cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meta‐analysis: the detection of pancreatic malignancy with positron emission tomography

Summary Background : Several factors contribute to the high mortality of pancreatic cancer, including limitations of diagnostic imaging. Aim : To perform a meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Fluro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography compared with computed tomography alone. Methods : Articles were identified through a MEDLINE search and bibliography review. Summary estimates and receiver operating curves were calculated using Meta-Test 0.6. Publication bias and heterogeneity were assessed with a funnel plot and chi-squared test. Results : The summary estimate and 95% confidence interval for sensitivity and specificity were as follows: computed tomography 81% (72–88%) and 66% (53–77%), PET after a positive computed tomography 92% (87–95%) and 68% (51–81%), PET after a negative computed tomography 73% (50–88%) and 86% (75–93%) and PET after an indeterminate computed tomography 100 and 68%. The area under the summary receiver operating curve was 0.82 for computed tomography and 0.94 for PET. There was no heterogeneity or publication bias. Conclusions : Our results suggest that although adding Fluro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography to the diagnostic work-up may enhance the diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy, its usefulness will vary depending upon the pretest probability of the patient, the results of computed tomography and the provider's testing thresholds. Further evaluation using a well-designed prospective study with a cost-effectiveness analysis is needed to clarify the appropriate role of Fluro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography.
Long-wavelength-pumped single-photon detector based on frequency up-conversion in MgO-doped periodically-poled LiNbO 3 waveguide reaching ultralow dark count rates

We implemented single-photon detector in 1500-nm band based on frequency up-conversion in nonlinear waveguide at pump wavelength of 1920 nm. Ultralow dark count rate and signal photon detection rate are 20 s−1 and 56.8 s−1.
UNLIMITED SUPPLIES OF LABOR1

This paper examines the background to the birth and reception of W. Arthur Lewis's 1954Manchester School paper on ‘Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour’. It considers the development of Lewis's thinking leading up to the paper, weighing the diverse influences from economic history and economic thought. It then discusses the reception of Lewis's paper in the context of the diverse standpoints representing economic thinking on development at the time, and their impact on Lewis's subsequent refinement of his model.
Characterizing extragalactic anomalous microwave emission in NGC 6946 with CARMA

Using 1 cm and 3 mm observations from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy and 2 mm observations from the Goddard IRAM Superconducting 2 Millimeter Observer observations, we follow up the first extragalactic detection of anomalous microwave emission (AME) reported by Murphy et al. in an extranuclear region (Enuc. 4) of the nearby face-on spiral galaxy NGC 6946. We find the spectral shape and peak frequency of AME in this region to be consistent with models of spinning dust emission. However, the strength of the emission far exceeds the Galactic AME emissivity given the abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in that region. Using our galaxy-wide 1 cm map (21 arcsec resolution), we identify a total of eight 21 arcsec × 21 arcsec regions in NGC 6946 that harbour AME at >95 per cent significance at levels comparable to that observed in Enuc. 4. The remainder of the galaxy has 1 cm emission consistent with or below the observed Galactic AME emissivity per PAH surface density. We probe relationships between the detected AME and dust surface density, PAH emission, and radiation field, though no environmental property emerges to delineate regions with strong versus weak or non-existent AME. On the basis of these data and other AME observations in the literature, we determine that the AME emissivity per unit dust mass is highly variable. We argue that the spinning dust hypothesis, which predicts the AME power to be approximately proportional to the PAH mass, is therefore incomplete.
Improved Bankfull Discharge Prediction Using 2‐Year Recurrence‐Period Discharge1

Knowledge of bankfull discharge (Q bf ) is essential for planners, engineers, geomorphologists, environmentalists, agricultural interests, developments situated on flood prone lands, surface mining and reclamation activities, and others interested in floods and flooding. In conjunction with estimating Q bf , regionalized bankfull hydraulic geometry relationships, which relate Q bf and associated channel dimensions (i.e., width, depth, and cross-section area) to drainage basin area (A da ), are often used. This study seeks to improve upon the common practice of predicting Q bf using A da exclusively. Specifically, we hypothesize that predictions of Q bf can be improved by including estimates of the 2-year recurrence-period discharge (Q 2 ) in regression models for predicting Q bf . For testing this hypothesis, we used Q bf estimates from 30 reports containing data for streams that span 34 hydrologic regions in 16 states. Corresponding values of Q 2 and A da were compiled from flood-frequency reports and other sources. By comparing statistical measures (i.e., root mean squared error, coefficient of determination, and Akaike's information criterion), we determined that predicting Q bf from Q 2 rather than A da yields consistently better estimates of Q bf . Other principal findings are (1) data are needed for at least 12 sites in a region for reliable hydraulic geometry model selection and (2) an approximate range of values for Q bf /Q 2 is 0.103.0.
Microbeam electron diffraction and lattice fringe studies of defect structures in enamel apatites

A microbeam diffraction method in transmission electron microscopy has been applied to lattice structural studies of human and shark enamel apatite crystals. The technique allows diffraction patterns to be obtained from very small regions of the specimen (40 nm in diameter) and transfers minimal energy to the sample during analysis. The presence of crystal defects, nonisolated dislocations with the dislocation line positioned perpendicular to the 100-type planes, was observed in the central part of the crystals. Further experiments with acid-etching of crystals containing such defects showed an initial preferential dissolution at the site of these atomic imperfections. The relative abundance of the crystal defects was approximately the same in both human enamel and shark enameloid.
Informal Support From Black Churches and the Well-Being of Elderly Blacks

This paper explores the type of support black churches and families provide, and how that support relates to the well-being of elderly blacks. Findings indicate that the family network is perceived as more supportive than the church network, but that church support contributes to feelings of well-being. Perceptions of support from the churches and not the spiritual aspects of religion or involvement in organized religious activities were associated with well-being.
Characterization of Conformational and Dynamic Properties of Natively Unfolded Human and Mouse α-Synuclein Ensembles by NMR : Implication for Aggregation

Abstract Conversion of human α-synuclein (aS) from the free soluble state to the insoluble fibrillar state has been implicated in the etiology of Parkinson's disease. Human aS is highly homologous in amino acid sequence to mouse aS, which contains seven substitutions including the A53T that has been linked to familial Parkinson's disease, and including five substitutions in the C-terminal region. It has been shown that the rate of fibrillation is highly dependent on the exact sequence of the protein, and mouse aS is reported to aggregate more rapidly than human aS in vitro . Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments of mouse and human aS at supercooled temperatures (263 K) are used to understand the effect of sequence on conformational fluctuations in the disordered ensembles and to relate these to differences in propensities to aggregate. We show that both aS are natively unfolded at low temperature with different propensities to secondary structure, backbone dynamics and long-range contacts across the protein. Mouse aS exhibits a higher propensity to helical conformation around the C-terminal substitutions as well as the loss of transient long-range contacts from the C- to the N-terminal end and hydrophobic central regions of the protein relative to human aS. Lack of back-folding from the C-terminal end of mouse aS exposes the N-terminal region, which is shown, by 15 N relaxation experiments, to be very restricted in mobility relative to human aS. We propose that the restricted mobility in the N-terminal region may arise from transient interchain interactions, suggesting that the N-terminal KTK(E/Q)GV repeats may serve as initiation sites for aggregation in mouse aS. These transient interchain interactions coupled with a non-Aβ amyloid component (NAC) region that is both more exposed and has a higher propensity to β structure may accelerate the rate of fibril formation of aS.
Attenuation of Cellular Inflammation Using Glucocorticoid-Functionalized Copolymers

This work has demonstrated the functionalization of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, comprised of polyethylene oxide-polymethyl methacrylate (PEO-PMMA), as well as a triblock copolymer comprised of polymethyloxazoline-polydimethylsiloxane-polymethyloxazoline(PMOXA-PDMS-PM OXA) with the dexamethasone (Dex) glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory. Interfacial deposition of the copolymer and the Dex molecules and subsequent transfer of the hybrid materials to solid substrates were characterized to evaluate the potential of utilizing this composite material as a suppressor of cyto-inflammation to enhance implant biocompatibility. Given the extremely thin dimensions of the film (~4nm), this material would have negligible impact upon the size of the coated device to preclude biological stress. The composite films were interfaced with the RAW264.7 murine macrophages which served as a model cell line for the evaluation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-KB)-induced production of a host of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), as well as the inducible nitric oxide synthase signaling factor which is known to be involved with stress-related processes such as neuronal damage. Lipopolysaccharide or LPS is a component of bacterial membranes that elicits cellular stress following application to RAW cell cultures. Following the induced stress response, significant reductions in the expression of genes associated with the aforementioned cytokines and signaling molecules indicated that macrophages in direct contact with the functionalized copolymer were able to collect Dex that was released from within the polymer network to attenuate cyto-inflammation mechanisms. This composite membrane represents a medically-relevant technology to promote chronic implant functionality and preclusion of bio-fouling.
STATISTICS OF EXTREMES: MODELING ECOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES

The potential advantage of extreme value theory in modeling ecological disturbances is the central theme of this paper. The statistics of extremes have played only a very limited role in ecological modeling, despite the disproportionate influence of unusual disturbances on ecosystems. An overview of this theory is provided, with emphasis on recent developments that both make more efficient use of the available data on extremes and enable applications that are more ecologically realistic. Consistent with the emphasis on scale in ecology, scaling properties of extremes are emphasized. It is argued that the existence of distributions whose extreme upper tail is ''heavy'' (i.e., decreases at a relatively slow rate) implies that ecological disturbances are sometimes regarded as more ''surprising'' than they ought to be. The application focuses on modeling disturbances in paleoecology. Two examples are considered: the first, a sediment yield time series for Nicolay Lake in the high Arctic, reflects only the influence of hydrologic disturbances; the second, a sediment rate time series in the Chesapeake Bay, includes both climatic and anthropogenic influences. Strong evidence supports a heavy-tailed distribution for the Nicolay Lake sediment yield, but not necessarily for the Chesapeake Bay sediment rates. For each example, it is demonstrated how the statistics of extremes can readily incorporate information about covariates, such as large-scale atmospheric-oceanic circulation patterns or land use.
Alcohol Impairs Insulin and IGF-I Stimulation of S6K1 but not 4E-BP1 in Skeletal Muscle

The present study determined whether acute alcohol (ethanol; EtOH) intoxication in rats impaired components of the insulin- and IGF-I-signaling pathway in skeletal muscle. Rats were administered Et...
Enabling Interoperability among Meta-Schedulers

Grid computing supports shared access to computing resources from cooperating organizations or institutes in the form of virtual organizations. Resource brokering middleware, commonly known as a meta-scheduler or a resource broker, matches jobs to distributed resources. Recent advances in meta- scheduling capabilities are extended to enable resource matching across multiple virtual organizations. Several architectures have been proposed for interoperating meta-scheduling systems. This paper presents a hybrid approach, combining hierarchical and peer-to-peer architectures for flexibility and extensibility of these systems. A set of protocols are introduced to allow different meta-scheduler instances to communicate over Web Services. Interoperability between three heterogeneous and distributed organizations (namely, BSC, FIU, and IBM), each using different meta-scheduling technologies, is demonstrated under these protocols and resource models.
Improving the range of ultrawideband transmission using RAKE receivers

Ultrawideband (UWB) shows great promise for higher-speed and secure radio transmissions, particularly for short and medium range wireless networking. However, the power spectrum density mask limitation set by the Federal Communications Commission imposes a limitation on the range for achieving high data rates. The article investigates the possibility of increasing the range of UWB transmissions using RAKE receivers (instead of a matched filter correlator receiver). A trade-off study between receiver complexity and required throughput performance at a specified coverage range is presented, taking account of multipath fading effects.
Adaptable chip-level microfluidic packaging for a micro-scale gas chromatograph

In this paper, we present a robust and adaptable technique to integrate microfluidics with an on-chip thiolate-monolayer-protected gold nanoparticle coated chemiresistorarray for vapor analyte detection in a micro-scale gas chromatograph (μGC). The process involves mounting a sensing chip and capillary tubes within a silicon “extension carrier” (EC), capping the chemiresistor-array with a glass lid, and sealing the microfluidic package with non-sorbent epoxy. The stability and efficacy of the integrated detector cell is elucidated by consistent chip responses induced by the diffusion of vapor analytes though the detector cell.
Going with the flow: regulation of the thick ascending limb.

the medullary thick ascending limb (mTAL) of Henle's loop reabsorbs ∼25% of filtered NaCl and is the site of action for loop diuretics. It also is responsible for the generation of concentrated or dilute urine during antidiuresis and diuresis, respectively. The Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter (NKCC2)
Offline Planning for Communication by Exploiting Structured Interactions in Decentralized MDPs

Variants of the decentralized MDP model focus on problems exhibiting some special structure that makes them easier to solve in practice. Our work is concerned with two main issues. First, we propose a new model, Event-Driven Interaction with Complex Rewards, that addresses problems having structured transition and reward dependence. Our model captures a wider range of problems than existing structured models. In spite of its generality, the model still offers structure that can be leveraged by heuristics and solution algorithms. This is facilitated by explicitly representing interactions as first-class entities. We formulate and solve instances of our model as bilinear programs. Second, we look at making offline planning for communication tractable. To this end, we propose heuristics that limit problem size by making communication available only at a few strategically chosen points based on an analysis that exploits problem structure in the proposed model. Experimental results demonstrate a reduction in problem size and solution time using restricted communication, with little or no decrease in solution quality. Our heuristics therefore allow us to solve problems that would otherwise be intractable.
Semisynthesis of Ribonuclease A using Intein-Mediated Protein Ligation

The introduction of non-natural amino acid residues or modules into proteins provides a new means to explore the basis for conformational stability, folding/unfolding behavior, or biological function. We exploited intein-mediated protein ligation to produce a semisynthetic ribonuclease A. Of the 124 residues of RNase A, residues 1–94 were linked to an intein. After expression of the fusion protein and thiol-induced cleavage, the RNase A(1–94) fragment possessed a C-terminal thioester. A peptide identical to the C-terminal residues 95–124 of RNase A (with residue 95 being cysteine) was successfully ligated to that thioester thereby reconstituting full-length wild-type RNase A. In mass spectrometry, this semisynthetic RNase A proved to be undistinguishable from the control protein, namely recombinant wild-type RNase A. Recombinant wild-type RNase A was obtained by expression of RNase A(1–124)–intein fusion protein followed by thiol-induced cleavage and hydrolysis of the thioester. Both proteins showed thermal stabilities (Tm ) and catalytic activities comparable to the wild-type enzyme, indicating that both proteins folded properly. These results might serve as basis for the semisynthesis of RNase A variants containing non-natural modules in the aforementioned peptide.
Wartime Sexual Violence in Guatemala and Peru

This article is a comparative analysis of sexual violence perpetrated by state armed forces during the Guatemalan and Peruvian civil wars. Focusing on the type of violation and the context in which it occurs provides new insights into the motives behind its use in war. It introduces a new data set on sexual violence compiled from truth commission documents and nongovernmental human rights organizations’ reports. The data reveal that members of the state armed forces perpetrated the majority of sexual violations, that rape and gang rape are the most frequent but not the only abuses committed, and that women are the overwhelming majority of victims of sexual violence. Aggregate patterns suggest that state authorities must have known of mass sexual abuse and failed to act in accordance with international law. Moreover, some evidence suggests sexual violence is used as a weapon of war. However, mono-causal models cannot sufficiently account for the variation and complexity in its use. Even within the same conflict, sexual violence can serve multiple functions in different contexts and at different points in time.
An orthogonal projection-based approach for PAR reduction in OFDM

High peak-to-average power ratio (PAR) of the transmitted signal is one of the limitations to using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. This article presents a novel orthogonal projection-based partial transmit sequences approach that achieves significant PAR reduction at low redundancy. The proposed method is applicable to OFDM systems with a large number of subchannels. This study also for the first time provides geometrical interpretation to combining the well-known partial transmit sequences scheme.
The Miserable Presidential Election of 2012: A First Party-Term Incumbent Survives

This article examines the influences on the 2012 presidential election that led to the closely decided re-election of Barack Obama. Partisan parity, ideological polarization, a hyper-competitive campaign, and approval ratings for the incumbent, plus pre-convention preference polls that were evenly split, were strong signs that the 2012 presidential election would be close. The economic record of the Obama presidency, however, favored the election of Republican challenger Mitt Romney. On the other hand, President Obama had the advantages of a first party- term incumbent, and this first party-term advantage was the major reason for President Obama ' s reelection. As a first party-term president, fewer voters blamed President Obama for the nation's economic problems than blamed his predecessor. Of the 12 first party-term incumbent presi- dents to seek reelection since 1900, 11 won and only one lost. The election of a new presidential party is tantamount to electing a president to an 8-year term.
Transport capacity and connectivity of Cognitive Radio networks with outage constraint

In this paper we study two basic properties, capacity and connectivity, of Cognitive Radio networks. Our goal is to quantitatively characterize the relationship and tradeoff among key system parameters involved in these properties, incorporating channel randomness and interference into the performance analysis. In particular, we explore the characterization of a capacity metric, single-hop transport capacity, with respect to arbitrarily and randomly located receivers, and investigate a fundamental connectivity metric, node isolation probability. The tradeoff between capacity and connectivity is also revealed.
Increasing learning during the psychiatric residency

P OSTGRADUATE TRAINING in the field of psychiatry is currently in a state of flux, with vany fronts. Most institutions offering psychiatric residency training programs are in the process of painful reevaluation and change, attempting to integrate into their core curricula the disparate models associated with psychoanalytic psychology, community mental health, behavior modification, psychopharmacotherapy, family therapy, and a host of other models that reflect special interests of individual training centers. This situation was clearly apparent in a “white paper” of the Association for Academic Psychiatry’ which resulted from the 1973 meeting of Career Teachers in Psychiatry examining the goals, methods, and effectiveness of psychiatric residency training programs in the United States. In attempting to answer the questions, “What is a psychiatrist now? What should he be in the next decade?” it was stressed that the psychiatrist has and probably will continue to have multiple roles. He must not only have knowledge of prevalent theories of personality development and sociocultural determinants of behavior and of how to diagnose patients according to a descriptive nosology, but also know how to relate these to a theory of psychopathology. The Career Teacher Group specified that the psychiatrist should be able to do the following: “(A) He should be able to use the somatic therapies, including ECT and psychopharmacological agents. (B) He should know how to practice the various psychotherapies. He should be skilled in the forms of individual therapy in current practice that have some validity and be able to apply this ability to individuals and to work with larger social units. Training in individual therapy is essential; training in group therapy, family therapy, and behavior modification are desirable. (C) He should know the concepts and practices of community psychiatry, including consultative techniques and aspects of preventive psychiatry. (D) He should have the tools and motivation for continuing his own education after training. He should be familiar with diagnostic and therapeutic techniques with children and adolescents.“’ In the presence of such expectations, an emotionally charged problem has emerged for psychiatric residents that interferes with the teaching-learning process,” is increasing in frequency, is unrelated to training milieu (e.g. inpatient or outpatient settings), and can occur at any stage of residency training. The problem begins when the resident experiences the realities of current psychiatric practice that tend to clash with his preexisting concepts or fantasies.
Some semen characteristics in dairy bulls ejaculated with artificial vaginas at varying temperatures.

Abstract First ejaculates were taken twice weekly from 12 mature dairy bulls, to determine the influence of five different internal temperatures of artificial vaginas between 39 and 56 C on semen characteristics. The sequence of application of the five temperature treatments was at random for each bull. Second ejaculates from each bull were obtained, using temperatures of 47–48 C. Average first-ejaculate values for semen volume from the lowest to highest temperatures were 6.95, 7.05, 6.99, 6.73, and 6.91 ml, respectively; for sperm concentration, 1.14, 1.15, 1.13, 1.14, and 1.27 billion per millilliter, respectively; and for total sperm, 7.86, 8.46, 7.79, 7.61, and 8.70 billion, respectively. Sperm concentration and total sperm numbers were greatest at the 55–56 C temperatures (P
Demystifying privacy in sensory data: A QoI based approach

There is a growing consensus regarding the emergence of privacy concerns as a major deterrent towards the widespread adoption of emerging technologies such as mobile healthcare, participatory sensing and other social network based applications. In this paper, we motivate the need for privacy awareness, present a taxonomy of the privacy problems, and the various existing solutions. We highlight the tension that exists between quality of service at the receiver and the privacy requirement at the source and present a linear program formalization to model the tradeoff between the two objectives. We further present the design and architecture of SensorSafe, a framework which allows privacy-aware sharing of sensory information.
Numerical Simulation of the Effect of the Size of Nanoparticles on the Solidification Process of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Phase Change Materials

Nanoparticle-enhanced phase change materials (NEPCM) were proposed recently as alternatives to conventional phase change materials due to their enhanced thermophysical properties. In this study, the effect of the size of the nanoparticles on the morphology of the solid-liquid interface and evolving concentration field, during solidification had been reported. The numerical method that was used is based on the one-fluid-mixture model. The model takes into account the thermal as well as the solutal convection effects. A square cavity model was used in the simulation. The NEPCM that was composed of a suspension of copper nanoparticles in water was solidified from the bottom. The nanoparticles size used were 5 nm and 2 nm. The temperature difference between the hot and cold sides was 5 degrees centigrade and the loading of the nanoparticles that have been used in the simulation was 10% by mass. The results obtained from the model were compared with those existing in the literature, and the comparison was satisfactory. The solid-liquid interface for the case of NEPCM with 5 nm particle size was almost planar throughout the solidification process. However, for the case of the NEPCM with particle size of 2 nm, the solid-liquid interface evolved from a planar stable shape to an unstable dendritic shape, as the solidification process proceeded with time. This was attributed to the constitutional supercooling effect. It has been observed that the constitutional supercooling effect is more pronounced as the particle size decreases. Furthermore, the freezing time increases as the particle size decreases.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Fine-root growth dynamics in cacao ( Theobroma cacao)

Fine-root density in a mature cacao plantation in Bahia/Brazil was monitored at weekly intervals from October, 1980 until March, 1981. About 40 g m−2 of fine roots (diameter<1 mm) were found during this period. The relative stability of this value over the six months period contrasted with significant changes in the number of growing root tips per unit of soil volume. These changes were not conditioned by the rainfall pattern although low root tip values were counted at the end of a minor drought period. A significant negative correlation was found between a shoot growth flush in January and the activity of the fine-root systems as measured by the number of new root tips.
Modeling Biochemical Reaction Systems with Markov Chains

A biochemical reaction system is a complex network of several species interacting through different reaction channels. Modern experimental techniques have conclusively testified to the stochastic nature of these systems, particularly those with small molecular counts of reactant species. The stochastic nature of such systems can be successfully modeled by an appropriate continuous time Markov chain. The aim of this note is to describe the framework of this Markov modeling approach and then focus on different simulation techniques that are particularly beneficial to the practitioners. Our discussion includes certain approximate simulation schemes, which are computationally efficient for simulating large multiscale systems compared to the statistically exact ones.
The Parasitic Hymenoptera and Biological Control of the African Ichneumonidae

Interest in the study of parasitic Hymenoptera has been revitalized consequent to recent emphasis on biological control and the role that the parasitoids play in effective biological control methods. However, our knowledge of the species of parasitic Hymenoptera, and their host associations is rather imperfect, and the family Ichneumonidae is no exception. The potential that parasitic Hymenoptera offer in the control of unwanted pests, and thereby increase agricultural output, cannot be utilized unless basic taxonomic and biological studies on them are fully supported and funded.The known species of Ichneumonidae at the present moment are approximately 19,000, which is only about 10% of the estimated number of species occurring in the world. Most species occurring in the tropical countries are unknown. The described number of species from various regions are approximately 7000 in Eurasia, 4500 in Indo-Australian area, 3500 in North America, 2000 in South America, and about 2000 in tropical Africa.The African ichneumonid fauna is rich and diverse, but very few areas have been intensively and extensively explored. Certain countries like Malagasy Republic and Zaire have been more extensively explored than the others, but recent studies indicate that species diversity is much greater than what we know today. Catches made in limited areas by using Malaise traps in places like Kampala, Uganda during 1964–1965 and in Freetown, Sierra Leone during 1969–1970 increased the number of species 300–400 per cent.
An unsteady interacting boundary layer method for oscillating airfoils experiencing light shock-induced stall

An interacting boundary layer procedure using the Veldman quasi-simultaneous method h a s been developed for an unsteady compressible boundary layer coupled with the high frequency transonic small disturbance equation. The matching condition is based on the asymptotic technique of Davis, Werle and Van Dyke. The method has been verified for a variety of oscillating airfoil cases. Comparison with experiment is made, and oscillating airfoil cases computed with light shock induced stall. A comparison of two algebraic turbulence models shows that there is an extreme sensitivity of shock-induced flow to slight differences in turbulence modeling. Finally a self-induced oscillatory solution of the 18% circular arc airfoil shows a favorable comparison with experiment.
New Findings from Centrifuge Modeling of Rocking Shallow Foundations in Clayey Ground

Rocking foundations have shown performance advantages that may benefit the seismic performance of structures. Previous centrifuge tests have well characterized the behavior of rectangular rocking foundations on sand, but few results are available for clayey ground. In this study a series of centrifuge model tests of shear walls and single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structures with rocking foundations supported on clay of medium strength are conducted. Vertical bearing failure, slow cyclic loading, and dynamic shaking tests were performed at three different levels of centrifugal acceleration. The moment capacity, settlement, and rotation of each loaded model were tracked and then compared to previous published results. The measured moment capacity is found to match the theoretical values. The settlement vs. rotation behavior was characterized, and it is found that settlement is somewhat smaller than previous results for similar models tested on sand.
“Date someone your own size” Prejudice and discrimination toward mixed-weight relationships

We assessed whether people express more prejudice and discrimination toward mixed-weight couples (i.e., romantic partners with dissimilar body mass indexes [BMIs]) than matched-weight couples. In Study 1, people rated mixed-weight couples less favorably than matched-weight couples. In Study 2, people acted as matchmakers; they chose to pair potential relationship partners on the basis of similar BMI and body size. Mixed-weight couples were perceived as poorer matches than matched-weight couples. In Study 3, people offered advice to a person dating a mixed-weight or matched-weight partner. Men and women dating a mixed-weight, rather than matched-weight, partner were advised to go on less active, public, and expensive dates, display less physical affection, and delay introductions to close others. In Study 4, perceived relational inequity, prejudice toward mixed-status relationships, in general, and system justification motives moderated mixed-weight prejudice. Implications for couples are discussed.
OIL-GAS RESOURCES TAX REFORM VIA FOREIGN ROYALTY

Vast problems in current tax system of oil-gas resources in China affect the economic realization of state's resources ownership,weaken the regulation of grading profits and the efficient utilization of resources,and,to some extent,impede the sustainable development of oil-gas enterprises.Royalty system is commonly employed in major foreign oil-gas production countries or regions.In order to keep in line with international practices,to enhance internal oil-gas enterprise's international competitiveness and to improve the current tax system of oil-gas resources,this paper presents a suggestion adopting foreign advanced experiences,unifying oil-gas resources tax and uniformly levying royalty.
Sanitary investigation and analysis of drinking water in rural area of suyu in 2009

Objective:To investigate the sanitary quality of drinking water and provide the basic data for future water improvement in some rural area of Suyu district.Methods: The drinking water sample were collected in the investigated rural drinking water.Results: For 472 samples of drinking water,the qualified rate was 95.56%.Other items haved considerable qualified rates,except the amount of coliform was 49.03%,and the total amount of bacterium was 68.27%.Conclusion: The quality of daily drinking water is very important for the health of people and we should strengthen improvement and inspection of drinking water.
Developing a confidence metric for the Landsat land surface temperature product

Land Surface Temperature (LST) is an important Earth system data record that is useful to ﬁelds such as change detection, climate research, environmental monitoring, and smaller scale applications such as agriculture. Certain Earth-observing satellites can be used to derive this metric, and it would be extremely useful if such imagery could be used to develop a global product. Through the support of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a LST product for the Landsat series of satellites has been developed. Currently, it has been validated for scenes in North America, with plans to expand to a trusted global product. For ideal atmospheric conditions (e.g. stable atmosphere with no clouds nearby), the LST product underestimates the surface temperature by an average of 0.26 K. When clouds are directly above or near the pixel of interest, however, errors can extend to several Kelvin. As the product approaches public release, our major goal is to develop a quality metric that will provide the user with a per-pixel map of estimated LST errors. There are several sources of error that are involved in the LST calculation process, but performing standard error propagation is a diﬃcult task due to the complexity of the atmospheric propagation component. To circumvent this diﬃculty, we propose to utilize the relationship between cloud proximity and the error seen in the LST process to help develop a quality metric. This method involves calculating the distance to the nearest cloud from a pixel of interest in a scene, and recording the LST error at that location. Performing this calculation for hundreds of scenes allows us to observe the average LST error for diﬀerent ranges of distances to the nearest cloud. This paper describes this process in full, and presents results for a large set of Landsat scenes.
Anterior Tibial Compartment Syndrome: Acute And Chronic

The history, clinical findings, and treatment of the acute and chronic anterior tibial compartment syndromes have been presented. The diagnosis in the chronic syndrome is suggested by a history of pain in the anterior tibial compartment coming on only after strenuous exercise of the lower extremity and completely relieved by rest. In patients with symptoms characteristic of the chronic form of this syndrome the acute form of the anterior compartment syndrome may develop. Emergency fasciotomy should be done in patients with the acute anterior tibial compartment syndrome. In the chronic syndrome, fasciotomy may be indicated in those patients who do not desire or are unable to curtail their activities sufficiently to alleviate symptoms. Thirteen patients with the acute anterior tibial compartment syndrome and five with the chronic syndrome have been seen and illustrative case histories are presented.
Prognosis for Development in the Newborn Requiring Neurosurgical Intervention

The long-term prognosis of the newborn infant destined for neurosurgery may depend in large part on preexisting neurologic disturbances. The ability to delineate preoperatively the likely long-term neurologic outcome of such infants facilitates the formulation of optimal interventions and the prediction of likely benefit of a specific intervention and addresses parental concerns for the likely outcome with and without neurosurgical intervention. This article describes two fundamental approaches, using clinical observations or laboratory investigations for delineating such a prognosis. Clinically important factors include the underlying cause, the extent of associated parenchymal injury, and the nature of comorbid factors, particularly those of cerebrovascular and dysgenetic origin. Other important prognostic factors include the age at presentation, the rate of progression, and timing of intervention. The use and limitations of current structural brain imaging, electrophysiologic and perfusion studies, and newer neurodiagnostic techniques are discussed.
A Closer Look at Rural-Urban Health Disparities: Associations Between Obesity and Rurality Vary by Geospatial and Sociodemographic Factors

Background Obesity affects over one-third of older adults in the United States. Both aging and obesity contribute to an increased risk for chronic disease, early mortality, and additional health care utilization. Obesity rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas, although findings are mixed. The objectives of this study are to assess potential nonlinearity in the association between rurality and obesity, and to evaluate the potential for socioeconomic status and geographic area to moderate the associations between rurality and obesity. Methods Using a representative sample of adults aged 65 and above from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) was modeled against the primary exposure of rural-urban status, as measured by the Index of Relative Rurality. Binary logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of obesity by rurality both as a continuous variable and by decile of rurality. Models were then stratified by per-capita income and state to assess potential moderation by these factors. Results The prevalence of obesity in older adults was highest in intermediate rurality areas (OR in rurality decile #5 1.134, 95% CI: 1.086-1.184) and lowest in the most rural and most urban areas. Obesity was highest in low- and middle-income areas, regardless of rural-urban status. In high-income areas, obesity among older adults was highest in areas of intermediate rurality and lowest in the most rural areas (OR 0.726, 95% CI: 0.606-0.870) and more urban areas, showing a J-shaped association. There were substantial differences in the associations between rurality and obesity in older adults among states. Conclusion Associations between rurality and obesity varied by degree of rurality, socioeconomic status, and geography. Therefore, traditional “one-size-fits-all” approaches to reducing rural-urban health disparities in older adults may be more effective if tailored to the area-specific rural-urban gradients in health.
Acido-thermotolerant fungi from Boiling Springs Lake, LVNP: Potential for lignocellulosic biofuels

Acidic geothermal environments such as those in Lassen Volcanic National Park (LVNP) may provide novel organisms and enzymes for conversion of plant lignocellulose into ethanol, a process that typically requires hot and acidic pre-treatment conditions to hydrolyze cell wall polysaccharides to fermentable sugars. We evaluated seven Ascomycete fungi associated with LVNP’s Boiling Springs Lake (BSL) for utilization of lignocellulose material. We screened the fungi for growth pH and temperature optima, and for growth on purified or natural plant cell wall components. We also examined potential lignin degradation using a (per)oxidase assay, and screened for the presence of potential (hemi)cellulose degradation genes with PCR. Growth analysis showed Acidomyces and Ochroconis grew best at 35–45 °C and pH < 4, and grew up to 48–53 °C. In contrast, Aspergillus , Paecilomyces , and Penicillium preferred cooler temperatures for acidic media (25–35 °C), but grew up to 48 °C. Phialophora only grew up to 27 °C under both acidic and neutral conditions, and Cladosporium showed a preference for cool, neutral conditions. The most promising material utilizers, Acidomyces , Ochroconis , and Paecilomyces , used cellobiose and xylan, as well as pine and incense cedar needles, for growth at 40 °C and pH 2. Acidomyces and Ochroconis showed extracellular (per)oxidase activity at 40 °C and pH 2, and PCR screening showed Acidomyces , Paecilomyces , and Ochroconis contain orthologs to known fungal lignocellulose degradation genes, including glucanases and xylanases. We conclude that the BSL-adapted taxa Acidomyces , Ochroconis , and Paecilomyces may be promising sources of enzymes that combine heat- and acid-tolerance, potentially valuable in streamlining the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biofuels.
Reactions of water and C1 molecules on carbide and metal-modified carbide surfaces

The formation of carbides can significantly modify the physical and chemical properties of the parent metals. In the current review, we summarize the general trends in the reactions of water and C1 molecules over transition metal carbide (TMC) and metal-modified TMC surfaces and thin films. Although the primary focus of the current review is on the theoretical and experimental studies of reactions of C1 molecules (CO, CO2, CH3OH, etc.), the reactions of water will also be reviewed because water plays an important role in many of the C1 transformation reactions. This review is organized by discussing separately thermal reactions and electrochemical reactions, which provides insights into the application of TMCs in heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis, respectively. In thermal reactions, we discuss the thermal decomposition of water and methanol, as well as the reactions of CO and CO2 over TMC surfaces. In electrochemical reactions, we summarize recent studies in the hydrogen evolution reaction, electrooxidation of methanol and CO, and electroreduction of CO2. Finally, future research opportunities and challenges associated with using TMCs as catalysts and electrocatalysts are also discussed.
Review: Risk assessment implications of variation in susceptibility to perchloroethylene due to genetic diversity, ethnicity, age, gender, diet and pharmaceuticals

ABSTRACTCurrent cancer risk assessments do not adequately consider impacts of human inter-individual variability on susceptibility to environmental pollutants like perchloroethylene (PCE). PCE is metabolized through both oxidative and glutathione (GSH) conjugation pathways. Toxicity criteria derived using both pathways are 23-fold more stringent than those calculated using only oxidative metabolism. While toxicokinetic modeling of PCE metabolism predicted very high variability through the GSH conjugation pathway, it is unclear if the range in estimates is due to human variability or uncertainty. Thus, the variation in the GSH conjugation pathway of PCE metabolism due to genetics, ethnicity, age, gender, diet, and pharmaceutical co-exposures is examined. Genetic polymorphisms were found at several loci including, GSTT1, GSTM1, CCBL1, AGXT2, NAT8, ACY3, MRP2, OAT1/3, FMO3, and CYP3A that code for enzymes/transporters in the GSH conjugation pathway. Genetic diversity in GSTT1, GSTM1, and CCBL1 between ethnic...
The Many Faces of Humor

Taped in-concert recordings of Bill Cosby and Don Rickles were played for Ss in which one element of audience composition, friends or strangers, was varied. In addition to the humor-related responses of laughing and smiling, behavioral categories included general activity and social interactions. Differences across social groupings in response to Cosby were negligible; whereas strangers listening to Rickles laughed, smiled, and generally behaved far less than any of the other three groups. The data suggest that humor must be considered a social phenomenon in which the perception of funniness often depends upon the comedian, his relationship to the audience, his material, and the social relationships existing among audience members. Results were also discussed in terms of their implications for a theory of humorists, as well as for a theory of gesture interpretation.
Airway Management in the Neurointensive Care Unit

Airway management in the critical care setting encompasses a wide, diverse range of topics, well beyond simply tracheal intubation. The delivery of oxygen and effective ventilation is affected by a multitude of clinical situations in the intensive care arena that can be lifesaving but equally could threaten the patient’s outcome if not properly executed in a timely manner. From noninvasive ventilation devices extending to an accidently decannulated “fresh” bleeding tracheostomy site, it is imperative that the ICU offers the ability to deploy an experienced airway team equipped with basic and advanced airway adjuncts coupled with primary and secondary rescue strategies in the pursuit of improved patient safety.