequent readmission. This study investigates the association between overnight observation and ambulatory management of children undergoing Sistrunk procedures and relevant postoperative complication and revisit rates to clarify best practice for these patients. METHODS This was a retrospective database review using the Pediatric Health Information System database from 2007 to 2016. RESULTS The cited dataset identified 6,434 qualifying patients, categorized into ambulatory versus overnight observation cohorts. The overall 30-day revisit rate was 4.9%; the revisit rate with overnight observation (6.1%) was higher than for ambulatory patients (3.8%, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21, 2.12). Revisit rates were significantly higher in patients 2 years of age or younger compared to older patients (6.7% vs. 4.3%). The rates of return to the operating room for the observation versus ambulatory groups were 1.8% and 0.5%, respectively. Cervical fluid collection and neck swelling were among the most common revisit indications in both groups, with a mean time to presentation of 9 days. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that ambulatory management following a Sistrunk procedure is not associated with increased rates of common postoperative complications, readmission, or need for secondary surgical intervention. A Sistrunk procedure may be safely performed on an ambulatory basis in select cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV Laryngoscope, 131:E2352-E2355, 2021.
Improving Structure from Motion with Reliable Resectioning

A common cause of failure in structure-from-motion (SfM) is misregistration of images due to visual patterns that occur in more than one scene location. Most work to solve this problem ignores image matches that are inconsistent according to the statistics of the tracks graph, but these methods often need to be tuned for each dataset and can lead to reduced completeness of normally good reconstructions when valid matches are removed. Our key idea is to address ambiguity directly in the reconstruction process by using only a subset of reliable matches to determine resectioning order and the initial pose. We also introduce a new measure of similarity that adjusts the influence of feature matches based on their track length. We show this improves reconstruction robustness for two state-of-the-art SfM algorithms on many diverse datasets.
The MTT-S Has a Conference for Everyone [Speaker's Corner]

Conferences are an important means of developing and spreading scientific and engineering knowledge, meeting and exchanging ideas with colleagues, and getting to know fellow researchers from around the world. Therefore, it would seem that a great professional Society would hold a variety of conferences around the world. Thankfully for the microwave engineering community, the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S) is a great professional Society. This article presents the conferences that the MTT-S owns.
Ceramide Analysis by Multiple Linked-Scan Mass Spectrometry Using a Tandem Quadrupole Instrument.

Ceramides are a special class of sphingolipids and play a central role in sphingolipid metabolism, and have diverse structures. In this book chapter, tandem quadrupole mass spectrometric approaches applying multiple linked scannings including various constant neutral loss scan (NLS) and precursor ion scan (PIS), the unique applicable feature of a triple-stage quadrupole (TSQ) instrument for analysis of ceramides desorbed as [M-H]- and [M+Li]+ ions are described. These multiple dimensional tandem mass spectrometric approaches are fully adapted to the conventional shotgun lipidomics workflow with minimal or without prior chromatographic separation to profile ceramide molecules, and thus detection of a whole class of ceramide or various specific ceramide subclasses in crude lipid extract can be achieved. With addition of internal standard(s), semi-quantitation of ceramide in the lipid extract of biological origin is possible. Examples have shown promise in ceramide profiling of several whole lipid extracts from porcine brain, the model Dictyostelium Discoideum cells for cancer study, and skin.
Longitudinal changes in daily patterns of objectively measured physical activity after falls in older adults with varying degrees of glaucoma.

Abstract Background Visually impaired older adults have a greater risk of falling, making them particularly susceptible to fall-related health consequences and restricted physical activity. Unclear however, is the relationship between having falls and longitudinal changes in daily patterns of objectively measured physical activity in older adults with visual impairments. Methods We created a three-year prospective cohort study (Falls in Glaucoma Study) of older adults with primary or suspected glaucoma at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute from 2013 to 2015. Cumulative incidence of falls was determined through self-reported fall calendars over 12 months. Participants were then classified into one of three groups: multiple fallers (≥2 falls), single fallers (1 fall), and non-fallers (0). Daily physical activity was measured over 1 week using a waist-bound accelerometer during baseline and three-year follow-ups. Activity fragmentation was defined as the reciprocal of the mean activity bout length, with higher fragmentation reflecting shorter, more fractured bouts of continuous activity. Multivariate linear mixed-effects models were used to assess three-year longitudinal changes in: 1) activity fragmentation, and 2) accumulation of activity across six three-hour intervals from 5 AM to 11 PM. Findings In adjusted models accounting for visual field damage and other factors, multiple fallers demonstrated greater annual declines (per year) in daily active bouts (-1.79 bouts/day, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.35, -0.22), daily active minutes (-17.15 min/day, 95% CI: -26.35, -7.94), and increased fragmentation (1%, 95% CI: 0, 2%) over the three-year follow-up period as compared to non-fallers; no such changes were seen when comparing single fallers and non-fallers. In time-of-day analyses, multiple fallers experienced greater annual declines in average hourly steps over all periods of the day, though the rate of decline was only significant between 5 PM and 8 PM (-27.07 steps/hour, 95% CI: -51.15, -2.99) compared to non-fallers. Interpretation In an older population with visual impairment, multiple falls over 12 months were associated with more transient and fragmented activity over a subsequent three-year period, and activity declines during evening hours, compared to non-fallers. These findings suggest that multiple fallers with visual impairment may be at high risk for a decline in physical capacity and endurance, warranting clinical interventions. Funding The research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grant EY022976.
Hormone production during pregnancy in the primigravid patient. I. Plasma levels of progesterone and 5α-pregnane-3,20-dione throughout pregnancy of normal women and women who developed pregnancy-induced hypertension

The plasma concentrations of progesterone and 5-alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione (5-alpha-dihydroprogesterone) were measured from as early as 12 weeks through 41 weeks of gestation in primigravid women. Two groups of primigravid women were assessed, those with uncomplicated pregnancies and those who developed pregnancy-induced hypertension. Plasma levels of progesterone and 5-alpha-dihydroprogesterone rose progressively throughout gestation in both groups of women. The ratio of the level of progesterone to that of 5-alpha-dihydroprogesterone in individual plasma samples of women with uncomplicated pregnancies was 7.0 from 12 to 15 weeks' gestation while at 35 to 41 weeks' gestation the ratio had declined to 4.6. Similar results were obtained in plasma samples of women who ultimately developed pregnancy-induced hypertension. Since no differences in plasma levels of progesterone or 5-alpha-dihydroprogesterone were detected between primigravid women with uncomplicated pregnancies and those who developed pregnancy-induced hypertension, we conclude that neither progesterone nor 5-alpha-dihydroprogesterone concentrations in plasma are of value in identifying women at risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Drawing statistical inferences from historical census data, 1850-1950

Virtually all quantitative microdata used by social scientists derive from samples that incorporate clustering, strati cation, and weighting adjustments (Kish 1965, 1992). Such data can yield standard error estimates that differ dramatically from those derived from a simple random sample of the same size. Researchers using historical U.S. census microdata, however, usually apply methods designed for simple random samples. The resulting p values and confidence intervals could be inaccurate and could lead to erroneous research conclusions. Because U.S. census microdata samples are among the most widely used sources for social science and policy research, the need for reliable standard error estimation is critical. We evaluate the historical microdata samples of the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series (IPUMS) project from 1850 to 1950 in order to determine (1) the impact of sample design on standard error estimates, and (2) how to apply modern standard error estimation software to historical census samples. We exploit a unique new data source from the 1880 census to validate our methods for standard error estimation, and then we apply this approach to the 1850–1870 and 1900–1950 decennial censuses. We conclude that Taylor series estimation can be used effectively with the historical decennial census microdata samples and should be applied in research analyses that have the potential for substantial clustering effects.
QUEDAN PREGUNTAS PARA LA FILOSOFÍA DEL DERECHO EN UN MUNDO GLOBALIZADO

La globalizacion, aunque no sepamos bien en que consiste y cual sera su desenlace —si es que procesos complejos como este tienen propiamente un desenlace—, es algo real, pero es tambien algo que podemos idealizar. Mas no idealizar en el sentido de modificar a nuestro gusto ese proceso que llamamos globalizacion, sino idealizar en el sentido de elevar un proceso semejante sobre su propia realidad por medio de la inteligencia.
Multidimensional Modeling of Radiative Heat Transfer in Diesel Engines

This paper illustrates use of the first and the third order spherical harmonics approximation to the radiative transfer equation and the delta-Eddington approximation to the scattering phase function for droplets in the flow. Solutions are presented for an axisymmetric, finite cylindrical geometry and assumed distributions for temperature, soot and fuel droplets chosen to be representative of conditions in a diesel engine during combustion. Results are obtained numerically by an accurate finite difference scheme. Important goals of this paper are to investigate the importance of scattering by fuel droplets and of accounting for spatial variations in the extinction coefficient on the radiative flux distributions at the walls of a disc shaped diesel engine. 21 references, 16 figures.
Social Relationships and Aging

In this chapter we trace scientific advancements made in the study of social relations across the life span and over the life course with a particular emphasis on adulthood and aging. We begin with attention to traditional social relations theories, including the convoy model of social relations. Next, we consider empirical investigations to illustrate how increasingly sophisticated developmental theory and methods led to expanded and more nuanced understandings of social relations in adulthood. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the most recent literature available on the convoy model, especially highlighting aspects of social relations that influence stress, health, and well-being. Finally, future directions in the study of social relations are identified. Keywords: social relations; convoy; life span and life course perspectives; stress-buffering; dyadic relations; bidirectional influences
Effect of heavy metals on Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae

Studies were conducted to determine the biological effects of heavy metals on the development of Aedes aegypti. Embryos immersed in 32 ppm Cu or 5 ppm Cd did not hatch. The arrest of hatching was in part reversible by removal of the heavy metals. The mortality rate of third-instar larvae exposed to heavy metals for 24 h was metal and dose dependent; the 50% lethal concentration (LC50) endpoints were 3.1, 16.5, and 33 ppm for Hg, Cd, and Cu, respectively. Interestingly, a proportion of Aedes aegypti third-instar larvae exposed to either Cu or Cd for 24 h failed to produce a dissectable peritrophic matrix. This failure to produce a dissectable peritrophic matrix also was metal and dose dependent. These results are discussed in the context of Aedes aegypti as a model system for investigating the molecular biological effects of heavy metals in aquatic insects.
Electron Beam Sintering of Zirconium Diboride

Electron beam sintering of ultra-high-temperature ceramic material of zirconium diboride (ZrB2) was successfully carried out. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the sintered layer had smooth surface morphology. Significant grain growth was observed by increasing the electron beam current density. More uniform and finer microstructures could be obtained using high beam currents and short dwell times. Chemical composition analysis confirmed that sintering in a vacuum environment could minimize boron loss. X-ray diffraction results revealed that the sintered layer mainly preserved the crystalline phase from the starting powder.
Ferroresonant overvoltages associated with utility interconnection of independent power producers

The author discusses overvoltage and ferroresonance problems created when a cogenerator or other interconnected customer-owned generator is isolated (islanded) with a part of the utility system. These problems, and their mitigation and/or elimination, in large part determine the protective relaying and other technical requirements imposed by utilities on the customers who wish to interconnect generators to the utility system. The author discusses the types and sizes of the generators, the type and magnitude of the load, and how each affects the probability and relative severity of the ferroresonant overvoltages predicted. It is demonstrated that a section of the utility system can become islanded, or isolated from the utility source. The island is shown to contain a source of electrical energy (i.e. generator) which is greater in capacity than one third of the islanded load. The island contains a source of capacitive volt-amperes greater than the inductive requirements of the load and minimum excitation requirements of the generator(s), and less than five times the generator rating. The island contains one or more transformers. It is concluded that the best way to protect interconnected customer generators and the connected load from ferroresonance is to prevent or preclude the occurrence of these conditions. >
Length-dependent effect of single-walled carbon nanotube exposure in a dynamic cell growth environment of human alveolar epithelial cells

Despite the great use of nanomaterials for engineering and medical applications, nanomaterials may have adverse consequences by accidental exposure, because of their nanoscale size, composition and shape. Like many nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been used for many proven applications, but the size of the CNTs makes them more readily become airborne and can therefore create the risk of being inhaled by a worker. In this study, we evaluated single-walled CNT (SWCNT)-induced effects on cellular responses such as cell proliferation, inflammatory response and oxidative stress in dynamic cell growth condition. A dynamic cell growth environment was established to mimic the dynamic changes in the amount of circumferential and longitudinal expansion and contraction occurred during normal breathing movement in the lung. Two different length (short: outer diameter (OD) 1–2 nm, length 0.5–2 μm; long: OD 1–2 nm, length 5–30 μm) of SWCNTs were used at different exposure concentrations (5, 10 and 20 μg/ml) during the different exposure duration (24, 48 and 72 h). Dynamic environment facilitated altered interaction between SWCNTs and A549 monolayer. Cellular responses in dynamic condition were significantly different from those in static condition. Moreover, cellular responses were dependent on the length of SWCNTs both in static and dynamic cell growth conditions.
Memory and Fitness Optimization of Bacteria under Fluctuating Environments

Bacteria prudently regulate their metabolic phenotypes by sensing the availability of specific nutrients, expressing the required genes for their metabolism, and repressing them after specific metabolites are depleted. It is unclear, however, how genetic networks maintain and transmit phenotypic states between generations under rapidly fluctuating environments. By subjecting bacteria to fluctuating carbon sources (glucose and lactose) using microfluidics, we discover two types of non-genetic memory in Escherichia coli and analyze their benefits. First, phenotypic memory conferred by transmission of stable intracellular lac proteins dramatically reduces lag phases under cyclical fluctuations with intermediate timescales (1–10 generations). Second, response memory, a hysteretic behavior in which gene expression persists after removal of its external inducer, enhances adaptation when environments fluctuate over short timescales (<1 generation). Using a mathematical model we analyze the benefits of memory across environmental fluctuation timescales. We show that memory mechanisms provide an important class of survival strategies in biology that improve long-term fitness under fluctuating environments. These results can be used to understand how organisms adapt to fluctuating levels of nutrients, antibiotics, and other environmental stresses.
Distribution of Surficial and Buried Oil Contaminants across Sandy Beaches along NW Florida and Alabama Coasts Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010

ABSTRACT Wang, P. and Roberts, T.M., 2013. Distribution of surficial and buried oil contaminants across sandy beaches along NW Florida and Alabama coasts following the deepwater horizon oil spill in 2010. The failed Deepwater Horizon (DWH) well released approximately 7.0 × 105 m3 of oil into the northern Gulf of Mexico during an 84-day period from 20 April 2010 to 15 July 2010. This study examined the beach oiling that resulted from the DWH spill, specifically the cross-shore distribution of both surface and buried oil, based on a series of field investigations and transport mechanisms following principles of beach morphodynamics. Five types of oil contamination were distinguished, including tar balls, tar patties, tar cakes, oil sheet, and stained sand. All five types were identified both on the beach surface and buried underneath contaminated and clean sand. The cross-shore distribution of surface oil was bound landward by the maximum high-tide wave run-up, which was, in turn, controlled by the incident...
Suppression of Thymidine Incorporation into the Gastric Mucosa of Cortisone-Treated Rats: Possible Relation to Glucocorticoid-Induced Gastric Ulceration

The administration of cortisone acetate to young rats results within 24 hr in a marked suppression of thymidine incorporation into the DNA of the gastric mucosa. The dose of hormone required for the acute suppression of thymidine incorporation is greater for gastric mucosa than it is for liver, and, as is also the case with liver, sensitivity to suppression is found to decrease with animal age. In striking contrast to their effects on the gastric mucosa, even large doses of hormone have no acute effect on thymidine incorporation by jejunal mucosa. It is suggested that a decrease in the normal rate of turnover of the gastric mucosa and a resulting increase in the duration of exposure of mucosal cells to the luminal environment may play a role in the phenomenon of glucocorticoid—induced gastric ulceration. (Endocrinology 92: 1322, 1973)
Amplitude probability densities of electrocardiograms.

Abstract An FM method for determining approximately the APD of periodic wave forms has been studied and applied to ECG's. The results obtained with ECG's indicate that the APD makes notching and slurring more evident than does the ECG and that it may have some advantages over the ECG in clinical diagnosis, especially in the analysis of the high frequency components of the ECG.