cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caught between Dispensations: Heterogeneity in Early Netherlandish Painting:

This article considers the generic and temporal heterogeneity of a painting titled Holy Family, made by the Antwerp painter Joos van Cleve around 1515. Hans Belting has used Joos's hybrid painting, in which a still life appears before the Virgin and Child, to illustrate where `the era before art' ends and the era of art proper begins, placing the genre of religious icon and the genre of still life on opposing sides of the line separating the medieval from the modern world. It is to Belting's compelling account of the painting that this article responds by asking what is lost in the drawing of such periodizing lines.
RADIATIVE TRANSFER THROUGH AN IN HOMOGENEOUS FLY-ASH CLOUD: EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND WAVELENGTH DEPENDENT OPTICAL PROPERTIES

The effect of spectral radiative properties of fly-ash particles on radiative heat transfer through an inhomogeneous planar layer near the walls of a combustion system is investigated. The spectral absorption and scattering coefficients, as well as the scattering phase function of the particles, are obtained from the Lorenz-Mie theory as functions of temperature and particle diameter. These data are employed in the solution of the radiative transfer equation, which is modeled using a double spherical harmonics approximation. In the calculations, a linearly anisotropic scattering phase function is used. It is shown that, if the medium temperature distribution is nonuniform, the divergence of the radiative flux term calculated using the spectral fly-ash properties differs significantly from that obtained using constant properties. This means that if fly-ash properties are assumed wavelength independent, a coupled radiation-convection heat transfer analysis would underestimate the gas temperature near the wa...
Reachable Distance Space: Efficient Sampling-Based Planning for Spatially Constrained Systems

Motion planning for spatially constrained robots is difficult due to additional constraints placed on the robot, such as closure constraints for closed chains or requirements on end-effector placement for articulated linkages. It is usually computationally too expensive to apply sampling-based planners to these problems since it is difficult to generate valid configurations. We overcome this challenge by redefining the robotâs degrees of freedom and constraints into a new set of parameters, called reachable distance space (RD-space), in which all configurations lie in the set of constraint-satisfying subspaces. This enables us to directly sample the constrained subspaces with complexity linear in the number of the robotâs degrees of freedom. In addition to supporting efficient sampling of configurations, we show that the RD-space formulation naturally supports planning and, in particular, we design a local planner suitable for use by sampling-based planners. We demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our approach for several systems including closed chain planning with multiple loops, restricted end-effector sampling, and on-line planning for drawing/sculpting. We can sample single-loop closed chain systems with 1,000 links in time comparable to open chain sampling, and we can generate samples for 1,000-link multi-loop systems of varying topologies in less than a second.
Drospirenone/Ethinyl Estradiol Versus Rosiglitazone Treatment in Overweight Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Comparison of Metabolic, Hormonal, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors

In overweight/obese adolescents with PCOS, 6 months treatment with rosiglitazone is superior to drospirenone/ethinyl-estradiol in improving metabolic profile, and effective but inferior in attenuating hyperandrogenemia.
Modification of the Beckman model DU spectrophotometer for recording linearly in absorbancy at fixed wavelength.

Abstract The Beckman DU spectrophotometer has been adapted for recording with a commercial direct-current amplifier and a network of biased silicon diodes to generate the absorbancy function from 0 to 1. The network was designed to provide maximum accuracy between 0 and 0.5 absorbancy to permit the use of expanded scales. This adaptation is not only compatible with but improves the precision of photometric measurement manually by null balance.
Sensitivity Analysis of Variable-Size Group Testing and its Related Continuous Models

Parallels between the discrete group-testing model and some closely-related continuous models are elucidated. It is shown that in both the discrete and continuous cases, the maximum likelihood estimators may suffer from similar lack of robustness. Isotonic regression and maximum likelihood estimation were therefore compared for a modified group testing model.
A comparison of the willingness of resident and attending physicians to comply with the requests of patients at the end of life.

Background Little is known about the differences between physicians in training and post training in their willingness to comply with patient requests at the end of life.
Mouse Molecular Cytogenetic Resource: 157 BACs Link the Chromosomal and Genetic Maps

The achievements of the human and mouse genome projects provide increasing numbers of genes and phenotype-associated mutations (DeBry and Seldin 1996; Schuler et al. 1996). Linking the normal and mutant forms of the genes with their functions remains one of biology’s great challenges. To do this the DNA sequence must be defined ultimately with respect to the chromosomal location of the genes, a task that is facilitated by the many disease models available for study in the mouse. Although the genetic map of the mouse provides a powerful tool to link mutations and diseases with the genes (Dietrich et al. 1996), cytogenetic analysis is essential to define genes associated with chromosomal rearrangements. Molecular cytogenetic analysis, which has been exploited widely for localizing cloned genes, genomic sequences, and disease-related chromosomal rearrangements in the human, has not proven as useful in murine genetics. Whereas human genes and breakpoints can be rapidly and accurately mapped cytogenetically (X.-N. Chen, S. Mitchell, Z.-G. Sun, D. Noya, S. Ma, G.S. Sekhon, K. Thompson, W.T. Hsu, P. Wong, N. Wang et al., unpubl.), the common morphology and less distinct landmarks of mouse chromosomes have combined with the lack of molecular cytogenetic markers to hamper similar analyses in the mouse. To bridge the gap between molecular and cytological methods, previous studies have developed a number of reagents for mouse chromosome identification. These include whole-chromosome reagents (Breneman et al. 1993; Weier et al. 1994; Rabbitts et al. 1995; Liyanage et al. 1996; Xiao et al. 1996) and cosmid or P1 clones used with repeat-sequence-based alternatives to dye-based banding techniques (Boyle et al. 1990). Additionally, mouse yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) and P1 clones have been used to generate chromosome-specific probes through FISH and DAPI counterstaining (Mongelard et al. 1996; Shi et al. 1997). This report combines the products of the mouse genome project with molecular cytogenetic techniques to generate a new set of reagents, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones with a subset linked to centromeric and telomeric genetic markers. These serve to identify mouse chromosomes 1–19 and X, to fluorescently tag the ends of their genetic maps, and to define multiple band landmarks on each chromosome with unique BACs. The stability of BAC clones, the ease of BAC DNA purification, and the strong fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) signals resulting from the large insert size, make them superior molecular cytogenetic reagents (Korenberg and Chen 1995; X-.N. Chen, S. Mitchell, Z.-G. Sun, D. Noya, S. Ma, G.S. Sekhon, K. Thompson, W.T. Hsu, P. Wong, N. Wang et al., unpubl.). By including BAC clones that span each chromosome and contain markers from the ends of the genetic maps, the collection serves to integrate cytogenetic, genetic, and physical maps. The availability of such probes extends mouse analysis to interphase, and facilitates the rapid definition of chromosomal rearrangements and their associated candidate genes.
Integrating Conservation and Financial Objectives on Private Rangelands in Northern Colorado: Rancher and Practitioner Perceptions

Payments for ecosystem services and other approaches seek to expand conservation outcomes from working ranches in rangeland systems. Making these strategies attractive to ranchers and effective in achieving conservation goals requires information that is largely lacking about the human dimensions of aligning conservation, agricultural, and financial objectives on working ranches. This exploratory study addressed this knowledge gap about perceived strategies, barriers, and opportunities by interviewing a purposive sample of 23 ranchers and natural resource practitioners (e.g., government agencies, conservation nonprofits) involved in a collaborative stakeholder group in Larimer County, Colorado. Interviewees’ responses demonstrated a wide range of potential strategies for ranchers to adopt, yet their discussion of ranch-scale and regional concerns demonstrated the multiple interlinked ecological, financial, and social factors that pose challenges for mainstreaming opportunities. All interviewees expressed interest in developing a regional payment for ecosystem services program, seeing an opportunity to simultaneously support ranchers and improve conservation stewardship. However, substantial concerns were expressed regarding possible restrictions to the ranch operation, profitability, and other management and legal factors that would diminish attractiveness to ranchers. Our findings suggest that characteristics of our study system, including proximity to urban areas and the presence of a collaborative stakeholder group, contribute importantly to the opportunities and challenges perceived by interviewees. Furthermore, interviewees’ responses highlighted how factors beyond the ranch-scale can affect the viability of ranch business strategies to achieve conservation and agricultural objectives. Future research with representative populations across rangeland systems in the American West and in contexts with and without collaborative groups will build constructively upon this exploratory study.
Factors influencing the establishment of dominance hierarchies of the grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus

Unlike other balistids, grey triggerfish Balistes capriscus occur in social groups in subtropical reef assemblages and have been noted to cooperate in capturing large crustacean prey. The objective of this study were to determine the structure of dominance hierarchies of these social groups and the factors that influence hierarchies of wild-caught grey triggerfish in a natu- ralistic setting. From observations of four groups of triggerfish (n = 19 fish) in both dyad and group (4 - 5 fish) settings, we pro- vide a description of triggerfish behaviors and coloration patterns and an explanation of the social context in which suites of be- haviors are used by dominant, middle-ranking, and subordinate fish. Sixteen behaviors and nine coloration patterns were noted for grey triggerfish. Grey triggerfish groups form linear hierarchies in both dyads and groups as measured by Landau's Index of Linearity (h = 1.0 for Groups 1, 3, and 4 and h = 0.95 for Group 2 in dyads; h = 1.0 for all groups in group settings). Dyadic hier- archies, however, were not necessarily good predictors of the hierarchies found in larger group settings, as they only predicted two of the four group hierarchies. Sex played no role in influencing status or behavior. Size had the greatest influence on domi- nance status, with larger fish being more dominant than smaller fish. An individual's dominance ranking influenced both body coloration and posture. These results suggest that color patterns and body postures may also be used by observers as an indicator of an individual's social status in groups (Current Zoology 56 (1): 18-35 2010).
The UW-Madison electronic library: the administrative framework

The foundations for building a large research‐ and service‐orientated library automation environment are examined. The coordinating efforts between the UW‐Madison campus library community and administrative library committees overseeing the Electronic Library are described. The collaborative relationship between these committees, technical and non‐technical library staff, and library technology development, integration and support efforts is discussed.
Thermal Analysis for Cryosurgery of Nodular Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basel cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common human skin malignancy. Its incidence has increased signif icantly in Australia, Europe and North America over the past d ecade. A number of modalities are currently used for treatme nt of BCC, including cryosurgery which offers a potential for high cure rate, low cost, minimal bleeding and good cosmetic effect. However, cryosurgery is not used frequently for BCC because no current method exists to design adequate treatme nt parameters. We present a numerical analysis on the thermal history of the target tissue during cryosurgery of a nodular BCC using liquid nitrogen (LN 2) spray. The model uses Pennes equation to describe the heat transfer within the t arget tissue. A convective thermal boundary is used to describe the heat interaction between the tissue and LN 2, and the apparent heat capacity method is applied to address the tissue ph ase change process. A parametric study is conducted on the con vective heat transfer coefficient ( hs: 10 4 ~10 6 W/m 2 ·K), cooling site area (rs/R0: 0.5 ~1.0) and spray time ( t: 0 ~30 sec.), with the objective to understand the thermal history during tissue fre ezing, including lethal temperature (-50 o C) and cooling rate (CR). Results demonstrate that propagation of the lethal isotherm is sensitive to the convective heat transfer coefficie nt, hs, with a range of 10 4 ~5×10 4 W/m 2 ·K. Increasing the cooling site area can significantly enhance cooling efficiency, produ cing dramatic increase in the amount of tissue encompass ed by the lethal isotherm. The cooling rate (CR) shows a high ly dynamic distribution during the cooling process: the highes t CR drops quickly from 140 o C/sec. ( t=0.5 sec.) to 20 o C/sec. ( t=5 sec.). The highest CR is initially located close to the co oling site but moves toward the inside of the tissue as treatment proceeds. The model presented herein provides a simulation to ol for treatment planning of cryosurgery using LN 2 spray, in which the protocol parameters, e.g. cooling site area and spr ay time, can be determined for an optimal outcome. The quantitat ive predictions on the propagation of lethal isotherm a nd the distribution of CR should help to optimize cryosurg ery efficacy.
A transformation-based approach to building multi-platform user interfaces using a task model and the user interface markup language

The widespread emergence of computing devices that go beyond the capabilities of traditional desktop computers has created a challenge for user interface (UI) developers who face the problem of a lack of a unified development process for building these UIs. This dissertation research focuses on creating a simplified development process for building UIs for multiple platforms. As part of this, the necessary building blocks (and their relationships) that can be used in a process to develop multi-platform UIs (MPUIs) are identified and specified. A task model, which is an abstract representation of the tasks that users perform with a system, is used as a high-level platform-independent specification for representing UIs for multiple platforms. The task model is supplemented with additional navigation attributes and containment operators for each target platform to facilitate the UI development process. This contribution is based on the insight that an uncontaminated task model, in conjunction with additional operators, allows different styles of UIs to be derived for different platforms. This development process is evaluated by functional comparison with a few other multi-platform development processes, based on a set of criteria. In particular, a detailed comparison of this approach is performed with the approach used in the TERESA development environment. The process is also evaluated by demonstrating how the new features of this approach allow different styles of UIs to be built not only for a single platform, but also for different platforms. The two underlying notations that are used in this work include the Concurrent Task Tree (CTT) modeling notation for the task model and an intermediate language for UIs, the User Interface Markup Language (UIML). This research associates a new vocabulary with the UIML language to facilitate a multi-step transformation-based MPUI development process.
The Use of Cryoscopy in Enzymatic Studies

SUMMARY— The feasibility of cryoscopy for measuring changes in water-soluble components of five enzyme-substrate mixtures was investigated. Cellulase, pectinase, pectin esterase, alpha-amylase and beta-amylase were studied. Viscosity measurements were run simultaneously with freezing points as a conventional method for determining enzymatic activity. Measurements taken at periodic intervals revealed changes in both viscosity and freezing-point values. A comparison of the two sets of values can be useful in assaying the purity of commercial enzyme preparations.
Migratory activity by hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta L.): evidence for divergence between nesting groups

The South Florida subpopulation of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta L.) nests with great fidelity on either the southeast or the southwest coast of Florida, USA. The hatchlings that emerge from those nests must swim in opposite directions and search for different surface currents to migrate away from continental shelf waters. In this laboratory study, we compared the pattern of swimming activity shown by the hatchlings from each coast over the first 6 days of migration. Turtles from both coasts were equally active during their “frenzy” period (the first 24 h of swimming) and during the daylight hours of the 5 days that followed (the “postfrenzy” period). However, the west coast turtles were significantly more active than the east coast turtles during the nocturnal portion of the postfrenzy period. This difference may be related to the greater distance southwest coast turtles must negotiate to locate surface currents for transport out of the Gulf of Mexico and into the Atlantic Ocean basin. These differing behavioral strategies may be genetically determined, as similar correspondence between activity and distance is well known among migratory populations of birds and fish and is often based upon inherited programs of endogenously driven activity. Alternatively, behavioral differences between the two nesting groups could be a manifestation of phenotypic plasticity that arises as the hatchlings respond to unique environmental cues on each coast.
Cross-Cultural Aspects of Passionate Love An Individual Differences Analysis

Recent work has suggested that passionate love may be conceived of within cultures as an emic that may consist of several dimensions. This study explored the factor dimensionality and cultural relativity of passionate love using the Passionate Love Scale (PLS) with data from 9 samples from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and a Pacific Island and analyzed with 3 Mode Factor Analysis with Point-of-View solutions (3M-POV). A 6-factor group-common structure was found to best explain variance in PLS responses collapsed across cultures. 3M-POV hierarchical clustering procedures yielded 6 idealized cultures separated by gender. Principal component analysis of PLS responses by idealized culture groups revealed unique factor structures for each of these groups. These results suggest passionate love to be a multifactorial construct uniquely defined within cultures.
Acculturation Phenomena Experienced by the Spouses of Korean International Students in the United States

I explored the ways in which Korean international students’ spouses perceived and coped with the challenges associated with the adaptation process. I used in-depth interviews to examine how they dealt with life challenges, barriers, and coping strategies associated with acculturative stress. Three themes were identified: challenging life experiences and barriers as immigrants, the experience of emotional and psychological distress and stress, and new identified family structures. Two coping strategies used with acculturative stress were addressed: the recognition of personal strength and involvement in meaningful activities. I found that purposeful and meaningful activities associated with volunteerism, as well as cultural values and beliefs, played important roles in coping with stress. Further investigation into the role of meaningful activities for immigrants is necessary to have a better understanding of the phenomenon.
Iron-dependent activation of NF-κB in Kupffer cells: a priming mechanism for alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholic liver disease is associated with hepatic iron accumulation, and iron supplementation exacerbates alcoholic liver disease, suggesting the pathogenic role of iron in alcoholic liver disease. We have tested a hypothesis that iron plays a signaling role in activation of redox-sensitive nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) and that increased iron content results in heightened expression of proinflammatory cytokines in Kupffer cells because of this signaling. In cultured Kupffer cells isolated from normal rats, treatment with a lipophilic iron chelator, 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1), markedly reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NF-kappaB activation and expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6. Kupffer cells, isolated from rats with experimentally induced alcoholic liver disease, had significant increases in nonheme iron content, NF-kappaB binding, and mRNA expression for TNF-alpha and macrophage inflammatory protein-1. Ex vivo L1 treatment normalized all these parameters. Addition of ferrous iron to cultured normal rat Kupffer cells increased I-kappa B kinase (IKK) activity at 15 min and NF-kappaB binding at 30 min. L1 pretreatment completely abrogated both effects. Moreover, the iron treatment increased TNF-alpha release and TNF-alpha promoter activity in a NF-kappaB-dependent manner. Ferrous iron also transiently decreased cytoplasmic I-kappa B-alpha (IkappaB-alpha), with concomitant increases in nuclear p65 protein and DNA binding of p65/p50. Taken together, these results support the existence of iron-dependent signaling for activation of IKK/NF-kappaB in Kupffer cells, and this iron signaling serves as a target for a potential priming effect for the pathogenesis of experimental alcoholic liver disease.
A knowledge sharing framework for homeland security modeling and simulation

Modeling and simulation (M&S) tools and capabilities can enable understanding of the complex nature of systems in various homeland security domains. A coordinated effort across government, industry, and academia would advance capabilities in this important area. Initiating such an effort requires establishing a common understanding or framework that shares the current knowledge in M&S. This paper describes an outline for a knowledge-sharing framework that could be developed and maintained by the community interested in tracking and guiding coordinated development efforts in homeland security modeling, simulation, and analysis (MSA).
Local Production of Angiotensinogen

Genetic approaches such as gene targeting have been extensively used to gain a better understanding of the role of hormones and pathways involved in cardiovascular physiology. Given its pivotal role in cardiovascular homeostasis the renin-angiotensin system has been one of the most frequently targeted systems. Angiotensinogen (AGT), the only known precursor of the renin-angiotensin system, has received particular attention because genetic and molecular studies have shown that genetic variation at this locus impacts individual differences in blood pressure and the likelihood of developing essential hypertension. Knockout and overexpression of the AGT gene lead to adverse cardiovascular phenotypes. In this chapter we will review these data and detail a strategy using well-characterized cell-specific promoters to specifically target the AGT gene to defined cells and tissues. The development and characterization of these models has helped uncover the role and significance of local production of AGT in several tissues.
Metabolic Side Effects and Cardiovascular Events of Diuretics: Should a Diuretic Remain the First Choice Therapy in Hypertension Treatment? The Case of Yes

Essential hypertension is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that the treatment of hypertension results in a substantial reduction of hypertension-related morbidity and mortality. The efficacy and safety of diuretics has been shown in many clinical trials. Like most other antihypertensive agents, the side effects of diuretics are mostly benign and mild. The metabolic side effects of diuretics, however, have been a bone of contention for a long time. In this paper, we describe the most important and frequent metabolic side effects of diuretics, and emphasize particularly the non-life-threatening effect of diuretics on ventricular arrhythmias due to their hypokalemic effect, the detection of the new onset diabetes (perhaps caused by the administration of diuretics itself), and their significant beneficial effect on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. At the end of the article, we highlighted the differences regarding the prescription of diuretics between the recently published American and European Guidelines of hypertension.
Decentralized indirect adaptive control scheme applicable to overlapping interconnected systems

A decentralized indirect adaptive control scheme that may be applied to both interconntected and overlapping interconnected systems is presented. With the presented scheme, indirect adaptive controllers are applied at each control station of a multi-control-station system. The adaptive controller at a given control station is designed for the subsystems connected to that station, and the controlled inputs are communicated to other selected control stations so that strong subsystem interconnections may be taken into account. The scheme is unique because key subsystem interconnections are identified and used in the controller design at each control station in order to reduce the possible detrimental effects of the interconnections. It is shown under what conditions the proposed control scheme guarantees system global stability and it is also shown that global stability limits are improved significantly by using communicated inputs in the controller design at each control station. An example is given that de...
The Chemical Defense Ecology of Marine Unicellular Plankton: Constraints, Mechanisms, and Impacts

The activities of unicellular microbes dominate the ecology of the marine environment, but the chemical signals that determine behavioral interactions are poorly known. In particular, chemical signals between microbial predators and prey contribute to food selection or avoidance and to defense, factors that probably affect trophic structure and such large-scale features as algal blooms. Using defense as an example, I consider physical constraints on the transmission of chemical information, and strategies and mechanisms that microbes might use to send chemical signals. Chemical signals in a low Re, viscosity-dominated physical environment are transferred by molecular diffusion and laminar advection, and may be perceived at nanomolar levels or lower. Events that occur on small temporal and physical scales in the "near-field" of prey are likely to play a role in cell-cell interactions. On the basis of cost-benefit optimization and the need for rapid activation, I suggest that microbial defense system strate...
Choroidal hyperreflective foci in Stargardt disease shown by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography imaging: correlation with disease severity.

Importance The presence of choroidal hyperreflective foci in Stargardt disease is, to our knowledge, a potentially new finding. Evaluation of these foci may aid in better understanding of the disease process. Objectives To report the presence of choroidal hyperreflective foci in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images from eyes with Stargardt disease and investigate the relationship between the number of hyperreflective foci and disease severity. Design, Setting, and Participants Twenty-six eyes of 13 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Stargardt disease were evaluated in a retrospective case series. Patient data were collected between January 1, 2009, and August 31, 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures The number of choroidal hyperreflective foci in Stargardt disease as well as correlation with visual acuity, central macular thickness (CMT), and disease duration were the main outcomes. A total of 707 macular SD-OCT scans of 13 patients with Stargardt disease were reviewed and evaluated for the presence and number of retinal/choroidal hyperreflective foci, central macular thickness, visual acuity, and disease duration. Enhanced depth imaging with OCT (EDI-OCT) scans available for 2 patients were compared with SD-OCT scans. A PubMed/Google search was performed to identify SD-OCT images in Stargardt disease; these findings were reviewed for the presence of choroidal hyperreflective foci. Results The mean (SD) numbers of hyperreflective foci in each retinal/choroidal layer in decreasing frequency were as follows: Bruch membrane/retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) complex, 78.22 (24.39); choriocapillaris, 25.77 (17.57); Sattler layer, 18.59 (12.89); outer retina, 16.64 (6.96); inner retina, 0.95 (1.58); and Haller layer, 0.73 (0.87). The number of hyperreflective foci in the Bruch membrane/RPE complex increased exponentially with decreasing CMT ( R 2 = 0.99; P = .008). The number of hyperreflective foci in the Bruch membrane/RPE complex, choriocapillaris, and Sattler layer increased proportionally with decreasing visual acuity ( R 2 = 0.97, R 2 = 0.95, and R 2 = 0.99, respectively; and P = .007, P = .006, and P = .008, respectively). Direct correlation existed between the number of hyperreflective foci in the choriocapillaris and the Sattler layer and disease duration ( R 2 = 0.98 and R 2 = 0.99, respectively; and P = .006 and P =.009, respectively). In the 10 studies on Stargardt disease, choroidal hyperreflective foci were present in 51 of 54 SD-OCT images (94%). Conclusions and Relevance Based on the findings of the present study, choroidal hyperreflective foci in Stargardt disease, prominent at the Bruch membrane/RPE complex, choriocapillaris, and Sattler layer, correlate with disease severity in terms of retinal atrophy, decline in vision, and disease duration. Further studies are necessary to assess whether these findings are unique to Stargardt disease.
Devoicing the Chicken

Abstract DURANT (1953) devoiced chickens by slitting the ventral surface of the trachea from the tympaniform to the pesulus; however, birds sometimes regained their voice as the incision healed. While Van Krey and Ogasawara (1964) were able to devocalize guineas electrosurgically by inserting an electrode down the trachea to the syrinx, they were unable to devocalize chickens. Using the information about the mechanism of voice production reported by Gross (1964), the herein reported methods of devoicing the chicken was developed. MATERIALS AND METHODS White Leghorn males over 16 weeks of age which had been fasted for at least 12 hours were used throughout the experiment. Each bird was held on its back and the feathers were removed over the thoracic inlet. Adjacent feathers were held away from the operative area by clips. The skin was incised along the axis of the body over the entire thoracic inlet. The anterior wall of…
Tree injury and mortality in fires: developing process-based models

Wildland fire managers are often required to predict tree injury and mortality when planning a prescribed burn or when considering wildfire management options; and, currently, statistical models based on post-fire observations are the only tools available for this purpose. Implicit in the derivation of statistical models is the assumption that they are strictly applicable only for the species or conditions for which they were developed. The result has been a profusion of separate models of uncertain generality. A parallel research effort, the process approach, has been directed at modeling tree injury and mortality by directly simulating the energy-transfer process from the fire to the exterior surface of the plant, and thence into roots, stems, and foliage. Process models can currently predict stem or tree death if certain injury thresholds are reached. We present a brief review of the current understanding of the biophysical processes causing fire-induced plant injury, and focus on the challenges associated with defining boundary conditions, initial conditions, and thermal and physical properties required for modeling plant heating and tissue necrosis. We argue for integration of statistical and process approaches to predicting tree injury and mortality wherein process models provide inputs for statistical models. Research gaps that hinder the application of process-based tree injury and mortality models include linkage of fire effects models with combustion models (especially coupled fire-atmosphere models) through the boundary conditions required for simulating tissue heating, descriptions of live tree thermal and physical characteristics, and better understanding of the physiological basis for delayed fire-caused mortality and the interactions between fire injury and second-order causes of mortality such as diseases and insects.
Physiology, Pharmacology, and Dynamics of Cerebrospinal Fluid

Galen described cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a vaporous humor produced in the cerebral ventricles that provides energy and motion to the entire body. In 1760, von Haller suggested that this vapor condenses after death to form water, which then fills the spaces surrounding the brain and spinal cord. However, four years later, Cotugno proposed that the subarachnoid space is filled with water prior to death. In 1825, Magendie55 confirmed the continuity between the ventricular system and the subarachnoid spaces, performed the first cisternal puncture, and attempted to analyze CSF. Luschka identified the lateral connections of the fourth ventricle to the cisterna magna in 1855. Quincke78a performed the first lumbar puncture in vivo in 1891.
Lipophilic Antifolate Trimetrexate Is a Potent Inhibitor of Trypanosoma cruzi: Prospect for Chemotherapy of Chagas' Disease

Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite, is the causative agent for Chagas' disease, which poses serious public health problem in Latin America. The two drugs available for the treatment of this disease are effective only against recent infections and are toxic. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) has a proven track record as a drug target. The lipophilic antifolate trimetrexate (TMQ), which is an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of Pneumocystis carinii infection in AIDS patients, is a potent inhibitor of T. cruzi DHFR activity, with an inhibitory constant of 6.6 nM. The compound is also highly effective in killing T. cruzi parasites. The 50 and 90% lethal dose values against the trypomastigote are 19 and 36 nM, and the corresponding values for the amastigote form are 26 and 72 nM, respectively. However, as TMQ is also a good inhibitor of human DHFR, further improvement of the selectivity of this drug would be preferable. Identification of a novel antifolate selective against T. cruzi would open up new therapeutic avenues for treatment of Chagas' disease.
Diversity of Foliar Phytophthora Species on Rhododendron in Oregon Nurseries.

The genus Phytophthora contains some of the most notorious plant pathogens affecting nursery crops. Given the recent emergence of the sudden oak death pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, particularly in association with Rhododendron spp., characterization of Phytophthora communities associated with this host in nursery environments is prudent. Many taxa may present symptoms similar to P. ramorum but we do not necessarily know their identity, frequency, and importance. Here, we present a survey of Phytophthora taxa observed from seven nurseries in the U.S. state of Oregon. Incidence and diversity of Phytophthora communities differed significantly among nurseries and among seasons within nursery. The taxa P. syringae and P. plurivora were widespread and detected at most of the nurseries sampled. Nine other taxa were also detected but were found either in a single nursery or were shared among only a few nurseries. Characterization of the Phytophthora communities present in nurseries is an important step toward un...
Xenon in l-Alanyl-l-Valine Nanochannels: A Highly Ideal Molecular Single-File System

Xenon-129 pulsed field gradient NMR and hyperpolarized xenon-129 spin tracer exchange NMR experiments were performed on polycrystalline l-Ala-l-Val (AV) and l-Val-l-Ala (VA) nanochannels under identical conditions of temperature and Xe pressure. Displacements of up to 3 μm were measured in specimens with mean crystallite lengths of around 50–100 μm. The combination of the two NMR techniques yielded the most definitive evidence for molecular single file diffusion to date, in which the time-scaling of the mean squared displacement is proportional to the square-root of time. The PFG-NMR echo attenuation data yield single-file mobility factors of 6 ± 0.7 × 10–13 m2 s–1/2 and 4.4 ± 0.2 × 10–13 m2 s–1/2. The results establish Xe in AV nanochannels, in particular, as an ideal experimental model system for fundamental studies of single-file diffusion dynamics.
Internally Displaced Populations and Suicide Terrorism

This study asserts that countries with large internally displaced populations (IDPs) are more likely to experience a higher rate of suicide terrorism. After demonstrating this, the study tests four intervening factors hypothesized to drive the relationship between IDPs and suicide attacks: IDPs are expected (1) to increase the pool of potential suicide recruits, thereby lowering the labor costs for suicide terrorist groups; (2) to increase local ethnic conflicts that foster a favorable environment for suicide terrorism; (3) to worsen the human rights conditions in countries, prompting aggrieved people to support suicide terrorist tactics; and (4) to raise the counterterrorism and policing costs of the state, enabling terrorists to plan and execute suicide attacks. Results from negative binomial regression and Tobit models show evidence for the IDPs-suicide terrorism connection. When recursive models are employed to evaluate the effects of four intervening variables, the results most consistently support h...
Effect of proportional reduction of sodium intake on the adaptive increase in glomerular filtration rate/nephron and potassium and phosphate excretion in chronic renal failure in the rat.

1. The influence of dietary sodium intake on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR/nephron) and potassium and phosphate excretion was examined at three stages of progressive chronic renal failure produced in rats by sequential partial nephrectomies. 2. The adaptive increased sodium excretion per nephron in the control group receiving a constant sodium intake did not occur in the experimental group that had a gradual reduction of dietary sodium in direct proportion to the fall in GFR. 3. Despite the difference in sodium excretion, the increase in GFR/nephron, the daily variation in the amount of potassium and phosphate excreted, the increase in potassium and phosphate excretion per unit nephron, and the plasma potassium and phosphate concentrations were the same in the two groups. 4. The concept of ‘autonomous adaptation’ in chronic renal failure is presented.
Epigenetic regulation of globin genes and disturbances in hemoglobinopathies

The coordinated activation and repression of globin genes during human development and during differentiation of erythroid lineage cells ultimately must involve coordinated modification of chromatin and is a fascinating microcosm of the coordinated epigenetics, activation, and repression that defines all development and differentiation. In addition to valuable scientific lessons, studies of globin gene switching and the associated chromatin modifications illuminate a path towards more effective disease modification of the hemoglobinopathies, the most common genetic diseases in man. Current therapy has not exploited the improved understanding of the mechanisms of globin gene switching, but such therapy is within grasp. Although chromatin-modifying enzymes are unlikely to drive globin gene switching, these enzymes are necessary mediators of actions likely initiated by sequence-specific DNA-binding factors. It seems likely that the molecular lessons of the past few decades will soon lead to rational, mechanism-based therapy that exploits the druggable character of chromatin-modifying enzymes implicated in globin gene switching.
Renal dopamine containing nerves. What is their functional significance

Biochemical and morphological studies indicate that there are nerves within the kidney that contain dopamine and that various structures within the kidney contain dopamine receptors. However, the functional significance of these renal dopamine containing nerves in relation to renal dopamine receptors is unknown. The functional significance could be defined by demonstrating that an alteration in one or more renal functions occurring in response to reflex or electrical activation of efferent renal nerves is dependent on release of dopamine as the neurotransmitter from the renal nerve terminals acting on renal dopamine receptors. Thus, the hypothesis becomes: reflex or electrical activation of efferent renal nerves causes alterations in renal function (eg, renal blood flow, water and solute handling) that are inhibited by specific and selective dopamine receptor antagonists. As reviewed herein, the published experimental data do not support the hypothesis. Therefore, the view that alterations in one or more renal functions occurring in response to reflex or electrical activation of efferent renal nerves are dependent on release of dopamine as the neurotransmitter from the renal nerve terminals acting on renal dopamine receptors remains unproven.
Regulation of chromatin structure and cell fate by R-loops

ABSTRACTHybridization of RNA to its template DNA strand during transcription induces formation of R-loops—RNA:DNA hybrids with unpaired non-template DNA strands. Although unresolved R-loops can be detrimental, some R-loops contribute to regulation of chromatin structure. Consequently, R-loops help regulate gene expression and play important roles in numerous cellular processes.
Is This What I Think it Is? The Frontal Lobe and Influences on Taste

The present study is to investigate consumers’ willingness to switch from a preferred manufacturer brand to an unfamiliar private-label brand if taste is perceived as identical. Consumer decisions are examined through EEGs and surveys with results revealing a switch. Cost saving options for consumers and advertising for managers are discussed.
Spreading Like a Dis/ease?: Afro-Jamaican Higglers and the Dynamics of Race/Color, Class and Gender

Most cities in developing and developed countries contain dual and interrelated economies: formal and informal. Socially formed meanings of markets and market activities in each of these economies vary often privileging formal markets, as more ‘legitimate,’ over informal markets. This essay examines the meanings of one particular market and market activity — higglering — in the informal economy of Jamaica. Higglering is a Jamaican term that denotes the informal economic activity of small-scale street vending dating back to the days of slavery, and is dominated by black, lower class Jamaican women. Higglering is generally perceived as a low status, illegitimate or illegal occupation among many Jamaicans, and higglers have been constructed as deviants in the public imagination. Richard Burton (1997) argues, for instance, that the higgler is ‘regarded with ambivalence by the wider society: admired for her “manlike” autonomy and assertiveness, she is also derided on account of her often invasive physical presence, her loud dress, and her even louder demeanor and language’ (Burton 1997: 164). Lisa Douglass (1992: 36) adds that the higgler is perceived as ‘a comical character, a caricature of a woman’ in Jamaican society.
Pathophysiology of Immediate Reactions to Injectable Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents.

Objective The aim of this paper was to review the classification of adverse drug reactions, highlight the known pathophysiology of immediate hypersensitivity reactions, and discuss the utility of diagnostic testing for immunologically mediated immediate reactions to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Methods Current literature on immediate reactions to GBCA was reviewed and summarized. Results Adverse drug reactions to GBCA are rare, and can be attributed to physiologic, immunologic, and nonimmunologic processes. When immunologic reaction is suspected, particularly in the case of severe reactions, skin testing may be useful to confirm allergy and identify alternative agents for subsequent studies. Conclusion As GBCAs are widely used for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease, the incidence of adverse drug reactions to GBCA warrants ongoing development of approaches to diagnosis and avoidance of these adverse events.
A Prototype Smart Materials Warehouse Application Implemented Using Custom Mobile Robots and Open Source Vision Technology Developed Using EmguCV

Customized mobile robots are commonplace in manufacturing and material handling applications. One class of mobile robots, known as Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV), follow a fixed path along the floor using tracks, RFID tags, or magnetic tape. These robots typically travel along predetermined routes and offer limited flexibility for changes to be made or for their use in environments like hospitals or military installations. Moving away from traditional fixed AGV systems to wireless and dynamic control and monitoring presents some distinct advantages and new opportunities. This type of robot is known as an Autonomous AGV. A prototype smart materials warehouse is presented in this paper as a platform to explore some particular aspects of this technology. First, four multi-purpose mobile robots were built using off-the-shelf BattleBot kits, wireless Arduino controls, and fabricated components. Secondly, a Microsoft Kinect camera was installed on one robot for visual feedback, obstacle avoidance, and shape recognition. Lastly, a ceiling mounted IP camera was used with software developed using Visual Studio .NET and the C# wrapper for OpenCV (EmguCV) to facilitate robot path development, video processing and real-time tracking. Testing of the completed system was done in a 2000 sq. ft. mock warehouse set up with stations for shipping/receiving, storage, staging areas, and processes including cutting, milling, and turning for preparing raw stock to be used in production. As cyber-physical systems research continues to grow, the integration of computational algorithms, physical systems, wireless controls, and custom user interfaces will undoubtedly lead to their increased use throughout society. This work was completed as part of the Northwest Manufacturing Initiative at the Oregon Institute of Technology. Possibilities for applying the results of this work in the military, retail and service sectors are also identified. All hardware and software for the project was developed to facilitate future work.