cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Criticism of the Evidence for the Mutation Theory of De Vries from the Behavior of Species of Oenothera in Crosses and in Selfed Lines.

The mutation theory of Professor De Vries rests so very largely upon deductions from his studies on species of Oenothera that any discussion of it naturally centers upon the interpretation of the behavior of these plants when selfed (in-bred) and in their crosses with one another. Of these species Oenothera Lamarckiana stands as the form most thoroughly studied with respect to its habit of throwing off in successive generations variants with numerous distinguishing characters of such a nature that they can with certainty be separated and would rank in systematic botany as clearly defined new species arising suddenly and fully formed from the parent type. Professor De Vries calls these variants 'mutants' and interprets their appearance as the spontaneous origin by mutation of new species from a plant, Oenothera Lamarckiana, which he believes to be representative of a pure species. De Vries is not willing to allow that in 0. Lamarckiana this phenomenon may be the direct result of an impure or hybrid constitution. The behavior of 0. Lamarckiana and certain other forms in this genus is, therefore, to De Vries direct experimental evidence of the origin of new species through wide and discontinuous variations, the result of spontaneous internal manifestations within the parent plants. De Vries further believes that mutations play a very important part in organic evolution and that they largely supply the material, i.e., the variations, upon which natural selection can operate. There is no question of the facts as brought out in the extensive and patient work of De Vries; they have been repeatedly confirmed. Oenothera Laimarckiana if grown in sufficiently large cultures may be expected to produce in each generation approximately the same set of 'mutants.' The proportions differ but they are apparently fairly stable for each variant; some make up about 1-2 per cent of the cultures, others are much less common. Certain of the 'mutants' breed fairly true when selfed while some are more unstable than the parent Lamarckiana. A significant feature of this performance is the clear expression of order and system in the appearance of precisely the same types through successive generations and we have no reason to suppose that 0. Lamarck-
Identifying the Potential for Robotics to Assist Older Adults in Different Living Environments.

As the older adult population grows and becomes more diverse, so will their needs and preferences for living environments. Many adults over 65 years of age require some assistance (Administration on Aging in A profile of older Americans: 2009, U.S.D.o.H.a.H. Services, 2009; Ball et al. in J. Aging Stud. 18:467–483, 2004); yet it is important for their feelings of well-being that the assistance not restrict their autonomy (Barkay in Int. J. Nurs. Pract. 8(4):198–209, 2002). Not only is autonomy correlated with quality of life (Bowling in J. Epidemiol. Commun. Health 65(3):273–280, 2011), autonomy enhancement may improve functionality (Ball et al. in J. Aging Stud. 18:467–483, 2004; Greiner in Am. J. Publ. Health 86(1):62–66, 1996). The goal of this paper is to provide guidance for the development of technology to enhance autonomy and quality of life for older adults. We explore the potential for robotics to meet these needs. We evaluated older adults’ diverse living situations and the predictors of residential moves to higher levels of care in the United States. We also examined older adults’ needs for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and medical conditions when living independently or in a long-term care residence. By providing support for older adults, mobile manipulator robots may reduce need-driven, undesired moves from residences with lower levels of care (i.e., private homes, assisted living) to those with higher levels of care (i.e., skilled nursing).
Parallel registration of multisensor remotely sensed imagery using wavelet coefficients

Due to the increasing amount and diversity of remotely sensed data, image registration is becoming one of the most important issues in remote sensing. In the near future, remote sensing systems will provide large amounts of data representing multiple- time or simultaneous observations of the same features by different sensors. The combination of data from coarse-resolution satellite sensors designed for large-area survey and from finer- resolution sensors for more detailed studies will allow better analysis of each type of data as well as validation of global low-resolution data analysis by the use of local high-resolution data analysis. This integration of information from multiple sources starts with the registration of the data. The most common approach to image registration is to choose, in both input image and reference image, some well-defined ground control points (GCPs), and then to compute the parameters of a deformation model. The main difficulty lies in the choice of the GCPs. In our work, a parallel implementation of decomposition and reconstruction by wavelet transforms has been developed on a single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) massively parallel computer, the MasPar MP-1. Utilizing this framework, we show how maxima of wavelet coefficients, which can be used for finding ground control points of similar resolution remotely sensed data, can also form the basis of the registration of very different resolution data, such as data from the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and from the Landsat/Thematic Mapper (TM).
Tailored psychosocial treatments for ADHD: the search for a good fit.

Commented on the article "What Does the MTA Study Tell Us About Effective Psychosocial Treatment for ADHD?" by Greene and Ablon (this issue). In this article, these authors note that the Multimodal Treatment Study (MTA) did not focus on or provide information about how to match treatment to the needs of the individual child. They contend that cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), which was not included in the MTA, can facilitate treatment tailoring if delivered appropriately. The authors offer several suggestions regarding how CBT can be structured to meet the needs of each child. This commentary points out that the MTA included psychosocial treatments with established rather than potential efficacy. Systematic studies are needed to determine whether the suggestions offered by Greene and Ablon have clinical utility. Matching treatment to the needs of individual patients remains the overarching goal of those interested in idiographic approaches to treatment. However, efforts to inform on treatment tailorin...
A multigene family encoding a diverse array of putative pheromone receptors in mammals.

Abstract The vomeronasal organ of mammals is an olfactory sensory structure that detects pheromones. It contains two subsets of sensory neurons that differentially express Gα o and Gα i2 . By comparing gene expression in single neurons, we identified a novel multigene family that codes for a diverse array of candidate pheromone receptors (VRs) expressed by the Gα o + subset. Different VRs are expressed by different neurons, but those neurons are interspersed, suggesting a distributed mode of sensory coding. Chromosome mapping experiments suggest an evolutionary connection between genes encoding VRs and receptors for volatile odorants. However, a dramatically different structure for VRs and the existence of variant VR mRNA forms indicate that there are diverse strategies to detect functionally distinct sensory stimuli.
Long-term Outcomes of Undercorrection Versus Full Correction After Unilateral Intraocular Lens Implantation in Children.

Purpose To evaluate the impact of full correction vs undercorrection on the magnitude of the myopic shift and postoperative visual acuity after unilateral intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in children. Design Retrospective case control study. Methods The medical records of 24 children who underwent unilateral cataract surgery and IOL implantation at 2 to Results The mean age at surgery (Group 1, 4.2 ± 0.9 years, n = 12; Group 2, 4.5 ± 1.0 years, n = 12; P = .45) and mean follow-up (Group 1, 5.8 ± 3.7 years; Group 2, 6.1 ± 3.5 years; P = .69) were similar for the 2 groups. The change in refractive error (Group 1, −0.4 ± 0.5 D/y; Group 2, −0.3 ± 0.2 D/y; P = .70) and last median logMAR acuity (Group 1, 0.4; Group 2, 0.4; P = .54) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusions We did not find a significant difference in the myopic shift or the postoperative visual acuity in children aged 2 to
Multiple UAV tomography based geolocation of RF emitters

Various methods for discovering the location of radio frequency (RF) emitters using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been the focus of research over the past several years. Our work is aimed at determining the effectiveness of lowaccuracy direction finding (DF) technology to locate RF emissions using multiple UAVs. Small, commercial-off-theshelf (COTS) antenna systems can provide a rough estimate of an emitter's location within a 90 degree or 45 degree sector. Using these DF systems, a team of inexpensive UAVs can be deployed to collect low-accuracy data from multiple positions. A ground station would combine the information. In contrast to typical angle-of-arrival (AOA) methods, this unique technique does not require precise antenna arrays, complex hardware, or significant processing time to locate RF emissions. We present simulation results that show that accurate geolocation of emitters is possible with DF systems using only low accuracy (90-20 degrees) Angle of Arrival (AOA) information.
Characterization and enzyme activity of argininosuccinate lyase/δ-crystallin of the embryonic duck lens

Argininosuccinate lyase (ASL)/δ-crystallin, a major soluble protein of the transparent eye lens of birds and reptiles, is a mixture of tetramers comprising all possible combinations of two similar polypeptides (δ1 and δ2). Only the δ2 polypeptide has ASL activity. In the present investgation we have purified each of the 5 major isoforms (δA to δE, pI 5.2 to 5.8) of δ-crystallin tetramers from the embryonic duck lens by isoelectric focussing and established by peptide sequencing that the δ1 and δ2 polypeptides are encoded in the previously identified, linked δ1 and δ2 genes, respectively. The relative amounts of the different tetramers in the 14-day-old embryonic lens were consistent with equal expression of the 2 δ-crystallin genes and no preference for assembly of the 2 δ polypeptides. The relative amount of ASL activity of the tetramers was a linear function of the relative amount of their δ2 polypeptides, with δA (only δ1) lacking enzymatic activity altogether. δB (3 δ1:1 δ2), δC (2 δ1:2 δ2), δD (1 δ1:3 δ2) and δE (4 δ2) all gave normal Michaelis-Menten kinetics for fumarate production from argininosuccinate at 40°C and had a similar Km (average Km for mixture was 0.15 mM). δE had a Km of 0.187 mM and a Vmax of 9 μmol/min per mg protein. Unlike bovine and like human ASL, both reported previously, embryonic duck ASL/δ-crystallin showed no evidence of cooperativity or activation by GTP. Each isoform had a similar far ultraviolet circular dichroism spectrum and thermal stability between 20°C and 60°C, with denturation occurring at 65°C. Our data suggest that gene duplication, structural modifications leading to greater thermal stability of the δ1 and δ2 polypeptides, and selective loss of ASL activity in the δ1 polypeptide all occurred during the recruitment of ASL for a refractive role in the duck lens, resulting in the generation of ASL isoenzymes.
Variation in coagulation properties of milk from individual cows

Abstract Milk samples from 50 Holstein cows were tested monthly for 10 mo for total protein, casein, fat, somatic cells, and pH. A Formagraph was used to measure chymosin coagulation properties. Significant variations in coagulation time and curd firmness were observed in relation to period of lactation, individual cows, and milk pH. A high negative correlation coefficient (−.86) was observed between coagulation time and curd firmness measured 30 min after addition of chymosin. The mean coagulation time generally increased as lactation progressed and milk yield decreased. Curd firmness was generally greatest in midlactation samples. Milk from 38% of the cows did not coagulate in 30 min 1 mo prior to their dry periods. The frequency of failure to coagulate was 68% in winter and 32% in fall. Milk pH was the most significant factor that affected coagulation time and curd firmness. Simulated cheese making procedures were utilized to estimate recovery of fat and protein in curd. Curd yield calculated from the recovery data ranged from 5.4 to 14% with a mean of 9.2%.
ASA classification in pediatric anesthesia

INTRODUCTION: ASA classification was introduced in 1941(1) by the American Society of Anesthetists. Designed for the adult patient, it was never intended to represent peri-operative risk of morbidity, yet, it is often used in surgical and anesthetic research as an indication of peri-operative risk (2). This survey aimed to assess the consistency of ASA physical status classification as allocated by Canadian pediatric anesthesiologists.
The toll for curriculum reform

(1994). The toll for curriculum reform. Peabody Journal of Education: Vol. 69, Our Evolving Curriculum, Part I, pp. 19-34.
Speech Production Accuracy and Variability in Young Cochlear Implant Recipients: Comparisons with Typically Developing Age-Peers

Purpose The speech production accuracy and variability scores of 6 young cochlear implant (CI) recipients with 2 years of device experience were compared with those of typically developing (TD) age-peers. Method Words from the First Words Speech Test (FWST; Ertmer, 1999) were imitated 3 times to assess the accuracy and variability of initial consonants, vowels, and words. The initial consonants in the 4 sets of the FWST followed a typical order of development. Results The TD group produced targets with high accuracy and low variability. Their scores across FWST sets reflected the expected order of development. The CI group produced most targets less accurately and with more variability than the TD children. Relatively high accuracy for the consonants of Sets 1 and 2 indicated that these phonemes were acquired early and in a typical developmental order. A trend toward greater accuracy for Set 4 as compared with Set 3 suggested that later-emerging consonants were not acquired in the expected order. Variabil...
Transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: The Milan criteria and beyond

Key Concepts: 1 Liver transplantation offers excellent results for selected candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 2 Selection strategies have evolved but are mainly based on size and number of tumors, which are surrogates for vascular invasion. Newer techniques show promise for identifying patients at high risk for recurrence and selecting those with low risk, even though they may exceed currently established tumor size criteria. 3 Evaluation of the effectiveness of liver transplantation for HCC requires an intent-to-treat approach that must include an accounting of the dropout rate of patients while waiting. 4 Locoregional pretransplantation adjuvant treatments may have some role for downstaging and/or reducing the dropout rate before transplantation, but their posttransplantation effect on outcome remains undetermined. 5 Liver allocation for HCC candidates in the context of increasing HCC prevalence requires better and evidence-based prioritization policies. Liver Transpl 12:S8–S13, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
Non-Planar Beaches: Sediment Transport

For a concave-up 2/3 power Bruun beach profile, the following two energetics-based sediment transport models are developed: 1) a Bagnold-type model and 2) a combined wave-current stress model. The stress model is calibrated with the Bagnold model using observed transport rates on planar beaches. The sediment transport profiles for the two models are in agreement within the surf zone for the planar beach case; but the stress model is also applied seaward of the breaker line where the Bagnold model is not. A mean swash transport of sand is predicted by the Bagnold model for a 1/2 power least-squares approximation to total depth including setup/setdown on a Bruun beach profile. The total longshore transport of sand is determined for each transport model as a function of the turbulent lateral mixing strength. The total sand transport is found to be less on a concave-up beach profile than for the corresponding planar beach case.
The critical dimension of ethnicity in liver cirrhosis mortality statistics.

Background: In 1997, liver cirrhosis was the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Beginning in the 1950s, liver cirrhosis mortality rates have been consistently higher for black than for white men and women. There has been a gradual adoption of the recommendation that all death certificates include information on the Hispanic origin of decedents, with universal adoption in the 1997 data year. It is the purpose of this study to examine the extent to which relative risks for cirrhosis mortality might shift for different demographic groups when Hispanic origin is considered along with the race and sex of the decedent. Methods: Age-adjusted death rates were calculated for liver cirrhosis by using public-use data files produced by the National Center for Health Statistics. Trends in cirrhosis mortality rates from 1991 through 1997 are shown for white Hispanic, white non-Hispanic, black Hispanic, and black non-Hispanic men and women. Results: In 1997, white Hispanic men show the highest cirrhosis mortality rates over the period examined, followed by black non-Hispanic and white non-Hispanic men, white Hispanic women, and black non-Hispanic and white non-Hispanic women. Among Hispanic decedents, the largest group was of Mexican ancestry, with large numbers being born outside the United States and having low education levels. Conclusions: The findings of higher risk for cirrhosis mortality among white men and women of Hispanic origin serve to focus new attention on these demographic groups. Collateral analyses of other causes of death do not support alternate explanations of these findings as artifacts of demographic misclassification. Future studies of amounts and patterns of alcohol consumption should include Hispanic origin among demographic factors examined.
SU‐FF‐I‐42: Improving Noise Uniformity in Volumetric CT Via ROI‐Based Weighting Scheme in Cone Beam Image Reconstruction

Purpose: To present an ROI‐based weighting scheme for cone beam image reconstruction to improve noise uniformity. Method and Materials: In CTimaging, the noise in near‐iso area is significantly larger than outer area. The root cause of this phenomenon is that the system transfer function of backprojection is reversely proportional to the iso‐distance of pixels to be reconstructed. Though this phenomenon is intrinsic and has been observing since the advent of CTimaging, we address this undesired noise non‐uniformity by extending the 3D weighted cone beam filtered backprojection (CB‐FBP) algorithm that has been previously published by us. As demonstrated previously, the noise level of imagesreconstructed by the 3D weighted CB‐FBP algorithm monotonically increases with the strength of 3D weighting. In addition to its dependence on view angle, orthogonal iso‐distance and cone angle, the extended 3D weighting scheme integrates a dependence on the iso‐distance of pixels to be reconstructed, i.e., the larger the iso‐distance, the stronger the weighting. Consequently, the noise at near‐iso area is reduced while that at outer area is increased. Results: The helical body phantom (HBP) simulated by computer is employed to evaluate the performance of the extended 3D weighting scheme to improve noise uniformity, in which 128 detector rows corresponding to 8.46 degree cone angle is assumed. The results shows that, with the integration of dependence on the iso‐distance of pixels to be reconstructed, the extended weighting scheme can improve noise uniformity by more than 30%, while its efficacy in suppressing artifacts caused by longitudinal truncation can be retained. Conclusion: The intrinsic noise non‐uniformity in CTimages can be improved significantly using the ROI‐based 3D weighting scheme proposed in this study. It is believed that, the extended 3D weighting scheme can find its applications in the pursuit of clinical excellence using volumetric CT as the modality.
Alcohol consumption as a function of dietary restraint and the menstrual cycle in moderate/heavy (“at-risk”) female drinkers

Abstract Previous research suggests that women who report dietary restraint tend to consume alcohol in greater quantities, however most studies use retrospective data collection, which is often unreliable, and no studies have accounted for this relationship with respect to potential changes in alcohol consumption across the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between prospectively monitored drinking patterns and dietary restraint across the menstrual cycle among females from the general population whose drinking level (7–20 drinks/week) places them at-risk for developing alcohol use disorders. Restrained eaters (RES; N = 51) and unrestrained eaters (UN-RES; N = 55), per the cognitive restraint scale scores from the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, provided prospective ratings measuring mood, alcohol consumption, and consequences of alcohol use across one full menstrual cycle. Dysphoric mood increased during the late luteal and menstrual phases in both groups. Although overall the RES group did not drink more than the UN-RES group, the RES group drank less than the UN-RES group during the follicular phase, suggesting that among RES women alcohol consumption may be modulated by hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle. The differences between the present findings and previous research may be due to the cohorts sampled; the majority of previous studies sampled college students, where binge drinking and dietary restraint are more common, whereas this study sampled the general population. Future research should replicate prior studies in a college-aged population using the current design of prospective data collection for greater accuracy of self-reported alcohol consumption.
Simulations of Light Scattering from B-Cells with Inhomogeneous Nuclei Using a Improved FDTD Program

We have significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of a previously developed parallel FDTD program by including correction for numerical dispersion. The updated program is used to investigate the effect of inhomogeneous nuclei in B-cells.
The sensitivity of phenological events to changes in nutrient availability for several plant growth forms in the arctic

The purpose of the experiment was to see whether a change in nutrient availability resulting from perturbations might alter rates of development of the major plant growth forms of an arctic tussock tundra slope. Slow release fertilizer pellets (NPK) were spread in June and July 1985 on the frost surface under an 8-20 cm thick layer of thawed tundra in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, Alaska. Initiation day of main phenological events, their duration and their intensity (% plants reaching a phenophase in a plot) were recorded during the 1985, 1986 and 1987 growing season. Variations in initiation day of phenophases were mainly due to environmental variations among years and to a lesser degree to fertilization; only timing of vegetative bud break of evergreen shrubs was significantly affected by fertilization, and occurred earlier than in the control. Flowering intensity varied significantly from one year to an other but was not significantly stimulated by fertilization.
Richer Parties, Better Politics? Party-Centered Campaign Finance Laws and American Democracy

Would "party-centered" campaign finance laws that channel money pri- marily through party organizations improve American politics? Scholars have long argued that political parties are essential mediating institutions in a democracy. Yet in comparison to other democracies, American campaign finance laws have been designed to be "candidate-centered." Constraints on political parties have also created opportunities for interest groups to engage directly in campaigns in support of favored candidates and policies. The growing presence in elections of interest groups at the expense of formal party organizations thus has potential neg- ative implications for the functioning of democracy. This paper explains what we know about the relationship between money, campaign finance laws, and political parties, with the goal of exploring whether party-centered campaign finance laws might improve elections, representation, and governing. Importantly, it emphasizes the need for new knowledge that may help in designing new campaign finance laws.
The impact of agricultural productivity increases in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe on world agricultural markets

Abstract This paper studies the impact of productivity increases in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe on world agricultural markets and the regions’ bilateral and sectoral agricultural trade flows. We use a six-region, 13-sector general equilibrium model. We find that productivity increases lead to a significant increase in the regions’ agricultural output and exports and the former Soviet Union’s agricultural imports. The former Soviet Union’s net agricultural imports increase, whereas Eastern Europe’s net agricultural trade balances improve. Overall, agricultural exporters will benefit, particularly, if productivity increases are not limited to or disproportionally high in agriculture.
Rationale for the higher reactivity of interfacial sites in methanol decomposition on Au13/TiO2(110).

Interfacial and perimeter sites have been known for their high activity in various reactions on supported gold nanoparticles. We find that the higher activity of interfacial sites in Au13/TiO2(110) toward methanol decomposition originates from charge-transfer-induced Coulomb interaction among the gold, reactant, and reducible TiO2 support, brought about through the formation of an ionic O–Au bond between gold and methoxy in such sites, which turns the participating perimeter gold atom cationic. A direct result of such charge-transfer-induced repulsive interaction between cationic gold and positively charged C moiety of methoxy is activation of the positively charged C moiety of methoxy, as manifested by the pronounced elongation of O–C bond length and the tilting of the methoxy axis, which facilitate reaction of methoxy through C–H scission with the bridge oxygen atoms that are readily available from the reducible support. More generally, our proposed mechanism for the reactivity of the gold/TiO2 interfac...
Research and ocean testing solutions to advance the wave energy industry

This paper presents the wave energy research thrusts as well as the development of novel scaled and full-scale ocean testing solutions through the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) headquartered at Oregon State University (OSU). NNMREC performs fundamental technological, social, and environmental research, in addition to providing unique testing facilities. Testing resources include a wave energy linear test bed, 2D and 3D wave tanks, an Ocean Sentinel instrumentation buoy to facilitate open-ocean testing without a cable-to-shore grid connection, as well as developing cable-to-shore grid emulator and grid-connect facilities. All of NNMREC's marine energy converter testing facilities are being branded as the Pacific Marine Energy Center (PMEC), including the scaled lab testing facilities and intermediate and full-scale open water testing facilities. This paper includes an overview of ongoing NNMREC research and advancing ocean testing solutions as well as the 2012 and 2013 Ocean Sentinel deployments, along with the associated testing of materials and technologies for biofouling resistant surfaces.
Dmp1α Inhibits HER2/neu-Induced Mammary Tumorigenesis

Our recent study shows a pivotal role of Dmp1 in quenching hyperproliferative signals from HER2 to the Arf-p53 pathway as a safety mechanism to prevent breast carcinogenesis. To directly demonstrate the role of Dmp1 in preventing HER2/neu-driven oncogenic transformation, we established Flag-Dmp1α transgenic mice (MDTG) under the control of the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter. The mice were viable but exhibited poorly developed mammary glands with markedly reduced milk production; thus more than half of parous females were unable to support the lives of new born pups. The mammary glands of the MDTG mice had very low Ki-67 expression but high levels of Arf, Ink4a, p53, and p21Cip1, markers of senescence and accelerated aging. In all strains of generated MDTG;neu mice, tumor development was significantly delayed with decreased tumor weight. Tumors from MDTG;neu mice expressed Flag-Dmp1α and Ki-67 in a mutually exclusive fashion indicating that transgenic Dmp1α prevented tumor growth in vivo. Genomic DNA analyses showed that the Dmp1α transgene was partially lost in half of the MDTG;neu tumors, and Western blot analyses showed Dmp1α protein downregulation in 80% of the cases. Our data demonstrate critical roles of Dmp1 in preventing mammary tumorigenesis and raise the possibility of treating breast cancer by restoring Dmp1α expression.
Abstract 619: CHK2 and DNAPKc deficiency reduces DNA repair capacity and increases transformation efficiency in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Reduced DNA repair capacity (DRC) and polymorphisms in genes involved in the repair pathways are associated with increased risk for lung cancer. Studies from our lab have demonstrated an association between increased double strand breaks (DSB) and increased risk for gene promoter hypermethylation. The goal of this study was to identify genes in the DSB repair pathway that may be rate limiting for DNA repair and to determine the effect of gene knockdown on genomic stability, DRC, gene promoter methylation, and cellular transformation. CHK2 is an important DNA damage sensor and cell cycle regulator gene that is important in maintaining genomic stability. DNAPKc is a kinase within the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway that participates in DNA repair by inducing conformational changes that allows access to DSB sites, and reduced activity is associated with lung cancer. Expression of CHK2 was reduced in 4 of 10 tumor-derived lung cancer cell lines, while 3 cell lines had undetectable levels of DNAPKc. We developed an in vitro model using human telomerase/cyclin dependent kinase 4-immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell lines (HBECs) to identify key molecular changes that drive transformation and clonal outgrowth of preneoplastic lung epithelial cells during exposure to carcinogens. CHK2 and DNAPKc were stably knocked down in HBEC2 and HBEC3 to determine their role in DRC, genomic instability and transformation. Knockdown of neither CHK2 nor DNAPKc affected microsatellite instability, nor was deficiency of either gene sufficient to induce spontaneous transformation in HBEC2 and HBEC3. Knockdown of CHK2 or DNAPKc decreased DRC in HBEC2 and HBEC3 in response to bleomycin, (a DSB-inducing carcinogen) indicating an important role for both genes in DSB repair. Knockdown cell lines were treated with bleomycin once a week for 12 weeks to determine the effect of gene deficiency on transformation. DNAPKc deficiency increased transformation efficiency in HBEC2 and HBEC3 by 14- and 4.5- fold, respectively, while CHK2 deficiency increased transformation efficiency in HBEC3 by 6- fold compared to bleomycin treated controls. Studies are ongoing to determine changes induced in the transcriptome and methylome in DNA repair-deficient cells during transformation. These studies will highlight the roles of CHK2 and DNAPKc in DSB repair, malignant transformation, and will shed more light on the role of DNAPKc and CHK2 in reprograming the genome. Supported by R01 ES15262 to SAB Citation Format: Ivo Teneng, Randy Willink, Kieu C. Do, Christopher Dagucon, Steven A. Belinsky. CHK2 and DNAPKc deficiency reduces DNA repair capacity and increases transformation efficiency in human bronchial epithelial cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 619. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-619
Reactive pulsed laser deposition of silica and doped silica thin films

Abstract Silicon oxide and Si-, GeO2-, B2O3- and P2O5-doped SiO2 films were deposited under various conditions by pulsed laser deposition using a KrF (248 nm wavelength) excimer laser, and were characterized by profilometry, ellipsometry and Rutherford backscattering. Relationships between laser energy, repetition rate, substrate temperature and oxygen pressure, and the composition, optical properties and roughness of the films were examined. SiO2 deposited from a Si target at a substrate temperature of 400 °C, oxygen pressure of approximately 6 Pa, laser energy of 550 mJ/pulse, and laser repetition rate of 25 Hz had a composition and refractive index close to the bulk values. Doped silica was made by ablation from sintered mixed oxide targets. Germanium and phosphorus doping increased the refractive index as compared to pure SiO2, but boron doping decreased the refractive index.
Cotton Fiber Cells Are Arrested at G1 Stage

Abstract Regulation of cell-cycle genes during the very early stages of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fiber development triggers specific epidermal cells in the ovule to stop cell division and then elongate into fiber cells. This characteristic is especially unique since the other ovule epidermal cells surrounding the cotton fiber cell undergo continuous division like all other cells in the plants as the ovule matures. Very little information is available on the controlling mechanism of cell-cycle phase in cotton fiber cells. The objective of this study was to identify the cell-cycle phase in which cotton fiber cells are arrested before beginning elongation and the different cellular mechanisms that may control the initial phases of fiber development. We exploited the recent discovery that fiber cells can divide to determine the cell-cycle stage at which fiber cell elongation occurs. If elongation begins when the cell is in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, treatment with an inhibitor of DNA replication wo...
Penetration of concrete with various linseed oil/mineral spirits mixtures

Abstract Field impregnation techniques were simulated in the laboratory using concrete cylinders (different water:cement ratios) dried either in a forced air oven or with a gas-fired infrared heater after which they were impregnated (by ponding) with different linseed oil/mineral spirits mixtures. Mass uptake was obtained for impregnation with various mineral spirits concentrations and impregnation temperatures. Generally as the water:cement ratio, impregnation temperature, and mineral spirits concentration increase, the final mass uptake (or rate of mass uptake) and penetration depth also increase. Further, the infrared dried specimens displayed a deeper final penetration depth than the ovendried specimens. Regression analysis produced equations that predict the final penetration depth in the concrete as a function of percent mineral spirits in the linseed oil mixture.
Dynamic cache pooling for improving energy efficiency in 3D stacked multicore processors

Resource pooling, where multiple architectural components are shared among multiple cores, is a promising technique for improving the system energy efficiency and reducing the total chip area. 3D stacked multicore processors enable efficient pooling of cache resources owing to the short interconnect latency between vertically stacked layers. This paper introduces a 3D multicore architecture that provides poolable cache resources. We propose a runtime policy that improves energy efficiency in 3D stacked processors by providing flexible heterogeneity of the cache resources. Our policy dynamically allocates jobs to cores on the 3D stacked system in a way that pairs applications with contrasting cache use, while also partitioning the cache resources based on the cache hungriness of the applications. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed policy improves system energy-delay product (EDP) and energy-delay-area product (EDAP) by up to 39.2% and 57.2%, respectively, compared to 3D processors with static cache sizes.
Physical and psychological outcome after burns

The relationship between compliance of moderately or severely burned patients with suggested plans of treatment and outcome was examined retrospectively by reviewing medical records. This review was limited to patients admitted to our facilities between 1977 and 1982 with burns in the moderate or major burn category and admitted within seven days of their injuries. The outcome measures included the following: limitation in range of motion (ROM), hypertrophic scar formation, total days of care required, quality of life, and impact of event. Noncompliance was related to the outcome as measured by limitation in ROM (P less than 0.01) and total days of care required (P less than 0.0001). A trend for diminished quality of life was related to noncompliance (P less than 0.08). Extent of injury (measured by total body surface area involved) was not related to ROM, quality of life, or impact of event but was related to total days of care required (P less than 0.01); there was also a trend toward scarring (P less than 0.06).
Expression of human growth hormone-releasing factor in transgenic mice results in increased somatic growth

The neurohumoral regulation of growth hormone secretion is mediated in part by two hypothalamic peptides that reach the anterior pituitary via the hypothalamo-hypophysial portal blood system1. Somatostatin inhibits the release of growth hormone2, whereas growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) positively regulates both growth hormone synthesis3,4 and secretion5,6. Two forms of human GRF, 40 and 44 amino acids long, have been characterized from extra-hypothalamic tumours7,8 as well as from the hypothalamus9. Analysis of human GRF complementary DNA10,11 and genomic12 clones indicates that the GRF peptides are first synthesized as a 107- or 108-amino-acid precursor protein. To examine the physiological consequences of GRF expression, we have established strains of transgenic mice containing a fusion gene including the promoter/regulatory region of the mouse metal-lothionein-I (MT-I) gene13 and the coding region of the human GRF gene12. We report that expression of the human GRF precursor protein in these animals results in measurable levels of human GRF and increased levels of mouse growth hormone in plasma and accelerated growth rates relative to control littermates. These results demonstrate a direct role for GRF in the positive regulation of somatic growth. Unexpectedly, female transgenic mice carrying the MT-GRF fusion gene are fertile, in contrast to female transgenic mice expressing human or rat growth hormone, which are generally infertile. These transgenic mouse strains should provide useful animal models for the study of several types of human growth disorders.
Action of purified gonadotropins on corpora lutea in the cyclic mouse.

SummaryThe life of hyperemic (functional) corpora lutea in intraocular ovarian transplants in castrated female mice was between one and two days. It was not affected by administration of 0.1 mg of FSH or of LH every 12 hours. It was extended to approximately 5, 8 and 7 days, respectively, by 0.025, 0.1, or 0.2 mg of LTH and to 17 days by 0.1 mg of LH with 0.1 mg of LTH. Deciduomata occurred in response to uterine trauma in animals receiving 0.1 mg LTH, or 0.1 mg LH and LTH, but not in those receiving 0.025 mg LTH or 0.1 mg LH.
A stochastic weather generation model for Alaska

A specific problem encountered in ecosystem-level simulation of Arctic ecosystems is the depth and extent of the driving variable record. Often, climate records are of short duration, gathered at locations different from the area to be simulated, or do not contain all the variables required by a given model. This paper addresses this problem for ecosystem simulation in Alaska with the development of a weather generator. The generator, called WGENAL, is based on the WGEN climate generator developed and validated in the 48 conterminous states. Because of the extreme variability of weather in Alaska that is not accommodated by the statistical metrics in the earlier model, a new climate generator was developed. WGENAL generates daily values of precipitation, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, solar radiation, and wind run. Precipitation is generated using a Markov chain-gamma model. A two-parameter gamma distribution is used to generate wind run. Temperatures and solar radiation are generated using procedures developed in the earlier study. Validation of the generator shows it provides adequate diurnal and seasonal weather records for Fairbanks. Other comparisons of synthetic weather with observed weather for sites north of the Brooks Range in Alaska are also within the error of the original data.
Development of a genetic system for the archaeal virus Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus (STIV)

Abstract Our understanding of archaeal viruses has been limited by the lack of genetic systems for examining viral function. We describe the construction of an infectious clone for the archaeal virus Sulfolobus turreted icosahedral virus (STIV). STIV was isolated from a high temperature (82 °C) acidic (pH 2.2) hot spring in Yellowstone National Park and replicates in the archaeal model organism Sulfolobus solfataricus ( Rice et al., 2004 ). While STIV is one of most studied archaeal viruses, little is known about its replication cycle. The development of an STIV infectious clone allows for directed gene disruptions and detailed genetic analysis of the virus. The utility of the STIV infectious clone was demonstrated by gene disruption of STIV open reading frame (ORF) B116 which resulted in crippled virus replication, while disruption of ORFs A197, C381 and B345 was lethal for virus replication.
Steepest descent using smoothed gradients

This paper reviews solving differential equations using the least-squares steepest descent method with Sobolev gradients. The method's superiority over standard steepest descent with a Euclidean gradient is explained in terms of stability and the classical Courant-Freiderichs-Lewy condition for the path of steepest descent. The spectra for several of the operators arising from a cononical example are also computed. Kantorovich's inequality then gives explicit estimates on the rate of convergence for the two processes. In this way, use of the Sobolev gradient is viewed as a very effective preconditioning strategy for the linear part of the differential equation.
Optimal control of delay systems with differential and algebraic dynamic constraints

This paper concerns constrained dynamic optimization problems governed by delay control systems whose dynamic constraints are described by both delay-differential inclusions and linear algebraic equations. This is a new class of optimal control systems that, on one hand, may be treated as a specific type of variational problems for neutral functional-differential inclusions while, on the other hand, is related to a special class of differential-algebraic systems with a general delay-differential inclusion and a linear constraint link between “slow” and “fast” variables. We pursue a twofold goal: to study variational stability for this class of control systems with respect to discrete approximations and to derive necessary optimality conditions for both delayed differential-algebraic systems under consideration and their finite-difference counterparts using modern tools of variational analysis and generalized differentiation. The authors are not familiar with any results in these directions for such systems even in the delay-free case. In the first part of the paper we establish the value convergence of discrete approximations as well as the strong convergence of optimal arcs in the classical Sobolev space W -1,2. Then using discrete approximations as a vehicle, we derive necessary optimality conditions for the initial continuous-time systems in both Euler-Lagrange and Hamiltonian forms via basic generalized differential constructions of variational analysis.
The Stationary Response to Large-Scale Orography in a General Circulation Model and a Linear Model

Abstract Stationary waves generated over orography in a linear model and a general circulation model (GCM) are compared to examine how the atmosphere's response is established for small mountains and how linear theory breaks down over large orographic features. Both models have nine vertical levels and are low-resolution (R15) spectral models. The linear model solves the stationary linear primitive equations. The GCM's control integration uses zonally uniform and hemispherically symmetric boundary conditions, with a global swamp surface. Five experiments are performed by perturbing the GCM with Gaussian mountains of various heights introduced in midlatitudes. The stationary wave model is linearized about zonal mean fields from the GCM climatology. The linear model's response to a Gaussian mountain at 45°N latitude is dominated by a single wave train radiating toward the southeast. For mountain heights between 0.7 and 2 km, the GCM's stationary waves are similar to the linear model response to orography, a...
Polyps and Polypoid Lesions of the Colon

Context. A significant portion of colorectal biopsies are performed for evaluation of polyps or polypoid lesions. Accurately identifying these lesions will promote better patient care. Objective. R...
A study of normal and congenitally abnormal retinogeniculate projections in cats

Retinogeniculate terminations have been studied by fiber degeneration and microelectrode mapping methods in normal cats and in Siamese cats in which the retinogeniculate pathway is congenitally abnormal. The normal representation of the visual field, including the monocular temporal crescent, has been determined. It has also been shown that there is a cellular discontinuity in lamina A which corresponds to the blind spot or optic disc. In normal cats four geniculate layers receive retinogeniculate terminals; two layers (A and C) receive contralateral and two layers (A1 and C1) receive ipsilateral afferents. In Siamese cats laminae A and C are normal. Lamina A1 is broken up into four main cell segments. Two of these receive a normal input from the ipsilateral temporal hemiretina; two receive an abnormal projection from the contralateral temporal hemiretina. The abnormal projection originates primarily from a vertical strip of retina about 20°–25° in width that lies just temporal to the area centralis. Within this abnormal projection a normal retinotopic sequence is maintained but, since this projection goes to the contralateral instead of the ipsilateral lamina A1, the abnormal segments of lamina A1 receive a mirror-image of the normal representation. Lamina C1 and the medial interlaminar nucleus receive an abnormal contralateral input from the temporal hemiretina similar to that found in lamina A1.
On generating sets of binary random variables with specified first- and second- moments

We study the problem of generating sets of binary random variables with specified means and pairwise correlations (i.e., specified individual- and pairwise-joint- probabilities). We propose a low-complexity algorithm for generating such correlated random variables, that involves first generating a set of mutually independent “source” binary random variables and then constructing the desired random variables by randomly selecting from and probabilistically copying or anticopying the source variables. We show that the parameters of this data-generation algorithm can be easily designed to achieve the desired statistics, under broad conditions.