cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unilateral S-1 root compression syndrome caused by fracture of the sacrum.

Abstract Unilateral S-1 nerve root compression after an S-1 sacral fracture was found in an 18-year-old man after a motor vehicle accident. The positive myelogram, myelogram-computed tomogram, and magnetic resonance studies led to surgical intervention. Marked bony callous formation contiguous with the S-1 alar fracture protruded into the canal and was responsible for tethering the S-1 nerve root. A right L-5 hemilaminectomy, an L-4, L-5 and L-5, S-1 medial facetectomy, and foraminotomy facilitated nerve root decompression. Postoperatively, the patient was markedly improved. The authors suggest a more aggressive attitude in the diagnostic, radiographic, and surgical management of sacral fractures now that more specific technical facilities are available to define the precise character of the lesions involved.
Dispersion characteristics of slot lines

A new numerical method is developed for the analysis of dispersion characteristics of slot lines. Galerkin's method is applied in the Fourier-transform domain to derive a determinantal equation for the propagation constants. It is shown that accurate numerical results can be obtained with even a 2 × 2 matrix.
Characterization of eutectic Sn-Bi solder joints

This report presents experimental results on 58Bi-42Sn solder joints, optical and SEM microstructures of their matrix and of their interface with copper, solidification behavior studied by differential scanning calorimetry, wettability to copper, creep, and low cycle fatigue. These results are discussed in comparison with 60Sn-40Pb solder, and with three low temperature solders, 52In-48Sn, 43Sn-43Pb-14Bi, and 40In-40Sn-20Pb. The 58Bi-42Sn solder paste with RMA flux wets Cu matrix with a wetting angle of 35° and had a 15° C undercooling during solidification. The constitutive equation of the steady state shear strain rate, and the Coffin-Manson relation constants for the low cycle shear fatigue life at 65° C have been determined. The test results show that this solder has the best creep resistance but the poorest fatigue strength compared with the other four solders.
Comparison of a Solvent-Free Tar Quantification Method to the International Energy Agency’s Tar Measurement Protocol

This paper presents a new method for measuring tar concentration in biomass-derived producer gas streams. This solvent-free method is much simpler than the evaporative method of the International Energy Agency (IEA) tar protocol. In tests on producer gas from a fluidized bed biomass gasifier this so-called dry condenser method yielded tar measurements with precision better than 5% and accuracy averaging to within 10% of the IEA tar protocol. Comparisons of water vapor concentrations in producer gas as determined by the two methodologies showed poor agreement, which appears to be due to the low precision of both techniques for this measurement, possibly the result of dissolved hydrocarbons in the recovered aqueous phases.
A comparative study of diversity gain and spatial coverage: Fixed versus reconfigurable antennas for portable devices

This study investigates the performance of planar fixed and/or pattern reconfigurable antennas on a model laptop in terms of diversity gain and spatial coverage. The reconfigurable antenna used in this work has the ability to change its radiation pattern from endfire to broadside while operating over a common impedance bandwidth. The research combines diversity gain and spatial coverage into a single parameter that takes into account the effects of both simultaneously. Experimental data, including the resulting diversity gain and spatial coverage calculations, are presented. This work reveals the possibilities and importance of using reconfigurable radiation antennas and weighs their potential impact on high performance wireless systems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 535–539, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22181
Anticoagulation in neurosurgical patients.

Objective Few recommendations have been outlined in the neurosurgical literature regarding when it is safe to initiate postoperative or posthemorrhage anticoagulation (AC), or for what duration it is safe to discontinue AC therapy in patients with clear indications for AC therapy. Our objective was to formulate guidelines for managing AC in neurosurgical patients, based on patients' needs for AC and the risk of complications. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the neurosurgical and general surgical literature pertaining directly to postoperative or posthemorrhage management of AC. In addition, we surveyed the general medical, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, and neurology literature to determine the risk of thromboembolic complications when AC is stopped in specific patient groups. Results Postoperative bleeding complications occurred more frequently when correction of coagulation abnormalities was inadequate in the preoperative period, when AC was reinstituted in the early (24-48 h) postoperative period, and when AC was supratherapeutic in the postoperative period. Risk of significant thromboembolic complications while off AC varied significantly depending on the primary disease process necessitating AC. Conclusion Adequate preoperative correction of coagulation abnormalities and strict regulation of coagulation to avoid supratherapeutic AC is essential. Reintroduction of AC after an intracranial hemorrhage treated without surgery, or after a neurosurgical procedure, particularly an intracranial procedure, can be guided by determining whether the patient is at high, moderate, or low risk for thromboembolic complications. On the basis of experimental studies, the patient's thromboembolic risk, and the experience of other surgeons, we propose therapeutic options for use of AC in neurosurgical patients undergoing intracranial procedures.
Allomorphic Forms of Bacteriophage øX-174 Replicative DNA

The bacteriophage oX-174 replicative form of DNA exists in two configurations, as judged by electron microscopy and sucrose density gradient sedimentation, and on methylated albumin-coated kieselguhr column chromatography.The predominant 21S form of the DNA is a tightly twisted circle. Treatment with deoxyribonuclease causes a single scission in one of the two strands, resulting in an open circle which sediments at 16S.
Bilateral pronator syndrome associated with anomalous heads of the pronator teres muscle: a case report.

13. Henke W. Die Bewegungen der Handwurzel. Z Rad Med III 1859;7:27-42. 14. Andrew JG, Youm Y. A biomechanical investigation of wrist kinematics. J Biomech 1979;12:83-93. 15. Berger RA, Crowninsheild RD, Flatt AE. The threedimensional rotational behavior of the carpal bones. Clin Orthop 1982;167:303-10. 16. Sommer HG III, Miller NR. A technique for kinematic modeling of anatomical joints. J Biomech Eng 1980;102:311-7. 17. Youm Y, McMurtry RY, Flatt AE, Gillespie TE. Kinematics of the wrist. J Bone Joint Surg 1978;6OA:423-31. 18. Lichtman DM, Mack GR, MacDonald RI, Gunther SF, Wilson JN. KienbBck’s disease: the role of silicone replacement arthroplasty. J Bone Joint Surg 1977;59A:899908. 19. Gilula LA, Weeks PM. Post-traumatic Iigamentous instability of the wrist. Radiology 1978;129:641-51. 20. Linscheid RL, Dobyns JH, Beabout JW, Bryan RS. Traumatic instability of the wrist: diagnosis, classification and pathomechanics. J Bone Joint Surg 1972;54A:1612-32. 21. Palmer AK, Dobyns JH, Linscheid RL. Management of posttraumatic instability of the wrist secondary to ligament rupture. J HAND SURG 1978;3:507-32. 22. Sebald JR, Dobyns JH, Linscheid RL. The natural history of collapse deformities of the wrist. Clin Orthop 1974;104:140-8. 23. Tencer AF, Viegas SF, Cantrell J, et al. Pressure distribution in the wrist joint. J Orthop Res 1988;6:509-17. 24. Viegas SF, Patterson R, Peterson P, Roefs J, Tencer A, Choi S. The effects of various load paths and different loads on the load transfer characteristics of the wrist. J HAND SURG 1989;14A:458-65. 25. Viegas SF, Tencer AF, Cantrell J, et al. Load transfer characteristics of the wrist. II. Perilunate instability. J HAND SURG 1987;12A:978-85. 26. Viegas SF, Patterson RM, Peterson PD, et al. Ulnar sided perilunate instability: an anatomic and biomechanic study. J HAND SURG 1990;15A:268-78. 27. Viegas SF, Pogue DJ, Patterson RM, Peterson PD. The effects of radioulnar instability on the wrist: a biomechanical study. J HAND SURG 1990;15A:728-32. 28. Viegas SF, Patterson RM, Hillman GR, Peterson PD. The simulated scaphoid proximal pole fracture: a biomechanical study. J HAND SURG 1991;16A:495-500. 29. Pogue DJ, Viegas SF, Patterson RM, et al. The effects of distal radius fracture malunion on wrist joint mechanics. J HAND SLJRG 1990;15A:721-7. 30. Viegas SF, Patterson RM, Peterson PD, et al. The evaluation of the biomechanical efficacy of limited intercarpal fusions for the treatment of scapho-lunate dissociation. J HAND SURG 1990;15A:120-8. 31. Viegas SF, Patterson RM, Peterson PD, Crossley M, Foster R. The Silastic scaphoid: a biomechanical study. J HAND SURG 1991;16A:91-7. 32. Viegas SF, Patterson RM, Werner FW. Joint contact area and pressure: biomechanics of the wrist joint. New York: Springer Verlag, 1991:99-126.
Potential Impact of Native Natural Enemies onGalerucellaspp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Imported for Biological Control of Purple Loosestrife: A Field Evaluation

Abstract Can resident natural enemies impede the action of herbivores introduced for biological control of weeds, and if so, can their level of activity be predicted from tests that use resident herbivores as hosts? To examine these questions, exclusion experiments were done at three sites in central New York state which focused on the leaf beetle Galerucella nymphaeae in stands of the introduced weed, purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria ). This beetle is congeneric with two European species ( G. calmariensis and G. pusilla ) that are being imported and distributed in North America for biological control of purple loosestrife. General predators, including the ubiquitous lady beetle Coleomegilla maculata, preyed on G. nymphaeae eggs from late spring to the end of summer. During this period, approximately one-third of G. nymphaeae 's egg masses were attacked, whereas the proportion of eggs within each egg mass that were damaged or consumed increased from about 50 to 90%. At all sites, the survival of G. nymphaeae larvae and pupae was lower in open than in closed cages during mid- and late summer, but not earlier. The presence of arthropod predators and the absence of parasitized or diseased beetles indicate that predators were largely responsible for the reduced survival in open cages. From these results, we predict that resident species of general predators, at times, may hinder the colonization or effectiveness of the European G. calmariensis and G. pusilla. Therefore, the continued use of protective cages when making introductions and during subsequent distribution of these natural enemies is desirable. Moreover, the action of general predators should be considered in subsequent evaluations of biological control efforts involving Galerucella spp.
Preindustrial atmospheric carbonyl sulfide (OCS) from an Antarctic ice core

The concentration of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) has been determined in several preindustrial air samples extracted from a shallow ice core from Siple Dome, West Antarctica. The extraction of the air was carried out by shredding the core under vacuum, followed by analysis by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. 11 ice core samples were analyzed, ranging in depth from 82.3 to 90.7 m. The ages assigned to OCS in the ice core samples range from 1616 to 1694 AD. The observed OCS mixing ratios range from 322.6 pptv to 442.3 pptv with a mean of 372.8 ± 37.2 pptv. These levels are significantly lower than the present day atmospheric mixing ratio of 500 pptv and suggest that the anthropogenic sources comprise approximately 25% of the present day OCS budget.
A preferred method for the determination of bulk compositions of coarse-grained refractory inclusions and some implications of the results

Abstract Analyses of coarse-grained refractory inclusions typically do not have the solar CaO/Al2O3 ratio, probably reflecting nonrepresentative sampling of them in the laboratory. Many previous studies, especially those done by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), were based on very small amounts of material removed from those restricted portions of inclusions that happened to be exposed on surfaces of bulk meteorite samples. Here, we address the sampling problem by studying thin sections of large inclusions, and by analyzing much larger aliquots of powders of these inclusions by INAA than has typically been done in the past. These results do show convergence toward the solar CaO/Al2O3 ratio of 0.792. The bulk compositions of 15 coarse-grained inclusions determined by INAA of samples >2 mg have an average CaO/Al2O3 ratio of 0.80 ± 0.18. When bulk compositions are obtained by modal recombination based on analysis of thin sections with cross-sections of entire, large, unbroken inclusions, the average of 11 samples (0.79 ± 0.15) also matches the solar value. Among those analyzed by INAA and by modal recombination, there were no inclusions for which both techniques agreed on a CaO/Al2O3 ratio deviating by >∼15% from the solar value. These results suggest that: individual inclusions may have the solar CaO/Al2O3 ratio; departures from this value are due to sample heterogeneity and nonrepresentative sampling in the laboratory; and it is therefore valid to correct compositions to this value. We present a method for doing so by mathematical addition or subtraction of melilite, spinel, or pyroxene. This yields a set of multiple, usually slightly different, corrected compositions for each inclusion. The best estimate of the bulk composition of an inclusion is the average of these corrected compositions, which simultaneously accounts for errors in sampling of all major phases. Results show that Type B2 inclusions tend to be more SiO2-rich and have higher normative Anorthite/Gehlenite component ratios than Type B1s. The inclusion bulk compositions lie in a field that can result from evaporation at 1700–2000K of CMAS liquids with solar CaO/Al2O3, but with a wide range of initial MgO (30–60 wt%) and SiO2 (15–50 wt%) contents.
The reversibility of tributyltin-induced toxicity in vitro as a function of concentration and duration of exposure (C × T)

The toxicity exhibited by murine erythroleukemic cells (MELC) exposed to tributyltin (TBT) is a function of both concentration (C) and duration of exposure (T). At or above a critical C × T product value (CPV) (e.g., 0.5–1.0 μ m TBT, 6 hr), exposed MELC exhibit severe, irreversible toxicity: decreased membrane integrity (viability, measured by propidium iodide [PI] exclusion), grossly perturbed cell-cycle distributions, and fixation of the plasma membrane/cytoplasm complex. Below the CPV, exposed cells exhibit retention of carboxyfluorescein (CF) fluorescence (indicative of decreased plasma membrane permeability) and decreased cell proliferation, a result of retardation of progression into, through, and out of the S (DNA synthetic) phase of the cell cycle. However, following washout and recovery, mean CF fluorescence, cell proliferative capacity, and cell-cycle kinetics return to control levels. These results suggest that the toxic changes induced by TBT exposure may be reversible if exposure conditions do not exceed the CPV. To assess whether the CPV has been exceeded, a multiparameter flow cytometric analysis of membrane integrity and cell-cycle kinetics is useful.
Nutrient uptake of maize affected by nitrogen and potassium fertility in a humid subtropical environment

Abstract Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) fertility management of maize (Zea mays L.) in the humid subtropical Mississippi Delta may differ from a temperate climate because of its use in rotation with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), soil temperatures rarely falling to 0°C, and heavy winter rains that facilitate nutrient losses. An experiment to determine the [N] (concentration=[ ]), phosphorus [P], [K], calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg], iron [Fe], manganese [Mn], zinc [Zn], and copper [Cu] and their total contents plant−1 of maize grown in rotation with cotton, using N fertility levels of (134, 179, 224, 269, and 314 kg N ha−1) in combination with K fertility levels of (0, 45, 90, and 134 kg K ha−1) was conducted in 2000 and 2001 at Tribbett, MS. Ear leaves, immature ears, and husks collected at growth stage R2 and grain and stover collected 21 days after R6 were dried, weighed, and analyzed for nutrient concentration. Plots were also harvested for yield, kernel weight, grain bulk density, and harvest index (HI...
Hydrodesulphurization of thiophene by coal mineral matter and a cobalt-molybdate catalyst in a pulse reactor

Abstract A pulse reactor was used to compare the catalytic activity of a commercial desulphurization catalyst (Nalco 471) and of mineral matter from Western Kentucky coal. Hydrodesulphurization of thiophene, a model coal sulphur compound, was the reaction studied. Mineral matter was obtained from the coal in its least altered state by a low-temperature, oxygen-plasma technique commonly referred to as low-temperature ashing. Conversion is determined from the C 4 gases which are separated in a two-column Chromatographic system. At 748 K it was found that thiophene conversion with mineral matter was 12% of that with the commercial catalyst. Relative activities of hydrogenation of intermediate butenes to butane, the effect of presulphiding, and that of pyridine poisoning were also determined.
Plasmodium gallinaceum: Response of malarious chicken embryos to injection of serum from hyperimmunized chickens

Abstract The injection of serum from chickens hyperimmune to the avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium gallinaceum , or of nonimmune serum into the chorioallantoic cavity of chicken embryos infected with the same parasite resulted in changes in the blood picture of such embryos. In those embryos receiving serum from hyperimmunized birds: The level and rate of parasite increase were depressed; the maturation of the erythroid elements was reduced; the hematocrit values increased only by 27% as compared with 69% in untreated embryos. While hematocrit levels and rates of erythrocytic maturation were depressed in those embryos injected with nonimmune serum, there was no suppression of parasitemia. The results suggest a definite role of immunity in the anemia accompanying malaria.
Detection of Legionella bacteria in sewage by polymerase chain reaction and standard culture method

Legionella bacteria are ubiquitous in environmental waters. Only a few species of Legionella , especially, L. pneumophila are pathogenic to humans and cause a sometimes fatal Legionnaires disease as well as a less fatal disease called Pontiac fever. The presence of Legionella in sewage and aerosolized sewage is the subject of this investigation because reuse of sewage may involve the exposure of people to aerosolization, the mode of transmission of Legionella bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Legionella species and L. pneumophila in wastewater and their fate after various stages of treatment. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and standard culture method were utilized to detect Legionella species and L. pneumophila . PCR results indicated that Legionella species were present at levels > 10 3 cells / ml during all phases of sewage treatment including chlorinated effluents. Culture results indicated levels at least one log lower than seen with PCR. Legionella species were also recovered from air samples collected from secondary aeration basins at levels 3 cells/ml. PCR was shown to be the most rapid and sensitive method for detecting Legionella in sewage.
Effects of an acute bout of localized resistance exercise on cognitive performance in middle-aged adults: A randomized controlled trial study

Objectives. To examine the effect of an acute bout of resistance exercise on cognitive performance in healthy middle-aged adults. Design. A randomized controlled trial design. Methods. Forty-one adults (Mage = 49.10 years, SD = 8.73) were randomly assigned to either resistance exercise or a control condition. The resistance exercise condition consisted of 2 sets of 10 repetitions for 6 exercises, and the control condition involved reading about resistance exercise for a time period approximating the duration of the exercise condition. The Stroop Test and the Trail Making Test (TMT) were completed at baseline and immediately following performance of the treatment. Results. Results indicated that resistance exercise significantly benefits speed of processing (Stroop Word and Stroop Color), and that there is a trend towards resistance exercise benefiting performance on an executive function task (Stroop Color–Word) that requires shifting of the habitual response. However, the results for the TMT were not significant which demonstrates that acute resistance exercise has a limited effect on inhibition. Conclusion. The present findings extend the literature by indicating that an acute bout of resistance exercise has a positive impact on automatic cognitive processes and on particular types of executive function in middle-aged adults.
Metabolic Syndrome in Yup'ik Eskimos : The Center for Alaska Native Health Research (CANHR) Study

Author(s): Boyer, Bert B; Mohatt, Gerald V; Plaetke, Rosemarie; Herron, Johanna; Stanhope, Kimber L; Stephensen, Charles; Havel, Peter J; CANHR Project Team | Abstract: ObjectiveThis study investigated the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its defining components among Yup'ik Eskimos.Research methods and proceduresA cross-sectional study design that included 710 adult Yup'ik Eskimos gor=18 years of age residing in 8 communities in Southwest Alaska. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was determined using the recently updated Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.ResultsThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this study cohort was 14.7%, and varied by sex with 8.6% of the men and 19.8% of the women having metabolic syndrome. This is lower than the prevalence of 23.9% in the general U.S. adult population. The most common metabolic syndrome components/risk factors were increased waist circumference and elevated blood glucose. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels in Yup'ik Eskimos were significantly higher, and triglycerides lower than levels reported in National Health and Nutritional Examination III.DiscussionCompared with other populations, metabolic syndrome is relatively uncommon in Yup'ik Eskimos. The higher prevalence among Yup'ik women is primarily explained by their large waist circumference, suggesting central body fat accumulation. Further increases in metabolic syndrome risk factors among Yup'ik Eskimos could lead to increases in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, once rare in this population.
Analysis of the Genome of the Sexually Transmitted Insect Virus Helicoverpa zea Nudivirus 2

The sexually transmitted insect virus Helicoverpa zea nudivirus 2 (HzNV-2) was determined to have a circular double-stranded DNA genome of 231,621 bp coding for an estimated 113 open reading frames (ORFs). HzNV-2 is most closely related to the nudiviruses, a sister group of the insect baculoviruses. Several putative ORFs that share homology with the baculovirus core genes were identified in the viral genome. However, HzNV-2 lacks several key genetic features of baculoviruses including the late transcriptional regulation factor, LEF-1 and the palindromic hrs, which serve as origins of replication. The HzNV-2 genome was found to code for three ORFs that had significant sequence homology to cellular genes which are not generally found in viral genomes. These included a presumed juvenile hormone esterase gene, a gene coding for a putative zinc-dependent matrix metalloprotease, and a major facilitator superfamily protein gene; all of which are believed to play a role in the cellular proliferation and the tissue hypertrophy observed in the malformation of reproductive organs observed in HzNV-2 infected corn earworm moths, Helicoverpa zea.
Still Struggling: Characteristics of Youth with OCD Who Are Partial Responders to Medication Treatment.

The primary aim of this paper is to examine the characteristics of a large sample of youth with OCD who are partial responders (i.e., still have clinically significant symptoms) to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) medication. The sample will be described with regard to: demographics, treatment history, OCD symptoms/severity, family history and parental psychopathology, comorbidity, and global and family functioning. The sample includes 124 youth with OCD ranging in age from 7 to 17 with a primary diagnosis of OCD and a partial response to an SRI medication. The youth are a predominantly older (age 12 and over), Caucasian, middle to upper income group who had received significant past treatment. Key findings include moderate to severe OCD symptoms, high ratings of global impairment, and significant comorbidity, despite partial response to an adequate medication trial. Considerations regarding generalizability of the sample and limitations of the study are discussed.
Sun-Protection Behaviors Among African Americans

Background Data suggest that the prevalence of sun-protection behaviors is low (44%) among African Americans; the samples in such studies, however, tended to be small or nonrepresentative. Purpose This article aims to examine the prevalence and correlates of sun-protection behaviors among a large, random, statewide sample of African-American adults living in California to ascertain behavioral patterns and highlight directions for targeted interventions. Methods From September 2006 through May 2008, an anonymous health survey collected data on sunscreen, sunglasses, and wide-brim hat use among a random sample of 2187 African-American adults, and assessed demographic, regional, skin type, and other potential correlates of these behaviors. The analysis was conducted in 2009. Results Only 31% engaged in at least one sun-protection behavior; of the three behaviors, sunscreen use was the least prevalent, with 63% never using sunscreen. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that gender, SES, and skin type were significant predictors of sun-protection behaviors. Conclusions Tailored interventions to increase sun-protection behaviors among African Americans (men in particular) are needed.
Parent-child centers: a working reappraisal.

Previous accounts of federally sponsored Parent-Child Centers have delineated their conceptual base and early Organization. This report, based on visits of the author to the centers described, evaluates what is occurring in fourteen of them, in terms of philosophy, participation, internal confticts, and current results.
Analysis of cis-acting sequences essential for coronavirus defective interfering RNA replication.

Abstract Mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) defective interfering (DI) RNA was used to determine the cis-acting sequences required for MHV RNA replication. A 2.2-kb-long cDNA clone of the MHV DI RNA DIssE was used to test the effect of deletions throughout the DI RNA on replication in DI RNA-transfected, MHV-infected cells. Data from a series of deletion mutants demonstrated that about 470 nucleotides at the 5′ terminus, 460 nucleotides at the 3′ terminus, and about 135 nucleotides in an internal position approximately 0.9 kb from the 5′ end of DI RNA were necessary for DI RNA replication. These data suggested that cis -acting sequences which were necessary for MHV RNA replication required not only terminal sequences but also an internal sequence present at about 3.2 kb from the 5′ end of the genome.
Consistency of scaling relations among bedrock and alluvial channels

[1] This paper presents field data on channel geometry and potential control variables from 47 field settings representing a diverse range of environments. These data are used to evaluate existing scaling relationships used in models of the evolution of bedrock channel geometry and to test the hypothesis that channel width (w) increases more slowly and depth (d) more rapidly in relation to discharge (Q) or drainage area (A) as substrate resistance increases. For this data set, w ∼ A0.3, w ∼ Q0.5, d ∼ A0.2, and d ∼ Q0.3. The w-A and w-Q relations are close to those found by previous investigators. The d-A and d-Q relations have not previously been reported for bedrock channels. Examination of trends within the data does not support the hypothesis and, instead, suggests that the erosional resistance of channel boundaries is not the primary control on scaling relations for channel geometry.
Inhabiting the other's world: language and cultural immersion for US-based teachers in the Dominican Republic

This paper discusses the conception, goals, highlights, and outcomes of a four-week study-abroad seminar in the Dominican Republic (DR) for pre- and in-service teachers of English language learners from the New York metropolitan area. The seminar was designed to have teachers experience first-hand the phases and challenges of second language learning, and enhance understanding of their immigrant students' culture with a view to transform such an experience into culturally responsive pedagogy. The 17 seminar participants all lived with host families while engaging in intensive Spanish language study at a university in the DR and simultaneously taking a graduate course on second language acquisition. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of data sources, including language questionnaires, an intercultural development inventory, culture portfolios, and post-seminar evaluations and interviews showed that participants developed empathy for immigrant students' linguistic struggles, developed a better understand...
The intensity and pressure broadening of the 681.884 nm methane absorption line at low temperatures determined by intracavity laser spectroscopy.

Abstract The temperature dependence of the intensity and of the pressure broadened width of the 681.884 nm ro-vibrational absorption line in the weak 681.5 nm band of methane is studied experimentally using intracavity laser spectroscopy (ILS). These measurements are performed in the temperature range between 77 and 295 K using equivalent absorption pathlengths between 3.6 and 36 km. The collision-broadening data are measured for cases in which CH 4 , N 2 , H 2 and He are the collision partners at total pressures ranging between 100 and 500 torr. The intensity results obtained here are the first such data to be reported for the 681.884 nm line. An analysis of the line intensity data based upon their dependence on temperature suggests that the rotational quantum number J assignable to this line is 2. The 681.884 nm line examined here is found to be approximately 7 times weaker at ambient temperature than the 619.68 nm line studied previously using the ILS technique. The work presented here, therefore, extends the limit of detection sensitivity for quantitative spectroscopic applications of ILS in congested spectral regions by almost an order of magnitude. The significance of the results with respect to observational spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres is also discussed.
UNSYMMETRICAL TETRADENTATE COMPLEXES OF COPPER (II)

Abstract Four mixed tetradentate Cu(II) chelates were prepared by reacting a copper salt, acety acetone, and ethylene-diamine with salicylaldehyde, o-hydroxyacetophenone, o-hydroxypropiophenone, and o-hydroxybutyrophenone, respectively. The I.R., optical, and E.S.R. spectra were obtained and discussed with regard to the expected bonding changes and/or those predicted by a model molecular orbital calculation for mixed ligand complexes.
I/O issues in a multimedia system

In future computer system design, I/O systems will have to support continuous media such as video and audio, whose system demands are different from those of data such as text. Multimedia computing requires us to focus on designing I/O systems that can handle real-time demands. Video- and audio-stream playback and teleconferencing are real-time applications with different I/O demands. We primarily consider playback applications which require guaranteed real-time I/O throughput. In a multimedia server, different service phases of a real-time request are disk, small computer systems interface (SCSI) bus, and processor scheduling. Additional service might be needed if the request must be satisfied across a local area network. We restrict ourselves to the support provided at the server, with special emphasis on two service phases: disk scheduling and SCSI bus contention. When requests have to be satisfied within deadlines, traditional real-time systems use scheduling algorithms such as earliest deadline first (EDF) and least slack time first. However, EDF makes the assumption that disks are preemptable, and the seek-time overheads of its strict real-time scheduling result in poor disk utilization. We can provide the constant data rate necessary for real-time requests in various ways that require trade-offs. We analyze how trade-offs that involve buffer space affect the performance of scheduling policies. We also show that deferred deadlines, which increase buffer requirements, improve system performance significantly. >
The Politics and Poetics of Journalistic Narrative

The Politics and Poetics of Journalistic Narrative investigates the textuality of all discourse, arguing that the ideologically charged distinction between 'journalism' and 'fiction' is socially constructed rather than natural. Phyllis Frus separates literariness from aesthetic definitions, regarding it as a way of reading a text through its style to discover how it 'makes' reality. Frus examines narratives by Stephen Crane and Ernest Hemingway, showing that conventional understanding of the categories of fiction and non-fiction frequently determines the differences we perceive in texts. When journalists writing about historical events adopt the Hemingway-esque, understated narrative style that is commonly associated with both 'objectivity' and 'literature', it leads to an audience unable to face the historical and social conditions in which it must function. She interprets New Journalistic narratives, such as that of Truman Capote, as ways to counter the reification of modern consciousness to which both objective journalism and aestheticised fiction contribute.
Pueblo: A Hybrid Pseudo-Boolean SAT Solver

This paper introduces a new hybrid method for efficiently integrating Pseudo-Boolean (PB) constraints into generic SAT solvers in order to solve PB satisfiability and optimization problems. To achieve this, we adopt the cutting-plane technique to draw inferences among PB constraints and combine it with generic implication graph analysis for conflict-induced learning. Novel features of our approach include a light-weight and efficient hybrid learning and backjumping strategy for analyzing PB constraints and CNF clauses in order to simultaneously learn both a CNF clause and a PB constraint with minimum overhead and use both to determine the backtrack level. Several techniques for handling the original and learned PB constraints are introduced. Overall, our method benefits significantly from the pruning power of the learned PB constraints, while keeping the overhead of adding them into the problem low. In this paper, we also address two other methods for solving PB problems, namely Integer Linear Programming (ILP) and pre-processing to CNF SAT, and present a thorough comparison between them and our hybrid method. Experimental comparison of our method against other hybrid approaches is also demonstrated. Additionally, we provide details of the MiniSAT-based implementation of our solver Pueblo to enable the reader to construct a similar one.
Generalized Shrinkage Methods for Forecasting Using Many Predictors

This article provides a simple shrinkage representation that describes the operational characteristics of various forecasting methods designed for a large number of orthogonal predictors (such as principal components). These methods include pretest methods, Bayesian model averaging, empirical Bayes, and bagging. We compare empirically forecasts from these methods with dynamic factor model (DFM) forecasts using a U.S. macroeconomic dataset with 143 quarterly variables spanning 1960–2008. For most series, including measures of real economic activity, the shrinkage forecasts are inferior to the DFM forecasts. This article has online supplementary material.
Assessment and consequences of the constant-volume attribute of the four-chambered heart

The constant-volume hypothesis regarding the four-chambered heart states that total pericardial volume remains invariant throughout the cardiac cycle. Previous canine studies have indicated that the pericardial volume remains constant within 5%; however, this hypothesis has not been validated in humans using state-of-the-art technology. The constant-volume hypothesis has several predictable functional consequences, including a relationship between atrial ejection fraction and chamber equilibrium volumes. Using cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI), we measured the extent to which the constant-volume attribute of the heart is valid, and we tested the accuracy of the predicted relationship between atrial ejection fraction and chamber equilibrium volumes. Eleven normal volunteers and one volunteer with congenital absence of the pericardium were imaged using a 1.5-T MR scanner. A short-axis cine-loop stack covering the entire heart was acquired. The cardiac cycle was divided into 20 intervals. For each slice and interval, pericardial volumes were measured. The slices were stacked and summed, and total pericardial volume as a function of time was determined for each subject. In the normal subjects, chamber volumes at ventricular end diastole, end systole, and diastasis were measured. Pericardial volume remained invariant within 5 ± 1% in normal subjects; maximum variation occurred near end systole. In the subject with congenital absence of the pericardium, total heart volume, defined by the epicardial surface, varied by 12%. The predictions of the relationship between atrial ejection fraction and chamber equilibrium volumes were well fit by MRI data. In normal subjects, the four-chambered heart is a constant-volume pump within 5 ± 1%, and constant-volume-based modeling accurately predicts previously unreported physiological relationships.
Review of modeling electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical systems

A wide range of microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs) and devices are actuated using electrostatic forces. Multiphysics modeling is required, since coupling among different fields such as solid and fluid mechanics, thermomechanics and electromagnetism is involved. This work presents an overview of models for electrostatically actuated MEMSs. Three-dimensional nonlinear formulations for the coupled electromechanical fluid–structure interaction problem are outlined. Simplified reduced-order models are illustrated along with assumptions that define their range of applicability. Theoretical, numerical and experimental works are classified according to the mechanical model used in the analysis.
Understanding species - level primate diversity in Madagascar

Over the past couple of decades Madagascar has witnessed an explosion in the number of primate species generally recognized. Much of this proliferation can be traced less to increasing knowledge of the lemur fauna than to the complete replacement of biological notions of the species by the Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC), which views species as irreducible diagnosable units. The consequent focus on autapomorphy (unique possession of morphological and molecular derived features) as ‘the’ criterion for species recognition has led to the almost complete disappearance of lemur subspecies from Madagascar faunal lists; yet subspecies are an expected result of the evolutionary forces that gave rise to the island’s current pattern of biodiversity. Thanks in part to the perspective introduced by the PSC, it has become clear both that there is much more species - level diversity among Madagascar’s lemurs than was evident only a couple of decades ago, and that this diversity is much more complexly structured than we had thought. But it does not appear to be aptly reflected in the hard - line procedural adoption of the PSC across the board, a move that typically results in fifty-percent inflation in species numbers relative to those yielded by biological concepts. I argue here that the reflexive wholesale application of the PSC to Madagascar’s lemurs is inappropriate from both systematic and conservation standpoints, and that a return to biological species concepts, and to the corresponding criteria for species recognition, will allow us to attain a much fuller and more nuanced appreciation of lemur diversity at low taxonomic levels.
Structural colouration of avian skin: convergent evolution of coherently scattering dermal collagen arrays

SUMMARY Structural colours of avian skin have long been hypothesized to be produced by incoherent (Rayleigh/Tyndall) scattering. We investigated the colour, anatomy, nanostructure and biophysics of structurally coloured skin, ramphotheca and podotheca from 31 species of birds from 17 families in 10 orders from across Aves. Integumentary structural colours of birds include ultraviolet, dark blue, light blue, green and yellow hues. The discrete peaks in reflectance spectra do not conform to the inverse fourth power relationship predicted by Rayleigh scattering. The dermis of structurally coloured skin consists of a thick (100–500 μm) layer of collagen that is usually underlain by a layer of melanin granules. Transmission electron micrographs (TEMs) of this colour-producing dermal collagen layer revealed quasi-ordered arrays of parallel collagen fibres. Two-dimensional (2-D) Fourier analysis of TEMs of the collagen arrays revealed a ring of peak spatial frequencies in the spatial variation in refractive index that are the appropriate size to make the observed ultraviolet–yellow colours by coherent scattering alone. One species, Philepitta castanea (Eurylaimidae), has exceptionally ordered, hexagonal arrays of collagen fibres that produce a hexagonal pattern of spatial frequency peaks in the power spectra. Ultraviolet, blue, green and yellow structural colours of avian skin are produced by coherent scattering (i.e. constructive interference) by arrays of collagen fibres in the dermis. Some yellow and orange skin colours are produced with a combination of structural and pigmentary mechanisms. These combined colours can have reflectance spectra with discrete peaks that are more saturated than hues produced by carotenoid pigments alone. Bluish facial skin from two species of Neotropical antbirds (Thamnophilidae) are nanostructurally too small to produce visible light by coherent scattering, and the colour production mechanism in these species remains unknown. Based on the phylogenetic distribution of structurally coloured skin in Aves, this mechanism of colour production has evolved convergently more than 50 independent times within extant birds.
Dynamic hashing schemes

A new type of dynamic file access called dynamic hashing has recently emerged. It promises the flexibility of handling dynamic files while preserving the fast access times expected from hashing. Such a fast, dynamic file access scheme is needed to support modern database systems. This paper surveys dynamic file access scheme is needed to support modern database systems. This paper surveys dynamic hashing schemes and examines their critical design issues.
Research on Body Movement Interacting Model in Virtual Environment

Presently, interaction between human and virtual environment is mainly up to keyboards, mice, gestures and voices. Thus, the immersion effect is limited. In the article, a body movement interacting method was suggested; a skeleton module for animating the body was founded, and the moving rules were formulated. The article also studied the moving algorithm, designed interacting system architecture, and finally realized a part of system functions, using 3D MAX, Multigen Creator, Vega and C complier.
Trading computation & precision for energy in wireless sensor networks with applications

Wireless ad hoc networks of battery-powered microsensors are proliferating rapidly and transforming how information is gathered and processed, and how we affect our environment. The limited energy of those sensors poses the challenge of using such systems in an energy efficient manner to perform various activities. In many of these activities, a basic step is that of a sensor sending a data set to a base station. Since communication drains sensor energy fast, reducing the amount of bits transmitted can lead into substantial energy savings. We consider the problem of communicating a given set S of elements from a universe in a way that transmits substantially fewer bits, with a very small computation overhead at the sender. We present an approach that utilizes Bloom filters to construct a small footprint signature for S, from which candidates for S are computed. Our approach trades some practical computation cost and a small precision loss at the receiver (base station), which is anyway resource rich, for reducing the number of bits transmitted. The precision loss stems from the fact that the recovered set at the receiver may include false positive(s). We experimentally show that our approach substantially reduces the number of bits transmitted, while still having practical receiver running times and few false positive errors. Moreover, we show that our approach can utilize application-dependent characteristics to further reduce false positives, or even eliminate them as in our experiments with topology gathering and energy map gathering, without noticeable increase in running times.
Rampway Safety: Foot Forces as a Function of Rampway Angle

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rampway angle on forces at the shoe/floor interface. Force plate measurements were taken on normal subjects (18–28years) while walking up and down a rampway at angles from 0 to 20° in 4°-intervals. Shear forces and forces normal to the surface were collected. These data then were used to estimate the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) by dividing the shear forces by the normal forces over time. Peak RCOFs were identified from each trial. Step lengths and walking speed also were recorded. Regression analysis showed a significant linear relationship between peak RCOF and rampway angle. Peak RCOF ranged from 0.15 for a flat surface to over 0.6 for a 20° incline and was consistently higher for walking upwards. Foot force analysis showed that for downward walking, shear forces increased on initial contact and remained elevated through longer portions of the step as the ramp angle increased. This suggests that slips at heelstrikes are of particular...
Single-Molecule Studies of HIV-1 Protease Catalysis Enabled by Chemical Protein Synthesis

Understanding the chemistry of enzyme catalysis has been an important objective of chemical research since the time of Emil Fischer. The goal is a detailed understanding of the molecular basis of the chemistry occurring in the enzyme–substrate complex. The physical organic chemistry of enzyme catalysis is potentially more accessible than the study of the corresponding reaction(s) in solution because, in principle, in the enzyme–substrate complex every aspect of the reaction environment (proximity, angles of attack, electronics of reactants/catalytic functionalities, polarity/dielectric constant of the reaction medium) can be controlled. Realizing such control in experimental practice will require the application of new methods. Total chemical synthesis has an important contribution to make, in that it can provide the researcher with atom-by-atom control of the structure (electronic, covalent, and geometric) of both the substrate and the