cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Setting Servicemembers Up for Success: Buying a Home, a Legal and Financial Analysis

Before purchasing a home, servicemembers need to do a thorough legal and financial analysis, considering their housing options, personal situations, and market conditions. To avoid future legal and financial problems, servicemembers should incorporate numerous legal and financial disciplines, including tax law, consumer law, landlord-tenant law, real estate finance law, bankruptcy law, family law, and military law, into this analysis. This article advocates a three-step approach for conducting an effective housing analysis and addresses significant issues servicemembers may encounter in the home buying process. Part II of this article encourages servicemembers to identify and consider alternatives to buying a home—renting a residence, living in military housing, or residing in privatized military housing. Part II also addresses the advantages and disadvantages of buying a home and then draws a comparison to home-buying alternatives by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of renting a residence, living in military housing, and residing in privatized military housing. Part III emphasizes the significance of evaluating a decision to purchase a home in light of an individual’s personal situation, current market conditions, and the specific real estate property. This step highlights the importance of early financial planning and property selection. Part III not only addresses acquiring the right type of mortgage under the most advantageous terms but also addresses appraising the property in a manner that will maximize an individual’s ability to later sell or lease the property. Finally, Part III goes further by discussing the importance of the source of funding for down payments and mortgage payments and the consequences of the property’s location in light of family law considerations. Part IV provides a quantitative starting point for analyzing whether it is more advantageous to purchase a home, rent a residence, or live in military or privatized military housing. As part of this analysis, Part IV stresses the importance of determining the potential income cash flow of a property. By conducting an income cash flow analysis based on renting the property to tenants, servicemembers can identify in advance of buying a property whether they will be able to keep the property after relocating to a new duty assignment. Part IV also recognizes that many factors cannot be easily quantified and will need to be prioritized differently depending on a servicemember’s situation. To this end, Part IV suggests using mechanisms such as a decision matrix2 to address these significant concerns.
Inviscid, Unsteady Flows Past Airfoils

In this chapter we will study 2-D unsteady incompressible flows such as flow past oscillating profiles or impulsively accelerated airfoils. The flow is assumed to be uniform and potential in the far field.
The role of Bax in glutamate-induced nerve cell death

The role of the Bax gene product was examined in three forms of cortical nerve cell death in primary cultures. These include spontaneous cell death, oxidative glutamate toxicity, in which exogenous glutamate inhibits cystine uptake resulting in toxic oxidative stress, and ionotropic glutamate receptor-mediated excitotoxicity following a brief exposure to 10 microM glutamate. Primary cortical and hippocampal neuron cultures were established from embryos of Bax -/+ x Bax -/+ matings and the embryos genotyped and assayed for cell death in the three experimental paradigms. Cell death induced by oxidative glutamate toxicity and glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity was not altered in the Bax -/- homozygous knockout animals. In contrast, there was an approximately 50% inhibition of spontaneous cell death. These results suggest that a classical Bax-dependent apoptotic pathway contributes to the spontaneous cell death that takes place when nerve cells are initially exposed to cell culture conditions. A Bax-dependent programmed cell death pathway is not, however, utilized in oxidative glutamate toxicity and NMDA receptor-mediated excitotoxicity following a brief exposure to low concentrations of glutamate.
Investigating the community consequences of competition among clonal plants

Although clonal plants comprise most of the biomass of several widespread ecosystems, including many grasslands, wetlands, and tundra, our understanding of the effects of clonal attributes on community patterns and processes is weak. Here we present the conceptual basis for experiments focused on manipulating clonal attributes in a community context to determine how clonal characteristics affect interactions among plants at both the individual and community levels. All treatments are replicated at low and high density in a community density series to compare plant responses in environments of different competitive intensity. We examine clonal integration, the sharing of resources among ramets, by severing ramets from one another and comparing their response to ramets with intact connections. Ramet aggregation, the spacing of ramets relative to each other, is investigated by comparing species that differ in their natural aggregation (either clumped growth forms, with ramets tightly packed together, or runner growth forms, with ramets loosely spread) and by planting individual ramets of all species evenly spaced throughout a mesocosm. We illustrate how to test predictions to examine the influence of these two clonal traits on competitive interactions at the individual and community levels. To evaluate the effect of clonal integration on competition, we test two predictions: at the individual level, species with greater clonal integration will be better individual-level competitors, and at the community level, competition will cause a greater change in community composition when ramets are integrated (connected) than when they are not. For aggregation we test at the individual level: clumped growth forms are better competitors than runner growth forms because of their ability to resist invasion, and at the community level: competition will have a greater effect on community structure when ramets are evenly planted. An additional prediction connects the individual- and community-level effects of competition: resistance ability better predicts the effects of competition on relative abundance in a community than does invasion ability. We discuss additional experimental design considerations as revealed by our ongoing studies. Examining how clonal attributes affect both the individual- and community-level effects of competition requires new methods and metrics such as those presented here, and is vital to understanding the role of clonality in community structure of many ecosystems.
What Shall We Do Next? The Challenges of AI Midway through Its First Century

After half a century of productive work, let us pause to consider what to do next. Looking back we see that Turing's Test was a destination without a map, a goal without a methodology. We see three major, gradual retreats from AI's original goals-general intelligence, knowledge-based intelligence, and problem solving. We see the fragmentation of AI into sub-disciplines and growing uncertainty about who we are and what we want to accomplish. Yet I am optimistic: With an informed understanding of our past we can design and run large-scale, goal-directed research programs-as other organized sciences do- and if we do so with vision and discipline we may yet see Turing's Test passed- and our understanding of intelligence dramatically increased - before the end of our first century. This is already happening in several areas of AI, as I will illustrate in my talk.
How to Get into a Top 10 Economics PhD Program from Australia

type="main" xml:lang="en"> This article provides a guide to the process of applying to the best globally ranked economics PhD programs, aimed at students of Australian universities. It covers issues related to coursework requirements, research assistant work, Honours or Masters thesis writing, letters of recommendation, the Graduate Record Examinations, the statement of purpose and general application strategy. Finally, it is suggested that the student not panic about admissions and that plenty of great economists come from outside the top departments.
Water permeability of chloroplast envelope membranes: In vivo measurement by saturation-transfer NMR

Abstract In tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaves, the proton NMR signal from chloroplast water is resolved from that of water in other leaf compartments. We used the saturation-transfer NMR method to measure the mean water molecule residence time within a chloroplast, (88 ± 17) ms at 20°C. From the measured chloroplast dimensions, we calculate an effective permeability coefficient of (9 ± 2) × 10 −4 cm s for the chloroplast envelope membrane. This is the first in vivo measurement of chloroplast water permeability.
Phosphorus: Organophosphorus Chemistry

The chemistry associated with compounds bearing at least one carbon–phosphorus bond has been surveyed. This survey has been organized on the basis of the coordination about the phosphorus center, beginning with monocoordinated phosphorus and continuing through hexacoordinated phosphorus. Preparations, stereochemistry, and reactivity are principal topics considered. Keywords: carbon–phosphorus bond; elemental phosphorus; stereochemistry; ylides; phosphoranes; nomenclature; P-31 NMR, pseudorotation
What Are We Educating Our Youth for? The Role of Education in the Era of Vocational Schools for "Dummies" and Diploma Mill Universities in Ukraine.

This qualitative multisite case study contextualized in the political economy of Ukraine examines orphanage youth's conceptualization of the role of vocational and higher education in the neoliberal era and highlights educational transformations in Ukraine. Drawing on Bourdieu's forms of capital (cultural, social, and economic), this research sheds light on educational and labor market inequalities confronting Ukrainian marginalized youth. The findings reveal that vocational schools, into which orphanage alumni are tracked en masse, offer substandard quality of education and obsolete skills for a market economy, ultimately leading to destitution. A handful of orphanage alumni who manage to access higher education, in pursuit of coveted credentials (cultural capital), face challenges in the labor market. Social capital, or connections and associated bribes, of which orphanage youth tend to be deprived, overrides cultural capital and limits Ukrainian marginalized youth's labor market opportunities.
Transient voltage oscillations in coils

Magnet coils may be excited into internal voltage oscillations by transient voltages. Such oscillations may electrically stress the magnet's dielectric components to many times its normal stress. T...
Core Grammar for Lawyers: Teacher's Manual

'Core Grammar for Lawyers' (CGL) is an online, self-directed learning tool designed to help law students, pre-law students, paralegal professionals, and practicing attorneys acquire the grammar and punctuation skills that are prerequisites to successful legal writing. This Teacher's Manual describes the teaching philosophies that underpin the program, CGL's learning objectives, and best practices for using CGL in the classroom.
Determination of carbonate in biologic solids.

A procedure is described for the determination of carbonate in biologic solids by dissolving the material in a basic EDTA solution and utilizing the Van Slyke manometric apparatus.
On the Time Required to Perform Multiplication

The time required to perform multiplication is investigated. A lower bound on the time required to perform multiplication, as well as multiplication modulo N, is derived and it is shown that these lower bounds can be approached. Then a lower bound on the amount of time required to perform the most significant part of multiplication (dxy/Nd) is derived.
Disruption mitigation on Alcator C-Mod using high-pressure gas injection: Experiments and modeling toward ITER

High-pressure gas-jet injection disruption mitigation is investigated on Alcator C-Mod. The experimental results are encouraging for ITER. Gas-jets delivers reliable and substantial disruption mitigation of thermal loads and halo currents at the ITER field and pressure. The gas injection is compatible with a metallic wall. The gas-jets provide sufficient radiative energy dissipation on a timescale even faster than required for ITER. Runaway electrons are suppressed, however a better understanding of this suppression is still required for ITER. Present 0-D calculations of the gas delivery and global plasma response match important experimental data such as overall quench time and the current quench L/R time. Frictional dissipation may be important for gas delivery down the long tubes that will probably be required for ITER. However deep gas and/or impurity penetration is not required for mitigation, relieving technical requirements for the gas pressure in ITER. Initial studies with the non-ideal MHD simulation NIMROD show that radiation-induced MHD plays a critical role in thermal quench particle and energy dynamics. The application of a newly available version of NIMROD, with more complete atomic physics, shows promise in matching the experimental trends and could be an invaluable tool for increasing our confidence in designing efficient disruption mitigation for ITER.
Basic Research and Practical Problems: The Promise of a "Functional" Personality and Social Psychology

In this article, based on the 1992 presidential address to the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, the author illustrates how research in personality and social psychology can address problems that confront society. To do so, he draws on a program of research on volunteerism. Every year; millions of people volunteer to devote much time and energy to helping others by volunteering, for example, to provide companionship to the elderly, tutoring to the illiterate, or health care to the sick. Guided by a functional approach to motivation, the author and his colleagues are engaged in a coordinated program of basic and applied investigations, conducted in the field and the laboratory, to examine personal and social motivations that give rise to the sustained, ongoing helping relationships of volunteerism. Then, applying lessons learned from building such bridges between basic research and practical problems, the author examines the practical and theoretical promises of a functionally orient approach ...
Consciousness: A connectionist manifesto

Connectionism and phenomenology can mutually inform and mutually constrain each other. In this manifesto I outline an approach to consciousness based on distinctions developed by connectionists. Two core identities are central to a connectionist theory of consciouness: conscious states of mind are identical to occurrent activation patterns of processing units; and the variable dispositional strengths on connections between units store latent and unconscious information. Within this broad framework, a connectionist model of consciousness succeeds according to the degree of correspondence between the content of human consciousness (the world as it is experienced) and the interpreted content of the network. Constitutive self-awareness and reflective self-awareness can be captured in a model through its ability to respond to self-reflexive information, identify self-referential categories, and process information in the absence of simultaneous input. The qualitative “feel” of sensation appears in a model as states of activation that are not fully discriminated by later processing. Connectionism also uniquely explains several specific features of experience. The most important of these is the superposition of information in consciousness — our ability to perceive more than meets the eye, and to apprehend complex categorical and temporal information in a single highly-cognized glance. This superposition in experience matches a superposition of representational content in distributed representations.
Spiracular air breathing in polypterid fishes and its implications for aerial respiration in stem tetrapods

The polypterids (bichirs and ropefish) are extant basal actinopterygian (ray-finned) fishes that breathe air and share similarities with extant lobe-finned sarcopterygians (lungfishes and tetrapods) in lung structure. They are also similar to some fossil sarcopterygians, including stem tetrapods, in having large paired openings (spiracles) on top of their head. The role of spiracles in polypterid respiration has been unclear, with early reports suggesting that polypterids could inhale air through the spiracles, while later reports have largely dismissed such observations. Here we resolve the 100-year-old mystery by presenting structural, behavioural, video, kinematic and pressure data that show spiracle-mediated aspiration accounts for up to 93% of all air breaths in four species of Polypterus. Similarity in the size and position of polypterid spiracles with those of some stem tetrapods suggests that spiracular air breathing may have been an important respiratory strategy during the fish-tetrapod transition from water to land.
T cell cytokine synthesis in cystic fibrosis patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

Abstract Rationale ABPA is characterized by a heightened Th2 response to A. fumigatus allergens compared to patients without ABPA. We hypothesize that one reason for this response is skewed Th2 T-cell responses in patients with ABPA. Methods PBLs were stimulated non-specifically with PMA/ionomycin for 2 days and with antigens tetanus toxoid and Asp f2, f3 and f4 from 1 to 7 days. Culture supernatants were examined for cytokine synthesis. Results Following PMA/IO stimulation, IFN-, TNF-, and IL-2 synthesis were increased comparably in ABPA and non-ABPA patients; synthesis of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 were low in both ABPA and non-ABPA patients. Following tetanus toxoid and Asp f2/f3/f4 stimulations, ABPA and non-ABPA patients had decreased IFN- synthesis compared to normal controls. Following Asp f2/f3/f4 stimulation and Asp f2, f3, f4 individually, ABPA patients had increased IL-5 synthesis compared to non-ABPA patients. Increased IL-10 synthesis was seen in ABPA and non-ABPA patients following Asp f2/f3/f4 stimulation; however, TGF- synthesis was not increased. When the kinetics of IL-10 synthesis were examined, IL-10 synthesis was increased on Day 1; IL-5 synthesis was detected on Day 3 and increased on Days 5 and 7 in ABPA patients; IFN- synthesis was detected on Day 3and increased on Days 5 and 7 in both ABPA and non-ABPA patients. Conclusions ABPA patients have increased Th2 cytokine pattern in Asp f2, f2 and f4 stimulated cultures. Aspergillus allergens induced IL-10 synthesis in both ABPA and non-ABPA CF patients, skewing a Th2 response to A. fumigatus colonization in ABPA patients.
Cheap talk when interests conflict.

Most evolutionary analyses of animal communication suggest that low-cost signals can evolve only when both the signaller and the recipient rank outcomes in the same order. When there is a conflict of interest between sender and receiver, honest signals must be costly. However, recent work suggests that low-cost signals can be evolutionarily stable, even when the sender and the receiver rank outcomes in different orders, as long as the interest in achieving coordination is sufficiently great. In this paper, we extend this body of work by analysing a game theory model that shows that low-cost signals can evolve when there are conflicts of interest and no interest in coordination, as long as individuals interact repeatedly. We also present an empirical example indicating that female rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta, use honest, low-cost, vocal signals to facilitate interactions when conflicts of interest exist.
Macro-scheduling of base stations for video-on-demand flows in WiMAX networks

We consider lifetime quality-of-experience (QoE) management for video-on-demand (VoD) users in WiMAX networks. For efficient resource utilization while enhancing user experience, we propose run-time load balancing through joint scheduling among multiple base stations (BSs), referred to as macro scheduling. Macro scheduling employs a utility-maximization approach. To achieve long-term proportional fairness (PF) and manage lifetime QoE, user and flow utilities are modeled as functions of their past service rates, in addition to current channel conditions and bandwidth needs. We show that scheduling flows across multiple BSs jointly to achieve PF is NP-hard in the strong sense. Since approximation algorithms proposed in prior work are computationally expensive for online use, we design efficient heuristics that perform as well as the approximation algorithms. A simulation-based evaluation shows that our overall macro scheduling scheme can improve the number of satisfied users by up to 35% in comparison to other approaches, while only minimally sacrificing on throughput.
Identifying gaps and inconsistencies in the use of relocation rhetoric: a prerequisite for sound relocation policy and planning

Relocation from vulnerability hotspots to alternative safer locations is being increasingly proposed as one of the climate change response options. Yet, its consistent adoption in the rhetoric and more importantly policy remains elusive. This paper evaluates the extent to which different actors in policy and planning arenas consider relocation as a viable response to climate change as inferred from the extent to which relocation rhetoric permeates documents designed to inform and guide adaptation. The study examines 56 local, state, and national climate change adaptation texts to determine how many are considering and/or referring to relocation, what language they employ, and in which context. The content analysis was performed to measure the occurrence and frequency of keywords relocation, retreat, migration, and abandonment, as well as their frequency. The results show a significant inconsistency and lack of coherence in the use of relocation rhetoric among examined contemporary adaptation documents that are impeding a more comprehensive consideration and the development of relocation policy and planning. To address this barrier, the author proposes a unifying definition of the term relocation within the context of climate change.
SU‐C‐301‐03: A Spatially Distributed X‐Ray Source Array for High Resolution Digital Breast Tomosynthesis

Purpose: The current digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) scanners are based on regular full‐field digital mammographysystems and require partial isocentric motion of an x‐ray tube over certain angular range to record the projection views needed for reconstruction. This prolongs scanning time and degrades imaging quality due to motion blur. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of improving spatial resolution and scanning speed of the current DBT device by replacing mammography tube with a stationary carbon nanotube(CNT) based x‐ray source array. Methods: A spatially distributed multi‐beam field emission x‐ray (MBFEX) source array was designed for DBT. Electrostatic simulations were carried out to design the electron focusing optics to achieve the desired x‐ray focal spot size. Finite element analysis was performed to determine the x‐ray source anode heat load. A control electronic system was developed to scan and to regulate the imaging dose from each beam by compensating the driving voltages and by modulating the exposure time from each beam. The x‐ray flux, lifetime, focal spot size, variation between different beams, etc were characterized. Results: A MBFEX source array with 31 individually controllable beams covering 30 degrees viewing angle was fabricated. It is operated up to 50KVp anode voltage and 30mA tube current per beam at an effective focal size comparable to that of the traditional mammography tube. Consistency in the beam‐to‐beam performance was achieved by optimizing the CNT cathodes and by electronic compensation. Tomosynthesisimages of a breast phantom were obtained using the new source array. Conclusions: These preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of CNT x‐ray source array for stationary DBT to eliminate image blurring from tube motion. With a fast detector the device can provide a higher spatial resolution at a reduced imaging time compared to the current rotating gantry DBT systems. This research is currently supported by the following grants&#65306;NCI Grant No. U54CA119343, NIH R01 Grant No. CA134598‐01 and the University Cancer Research Fund at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Xin Qian, was supported by a fellowship from DoD Grant No. BC087505.
‘My programme became very strict’: a conversation with Athanassios Kritsinelis

Athanassios (Nassos) Kritsinelis is known and respected across the world as the dean of Olympic Flame Relay (OFR) practice. As OFR technical director and manager, first for the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) and then for the 2004 Athens Olympic Organizing Committee (ATHOC), he has for over 30 years been the most notable on-the-ground guardian and innovator of Greek OFR traditions, as well as the chief Greek interlocutor with the succession of Olympic Games Organizing Committees (OCOGs) receiving the flame. Kritsinelis was the main ATHOC planner for the Athens 2004 relay. He was also a tragic casualty when the transnational, ‘world's best practices’ operational regime that had evolved out of prior, largely Anglo-Saxon OFRs was brought to bear in Athens.
High-resolution spectral analysis using multiple-interval adaptive prediction

The problem of adaptively detecting two sinusoids corrupted by noise is considered, with emphasis on resolution properties. The approach is to form a spectral estimate from the coefficients of a Δ-step-ahead adaptive predictor. A theoretical analysis reveals that attention to the choice of the prediction horizon Δ gives a distinct improvement in the spectral estimate and in the resolution of the signals. The theoretical results are illustrated with numerical examples. Comparisons with previously suggested techniques are also made.
A direct three-dimensional finite element method for the solution of electromagnetic fields in cavities

A new variational finite element method that directly solves the magnetic or electric field in three-dimensional cavities is proposed. The novelty is in the way the boundary conditions are implemented and the manner in which the H- and E-field vectors are rendered nondivergent. Principal vector boundary conditions and the zero divergence condition are treated as constraints and implemented by a technique based on connection matrices. The formulation is based on a curvilinear brick-type finite element with 27 interpolation nodes.
Effect of sand and wood-shavings bedding on the behavior of broiler chickens

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of 2 different bedding types, sand and wood shavings, on the behavior of broiler chickens. In experiment 1, 6 pens were divided down the center and bedded half with sand and half with wood shavings. Male broilers (10/pen) were observed by scan sampling at 5- or 12-min intervals throughout the 6-wk growth period during the morning (between 0800 to 0900 h), afternoon (1200 to 1500 h), and night (2300 to 0600 h). There was a significant behavior x substrate x week interaction during the day (P < 0.0001) and at night (P < 0.0002). Drinking, dustbathing, preening, and sitting increased in frequency on the sand side but decreased on the wood shavings side during the day, as did resting at night. In general, broilers performed a greater proportion of their total behavioral time budget on the sand (P < 0.0001) as they aged. Broilers used the divider between the 2 bedding types to perch; perching behavior peaked during wk 4. In experiment 2, male broilers were housed in 8 pens (50 birds/pen) bedded only in sand or wood shavings. Bedding type had no effect on behavioral time budgets (P = 0.8946), although there were age-related changes in behavior on both bedding types. These results indicate that when given a choice, broilers increasingly performed many of their behaviors on sand, but if only one bedding type was provided they performed those behaviors with similar frequency on sand or wood shavings.
Reduction and reoxidation of turkey ovomucoid—a protein with dual and independent inhibitory activity against trypsin and α-chymotrypsin

Abstract 1. 1.|The reduction and reoxidation of the disulfide bonds of turkey ovomucoid were investigated in relationship to its independent inhibitory activities against bovine trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. When all, or nearly all, of the 8 disulfide bonds were reduced by 2-mercaptoethanol, inhibitory activities against both enzymes were lost. On air reoxidation, the inhibitory activity against trypsin was regained faster than was the activity against α-chymotrypsin. It appeared that only 5 or 6 of the disulfides were required for activity against trypsin and 7 for activity against α-chymotrypsin. 2. 2.|On reduction of all the disulfides, absorbance at 280 mμ decreased by 20 to 25%. The extent of reoxidation could be determined by measuring the absorbance. 3. 3.|Neither trypsin nor α-chymotrypsin could serve as a template for reactivation of inhibitory capacity or oxidation of sulfhydryl. However, either enzyme stopped the reactivation of both inhibitory activities, apparently by extensive proteolysis of the inactive inhibitor. 4. 4.|The reoxidized inhibitor had a faster rate of interaction with the enzymes.
Compensation of Gradient-Induced Magnetic Field Perturbations

Pulsed magnetic field gradients are essential for MR imaging and localized spectroscopy applications. However, besides the desired linear field gradients, pulsed currents in a strong external magnetic field also generate unwanted effects like eddy currents, gradient coil vibrations and acoustic noise. While the temporal magnetic field perturbations associated with eddy currents lead to spectral line shape distortions and signal loss, the vibration-related modulations lead to anti-symmetrical sidebands of any large signal (i.e. water), thereby obliterating the signals from low-concentration metabolites. Here the measurement, characterization and compensation of vibration-related magnetic field perturbations is presented. Following a quantitative evaluation of the various temporal components of the main magnetic field, a digital B0 magnetic field waveform is generated which reduces all temporal variations of the main magnetic field to within the spectral noise level.
The Hybrid Approach for Percutaneous Revascularization of Coronary Chronic Total Occlusions

Percutaneous recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) has been limited by inability to consistently achieve wire position in the distal true lumen across the CTO segment, preventing many patients from having percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Furthermore, low success rates, prolonged case times, and wide variability in approaches has resulted in lower adoption of CTO PCI as a routine procedure and has limited educational initiatives. The hybrid approach for CTO PCI is predicated on an algorithm that allows trained operators to react to angiograms and craft strategies in a similar manner, enabling technical success and efficiency.
Direct-count estimates of fungal and bacterial biovolume in dead leaves of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel.)

Two types of hyphal-extraction, direct-count methods of estimating fungal biovalume in standing-dead, autumn leaves of Spartina alterniflora were compared with a clearing+staining method which does not require homogenization. Bacterial biovolume also was estimated, by an acridine-orange direct-count method. Type of homogenization had little effect on measured fungal volume, but counts made using water-soluble-aniline-blue epifluorescence were consistently lower than those made using phase-contrast (by 6–10x). Clearing+staining could not be used to estimate hyphal lengths, but was of use in estimating total ascocarp volume (=0.06 mm3 per mm3 of leaf). Estimated fungal hyphal volume was approximately 0.27 mm3 per mm3 of leaf. Bacterial volume was <3% of fungal volume.
Treatment of the medial collateral ligament injury. I : The importance of anterior cruciate ligament on the varus-valgus knee laxity

The purpose of this study was to explain the functional roles of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the ACL and how they affect the kinematics of the knee joint after isolated MCL injury. Varus-valgus joint laxity was quantitatively measured using a device which allowed various degrees of freedom (DOF) of joint motion during application of a varus-valgus bending moment to the canine knee joint. When the knee motion was limited to 3 DOF (varus-valgus rotation, proximal-distal, and medial-lateral translation), valgus laxity increased significantly (171%) after sectioning the MCL. Thus, the MCL was the primary restraint to the valgus bending moment in the 3 DOF mode. However, the effect of sectioning the MCL on valgus laxity became minimal (21% increase) when the DOF of knee motion was increased to 5 (by adding axial tibial rotation and anterior-posterior translation). In this situation, external and internal tibial axial rotation were coupled with the varus and valgus rotation of the knee joint, respectively, and the ACL also functioned to restrain the varus-valgus rotation. The results of this study suggest that under normal knee joint motion, the functional deficit of the MCL in valgus rotation was compensated for by the remaining structures, especially by the ACL.
Elicited imitation in language assessment: A tool for formulating and evaluating treatment programs

Abstract Four different clinical populations were administered an elicited imitation task before and after therapy to determine the usefulness of elicited imitation procedures for formulating and evaluating language treatment programs. Children's imitations were analyzed according to the numbers and patterns of omission errors, substitution errors, and correct responses. Results indicated that (1) patterns of responding could be identified; (2) specific patterns were associated with different clinical populations; (3) performance on pretherapy measures could be efficiently analyzed and utilized for formulating language treatment programs; and (4) changes in posttherapy performance could be readily evaluated using this procedure. The data suggest that the elicited imitation procedures can be effectively used to increase the precision of the evaluation and clinical programming of children with language disorders.
Impact of a piperacillin-tazobactam shortage on antimicrobial prescribing and the rate of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Clostridium difficile infections.

Study Objective. To evaluate the impact of a shortage of piperacillintazobactam in the United States in 2002 on antimicrobial prescribing and associated rates of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and Clostridium difficile infections. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. University-affiliated medical center. Measurements and Main Results. Microbiologic reports, patient demographics, and antimicrobial utilization were evaluated for patients admitted 6 months before the shortage (March 1-August 31, 2001) and for 6 months during the shortage (March 1-August 31, 2002). Significant increases in usage of alternative β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, cefepime, levofloxacin, vancomycin, clindamycin, and metronidazole were observed during the shortage; in contrast, a significant decrease in the use of ceftriaxone took place. No change in the rate of VRE infection was observed from before to during the piperacillin-tazobactam shortage. However, a paradoxical 47% decrease in the rate of C. difficile colitis was documented during the shortage. Subsequent multivariate analyses suggested the reduced use of ceftriaxone and increased use of levofloxacin, but not the reduced use of piperacillin-tazobactam, correlated with the decreased rate of C. difficile infections. Conclusion. The piperacillin-tazobactam shortage was associated with significant changes in antimicrobial prescribing, which resulted in a significant reduction in the rate of C. difficile but not VRE infections.
High-water containing glasses

Abstract The synthesis of glasses with water contents greater than a few tenths of a weight percent water necessitates the temperatures and pressures attainable in an autoclave. Compositions that readily hydrate contain both alkali metal oxide and silica. Examples will be presented of different composition fields. Parameters affecting the kinetics and techniques to control final water contents will be described. Structural information obtained from infrared spectra show that both hydroxyl and molecular water groups are present. Properties of the glass can be drastically altered. Physical, mechanical and chemical properties will be discussed.
Anti-edema action of thyroid hormone in MCAO model of ischemic brain stroke: Possible association with AQP4 modulation

The use of neuroprotective strategies to mitigate the fatal consequences of ischemic brain stroke is a focus of robust research activity. We have previously demonstrated that thyroid hormone (T3; 3,3',5-triiodo-l-thyronine) possesses neuroprotective and anti-edema activity in pre-stroke treatment regimens when administered as a solution or as a nanoparticle formulation. In this study we have extended our evaluation of thyroid hormone use in animal models of brain stroke. We have used both transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (t-MCAO) and permanent (p-MCAO) models of ischemic brain stroke. A significant reduction of tissue infarction and a concurrent decrease in edema were observed in the t-MCAO model of brain stroke. However, no benefit of T3 was observed in p-MCAO stroke setting. Significant improvement of neurological outcomes was observed upon T3 treatment in t-MCAO mice. Further, we tested T2 (3,5-diiodo-l-thyronine) a natural deiodination metabolite of T3 in MCAO model of brain stroke. T2 potently decreased infarct size as well as edema formation. Additionally, we report here that T3 suppresses the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels which could be a likely mechanism of its anti-edema activity. Our studies provide evidence to stimulate clinical development of thyroid hormones for use in ischemic brain stroke.
On the Frequency Domain Analysis of Tire Relaxation Effects on Transient On-Center Vehicle Handling Performance

This paper presents an elegant frequency domain approach that can be used to analyze lateral vehicle dynamics for transient understeer and oversteer performance. Commonly used steady-state understeer analysis techniques are not able to expose some effects, such as tire relaxation, in on-center transient maneuvers. The approach presented here addresses such transient issues using a simple two degree of freedom handling model coupled to a model for tire lateral dynamics. In addition to the usual yaw rate and lateral acceleration transfer functions, this paper proposes using an understeer angle transfer function as an easy-to-interpret metric to evaluate transient on-center handling. Using the approach, it is shown that at low vehicle velocities, the inclusion of tire relaxation introduces dramatically different system dynamics by introducing highly undamped poles into the coupled system for both an understeering and an oversteering vehicle.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Upper-income renaissance in the city: Its sources and implications for the city's future☆☆☆

Abstract Recent writings on urban housing markets have cited evidence of renewed upper-income demand for central residential locations. This paper extends the standard model of residential choice to account for this behavior, shows that implications of the analysis are consistent with recent residential patterns in New York City, and challenges predictions that upper-income demand for city living portends a nationwide reversal of upper-income exodus to the suburbs.
A comparative study of ethylene oxidation in Vicia faba and Mycobacterium paraffinicum

Vicia faba L. ‘Herz Freya’ (fababean) cotyledons andMycobacterium paraffinicum Bardane strain (MPB) cells were studied to describe and compare physiological and biochemical factors regulating ethylene oxidation. Both organisms demonstrated a linear rate of ethylene uptake as a function of concentration from 1 ppm to 1,000 ppm. CO2 did not influence ethylene oxidation by either organism. Zero degree temperatures and CO inhibited ethylene oxidation by fababeans but not by MPB. An N2 gas phase blocked ethylene consumption by fababeans. In contrast, MPB continued to consume ethylene at a reduced rate under anaerobic conditions. Hydrocarbon oxidation was limited to alkenes. Alkanes were not oxidized by either organism. Both organisms were sensitive to diethyldithiocarbamic acid, o-phenanthroline, carbonyl cyanidem-chlorophenyl hydrazone, and CS2. The possibility that CS2 acted as a suicide substrate is discussed. Evidence is presented that hydrocarbon gas oxidation by fababeans is not a part of, or reflection of, the way ethylene acts as a hormone.
Sugar Saving Substitutes in Ice Cream

Summary 1Four formulas have been worked out which save from 30 to 50 per cent of cane sugar in the mix. 2The ice cream prepared according to these four formulas meets the requirements of good ice cream. 3Corn syrup dissolves with difficulty in cold cream. When added to cream before pasteurizing, it dissolves readily. 4In hydrolyzing the syrups, excessive heating should be avoided. 5When invert sugar and corn syrup are used as the only source of sweetening, a rather noticeable syrupy flavor is imparted to the ice cream. 6When invert sugar, cane sugar and corn syrup areused in the proportions indicated in formula 4, no objectionable flavor is noticeable. 7It is thought that hydrolyzing corn syrup in the presence of an acid will enhance its sweetening properties. 8In addition to saving cane sugar, all four formulas lower the cost of sweetening per gallon of ice cream. 9Corn sugar can replace 50 per. cent of cane sugar in the mix. 10None of the substitutes so far tried will satisfactorily replace all the cane sugar in the ice cream mix.
Estimating sub-pixel surface roughness using remotely sensed stereoscopic data

Abstract Surface roughness at the scale of 10 − 2 – 10 1 m can be estimated using the ratio (RR) between surface-reflected solar radiance measured from two view angles at nearly the same time. As RR is primarily a function of the difference between effective sub-pixel shading observed from the two view-angles, the divergence from unity RR values, which are expected for smooth Lambertian surfaces (they have no shadows), was found to be proportional to roughness at the 10 − 2 – 10 1 -m scale of geomorphic desert surfaces. Ground-based RR values at ∼1-m resolution, as well as remotely acquired RR values at 4-, 15- and 50-m resolutions, were compared with observed surface roughness in two hyperarid test sites, located in Death Valley, California USA and the southern Negev Desert in Israel. The ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) 15-m stereoscopic capability is identified as an effective resource for obtaining relative sub-pixel surface-roughness estimates that are largely independent of surface composition and relatively insensitive to atmospheric effects.
Direct immunofluorescence assay compared to cell culture for the diagnosis of mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus infections in children

Abstract Background Direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA) is commonly used for the rapid identification of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in mucocutaneous lesions, yet little is known about its diagnostic accuracy. Objective To determine the diagnostic yield and accuracy of HSV DFA for the diagnosis of mucocutaneous HSV infection in pediatric patients. Study design Retrospective cross-sectional study of all patients who underwent HSV DFA testing by the Texas Children's Hospital Diagnostic Virology between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2005. HSV DFA sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LRs), and negative LRs were estimated using viral culture as the reference standard. Results 659 specimens were submitted for HSV DFA with concurrent viral cultures. Viral cultures were positive for HSV type 1 in 158 (24%) and HSV type 2 in 2 (0.3%). There were 433 different patients with a median age of 8.6 years. Types of lesions were as follows: 50% ulcerative, 26% vesicular, 8% erythema or purpura, 5% pustular, and 11% missing. Of the 659 specimens submitted for HSV DFA, 160 (24%) were inconclusive due to inadequate cells. Of the 499 adequate specimens, overall HSV DFA test accuracy was: sensitivity 61%, specificity 99%, LR positive 40, and LR negative 0.39. Conclusions A quarter of specimens submitted for HSV DFA testing are not adequate for DFA testing. When HSV DFA can be performed, it is specific, but not sensitive, for the identification of mucocutaneous HSV infection in children.
Identities and inequalities: an examination of the role of racial identity in the formation of social capital inside a voluntary youth organization

This ethnographic study provides empirical illustrations of patterns of racial homophily and network ties within a voluntary youth association. The paper seeks to examine the role of racial identity and its relationship to the formation of social capital among a diverse group of youth participants. Drawing on narrative data, this article explores the kinds of organizational experiences that promote the development of interracial ties as well as how the construction of racial identity influences network formation and enhances social capital. The major findings are that racial homophily (staying within one's own group) are strongest among white participants while blacks are equally likely to form interracial ties with socially dissimilar peers as with socially similar peers. Some gendered and class differences also emerged. Institutional agents were also found to be important in helping youth participants bridge racial barriers.
Angiotensin II signal transduction pathways in the cardiovascular system.

The renin-angiotensin system in mammals represents a complex cascade of tightly regulated proteolytic enzymes and peptide products. One important product, angiotensin II (Ang-II), is a circulating hormone that displays a wide range of physiologic effects in many tissues, including those of the cardiovascular system. It is well known that Ang-II increases the contractile state of vascular smooth muscle and cardiac myocytes by triggering multiple intracellular responses following its binding to specific receptor sites. Some of the signal transduction mechanisms that underlie these responses are understood, while others are not defined at present. Further, there has been much recent interest in Ang-II-evoked signaling, since the renin-angiotensin system has been associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. Thus, the identification of Ang-II-stimulated signal transduction mechanisms will illuminate the underlying principles of normal hormone-regulated cardiovascular homeostasis as well as those involved in pathologic processes such as human hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and the cellular remodeling that follows vascular injury or sustained pressure overload. This review examines the current status and direction of our knowledge regarding Ang-II-stimulated signal transduction mechanisms in vascular smooth muscle and cardiac myocytes.
Brewster’s angle attenuator for terahertz pulses

A variable attenuator for terahertz (THz) pulses is developed on the basis of the change in reflectivity of lithium niobate wafers with incident angle in a Brewster configuration. We can vary the THz field transmission from 22% to 54%, a change of a factor of 2.5, while preserving the shape of the THz pulse spectrum. Changes in the THz spectrum are shown to be much smaller when the Brewster attenuator is used than when either the near-infrared pump power or the bias voltage on a THz photoconductive antenna is varied. The Brewster attenuator should prove especially useful for varying THz field strength in nonlinear optical studies that use broadband THz pulses.