cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Ergonomic Evaluation of Cleco Pliers

Repetitive use of a hand tool requiring large forces along with unnatural postures can cause musculoskeletal disorders in the upper extremity. Cleco pliers are used to install fasteners to sheet metals in aircraft manufacturing. The present study compares two types of mechanical Cleco piers in terms of repetition, grip force, posture, and discomfort and identifies their major design features which affect the ergonomic interface between the hand and the tool.
H1 and H2 histamine receptors in rat gastric submucosal arterioles

Abstract The types and functions of histamine receptors in the gastric submucosal arterioles of the rat were studied using an image-splitting in vivo microscopy technique. Histamine, 10 −5 to 10 −3 M , applied topically to the exposed submucosa, caused dose-dependent increases in arteriolar diameter in both the corpus and antrum. Both the H 1 receptor antagonist, mepyramine, and the H 2 receptor antagonist, metiamide, inhibited the response to 10 −5 and 10 −4 M histamine, displacing the dose-response curve to the right. In the corpus the two antagonists were equally potent, but in the antrum, the H 1 antagonist caused much greater inhibition than the H 2 antagonist. When the antagonists were administered together, there was still further displacement of the dose-response curve to the right. However, 10 −3 M histamine surmounted this inhibition. The H 1 receptor agonists aminoethyl thiazole and aminoethyl pyridine, and the H 2 receptor, dimaprit, dilated the submucosal arterioles in the corpus and antrum. This effect was inhibited by the respective specific receptor antagonists. In conclusion, independent H 1 and H 2 receptors, both subserving vasodilatation, are present in the gastric submucosal arterioles.
Control theory and the perception of work environments: The effects of focus of attention on affective and behavioral reactions to work☆

Abstract The purpose of this research was to extend control theory into the study of individual reactions to work, where laboratory research suggests that this theory may have utility. To achieve this purpose, this study (a) briefly reviews theory and research on control theory and focus of attention, (b) develops a control theory model of work reactions, and (c) empirically tests this model in a field setting. In general, the results of this study with 140 retail salespersons provide mixed support for the model developed. The strength of the inverse relationship between negative outcome expectations and affective/behavioral work reactions was enhanced for individuals high in private self-consciousness and attenuated for individuals low in private self-consciousness. Similar interactions were not obtained between current perceptions of discrepancies and affective/behavioral reactions. These results are integrated with those obtained by D. G. Gardner, R. B. Dunham, L. L. Cummings, and J. L. Pierce (1987a, Journal of Applied Behavioral Sciences; 1987b, Journal of Occupational Behavior; 1987c, Focus of attention at work: Construct definition and empirical validation, unpublished manuscript) in order to clarify the role of focus of attention in organizational behavior.
Strong interactions, narrow bands, and dominant spin-orbit coupling in Mott insulating quadruple perovskite CaCo 3 V 4 O 12

We investigate the electronic and magnetic structures and the character and direction of spin and orbital moments of the recently synthesized quadruple perovskite compound ${\mathrm{CaCo}}_{3}{\mathrm{V}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ using a selection of methods from density functional theory. Implementing the generalized gradient approximation and the Hubbard $U$ correction $(\text{GGA}+U)$, ferromagnetic spin alignment leads to half-metallicity rather than the observed narrow gap insulating behavior. Including spin-orbit coupling (SOC) leaves a Mott insulating spectrum but with a negligible gap. SOC is crucial for the Mott insulating character of the V ${d}^{1}$ ion, breaking the ${d}_{m=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1}$ degeneracy and also giving a substantial orbital moment. Evidence is obtained of the large orbital moments on Co that have been inferred from the measured susceptibility. Switching to the orbital polarization (OP) functional, GGA+OP+SOC also displays clear tendencies toward very large orbital moments but in its own distinctive manner. In both approaches, application of SOC, which requires specification of the direction of the spin, introduces large differences in the orbital moments of the three Co ions in the primitive cell. We study a fictitious but simpler cousin compound ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{3}{\mathrm{CoV}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}$ (Ca replacing two of the Co atoms) to probe in a more transparent fashion the interplay of spin and orbital degrees of freedom with the local environment of the planar ${\mathrm{CoO}}_{4}$ units. The observation is made that the underlying mechanisms seem to be local to a ${\mathrm{CoO}}_{4}$ plaquette, and that there is very strong coupling of the size of the orbital moment to the spin direction. These facts strongly suggest noncollinear spins, not only on Co but on the V sublattice as well.
Social capital as a strategy to overcome poverty in Latin America: An overview

EnglishPoverty reduction remains one of the main challenges globally. New measures indicate that poverty has declined in most Latin American countries since 2002. Some countries have pioneered new poverty policies and programs, including components of social capital. This paper explores the concept of social capital in overcoming poverty and analyzes its application in the Latin American region.FrenchLa re duction de la pauvrete demeure un enjeu crucial a l’e chelle de la plane te. Des donne es re ve lent que la pauvrete a diminue dans les pays d’Ame rique Latine depuis 2002. Certains pays ont mis de l’avant de nouvelles politiques anti-pauvrete , y compris des e le ments du capital social. Cette e tude examine le concept de capital social associe a la lutte contre la pauvrete et en analyse l’application en Ame rique Latine.SpanishReduccio n de la pobreza continu a siendo un desafio globalmente. Indicadores sugieren que la pobreza ha declinado en la mayoria de los paises de Ame rica Latina desde 2002. Alg...
Drosophila chk2 plays an important role in a mitotic checkpoint in syncytial embryos

Drosophila chk2 (Dmchk2, also called Dmnk) plays a crucial role in the DNA damage response pathway mediating cell cycle arrest and apoptosis [Xu et al., FEBS Lett. 508 (2001) 394–398; Peters et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99 (2002) 11305–11310]. In this study, the role of Dmchk2 in early embryogenesis was investigated. In the absence of Dmchk2 function, abnormal nuclei accumulate in the cortex of the syncytial embryo. We show that the abnormal nuclei result from a failure of chromosome segregation probably due to damaged or incomplete replicated DNA. Importantly, this Dmchk2 phenotype is partially suppressed by reducing the gene dosage of polo or stg. As Polo-like kinase was shown to colocalize and coimmunoprecipitate with Chk2 [Tsvetkov et al., J. Biol. Chem. 278 (2003) 8468–8475] in mammals, these observations suggest that polo might be a key target of Dmchk2 in regulating mitotic entry in response to DNA damage or replication block.
HOW ROBUST ARE ESTIMATES OF EQUILIBRIUM REAL EXCHANGE RATES: THE CASE OF CHINA

Abstract. Assessments of a country's real exchange rate relative to its ‘equilibrium’ value as suggested by ‘fundamental’ determinants have received increasing attention. Using China as an example, the present paper illustrates models commonly used to derive equilibrium real exchange rate estimates. The large variance in the estimates raises serious questions about the robustness of these results. The basic conclusion is that, at least for China, small changes in model specifications, explanatory variable definitions, and time periods used in estimation can lead to very substantial differences in equilibrium real exchange rate estimates. Therefore, such estimates should be treated with great caution.
Hearings on planetary budget

The proposed budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is ‘a disaster for planetary science and exploration,’ David Morrison, professor of astronomy at the University of Hawaii, told the Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Morrison was one of six scientists and aerospace industry leaders to testify on February 25. From each, the message was clear: the planetary budget, as proposed by President Reagan (Eos, February 23, p. 169), is inadequate. The proposed cuts do the most damage to mission operations and research and data analysis, Morrison told the subcommittee. ‘A substantial fraction of the planetary program is now slated for termination, including spacecraft operations and data analysis that represent much of the scientific payoff from large previous investments,’ he said.
Medfly (Diptera:Tephritidae) Genetic Sexing: Large-Scale Field Comparison of Males-Only and Bisexual Sterile Fly Releases in Guatemala

The effect of releases of bisexual (males and female) and unisexual (male only) sterilized medflies was compared in three large field evaluations over a 3-yr period (1995–1997) in southwestern Guatemala. The two strains tested were a genetic sexing strain, Vienna-4/Tol-94, carrying the temperature sensitive tsl gene to eliminate females in the egg stage, and the standard bisexual Petapa strain. Flies were mass-reared, sterilized by irradiation as pupae, shipped to a field center, and released by air as young adults over 2 km by 2 km core areas in the centers of separate 6 km by 6 km test plots. Strain performance was monitored weekly by trapping sterile and wild male adults in core and buffer areas and by collecting eggs from coffee berries to determine induced sterility. Results indicated a several-fold advantage for the males-only strain as measured by the level of induced sterility, especially at the very high release ratios of 100:1 recorded in 1997. During that final test year, sterile-fly release rates were increased to provide high sterile:wild (S:W) fly ratios in the field, and egg sterility reached levels in excess of 70% in plots were the male-only strain was used. However, in the plots where the bisexual strain was released, induced sterility only reached 12% despite S:W ratios above 1,000:1.
The infrapolitics of subordination in Patrice Nganang's Dog Days

Patrice Nganang's award winning novel Dog Days illustrates a recent trend in African literature in French from the mid-1990s, namely a move away from narratives about rulers to narratives about the ruled, a move away from studying the socially dominant to analyzing the socially subordinate. This paper aims to foreground some of the thinking on social subordination in recent African literature by examining Patrice Nganang's Dog Days in the light of James Scott's work on power relations and resistance in his book, Domination and the Arts of Resistance, as well as Achille Mbembe's reflections on power relations in his book, On the Postcolony. Unlike earlier works of African literature that either underscore the process of victimisation of social subordinates and/or the place of resistance in their everyday acts, these more recent works exude pessimism about the willingness of subordinate subjects to engage in resistance, while affirming the necessity for, and efficacy of direct resistance as the primary anti...
Free vibration analysis of planar curved beams by wave propagation

In this paper, a systematic approach for the free vibration analysis of a planar circular curved beam system is presented. The system considered includes multiple point discontinuities such as elastic supports, attached masses, and curvature changes. Neglecting transverse shear and rotary inertia, harmonic wave solutions are found for both extensional and inextensional curved beam models. Dispersion equations are obtained and cut-off frequencies are determined. Wave reflection and transmission matrices are formulated, accounting for general support conditions. These matrices are combined, with the aid of field transfer matrices, to provide a concise and efficient method for the free vibration problem of multi-span planar circular curved beams with general boundary conditions and supports. The solutions are exact since the effects of attenuating wave components are included in the formulation. Several examples are presented and compared with other methods.
Excess mortality after HIV seroconversion has greatly decreased in the past 10 years.

Source Citation Bhaskaran K, Hamouda O, Sannes M, et al. Changes in the risk of death after HIV seroconversion compared with mortality in the general population. JAMA. 2008;300:51-9. 18594040
Electrohydrodynamic lubrication with thin double layers

Abstract Sliding of one charged body past another in an electrolyte solution induces a streaming potential in the fluid between the surfaces which in turn generates an electrokinetic force on the bodies. In this paper, we extend our previous lubrication analysis for bodies bearing thin double layers from two-dimensional to three-dimensional flows and to squeezing as well as sliding motion. A general differential equation for the streaming potential is derived which is analogous to Reynolds' equation for pressure. When the double layer is thin compared to the minimum distance separating the two bodies, this electrokientic force tends to be small compared to viscous forces. However, for sliding motion, one component of the electrokinetic force acts to push the bodies apart; this component has no viscous counterpart. This “electrokinetic lift” is always repulsive, regardless of the relative signs or magnitudes of the ζ potentials and can be comparable to double-layer repulsion for fluids of low conductivity. Electrokinetic lift may reduce the elution volume of particles in chromatographic columns, inhibit the capture of particles from moving fluids, or cause detachment by shear of particles from solid surfaces.
Tissue culture evaluation of NaCl tolerance in Medicago species: Cellular versus whole plant response

Tissue culture responses to three levels of NaCl (0, 85mM and 170 mM) were evaluated in several Medicago species including: M. dzhawakhetica, M. marina, M. rhodopea, M. rupestris, M. sativa (alfalfa) and M. suffruticosa. The whole plant responses of the same genotypes were evaluated in half-strength Hoagland's solution containing 0, 51.5, and 103 mM NaCl. One or more genotypes of M. dzhawakhetica, M. rhodopea, M. rupestris, and M. sativa exhibited in vitro NaCl tolerance at 85 mM. In addition, one genotype each of M. dzhawakhetica, M. rhodopea, and M. sativa was tolerant of 170 mM NaCl. However, all of the genotypes that demonstrated NaCl tolerance in vitro were NaCl sensitive at the whole plant level. Conversely, M. marina the only species exhibiting whole plant NaCl tolerance, had the most NaCl sensitive genotypes at the in vitro level. Although an in vitro NaCl tolerance mechanism which confers whole plant NaCl tolerance was not observed, a potential NaCl tolerance germplasm source, M. marina, was identified.
Design considerations in migraine with aura trials: learning from experience.

In this issue of the journal, Hauge and colleagues (1) discuss the challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned, while studying the effects of the drug tonabersat. Tonabersat is ineffective for migraine without aura, but may work against aura. Hauge and colleagues have participated in five tonabersat trials and have additional experience studying the epidemiology and diagnosis of aura (2). Based on their knowledge, these researchers make a number of recommendations about the design of trials in migraine with aura, which are summarised in Box 1. They remind us that the design and interpretation of such trials presents methodological challenges. These include the variability of aura occurrence and duration, selection and measurement of outcomes, and the need for precise techniques of data collection. Experienced headache specialists have always known that for some migraine sufferers it is aura, rather than headache, that is disabling. Over time, scientific knowledge of the mechanisms underlying aura has increased. Recent epidemiological research provides reason to suspect that repeated attacks of aura – even in the absence of headache – may be undesirable rather than harmless. Animal models now allow the identification of candidate drugs that block cortical spreading depression and might be expected to work against aura in humans. All of these things have increased interest in treatments that target aura, not just headache, and the tonabersat trials highlight aspects of migraine treatment trial design that may need modification.
Integration of new computer technologies in an industrial engineering academic department

Abstract The increasing application of computer has affected the types of skills expected from new engineering graduates. This paper describes the steps undertaken to incorporate modern computer-based technologies in the curriculum of a typical industrial engineering program. The effort involved the inception of a new laboratory and the development of a sequence of three new courses.
Rees algebras of parameter ideals

Suppose (R, m) is a Cohen-Macaulay local ring of dimension d≥2 and I is an ideal of R generated by a system of parameters. It is proved that the Rees algebra S = R[It] localized at the maximal homogeneous ideal M = (m, It) is Cohen-Macaulay with minimal multiplicity if and only if R is a regular local ring and the length of I + m2m2 is at least d − 1. As a consequence of this it is deduced that if SM is Cohen-Macaulay with minimal multiplicity, then the extended Rees algebra R[It, t-1] localized at the maximal homogeneous ideal (t-1, m, It) is also Cohen-Macaulay with minimal multiplicity.
Nuclear Structure and Higher Order Gene Structure: Their Role in the Control of Chemically-Induced Neoplastic Transformation

An overview is hereby given of the physical and physicochemical alterations at the level of nuclear structures in rat liver cells, following a chemically-induced neoplastic transformation. These alterations refer to chromatin-DNA structure, from secondary (B- versus A- and Z-form) to tertiary-quanternary up to quinternary (in situ), and to the physical state of water. Possible molecular mechanisms-linking global chromatin changes to single gene expression in the control of neoplastic transformation-are discussed in terms of the degree of negative superhelicity of fibrosomes, recently identified single repeating structural subunits and hereby associated with single functional genes.
Occlusion alleviation through motion using a mobile robot

Object segmentation and classification is an important and difficult task in robotic vision. The task is complicated even further when the different objects are partially or completely occluded. Allowing a robot to take measurements from varying points of view can help in alleviating or completely removing occlusions. A robot equipped with an RGB-D sensor has the capability of searching for new and better points of view to facilitate object recognition. In this work, a motion control algorithm is designed and implemented on a mobile robot to facilitate object classification in RGB-D data of clustered objects.
The evaluation of NE(R) within a variably defined reaction coordinate framework

A new algorithm is presented for evaluating the microcanonical partition function for transition state dividing surfaces defined in terms of a fixed value for an arbitrarily defined reaction coordinate. The basis of this algorithm involves the formal integration of the momenta for arbitrary quadratic kinetic energy expressions. Specific application is made to a recently derived variable reaction coordinate formalism of current utility in the study of barrierless reactions. The algorithm is found to provide a more efficient means for evaluating the number of states function at fixed energy and also provides new physical insight regarding this variational formalism
Terpenoids from Ageratina saltillensis

Abstract Twenty-two terpenoids were isolated from Ageratina saltillensis including eighteen new compounds, namely, 16-hydroxy-3,4β-epoxy-5β, 10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide, 3α,4β,16-trihydroxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide, 3α,4β-dihydroxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide, 3α-methoxy-4β-hydroxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide, 3-oxo-4β-hydroxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide, 2β-hydroxy-3,4β-epoxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide. 2β-hydroxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-3,13(14)-diene-15,16-olide, (13Z)-2β-hydroxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20β-cleroda-3,13(14)-diene-15-oic acid, (13Z)-2-oxo-5β,10β-cis- 17α,20β-cleroda-3,13(14)-diene-15-oic acid, 3,4β-epoxy-5β-10β-cis-17α,20α-cleroda-15-oic acid, 16-hydroxy-3,4β-epoxy-5β,10β- cis-17α,20α-cleroda-15-ol, 8β-5′-[5″-hydroxytigloyloxy]-tigloyloxy-3-dehydro -4β,15-dihydrozaluzanin C, 8β-5′-[5″-hydroxytigloyloxy]- tigloyloxy-4β,15-dihydrozaluzanin C, 4′-desoxy-3-desacetoxy-3β-hydroxyprovincialin, 5′-[5″-hydroxytigloyloxy]- 5′-hydroxyheliangine, 3β-acetoxyliacylindrolide, 6-eudesmene-4α-ol and 6,15α-epoxy-1β,4β-dihydroxyeudesmane. The stereochemistry of one of the four known compounds, 3,4β-epoxy-5β,10β-cis-17α,20α- cleroda-13(14)-en-15,16-olide, has been revised by X-ray analysis. The stereochemistry of four compounds were established by NOE experiments.
Gravitational-Wave Antenna Design to Detect Random Gravitational Waves

A design is proposed for an antenna system capable of detecting random gravitational waves and separating their effects from random fluctuations in the antenna. The strongest known signal should be the random signal from all of the binary stars in the galaxy. This design may allow one to penetrate the background noise of the Earth itself and recover this signal.
Theory of Magnetic Effects in the Plasma of an Arc

The equations governing electron drift in the presence of a magnetic field are applied to the low pressure uniform positive column plasma. (1) An exponential variation of electron concentration with distance across an arc in a transverse magnetic field, found experimentally, is accounted for quantitatively. (2) A longitudinal magnetic field leaves the point-to-point concentration of electrons unchanged and does not alter the relative potentials in the cross section although transverse potential differences in the plasma decrease everywhere in proportion as the magnetic field increases. The transverse plasma fields vanish or even reverse slightly for large enough fields. (3) The plasma exhibits a diamagnetic susceptibility for longitudinal fields, which is proportional to the electron current density to the tube walls. With nonconducting walls electron wall current is automatically adjusted to the ion wall current. The magnetic polarization then increases oppositely to the magnetic field at first, reaches a maximum and then decreases hyperbolically to zero, so that beyond the maximum the plasma is paramagnetic for small variations in the field. Qualitatively this is the same behavior predicted by a previous erroneous theory which was itself checked only qualitatively by experiment. The present theory predicts that the diamagnetic polarization shall be directly proportional to the electron current to the tube wall and the magnetic field. (4) The magnetic field of the arc itself has a concentrating pinch effect which would cause the axial concentration of electrons to become infinite at a finite arc current if other limitations did not intervene. This may be the cause of rapidly increasing arc gradients in the neighborhood of certain critical currents in large mercury arc rectifiers. Larger diameter arc columns and higher pressures favor the magnetic pinch effect as a cause of current limitation over a blowout effect due to the outward-moving positive ions driving the gas before them.
Medical information visualization conceptual model for patient-physician health communication

Communication between patients and health care providers may require sharing of data and knowledge that is complex and of high-volume. To support communication of these types of information, visualization techniques and tools can reduce cognitive burden in informed patient-centered health decisions and empower patients in their own care. Designing and implementing effective visualization depend on iterative consideration of cognitive needs and tasks of the patient (physical, intellectual, and linguistic), conceptual needs of the communication process (encoding and decoding, shared mental models, and common ground), and pragmatic requirements of care (culture and values) in making health choices. We discuss the evidence, experience, and motivation for a model, the Medical Information Visualization --- Conceptual Model (MIV-CM), to guide the process of patient-oriented visualization design and implementation.
Stimulus position and functional direction: Confounds in the concept of “bigger” in 5- and 6-year-olds

The use of the vertical linear dimension as a cue in paired comparison judgments of “bigger” with 5- and 6-year-olds was investigated, using drawings of real-world objects. The drawings were of equal area, and the objects depicted were ones to which a functional direction could be attributed. The results indicated that the verfical dimension is a salient cue in the judgment of bigger. Also, the functional direction of an object appears to influence the selection of the vertical dimension as a cue. The difference in responding to displays having either a common or disparate baseline suggests that the inability to conserve length may be a factor influencing the judgment of “bigger” when stimulus objects do not share a common baseline.
Optimal resource allocation for sensing based spectrum sharing cognitive radio networks

To improve the spectral efficiency of a cognitive radio system, sensing based spectrum sharing (SBSS) technique combines the advantages of spectrum overlay and spectrum underlay. In this paper, we study the performance of SBSS under primary users' (PUs') rate loss constraint. To be specific, efficient algorithms are introduced to find the optimal sensing time and power allocation in both single-carrier and multi-carrier systems. Performance evaluation is conducted to compare the system throughput between SBSS and spectrum overlay techniques. Simulation results suggest that SBSS outperforms spectrum overlay when the transmitter of the secondary user (SUT) is far away from the receiver of the primary user (PUR) in the single-carrier case. In the multi-carrier case, SBSS can achieve 15.2% increase of spectral efficiency over spectrum overlay when all the channel gains are independent and identically distributed.
Animal communication: Do animals mean what they say?

Although much of animal communication can be understood without ascribing intentions, some of it must be recognized as intentional. Attributing communicative intentions to animals is often justified, but not on the usual scientific grounds. Dennett's pragmatic approach is supported but found not to deal adequately with the question of whether creatures for which the intentional stance is warranted really do have intentions, beliefs, and desires. A distinction is made between intentional and quasi-intentional systems, and it is argued that what identifies the former is the fact that for such systems, the distinction between ascribing intentions and describing intentional terms is one that cannot meaningfully be drawn. Cognitive ethologists are therefore justified in believing that animals have communicative intentions when, and only when, the use of intentional idiom is irresistible.
Analytical performance of three point of care methods for pleural fluid pH analysis.

Abstract Objective The performance of three point of care methods for pleural fluid pH analysis was compared to a currently validated blood gas analyzer. Design and methods An ABL 725 (Radiometer America, Westlake, OH) was used as the reference method to evaluate three cartridge-based assays: ABL 90 FLEX (Radiometer), and i-STAT 1 (Abbott Point of Care, Abbott Park, IL) CG4 + and G3 + cartridges for pleural fluid pH analysis. Pooled residual pleural fluid samples and quality control material were analyzed to determine intra- and inter-assay precision. Method comparison was performed with spiked (n = 40) and clinically-ordered (n = 10) pleural fluid samples across the analytical measuring range. Results All methods demonstrated inter-assay CVs 7.6. For samples with pH Conclusions Analytical and clinical performance of the three cartridge-based methods was comparable to a validated blood gas analyzer for pleural fluid pH analysis. Cartridge-based pH methods offer the advantage of easier troubleshooting for clots and clogs as they use disposable electrodes. However cartridge-based methods are not currently FDA-approved for pleural fluid samples, such that additional validation would be required for this specimen type.
Transgenic Mice Convert Carbohydrates to Essential Fatty Acids

Transgenic mice (named "Omega mice") were engineered to carry both optimized fat-1 and fat-2 genes from the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and are capable of producing essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids from saturated fats or carbohydrates. When maintained on a high-saturated fat diet lacking essential fatty acids or a high-carbohydrate, no-fat diet, the Omega mice exhibit high tissue levels of both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, with a ratio of ∼1∶1. This study thus presents an innovative technology for the production of both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids, as well as a new animal model for understanding the true impact of fat on human health.
Ethics in Buddhist Training

Monteiro, Musten and Compson (2014) have provided us a wonderful article summarizing some of the issues that have been discussed, formally and informally, in the Buddhist community for a number of years. Elsewhere, I have discussed some of these topics, including issues in interfacing Buddhism and Western psychology (Mikulas 2007) and significant common confusions surrounding the construct of mindfulness (Mikulas 2011). In this commentary, I discuss ethics—strategies for teaching ethics within a Buddhism program and specific issues raised by Monteiro et al. (2014).
Cystic multiglandular maternal hyperparathyroidism diagnosed by neonatal hypocalcemic seizures.

A 7-day-old male infant born to a healthy 33-year-old female at 37 weeks of gestation was brought to the local emergency department (ED) with sudden-onset tonic–clonic seizures. Laboratory testing revealed extreme hypocalcemia (ionized calcium of 3.2 mg/dl) and undetectable parathyroid hormone (PTH <10 pg/ml). Concomitant evaluation of the mother revealed both elevated ionized calcium (5.9 mg/dl) and PTH (116 pg/ml). The mother underwent preoperative ultrasound localization and sestamibi scan, followed promptly by parathyroidectomy. Given the cystic appearance and presence of multiglandular disease, evaluation for familial cystic parathyroid adenomatosis (hyperparathyroidism-jaw bone-tumor syndrome) and MEN 1 were undertaken. The infant was stabilized and discharged home. He returned to the ED with seizures at 1 month of age. After increasing calcium supplementation appropriately, he was monitored with weekly office visits. This represents a unique case of undiagnosed maternal primary hyperparathyroidism manifesting with intrauterine parathyroid suppression and hypocalcemic seizures in the newborn.
A Stieltjes transform approach for analyzing the RLS adaptive Filter

Although the RLS filter is well-known and various algorithms have been developed for its implementation, analyzing its performance when the regressors are random, as is often the case, has proven to be a formidable task. The reason is that the Riccati recursion, which propagates the error covariance matrix, becomes a random recursion. The existing results are approximations based on assumptions that are often not very realistic. In this paper we use ideas from the theory of large random matrices to find the asymptotic (in time) eigendistribution of the error covariance matrix of the RLS filter. Under the assumption of a large dimensional state vector (in most cases n=10-20 is large enough to get quite accurate predictions) we find the asymptotic eigendistribution of the error covariance for temporally white regressors, shift structured regressors, and for the RLS filter with intermittent observations.
Foreign Investment and Finance with Risk

I. The literature on investment in risky foreign projects, 213.—II. A portfolio model of foreign investment, 216.—III. The financing of foreign investment, 219.—IV. The effect of no foreign borrowing, 222.—V. The effect of taxation: debt transfer, 223.—VI. The effect of taxation: equity transfer, 226.—VII. Policy implications, 229.—VIII. The behavior of individual firms, 230.—IX. Conclusions, 230.
Optimal trajectories which contain singular arcs

Classically, the optimality of bang-bang trajectories and singular arcs have been studied separately. However, for most problems in optimal control it is necessary to consider trajectories which combine them. The author presents the basic problem, along with some preliminary observations and results. He first formalizes, for an analytic system, one way to organize singular extremals in the cotangent bundle. He then considers the concatenation of bang and singular arcs, giving an example of how to obtain structure results in a degenerate but still generic case in dimension three. >
Association of a Polymorphism in a Gene Encoding a Urate Transporter with CKD Progression

Background and objectives Hyperuricemia predicts a high risk for CKD progression but there is no large clinical trial in humans indicating that this relationship is causal in nature. The rs734553 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the GLUT9 urate transporter gene was strongly associated with uric acid (UA) levels in a large meta-analysis. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This prospective study adopted the Mendelian randomization approach. The rs734553 SNP was used as an instrumental variable to investigate the relationship between UA and renal outcomes in a cohort of 755 patients with CKD who were enrolled between October 18, 2005, and October 2, 2008. The association between the polymorphism and UA was preliminary confirmed in a series of 211 healthy volunteers enrolled between January 1, 2001, and July 12, 2011, from the same geographic area as the patients with CKD. The study end point was a composite renal–end point ( i.e., >30% decrease in the GFR, dialysis, or transplantation). Patients were followed up for a median of 36 months. Results In healthy individuals, serum UA levels were highest in homozygotes for the T allele (risk allele), intermediate in heterozygotes for the same allele, and lowest in those without the risk allele ( P P =0.008) of CKD progression. The risk for CKD progression by rs734553 remained unmodified in analyses adjusting for proteinuria, GFR, and other classical and CKD-peculiar risk factors. Conclusions A GLUT9 polymorphism, which is strongly associated with serum UA levels in healthy individuals of the general population with normal renal function, holds a strong predictive power for CKD progression. These findings are compatible with the hypothesis that the link between UA and CKD progression is causal in nature.
Infantile Adrenocortical Tumor with an Activating GNAS1 Mutation

Context: Pediatric adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) are rare and are frequently associated with tumor predisposition syndromes. Somatic GNAS1 mutations are associated with adrenocortical hyperplasia, but have not typically been reported in ACTs. Objective: We report on genetic and histopathological findings in a 3-month-old infant presenting with a unilateral cortisol-producing ACT with malignant features. Methods: We performed a detailed clinical evaluation of the patient along with molecular genetic testing of genes associated with ACTs in both tumor tissue and peripheral lymphocytes. We also performed a histopathological analysis of the tumor tissue. Results: The patient was found to have a p.R201C-activating mutation in exon 8 of the GNAS1 gene in adrenocortical tumor tissue but not peripheral lymphocytes. This mutation is the characteristic genetic change in McCune-Albright syndrome. In contrast to previously reported GNAS1-positive tumors characterized by bimodal diffuse and nodular adrenocortical hyper...
First steps towards a scientific approach to the processing of filled polymers (propellants)

This research is directed towards a better understanding of filled polymer processing in general, and energetic composite solid propellants, in particular. The program established is composed of four stages and isolates batch processing as the technique to be examined. The first stage in the program is a thorough compilation of literally thousands of batch data for meaningful correlation and insight as to important areas within the process. Second is developing the fundamental equations governing the material for highly filled rheological suspensions and solving them numerically (biomodal particle distributions solely are to be considered). Third is the formulation of “model” compounds for experimental verification (this includes the use of perfectly spherical solid particles). Fourth and final is the implementation of this previous work to propellant manufacture. It is desired that from this work, new more economical means of predicting and also enhancing propellant performance can be developed. This paper presents the results of the completion of the first step within this program. A brief discussion of the latter steps is mentioned with respect to their progress. The results to be presented were funded from the College of Enginneering and Mines at the University of Arizona.
Tomographic Techniques for Measuring Fluid Flow Properties

: Experimental fluid velocity profiles can be readily obtained by using tomographic techniques. Combining measurements of a fluid velocity profile with a simultaneous pressure drop permits the evaluation of rheological properties. In order to control a process and to assure product quality, it is useful to monitor the rheological properties in-line or on-line. Two tomographic techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV), were used to obtain velocity profiles for a 65.7 °Brix corn syrup solution and a 4.3 °Brix tomato juice. The UDV technique provided velocity profiles that compared well with the MRI method. For the corn syrup, the shear viscosity of 1.37 Pa-s (UDV) and 1.51 Pa-s (MRI) agreed well with the offline measurement of 1.57 Pa-s. The tomato juice was best characterized as a Bingham plastic fluid. The yield stress ranged from 4.44 Pa to 4.70 Pa, which matched well with the off-line value of 4.50 Pa. The strengths and limitations of both techniques are presented.
A site‐specific ecological risk assessment for corn‐associated insecticides

A site-specific ecological risk assessment (ERA) was conducted to examine the simultaneous use of genetically modified corn (Bt corn) with a neonicotinoid seed coating, clothianidin, and use of a granular insecticide, tefluthrin, to protect crops from pest damage. A field study was conducted on site, and exposure data from the literature were summarized to determine the matrices and exposure concentrations that nontarget species could typically experience within an agricultural ecosystem. To determine ecological effects on nontarget species, acute toxicity bioassays were conducted on earthworms (Eisenia fetida), amphipods (Hyalella azteca), and Elmid riffle beetle larvae (Ancyronyx spp.) in which the test species were exposed to single insecticides as well as the mixture of the 3 insecticides. In the risk characterization section of the ERA, stressor-response profiles for each species tested were compared with field distributions of the insecticides, and a margin of safety at the 10th percentile (MOS10) was calculated to estimate risk. No acute toxicity was observed in any of the 3 nontarget species after exposure to senescent Bt corn leaf tissue. Large MOS10 values were calculated for clothianidin to the nontarget species. When bioassays were compared with tefluthrin field distributions, very low MOS10 values were calculated for earthworms (0.06) and H. azteca (0.08) because the environmental concentrations often exceeded the stressor-response profile. No increased toxicity was observed when nontarget species were exposed to a mixture of the 3 insecticides. In summary, the genetically modified corn insecticidal proteins and clothianidin were not found at environmental concentrations exceeding benchmark values for ecological effects, but tefluthrin was consistently detected in the environment at levels that could be causing toxicity to nontarget species, especially if this pyrethroid is able to travel off site.
New electrooptic polymer configurations for high frequency modulators and digital signal processing applications

Recent advances in polymer materials have significantly increase the available electrooptic coefficients. This has now stimulated the development of new designs and configurations for high frequency optical modulators. In addition, it has opened up the field to new applications including high speed optical Digital Signal Processing. The initial areas investigated include linear modulators, true time delays and arbitrary waveform generation. More complex devices with multiple elements in series are now being investigated.
Neural resources for processing language and environmental sounds Evidence from aphasia

Summary Although aphasia is often characterized as a selective impairment in language function, left hemisphere lesions may cause impairments in semantic processing of auditory information, not only in verbal but also in nonverbal domains. We assessed the ‘online’ relationship between verbal and nonverbal auditory processing by examining the ability of 30 left hemisphere-damaged aphasic patients to match environmental sounds and linguistic phrases to corresponding pictures. The verbal and nonverbal task components were matched carefully through a norming study; 21 age-matched controls and five right hemisphere-damaged patients were also tested to provide further reference points. We found that, while the aphasic groups were impaired relative to normal controls, they were impaired to the same extent in both domains, with accuracy and reaction time for verbal and nonverbal trials revealing unusually high correlations (r = 0.74 for accuracy, r = 0.95 for reaction time). Severely aphasic patients tended to perform worse in both domains, but lesion size did not correlate with performance. Lesion overlay analysis indicated that damage to posterior regions in the left middle and superior temporal gyri and to the inferior parietal lobe was a predictor of deficits in processing for both speech and environmental sounds. The lesion mapping and further statistical assessments reliably revealed a posterior superior temporal region (Wernicke’s area, traditionally considered a language-specific region) as being differentially more important for processing nonverbal sounds compared with verbal sounds. These results suggest that, in most cases, processing of meaningful verbal and nonverbal auditory information break down together in stroke and that subsequent recovery of function applies to both domains. This suggests that language shares neural resources with those used for processing information in other domains.
ENHANCING EVOLUTION:WHOSE BODY? WHOSE CHOICE?

This cssay critically engages the work of John Harris and Jurgen Habermas on the issue of genetic engineering. It does so from the standpoint of women's embodied experience of pregnancy and parenting, challenging the choice—chance binary at work in these accounts.
Scaling rules for the final decline to extinction

Space–time scaling rules are ubiquitous in ecological phenomena. Current theory postulates three scaling rules that describe the duration of a population's final decline to extinction, although these predictions have not previously been empirically confirmed. We examine these scaling rules across a broader set of conditions, including a wide range of density-dependent patterns in the underlying population dynamics. We then report on tests of these predictions from experiments using the cladoceran Daphnia magna as a model. Our results support two predictions that: (i) the duration of population persistence is much greater than the duration of the final decline to extinction and (ii) the duration of the final decline to extinction increases with the logarithm of the population's estimated carrying capacity. However, our results do not support a third prediction that the duration of the final decline scales inversely with population growth rate. These findings not only support the current standard theory of population extinction but also introduce new empirical anomalies awaiting a theoretical explanation.
Spatial Distribution of the Phytoplankton in a Tropical Lake (Lake Lanao, Philippines)

The distribution of phytoplankton was studied in Lake Lanao, Philippines. In calm weather, the species segregate vertically with motile species and buoyancy-regulating species above other species in the water column. On a distance scale of 12.5 km, horizontal variability yields a coefficient of variation of 23.6% for total biomass, 30.2% for net primary production, and an average of 30.3% for individual species biomass after removal of error variances. Variabilities on a scale of 1 km are about half as large. Horizontal patchiness of individual species is not related to their abundance, surface to volume ratio, morphotype, or taxon, but is negatively related to their size.
Invited Commentary: Identifying Women with Hypertension during Pregnancy—Is High Specificity Sufficient?

Hypertensive complications of pregnancy contribute to the burden of maternal morbidity and subsequently have an impact on neonatal morbidity and mortality. Although codes from the International Classification of Diseases should delineate the specific subtypes of pregnancy-related hypertension, how diagnoses are applied and how these codes are used in clinical settings are largely unknown. This commentary discusses the implications of using administrative codes to identify women with preeclampsia syndromes, especially when used to define outcomes or exposures for etiologic research.