cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of 13C chemical shifts in solids

Abstract A pulse sequence and sample geometry which allows the measurement of 13 C chemical shifts of solid materials relative to liquid tetramethylsilane (TMS) are described. Using this technique, the chemical shifts of a series of common engineering plastics were measured and reported. A small number of candidate secondary shift reference materials were considered and their chemical shifts measured. Most of these materials proved to be unsuitable for general 13 C shift references for differing reasons. The most promising standard investigated was polydimethylsilane. The measurement of chemical shifts in solid materials is slightly complicated by anisotropic magnetic properties and sensitivity to magic-angle missetting when the material exhibits macroscopic orientation. These complications are discussed in detail and examples of misleading spectra are shown.
SEROLOGIC STRAIN DIFFERENTIATION IN TRACHOMA

An in vitro test for the differentiation of trachoma strain isolates was described. The method was based on absorption of trachoma antiserum followed by immunofluorescent staining of individual trachoma strains. Nineteen trachoma strains were studied; two main types were identified. Evidence for quantitative and qualitative antigenic variation between the two types was presented. The limitations in practice and in theory of the test were emphasized.
Preferences and Attitudes Toward Progress Reporting Methods of Parents From Diverse Backgrounds

There is a growing movement in education toward data-based decision-making requiring frequent monitoring of student progress. However, the literature fails to provide direction as to the best means of communicating information about a child’s progress with his or her parents. Given the increasing number of immigrant families being served, it is essential that we study the best method of communicating with parents from diverse backgrounds. In this study, six families from diverse ethnic backgrounds were interviewed and asked to share their thoughts about the information they receive from the educators serving their children. In addition, they were asked to rank their preference for receiving information about their children’s progress, choosing from among a narrative, a graph, and a rubric. All but one parent reported the narrative as their preferred method for receiving information about their child. This discovery may impact the use of visual graphics, used to record progress, with parents from diverse b...
A new electronic system for counting and measuring bivalve larvae

A particle measurement computer system was successfully used to measure lengths and areas ofMercenaria mercenaria larvae. This method can be used to expedite larval shellfish measurements and has applications for enumerating bivalve embryos.
Biochemical relationships and browning index for assessing the storage suitability of artichoke genotypes

Abstract Selection of artichoke cultivars with specific physical, physiological and biochemical characteristics is required by processors and retailers in order to commercialize artichokes as fresh or fresh-cut products. In this work six artichoke cultivars were evaluated for their cold storage suitability by following the variations in their main physical (browning index), physiological (respiration rate) and biochemical (antioxidant activity, total phenol content, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity) parameters at 1 °C for 12 days. In addition, linear regressions among antioxidant activity, total phenols and enzymatic activities were assessed with the aim of selecting the most suitable cultivar for storage and processing. The low values for the physical, physiological and biochemical parameters measured in Romolo led us to indicate this cultivar as the best for storage. On the other hand, it may be preferable to designate cultivars, with higher values for the same parameters for fresh consumption, partly due to their high antioxidant content.
Multimodal therapy for abdominal surgery

Every year, more than 40 million surgical procedures are performed in the United States, most of which result in significant postoperative pain. Apart from its toll in human terms, unrelieved pain has a sizeable economic impact, through its negative effects on clinical outcome. Traditionally, opioids have been the mainstay of postoperative analgesia, although their dose-limiting side effects (eg, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, sedation, respiratory depression, constipation) are well recognized. Regional anesthesia/analgesia techniques (RA) offer many clinical and practical advantages, are widely used, and are likely to strongly influence anesthesia/analgesia treatments in years to come. The advantages gained from the use of RA techniques can be even greater when it is used as part of a multimodal approach to therapy. This CME activity will focus on the application of RA techniques as a component of multimodal therapy to facilitate the earlier recovery of patients undergoing infraumbilical surgery. It will also describe the daily functioning of a nursing-based acute pain service and how this contributes to optimal patient care and utilization of health care resources.
2D weight function development using a complex Taylor series expansion method

Abstract Weight functions are a critical component of a damage tolerance fracture control plan in that they allow the stress intensity factor to be computed quickly from the stress along the uncracked crack line. The traditional method to compute weight functions is to use several (2–4) reference stress solutions or auxiliary conditions to develop the coefficients in a series solution. While this method has been shown to provide good results in many scenarios, the truncated series provides a source of error that is difficult to quantify and the method requires multiple high-quality reference solutions or other auxiliary information. In contrast, the WCTSE method presented here, provides a method to accurately and efficiently develop the weight function for an arbitrary geometry and loading scenario from a single complex variable finite element solution without other reference solutions or auxiliary information. The complex Taylor series expansion method is used within the finite element formulation to obtain the derivatives of the crack opening displacements with respect to crack length directly from the finite element analysis. These derivatives allow the direct evaluation of the weight function. The method requires a small perturbation of the crack length along the imaginary axis; the real coordinate mesh is unaltered. Since the real coordinate mesh is unaltered, standard finite element meshes and meshing algorithms can be used. Given that the error in the weight function is controlled by the accuracy of the mesh, typical convergence tests can be used to obtain high confidence in the weight functions. Several numerical examples are computed and compared to other well known published weight function solutions or finite element (J integral) or boundary element solutions.
Evidence for tight coupling of receptor occupancy by thyrotropin-releasing hormone to phospholipase C-mediated phosphoinositide hydrolysis in rat pituitary cells: use of chlordiazepoxide as a competitive antagonist.

Chlordiazepoxide (CDE) has been shown to antagonize the effects of TRH to stimulate the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides and elevate cytoplasmic free calcium in rat pituitary tumor (GH3) cells. Herein, we show that CDE inhibits TRH stimulation of PRL secretion and that the effect of CDE to antagonize TRH action is caused by its ability to compete with TRH for binding to receptors on GH3 cells. We also use CDE to explore whether continued receptor occupancy is required for prolonged stimulation of cellular responses. CDE had no effect on basal PRL secretion, but caused a dose-dependent inhibition of TRH-induced PRL secretion. CDE decreased the affinity of TRH binding to intact GH3 cells without affecting the maximum binding capacity. As shown previously, CDE had no effect on phosphoinositide metabolism, which was monitored because it appears to be a mechanism for signal transduction by TRH, and when added simultaneously with TRH, caused a dosedependent inhibition of TRH-induced phosphoinositide metabolism. ...
Nonbiologic Objects as Actors

We generally understand interactions between human actors and nonbiologic objects (NBOs) as being indirect, with the human actor acting for the NBO and using the NBO as a “thing.” Under certain circumstances, however, human actors enter into direct interaction with NBOs and take on extra work in this process. Actors must “do mind” for the nonbiologic other to perceive “another” with whom it is possible to interact. The fiction that mind can exist where thought cannot be present is counterintuitive, making this process tenuous and heavily dependent upon the circumstances at hand. Four successive contingencies must be present to make possible the perceptual shift from object to actor. First, the actor must perceive the object in question as capable of independent action, whether or not the human actor initiates said action. Second, this separate and active status must become apparent through actions that threaten the human actor's desired goals. Third, these goals must be of sufficient urgency to warrant continuing in direct interaction with the object rather than reverting to nonanthropomorphized normal interaction. Finally, the object at hand must be necessary for completing the desired task.
Effect of opioid antagonism on conditioned place preferences to snack foods

Previous research has shown that food-deprived rats acquire conditioned place preferences (CPPs) to sweet liquids that are largely attenuated by the opioid antagonist naltrexone (NAL). This study determined if ad libitum Chow-fed rats can learn CPPs when given relatively brief exposures to different solid snack foods (SFs) -- one high in sugar (Froot Loops cereal: FL) vs. one high in fat (Cheetos: C). Two groups of 16 male rats were trained during 20-min sessions to eat either FL or C in one side of a three-chambered CPP apparatus vs. Chow in the opposite side on alternating days for 20 days. Rats ate considerably more SFs of both types than Chow during the conditioning sessions (SFs: about 23 kcal versus Chow: about 7 kcal). Ten-minute tests for CPPs in the absence of SFs showed that the time spent on SF-conditioned sides increased significantly compared to pre-conditioning tests. Analyses of variance for re-tested CCPs after 0.1, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0mg/kg NAL showed dose-dependent suppressions of CPPs to both SFs. These data show that consuming sweet or fatty SFs can become reliably associated with environmental cues in the non-deprived state. The endogenous opioid system, which mediates hedonic aspects of palatable food intake, appears to mediate these learned associations.
Determination of network density of composites containing inert fillers from stress—Strain measurements in the swollen state☆

Abstract Methods of estimating the concentration of effective network chains from the stress—strain behaviour of elastomers both dry and swollen in solvents are discussed. It is pointed out that while measurements in uniaxial extension are more difficult to carry out experimentally than measurements in uniaxial compression, they are preferred because they can provide more information about the behaviour of the elastomer. An equation is presented for relating the stress—strain behaviour of swollen composites containing inert fillers to the behaviour of a gum having the same degree of crosslinking; experimental data on SBR—glass bead composites are presented which indicate that the equation is applicable.
A Note on the Effect of Sudden Obsolescence on the Optimal Lot Size

In most management situations, the decision to hold inventory involves some element of obsolescence risk The traditional approach to this problem, in both theory and practice, is to incorporate obsolescence costs in the inventory holding cost. This note explores this issue and demonstrates that the traditional approach is appropriate for items subject to sudden obsolescence; that is, for items with demand lifetimes that are exponentially distributed.
Adhesion, internalization and metabolism of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals by renal epithelial cells

Adhesion, internalization and metabolism of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals by renal epithelial cells. The interaction between crystals that nucleate in the nephron lumen and tubular cells could be an important determinant of renal calcification. Kidney epithelial cells in monolayer culture (BSC-1 line), used to model the tubule, rapidly bound and internalized crystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM), the most common constituent of renal stones. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy, enzyme histochemistry, and kinetic analysis of [ 14 C]-labeled crystals were used to study the interaction between renal cells and COM crystals. Electron microscopy revealed that adherent crystals on the apical cell surface can serve as sites for aggregation of additional crystals. Enhanced binding of exogenous crystals to plasma membrane domains overlying internalized crystals was observed for at least 24 hours after the initial cell-crystal interaction. Following internalization, crystals appeared to dissolve within lysosomal inclusion bodies during the ensuing five to seven weeks. Over this time, many cells still containing crystals clustered together in the monolayer. These observations suggest that adhesion and internalization can promote crystal retention in the nephron, whereas intracellular dissolution of crystals may serve as an important, hitherto unrecognized defense against pathologic renal calcification.
A reanalysis of the orbital inclination of Cygnus XR-1 determined polarimetrically

The orbital inclination of the Cyg XR-1/HDE 226868 system was determined by Dolan and Tapia (1989) to be 62 deg (+5 deg, -37 deg) from polarimetric observations. Together with the spectroscopic mass function of the binary, this corresponds to a mass of 6.3 solar masses for the X-ray source. Numerical simulations show that there is no straightforward way to removing tidal deformation polarization (TDP) from polarimetric observations of close binaries. A reanalysis of the data shows that the existence of TDP in the Stokes parameter light curves observed from Cyg XR-1 does not significantly bias the mass derived to larger values. The mass of Cyg XR-1 must be significantly larger than 5 solar masses. This fact alone does not require Cyg XR-1 to be a black hole, however. Recent theoretical investigations of possible equations of state of matter at nuclear density show that the maximum mass of a compact object which is not a black hole may be much greater than 5 solar masses.
Pricing on Andersen's FIS and internal audit services by successor auditors

Purpose – To examine whether or not new auditors of former Andersen clients perceive prohibited non‐audit services from Andersen as a business risk indicator and, therefore, adjust for the effects of this important risk factor in their audit pricing.Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing a significant number of involuntary auditor switches in the US as a result of the collapse of Andersen in late 2002, this study uses regression analyses to examine the hypothesized associations between two types of non‐audit services and successor auditors' audit pricing.Findings – This study finds that the provision of financial information systems (FIS) design and implementation services and internal audit outsourcing services are positively associated with audit fees charged by successor auditors. This study supports the recent prohibition on the provision of FIS and internal audit services mandated by the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002.Originality/value – This study adds to the recent body of work on the association betw...
Information Theory and Distributed Hypothesis Testing

Information theory was developed to determine the fundamental limits on the performance of communication systems. Detection theory involves an application of statistical decision theory to the problem of determining the presence or absence of signals in noise. Both of these theories deal with the communication problem. The relationship between information theory and conventional (centralized) detection theory has been discussed in the literature. Kullback [Ku159] discussed the use of discrimination to study hypothesis testing problems. Middleton [Mid60] employed cost functions based on information theory for optimizing signal detection systems. Csiszar et al. [CsL71] and Blahut [Bla74] have formulated the detection problem as a coding problem and have carried out an asymptotic analysis of detection systems based on the error exponent function. In this chapter, we briefly present some extensions of the above work for the distributed detection problem. In Section 7.2, we discuss the design of distributed detection systems based on an information theoretic cost function. In Section 7.3, we present a brief summary of some asymptototic results on the performance of distributed detection systems.
Respiratory transfer impedance between 8 and 384 Hz in guinea pigs before and after bronchial challenge.

Sobh, Jamil F., Craig M. Lilly, Jeffrey M. Drazen, and Andrew C. Jackson. Respiratory transfer impedance between 8 and 384 Hz in guinea pigs before and after bronchial challenge.J. Appl. Physiol. 8...
A quadruple subharmonic phase-conjugating array for secure picosatellite crosslinks

A retrodirective array for use in secure picosatellite networks is presented. This is the first reported array that uses quadruple subharmonic mixing which relaxes the requirements on a high-frequency local oscillator. The array demonstrates circular polarization and two-dimensional retrodirectivity for a free-floating satellite environment. Bistatic radiation-pattern measurements demonstrate the effectiveness of the design.
Detecting Ancient Admixture in Humans Using Sequence Polymorphism Data

A debate of long-standing interest in human evolution centers around whether archaic human populations (such as the Neanderthals) have contributed to the modern gene pool. A model of ancient population structure with recent mixing is introduced, and it is determined how much information (i.e., sequence data from how many unlinked nuclear loci) would be necessary to distinguish between different demographic scenarios. It is found that approximately 50-100 loci are necessary if plausible parameter estimates are used. There are not enough data available at the present to support either the "single origin" or the "multiregional" model of modern human evolution. However, this information should be available in a few years.
Self-discrepancy theory, standards for body evaluation, and eating disorder symptomatology among college women

Potential links between personal and sociocultural aspects of body-image concerns and sets of behavioral and emotional symptoms associated with eating disorders were explored within a self-discrepancy theory framework. It was predicted that actual:ideal body-image discrepancies from one's own standpoint would be related to symptoms reflecting feelings like dissatisfaction and actual:ought body-image discrepancies from a societal standpoint would be related to symptoms reflecting feelings like anxiety. The Bodies Questionnaire, Eating Disorder Inventory, and demographic information were completed by 196 undergraduate women volunteers. Results generally supported the predictions, although the effects were small. Perceived body-image discrepancies from sociocultural prescriptions for slimness and appearance are more closely associated with symptoms reflecting failures to achieve these standards than with symptoms reflecting efforts to attain them. In addition, the contribution of personal ideals to bulimic symptomatology and body dissatisfaction includes concerns about body attributes not associated with weight. Possible clinical applications are discussed.
Power injector associated iatrogenic air embolism to the right heart

Air embolism is the entry of air into the vascular system and is usually associated with surgeries, trauma and central lines.1 A patient presented to the clinic with new onset atrial flutter and lower extremity oedema. The patient was admitted and within 24 h, the course became complicated by respiratory failure, requiring intubation and admission to the intensive care unit. A …
Experimental demonstration of differential polarization-phase-shift keying (DPolPSK)

Direct-detection differential polarization-phase-shift keying is experimentally demonstrated at 10 Gsymbol/s, in which polarization-phase symbols are differentially decoded by using optical interferometric demodulation and electrical multilevel decision without the need of dynamic polarization control.
Blowup in a mass-conserving convection-diffusion equation with superquadratic nonlinearity

A nonlinear convection-diusion equation with boundary condi- tions that conserve the spatial integral of the solution is considered. Previous results on nite-time blowup of solutions and on decay of solutions to the corresponding Cauchy problem were based on the assumption that the nonlin- earity obeyed a power law. In this paper, it is shown that assumptions on the growth rate of the nonlinearity, which take the form of weak superquadraticity and strong superlinearity criteria, are sucient to imply that a large class of nonnegative solutions blow up in nite time.
Scaling laws for non-Euclidean plates and the W^{2,2} isometric immersions of Riemannian metrics

Recall that a smooth Riemannian metric on a simply connected domain can be realized as the pull-back metric of an orientation preserving deformation if and only if the associated Riemann curvature tensor vanishes identically. When this condition fails, one seeks a deformation yielding the closest metric realization. We set up a variational formulation of this problem by introducing the non-Euclidean version of the nonlinear elasticity functional, and establish its Γ -convergence under the proper scaling. As a corollary, we obtain new necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of a W 2,2 isometric immersion of a given 2 d metric into .
The Role of Explanations and Plan Recognition in the Learning of Theatrical Scripts

It is generally assumed that a professional actor learns a role by committing the words to memory line by line or sentence by sentence. However, a pilot study indicated that this is not so. The research reported here is concerned with specifying the mental processes that professional actors employ in the course of learning theatrical scripts. Twenty-eight professional actors and 28 novices were assigned either to a gist or a rote condition. The former was designed to reveal the strategies actually used by actors to learn lengthy texts. The latter was designed to require subjects to learn text by repetition with as little contribution from semantic analysis as possible with meaningful material. All subjects were given identical six-page scenes from a realistic play. Two measures were used: elaborated recall and summarization. Analysis of elaborated recall protocols show that actors construct far more elaborations than novices, and that the great majority of these elaborations concern how the assigned character actively affects or is affected by another character. Results indicate that actors approach the learning of complex material by adopting the assigned character's perspective, and by actively asking questions in order to infer that character's plan. Summarization results indicate that actors and novices construct different mental representations of the same text. Actors were more likely to summarize the scene as an unfolding process rather than a fixed entity. Also, they tended to ignore the temporal ordering of the text, implying the operation of a plan structure during encoding and retrieval. Furthermore, both expertise and a strategy based on elaboration appeared to encourage the drawing of inferences. This is shown by an increase in the number of subjects (as a function either of strategy or expertise) who included the unstated but implied resolution of the scene in their summaries.
Mentorship behaviors and mentorship quality associated with formal mentoring programs: closing the gap between research and practice.

Formal mentoring programs continue to gain popularity within organizations despite limited empirical research regarding how these programs should be designed to achieve maximum effectiveness. The present study examined perceived design features of formal mentoring programs and outcomes from both mentor and protege perspectives. The outcomes examined were career and psychosocial mentoring, role modeling, and mentorship quality. In general, the results indicated that perceived input into the mentoring process and training perceived as high in quality were consistently related to the outcome variables. Implications for the design of formal mentoring programs and future theory development are discussed.
Knowledge of derivational morphology and spelling ability in fourth, sixth, and eighth graders

This study investigated students' knowledge of derivational morphology and the relationship between this knowledge and their ability to spell derived words. The subjects (fourth, sixth and eighth graders) were given the Wide Range Achievement Test, Spelling subtest, and experimental tests of their ability to generate base and derived forms orally, to spell the same base and derived words, and to apply suffix addition rules. The results indicate strong developmental trends in both the mastery of derivational morphology and the spelling of derived words; however, spelling performances lagged significantly behind the ability to generate the same words. Success generating and spelling derived words depended on the complexity of transformations between base and derived forms. Further, mastery of phonological and orthographic transformations most strongly distinguished the three grades in both spelling and generating derived words. Indications that the older students were using knowledge of morphemic structure in spelling derived words were found in analysis of the spelling of base and derived word pairs and the application of suffix addition rules.
Performance and resource cost comparisons for the CBT and PIM multicast routing protocols in DIS environments

Researchers have proposed the core based trees (CBT) and protocol independent multicasting (PIM) protocols to route multicast data on internetworks. The performance of these protocols is examined in the distributed interactive simulation (DIS) environment using the OPNET network simulation tool. The simulation results provide measures of important performance metrics including end-to-end delay, network resource usage, and join time. The size of the tables containing multicast routing information and the impact of the timers introduced by the protocols are also examined. Suggestions are offered to improve PIM Sparse while retaining the ability to offer both shared tree and source-based tree routing.
Attenuation of the exercise-induced increase in skeletal muscle Flt-1 mRNA by nitric oxide synthase inhibition.

UNLABELLED We investigated the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor [fms-like-tyrosine kinase (Flt-1 and fetal liver kinase-1 (Flk-1)] response to acute exercise. In female Wistar rats, the VEGF receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) response to a single acute exercise bout was examined using semi-quantitative Northern blot from the left gastrocnemius muscles at rest and post-exercise at 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h. Exercise altered both Flt-1 and Flk-1 mRNA, with significant increases in Flt-1 mRNA at 1 and 24 h. However, post-hoc analysis was unable to discern the time point where a significant increase in Flk-1 mRNA occurred. To investigate the regulation of Flt-1 mRNA by exercise we examined if nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition alters the Flt-1 mRNA response. Eight groups [ CONDITION Rest or Exercise; Drug: Saline, 30 mg kg(-1)N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), 300 mg kg(-1) L-NAME or 300 mg kg(-1) D-NAME] were used to determine the effect of NOS inhibition on the Flt-1 mRNA response to exercise. L-NAME, a known NOS inhibitor, attenuated the exercise-induced increase in Flt-1 mRNA by approximately 50%. These findings suggest that: (1) exercise alters Flt-1 and Flk-1 gene expression; and (2) NO is important in the regulation of the Flt-1 gene response to exercise.
Geomechanical modeling of stresses adjacent to salt bodies: Part 2—Poroelastoplasticity and coupled overpressures

We use a fully coupled poroelastoplastic geomechanical model to study how stresses and pore pressures evolve in sediments bounding a spherical salt body. Drained analyses (pore pressures remain hydrostatic) demonstrate that sediments yield in response to loading by the salt, which leads to a redistribution of stresses and to deformations larger than predicted by poroelastic or solid Coulomb-plastic models. Undrained analyses (overpressures develop while no dissipation occurs) illustrate that salt loading induces pore pressures that extend kilometers away from the salt body. We also model the flow and consequent dissipation that occur in the sediments because of this undrained salt loading. We show that with time, the pressure field dissipates and expands. The dissipation process takes millions of years, which suggests that pore-pressure perturbations caused by salt loading should still be present in mudstones near many salt bodies. Under drained conditions, stress perturbations generate low minimum principal stresses above and below the salt, resulting in convergence of pore pressure and minimum principal stress at these locations. Such conditions are challenging to drill through. In undrained systems, sharp drops in pore pressure may occur above and below the salt, whereas both the pore pressure and the minimum principal stress rise next to the salt. In contrast to previous models that do not couple changes in stress to changes in pore pressure, the coupled approach presented here has the potential to predict in-situ stresses and pore pressures more accurately in a wide variety of geologic settings.
Estrogens in the uteroovarian, uterine, and peripheral plasma in pregnant rhesus monkeys.

Estrone and estradiol were measured in the uteroovarian vein (UOV), uterine vein (UV) and peripheral plasma at Days 22, 42, 76 and 157 of gestation in the rhesus monkey. Based on UOV and UV estrogen levels, both the ovary containing the corpus luteum (CL) and the placenta were secreting estrone and the placenta estradiol at Day 22 of gestation. During the rest of gestation the fetoplacental unit was the major source of these estrogens. UV estradiol increased progressively and substantially from Day 22 (mean = 285 pg/mI) to Day 76 (4,106 pg/mI), but decreased by Day 157 (552 pg/mI). UV estrone, on the other hand, decreased markedly from Day 22 (1,746 pg/mI) to Day 42 (208 pg/mI), but then increased gradually throughout the rest of gestation (Day 157 = 1,381 pg/mI). Although UV estrone was considerably higher than UV estradiol at Days 22 and 157, the peripheral levels of these estrogens were essentially the same. These data indicate that: 1) the ovary containing the CL is producing estrogens during early gestation, but not during mid or late gestation; 2) the placenta or fetoplacental unit produces estrogens throughout most of gestation; 3) during the latter half of pregnancy there is a decrease in placental production of estradlol concurrent with an increase in placental production of estrone, the significance of which may be related to the initiation of parturition and 4) the concentrations of estrone in the reproductive vasculature are considerably higher than those of estradiol during early (Day 22) and late (Day 157) gestation; peripheral estrone and estradiol concentrations at these times, however, are essentially the same.
Wavelet based source broadcast for in-network processing in sensor networks unknown side information

In-network processing is an appealing principle for resource conservation for sensor network applications. We propose a scheme to compress sensor array data in which one sensor has to send its readings to multiple neighbor sensors. This proposed scheme uses low-density parity-check code based Slepian-Wolf codes to compress these bit-planes extracted from wavelet coefficients with flexible rates, and each receiver uses the sum-product algorithm to decode the progressive transmission. A priori correlation statistic is not required in this scheme, and the reception rate of each receiver is close to conditional entropy with regard to the sender.
Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence Among Older Adults: Meta-Analysis of Adherence Outcomes Among Randomized Controlled Trials

Purpose: This study investigated the effectiveness of interventions to improve medication adherence (MA) in older adults. Design and Methods: Metaanalysis was used to synthesize results of 33 published and unpublished randomized controlled trials. Randomeffects models were used to estimate overall mean effect sizes (ESs) for MA, knowledge, health outcomes, and health services utilization. Results: Data were synthesized across 11,827 participants. Interventions signifi cantly improved MA (ES = 0.33), knowledge (ES = 0.48), and diastolic blood pressure (ES = 0.19). Nonsignifi cant effects were found for systolic blood pressure (ES = 0.21), other health outcomes (ES = 0.04), and health services utilization (ES = 0.16). Moderator analyses showed larger adherence ESs for interventions employing special medication packaging, dose modifi cation, participant monitoring of medication effects and side effects, succinct written instructions, and standardized (not tailored) interventions. Larger effects were found when a moderate proportion of participants were women, for participants taking 3 – 5 medications, and when pill count adherence was measured. Implications: The fi ndings document that interventions increase MA in older adults. The considerable heterogeneity in the magnitude of effects across studies and results of the moderator analyses demonstrate the need for additional empirical research to optimize interventions .
Advanced optical tweezers for the study of cellular and molecular biomechanics

Optical tweezers are an important tool for studying cellular and molecular biomechanics. We present a robust optical tweezers device with advanced features including: multiple optical traps, acousto-optic trap steering, and back focal plane interferometry position detection. We integrate these features into an upright microscope, with no compromise to its capabilities (differential interference contrast microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, etc.). Acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) steer each beam and can create multiple time-shared traps. Position detection, force calibrations and AOD performance are presented. The system can detect subnanometer displacements and forces below 0.1 pN.
Macrodiversity and Microdiversity in Correlated Shadowed Fading Channels

Outage probabilities in shadowed fading channels are evaluated when macrodiversity and microdiversity techniques are implemented. The existence of correlation at the micro and macro levels is taken into account for the computation of outage probabilities. By modeling shadowing using a gamma probability density function, it is shown that an analytical expression for the outage can be expressed as the product of marginal outages summed with weighting factors that depend on the correlation coefficients at the macro level, assuming a maximal ratio combining at the micro level and selection combining (SC) diversity at the macro level. Results demonstrate the potential use of the approach in the analyses of wireless systems in shadowed fading channels.
Noise Properties of Microwave Maser Oscillators

Abstract : Rate equations describing transient behavior of the photon number of a maser oscillator exhibit damped sinusoidal solutions if longitudinal relaxation times are sufficiently long. The resonant nature of the transient is reflected in the shape of the noise power spectrum of the oscillator. The level of the noise can be described in terms of correlation functions satisfying differential equations. The form of the solutions of these equations allows one to interpret the oscillator noise in terms of a shot effect of the photon number and level populations. Experimental verification of the theoretical behavior has been carried out on a series of ruby microwave masers. The results obtained have been applied to establish limits of the sensitivity of ESR spectrometers utilizing maser oscillators. (Author)
Exploring calcium oxalate crystallization: a constant composition approach

Crystal growth rates have been extensively studied in calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystallization, because COM crystals are the principal component in most kidney stones. Constant composition methods are useful for studying growth rates, but fail to differentiate concurrent nucleation and aggregation events. A constant composition method coupled with particle size determinations that addresses this deficiency was previously published for a calcium phosphate system, and this method was extended to COM crystallization in this report. A seeded constant composition experiment was combined with particle size determination and a separate near-equilibrium aggregation experiment to separate effects of growth rate, nucleation, and aggregation in COM crystal formation and to test the effects of various inhibitors relevant to stone formation. With no inhibitors present, apparent COM growth rates were heavily influenced by secondary nucleation at low seed crystal additions, but growth-related aggregation increased at higher seed crystal densities. Among small molecule inhibitors, citrate demonstrated growth rate inhibition but enhanced growth-related aggregation, while magnesium did not affect COM crystallization. Polyanions (polyaspartate, polyglutamate, or osteopontin) showed strong growth rate inhibition, but large differences in nucleation and aggregation were observed. Polycations (polyarginine) did not affect COM crystal growth or aggregation. Mixtures of polyanions and polycations produced a complicated set of growth rate, nucleation, and aggregation behaviors. These experiments demonstrated the power of combining particle size determinations with constant composition experiments to fully characterize COM crystallization and to obtain detailed knowledge of inhibitor properties that will be critical to understanding kidney stone formation.
Is Idiosyncratic Risk a Source of Momentum

Recent studies reject the notion that momentum profits are compensation for risk by showing that momentum profits are mostly comprised of idiosyncratic components that cannot be risk (which, according to standard theory, must entail non-diversifiable systematic variation). Recent theoretical papers, however, show that idiosyncratic components of returns (in particular idiosyncratic risk) may affect risk premia. Using EGARCH-M, this paper estimates idiosyncratic risk and idiosyncratic risk premia at the individual security level and shows that idiosyncratic risk premia are responsible for between 70 and 90 percent of momentum profits. A closer examination shows that, although securities in the loser portfolio have higher levels of idiosyncratic risk than those in the winner portfolio (confirming other studies), the idiosyncratic risk premia in the loser portfolio are significantly less than those in the winner portfolio. Further supporting a link between idiosyncratic risk premia and momentum profits, we show that momentum portfolios formed by sorting on past idiosyncratic risk premia (rather than raw returns) generate significantly positive profits.
A Fixture for Obtaining Pin-End Conditions in Column Testing

Difficulties attending the use of rollers, knife-edges and other devices used for obtaining ideal hinged-end conditions for tests of columns are discussed briefly. A new testing fixture is described which incorporates ball-bearing assemblies and gives hinged-end results for specimens having flat, parallel ends. Corrections for effective free-length are unnecessary. Results of tests on columns fabricated from thin stainless steel sheets are given to indicate the quality of the results. Possibilities for improvements and further application to tests of elastically restrained columns, eccentrically loaded columns, and sheet-stringer combinations are suggested.
The effect of territory quality on female preference in Metriaclima zebra

The cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi are an excellent model group with which to study adaptive radiation and speciation; due to the vast number of individual species, large variation in feeding adaptations and behaviours, and relatively recent divergence are found. Males of many cichlid species will obtain and defend lek-like territories, where they court potential mates in addition to foraging for food. Aspects of territory quality warrant investigation because of the relationship between reproductive success and territory defence success. In this study, we tested whether the presence of a small or large food resource had any effect on the preference of a gravid female for a potential mate. The results of this experiment suggest that the presence of a large food resource increases the attractiveness of a male to a potential mate. This may suggest that the presence of food alone may not be the most important factor, or there may be a threshold amount over which females are attracted. These results indicate that certain aspects of territory quality such as habitat type or proximity to a food resource may play a role in both intersexual and intrasexual selection mechanisms: perhaps even driving and possibly accelerating the speciation of certain lineages of cichlid fishes. Resume Les cichlides du lac Malawi constituent un excellent modele de groupe pour etudier la radiation adaptative et la speciation, en raison du grand nombre d'especes, de la grande variete des adaptations et des comportements alimentaires, et de divergences relativement recentes. Les mâles de nombreuses especes de cichlides acquierent et defendent un territoire comparable a un lek, ou ils font la cour a d'eventuels partenaires et aussi cherchent a s'alimenter. Certains aspects de la qualite d'un territoire justifient les recherches en raison de la relation entre le succes de la reproduction et celui de la defense du territoire. Dans cette etude, nous avons voulu verifier si la presence d'une source de nourriture plus ou moins importante a un effet quelconque sur la preference d'une femelle gravide pour un partenaire potentiel. Les resultats de cette experience suggerent que la presence d'une importante source de nourriture augmente l'attractivite d'un mâle pour une partenaire potentielle. Cela peut suggerer que la presence de nourriture seule peut ne pas etre le facteur le plus important ou qu'il peut exister un seuil a partir duquel les femelles sont attirees. Nos resultats indiquent que certains aspects de la qualite d'un territoire, tels que le type d'habitat ou la proximite d'une source de nourriture, peuvent jouer un role dans les mecanismes de selection aussi bien inter- qu'intrasexuels et qu'ils favorisent ou accelerent peut-etre meme la speciation de certaines lignees de cichlides.
The Value of Case-Based Teaching Vignettes in Clinical Microbiology Rounds

Objectives: To describe the implementation and evaluation of a case-based microbiology curriculum during daily microbiology rounds. Methods: Vignettes consist of short cases with images and questions that facilitate discussion among microbiologists, pathologists, infectious disease physicians, and trainees (residents and fellows). We performed a survey to assess the value of these vignettes to trainees. Results: Motivation to come to rounds on time increased from 60% to 100%. Trainees attending rounds after implementation of the vignettes perceived the value of microbiology rounds to be significantly higher compared with those who attended rounds before implementation ( P = .04). Pathology residents found that vignettes were helpful for retaining knowledge (8.3 of 10 points). Conclusions: The vignettes have enhanced the value of microbiology rounds by serving as a formalized curriculum exposing trainees from multiple specialties to various microbiology topics. Emphasis on interdisciplinary interactions between clinical and laboratory personnel was highlighted with this case-based curriculum.
Imaging Cosmic Ray Particles with a Light Microscope Scientific Digital Camera

Cosmic ray particles were discovered by Victor Hess on August 7, 1912, leading to his co-winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936. Initially thought to be rays (photons), in the 1920s they were recognized as being charged particles. I describe in this article how I acquire and process images of cosmic ray particles (CRPs) on a microscope with a digital camera in the imaging core facility I manage.
Revisiting N-to-O acyl shift for synthesis of natural product-like cyclic depsipeptides.

Despite the prevalence of head-to-side chain threonine linkages in natural products, their incorporation has been underexplored in synthetic cyclic peptides. Herein we investigate a cyclic peptide scaffold able to undergo an N–O acyl rearrangement. Upon acylation of the amine with diverse carboxylic acids, the resulting cyclic depsipeptides displayed favorable cellular permeability and a conformation similar to the parent peptide. The rearrangement was found to be scaffold and conformation dependent as evidenced by molecular dynamics experiments.
Single Incision Distal Biceps Repair With Hemi-Krackow Suture Technique: Surgical Technique and Early Outcomes

Background: Many surgical methods exist for distal biceps repair. We present the technique and early outcomes of a series of distal biceps repairs completed with a novel suturing technique utilizing a hemi-Krackow locking stitch at the tendon-bone interface. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent primary distal biceps repair using a single anterior incision with 2 suture anchors utilizing a hemi-Krackow stitch. With both anchors, a locking stitch along the tendon edge was complimented by the other strand passing through the central aspect of the distal tendon and advanced to pull the tendon edge down to the bone with appropriate tension. Patients with revision surgery and the use of allograft were excluded. Clinical outcomes included elbow range of motion and grip strength. All patients completed a Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire and reported satisfaction level, pain level, and any postoperative complications. Results: Fourteen pa...
“To Save the Forests”: Power, Narrative, and Environment in Mexico City’s Cooking Fuel Transition

During the 1940s, urban Mexico began to shift from fuelwood to petroleum for its household energy needs. I trace this energy transition in Mexico City, interweaving histories of production and consumption, city and hinterland. The household energy transition highlights a series of overlapping policy shifts in 1940s Mexico: a retreat from rural social justice and the support of urban industrialization that pivoted on the redistribution of national oil wealth. By underscoring the role of political power in energy transitions, I also contribute to the larger field of energy history, which has prioritized energy regimes in the North Atlantic. En el Mexico urbano, durante la decada de los cuarenta, el consumo domestico de energia paso del combustible vegetal al petroleo. En este articulo doy cuenta de este cambio energetico en la ciudad de Mexico, intercalando historias de produccion y consumo, de la ciudad y el hinterland . Esta transicion en la energia domestica senala una acumulacion de cambios en la politica de 1940 en Mexico: un retroceso en la justicia social rural y el apoyo de una industrializacion urbana que giro alrededor de la redistribucion nacional de la riqueza petrolera. Al enfatizar el papel del poder politico en las transiciones energeticas, contribuyo al campo mas amplio de la historia de la energia que le ha dado mas prioridad a los sistemas energeticos en el Atlantico Norte.