cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualizing mega-fires of the past: A case study of the 1894 Hinckley Fire, east-central Minnesota, USA

Abstract During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a combination of weather, land use, vegetation, and complacency about forest fires amongst the public caused a series of extreme fires that resulted in the death of over 2500 people in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Eyewitness accounts of these fires were generally stories of individual human tragedies with fire behavior often described using anthropomorphic or even religious prose. However, the scenes described by the survivors are now recognized as cases of extreme fire behavior. In this paper we describe development of an animated visual representation of the Hinckley Fire in east-central Minnesota that devastated the town of Hinckley and surrounding communities on September 1, 1894. This was accomplished using modern science and technology coupled with eyewitness accounts, environmental data, and other information, all of which are easily available to educators dealing with forest fires. Data layers developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources allowed reconstruction of the original forest cover types. The local fire museum’s preservation of historical landuse information allowed reconstruction of the built environment to accompany the eyewitness accounts. ArcGIS was used to develop geographic gridded data layers of these known historic parameters and provide input for the fire simulation program FARSITE. ArcGIS was also used to develop geometries for Visual Nature Studio to render 3D visualization of the historic built and forested environments. ArcGIS was also used to transfer fire perimeters from FARSITE to Visual Nature Studio. ParticleIllusion 3 was used to apply certain visual effects associated with extreme fire behavior consistent with both FARSITE predictions and eyewitness accounts. Both the fire simulation and visualization were able to capture many aspects of the eyewitness accounts as a single coherent fire event.
Protective Connections and Educational Attainment among Young Adults with Childhood-Onset Chronic Illness.

BACKGROUND: Youth with childhood-onset chronic illness (COCI) are at risk of poor educational attainment. Specific protective factors that promote college graduation in this population have not been studied previously. In this study, we examine the role protective factors during adolescence play in promoting college graduation among young adults with COCI. METHODS: Data were collected from 10,925 participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Protective factors present before 18 years of age included mentoring, parent relationship quality, school connectedness, and religious attendance. College graduation was the outcome of interest assessed when participants had a mean age of 28 years. Analysis was stratified by presence of COCI. RESULTS: About 2% of participants (N = 230) had 1 of 4 COCIs (cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, or heart disease). All 4 protective factors were associated with college graduation for youth without COCI. In the final multivariate model, only school connectedness was associated with college graduation for youth with COCI. CONCLUSION: School connectedness is of particular importance in promoting educational attainment for youth with COCI.
Variation in concentrations of three mercury (Hg) forms at a rural and a suburban site in New York State.

Abstract Tekran® Hg speciation systems were used at a rural site (Huntington Forest, NY; HF) and a suburban site (Rochester, NY; ROC) to measure gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and fine particulate-bound mercury (PBM2.5) concentrations for two years (December 2007 to November 2009). Ancillary data were also available from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Status and Trends Network. Seasonal GEM concentrations were similar at both sites and influenced by factors such as the planet boundary layer (PBL) height and mercury emissions from snow, soil, and point sources. In some seasons, O3 was negatively correlated with GEM at ROC and positively correlated with GEM at HF. At HF, O3 was correlated with GOM and was typically higher in the afternoon. The cause of this pattern may be photochemical reactions during the day, and the GOM diel pattern may also be due to deposition which is enhanced by dew formation during the night and early morning. PBM2.5 concentrations were higher in winter at both sites. This is indicative of local wood combustion for space heating in winter, increased sorption to particles at lower temperatures, and lower PBL in the winter. At the suburban site, 2 of 12 events with enhanced GEM/CO ratios were poorly correlated with SO2/GOM, implying that these two events were due either to long range transport or regional metallurgical industries in Canada.
Oblique hypervelocity impact simulation for whipple shield-protected structures

Three dimensional simulation of hypervelocity impacts on space structures places extreme demands on even supercomputer resources. This is due in large part to the fact that conventional Eulerian and Lagrangian codes are ill-suited to model debris cloud evolution. To reduce the computer time and memory requirements of oblique impact simulations, a three-dimensional elastic-plastic particle dynamics model of debris cloud evolution has been developed. This numerical model has been linked to an Eulerian hydrocode and a Lagrangian structural code, and applied in the simulation of oblique hypervelocity impacts on Whipple shield-protected structures.
Relational closeness of elderly interaction: Implications for life satisfaction

The purpose of this investigation is to explore the network of relational closeness for individuals over the age of 65 as it relates to life satisfaction. One hundred twenty elderly individuals living in three separate living environments completed the Adult Communication Survey. Results indicate a relationship between the network of closeness of communication and reported life satisfaction. These findings are complex, mitigated by living environment and the partner of the interaction. Implications of these findings for the communication researcher and practitioner are discussed.
Toxemias of pregnancy

Abstract No conclusions can be drawn from this paper. It constitutes a highly personal picture of the problems involved in “The Toxemias of Pregnancy.” Some progress has been made in the subject in the twenty odd years that I have viewed it—much more in the last ten years than in all the time before—but it is still in a far from satisfactory state as proved by the persistence of its maternal and infant mortality rate. Further careful study is needed. Practically this should take the form first of an effort to approach it from a common point of view and with a common terminology, and second, group study should invariably be conducted by the closely knit cooperation and effort of obstetrician, internists especially interested in the cardiorenal aspects of the problem, and the pathologic, metabolic and endocrinologic laboratories.
A new type of biological chemiluminescence: the microsomal chemiluminescence of benzo[a]pyrene arises from the diol epoxide product of the 7,8-dihydrodiol.

Abstract The chemiluminescence, CL, accompanying the metabolism of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene, BP, by the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase system is a new type of low intensity biological chemiluminescence. It is the result of spontaneous oxygenation of a specific reactive metabolic intermediate; not inhibitable by superoxide dismutase or catalase. The reactive metabolite is the strongly mutagenic 7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide, produced enzymatically from the 7,8-dihydrodiol precursor. Hydroxylation of benzo[a]pyrene at the 3 position does not lead to chemiluminescent emission; the CL quantum yields of BP and 3-OH-BP are the same. The CL quantum yields of microsomal metabolism of (−) 7,8-diol-BP and the racemic 7,8-diol-BP are identical. The kinetics of CL of the latter show a much faster initial reaction rate, correlating with the greater reactivity of diol epoxide I formed from (+) 7,8-diol-BP. CL may therefore be used to follow the pathways and the rates of production of the mutagenic diol epoxides of BP.
Nanoscale Investigation of Mixed Arrays of Keggin-Type and Wells−Dawson-Type Heteropolyacids (HPAs) by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM)

The nanoscale investigation of mixed arrays of Keggin-type (H3PW12O40) and Wells−Dawson-type (H6P2W18O62) heteropolyacids (HPAs) deposited on a graphite surface was carried out by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and tunneling spectroscopy (TS). Pure H3PW12O40 and H6P2W18O62 formed self-assembled and well-ordered two-dimensional arrays, and their molecular dimensions were in good agreement with values determined by XRD. In tunneling spectroscopy, H3PW12O40 and H6P2W18O62 exhibited negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior at applied voltages of −1.14 and −0.80V, respectively. Mixtures of H3PW12O40 and H6P2W18O62 deposited from aqueous solution formed less ordered two-dimensional arrays than did the pure components. The mixed arrays exhibited a bimodal distribution of NDR peak voltages which was represented as a combination of the monomodal distributions of NDR peak voltages of pure H3PW12O40 and H6P2W18O62. Individual molecules in the mixed array were successfully identified by differences in mol...
Proposal for a revised classification of systemic mastocytosis

To the editor: Historically, mast cell disease (MCD) signified overt infiltration of one or more organs by cytologically abnormal mast cells.[1][1] In adults, the condition almost always involves the bone marrow (BM), a cardinal feature of systemic mastocytosis (SM). We now recognize SM as a
Preparing new instructors to teach college mathematics courses: an objective-based teaching laboratory

This paper discusses the teaching preparation program for new instructors of mathematics at the U. S. Air Force Academy. The program is structured into a series of five practice lessons each focused on particular aspects of effective teaching. In addition, participant feedback from the program is summarized.
Association of indicators of hygiene behavior with persistent diarrhea of young children

We examined the association between water and hygiene-related behaviors and persistent diarrhea (duration > or = 14 days) among children under age three years in an indigenous rural Guatemalan community. Behavior indicators were specific aspects of the appearance of the mother, study child, other children and household that could be observed using a spot observation technique. Thirty-four percent of children had one or more episodes of persistent diarrhea during the year of study. Bivariate analyses found that a higher proportion of observations in which the anti-hygienic condition was observed was significantly associated with persistent diarrhea for 11 of 26 behavior indicators; these 11 indicators were also strongly correlated with each other. In individual logistic regression models, which included overall rate of diarrhea and other child characteristics associated with persistent diarrhea, six behavior indicators maintained significant association with persistent diarrhea: presence of toy on the ground, presence of baby bottle on the ground, the hands of the mother being dirty, presence of a fecally soiled diaper on the ground in the household compound, presence of feces in the yard, and the study child wearing a fecally soiled diaper. Three additional indicators closely approached significant association with persistent diarrhea. Excluding the three soiled diaper indicators, which might be the result rather than the cause of diarrhea, we found the six other behavior indicators to demonstrate a significant dose-response effect in increasing risk of persistent diarrhea. These findings suggest that behaviors which promote increased exposure of young children to enteric pathogens increase risk of persistent diarrhea.
Gratings for High-Energy Petawatt Lasers

To enable high-energy petawatt laser operation we have developed the processing methods and tooling that produced both the world's largest multilayer dielectric reflection grating and the world's highest laser damage resistant gratings. We have successfully delivered the first ever 80 cm aperture multilayer dielectric grating to LLNL's Titan Intense Short Pulse Laser Facility. We report on the design, fabrication and characterization of multilayer dielectric diffraction gratings.
Complete sequence analysis of a gene (OS-9) ubiquitously expressed in human tissues and amplified in sarcomas.

Amplification and overexpression of genes involved in cellular growth control occur frequently in human tumors. Using a chromosome microdissection-based hybrid-selection strategy, we recently identified two novel genes (OS-9 and OS-4) within 12q13–15, a region frequently amplified in human cancers. We now report further characterization of the full-length OS-9 cDNA sequence. This cDNA sequence consists of 2785 bp from which an open reading frame (ORF) with 667 amino-acid residues was deduced. The predicted polypeptide was water soluble and acidic. We also demonstrate that the OS-9 gene encoded a 2.8-kb mRNA transcribed in all 16 human tissues examined, suggesting that OS-9 is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. OS-9 was co-amplified with CDK4 in three of five sarcoma tissues. Homology analysis of the amino-acid sequence reveals significant similarities between OS-9 and two ORFs deduced from genomic sequences in Caenorhabditis elegans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The region of similarity extended over 200 residues (approximately one-third of each ORF), and eight cysteines were conserved in all three ORFs. These observations suggest that this region comprises a functional domain present in a novel evolutionarily conserved gene family defined by OS-9. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A New Strategy for Cancer Control Research

The 20th century saw the emergence of cancer as a leading cause of disease and death in the industrialized world. Cancer was the eighth most common cause of mortality at the beginning of the century, with a death rate in 1900 of 64 per 100,000 persons [(1)][1] . At the close of the 20th century, it
Use of the vibrational approach to determine bounds for the effective permittivity in random media

In this paper bounds are derived for the effective permit tivity, e*, using two standard variational principles. The principles are expressed in terms of the electric field,E and the electric displacement,D, respectively. As trial functions we use perturbation expansions forE andD that have been modified by the inclusion of a set of multiplicative constants. The first-order perturbation effect is calculated explicitly and the bounds for e* are found in terms of expressions involving third-order correlation functions of the form\(\overline {\varepsilon ^\prime (0)\varepsilon ^\prime (r)\varepsilon ^\prime (s)} \) and\(\overline {\varepsilon ^\prime (r)\varepsilon ^\prime (s)/\varepsilon (0)} \) where e′ is the fluctuating part of the permittivity. In the limit of small perturbations the bounds coincide and yield the result obtained by previous investigators.
Homeotic genes of the bithorax complex repress limb development in the abdomen of the Drosophila embryo through the target gene Distal-less

Homeotic genes encode transcription factors that are thought to specify segmental identity by regulating expression of subordinate genes. Limb development is repressed in the abdominal segments of the Drosophila embryo by the hometic genes of the Bithorax complex (BX-C). Localized expression of the homeobox gene Distal-less (DII) is required for leg development in thoracic segments. We have identified a minimal cis-regulatory enhancer element that directs DII expression in the larval leg primordia. We present evidence that the BX-C proteins repress DII expression in abdominal segments by binding to a small number of specific sites in this element. Mutating these sites eliminates BX-C protein binding and renders the element insensitive to BX-C-mediated repression in vivo. Repression of limb development in the abdomen appears to be controlled at the DII enhancer. Thus DII may serve as a downstream target gene through which the homeotic genes control abdominal segment identity in the Drosophila embryo.
The Effect of Journal Misalignment on the Operation of a Turbulent Flow Hydrostatic Bearing

An analysis for calculation of the dynamic force and moment response in turbulent flow, orifice compensated hydrostatic journal bearings is presented. The fully developed flow of a barotropic liquid is described by variable properties, bulk-flow equations and local turbulent friction factors based on bearing surface condition. Bearing load and moments and, dynamic force and moment coefficients are calculated for perturbations in journal center displacements and misaligned journal axis rotations. Numerical results for the effect of static misalignment angles in the plane of the eccentricity vector are presented for a water lubricated hydrostatic bearing. The predictions show that journal axis misalignment causes a reduction in load capacity due to loss in film thickness, increases the flow rate and produces significant restoring moments (couples). Force and moment coefficients due to dynamic journal axis rotations are also discussed. 37 refs.
The union-split algorithm and cluster-based anonymization of social networks

Knowledge discovery on social network data can uncover latent social trends and produce valuable findings that benefit the welfare of the general public. A growing amount of research finds that social networks play a surprisingly powerful role in people's behaviors. Before the social network data can be released for research purposes, the data needs to be anonymized to prevent potential re-identification attacks. Most of the existing anonymization approaches were developed for relational data, and cannot be used to handle social network data directly.In this paper, we model social networks as undirected graphs and formally define privacy models, attack models for the anonymization problem, in particular an i-hop degree-based anonymization problem, i.e., the adversary's prior knowledge includes the target's degree and the degrees of neighbors within i hops from the target. We present two new and efficient clustering methods for undirected graphs: bounded t-means clustering and union-split clustering algorithms that group similar graph nodes into clusters with a minimum size constraint. These clustering algorithms are contributions beyond the specific social network problems studied and can be used to cluster general data types besides graph vertices. We also develop a simple-yet-effective inter-cluster matching method for anonymizing social networks by strategically adding and removing edges based on nodes' social roles. We carry out a series of experiments to evaluate the graph utilities of the anonymized social networks produced by our algorithms.
Effects of the insecticide fipronil on reproductive endocrinology in the fathead minnow

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA receptors play an important role in neuroendocrine regulation in fish. Disruption of the GABAergic system by environmental contaminants could interfere with normal regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, leading to impaired fish reproduction. The present study used a 21-d fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) reproduction assay to investigate the reproductive toxicity of fipronil (FIP), a broad-spectrum phenylpyrazole insecticide that acts as a noncompetitive blocker of GABA receptor–gated chloride channels. Continuous exposure up to 5 µg FIP/L had no significant effect on most of the endpoints measured, including fecundity, secondary sexual characteristics, plasma steroid and vitellogenin concentrations, ex vivo steroid production, and targeted gene expression in gonads or brain. The gonad mass, gonadosomatic index, and histological stage of the gonad were all significantly different in females exposed to 0.5 µg FIP/L compared with those exposed to 5.0 µg FIP/L; however, there were no other significant effects on these measurements in the controls or any of the other treatments in either males and females. Overall, the results do not support a hypothesized adverse outcome pathway linking FIP antagonism of the GABA receptor(s) to reproductive impairment in fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1828–1834. © 2013 SETAC
A comparison of nonlinear methods for predicting earnings surprises and returns

We compare four nonlinear methods on their ability to learn models from data. The problem requires predicting whether a company will deliver an earnings surprise a specific number of days prior to announcement. This problem has been well studied in the literature using linear models. A basic question is whether machine learning-based nonlinear models such as tree induction algorithms, neural networks, naive Bayesian learning, and genetic algorithms perform better in terms of predictive accuracy and in uncovering interesting relationships among problem variables. Equally importantly, if these alternative approaches perform better, why? And how do they stack up relative to each other? The answers to these questions are significant for predictive modeling in the financial arena, and in general for problem domains characterized by significant nonlinearities. In this paper, we compare the four above-mentioned nonlinear methods along a number of criteria. The genetic algorithm turns out to have some advantages in finding multiple "small disjunct" patterns that can be accurate and collectively capable of making predictions more often than its competitors. We use some of the nonlinearities we discovered about the problem domain to explain these results.
Data Modeling and Optimization for Wireless Drive-Through Applications

The increasing capabilities and decreasing cost of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are enabling new categories of vehicular telematics applications, such as wireless drive-through (WDT) services, in which an external service provider provides services to in-vehicle occupants via a wireless connection. Most telematics systems rely on proprietary protocols for data exchange between an in-vehicle client and its external counterpart in individual applications, making it difficult to share data-exchange methods among applications. Sharing data-exchange methods is important because it allows a rapid return on ICT investments. In this paper, we study the data-modeling issues for data exchange between an in-vehicle client and its service provider for WDT services. We present a novel data model that captures the main characteristics of data exchange for the WDT application family, using a formal mathematical representation and an intuitive graphical representation. We show that the proposed data model provides generality for such data exchange. In addition, we propose several optimization techniques based on the data model to minimize user interaction so that a good usability can be achieved. Our simulations and analysis demonstrate that the proposed data model and relevant optimization techniques are promising in supporting efficient WDT applications.
Comparison of functional status, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic parameters to mortality in endomyocardial-biopsy proven cardiac amyloidosis.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is generally associated with a poor prognosis and significantly increased mortality. We sought to identify predictors of longer-term survival in patients with endomyocardial biopsy (EMB)-documented CA. Forty-five consecutive patients with EMB-documented CA were studied from January 1998 to December 2003. Age, gender, New York Heart Association class, medications, presence of light-chain amyloid, and electrocardiographic voltage were recorded. Baseline left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, deceleration time, diastolic function, LV mass, ventricular septal thickness, and myocardial performance index ([isovolumic contraction time + isovolumic relaxation time]/ejection time) were recorded. Mean age was 66 +/- 10 years with 34 men (76%). New York Heart Association class >II was noted in 26 patients (58%) and low voltage on electrocardiogram (S wave [lead V(1)] + R wave [lead V(5)] 0.6 in 15 (33%). At a median follow-up of 1.7 years, there were 25 deaths (56%). On univariate Kaplan-Meier analysis, New York Heart Association class >II, deceleration time <150 ms, and beta-blocker use were associated with increased mortality (log-rank statistic p values <0.001, <0.05, and 0.01, respectively). On Cox proportional hazard survival analysis, only New York Heart Association class was significantly associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio 3.92, 1.92 to 7.95, p = 0.0002). In conclusion, in patients with EMB-documented CA, longer-term survival is more strongly associated with New York Heart Association functional class compared with electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables.
Circuit Failure Prediction Enables Robust System Design Resilient to Aging and Wearout

Summary form only given. Circuit failure prediction predicts the occurrence of a circuit failure before errors actually appear in system data and states. This is in contrast to classical error detection where a failure is detected after errors appear in system data and states. Circuit failure prediction is performed during system operation by analyzing the data collected by sensors inserted at various locations inside a chip. In a recent paper (Agarwal 07), we demonstrated this concept of circuit failure prediction for a dominant PMOS aging mechanism induced by negative bias temperature instability (NBTI). NBTI-induced PMOS aging slows down PMOS transistors over time. As a result, the speed of a chip can significantly degrade over time and can result in delay faults. The traditional practice is to incorporate worst-case speed margins to prevent delay faults during system operation due to NBTI aging. A new sensor design integrated inside a flip-flop enables efficient circuit failure prediction at a very low cost. Actual test chip prototype demonstrates correct operations of such flip-flops with built-in aging sensors. Simulation results using 90 nm and 65 nm technologies demonstrate that this technique can significantly improve system performance by enabling close to best-case design instead of traditional worst-case design.
Simulation of High Power Lasers

Simulations of gas lasers are performed to examine high power gas laser components. These simulations are performed in a manner that illustrates the application of high performance computing to achieve an increased understanding of the physics underlying gas lasers, and improve their operation. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations coupled to a geometric optics resonator model for the chemical oxygen-iodine laser (COIL) are executed to provide this information.
Selection of transforms including radial basis functions in class 1 filters

Class 1 filters utilize expected signal, noise, and their correlations to form estimation, detection, correlation, and other types of algorithms. The authors discuss the selection of transforms including radial basis functions in Class 1 filters. These results are used to process EKG signals and demonstrate that transforms and filters must be properly matched.
Anticytokine Therapy — A New Era in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis?

With the clinical availability of two different approaches to decrease the activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a new era in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has begun. In this issue of th...
The Admirable Radical: Staughton Lynd and Cold War Dissent, 1945–1970 – By Carl Mirra

Staughton Lynd, a young, radical academic prominent in the 1960s, presents a puzzle that is only partially solved by Carl Mirra's intellectual biography. Lynd, born in 1929, was the son of the emin...
Disagreement and Evidential Attenuation

What sort of doxastic response is rational to learning that one disagrees with an epistemic peer who has evaluated the same evidence? I argue that even weak general recommendations run the risk of being incompatible with a pair of real epistemic phenomena, what I call evidential attenuation and evidential amplification. I focus on a popular and intuitive view of disagreement, the equal weight view. I take it to state that in cases of peer disagreement, a subject ought to end up equally confident that her own opinion is correct as that the opinion of her peer is. I say why we should regard the equal weight view as a synchronic constraint on (prior) credence functions. I then spell out a trilemma for the view: it violates what are intuitively correct updates (also leading to violations of conditionalisation), it poses implausible restrictions on prior credence functions, or it is non-substantive. The sorts of reasons why the equal weight view fails apply to other views as well: there is no blanket answer to the question of how a subject should adjust her opinions in cases of peer disagreement.
Solving the Williams Puzzle

In the 1949 case of Williams v. New York, the United State Supreme Court approved of judicial factfinding as a feature of discretionary sentencing. The Court's more recent ban on judicial factfinding in determinate sentencing systems would seem to apply to discretionary sentencing systems as well, implying that Williams is no longer good law. If a sentencing judge may find facts in the exercise of discretionary sentencing as a matter of due process, then a legislature's attempt to introduce rule of law values into sentencing by creating a determinate sentencing regime hardly seems to call for constitutional limitations on judicial factfinding. And yet, the Court has not only left Williams intact, but embraced it in Booker v. United States as a remedy for the Federal Sentencing Guidelines' inconsistency with Blakely. This Essay offers a rationale for the continued viability of Williams and the continued practice of unconstrained judicial factfinding in discretionary sentencing systems. Professor Huigens describes and compares the normative architecture of offense definition and adjudication to that of sentencing in terms of two fundamental and competing values in criminal law: legality and fine-grainedness. He argues that if a legislature chooses to impose the normative architecture of offense definition and adjudication onto sentencing, then the constitutional regulation appropriate to offense definition and adjudication is made relevant to sentencing. This is a normative argument, but one that is compelling in light of an increased conceptual clarity about the fundamental values and normative architecture of criminal law.
Consequences of weight cycling in obese spontaneously hypertensive rats

We mimicked human weight cycling in the obese spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHROB) model of genetic obesity. A 12-day very low calorie diet (VLCD; 16.7% of baseline calories) was alternated with 4-6 wk of ad libitum chow refeeding for three cycles. Control SHROB ate chow ad libitum. VLCD induced rapid weight loss, but during refeeding all the lost weight was regained. Final body weight was higher in cycled rats than in ad libitum controls (149 +/- 5 vs. 117 +/- 7% of initial baseline). Less weight was lost as a percent of starting body weight during each successive VLCD, which could not be explained by aging. At death, retroperitoneal fat pads were heavier in cycled SHROB than in ad libitum controls (62 +/- 3 vs. 44 +/- 4 g). During the first 2 days after each VLCD, cycled rats overate significantly relative to ad libitum controls (88 +/- 2 vs. 78 +/- 3 kcal/day), but cumulative food intake throughout the duration of the experiment did not differ (11.4 +/- 0.6 vs. 11.7 +/- 0.1 Mcal). Compared with ad libitum-fed rats, food efficiency (g body wt gain/kcal) was increased during each refeeding period. Weight cycling elevated blood pressure above the initial baseline throughout refeeding. Refeeding hypertension was abolished by ganglionic blockade with chlorisondamine. Thus weight cycling in SHROB exacerbates obesity, metabolic efficiency, abdominal fat accumulation, sympathetic activity, and hypertension.
The Causes of HIV-Associated Cardiomyopathy: A Tale of Two Worlds

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed the clinical profile of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from an acute infection with a high mortality into a treatable, chronic disease. As a result, the clinical sequelae of HIV infection are changing as patients live longer. HIV-associated cardiomyopathy (HIVAC) is a stage IV, HIV-defining illness and remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-infected individuals despite ART. Causes and clinical manifestations of HIVAC depend on the degree of host immunosuppression. Myocarditis from direct HIV toxicity, opportunistic infections, and nutritional deficiencies are implicated in causing HIVAC when HIV viral replication is unchecked, whereas cardiac autoimmunity, chronic inflammation, and ART cardiotoxicity contribute to HIVAC in individuals with suppressed viral loads. The initiation of ART has dramatically changed the clinical manifestation of HIVAC in high income countries from one of severe, left ventricular systolic dysfunction to a pattern of subclinical cardiac dysfunction characterized by abnormal diastolic function and strain. In low and middle income countries, however, HIVAC is the most common HIV-associated cardiovascular disease. Clear diagnostic and treatment guidelines for HIVAC are currently lacking but should be prioritized given the global burden of HIVAC.
Turbulence Model Assessment for Flow Across a Row of Confined Cylinders

The effectiveness of five different turbulence models is assessed for the flow across a row of confined cylinders at a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.7 and at Reynolds numbers ranging from 2621 to 55920. Models examined include the one-equation Spalart-Almaras model; two-equation realizable k-e, k-ω, and shear stress transport models; and a four-equation v 2 -f model. Quantities compared against published experimental data include minor loss coefficients, separation angles about cylinders, wake lengths behind cylinders, and streamwise velocity profiles at the periodic inlet/outlet boundaries. Results indicate that each of the models did a reasonable job in predicting the minor loss coefficient as a function of Reynolds number. With the exception of the k-e model, each was also able to predict the experimentally observed trend of decreasing wake and separation lengths with increasing Reynolds number. In addition, all models also predicted a local minimum in the separation angle about the inner cylinder as a function of Reynolds number, which has also been observed experimentally. Our conclusion is that the v 2 -f model performed slightly better at predicting the experimental data than any of the other models examined, although at the computational expense of solving two additional equations.
Studies with uraemic serum on the renal transport of hippurates and tetraethylammonium in the rabbit and rat: effects of oral neomycin.

SUMMARY 1. The depression of p-aminohippurate and o-iodohippurate transport induced by uraemic serum in rabbit and rat renal cortex in vitro was confirmed. At the same time no change in oxygen consumption was observed. 2. The transport of the tetraethylammonium ion was unimpaired by uraemic serum from man or rat. 3. When sera from neomycin-treated uraemic rats were incubated with rabbit renal cortex, the uptakes ofp-aminohippurate and of o-iodohippurate were 50% higher than when sera from untreated uraemic rats were used. 4. In rat uraemic serum, the levels of hippuric and indole acetic acids are markedly elevated. Administration of neomycin causes a substantial reduction in these levels. 5. The implications of these observations upon the impaired renal transport of hippurates produced by uraemic serum is discussed.
Electronic structure of Ba 3 Cu Sb 2 O 9 : A candidate quantum spin liquid compound

Using density-functional methods, we study the electronic structure of ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{3}\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{9}$, a candidate material for the quantum spin liquid behavior. We study both the triangular lattice as well as the recently proposed hexagonal lattice structures with flipped Cu-Sb dumbbells. The band structure near the Fermi energy is described very well by a tight-binding Hamiltonian involving the Cu (${e}_{g}$) orbitals, confirming their central role in the physics of the problem. A minimal tight-binding Hamiltonian for the triangular structure is presented. The Cu (${d}^{9}$) ions (a single ${e}_{g}$ hole in the band structure) present in the compound are expected to be Jahn-Teller centers, while the nature of the Jahn-Teller distortions in this material is still under debate. Solving a simple model by exact diagonalization, we show that electronic correlation effects in general enhance the tendency towards a Jahn-Teller distortion by reducing the kinetic energy due to correlation effects. Our density-functional calculations do indeed show a significant Jahn-Teller distortion of the $\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ octahedra when we include the correlation effects within the Coulomb-corrected GGA+U method, so that the Jahn-Teller effect is correlation driven. We argue for the presence of a random static Jahn-Teller distortion in the hexagonal structure rather than a dynamical one because of the broken octahedral symmetry around the $\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ octahedra and the potential fluctuations inherently present in the system caused by a significant disorder, which is believed to be present, in particular, due to the flipped Cu-Sb dumbbells.
Reintegration Strategy Study on Teaching and Learning in Distance Education

It is necessary to reintegrate teaching and learning if distant education want acquire effective learning results.From the angle of distant education,the integration strategy includes instructors,learners,education institute,study materials and technique media application.The key point of reintegration of teaching and learning is media-based information interaction technology,and the difficult point is how to closely combine study materials that support distant study and study behavior of distant student.
AANA Journal Course: update for nurse anesthetists--anesthesia for thoracic surgery: lung separation

The lungs can be separated by use of either a double-lumen tube (DLT) or a bronchial blocker (BB). Correct positioning of DLTs and BBs is often the most important determinant as to whether thoracic surgery cases (in particular one-lung ventilation cases) and differential lung ventilation in the intensive care unit proceed smoothly. If the method of lung separation is correct, the operative nondependent lung will collapse completely and easily, the surgeon will be able to work efficiently without damaging the operative lung, and the nonoperative lung will be unobstructed and easy to ventilate. For both DLTs and BBs, the key to precise positioning is to visualize, with a fiberoptic bronchoscope, through the tracheal lumen, the occluding endobronchial cuff/balloon just below the tracheal carina.
The Elements of Mathematical Statistics

In probability theory, we always assumed that we knew some probabilities, and we computed other probabilities or related quantities from those. On the other hand, in mathematical statistics, we use observed data to compute probabilities or related quantities or to make decisions or predictions.
Leaf inclination in the coastal sand dune herb Hydrocotyle bonariensis Comm. ex Lam.

Abstract The coastal sand dune habitat can be characterized as a high sunlight habitat with seasonally high air and substrate temperatures, especially at midday during the growing season. Because there is little to no canopy cover, native sand dune plants are frequently exposed to high solar irradiance levels, which may result in the absorbance of more sunlight energy than can be dissipated through photosynthesis and transpiration, and lead to increased leaf temperature and/or decreased photosynthetic efficiency (i.e., photoinhibition). Several studies suggest that leaf inclination from horizontal functions in high sunlight habitats to regulate diurnal patterns of leaf-level sunlight incidence, thus avoiding the potential negative effects associated with excess sunlight absorbance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of leaf inclination in the coastal sand dune herb Hydrocotyle bonariensis Comm. ex Lam. Specifically, diurnal leaf-level incident sunlight, daily diurnal leaf temperature, and diurnal photosystem II efficiency (measured as Fv/Fm; proxy for photoinhibition) were compared between naturally inclined leaves and leaves restrained in a horizontal orientation during a growing season. Results showed that leaf inclination both reduced the total daily amount of sunlight incidence and altered the diurnal distribution pattern of sunlight incidence on leaf surfaces, leading to lower midday leaf temperatures and significantly less midday photoinhibition in control inclined leaves compared to experimental horizontal leaves. These results suggest that leaf inclination plays an important role in regulating leaf-level incident sunlight and leaf temperatures, thus reducing midday photoinhibition, for H. bonariensis in the coastal sand dune habitat.
Network-Aware Virtual Request Partitioning Based on Spectral Clustering

Virtual request partitioning is an essential subproblem of two common problems in virtual networks, namely, virtual network embedding (VNE) and virtual machine placement (VMP). In this study, we consider a network-aware variant of the problem where the objective is to partition a virtual request so as to minimize the total amount of inter-cluster traffic. This problem is equivalent to the (k,v)-balanced partitioning problem, an NP-complete problem. To handle the inherent complexity of this problem, we develop a spectral clustering-based partitioning scheme that produces good solutions in a reasonable amount of time. Our solution consists of several components: (a) spectral clustering, (b) a constrained k-means partitioning algorithm that ensures that capacity limits for clusters are met, and for which we present a polynomial-time greedy algorithm, and (c) a greedy refinement algorithm using simulated annealing to further improve the clustering solution. Simulation results indicate that our algorithm outperforms existing partitioning schemes in terms of inter-cluster traffic minimization.
Porous tantalum biocomposites for osteochondral defect repair: A follow-up study in a sheep model.

Objectives We sought to determine if a durable bilayer implant composed of trabecular metal with autologous periosteum on top would be suitable to reconstitute large osteochondral defects. This design would allow for secure implant fixation, subsequent integration and remodeling. Materials and Methods Adult sheep were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 8/group): 1. trabecular metal/periosteal graft (TMPG), 2. trabecular metal (TM), 3. empty defect (ED). Cartilage and bone healing were assessed macroscopically, biochemically (type II collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) content) and histologically. Results At 16 weeks post-operatively, histological scores amongst treatment groups were not statistically different (TMPG: overall 12.7, cartilage 8.6, bone 4.1; TM: overall 14.2, cartilage 9.5, bone 4.9; ED: overall 13.6, cartilage 9.1, bone 4.5). Metal scaffolds were incorporated into the surrounding bone, both in TM and TMPG. The sGAG yield was lower in the neo-cartilage regions compared with the articular cartilage (AC) controls (TMPG 20.8/AC 39.5, TM 25.6/AC 33.3, ED 32.2/AC 40.2 µg sGAG/1 mg respectively), with statistical significance being achieved for the TMPG group (p Conclusions TM is a highly suitable material for the reconstitution of osseous defects. TM enables excellent bony ingrowth and fast integration. However, combined with autologous periosteum, such a biocomposite failed to promote satisfactory neo-cartilage formation. Cite this article: E. H. Mrosek, H-W. Chung, J. S. Fitzsimmons, S. W. O’Driscoll, G. G. Reinholz, J. C. Schagemann. Porous tantalum biocomposites for osteochondral defect repair: A follow-up study in a sheep model. Bone Joint J 2016;5:403–411. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.59.BJR-2016-0070.R1.
P2 and P2′ Residues Are Important for the Efficient Proteolysis of Factor VIIIa at Arg336 Catalyzed by Activated Protein C.

Activated Protein C (APC) is an anticoagulant serine protease that proteolytically inactivates the coagulation cofactors, factors (F) Va and VIIIa. FVIIIa is a non-covalent heterotrimer consisting of A1, A2 and A3-C1-C2 subunits. APC-catalyzed inactivation of FVIIIa results from proteolysis at the P1 residues Arg336 and Arg562 within the A1 and A2 subunits, respectively, with cleavage at Arg336 representing the dominant reaction. We recently showed that replacement of the P4-P3′ residues surrounding the Arg336 site with the corresponding residues flanking Arg562 resulted in an ∼100-fold reduction in cleavage rate at Arg336 (Varfaj et al, J. Biol. Chem. 2007). Comparison of the P4-P3′ residues at the slow-reacting site in FVIIIa (Arg562) with the corresponding residues at the fast-reacting site in FVa (Arg506) revealed that these sequences differ primarily at the P2 and P2′ positions. This observation suggested an important contribution by these residues to cleavage efficiency. The role of the P2 and P2′ residues in the proteolysis of FVIIIa by APC was investigated by preparing recombinant FVIII proteins possessing mutations at Leu335 (P2) and Lys338 (P2′) flanking the P1 Arg336. B-domainless FVIII proteins were stably expressed in BHK cells and purified. Leu335Arg and Leu335Gln mutants were constructed based upon the P2 residues preceding Arg506 in FVa and Arg562 in FVIIIa, respectively. The Lys338Ile mutant was based upon the P2′ residue following Arg506 in FVa. Specific activity values for all FVIII variants were similar to wild type (WT) FVIII. APC-catalyzed inactivation rates for FVIIIa were determined using a FXa generation assay, and rates for proteolysis at the scissile bonds within the A1 and A2 subunits were determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Rates for APC-catalyzed cleavage of the A1 subunit for the FVIIIa variants Leu335Arg and Leu335Gln were reduced ∼2- and ∼4-fold, respectively, as compared to WT. However, the rate of cleavage of the A1 subunit in the Lys338Ile FVIIIa variant was enhanced ∼3-fold compared to WT. Cleavage rates at Arg562 in all the variants were unaffected by mutation at either residue 335 or 338. These relative values for rates of proteolysis paralleled the observed rates for inactivation of the FVIIIa forms. Overall, these results suggest that both P2 and P2′ residues are important in the efficient proteolysis at Arg336 in FVIIIa. Furthermore, Leu appears more optimal than either Arg or Gln at the P2 position, whereas Ile is preferred over Lys at the P2′ position in this macromolecular substrate for APC.
Design and implementation of a database design aid using VP-Expert

The design and implementation of a database modeling aid called Database Designer (DBD) using VP-Expert are discussed. The DBD expert system is intended to help novice users design a proper database by asking questions of the user and thus incrementally building a structure for an extended entity relationship (ER) diagram. The authors discuss their approach to system design for DBD and implementation issues specific to VP-Expert, such as combining backward chaining and forward chaining, procedural techniques, and transparency and visibility of VP-Expert statements. This study indicates that applying a systematic, structural approach, properly commenting the code, and logically grouping rules can make an expert system programming approach viable for designing a complex procedural design application like DBD. >