cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolated Wetland Loss and Degradation Over Two Decades in an Increasingly Urbanized Landscape

Urbanization is a leading cause of species loss in the United States because of habitat destruction and fragmentation. Wetlands can be affected by urbanization and the condition of wetlands can be compared across land use categories. Cypress domes are isolated wetlands dominated by cypress (Taxodium distichum) and often remain in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of urbanization on cypress dome number, size and spatial pattern through two decades of rapid urbanization in Orlando, Florida, a large city in the southeastern US. Over 3,000 cypress domes, in a region typical of urban growth in the cypress range, were identified in images from 1984. Over a 20-year period, 26 % were destroyed or degraded (i.e., no longer cypress-dominated) and almost half in managed forests were degraded, destroyed, or became surrounded by urban or agricultural land uses. The smallest and largest cypress domes were lost, leaving only medium-sized wetlands and decreasing landscape-level diversity. Despite the fact that these wetlands are common and partially protected by legislation, cypress in isolated wetlands may be at risk from urbanization.
Effects of db-cAMP and theophylline on Concanavalin A binding site distribution on transformed and protease-treated cell lines.

Abstract We have examined the effects of N6, O2-dibutyryl 3′: 5′ adenosine-cyclic monophosphate (db-cAMP) and theophylline treatment on the surface distribution of Concanavalin A-binding sites (CABS) on 3T3 cells, SV40-transformed 3T3 cells (SV3T3) and a line of SV40-transformed mouse embryo fibroblasts (VLM). Overnight incubation of VLM cells in medium containing db-cAMP and theophylline completely eliminated the lectin-induced clustering of CABS observed on many transformed cell lines. Similar treatment of SV3T3 cells caused a partial inhibition of clustering. A clone of 3T3 cells that did not normally show lectin-induced clustering could be caused to patch by brief trypsinization. Induction of clustering on these cells after trypsinization was likewise prevented by db-cAMP and theophylline.
Immunohistochemical localization of neurotropic ecotropic murine leukemia virus in moribund mice

Abstract The CasBrE strain of neurotropic ecotropic murine leukemia virus (NE-MuLV) infects susceptible mice and induces a noninflammatory, slowly degenerative nervous system disease. We employed immunohistochemistry to identify which cells in the nervous system and other tissues contained viral antigen in the chronically infected mouse. Rabbit antiserum to the virus was prepared using different combinations of whole virus and synthetic peptides corresponding to a 14-amino-acid sequence of the viral envelope protein. Twenty-four of forty-four (55%) mice neonates inoculated intracranially with NE-MuLV developed symptoms ranging from tremulousness to hindlimb paralysis within 3–9 months. They were subsequently sacrificed and their tissues used for histology and immunohistochemistry. The major locations of viral antigen outside of the central nervous system (CNS) were skeletal muscle and spleen. Skeletal muscle was the only non-nervous system tissue that exhibited degenerative changes as atrophy of viral antigen-bearing oxidative myofibers. In the CNS, viral antigen was detected in neurons, endothelium, and glial cells. Immunohistochemical double-labeling studies for viral antigen and the astrocytic marker glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP) demonstrated that the viral antigen-containing glia were oligodendrocytes and not astrocytes. Tissue damage in the brain consisted of vacuolar changes and gliosis principally in the brainstem. Viral antigen was most abundantly localized in these regions of pathologic change. In the spinal cord a different pattern was observed. Although tissue damage was observed throughout the cord, viral antigen was located at the border of the gray and white matter. These findings indicate direct and indirect virus-mediated mechanisms of damage to the CNS.
A comparison of brain activity evoked by single content and function words: An fMRI investigation of implicit word processing

Abstract Content and function words have different roles in language and differ greatly in their semantic content. Although previous research has suggested that these different roles may be mediated by different neural substrates, the neuroimaging literature on this topic is particularly scant. Moreover, fMRI studies that have investigated differences between content and function words have utilized tasks that focus the subjects' attention on the differences between these word types. It is possible, then, that task-related differences in attention, working memory, and decision-making contribute to the differential patterns of activation observed. Here, subjects were engaged in a continuous working memory cover task while single, task-irrelevant content and function words were infrequently and irregularly presented. Nonword letter strings were displayed in black font at a fast rate (2/s). Subjects were required to either remember or retrieve occasional nonwords that were presented in colored fonts. Incidental and irrelevant to the memory task, content and function words were interspersed among nonwords at intervals of 12 to 15 s. Both word types strongly activated temporal–parietal cortex, middle and anterior temporal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, and orbital frontal cortex. Activations were more extensive in the left hemisphere. Content words elicited greater activation than function words in middle and anterior temporal cortex, a sub-region of orbital frontal cortex, and the parahippocampal region. Words also evoked extensive deactivation, most notably in brain regions previously associated with working memory and attention.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the egg receptor for sperm at fertilization

Gamete interaction triggers a variety of responses within the egg, collectively referred to as egg activation. In addition to the hallmarks of calcium release and fertilization envelope elevation, there are cytoskeletal rearrangements, protein tyrosine phosphorylation, and an increase in pH, among others. The ultimate goal of these concerted activation events is entry of the newly fertilized egg into the cell cycle. However, the molecular mechanisms which promote downstream cell activation events remain poorly understood. One model suggests that sperm deliver an “activating factor” upon fusion with the egg plasma membrane, while a second model proposes that the egg receptor for sperm transduces a signal that mediates a cascade of subsequent events. It also is possible that multiple pathways are activated. As a first step toward testing the hypothesis of receptor-mediated signal transduction, we have investigated the tyrosine phosphorylation state of the sea urchin egg receptor for sperm using specific antibodies. The present work indicates that the sperm receptor is phosphorylated by an egg cortical tyrosine kinase in response to sperm or purified ligand (bindin) binding. Maximal phosphorylation was reached within 20 sec. These data support the hypothesis that the sperm receptor is a gamete recognition protein which responds to ligand binding and focus attention on the question of the role of this tyrosine phosphorylation signal in egg activation.
Minor elements in serpentine-additional data

FAUST, MGRATA and F~HEY (1956) and FAUST and FAHEY (1962) proposed that the minor elements in serpentines could serve as petrological indicators to differentiate between serpentines derived from the alteration of ultrabasic rocks (designated Class A), and serpentmes formed in metamorphosed dolomites and limestones, and in hydrothermal deposits (Class B). The minor elements of diagnostic value are nickel, chromium, cobalt and scandium. Serpentines of Class A are characterized by the presence of most of the aforementioned elements in significant amounts, whereas in serpentines of Class B these same elements ma.y be missing or present in very small quantities. FACST and FAHEY (1962) have discussed the work of other scientists in testing this proposal, during the period 1956-1961, and these additional studies confirmed the original observations. For these comments and other information on occurrence, methods of study, and the literature on the serpentine-group minerals, the reader is referred to their paper. The study of minor elements in serpentine-group minerals, from several well described occurrences of serpentine6 has been continued and the results are given herewith. My colleague ALFRED H. CHIDESTER has very kindly permitted me to publish a portion of the spectrographic data on some of the specimens he and his associates will report on in detail elsewhere. The serpentine-group minerals consist of the polymorphs lizard&e and chrysotile and the closely related species antigorite. Chrysotile is divided into the species clinochrysotile, orthochrysotile and parachrysotile. For further details the reader
Formation and dispersal of acetylcholine receptor clusters in muscle cells

Abstract A striking feature of the postsynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction of the skeletal muscle is the presence of a densely packed acetylcholine receptor (AChR) cluster. From data obtained with electron-microscopic autoradiography, over ten thousand AChRs per square micrometre are estimated to be present within each cluster 1 . By contrast, the density of extra-junctional AChRs is 100 to 1000 times lower than that at the junction. This high concentration of AChRs is essential for the efficiency and the speed of the neuromuscular transmission. How the muscle cell assembles and maintains these clusters is an intriguing question both for neurobiology and for cell biology in general. Here we review our current knowledge concerning this question, drawing upon recent findings involving embryonic culture systems.
Studies of Ribonucleic Acid Chain Initiation by Escherichia coli Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Bound to T7 Deoxyribonucleic Acid: III. THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON RIBONUCLEIC ACID CHAIN INITIATION AND ON THE CONFORMATION OF BINARY COMPLEXES

Abstract When binary complexes between RNA polymerase holoenzyme and T7 DNA are formed at 37° with a molar ratio of enzyme to DNA of three, a major fraction of the enzyme molecules is able to initiate an RNA chain rapidly (t1/2 = 0.23 s) when presented with the four ribonucleoside triphosphates. Initiation of T7 RNA chains from enzyme in these binary complexes is altered in two ways when the temperature of the reaction solution is lowered. With binary complexes formed at 37°, lowering the temperature of the solution to 15° during the initiation reaction results in a modest (1.7-fold) decrease in the rate of RNA chain initiation and does not alter the fraction of enzyme molecules which initiate an RNA chain rapidly. However, if binary complexes are formed at reduced temperatures, the fraction of enzyme molecules which can initiate an RNA chain rapidly decreases sharply over the range from 20° to 10°, even when subsequent RNA chain initiation takes place at 37°. Evidence is presented for two states of binary complexes. At low temperatures the majority of enzyme molecules are bound at or near the T7 early promoter region in a conformation or at a site from which rapid RNA chain initiation is not possible. Enzyme molecules in this state (I complex) are in equilibrium with enzyme molecules in a state (RS complex) which can rapidly initiate T7 RNA chains. The RS complex is favored at elevated temperatures. The I complex can rearrange into the RS complex in a first order process that does not involve dissociation of the enzyme from the DNA. The equilibrium between the two states is altered by the temperature in a manner characteristic of a highly cooperative process. An enthalpy of +57 Cal per mole is calculated for formation of the RS complex with T7 DNA, and a transition temperature of 18° is found. A model for the two kinds of binary complexes postulates that the I complex involves RNA polymerase bound at the promoter region, but that the DNA helix in this region remains in a helical conformation. In the RS complex, a limited strand separation (six to seven base pairs) has occurred in this region of the DNA helix which allows the enzyme access to the base pairing residues of the DNA template.
A role for Efg1p in Candida albicans interactions with extracellular matrices.

Candida albicans interactions with extracellular matrices extracellular matrices represent hallmarks of invasive candidiasis. We have assessed the role of Efg1p, a key transcriptional regulator, in the interactions between C. albicans and extracellular matrices. Wild-type C. albicans cells were able to bind and subsequently penetrate the extracellular matrices layer, whereas the Δ efg1/ Δ efg1 mutant strain showed a drastically reduced ability to interact with extracellular matrices. Results indicate that, besides its control of morphogenesis, Efg1p also regulates C. albicans interactions with extracellular matrices. Proteomic analyses indicated that expression of 30 surface-associated proteins is affected in the Δ efg1/ Δ efg1 mutant, some of which may be involved in adherence to extracellular matrices.
‘They don’t like girls hanging around there’: conflicts over recreational space in rural Northamptonshire

This paper provides new insights into girls' use of recreational spaces within rural areas. We draw upon data from in-depth discussion work with 10–14 year old girls undertaken in rural Northamptonshire to show how conflict between adults and children, rival groups of children, and boys and girls influences the social ownership of recreational spaces. In contrast to the rural childhood myth, we disclose geographies of anxiety, tension and disharmony.
Evolutionary History of the Marsupials and an Analysis of Osteological Characters

Preface 1. Introduction 2. Phylogenetics of characters and groups, and the classification of taxa 3. Problems in understanding metatherian evolution 4. Form-function, and ecological and behavioural morphology in Metatheria 5. Background to the analysis of metatherian cruropedal evidence 6. Mesozoic and Cenozoic: fossil tarsals of ameridelphians unassociated with teeth 7. Cruropedal attributes of living and fossil families of metatherians 8. Taxa and phylogeny of Metatheria 9. Paleobiogeography and metatherian evolution References Index.
African-American Lesbian and Queer Women Respond to Christian-Based Homophobia

African-American communities in the United States have used spirituality, particularity Christianity, to both define family and community values and bolster and uplift the community. Spirituality continues to allow African-Americans to draw on strength in a higher power to affirm their humanity and mandate social equality. While Christianity continues to function as a tool for social justice, it has been misused to deny rights to African-Americans who are same-sex attracted. This research study explores African-American lesbian and queer women's responses to Christian-based homophobia (CBH). We defined CBH as homophobic messaging and behaviors motivated by homophobic Christian beliefs or rhetoric. Participants experienced CBH through various institutions and relationships, and their lesbian and queer identities prompted numerous strategies for navigating, surviving, or avoiding conflicts. The themes and subthemes found in this study make it evident that the responses of lesbian and queer African-American ...
Renal amino acid transport in adults with oxidative phosphorylation diseases

Renal amino acid transport in adults with oxidative phosphorylation diseases. The clinical manifestations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations depend on a variety of factors including ratios of normal to abnormal mtDNA and tissue-specific differences in ATP production by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). In order to investigate the effects of OXPHOS defects on renal tubule function, we characterized sodium-coupled transport processes in six individuals with OXPHOS diseases. Pathogenic mtDNA mutations were identified in five of these individuals. Sodium coupled transport processes were evaluated by determining fractional excretions of amino acids, glucose, lactate, urate, and phosphate in patients and controls. Four of the six individuals had high fractional excretions of neutral amino acids, indicating abnormal renal tubule reabsorbtion of these amino acids. Abnormalities in fractional excretions of lactate, glucose, urate, and phosphate were less pronounced. These results demonstrate that sodium-coupled transport processes in the kidney are sensitive to OXPHOS impairment. When abnormalities in these processes are encountered, an OXPHOS disease should be included in the differential diagnosis.
Net shape ceramic microcomponents by modified sol–gel casting

Development of ceramic microcomponents can open up the current silicon-based MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) technology to new applications, especially for use in high temperature, chemically reactive environments. We report a study of sol–gel technologies applied to the fabrication of microcomponents. Organic/inorganic hybrid materials, particularly silica-based hybrids, were developed by sol–gel processing. A weak silica network was made possible by using acid catalyst, low functionality organic precursor in the sol preparation. Since the weak network has a high tendency to collapse, the result is a denser material. Incorporation of organic ligands modifies the surface chemistry of gel network so that a greater drying stress was developed and a denser hybrid structure was achieved without high temperature treatment. In addition, the incorporation of organic ligands prevented formation of cracks. Nanoscale oxide particles were dispersed and incorporated into the gel network by surface condensation. The incorporation of titania nanoparticles into sols greatly reduced the volume shrinkage of gels and enhanced the mechanical strength of the components. In this work, silica sol was also applied to coat metallic microcomponents and a thin uniform coating was formed.
Effects of nickel, chromate, and arsenite on histone 3 lysine methylation

Occupational exposure to nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As) containing compounds has been associated with lung cancer and other adverse health effects. Their carcinogenic properties may be attributable in part, to activation and/or repression of gene expression induced by changes in the DNA methylation status and histone tail post-translational modifications. Here we show that individual treatment with nickel, chromate, and arsenite all affect the gene activating mark H3K4 methylation. We found that nickel (1 mM), chromate (10 μM), and arsenite (1 μM) significantly increase tri-methyl H3K4 after 24 h exposure in human lung carcinoma A549 cells. Seven days of exposure to lower levels of nickel (50 and 100 μM), chromate (0.5 and 1 μM) or arsenite (0.1, 0.5 and 1 μM) also increased tri-methylated H3K4 in A549 cells. This mark still remained elevated and inherited through cell division 7 days following removal of 1 μM arsenite. We also demonstrate by dual staining immunofluorescence microscopy that both H3K4 tri-methyl and H3K9 di-methyl marks increase globally after 24 h exposure to each metal treatment in A549 cells. However, the tri-methyl H3K4 and di-methyl H3K9 marks localize in different regions in the nucleus of the cell. Thus, our study provides further evidence that a mechanism(s) of carcinogenicity of nickel, chromate, and arsenite metal compounds may involve alterations of various histone tail modifications that may in turn affect the expression of genes that may cause transformation.
PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS ON A SQUARE BUILDING MODEL IN BOUNDARY-LAYER FLOWS

Abstract Spatio-temporal measurements of a fluctuating pressure field acting on the side faces of a square prism of finite height in boundary-layer flows are presented for 0° angle of attack. Two typical neutral atmospheric flow conditions were simulated in the wind tunnel to represent open country and urban flow environments. The fluctuating pressure field data allowed computations of the mean and r.m.s. (root mean square) pressure coefficients, power spectral density, autocorrelations, co-spectra, cross-correlations, orthogonal eigenfunction expansions and statistical dependence. Increased levels of turbulence in the incident flow have a marked influence on the fluctuating pressure field, through modifications which take place in the structure of the separated shear layers. The periodic vortex-shedding process is vitiated in the presence of high levels of turbulence intensity in the incident flow, resulting in redistribution of the energy associated with pressure fluctuations over a wider frequency range.
Semi-micro, dye-binding assay for rabbit interferon.

Mostmethods ofinterferon assay, suchas plaque inhibition andyield reduction, areexpensive interms oftimeandmaterials. Lesscomplex methods, suchasinhibition ofcytopathic effects (CPE), tendtobesubjective anddifficult to quantitate. Finter (1)hasdescribed howcytopathology maybequantitated bytheuptake and elution ofavital dyeandhasapplied this technique totheassay ofinterferon. A micro-method fortitration ofhumanandchick interferon was described byTiles andFinland (4)whobased interferon activity on inhibition ofCPE,as observed inthemicroscope oron metabolic inhibition. This paper describes theassay ofrabbit interferon byasemi-micro, dye-binding method whichisextremely economical, especially in respect tocell culture materials andinterferon samples.
A controlled clinical trial of ascorbic acid for the common cold.

Vitamin C has been a popular medication for preventing the common cold and reducing the severity of cold symptoms for many years. -' Professor Pauling's recent book on the subject has led to even further use of vitamin C in even larger doses. This study was performed to look for a difference in the frequency and severity of colds in a generally healthy, middle-class, medically aware population of employees at the National Institutes of Health. High doses of vitamin C were used for both prevention and treatment; virus isolations were attempted in an effort to relate viral types to vitamin C response; and the study was continued for a nine-month period in an attempt to examine seasonal variations of viruses and colds. The study was conducted so that nurses, physicians, and volunteers did not know who received placebo and who received ascorbic acid. Only the consulting statistician and the pharmacist could relate patient code numbers to medication received. Progress was monitored by a research committee not connected with the day-to-day activities.
Crystalline Perfection of Epitaxial Structure: Correlations with Composition, Thickness, and Elastic Strain of Epitaxial Layers

Crystalline perfection of InGaN epi-layers is the missing design parameter for InGaN solar cells. Structural deterioration of InGaN epi-layers depends on the thickness, composition and growth conditions as well. Increasing the InGaN epi-layer thickness beyond a critical point introduces extended crystalline defects that hinder the optical absorption and electrical properties. Increasing the InGaN composition further reduces this critical layer thickness. The optical absorption band edge is sharp for III-nitride direct band gap materials. The band edge profile is deteriorated by creation of extended crystalline defects in the InGaN epitaxial material. The design of InGaN solar cells requires the growth of epi-layers where a trade off between crystalline perfection and optical absorption properties is reached.
The Umbilical Cord

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe theories of the factors that affect umbilical cord length and twisting. 2. Describe the most common umbilical cord abnormality. 3. Delineate structural abnormalities found in the umbilical cord. 4. Describe the effects of meconium on the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord, lifeline of the fetus, is very much undervalued and certainly not being studied sufficiently frequently. The obstetrician and the neonatologist should be familiar with some of its abnormalities, especially when caring for sick neonates. Moreover, some of the observations made at delivery obviously cannot be retrieved in future and may have medicolegal consequences. Therefore, at least the length of the cord should be measured at birth and the number of vessels ascertained. To aid in this task, this article highlights the most important features with which obstetricians, neonatologists, and pathologists should be familiar. The normal human umbilical cord measures approximately 55 cm at term; it grows steadily during gestation (Fig. 1) in concert with the fetal crown-rump length. Figure 1. Growth of umbilical cord compared with the crown-rump length of the fetus. Umbilical cord length varies widely among neonates and in animals, and numerous publications provide measurements for individual species. (1) Often, the length has been correlated with the length of the fetus, but numerous significant exceptions have been noted when attempts were made to identify underlying mechanisms. (2) Despite the many publications that address cord development, it still is not understood fully what regulates length of the umbilical cord. I believe that it is primarily the amount of fetal movement, with much of the excessive lengths of some cords already acquired early in gestation when there still is sufficient space for easy movement. My reasons for this assumption are the following: 1) The cords of fetuses that have severely diminished motions (eg, osteogenesis …
Integrating the Demographic and Health Surveys, IPUMS-I, and TerraPopulus to Explore Mortality and Health Outcomes at the District Level in Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania

In this paper, we first show how the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) can be integrated with other data sources to expand the types of variables available for analysis of population and health outcomes. Second, we demonstrate one particular example of such integration by modelling the social, physical, and built environment determinants of health outcomes at the district level in Ghana, Malawi, and Tanzania. To do so, we created district-level measures of a number of variables from the DHS, and then merged them with district-level data from the IPUMS, an environmental data set called TerraPopulus, and other sources. We find that it is feasible to combine the DHS with other data sources, and that many health and environment indicators are heterogeneous within countries, justifying further analysis at low levels of geography and suggesting benefits to using such techniques to design fine-grained programmatic interventions.
Acoustic-tactile rendering of visual information

In previous work, we have proposed a dynamic, interactive system for conveying visual information via hearing and touch. The system is implemented with a touch screen that allows the user to interrogate a two-dimensional (2-D) object layout by active finger scanning while listening to spatialized auditory feedback. Sound is used as the primary source of information for object localization and identification, while touch is used both for pointing and for kinesthetic feedback. Our previous work considered shape and size perception of simple objects via hearing and touch. The focus of this paper is on the perception of a 2-D layout of simple objects with identical size and shape. We consider the selection and rendition of sounds for object identification and localization. We rely on the head-related transfer function for rendering sound directionality, and consider variations of sound intensity and tempo as two alternative approaches for rendering proximity. Subjective experiments with visually-blocked subjects are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. Our results indicate that intensity outperforms tempo as a proximity cue, and that the overall system for conveying a 2-D layout is quite promising.
Permissive role of NO in alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated dilations in rat cerebral arteries

Dilations produced with UK-14304, a selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, in rat middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) were blocked after removal of the endothelium or inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). After endothelium removal or inhibition of NOS, the addition of subthreshold doses of an exogenous nitric oxide (NO) donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, restored the dilations produced by UK-14304. In a similar manner the guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) analogues 8-bromoguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and N2,2'-O-dibutyrylguanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate restored the dilations of MCAs after endothelial removal. Because NO cannot be synthesized and released in MCAs after inhibition of NOS, it cannot be directly responsible for the dilation. The basal release of NO from the endothelium acts permissively in the vasodilation by maintaining adequate levels of cGMP. Removal of this basal release of NO by removal of endothelium or inhibition of NOS abolishes the alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated dilation.
Urban Freeway On-Ramps: Invasive Influences on Main-Line Operations

In this paper the influences of the ramp flow on the freeway flow are deemed invasive influences because the freeway vehicles' priority is violated and the freeway flow is interrupted. Understanding of the invasive influences of the freeway entry process helps to promote efficient and safe operations of the main-line facility and to identify more straightforward indicators of level of service (LOS) for freeway on-ramp segments. First, on the basis of field observations conducted at three on-ramp sites along I-35 within the greater Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri, metropolitan area, ramp merging behavior of vehicles in platoons was identified as the direct cause of invasive influences on the freeway flow. Then, the significance of the invasive influences was evaluated in accordance with the evasive events performed by freeway drivers. These evasive events, instigated by merging conflicts, include slowdown and lane change actions. Finally, more straightforward LOS indicators were recommended for improving ...
Comments on "Effective Radius of Ice Cloud Particle Populations Derived from Aircraft Probes"

The recent paper by Heymsfield et al. (2006, hereaf-ter H06) comments on the accuracy of various in situmeasurements of the extinction coefficient by in situcloud probes. The measurements have particular rel-evance for their contribution to understanding cloud-radiative properties. Climate models are largely con-cerned with predicting fields of electromagnetic radia-tion. However, they instead track constituent phase andmass. To relate phase and mass to the shortwave andlongwave radiative flux divergences, values of areobtained using the parameterized radiative length scaleknown as the effective radius
A discussion on approaches to handling exceptions in workflows

Workflow technology can be fully exploited when predictable and repetitive processes are executed. Unfortunately, many processes are faced with the need of managing exceptional situations that may arise during their execution, and possibly even more exceptions can occur when the process execution is supported by a WFMS. In this paper, we analyze the characteristics of the different types of exceptions that may affect the execution of a workflow, and present some approaches to their handling. Finally, we introduce the exception handling techniques that we have developed within the WIDE workflow project.
Bragg soybeans grown on a southern coastal plains soil i. dry matter distribution, nodal growth analysis, and sample variability

Abstract Yields of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are affected by the manner in which available resources are partitioned into component plant parts. Little is known about these partitioning processes and much of what has been reported describes indeterminate cultivars or comes from other than field studies. A field investigation was conducted, therefore, on a Goldsboro loamy sand (Aquic Paleudult) to characterize in detail the growth and development of a determinate soybean cultivar ‘Bragg’. Soybean were grown in well watered field plots in four replications from each of which 4 nested samples of 0.3 m2 each were combined at each sampling. Leaf area, dry matter production, internode length, and sample variability were determined nodally at 10‐ to 14‐day intervals from 7 July to 17 October. Plant components at each node were separated into stems, leaf blades, pods, and petioles. Primary and secondary branches were combined in the petiole fraction. Maximum above ground plant dry weight achieved was 1027 ...
Anthropology and the development encounter: the making and marketing of development anthropology

Since the end of World War II, relations between industrialized nations and Third World countries have been greatly determined and mediated by the discourses and practices of “development.” Although anthropologists in general have not prob-lematized the existence of such discourses and practices, a growing number of them have joined the applied field as “culture experts” in development activities. This article traces the rise and growth of “development anthropology” since the mid-1970s. Because of their adherence to mainstream models in both anthropology and development, the article argues, development anthropologists reinforce ethnocentric and dominating models of development. Moreover, these practitioners disturbingly recycle, in the name of cultural sensitivity and local knowledge, conventional views of modernization, social change, and the Third World. Some thoughts for redefining the role of anthropology in development are offered. [development anthropology, applied anthropology, history of anthropology, development studies, critical theory]
A General Theory of Abstraction Operators

I present a general theory of abstraction operators which treats them as variable-binding term-forming operators, and provides a reasonably uniform treatment for definite descriptions, set abstracts, natural number abstraction, and real number abstraction. This minimizing, extensional and relational theory reveals a striking similarity between definite descriptions and set abstracts, and provides a clear rationale for the claim that there is a logic of sets (which is ontologically noncommittal). The theory also treats both natural and real numbers as answering to a two-fold process of abstraction. The first step, of conceptual abstraction, yields the object occupying a particular position within an ordering of a certain kind. The second step, of objectual abstraction, yields the number sui generis, as the position itself within any ordering of the kind in question.
A Palliative Care Approach in Treating Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Using Exchange Transfusion

The authors present a case report of an adult patient with sickle cell disease (SCD), who required frequent hospitalizations for sickle cell vaso-occlusive painful crisis as well as management of complications that resulted from treatment. The patient demonstrated clinical improvement after initiating palliative exchange transfusions of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) once every 4 weeks. They also promptly addressed their physical and psychosocial issues of care. The author described that because the patient was started on chronic exchange transfusions, there was a significant decrease in hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits. They saw a major improvement in the quality of life of this patient. The review of medical literature did not reveal any clear-cut guidelines for palliative chronic exchange transfusion for painful vaso-occlusive crisis in adult patients. This case review highlights the usefulness of this palliative model of care. The burden and benefits of chronic exchange transfusion always need to be weighed carefully.
Feature Extraction and Selection

The computational complexity of a classification algorithm should be reduced to a sufficient minimum by reducing the number of features considered. We can either select the most informative features or extract a new, smaller set of features using a (linear) combination of the original features. Principal component analysis (PCA) implements the second option by diagonalizing the covariance matrix to find directions in feature space corresponding to the directions of greatest variance. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) also reduces the dimensionality of a problem, but specifically finds the most useful directions for separating classes.
Performance Appraisal and the Creation of Training and Development Expectations: A Weak Link in MBO-Based Appraisal Systems

The performance appraisal process, in its fullest development, can assist an organization in identifying areas in which its employees need improvement and in identifying individual strengths that c...
Proximal Femur Size and Geometry in Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients

Introduction: Accurate femoral prosthesis press-fit is essential for successful cementless total hip arthroplasty (cTHA) and dependent upon proximal femur size and geometry. Study objectives were to determine the variability of proximal femur size and geometry in primary cTHA patients and correlate them with patient demographics and body mass index (BMI). Methods: Medical records of 127 consecutive primary cTHA patients were reviewed retrospectively. The demographic (ethnicity, sex, age) and BMI data were collected. Intertrochanteric (IT) distance, inner/outer proximal femur diameters and cortical thickness for the subtrochanteric (ST) and cortical diaphyseal (DP) regions were measured from anteroposterior radiographs. Descriptive statistics were used to correlate patient demographics and BMI with radiographic measurements. Results: The study included 96 cTHA patients (mean age 60 years, range 22-91 years; 34 females; 72 Caucasian, 18 Black, and six Hispanic) with four underweight; 13 normal; 34 overweight, and 45 obese BMI. No correlation existed for patient age or race with radiographic measurements. Males had significantly larger proximal femur dimensions and cortical thickness than females. No BMI correlations existed for IT distance; BMI was directly proportional to outer diameter and cortical thickness in ST and DP regions, and inversely proportional to inner diameter in these regions. Discussion: Greater proximal femur size appears to correlate with gender, but not with age or race. Larger subtrochanteric and diaphyseal outer diameters are significantly associated with higher BMI. A trend exists for larger subtrochanteric and diaphyseal inner diameters to be associated with lower BMI. These findings may have implications for optimal cTHA femoral component design.
Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk: Military Cadence as Normative Discourse

As new members enter organizations, normative discourses such as organizational stories provide a mechanism in the socialization process. Through stories new members are taught organizational values and culture, assimilated into that culture, and socialized to share in an organizational identity. The military is one such organization that must assimilate large numbers of new members simultaneously. Moreover, the interpellation must be strong and deep, as the organizational identity of “soldier” may require life-threatening risks and a willing desire to enter dangerous situations. We examine military cadences as a mechanism for calling new members to assimilate into the military organization and to assume the soldier identity. An important extension of military cadences is their nearly verbatim adoption in police training academies. The paper concludes by beginning to raise some questions regarding this practice.
Characterization of cholecystokinin receptors on the sphincter of Oddi

To characterize directly the ability of cholecystokinin (CCK) to interact with receptors on the sphincter of Oddi (SO), we measured binding of 125I-labeled Bolton-Hunter-labeled COOH-terminal octapeptide of cholecystokinin (125I-BH-CCK-8) to tissue sections from the guinea pig SO. Autoradiography localized binding of 125I-BH-CCK-8 over the SO smooth muscle layer. Binding was saturable, specific, dependent on time, pH, and temperature, and was reversible. Binding of 125I-BH-CCK-8 was inhibited by various CCK receptor agonists with the following potencies: CCK-8 much greater than des(SO3)CCK-8 much greater than gastrin-17-I and by various CCK receptor antagonists with the following potencies: L-364,718 greater than proglumide analogue 10 much greater than carbobenzoxy-Tyr(SO3H)-Met-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-NH2 greater than N2,O2' dibutyryl guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. The potencies of agonists in stimulating and of antagonists in inhibiting CCK-8-stimulated SO contractions correlated closely with their abilities to inhibit binding of 125I-BH-CCK-8. Analysis of binding of 125I-BH-CCK-8 to SO tissue sections revealed two classes of CCK binding sites: a high-affinity site [dissociation constant (Kd) 0.2 nM] and a low-affinity site (Kd 70 nM). Atropine or tetrodotoxin (TTX) caused a similar rightward shift of the CCK-8 dose-response curve for stimulation of SO contraction. Comparison of receptor occupation to CCK-8-induced contraction suggested that CCK-8 occupation of the high-affinity binding site correlated with contraction in the absence of atropine and the low-affinity CCK binding with contraction in the presence of atropine or TTX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Is Obesity a Risk Factor for Adverse Events After Knee Arthroscopy

Purpose To evaluate how body mass index (BMI) affects rates of 30-day complication, hospital readmissions, and mortality in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy. Methods Patients undergoing knee arthroscopy procedures between 2006 and 2013 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patient demographics and preoperative risk factors including BMI were analyzed for postoperative complications within 30 days. Cochran-Armitage testing was performed to detect differences in complication rates across BMI categories according to World Health Organization classification. The independent risk of BMI was assessed using multivariate regression analysis. Results Of 41,919 patients with mean age 48 years undergoing knee arthroscopy, 20% were classified as normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 24), 35% overweight (BMI 25 to 29), 24% obese class I (BMI 30 to 34), 12% class II (BMI 35 to 40), and 9% class III (BMI ≥40). Risk of complication increased significantly with increasing BMI (normal: 1.5%, overweight: 1.6%, obese class I: 1.7%, obese class II: 1.8%, obese class III: 1.9%, P = .043). On multivariate analysis, there was no increased risk of postoperative complication directly attributed to patient BMI. Independent risk factors for medical and surgical complications after knee arthroscopy included American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) rating (class 4 v class 1 odds ratio [OR]: 5.39 [95% confidence interval: 3.11-9.33], P v independent OR: 2.13 [1.42, 3.31], P v absence OR: 5.10 [2.30, 11.29], P v absence OR: 4.91 [2.88, 8.39], P Conclusions More than 40% of knee arthroscopy patients qualify as obese. Although univariate analysis suggests that obesity is associated with increased postoperative complications within 30 days of surgery, BMI alone does not predict complications. Independent predictors of complications include patients with high ASA classification, dependent functional status, renal comorbidities, and a recent history of wound infection. Level of Evidence Level IV, prognostic case series.
Anaerobic Biodegradation of Alternative Fuels and Associated Biocorrosion of Carbon Steel in Marine Environments.

Fuels that biodegrade too easily can exacerbate through-wall pitting corrosion of pipelines and tanks and result in unintentional environmental releases. We tested the biological stability of two emerging naval biofuels (camelina-JP5 and Fischer–Tropsch-F76) and their potential to exacerbate carbon steel corrosion in seawater incubations with and without a hydrocarbon-degrading sulfate-reducing bacterium. The inclusion of sediment or the positive control bacterium in the incubations stimulated a similar pattern of sulfate reduction with different inocula. However, the highest rates of sulfate reduction were found in incubations amended with camelina-JP5 [(57.2 ± 2.2)–(80.8 ± 8.1) μM/day] or its blend with petroleum-JP5 (76.7 ± 2.4 μM/day). The detection of a suite of metabolites only in the fuel-amended incubations confirmed that alkylated benzene hydrocarbons were metabolized via known anaerobic mechanisms. Most importantly, general (r2 = 0.73) and pitting (r2 = 0.69) corrosion were positively correlated...
Three-dimensional spray–flow interaction in a spark-ignition direct-injection engine

Large efforts are currently being made toward improving internal combustion engine efficiency without degrading overall performance. To this end, advanced combustion strategies that require in-cyli...
Analysis of influenza surveillance in Jinan from 2009 to 2010

Objective To ascertain the epidemiological characteristics of influenza and the distribution of the predominant strains in Jinan City from 2009 to 2010 and to provide a scientific basis for disease control and prevention.MethodsDescriptive analysis was used to analyze the flu-like cases,pathogen surveillance results,and outbreak information from the influenza sentinel hospitals in Jinan City.Results From 2009 to 2010,the percentage of flu-like cases treated by hospitals was 3.69%,representing a substantial increase from the previous year.There were three peaks of influenza in the spring,summer,and winter,and the winter peak emerged earlier than before and lasted longer than the other two peaks.Pathogen surveillance results revealed alternating or mixed varieties of influenza virus,with marked seasonal distribution.The total rates at which influenza virus nucleic acids were detected and different strains were detected differed significantly among the different populations,with the highest rates in the 15-24 age group and the subtype H1N1 being detected most often.There were 37 outbreaks of flu-like cases from 2009 to 2010,representing the largest number of outbreaks in Jinan City's history.Conclusion Influenza was relatively active in Jinan City from 2009 to 2010,with three peaks in the spring,summer,and winter.The predominant strain of influenza changed significantly in different seasons.The rates at which influenza virus nucleic acids were detected in flu-like cases differed significantly among various age groups.Although influenza H1N1 is a new influenza A virus,it still has strong seasonal characteristics.Whether H1N1 will become the predominant strain of influenza next year needs to be monitored.