cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ammonia production by the pregnant uterus (39868).

SummaryThe arterial-venous differences of ammonia and oxygen were measured across the uterine and umbilical circulations in nonanesthetized, chronic sheep preparations from 47 to 155 days of gestation. In all cases, ammonia was excreted from the uteroplacental unit into both the uterine and umbilical circulations. In early gestation (70 days), the gravid uterus excretes into the maternal blood ~55 μol of ammonia/mmole of oxygen consumed and it can be estimated that the ratio of nitrogen excreted by the uterus as ammonia to the combined total nitrogen requirements for both growth and ammonia excretion is ~44%. Late in gestation, the gravid uterus excretes ~16 μmol of ammonia/mmole of oxygen consumed. This represents ~12% of fetal nitrogen requirements.
The estimation of the production amount of animal manure and its environmental effect in China

The production amount of animal manure of cultivation industry in China was estimated through the estimation methods of yearly discharge amount of animal manure and the determination of excretion parameter of animal manure, and the environmental effect produced from this was evaluated. The production of animal manure of this industry in the year 2003 in China totaled 31.9 billion tons, which was 3.2 times of industrial solid waste in this year. The average cropland load of animal manure and its N, P pure nutrient were 24.2t/hm2, N 107.3kg/hm2 and P 29kg/hm2. The animal cultivation industry of particial region had formed the pollution of the region.
Vulvar conditions and their treatment. Evaluation of a patient information booklet.

OBJECTIVE : To identify the effectiveness ofa patient information booklet on vulvar conditions and to evaluate future patient needs. STUDY DESIGN: A patient education booklet and satisfaction survey were distributed to 75 new patients with various vulvar conditions who were seen at the University of Michigan Center for Vulvar Diseases in 1996. This population's desire for health and disease information was analyzed. The 48-page booklet contains information on specific vulvar conditions most often seen, their common manifestations and treatment options. A survey with an attached, stamped envelope addressed for return to the Center for Vulvar Diseases was given to the patient along with the booklet during her initial visit to the clinic. Factors evaluated included the usefulness of the material, ease of reading, need for additional information and enhancement of communication with health care providers. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of the surveys were returned. The majority of the patients found the material to be very useful and easy to read and understand. The booklet allowed better communication between patients and their health care providers. All the patients surveyed would recommend the booklet to a friend. Several of the patients utilize and desire computerized patient education. CONCLUSION: There is great consumer interest in patient education. A comprehensive booklet such as ours provides consistent information. Evaluation of patient education can provide important quality-improvement information to optimize health care services. Future patient needs are important factors to consider. The information in the booklet is available to the public on the internet at http://www.med.umich.edu/obgyn/vulva/vulvedu.html.
Sensitivity of myometrium to CGRP varies during mouse estrous cycle and in response to progesterone

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibits contractions of the myometrium. Isometric force measurements on myometrial strips were carried out to monitor the inhibitory capacity of CGRP in the myometrium during the estrous cycle and in response to estrogen and progesterone in ovariectomized mice. CGRP inhibition of KCl-induced contractions was lowest at estrus and significantly increased during metestrus and diestrus. Progesterone treatment of ovariectomized mice resulted in a significant increase in the responsiveness of the myometrium to CGRP. Expression of CGRP-receptor component protein (CGRP-RCP), a marker of CGRP-receptor expression, was quantitated by Western and Northern blot analyses. The levels of inhibition exerted by CGRP during the various stages of the estrous cycle and in response to steroid hormone treatment correlated with the protein levels of CGRP-RCP. The mRNA levels did not change significantly during the estrous cycle or in response to hormone treatment, indicating that the regulation of CGRP-RCP protein does not occur at the transcriptional level. CGRP had an inhibitory effect both when applied before the stimulus for contraction and when applied during a sustained contracture induced by KCl. This suggests that CGRP-induced generation of second messengers can influence late events in electro-/chemomechanical coupling and/or the contractile machinery directly.
Quantifying six-minute walk induced gait deterioration with inertial sensors in multiple sclerosis subjects

Background The six-minute walk (6MW) is a common walking outcome in multiple sclerosis (MS) thought to measure fatigability in addition to overall walking disability. However, direct evidence of 6MW induced gait deterioration is limited by the difficulty of measuring qualitative changes in walking.
La causalidad del bien en Santo Tomás

This paper examines the influence of the Neoplatonic tradition on the thought of St. Thomas with respect to the causality of God’s goodness. The maxim “bonum est diffusivum sui,” generally attributed to Pseudo-Dionysius, will be discussed and interpreted in terms of final causality.
The impact of postdoctoral training on early careers in biomedicine

While postdocs are necessary for entry into tenure-track jobs, they do not enhance salaries in other job sectors over time.
Resilient Flocking for Mobile Robot Teams

We present a method that enables resilient formation control for mobile robot teams in the presence of noncooperative (defective or malicious) robots. Recent results in network science define graph topological properties that guarantee resilience against faults and attacks on individual nodes in static networks. We build on these results to propose a control policy that allows a team of mobile robots to achieve resilient consensus on the direction of motion. Our strategy relies on dynamic connectivity management that makes use of a metric that characterizes the robustness of the communication network topology. Our method distinguishes itself from prior work in that our connectivity management strategy ensures that the network lies above a critical resilience threshold , guaranteeing that the consensus algorithm always converges to a value within the range of the cooperative agents’ initial values. We demonstrate the use of our framework for resilient flocking, and show simulation results with groups of holonomic mobile robots.
Evaluating the local socio-economic impact of redevelopments using shift-share analysis: a case study of destination redevelopments in Las Vegas (1990–2010)

AbstractMonitoring neighbourhood change associated with a redevelopment is important for policy-makers, business leaders and residents. It helps evaluate public policy and changes in the needs of residents and businesses. However, using raw data (e.g. census data) to track such changes can be problematic. It does not allow one to distinguish between trends attributable to macro- and micro-scale processes. This paper demonstrates how a novel neighbourhood-level, GIS-based spatial approach using shift-share analysis can help resolve this issue. To illustrate its utility, this technique is used to examine the local socio-economic impact of destination redevelopments in Las Vegas between 1990 and 2010.
The Current Status of Neuroprotection for Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) resulting in impaired neurological functions creates suffering and economic burden. Directly after the injury, the conservation of tissue at the lesion site and the preservation of the connectivity through the injury epicenter have highest priority. This tissue preservation will not only reduce neurological deficits, but also and allows for more rapid and extensive recovery. Advances in clinical care intended to accomplish this goal include early surgical decompression, support of blood pressure, and the subject of this chapter – experimental neuroprotective therapeutics. The scientific foundation of neuroprotection is that “harmful” secondary injury processes extend and distribute the tissue loss caused by the primary injury event. Existing clinical knowledge together with preclinical experimental evidence has supported phase III clinical trial translation of some neuroprotective agents in the past four decades. Although some have had positive results, the magnitude of improvement was small, and associated complications and controversy surrounding certain therapeutics diminished their role in SCI care. However, these trials generated knowledge valuable to guide current work. Neuroscientists continue to develop new therapeutic approaches by demonstrating neuroprotective efficacy in small and large animal models. A consensus now exists that the preclinical data set to support the expensive process of translation must be very robust and include a well conducted independent replication. Primary endpoints for pivotal clinical trials have been clarified on the basis of aggregate experience and extensive studies on the natural history of SCI. “Secondary injury” consists of numerous mechanisms, and the probability of a robust protective effect of a single agent is small. It is necessary to design rational combinations of therapies to increase efficacy.
How Are African Americans Currently Represented in Various Social Work Venues

Purpose:This study explored how African Americans are currently represented in social work journals, research, and schools.Method:Journal publication content and editorship, research methods and designs, and school mission statements and course titles were examined.Results:Only 14% of publications in the top 5 social work journals targeted African Americans as study subjects. The terms “African American” and “race” appeared in only 10% of mission statements of the top 50 ranked schools of social work and 20% of mission statements of the top 23 ranked historically African American colleges and university (HBCU) schools of social work and appeared in only six bachelor of social work and four master of social work course titles at HBCU social work schools. Only 2 of the top 16 U.S. social work journal editors were African American.Discussion:Across current social work venues, this study reveals that there has been minimal emphasis in research and pedagogy on race and African American–related matters.
Head acceleration measurement techniques: Reliability of angular rate sensor data in helmeted impact testing:

This study sought to evaluate the suitability of angular rate sensors for quantifying angular acceleration in helmeted headform impacts. A helmeted Hybrid III headform, instrumented with a 3-2-2-2 nine accelerometer array and angular rate sensors, was impacted (n = 90) at six locations and three velocities (3.1, 4.9, and 6.4 m/s). Data were low-pass filtered using Butterworth four-pole phaseless digital filters which conform to the specifications described in the Society of Automotive Engineers J211 standard on instrumentation for impact tests. Nine accelerometer array data were filtered using channel frequency class 180, which corresponds to a −3 db cutoff frequency of 300 Hz. Angular rate sensor data were filtered using channel frequency class values ranging from 5 to 1000 Hz in increments of 5 Hz, which correspond to −3 db cutoff frequencies of 8 to 1650 Hz. Root-mean-square differences in peak angular acceleration between the two instrumentation schemes were assessed for each channel frequency class v...
Susceptibility of different mouse strains to peri-implantitis.

Background and Objective Peri-implantitis (PI) is an inflammatory condition that affects the tissues surrounding dental implants. Although the pathogenesis of PI is not fully understood, evidence suggests that the etiology is multifactorial and may include a genetic component. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of genetics in the development of peri-implantitis. Material and Methods Four-week-old C57BL/6J, C3H/HeJ and A/J male mice had their left maxillary molars extracted. Implants were placed in the healed extraction sockets. Upon osseointegration, ligatures were placed around the implant head for 1 or 4 weeks to induce PI. Micro-computed tomography scanning was used to measure volumetric bone loss. Histological analyses were also performed to evaluate collagen organization and the presence of neutrophils and osteoclasts. Results Radiographically, comparing the ligature-treated mice, C57BL/6J displayed the greatest amount of bone loss, followed by C3H/HeJ and A/J mice at 1 and 4 weeks. Histologically, at 1 week, C57BL/6J mice presented with the highest numbers of neutrophils and osteoclasts. At 4 weeks, C57BL/6J mice presented with the most active bone remodeling compared with the other two strains. Conclusion There were significant differences in the severity of peri-implantitis among the different mouse strains, suggesting that the genetic framework can affect implant survival and success. Future work is needed to dissect the genetic contribution to the development of peri-implantitis.
The regulatory state in East Asia

The societies of East Asia, which here refers to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China (China), have followed a broadly similar path in adopting structures and methods of the regulatory state or regulatory capitalism,' a path which continues to influence the scope and functioning of regulatory government in the region. This chapter will outline that path, which, to generalize, preferred civil servants to judges and emphasized informal collaboration more than it did formal process, or, for that matter, conflict resolution. It highlights commonalities as well as differences among the countries within the region, and discusses historical, political, and economic underpinnings for that path. The chapter will also explore areas where that path differs most significantly from the trajectories of the United States and of Germany, the Western systems that have had the most influence in the region. Although all elements of the regulatory state model will be discussed in the East Asian context, focus will be on legal-institutional attributes such as independent regulatory agencies and rule-based governance rather than substantive policy choices such as privatization and deregulation, though this approach treats legal institutions and substantive policies as intimately related.
Retrospective: Moral Outrage or Moral Amnesia?

The July/August 1988 issue of Z Magazine contained the following article, the “Execution Class,” which emerged from a classroom experiment in which I attempted to focus directly on the issue of empathy. It’s my sense that if the reader simply substitutes some new enemy for the Red Menace cited in the piece, perhaps the conveniently amorphous and therefore catch-all “war on terrorism,” the article retains a dismaying applicability. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1993, the US national security managers experienced a short but, for them, terrifying enemy vacuum.
Non-l/ν Thermalization Parameters for the Mass-1 and Nelkin Scattering Kernels*

The asymptotic decay constant for the die-away experiment in which a moderator is poisoned with a non-l/ν absorber is expanded as the power series with λ0 the decay constant for the unpoisoned mode...
Promoting Adult Immunization Using Population-Based Data for a Composite Measure.

Introduction A composite adult immunization status measure is currently under consideration for adoption into the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set. This paper complements the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set health plan–level measure testing efforts by examining use of survey-based self-reported vaccination data to assess composite adult immunization coverage and identify limitations to using survey data to measure progress. Methods The 2015 National Health Interview Survey data were used in 2017 to calculate estimates for a composite of selected vaccines routinely recommended for adults aged ≥19 years, overall and in three age groups: 19–59, 60–64, and ≥65 years for tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td); tetanus toxoid; reduced diphtheria toxoid; and tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap); and herpes zoster, pneumococcal, and influenza vaccines. Results Composite coverage for adults aged ≥19 years including receipt of Tdap in the past 10 years and influenza vaccination was 11.9%, ranging from 6.3% in adults aged 60–64 years to 13.7% in adults aged 19–59 years. Excluding influenza, composite coverage was 20.7%, ranging from 8.1% (adults aged 60–64 years) to 25.2% (adults aged 19–59 years). In a composite including any Td-containing vaccine in the past 10 years, coverage including influenza vaccination for adults aged ≥19 years was 23.4%, ranging from 12.6% (adults aged 60–64 years) to 25.7% (adults aged 19–59 years). Excluding influenza, composite coverage was 51.4%, ranging from 15.8% (adults aged 60–64 years) to 63.0% (adults aged 19–59 years). Conclusions Survey-based vaccination data may under- or over-estimate coverage, but most adults require at least one additional vaccination by any metric. A composite measure provides a single focal point to promote adherence to standards of care.
Mesoscopic imaging of actinic skin damage using spatial frequency domain imaging

We characterized skin tissue from mild photodamage to actinic keratosis (AK) by differences in total hemoglobin concentrations assessed by spatial frequency domain imaging.
New mechanistic insights into the Claisen rearrangement of chorismate – a Unified Reaction Valley Approach study

The Bacillus subtilis chorismate mutase catalysed Claisen rearrangement of chorismate to prephenate is one of the few pericyclic processes in biology, and as such provides a rare opportunity for un...
Changes in testosterone prescribing patterns after FDA warning

The research letter by Baillargeon et al. addresses the trends of testosterone prescription in the United States between 2002 and 2016. The investigators utilized data from Clinformatics Data Mart (CDM) and reported on the records of 9,962,538 men, ages 30 and above. The trends are reported as the total percentage of men who were prescribed testosterone therapy and the percentage of new testosterone users (no use in the prior year). Furthermore, the data was stratified for new users by age and region to account for testosterone prescription variation. The investigation found that testosterone use increased from 2002 to 2012 in both total and new users and then decreased from 2013 to 2016. The decrease was evident after stratification in all four regions and age groups of new users. By virtue of this study population from a commercial insurance database, the data is limited to employed men, and therefore not generalizable to elderly men.
Pregnancy level of estradiol attenuated virus-specific humoral immune response in H5N1-infected female mice despite inducing anti-inflammatory protection

Estradiol, a major female steroid produced during pregnancy, has been reported to protect ovariectomized animals against H1N1 influenza infections via its anti-inflammatory effects. However, it rem...
Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology Multimodal Haptic Feedback for Robotic Surgery

Abstract Haptic feedback is the provision of force information to the surgeon via a simulated sense of touch, its loss being commonly cited as a major drawback of robotic surgery. The Center for Advanced Surgical and Interventional Technology haptic feedback system was designed as an add-on solution with compatibility in mind. Most of its interfaces to the robot were manufactured through a customizable 3D-printing process. The system’s sensory units utilize commercially available piezoresistive force sensors, mounted on the robotic end effectors via a 3D-printed mounting plate. Force signals detected by the sensory units undergo processing by a laptop computer instead of a microcontroller in order to allow maximal flexibility in the mapping algorithm. Multimodal haptic feedbacks, including normal force, vibratory feedback, and kinesthetic feedback, are provided to the surgeon’s fingertips with pneumatic actuators and vibratory motors mounted on the master console. The system is capable of inducing a significant reduction in grip force, reduced visual–perceptual mismatch, reduced suture failure, enhanced knot quality, and superior tissue characterization.
A Novel Similarity-based Method for Remaining Useful Life Prediction Using Kernel Two Sample Test

When abundant historical Run-to-Failure (R2F) data is available, the similarity-based method is one of the favored options for Remaining Useful Life (RUL) prediction due to its simplicity and satisfactory accuracy. In this study, a novel similarity-based methodology for RUL prediction is proposed. The proposed method has two important processing steps: similarity matching and Weibull fitting. The similarity matching screens the historical records by a similarity testing called Kernel Two Sample Test (KTST), and only those records that pass KTST are adopted as references for RUL prediction. For the selected similar records, the RUL is predicted as the remaining time to failure. The Weibull fitting fuses the multiple RUL predictions given by similar historical records. The PDF of RUL is estimated as the fitted Weibull distribution. To demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method, the famous CMAPSS data about aero-engine degradation is adopted for model validation. The results demonstrate improved prediction accuracy comparing with other similarity-based approaches and the state-of-the-art deep learning predictors.
High Prevalence of the Copepod Salmincola californiensis in Steelhead Trout in Lake Ontario Following its Recent Invasion

Salmincola californiensis (Dana, 1853) (Subclass Copepoda: Family Lernaeopodidae) is known to parasitize salmonids of the genus Oncorhynchus including Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout), Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (chinook salmon), and Oncorhynchus kisutch (coho salmon). These 3 salmonids have been introduced to the Great Lakes intermittently since the mid-1800s. As we demonstrate here, the introduction of these salmonids to the Great Lakes was followed, at some point, by the introduction of their parasitic gill copepod, S. californiensis. Given anecdotal accounts of S. californiensis in introduced salmonids in Lake Ontario since 2012, we chose to conduct a survey to formally document the occurrence of this introduced species. Our survey took place during spring, summer, and fall of 2018 and during spring of 2019 at the south-eastern side of Lake Ontario. Prevalence of S. californiensis was 69, with a mean intensity of 2.7 in 61 rainbow trout examined in 2018. In 2019, prevalence of S. californiensis was 71, with a mean intensity of 3.6 in 59 rainbow trout examined. The prevalence of S. californiensis was 39, with a mean intensity of 1.6 in 223 chinook salmon examined in 2018. No specimens of S. californiensis were found in the 100 coho salmon examined in 2018. The prevalence of S. californiensis in rainbow trout is of great concern considering that it is double that found in rainbow trout in the native range (69 [in 2018] and 71 [in 2019] vs. 35). This is the first formal documentation of the invasion of S. californiensis in Lake Ontario. Future fisheries management decisions in Lake Ontario and its tributaries should take into account these data.
Predators and impacts of predation

Abstract Killer whales are the only predator of bowhead whales and are increasingly present in the Arctic. The ecology and population sizes of Arctic killer whales are poorly understood, but targeted research documenting the behavior and demography of these animals and their predatory impact on Arctic endemic marine mammals, including bowhead whales, has intensified in the past 10 years. This work suggests killer whales substantially impact bowhead whales and other Arctic marine mammals, and changing sea ice conditions and/or recovery of killer whale populations after industrial whaling, are reshaping the patterns and intensity of killer whale predation in the Arctic.
Who Isn’t Running American Government: Appointee Vacancies in U.S. Executive Branch Agencies

We analyze presidential appointee positions subject to Senate-confirmation (PAS) without a confirmed appointee in office. These “vacant” positions are byproducts of American constitutional design, shaped by the interplay of institutional politics. Using a novel data-set, we analyze PAS vacancies across executive branch departments and single-headed agencies between January 1989 and January 2013. We develop a theoretical model in order to uncover the dynamics of vacancy onset and length. We then specify an empirical model and report results highlighting both position and principal-agent relations as critical to the politics of appointee vacancies. We find high-status PAS positions reduce the frequency and duration of vacancies. However, conditional on this and consistent with our theoretical model, we also find important principal-agent considerations from a separation of powers perspective, as vacant PAS positions in agencies ideologically divergent to the Senate majority are vacant for less time than in ideologically congruent agencies.
Mentoring Social Work PhD Students to Help Re-imagine Long-term Care.

This commentary explores the role of mentoring in creating the next generation of gerontological social work scholars through examining the mentoring of Dr. Rosalie Kane. We review how Rosalie exem...
Techno-economic analysis of a grape pomace biorefinery: Production of seed oil, polyphenols, and biochar

Abstract Processing grape pomace (GP), a major waste from the wine industry, into multiple value-added products based on the biorefinery concept has a potential to reduce waste disposal and promote a sustainable bioeconomy. However, its economic feasibility at a commercial scale remains unknown. The present study aims to evaluate the economics of a biorefinery process of GP, by performing comparative techno-economic analysis of three processing scenarios: (1) a whole biorefinery process that fully utilizes GP biomass and produces grape seed oil, polyphenols, and biochar (GSO + GSKP + GB), (2) a process that produces grape seed oil and polyphenols (GSO + GSKP), and (3) a process that produces only grape seed oil (GSO). A plant capacity of about 33,000 metric tons/year was considered in the analysis. Among the three scenarios, the whole biorefinery process (GSO + GSKP + GB) showed the highest economic performance with the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and payback period of 111.7 million US-$, 34.3%, and 2.5 years, respectively, due to the diverse revenues and minimized waste disposal cost. The GSO plant showed the lowest economic performance with a negative NPV. Sensitivity analysis revealed that plant capacity, polyphenol price, polyphenol concentration (percentage) in grape pomace, and biochar price had dominating influences on the economic performance of the biorefinery process.
A study of 3D radial density adapted trajectories for sodium imaging

Abstract Sodium imaging typically employs ultrashort echo time radial, density adapted and cones trajectories to capture the rapidly decaying short T2 signal. The present study considers the parameter choices involved in the use of these trajectories in terms of their impact on the resolution and signal to noise ratio. Many parameters have a strong effect on these image properties, particularly the number of spokes which impacts voxel size. The present article develops an understanding of the trade-offs involved and how to choose optimal (or at least reasonable) parameter values. This has a practical role in designing clinical protocols for imaging sodium.
Agentization of Two Population-Driven Models of Mathematical Biology

Single species population models and discrete stochastic gene frequency models are two standards of mathematical biology important for the evolution of populations. An agent based model is presented which reproduces these models and then explores where these models agree and disagree under relaxed specifications. For the population models, the requirement of homogeneous mixing prevents prediction of extinctions due to local resource depletion. These models also suggest equilibrium based on attainment of constant population levels though underlying population characteristics may be nowhere close to equilibrium. The discrete stochastic gene frequency models assume well mixed populations at constant levels. The models' predictions for non-constant populations in strongly oscillating and chaotic regimes are surprisingly good, only diverging from the ABM at the most chaotic levels.
Multiplex protein analysis for the study of glaucoma

Introduction Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world, is a chronic neurodegenerative disease of multifactorial origin. Extensive research is ongoing to better understand, prevent, and treat progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells in glaucoma. While experimental models of glaucoma and postmortem tissues of human donors are analyzed for pathophysiological comprehension and improved treatment of this blinding disease, clinical samples of intraocular biofluids and blood collected from glaucoma patients are analyzed to identify predictive, diagnostic, and prognostic biomarkers. Multiplexing techniques for protein analysis offer a valuable approach for translational glaucoma research. Areas covered This review provides an overview of the increasing applications of multiplex protein analysis for glaucoma research and also highlights current research challenges in the field and expected solutions from emerging technological advances. Expert opinion Analytical techniques for multiplex analysis of proteins can help uncover neurodegenerative processes for enhanced treatment of glaucoma and can help identify molecular biomarkers for improved clinical testing and monitoring of this complex disease. This evolving field and continuously growing availability of new technologies are expected to broaden the comprehension of this complex neurodegenerative disease and speed up the progress towards new therapeutics and personalized patient care to prevent blindness from glaucoma.
Bedtime Routines of Young Children, Parenting Stress, and Bedtime Resistance: Mediation Models

This study examined if inconsistent bedtime routines are a mechanism through which high levels of parenting stress are related to bedtime resistant behaviors. Bedtime resistant behavior is a common problem in young children. Although previous studies have linked parenting stress to problematic behaviors at bedtime, understanding how and why that may be has been subject to limited empirical investigation. Caregivers (N = 118) of a child age 2–5 were recruited on Amazon’s mechanical turk. There was a significant indirect effect of parenting stress on bedtime resistance through bedtime routines as well as a significant indirect effect of bedtime routines on bedtime resistant behavior through parenting stress. These findings suggest that there is a bidirectional relationship between inconsistent routines and parenting stress. Clinically, these results suggest that implementing a consistent routine at bedtime may improve both parent (less stress) and child (less bedtime resistance) functioning.
Analysis and Numerical Solution of a Modular Convex Nash Equilibrium Problem

We investigate a modular convex Nash equilibrium problem involving nonsmooth functions acting on linear mixtures of strategies, as well as smooth coupling functions. An asynchronous block-iterative decomposition method is proposed to solve it.
Introduction to PDEs and waves for the atmosphere and ocean

Introduction Some remarkable features of stratified flow Linear and nonlinear instability of stratified flows with strong stratification Rotating shallow water theory Linear and weakly nonlinear theory of dispersive waves with geophysical examples Simplified equations for the dynamics of strongly stratified flow The stratified quasi-geostrophic equations as a singular limit of the rotating Boussinesq equations Introduction to averaging over fast waves for geophysical flows Waves and PDEs for the equatorial atmosphere and ocean Bibliography.
Clinical Significance and Characterization of Streptococcus tigurinus Isolates in an Adult Population

Streptococcus tigurinus is a newly described member of the Streptococcus mitis group. Due to the difficulty in distinguishing viridans group streptococci (VGS) by phenotype, analysis of 16S rRNA sequences is necessary for the accurate identification of most species. Through a laboratory policy of analyzing all clinically significant isolates from the VGS group by16S rRNA gene sequencing, we identified 14 S. tigurinus isolates from 11 patients. The Vitek 2 system most commonly gave an excellent rating to an incorrect identification (e.g., Streptococcus mitis), as did matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) (e.g., Streptococcus oralis). S. tigurinus strains were recovered from numerous body sites, including the blood, peritoneal fluid, bone, synovial fluid, a perianal abscess, and an arm wound. Retrospective chart review indicated that most isolates were clinically significant, with bacteremia (n = 5), soft tissue infections (n = 3) osteomyelitis (n = 2), infected joint prosthesis (n = 2), and peritonitis (n = 2) being the most common, thus expanding the spectrum of disease associated with S. tigurinus.
Indirect Damages from Price Fixing: The Alabama Lysine Case

Indirect damages to broiler and pork producers fromsupra-competitive pricing of synthetic lysine, whichis an important feed additive, are discussed in thisarticle. Indirect damages occur in fundamentallydifferent ways in the two industries because thebroiler industry is vertically integrated while thepork industry was dominated by independent producersduring the 1992–1995 time period. Pass-through ofhigher lysine prices to hog feed purchasers isdemonstrated with regression analysis of purchasesof a feed premix containing synthetic lysine and aregression analysis of purchases of synthetic lysinefrom feed dealers.
Adaptive parameter estimation for a class of distributed parameter systems with persistence of excitation

The authors consider the adaptive (online) estimation of parameters for a class of distributed parameter evolution systems. A combined state and parameter estimator is constructed as an initial value problem for an infinite dimensional evolution equation in a weak or variational form. State convergence is established via a Lyapunov-like estimate. The finite-dimensional notion of persistence of excitation is extended to the infinite-dimensional case and used to establish parameter convergence. Results of numerical studies on a one-dimensional parabolic system are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. >
Surgical complications associated with fasciectomy for dupuytren's disease: a 20-year review of the English literature.

Objective: Excisional surgery is the mainstay of treatment of Dupuytren's disease. Although outcomes are generally good, complications are common. The objective of this study was to evaluate intraoperative and postoperative complications associated with fasciectomy for Dupuytren's disease. Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify published, original research that reported surgical complications associated with fasciectomy from 1988 to 2008. Search results were manually evaluated for relevance. Complication rates according to types of disease (primary or recurrent disease) and according to time (intraoperative vs postoperative) and type were collated. Results: A total of 143 articles were identified; 41 met inclusion criteria, and of these, 28 reported overall surgical complication rates ranging from 3.6% to 39.1%. Major complications occurred in 15.7%, including digital nerve injury 3.4%, digital artery injury 2%, infection 2.4%, hematoma 2.1%, and complex regional pain syndrome 5.5%. Other common, more minor injuries included flare reaction in 9.9%, wound healing complications in 22.9%, and a range of other complications. In the few (n = 3) studies in which primary and recurrent diseases were directly compared, digital nerve injuries and digital artery injuries were approximately 10 times more common in patients with recurrent disease (˜20%) than those with primary disease (˜2%), though the numbers are too small for statistical significance. Conclusions: A review of published reports by surgeons shows that surgical fasciectomy for Dupuytren's disease has a high number of complications. Surgeons should be mindful of the potential for intraoperative and postoperative complications and counsel their patients accordingly.
Non-compact Calabi-Yau Metrics from Nonlinear Realizations

We give a method to construct Calabi-Yau metrics on G-invariant vector bundles over Kahler coset spaces G/H using supersymmetric nonlinear realizations with matter coupling. As a concrete example we discuss the CP^N model coupled with matter. The canonical line bundle is reproduced by the singlet matter and the cotangent bundle with a new non-compact Calabi-Yau metric which is not hyper-Kahler is obtained by the anti-fundamental matter.
Location of Chromophoric Residues in Proteins by Solvent Perturbation IV. TYROSYL RESIDUES IN RIBONUCLEASE

Abstract Solvent perturbation experiments were extended to the study of the location of tyrosyl groups in pancreatic ribonuclease. Together with the results obtained on the ureadenatured enzyme with a number of perturbants of varying dimensions and range effects, the results obtained were examined in terms of two alternative models. In Model A, three of the six tyrosyl residues were assumed to be buried, one partly blocked to solvent access, and two fully exposed. In Model B, two groups were taken to be buried, two partly blocked, and the remaining two exposed. The fraction of exposed groups predicted by Model B is found to agree closely with the experimental data. This model is also favored by the more recent iodination and denaturation solution studies of other workers and by the recently reported detailed three-dimensional x-ray structure of ribonuclease in the crystalline state. Solvent perturbation experiments on the urea-denatured protein suggest that in the native protein at least one of the normally titrating and presumably iodinating tyrosyl residues is partly blocked by an adjoining disulfide linkage. Experiments on the effects of divalent ions on the enzyme that has been unfolded in acid and urea show that the exposed tyrosyl residues in these media can be largely refolded and buried as a result of strong anion binding.
Cellular Heterogeneity: Do Differences Make a Difference?

A central challenge of biology is to understand how individual cells process information and respond to perturbations. Much of our knowledge is based on ensemble measurements. However, cell-to-cell differences are always present to some degree in any cell population, and the ensemble behaviors of a population may not represent the behaviors of any individual cell. Here, we discuss examples of when heterogeneity cannot be ignored and describe practical strategies for analyzing and interpreting cellular heterogeneity.
Riblet/LEBU research at NASA Langley

The rising energy costs of the early 1970's made the public aware of the need for new innovative concepts to reduce energy usage. An innovative turbulent boundary layer skin-friction reduction program was begun at NASA Langley in 1972. Two successful drag reduction techniques have resulted from the Langley program, i.e., riblets and LEBUs. The research effort in these two areas has grown into a worldwide effort as evidenced by recent international meetings on turbulent drag reduction. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current status of the riblet and LEBU research at NASA Langley. For riblets, in particular, available riblet film data are summarized and correlated.
The Serotonin 1a Receptor Gene Contains a TATA-less Promoter that Responds to MAZ and Sp1 (∗)

The structure and function of the 5′-flanking region of the mouse and human serotonin 1a receptor gene have been analyzed by RNA 5′ end mapping, DNA-protein interaction, and transient expression assays. A large number of mRNA 5′ termini, detected by mapping 5′ ends from mouse brain RNA, were found dispersed over a region of about 700 base pairs flanking the receptor coding sequence. Consistent with the apparently heterogeneous pattern of transcription initiation, the flanking DNA sequence lacked typical TATA box elements and was rich in guanine and cytosine. The mouse and human 5′-flanking sequences were 63% homologus and similarly organized. A guanine-cytosine-rich DNA sequence motif related to the sequence 5′-GGGG(C/A)GGGG-3′ was repeated within the 5′-flanking region and located at or near several mRNA 5′ ends. This DNA sequence motif bound to proteins in a crude HeLa cell nuclear extract. A cDNA encoding a protein that interacts with this sequence was cloned and found to be the MAZ (Pur-1, Zif87) protein. The interaction between MAZ and the receptor gene 5′-flanking region proximal to the protein coding sequence was examined by DNase I footprinting, and four sites of MAZ interaction were identified. Three of the four MAZ binding sites also were shown to interact with transcription factor Sp1. Overproduction of MAZ or Sp1 in transient transfection assays increased expression directed by the human 5′-flanking sequence, although MAZ was substantially more effective. This result suggests that MAZ and Sp1 both participate in regulating expression from the serotonin 1a receptor gene promoter, and it raises the possibility that MAZ may act at a variety of promoters through the guanosine-cytosine-rich sequences generally thought to serve as binding sites for the Sp1 family of transcription factors. Analysis of one of the guanosine-cytosine-rich DNA sequences also revealed that it can serve as a transcription initiator sequence in vitro. This initiator sequence differs from previously characterized initiators and may represent a new class of this transcriptional control sequence.
The effects of phenylalanine on amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis in brain cells in vitro.

Incubation of brain cell suspensions with 14 mM-phenylalanine resulted in rapid alterations of amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis. Both thc rate of uptake and the final intracellular concentration of several radioactively-labelled amino acids were decreased by high concentrations oi phenylalanine. By prelabelling cells with radioactive amino acids, phenylalanine was also shown to effect a rapid loss of the labelled amino acids from brain cells. Amino acid analysis after the incubation of the cells with phenylalanine indicated that several amino acids were decreased in their intracellular concentrations with effects similar to those measured with radioisotopic experiments (large neutral > small and large basic > small neutral > acidic amino acids). Although amino acid uptake and efflux were altered by the presence of 14 mwphenylalanine, little or no alteration was detected in the resulting specific activity of the intracellular amino acids. High levels of phenylalanine did not significantly altcr cellular catabolism of either alanine, lysine, leucine or isoleucine. As determined by the isolation of labcllcd aminoacyl-tRNA from cells incubated with and without phenylalanine, there was little or no alteration in the level of this precursor for radioactive alanine and lysine. There was, however, a detectable decrease in thc labelling of aminoacyl-tRNA for leucine and isoleucine. Only aftcr correcting for the changes of the specific activity of the precursors and thcir availability to translational events, could the effects of phenylalanine on protein synthesis be established. An inhibition of the incorporation into protein for each amino acid was approximately 20%.
Fire department demand and supply in large cities

The purpose of this study is to estimate demand and production functions for fire fighters provided in major cities. Several factors, including the level of fire losses in the communityper capitaincome, relative wages of fire fighters, population density, city size, and poverty are used in the analysis. This study differs from earlier ones in two ways. First, multiple measures of community fire losses, instead of the usual one, are used in the analysis. Second, in contrast with earlier studies of fire protection which have typically relied on ordinary least squares regression analysis (OLS) to study either demand or production, this study employs two stage least squares regression analysis (2SLS) to simultaneously estimate demand and production relations. Evidence is found that demand for fire fighting is affected by both fire losses and relative size of per capitaincome to fire fighter wages. Losses, in turn, are affected by fire fighting hours, by poverty and by density. There is some evidence for econo...
The State of Parent Training: Program Offerings and Empirical Support:

Parent training programs, with a range of empirical support, are available to improve parenting skills and reduce child behavior problems. Yet, little is known about programs provided in typical communities. This pilot study's purpose was to identify and describe parent programs—and the agencies that provide them—in one midsized Midwestern city. The sample included 21 program directors and 25 practitioners employed by 19 agencies. Data were gathered using structured phone interviews. Of the 35 programs represented, 37.1% were developed by the agency, while close to two thirds were previously developed interventions. Only a small number of the parent programs identified were classified into the category of strong empirical support; however, several included hallmarks often associated with empirically supported parent programs.
Reference Material 8091: new scanning electron microscope sharpness standard

All scanning electron microscope-based inspection instruments, whether they are in a laboratory or on the production line, slowly lose their performance and then are no longer capable of providing as good quality, sharp images as before. Loss in image quality also means loss in measurement quality. Loss of performance is related to changes in the electron source, in the alignment of the electron-optical column, astigmatism, and sample and electron optical column contamination. Detecting a loss in image sharpness easily reveals this decrease of performance. Reference Material (RM) 8091 is intended primarily for routinely checking the performance of scanning electron microscopes. RM 8091 is designed for use in conjunction with Fourier analysis software such as the NIST/SPECTEL2 SEM Monitor Program, the NIST Kurtosis program, or the University of Tenesse SMART program. This RM is supplied as a small, approximately 2 mm x 2 mm diced semiconductor chip. RM 8091 is designed to be mounted onto a so-called drop-in wafer for specialized wafer inspection or dimensional metrology scanning electron microscopes or put on a specimen stub for insertion into laboratory scanning electron microscopes. This Reference Material is fully compatible with state-of-the-art integrated circuit technology.