cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early sport specialisation, does it lead to long-term problems?

Sports participation is increasing in the USA (US population 313 million inhabitants) and in Icelandic (population 320 thousand inhabitants) adolescents, it is estimated that 35–45 million youth 6–18 years of age participate in some form of organised or recreational athletics.1 ,2 However, sports specialisation including year-round sport-specific training, participation on multiple teams of the same sport and focused participation in a single sport is purported to be increasing in frequency in preadolescent children across the world. There are several factors that contribute to the desire of young athletes to specialise in a single sport including the pursuit of scholarships or professional contracts, being labelled as talented by parents or coaches, retailing industry and media reports.3 A 2006 New York Times article notes “A growing number of coaches, parents, and children believe that the best way to produce superior young athletes is to have them play only one sport from an early age, and to play it virtually year-round.”4 Despite this increase in global sports participation, physical fitness levels of children and adults are declining and more people around the globe are becoming obese and physically inactive.1 The efforts to specialise youth sports underlie the effects of reduced general opportunity for all children to participate …
SLA-Aware Provisioning for Revenue Maximization in Telecom Mesh Networks

Service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between the service provider (SP) and the customer. Among various parameters, SLA imposes penalties on the SP when the customer's quality-of-service (QoS) requirements are violated. Hence, it is desirable to avoid SLA violations and such penalties. SLA also states the maximum amount of downtime a connection may tolerate during its lifetime. In this study, we present a dynamic provisioning scheme called Preemption-Oriented SLA-Aware Provisioning (POSAP) for telecom mesh networks, which considers a connection's (1) availability requirements, (2) penalty, and (3) state. In addition to the connection's various parameters (availability, penalty, etc.), the amount of affordable downtime is used as a metric to determine the risk of violating the connection's SLA, and hence, its priority. Connection's priority is denoted by urgency level. Our scheme allows resource preemption among connections, i.e., high-priority connections may preempt backup resources from low-priority connections. Also, new connection requests may preempt resources from existing connections. Urgency level determines how resources can be preempted. Our scheme is applied to a US-wide network. Our results show the improved performance in terms of (1) reduced SLA violations, (2) increased network utilization, and (3) increased network revenue, compared to a dedicated primary-backup (P-B) scheme.
Measuring the Economic Costs of Antimicrobial Resistance in Hospital Settings: Summary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Emory Workshop

Health systems administrators and clinicians need refined calculations of the attributable cost of infections due to drug-resistant microorganisms to develop and assess cost-effective prevention strategies that deal with these infections. To date, however, efforts to provide this information have yielded widely variable and often conflicting estimates. This lack of reproducibility is largely attributable to problems in study design and in the methods used to identify and measure costs. Addressing these methodological issues was the focus of a workshop that included participants from a broad range of backgrounds, including economics, epidemiology, health care management, health care outcomes research, and clinical care. This workshop summary presents the advantages and disadvantages of various research designs as well as particular methodological issues related to the measurement of the economic cost of resistance in health care settings. Suggestions are made for needed common definitions and approaches, study areas for future research are considered, and priority investigations are identified.
One Interviewer Versus Several: Modernist and Postmodernist Perspectives in Qualitative Family Interviewing

In the past I worked at meeting modernist research standards by carrying out qualitative family research using multiple interviewers. But different interviewers brought back different interview material, and although from a postmodern perspective that is to be expected and can be beneficial, it created several problems. As I have evolved to be more of a postmodern researcher, the modernist standards I once believed in still matter to me, but I now think that, from symbolic interaction, social construction, and other perspectives, single-interviewer research is legitimate and, in some ways, preferable. But then I have found in my recent interview research that there are good reasons to use more than one interviewer as long as they interview together.
The effects of step width and arm swing on energetic cost and lateral balance during running

In walking, humans prefer a moderate step width that minimizes energetic cost and vary step width from step-to-step to maintain lateral balance. Arm swing also reduces energetic cost and improves lateral balance. In running, humans prefer a narrow step width that may present a challenge for maintaining lateral balance. However, arm swing in running may improve lateral balance and help reduce energetic cost. To understand the roles of step width and arm swing, we hypothesized that net metabolic power would be greater at step widths greater or less than preferred and when running without arm swing. We further hypothesized that step width variability (indicator of lateral balance) would be greater at step widths greater or less than preferred and when running without arm swing. Ten subjects ran (3 m/s) at four target step widths (0%, 15%, 20%, and 25% leg length (LL)) with arm swing, at their preferred step width with arm swing, and at their preferred step width without arm swing. We measured metabolic power, step width, and step width variability. When subjects ran at target step widths less (0% LL) or greater (15%, 20%, and 25% LL) than preferred, both net metabolic power demand (by 3%, 9%, 12%, and 15%) and step width variability (by 7%, 33%, 46%, and 69%) increased. When running without arm swing, both net metabolic power demand (by 8%) and step width variability (by 9%) increased compared to running with arm swing. It appears that humans prefer to run with a narrow step width and swing their arms so as to minimize energetic cost and improve lateral balance.
DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A SILICON-BASED MEMS ROTARY ENGINE

Design and fabrication of a Silicon-based MEMS rotary engine are discussed in this paper. This work is part of an effort currently underway to develop a portable, autonomous power generation system potentially capable of having an order of magnitude improvement in energy density over alkaline or lithium-ion batteries. Central to the development of this power generation system are small-scale rotary internal combustion engines fueled by high energy density liquid hydrocarbons capable of delivering power on the order of milli-Watts. The rotary (Wankei-type) engine is well suited for MEMS fabrication due to its planar geometry, high specific power, and self-valving operation with a minimal number of moving parts. The smallest "micro-rotary" engine currently being fabricated has an epitrochoidalshaped housing under 1 mm 3 in size and with a rotor swept volume of 0.08 mm 3. This paper discusses some of the fabrication issues unique to MEMS fabrication of a rotary engine at this small scale. High precision, high aspect ratio structures are necessary to provide adequate sealing for high compression ratios. Effects such as footing and lateral to vertical etch rates must be minimized for proper engine operation. A fabrication process is necessary for the complex, multiheight geometry of the housing and rotor assembly. Finally, a repeatable and simple assembly technique must be developed in order to mass-produce these engines. Fabrication of a Silicon-based micro-rotary engine is being conducted in U.C. Berkeley's Microfabrication Laboratory. The engine system is composed of three main components: rotor, housing, and shaft. The engine and rotor housing mast be entirely fabricated from Silicon without embedded oxide to prevent thermal mismatch or structural weakness at the Si-oxide interface. In order to meet this requirement, the fabrication processes for the housing consists of a two-mask two-etch process of a solid Silicon wafer. The fabrication of the rotor follows a similar process, utilizing deposited oxide as a release layer. Using Silicon Dioxide and photoresist for masking, housing and rotor structures are etched from solid Silicon using timed Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). A unique feature of these processes is the self-masking of the spur gear in the housing and the shaft thru hole in the rotor during the second DRIE steps, which give the necessary multi-level, cross-sectional profile.
Heat Conduction in Nanostructured Materials Predicted by Phonon Bulk Mean Free Path Distribution

We develop a computational framework, based on the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE), with the ability to compute thermal transport in nanostructured materials of any geometry using, as the only input, the bulk cumulative thermal conductivity. The main advantage of our method is twofold. First, while the scattering times and dispersion curves are unknown for most materials, the phonon mean free path (MFP) distribution can be directly obtained by experiments. As a consequence, a wider range of materials can be simulated than with the frequency-dependent (FD) approach. Second, when the MFP distribution is available from theoretical models, our approach allows one to include easily the material dispersion in the calculations without discretizing the phonon frequencies for all polarizations thereby reducing considerably computational effort. Furthermore, after deriving the ballistic and diffusive limits of our model, we develop a multiscale method that couples phonon transport across different scales, enabling efficient simulations of materials with wide phonon MFP distributions length. After validating our model against the FD approach, we apply the method to porous silicon membranes and find good agreement with experiments on mesoscale pores. By enabling the investigation of thermal transport in unexplored nanostructured materials, our method has the potential to advance high-efficiency thermoelectric devices.
In vitro uptake of 14C-labeled amino acids by preparations of partially purified Anaplasma marginale bodies.

Studies on the incorporation of three 14C-labeled amino acids into preparations of partially purified Anaplasma marginale were conducted. Relatively high levels of uptake of radioactive isoleucine, glycine, and methionine were detected in both trichloroacetic acid-soluble and -insoluble fractions of these preparations, indicating that the parasite is capable of protein synthesis outside its erythrocytic environment. When erythrocytes (red blood cells) from infected calves were incubated with [14C]methionine and Anaplasma bodies were subsequently purified, it was found that some of the label detected was associated with the marginal bodies.
Developmental Time, Longevity, and Lifetime Fertility of Three Introduced Parasitoids of the Mealybug Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Developmental time, longevity, and lifetime fertility of three previously introduced parasitoids (Acerophagus papayae Noyes and Schauff, Anagyrus loecki Noyes and Menezes, and Pseudleptomastix mexicana Noyes and Schauff) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) of the mealybug Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were studied in the laboratory to understand the outcome of their recovery in field studies conducted in the United States. The developmental time of both male and female A. papayae and A. loecki was shorter than the developmental time of male and female P. mexicana. Male parasitoids of all three species had a shorter developmental time than their females. All parasitoids had a shorter developmental time in adultfemale mealybugs than in second instars. Mating status (unmated and mated) had no effect on the male longevity. Unmated and mated females that were not allowed to oviposit had similar longevity and lived longer than those that were allowed to oviposit. Virgin females produced male only progeny with higher number of males from A. loecki or P. mexicana than from A. papayae. The number of females and the cumulative progeny was smaller for A. papayae than for A. loecki or P. mexicana. The progeny sex ratio (proportion of females) was not different among the parasitoids. A. papayae had the shortest reproductive period followed by A. loecki and P. mexicana, respectively. This information is important in evaluating the efficiency, recovery and establishment of A. papayae, A. loecki, and P. mexicana.
REPRODUCTIVE TOURISM AND THE QUEST FOR GLOBAL GENDER JUSTICE

Reproductive tourism is a manifestation of a larger, more inclusive trend toward globalization of capitalist cultural and material economies. This paper discusses the development of cross-border assisted reproduction within the globalized economy, transnational and local structural processes that influence the trade, social relations intersecting it, and implications for the healthcare systems affected. I focus on prevailing gender structures embedded in the cross-border trade and their intersection with other social and economic structures that reflect and impact globalization. I apply a social connection model of responsibility for unjust outcomes and consider strategies to counter structural injustices embedded in this industry. The concluding section discusses policy reforms and proposals for collaborative action to preclude further injustices and extend full human rights to all.
Pressure-assisted thermal sterilization effects on gas barrier, morphological, and free volume properties of multilayer EVOH films

Pressure-assisted thermal sterilization (PATS) alters the morphology and free volume distributions of polymers leading to a decrease in gas-barrier properties of polymer packaging materials, and hence compromising the quality and shelf life of PATS processed foods. Two multilayer ethylene–vinyl alcohol (EVOH) films, intended for high pressure applications, were investigated to understand the influence of free volume characteristics and film morphology on gas-barrier properties of PATS processed EVOH films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) were applied to investigate film morphology and free volume characteristics, respectively. Film A was comprised of polyethylene terephthalate (PET)/EVOH/polypropylene (PP). Film B consisted of PET laminated to a co-extruded structure of PP/tie/Nylon6/EVOH/Nylon6/tie/PP. Both oxygen and water vapor transmission rates increased in the two films after the selected treatments. However, the increase in film A is much larger which can be understood from the change in free volume distributions measured by positron lifetime and overall crystallinity observed from X-ray diffraction. This work shows that PALS and XRD are suitable tools to reason out the gas-barrier changes in multilayer EVOH films after PATS treatment.
A computational algorithm for minimizing total variation in image restoration

A reliable and efficient computational algorithm for restoring blurred and noisy images is proposed. The restoration process is based on the minimal total variation principle introduced by Rudin et al. For discrete images, the proposed algorithm minimizes a piecewise linear l/sub 1/ function (a measure of total variation) subject to a single 2-norm inequality constraint (a measure of data fit). The algorithm starts by finding a feasible point for the inequality constraint using a (partial) conjugate gradient method. This corresponds to a deblurring process. Noise and other artifacts are removed by a subsequent total variation minimization process. The use of the linear l/sub 1/ objective function for the total variation measurement leads to a simpler computational algorithm. Both the steepest descent and an affine scaling Newton method are considered to solve this constrained piecewise linear l/sub 1/ minimization problem. The resulting algorithm, when viewed as an image restoration and enhancement process, has the feature that it can be used in an adaptive/interactive manner in situations when knowledge of the noise variance is either unavailable or unreliable. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed iterative image restoration and enhancement process.
Propane Clathrate Hydrate Formation Accelerated by Methanol

The role of methanol as both an inhibitor and a catalyst for the formation of clathrate hydrates (CHs) has been a topic of intense study. We report a new quantitative study of the kinetics of propane CH formation at 253 K from the reaction of propane gas with <75 μm ice particles that have been doped with varying amounts of methanol. We find that methanol significantly accelerates the formation reaction with quite small doping quantities. Even for only 1 methanol molecule per 10 000 water molecules, the maximum uptake rate of propane into CHs is enhanced and the initiation pressure is reduced. These results enable more efficient production of CHs for gas storage. This remarkable acceleration of the CH formation reaction by small quantities of methanol may place constraints on the mechanism of the inhibition effect observed under other conditions, usually employing much larger quantities of methanol.
Channel capacity between antenna Arrays-part I: sky noise dominates

Space-time coding techniques can be used to achieve very high spectral efficiencies in highly scattering environments using multiple transmit and receive antennas. At the remote station, there is usually a more limited space allotted to the antenna array than at the base station. Since the spectral efficiency improves with the number of antennas, one is interested in how many antennas can be crammed into the limited space on the remote station. This paper (Part I of II) addresses some of the issues which affect the allowable density of antennas in the remote station. In particular, the mutual impedance between antenna elements in the remote array and the correlation between the signal and noise fields received by these elements are analyzed for their impact on the channel capacity achievable by such arrays. In particular, we assume the transmitter is radiating from nT elements of uncoupled half-wave dipoles and knows nothing of the channel. A formula is given for the maximum channel capacity to a receiving array of nR elements, coupled to each other in the presence of ambient noise or interference with a uniform angle of arrival distribution. This formula neglects amplifier noise in the receivers. It is shown that the channel capacity is already determined at the terminals of the receiving array, and can not be improved by internal coupling networks following the receiving array. When the propagation is by means of full three-dimensional scattering, the channel capacity is unaffected by mutual coupling in the receiving array
Julian Bond: Common Cause

Throughout this case, students will learn Julian Bonds views on leadership, and the views of such seasoned leaders, as Julius Chambers, Mary Futrell, Earl Graves, Oliver Hill, Elaine Jones, and Henry Marsh, provide answers to the questions: how do we find leaders, how do different leaders connect with others in their organizations, where is their power derived from, are leadership skills natural or learned? Although their stories take place in different arenas like business, education, politics, and the law, these historic figures represent a common cause and successful leadership.
Federalism and Capital Markets in Canada and the U.S.: Financing Infrastructure in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was much more than a natural disaster, it also left New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of the United States financially devastated. The re-building effort will take place on the ground, coordinated largely by the state and federal governments, and financed in capital markets. Markets can supplement federalism. A key advantage of debt markets is that these competitive, risk-bearing institutions are less prone to accept questionable projects and financial plans than are politicians up the federalism hierarchy. This paper examines the financial relationship and programs of the federal governments in the US and Canada with the "sub-national governments" at the state/provincial and municipal levels, and concludes each country could learn from the other. Citizens in both countries were left in awe of the sudden disintegration of New Orleans and its infrastructure. As with infrastructure questions elsewhere, the solution is likely to be found in a combination of federalism and capital markets.
Amyloid and Female Protein: Sex-Related Occurrence in the Syrian Hamster

The prevalence of amyloidosis in Syrian hamsters has been reported in a variety of reports (1–3). Our interest in hamster amyloid was related to previous studies on an unusual protein, female protein (FP), found in the serum of these animals (4). Female protein was shown to be a homologue of serum amyloid P component (SAP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (5). However, FP synthesis was regulated by sex steroids so that normal males had serum levels about 100- to 200-fold less than females. Actually, FP was present at extraordinarily high levels in female hamster serum (1–3 mg/ml) when compared to the usual CRP-SAP homologues in other mammals. Functionally, FP shared a very characteristic function with CRP, i.e., a Ca++ dependent phosphorylcholine (PC) binding capacity (5) with attendant complement activation (6). However, at the amino terminus, FP was structurally more similar to SAP (5). The question arose whether FP also could have a “SAP-like” role as an amyloid constituent. The results of this study indicated that FP was indeed an amyloid constituent. Furthermore, amyloid deposition was correlated directly with serum FP levels, suggesting more than a passive role of FP in pathogenesis of this disease. In addition, the metabolism of injected 125I-FP was found to be characteristically altered in presence of amyloid (7).
Emerging Therapies for Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that can result in severe morbidity and mortality. The past 15 years have seen a dramatic improvement in the available treatment options for MS patients. Before the 1990s, steroids administered during acute attacks were the only effective medications for the disease. Since then, seven drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in MS, and many trials investigating new treatments are in progress. The experimental agents range from vaccines to monoclonal antibodies to drugs with novel mechanisms of action. In addition, the importance of vitamin D and its interaction with the immune system has become increasingly apparent. This selective review of current clinical trials provides a concise summary of promising new MS therapies on the horizon.
UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS OF TEST DATA IN THE AMES 11-FOOT TRANSONIC WIND TUNNEL

A new software package was developed for NASA Ames wind tunnels that estimates the uncertainty of test results. The software also determines the uncertainty percentage contribution of error sources and measurements in order to obtain a better understanding of the impact of instrument selection and calibration procedures on the overall accuracy of a result. Systematic and precision error estimates are saved in a database file that is created and maintained by the uncertainty analysis software. Data reduction equations are stored in an automatically generated C source code that performs the uncertainty analysis. No knowledge of the C programming language is required in order to use the software as data reduction equations are entered using a generic mathematical syntax. The calculation of the uncertainty of the Mach number, the dynamic pressure, and the Reynolds number is discussed in order to demonstrate the application of the software to realistic wind tunnel test data.
Cystosarcoma phyllodes in a man with gynecomastia.

Cystosarcoma phyllodes of the male breast, first described in 1838, is rare; in an extensive review of the literature we failed to find a case similar to the one reported herein. The patient, 54 years of age, had a nonpainful mass in the right breast for more than 20 years. On removal, this 6 by 4 cm. tumor had characteristics similar to those of a cystosarcoma phyllodes of the female breast. The tumor was firm, nodular, and solid, except for clefts and small nodules projecting into crescentshaped cysts. Microscopic examination showed ductal proliferation and marked cellularity of the fibrous stroma, producing clefts and cysts. The breast tissue adjacent to the tumor showed the features of gynecomastia and fibrocystic disease. It is believed that the hormonal disturbances producing the gynecomastia and fibrocystic disease were of such intensity and duration as to account for the cystosarcoma phyllodes.
Genetics of Variation in Botryotinia Squamosa

Morphological mutants of Botryotinia squamosa were isolated after exposure of ascospores to N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (=MNNG). Results from backcrossing mutants to wild types suggest each...
Abstract 4864: Antibody detection of translocations (ADOT) in Ewing's sarcoma

Objective: The detection and identification of chromosomal translocations has important implications in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients with cancer. Current approaches to translocation detection often have significant shortcomings, including limited sensitivity and/or specificity, and can be difficult to apply to formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) clinical samples. We developed a new approach, antibody detection of translocations (ADOT), that avoids many of the shortcomings of current techniques. Methods: ADOT combines a transcriptional microarray-based approach with a novel antibody-based detection method. Microarrays were designed that probe for every possible fusion transcript in Ewing9s sarcoma, both previously identified and theoretical. These include EWS/FLI, EWS/ERG, EWS/ETV1, EWS/ETV4, EWS/FEV and others. Total RNA, purified from Ewing9s sarcoma cells or tumors (that express different types of translocations), is hybridized to the custom microarrays. A high-affinity antibody (S9.6) that binds to RNA-DNA duplexes formed during hybridization is used as a detection reagent. Results: We demonstrate the feasibility of ADOT by examples in which both known, and unknown, translocation fusion transcripts are identified from cell lines, tumor xenografts, and primary tumor samples. Translocation fusion points identified by ADOT were confirmed using traditional RT-PCR and sequencing. Furthermore, ADOT is able to detect translocations in FFPE tumor samples in which case RT-PCR fails. The sensitivity of ADOT to detection of translocations is also determined. Conclusion: ADOT allows for the accurate and sensitive identification of translocations and also provides exon-level information about the specific fusion transcript produced. Furthermore, the technique is readily generalizable to any potential fusion transcript, and can also detect previously undescribed fusions. This suggests that ADOT may be used as a diagnostic tool for pediatric sarcoma or other translocation-based cancers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4864. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4864
Random partitions with parts in the range of a polynomial

Let Ω(n,Q) be the set of partitions of n into summands that are elements of the set A = {Q(k): k ∈ Z+}. Here Q ∈ Z[x] is a fixed polynomial of degree d > 1 which is increasing on R+, and such that Q(m) is a non--negative integer for every integer m ≥ 0. For every λ ∈ Ω(n,Q), let Mn(λ) be the number of parts, with multiplicity, that λ has. Put a uniform probability distribution on Ω(n,Q), and regard Mn as a random variable. The limiting density of the random variable Mn (suitably normalized) is determined explicitly. For specific choices of Q, the limiting density has appeared before in rather different contexts such as Kingman's coalescent, and processes associated with the maxima of Brownian bridge and Brownian meander processes.
Analysis of Fluorescence Lifetime and Energy Transfer Efficiency in Single-Molecule Photon Trajectories of Fast-Folding Proteins

In single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy, the dynamics of molecular processes are usually determined by analyzing the fluorescence intensity of donor and acceptor dyes. Since FRET efficiency is related to fluorescence lifetimes, additional information can be extracted by analyzing fluorescence intensity and lifetime together. For fast processes where individual states are not well separated in a trajectory, it is not easy to obtain the lifetime information. Here, we present analysis methods to utilize fluorescence lifetime information from single-molecule FRET experiments, and apply these methods to three fast-folding, two-state proteins. By constructing 2D FRET efficiency-lifetime histograms, the correlation can be visualized between the FRET efficiency and fluorescence lifetimes in the presence of the submicrosecond to millisecond dynamics. We extend the previously developed method for analyzing delay times of donor photons to include acceptor delay times. To determine the kinetics and lifetime parameters accurately, we used a maximum likelihood method. We found that acceptor blinking can lead to inaccurate parameters in the donor delay time analysis. This problem can be solved by incorporating acceptor blinking into a model. While the analysis of acceptor delay times is not affected by acceptor blinking, it is more sensitive to the shape of the delay time distribution resulting from a broad conformational distribution in the unfolded state.
Building AHP Models Using Super Decisions v2

Super Decisions (Super decisions, 2015) is a software package developed for the analysis, synthesis, and justification of complex decisions based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology.
Dynamic Transverse Debonding of a Single Fiber

By integrating a Kolsky tension bar along with a high-speed x-ray phase contrast imaging method and a high speed optical camera, high strain rate debonding processes of an opaque composite composed of a single S-2 fiber and SC-15 epoxy resin is recorded in real time and analyzed. Specifically, imaging of transverse debonding initiation and progression along with debonding loads are obtained and then compared to quasi-static debonding loads in this research. The dynamic loading direction was perpendicular to the fiber axial direction. The dynamic tensile loading history as the debonding initiated and propagated was recorded using a piezoelectric load cell. The initial debonding crack speed was also measured. Quasi-static experiments were also completed as a basis of comparison. It is shown that the debonding loads under dynamic and quasi-static loading conditions are similar. The fracture surfaces from the dynamically debonded samples were subsequently examined by scanning electron microscopy.
Percentile categorization of QT interval as an approach for identifying adult patients at risk for cardiovascular death.

Background The results from studies of the association of QT prolongation with cardiovascular death (CVD) have been inconsistent. Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the major correction formulas to percentile values of QT for heart rate ranges as to their ability to remove the relationship of QT to heart rate and to predict CVD. Methods Participants were 16,531 veterans who had an initial ECG at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Palo Alto, between March 31, 1987, and December 20, 1999, and were followed for CVD. The 4 major correction formulas (Bazett, Fridericia, Framingham, and Hodges) were used to correct QT interval. In addition, the percentiles for heart rate ranges as proposed by Schwartz were calculated. Results During median follow-up of 17.8 years, 455 CVD events occurred. When compared to the other equations, QTc Bazett had the greatest dependence on heart rate (R 2 = 0.18). The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for CVD was 2.08 (1.28–3.9) for the 98th percentile of QT interval by heart rate ranges, 2.05 (1.27–3.33) for QTc Bazett, 1.39 (0.44–4.34) for QTc Fridericia, 1.05 (0.26–4.24) for QTc Hodges, and 1.12 (0.28–4.52) for QTc Framingham. The hazard ratio of QTc Bazett was significantly higher than the other formulas except for the 98th percentile method. Conclusion The Framingham, Hodges, and Fridericia equations remove the effect of heart rate on QT interval significantly better than the Bazett equation. Using QT-interval percentiles based on heart rate provides a consistent approach both for identifying those whose QT intervals prolong due to drugs or other stressors and for assessing CVD risk.
Export Monoculture and Regional Social Structure in Puno, Peru

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the export monoculture and regional social structure in Puno, Peru. It discusses the organization of dendritic system. A number of factors confound the social effects of the economic operation of a dendritic system. First, the amount of land required for production of the export commodity determines the extent of regional reorganization. Second, the aggregation of trade at each higher level requires greater amounts of capital, which limits entry while it may sort merchants into ethnic groups scaled according to their access to capital markets. Third, the organization of the production force conditions the nature of commerce in the area. These factors interact and create a complex social situation in any dendritically organized region. The extent of regional reorganization depends upon the ability of the labor force to produce both the export commodity and its own food requirements. This is possible when the export commodity monopolizes neither all the time nor all the land of the labor force.
Recognizing Functional Domains in Biological Sequences

Weight matrices are standard methods of representing the information contained in a set of related sequences, such as promoters, splice sites and other common sites in nucleic acids. They have also been used to represent common domains in protein families, such as in the BLOCKS database. Besides being useful for elucidating the sequence constraints associated with the related sites, they can be used effectively to identify new members of the family. Most often the weight matrix is determined solely from the information in the sequences of the family members, perhaps using a log-odds approach to maximize the difference between the family members and a random model of non-member sequences. In the case of protein motifs, much emphasis has also been placed on finding appropriate weightings for the family members to avoid problems due to the biased representations in the databases. We have tried an alternative approach, which is to utilize the actual sequences of both the family members and non-family members to find the weight matrix that gives optimum discrimination between the classes. Preliminary results for a few protein families listed in the BLOCKS database, and using the entire SwissProt database of proteins as the “background” against which we are trying to find optimal classifiers for the family members, show this approach can provide improved specificity.
Point-of-care testing in the pharmacy: how is the field evolving?

From urgent care centers and retail clinics to telemedicine and concierge services, the past decade has seen a dramatic shift in how patients receive health care. We have gone from a centralized, r...
Chinese, Vietnamese, and Asian Indian Parents' Perspectives About Well-Child Visits: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract Objectives Well-child visits are a critical component of pediatric health care; however, disparities in attendance and quality of care exist for Asian children. Limited research has explored Asian immigrant parents' perspectives about their well-child visit experience. Methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Asian Indian immigrant parents. Participants were recruited from community-based organizations in the Boston area. Interviews focused on parents' perceptions about well-child visits, including individual attitudes, social and cultural factors affecting their opinions, perceived behavioral control, and improving visits for Asian immigrant families. Data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Fifty-one parents participated. Although participants reported attending well-child visits, they thought language barriers and unfamiliarity with US preventive health care may limit attendance for other Asian immigrant families. Some reported high-quality visits, while others described them as "too simple," recollecting health care experiences from their countries of origin where more tests were completed. Participants described seeking advice about their children's preventive care from elder family members. Many expressed the importance of culturally concordant health care providers and culturally sensitive care, while others thought that culture was less relevant. Differences emerged among the 3 subgroups around culturally concordant care and traditional medicine. Conclusions Querying parents about their past health care experiences and providing information about well-child visits may be useful when caring for immigrant families. Social influences on children's health outside of the parent–provider–child triad may also be important. Further work should explore how to deliver culturally sensitive care that considers not only a family's language preferences but also their unique cultural identity.
Trephine lung biopsy in cattle and horses

A lung biopsy technique using a special trephine rotated by an electric hand drill has been developed in a series of 22 cattle as part of an investigation into the significance of exposure to mouldy hay. A success rate of about 80% has been achieved, with clinical sequelae in one cow. Lung biopsies were obtained from 2 horses by essentially the same method.
Partial Defuzzification of Fuzzy Clusters

Two methods of partial defuzzification of fuzzy clusters in a fuzzy k-partition are proposed. The first method is based on sharpening of fuzzy clusters with respect to the threshold 1/k. Sharpening is accomplished by application of the generalized operator of contrast intensification of fuzzy sets to k — 1 fuzzy clusters. The second method utilizes the idea of strong sharpening. In this approach the very small membership grades in each fuzzy cluster are reduced to zero. It is explained how these methods can lead to the well known approximation of a fuzzy partition by its crisp maximum membership partition.
A Test of Group Foraging by the Carnivorous Plant, Sarracenia flava: Are Pitcher Plants Like Wolves?

Carnivorous plants experience the same constraints as most predators, in that they must attract, capture, and consume prey. Natural populations of the yellow pitcher plant Sarracenia flava show most plants are composed of one to two ramets, with relatively few active leaves. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of number of leaves on insect capture by creating spatially distinct S. flava groups of different sizes. Groups with more leaves attracted more prey, but prey capture per leaf was not correlated with group size. The per-leaf capture rate of different insect types, mostly wasps and bees, was also not correlated with group size. For this predator there was no advantage or disadvantage of foraging in groups.
A compact spectrum splitting concentrator for high concentration photovoltaics based on the dispersion of a lens

Photovoltaic devices used in conjunction with functional optical elements for light concentration and spectrum splitting are known to be a viable approach for highly efficient photovoltaics. Conventional designs employ discrete optical elements, each with the task of either performing optical concentration or separating the solar spectrum. In the present work, we examine the performance of a compact photovoltaic architecture in which a single lens plays a dual role as both a concentrator and a spectrum splitter, the latter made possible by exploiting its intrinsic dispersion. A four-terminal two-junction InGaP/GaAs device is prepared to validate the concept and illustrates pathways for improvements. A spectral separation in the visible range is demonstrated at the focal point of a plano-convex lens with a geometric concentration ratio of 1104X with respect to the InGaP subcell.
Bayesian Regularization Based ANN for the Design of Flexible Antenna for UWB Wireless Applications

This paper presents a flexible pentagonal shape Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) antenna design using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for WLAN, 5G, and WiMAX applications. The pentagonal patch is placed on top of flexible polyimide substrate and simulated using the well-known 3-D electromagnetic (EM) simulator HFSS, v.18.1. Due to large computing cluster required by the EM simulator to solve the design under consideration in addition to the time consumed, ANN is used to synthesize the design and reduce the cost and time consumed to analyze the aforementioned structure. Neural Network with 1 hidden layer of 10 neurons based on Bayesian Regularization algorithm is presented. An error of less 5% is produced during the learning, validation, and testing processes. Neural network is a good candidate to represent the pentagonal shape antenna used for UWB applications.
Crystalline lactic dehydrogenase of the lens

A protein with low LDH activity compared to recrystallized muscle LDH and one which appeared to be homogeneous by all available tests for protein homogeneity has been obtained in crystalline form from bovine and rabbit lenses. These lens LDH preparations appeared to be identical immunologically in the other mammalian species examined. The bovine lens LDH had half the molecular weight of LDH isozymes isolated from bovine heart. The LDH activity of bovine lenses in certain chemical tests was found to be both similar and different when compared to bovine heart LDH. This also teas the situation with rabbit lens LDH compared with a commercial preparation of rabbit muscle LDH. During a study of the reaction of bovine lens LDH with metallic salts, ZnSO* and HgCh in particular, it was noted that the LDH activity became soluble in 2.6M ammonium sulfate, became less stable, and disappeared as a distinct band on disc electropherograms in acrylamide gel. The chemistry of this transformation in the solubility of LDH suggests that a metal chelate bond was broken by the treatment concomitant with the appearance of a quite unstable low molecular weight fragment toith increased LDH activity. Confirmation of this impression awaits success of efforts to isolate such a fragment.
In Vitro Studies on the Responses of Healthy and Cancerous Cells Derived from Tissues of the Human Oral Cavity to Tea Theaflavins and Catechins

In vitro studies with carcinoma cells from tumors of the human oral cavity indicate that theaflavins and catechins in teas have chemopreventive properties. In addition to their anti-oxidant properties, theaflavins and catechins behave as pro-oxidants, generating reactive oxygen species in cell culture media and elevating intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species. The pro-oxidant toxicity of tea polyphenols was indicated by their lowering of intracellular levels of reduced glutathione, by the lessening of their cytotoxicities in the presence of catalase and scavengers of reactive oxygen species, and by their elevated toxicities to cells pretreated with glutathione depleters. The more compromised antioxidant defense systems in cancerous cells, than in normal gingival fibroblasts, may explain their greater sensitivities to the oxidative stress induced by tea pro-oxidant polyphenols. Other chemopreventive properties of tea theaflavins and catechins include cancer cell arrest in cell cycle progression, induction of apoptosis, and inhibition of cancer cell mobility and metastasis, processes all involving molecular signaling transduction pathways.
The development and internal consistency of the comprehensive lower limb amputee socket survey in active lower limb amputees

Background:Prosthetic socket fit is an important element associated with successful ambulation and use of a prosthesis. Prosthetists and rehabilitation clinicians would benefit from an assessment t...
Creation and Implementation of a Virtual Microbiology Procedure Manual

Complex protocols within the clinical microbiology laboratory can overwhelm students, resulting in both confusion and frustration. Many students find it extremely challenging to fully comprehend new microbiology techniques by solely reading and navigating through written procedures. Development of a comprehensive microbiology procedure manual, incorporating authentic bacterial images and video demonstrations for each procedure, has shown to be an invaluable student resource. The videos in the virtual procedure manual were implemented into a 2-week accelerated microbiology lecture/laboratory course of 71 students. Videos were captured using iPad technology and a web-link to each video was distributed to students for easy access. Implementation of online videos in the student laboratory saved time by eliminating many live demonstrations and decreased the number of clarification questions asked by students. Student survey results indicated that 94% of respondents found demonstration videos helpful in preparing them to perform a new procedure, and 83.3% of respondents indicated willingness to watch a video demonstration procedure before a laboratory session. Data supports that implementation of a comprehensive virtual procedure manual can positively impact a wide range of pupils, including visual and auditory learners, and serve as an additional tool in accelerated educational environments. Comprehensive virtual procedure manuals may be applied to other procedure-heavy laboratory courses, such as immunohematology, and could enhance the experience of online learners who are unable to physically take a laboratory course.