cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effects of acetylcholine and of synaptic stimulation on the sensorimotor cortex of cats. II. Comparison of the neuronal responses to reticular and other stimuli.

Abstract In order to determine the role of acetylcholine in the synaptic transmission of impulses to the sensorimotor cortex from different sources, we used multibarreled microelectrodes to study the effects of drugs and of stimulating different afferent pathways on the firing of single neurons in the pericruciate cortex of cats prepared as ence´phale isole´. Stimulation of the nucleus ventralis lateralis thalami produced responses in most neurons of this study; many of these neurons also were tested by eliciting synaptic responses to stimulation of transcallosal and pyramidal fibers. Neurons reacting with short-latency response to thalamic stimuli showed a susceptibility to acetycholine which was similar to that of the other neurons in the pericruciate cortex. Atropine and scopolamine antagonized the effects of extrinsic acetylcholine, but they did not block any of the components of the responses to thalamic, transcallosal and pyramidal stimulation; the augmenting response, elicited by repetitive thalamic stimulation, also was unaffected. Atropine and scopolamine blocked the excitatory responses to reticular stimulation of some neurons which also were excitable by acetylcholine without blocking their responses to other stimuli. These agents abolished also the facilitatory effect of a conditioning stimulus to the reticular formation on a test response to thalamic stimulation in some instances. The differential blocking effect of the muscarinic cholinolytics on the excitatory responses of some neurons to reticular stimulation further supports the idea that acetylcholine may be the synaptic transmitter of the reticular excitation of some pericruciate neurons.
Effect of selective angiotensin II receptor antagonism and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition on the coronary vasculature in vivo. Intravascular two-dimensional and Doppler ultrasound studies.

BACKGROUNDAlthough angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been reported to increase coronary blood flow, the effect of selective angiotensin II (AT1)-receptor antagonism on the coronary circulation has not been defined.METHODS AND RESULTSWe examined the effects of the AT1-receptor antagonist Losartan (DuP 753, 0.2-3.2 mg/kg) on coronary arteries in vivo in 11 dogs, using a combination of intravascular two-dimensional and Doppler ultrasound. In six dogs, a 30-MHz, 4.3F ultrasound imaging catheter was placed in the midsegment of the circumflex coronary artery to measure cross-sectional area (CSA), and a 0.018-in. Doppler wire was placed alongside to measure coronary flow velocity. At peak effect (1.6 mg/kg), Losartan increased mean coronary CSA from 7.9 +/- 0.5 to 9.5 +/- 0.8 mm2 and average peak velocity (APV) from 32 +/- 10 to 56 +/- 18 cm/sec, resulting in an increase in coronary blood flow from 74 +/- 19 to 151 +/- 36 mL/min. The maximal effect of the ACE inhibitor enalaprilat (5 mg) was an...
Nematode biochemistry—X. Excretion of glycerol by free-living nematodes

Abstract 1. 1. The free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis briggsae, excretes labeled glycerol as a major product when incubated with acetate-14C in “whole medium”. 2. 2. When incubated in water or buffer solution, little or no glycerol is formed, glucose and trehalose being the major products. 3. 3. Turbatrix aceti yields similar results. Panagrellus redivivus shows similar behavior when incubated in water, but in “whole medium” other neutral products, presumably sugars, are formed, in addition to glycerol.
Simulation studies of wetting on alkali metals

A summary is presented of recent simulations of the wetting behavior of simple gases on alkali metals. A specific focus is the nature of the wetting transitions on these surfaces of the gases helium, hydrogen, and neon. Since transitions have been observed experimentally for all of these systems, a principal motivation for performing the simulations is to assess the adsorption potentials which are used in the calculations.
Lost in the world of functional genomics, systems biology, and translational research: Is there life after the Milstein award?

We have always wanted to save the world from the scourges of virus infection by developing better drugs and vaccines. But fully understanding the intricacies of virus-host interactions, the first step in achieving this goal, requires the ability to view the process on a grand scale. The advent of high-throughput technologies, such as DNA microarrays and mass spectrometry, provided the first opportunities to obtain such a view. Here, we describe our efforts to use these tools to focus on the changes in cellular gene expression and protein abundance that occur in response to virus infection. By examining these changes in a comprehensive manner, we have been able to discover exciting new insights into innate immunity, interferon and cytokine signaling, and the strategies used by viruses to overcome these cellular defenses. Functional genomics may yet save the world from killer viruses.
Does a New Surgical Residency Program Increase Operating Room Times

Background Our country faces a shortage of surgeons; hence, we may anticipate the development of new surgery residencies. Therefore, the question of the effect of a new program on operating room times (ORT) is important. Our primary aim was to compare ORT of 3 common procedures done by attendings alone vs ORT of cases with residents. Methods We queried records of 1458 patients from the JFK Medical Center database for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, open inguinal hernia repair, and laparoscopic appendectomy from July 2010 to July 2012. We divided the sample into 2 groups: “attending alone” (2010-2011) and “with residents” (2011-2012). The ORT was calculated by “Cut time” and “Close time,” as recorded in the OR. ORT for both groups was calculated using the unpaired t test. Results Of the total number of patients, 778 underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 407 underwent open inguinal hernia repair, and 273 underwent laparoscopic appendectomy; of these, 620, 315, and 211 procedures, respectively, were done by the attending alone and 158, 92, and 62, respectively, were done with residents. Differences in ORT for the 3 types of surgery were statistically significant (p Conclusions Resident involvement increases ORT. Cost analysis considering OR time and anesthesia time vs federal funding for Graduate Medical Education is complicated. The benefit of new programs in diminishing the shortage of surgeons cannot be underestimated.
Preliminary studies of offspring exposure to phenylbutazone and ivermectin during the perinatal period in a Holstein cow-calf model.

Abstract The pregnant Holstein cow and her newborn calf were evaluated as an animal model to study in utero and for lactational drug transfer and offspring exposure. A nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug, phenylbutazone, and an antiparasitic drug, ivermectin, were tested in the model. Prior to parturition, pregnant cows were dosed orally to steady state with phenylbutazone at 4 g/day or given a single subcutaneous injection of 200 μg ivermectin/kg body wt. The level of drug transferred to calves exposed in utero, in utero combined with lactational exposure, and via lactational exposure only, was measured from days 1 through 7 postpartum. At birth the plasma level in phenylbutazone-exposed calves was approximately one-half the dam’s steady-state level. For ivermectin-exposed calves, plasma levels were at or below the limit of quantitation (0.5 ng/ml) at birth, suggesting that placental transfer of ivermectin is limited in the cow. For both drugs, rapid accumulation of the drug in calf plasma occurred with lactational exposure to a mean daily dose of 2 μg ivermectin/kg body wt or 0.1 mg phenylbutazone/kg body wt/day for the first 7 days of life. The accumulation observed in the newborn calf is attributed to the lipid solubility and long elimination half-lives of these drugs. These results demonstrate that drug transfer and offspring exposure can be studied using the cow–calf model. The data also highlight the importance of considering not only the dose but also physicochemical characteristics and pharmacokinetics of the drug in the offspring when evaluating the safety of a newborn’s exposure to a drug in breast milk.
Hotspot quantification of myocardial focal tracer uptake from molecular targeted SPECT/CT images : experimental validation

We have developed a new single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) hotspot quantification method incorporating extra cardiac activity correction and hotspot normal limit estimation. The method was validated for estimation accuracy of myocardial tracer focal uptake in a chronic canine model of myocardial infarction (MI). Dogs (n = 4) at 2 weeks post MI were injected with Tl-201 and a Tc-99m-labeled hotspot tracer targeted at matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). An external point source filled with Tc-99m was used for a reference of absolute radioactivity. Dual-isotope (Tc-99m/Tl-201) SPECT images were acquired simultaneously followed by an X-ray CT acquisition. Dogs were sacrificed after imaging for myocardial gamma well counting. Images were reconstructed with CT-based attenuation correction (AC) and without AC (NAC) and were quantified using our quantification method. Normal limits for myocardial hotspot uptake were estimated based on 3 different schemes: maximum entropy, meansquared-error minimization (MSEM) and global minimization. Absolute myocardial hotspot uptake was quantified from SPECT images using the normal limits and compared with well-counted radioactivity on a segment-by-segment basis (n = 12 segments/dog). Radioactivity was expressed as % injected dose (%ID). There was an excellent correlation (r = 0.78-0.92) between the estimated activity (%ID) derived using the SPECT quantitative approach and well-counting, independent of AC. However, SPECT quantification without AC resulted in the significant underestimation of radioactivity. Quantification using SPECT with AC and the MSEM normal limit yielded the best results compared with well-counting. In conclusion, focal myocardial "hotspot" uptake of a targeted radiotracer can be accurately quantified in vivo using a method that incorporates SPECT imaging with AC, an external reference, background scatter compensation, and a suitable normal limit. This hybrid SPECT/CT approach allows for the serial non-invasive quantitative evaluation of molecular targeted tracers in the heart.
A comparison of two brief screening measures of cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease†

The goal of this study was to explore whether the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a new screening instrument, would be more sensitive to mild to moderate cognitive impairment in Huntington's disease (HD) than an established screening measure, the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). Our reasoning for this query is that the MoCA includes a broader range of test items and an additional assessment of executive functioning and attention compared with the MMSE. Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to examine performance of HD and control groups on both tests on overall scores and scores from various subdomains (i.e., visuospatial abilities) revealed that the MoCA achieved higher sensitivity without sacrificing specificity in many domains relative to the MMSE.
Sensing the strike of a predator fish depends on the specific gravity of a prey fish.

SUMMARY The ability of a predator fish to capture a prey fish depends on the hydrodynamics of the prey and its behavioral response to the predator9s strike. Despite the importance of this predator–prey interaction to the ecology and evolution of a diversity of fish, it is unclear what factors dictate a fish9s ability to evade capture. The present study evaluated how the specific gravity of a prey fish9s body affects the kinematics of prey capture and the signals detected by the lateral line system of the prey during the strike of a suction-feeding predator. The specific gravity of zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) larvae was measured with high precision from recordings of terminal velocity in solutions of varying density. This novel method found that specific gravity decreased by ∼5% (from 1.063, N =8, to 1.011, N =35) when the swim bladder inflates. To examine the functional consequences of this change, we developed a mathematical model of the hydrodynamics of prey in the flow field created by a suction-feeding predator. This model found that the observed decrease in specific gravity due to swim bladder inflation causes an 80% reduction of the flow velocity around the prey9s body. Therefore, swim bladder inflation causes a substantial reduction in the flow signal that may be sensed by the lateral line system to evade capture. These findings demonstrate that the ability of a prey fish to sense a predator depends crucially on the specific gravity of the prey.
Adsorption of phosphate in anoxic marine sediments1

The adsorption of dissolved phosphate in anoxic marine sediments has been investigated in samples of mud from two locations in Long Island Sound kept under strictly anoxic conditions. Kinetic cxpcriments showed that dcsorption is more rapid than adsorption, but that hot11 reach equilibrillm within 24 h. The process of adsorption of phosphate can bc described 1)~ a simple linear isotherm: the dimcnsionlcss in situ adsorption coefficient (K) determined from four separate rIIns on mud from the FOAM site was 1.7 + 0.2; for sediment from the NWC site it was 1.9. Diffusion measurements provide independent cxpcrirnental confirmation of this value for K. These values of K arc much lower than those in oxic sediments because the iron oxyhydroxides which are important in the adsorption of phosphate in oxic sediments are converted to iron sulfides in anoxic muds.
Improving memory utilization in cache coherence directories

Efficiently maintaining cache coherence is a major problem in large-scale shared memory multiprocessors. Hardware directory coherence schemes have very high memory requirements, while software-directed schemes must rely on imprecise compile-time memory disambiguation. Recently proposed dynamically tagged directory schemes allocate pointers to blocks only as they are referenced, which significantly reduces their memory requirements, but they still allocate pointers to blocks that do not need them. The authors present two compiler optimizations that exploit the high-level sharing information available to the compiler to further reduce the size of a tagged directory by allocating pointers only when necessary. Trace-driven simulations are used to show that the performance of this combined hardware-software approach is comparable to other coherence schemes, but with significantly lower memory requirements. In addition, these simulations suggest that this approach is less sensitive to the quality of the memory disambiguation and interprocedural analysis performed by the compiler than software-only coherence schemes. >
3D face modeling using two views and a generic face model with application to 3D face recognition

We present an algorithm for 3D face modeling from a frontal image and a profile image of a person's face. The algorithm starts by computing the 3D coordinates of automatically extracted facial feature points. The coordinates of the selected feature points are then used to deform a 3D generic face model to obtain a 3D face model for that person. Procrustes analysis is used to minimize globally the distances between the facial feature vertices in the model and the corresponding 3D points obtained from the images. Then, local deformation is performed on the facial feature vertices to obtain a more realistic 3D model for the person. Preliminary experiments to asses the applicability of the models for face recognition show encouraging results.
Developing a bubble number-density paleoclimatic indicator for glacier ice

Past accumulation rate can be estimated from the measured number-density of bubbles in an ice core and the reconstructed paleotemperature, using a new technique. Density increase and grain growth in polar firn are both controlled by temperature and accumulation rate, and the integrated effects are recorded in the number-density of bubbles as the firn changes to ice. An empirical model of these processes, optimized to fit published data on recently formed bubbles, reconstructs accumulation rates using recent temperatures with an uncertainty of 41% (P < 0.05). For modern sites considered here, no statistically significant trend exists between mean annual temperature and the ratio of bubble number-density to grain number-density at the time of pore close-off; optimum modeled accumulation- rate estimates require an eventual � 2.02 � 0.08 (P < 0.05) bubbles per close-off grain. Bubble number- density in the GRIP (Greenland) ice core is qualitatively consistent with independent estimates for a combined temperature decrease and accumulation-rate increase there during the last 5 kyr.
Illness Severity, Viral Shedding, and Antibody Responses in Infants Hospitalized with Bronchiolitis Caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The relationships between host factors, viral shedding, illness severity, and antibody response in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced bronchiolitis are poorly defined. These relationships were prospectively evaluated in 77 infants hospitalized with RSV bronchiolitis in multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of RSV immunoglobulin therapy. Severity of illness was influenced by age and host risk factors but was not influenced by RSV neutralizing antibody titer or by the amount of virus in nasal secretions at enrollment. Virus recovery in nasal secretions was variable but was highest at enrollment. Viral shedding was not influenced by primary diagnosis, antibody titer, age, or duration of acute respiratory illness before enrollment. In intubated patients, the amounts of virus recovered in nasal secretions and endotracheal aspirates were highly correlated. A serum neutralizing antibody response was seen in 64% of subjects who received placebo. The response was not influenced by age, primary diagnosis, amount of virus recovered, or severity of illness but was suppressed by preexisting antibody.
TOWARD AN IMPROVED MEASURE OF REMOTE ASSOCIATIONAL ABILITY

A lack of satisfaction with existing measures of creativity and the need for a more theoretically sophisticated approach to measurement in this area were identified Mednick's remote association theory of creative behavior was reviewed, and Mednick and Mednick's operationalization of that position, the Remote Associates Test (RAT), was analyzed both logically and empirically. An alternative measure of remote associational ability, the Functionally Remote Associates Test (FRAT), was offered as a more logical extension of Mednick's theory. Empirical data were presented which suggest the superiority of FRAT to RAT as a measure of creativity.
The financial impact of hospital closures on surrounding hospitals

Objective: To test whether hospital closures hurt or help surrounding hospitals financially. Do hospital closures improve marketefficiency or do they merely shift the least profitable patients to hospitals that can better cross-subsidize them? Methods: Using California hospital data from 2000 to 2011, the analysis employed random-effect and fixed-effect models to testfor a change in operating margin before and after a series of 2004, 2007 and 2009 hospital closures (the highest volume years forclosures). The main independent variable was each hospital’s predicted percent increase in patient volume due to absorption fromclosing hospitals. We used 5-digit zip code and DRG patient flow data to predict the number of patients each open hospital wouldabsorb from nearby hospital closures. Results: Hospitals experiencing the biggest increase in patient volume due to nearby hospital closings saw a drop in operatingmargin following those closures. This drop could not be explained by changes in payer mix or reimbursement type for thosepatients. Conclusions: Our results suggest that hospital closures are shifting high cost patients to open hospitals, not necessarily improving efficiency in the market.
Negative signaling in health and disease.

Signal transduction induced by receptors can elicit intracellular biochemical events that either support or inhibit cell activation. Induction of the latter has been termed “negative signaling” and can be triggered by receptors on immune cells that are distinct from activating receptors while other growth-promoting receptors induce both positive and negative signaling events. Here, the biochemistry leading to cell activation or inhibition and induced by receptors on immune cells are reviewed. Furthermore, recent experimental evidence is reviewed that indicates an important contribution of negative signaling to the intracellular survival of infectious pathogens.
The effect of humor on recall of a radio advertisement

(1980). The effect of humor on recall of a radio advertisement. Journal of Broadcasting: Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 13-22.
Electro-thermal-mechanical validation experiments

The design of high-performance magnetic flux compression generators and electromagnetic launchers is dependent upon intimate knowledge of the interaction between electromagnetics and solid-thermal mechanics. A coupled 3D electro-thermal-mechanical (ETM) simulation self-consistently solves equations of electromagnetics (primarily magnetostatics and diffusion), heat transfer (primarily conduction), and nonlinear mechanics (primarily elastic-plastic deformation and contact with friction). ALE3D is a heavily used Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian hydrodynamics code with a recently added electromagnetics simulation capability enabling the simulation, design, and optimization of ETM systems. Diablo is a relatively new ASC-class parallel coupled multi-mechanics code built from the legacy technology contained within the well-known LLNL-produced codes DYNA3D, NIKE3D, and TOPAZ3D. The coaxial validation experiment test fixture was developed to provide high-quality experimental data from a controlled environment undergoing large magnetically-induced deformations. This experimental data is particularly useful for the validation of coupling between J x B forces and momentum equations in ALE3D and Diablo. This paper discusses experiments conducted for the validation of recently enhanced electro-thermal-mechanical simulation capabilities at LLNL. The 1 MA coaxial test stand was designed with an interchangeable center conductor to serve as a test piece for flexibility in axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric experiment design.
Management of malignant colonic polyps: A population‐based analysis of colonoscopic polypectomy versus surgery

Background—The management of colon polyps containing invasive carcinoma includes surgical resection or colonoscopic polypectomy. To date, there are very limited population-based data comparing outcomes with the two management approaches. Methods—Using the linked SEER-Medicare database, we identified 2,077 patients ≥ 66 years with an initial diagnosis of stage T1N0M0 malignant polyp from 1992-2005. Patients were categorized as surgical or polypectomy depending on the most invasive treatment. In order to adjust for potential selection bias in treatment assignment, using multivariate analysis, patients were divided into quintiles of likelihood of polypectomy (propensity scores) and outcomes were compared in each quintile. Results—Surgical resection was performed in 1340 (64.5%) and polypectomy in 737 (35.5%) patients. Predictors of undergoing polypectomy (p<0.001) included older age, greater comorbidity, no prior history of polyps, diagnosis in 2002 or later, left colon site of cancer, well differentiated tumors, and colonoscopy performed in an outpatient setting. Both one-year and five-year survival was higher in the surgical group (92% and 75%, respectively) than the polypectomy group (88% and 62%, respectively). The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.51 (95% CI 1.31-1.74). After adjusting for propensity quintile, the HR was 1.15 (95% CI 0.98-1.33). Within each propensity quintile, the risk of death was similar between the two groups (interaction test p-value=0.96). Conclusions—In this large, population-based sample, more than one-third of patients with malignant polyps were treated with colonoscopic polypectomy. Outcomes were similar to surgical patients with comparable clinical characteristics and could be offered to patients who meet appropriate clinical criteria.
A dyadic reciprocity index for repeated interaction networks

A wide variety of networked systems in human societies are composed of repeated communications between actors. A dyadic relationship made up of repeated interactions may be reciprocal (both actors have the same probability of directing a communication attempt to the other) or non-reciprocal (one actor has a higher probability of initiating a communication attempt than other). In this paper we propose a theoretically motivated index of reciprocity appropriate for networks formed from repeated interactions based on these probabilities. We go on to examine the distribution of reciprocity in a large-scale social network built from trace-logs of over a billion cell-phone communication events across millions of actors in a large industrialized country. We find that while most relationships tend toward reciprocity, a substantial minority of relationships exhibit large levels of non-reciprocity. This is puzzling because behavioral theories in social science predict that persons will selectively terminate non-reciprocal relationships, keeping only those that approach reciprocity. We point to Research was sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory and was accomplished in part under Cooperative Agreement Number W911NF-09-2-0053, by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) grant HDTRA 1-09-1-0039 (Anthony Strathman and Zolt´ an Toroczkai), and by the National Science Foundation (NSF) grant BCS-0826958. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Army Research Laboratory or the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Government purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation hereon. Special acknowledgments go to Albert L´´ Barab´ asi for providing the source data.
Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis of Ocean Surface Currents Using Complex and Real-Vector Methods*

Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis has been widely used in meteorology and oceanography to extract dominant modes of behavior in scalar and vector datasets. For analysis of two-dimensional vector fields, such as surface winds or currents, use of the complex EOF method has become widespread. In the present paper, this method is compared with a real-vector EOF method that apparently has previously been unused for current or wind fields in oceanography or meteorology. It is shown that these two methods differ primarily with respect to the concept of optimal representation. Further, the real-vector analysis can easily be extended to threedimensional vector fields, whereas the complex method cannot. To illustrate the differences between approaches, both methods are applied to Ocean Surface Current Radar data collected off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in June and July 1993. For this dataset, while the complex analysis ‘‘converges’’ in fewer modes, the real analysis is better able to isolate flows with wide cross-shelf structures such as tides.
Glandular Trichomes of Solanum berthaultii and Its Hybrids with Solanum tuberosum Affect Nymphal Emergence, Development, and Survival of Empoasca fabae (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

The influence of foliar glandular trichomes on developmental biology of the potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), was examined by selective removal of trichomes on resistant and susceptible potato germplasm comprising two glandular trichome-bearing genotypes (PI 473331 and PI 473334) of wild potato, Solanum berthaultii (Hawkes), two interspecific hybrids of S. berthaultii with Solanum tuberosum L. (Q174-2 and NY123), and two commercial S. tuberosum cultivars ('Elba' and 'Allegany'). Adult mortality was affected, whereas nymphal emergence was unaffected by removal of glandular trichome exudates. No nymphs were observed emerging from leaves of PI 473331 or PI 473334. Regardless of the trichome removal treatment, no nymphs completed development on PI 473331, and only a small percentage of nymphs survived to adulthood on NY123 and PI 473334. PI 473331 had the greatest frequency of adults and nymphs with trichome exudate deposition on their bodies, followed by PI 473334. Nymphs, but not adults, had exudate accumulation when caged on foliage of Q174-2. Removal of type A trichome heads and type B droplets eliminated exudate deposition. The results of these studies provide evidence that phenolic oxidation chemistry and the physical barrier imposed by trichomes of S. berthaultii are responsible for much of the observed resistance but that other factors possibly linked to the presence of trichomes aid in the expression on resistance.
An architecture level simulation methodology

Using the Architecture Design and Assessment System (ADAS), the processor level architecture of an example computer system is first represented as a directed graph. Then, a method of simulating instruction execution as a sequence of data transfers between the nodes of the graph is presented. The simulation methodology provides flexibility in observing the architecture dynamically at the processor level. An example application for functional verification is discussed. Development of techniques to convert programs into node sequences and to assign appropriate delays to the nodes is necessary to further enhance the applicability of the methodology. Functional verification and performance estimation through this approach can instigate early design tradeoffs and reduce system development costs. >
Contrary to Popular Opinion: Why the Sixth Circuit's Omnicare Decision Should Be Reversed

Commenting on Indiana State District Council of Laborers v. Omnicare, 719 F.3d 498 (6th Cir. 2013).
An Introduction to Wavefunction Engineering

Experimental and theoretical studies demonstrate that it is possible to redefine the basic character of band-edge electronic wavefunctions in superlattices, the period of which is comparable to the lattice parameter of the constituent materials. In using superlattice periodicity to redefine electronic wavefunctions, strain and crystalline orientation can be used to select which wavefunctions will form the band edge states. These principles can be used to form a direct bandgap semiconductor superlattice from Si and Ge, two indirect bandgap materials.
FOXGLOVE APHID CONTROL WITH SOIL AND FOLIAR APPLIED INSECTICIDES IN HEAD LETTUCE, SPRING 2003

Lettuce was direct seeded on 14 Nov at the Yuma Valley Agricultural Center, Yuma, AZ into double row beds on 42-inch centers. Stand establishment was achieved using overhead sprinkler irrigation, furrow irrigated thereafter. Plots were 4 beds wide by 50 ft long and bordered by two untreated beds. Each treatment was replicated four times and arranged in a RCBdesign. The at-planting soil applications of Admire and Platinum were applied as a pre-plant injection at a depth of 1.5 inch below the seed line at bed shaping in 15 gpa final dilution. The side dress treatments were applied at second side dress (15 Jan) similar to fertilizer side-dressing and the materials were placed on the shoulder of the bed about 4 inch from the plant and 3 inch below the soil surface in 30 gpa final dilution. Foliar applications were made with a CO2 operated boom sprayer operated at 60 psi and 27 gpa. A directed spray (nozzles directed toward the plants) was delivered through three nozzles (TX-12) per bed. A total of three spray applications were applied on 21 Jan, 4 and 16 Feb. The first spray was initiated at early-aphid colonization 0.7 apterous aphids /plant (0.3 PA/AL, 0.2 FG, and 0.2 GPA aphids/plant; 20 % of the plants were infested with at least one aphid). An adjuvant was applied to all foliar treatments; DyneAmic on the first application and Exit on the second and third applications at 0.125% v/v. Aphid populations were assessed by estimating the number of aphids per plant in whole plant, destructive samples. Ten plants were randomly selected from each plot and placed individually into large 3-gal tubs. Each plant was sampled by visually examining all plant foliage and counting the number of apterous aphids present. At harvest (6 Mar) infestation levels of apterous aphids were estimated by randomly selecting 10 plants within each replicate, visually counting all aphids on frame/wrapper leaves and heads separately. Data were analyzed as a 1-way ANOVA using a protected LSD ( P ≤ 0.05) to distinguish treatment mean differences.
Practical Obstacles for China's Credit Rating Agencies Obtaining International Discourse Power and Transformation Arrangements

By analyzing the institutional environment leading to the lack of independence,greenhouse cultivation being difficult to form credibility,and the economic benefit adhesions inducing professional ethics risk,the paper reveals the practical obstacles for credit rating agencies of China to obtain international discourse power.The solutions to those problems are: improving institutional environment conditions,strengthening the independence of professional standard,improving professional ethics,so as to make it possible to lock the moral hazard and gradually develop credibility,and build an effective mechanism of the healthy development of credit rating agencies.
Nanning urban residents in The monitoring of chronic diseases in 2009

Objective Find out the Nanning city residents with chronic disease characteristics to formulate the effective intervention strategies and provide a scientific basis.Methods Analysis of the 2009 urban residents in chronic disease surveillance data,and comparison with 2008 statistics.Results Nanning urban residents in hypertension morbidity of chronic disease first(32.27%).Stroke in second place(28.00%),diabetes mellitus ranks third(17.18%).With the same period in 2008,the incidence rate increased by 17.11%.Conclusion Nanning City,residents of chronic diseases is rising,has become a serious threat to co-residents of the health of major diseases,should be given high priority.
Eggs as a Suitable Tool for Species Diagnosis of Causative Agents of Human Diphyllobothriosis (Cestoda)

Background Tapeworms of the order Diphyllobothriidea are parasites of tetrapods and several species may infect man and cause neglected human disease called diphyllobothriosis. Identification of human-infecting diphyllobothriid cestodes is difficult because of their morphological uniformity, which concerns also their eggs in stool samples. Methods In the present study, we analysed by far the largest dataset of more than 2,000 eggs of 8 species of diphyllobothriid cestodes that may infect humans, including the most frequent human parasites Diphyllobothrium latum, D. nihonkaiense and Adenocephalus pacificus (syn. Diphyllobothrium pacificum). Size (length, width and length/width ratio) and the surface of the egg shell from naturally and experimentally infected hosts were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. Results A high degree of intraspecific and host-related size variability has been detected, but combination of morphometrical and ultrastructural data made it possible to distinguish all of the studied species, including otherwise quite similar eggs of the 3 most common species infecting man, i.e. D. latum, D. nihonkaiense and D. dendriticum. The surface of all marine species is covered by numerous deep pits with species-specific density, whereas the surface of freshwater species is smooth or with isolated shallow hollows or wrinkles.
Trying to build a classless utopia in the land of racial democracy: the lack of racial discussion within the educational materials of the Brazilian Landless Rural Workers’ Movement

AbstractThe hegemonic ideology of racial democracy and rural cultural norms of racial silence continue to inform racial identities and national racial discourse in Brazil, in this case within the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST), a left-wing movement for agrarian reform. In this article I engage in textual analysis of a textbook from the MST’s youth curriculum, arguing that the language used in this textbook does not recognize the centrality of race in world or Brazilian history, but rather focuses on the role of social class in marginalization. I also argue that race is largely ignored in the textbook’s description of the MST itself, despite the organization working in rural areas that are predominantly indigenous or Afro-descendant. Lastly, I argue that language is used which implicitly separates the MST leadership from indigenous and Afro-Brazilian populations. The implications of these findings are analyzed through the lens of critical race theory and Brazilian rurality.
Temporal and spatial trends in prey composition of wahoo Acanthocybium solandri: a diet analysis from the central North Pacific Ocean using visual and DNA bar‐coding techniques

A diet analysis was conducted on 444 wahoo Acanthocybium solandri caught in the central North Pacific Ocean longline fishery and a nearshore troll fishery surrounding the Hawaiian Islands from June to December 2014. In addition to traditional observational methods of stomach contents, a DNA bar-coding approach was integrated into the analysis by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) region of the mtDNA genome to taxonomically identify individual prey items that could not be classified visually to species. For nearshore-caught A. solandri, juvenile pre-settlement reef fish species from various families dominated the prey composition during the summer months, followed primarily by Carangidae in autumn months. Gempylidae, Echeneidae and Scombridae were dominant prey taxa from the offshore fishery. Molidae was a common prey family found in stomachs collected north-east of the Hawaiian Archipelago while tetraodontiform reef fishes, known to have extended pelagic stages, were prominent prey items south-west of the Hawaiian Islands. The diet composition of A. solandri was indicative of an adaptive feeder and thus revealed dominant geographic and seasonal abundances of certain taxa from various ecosystems in the marine environment. The addition of molecular bar-coding to the traditional visual method of prey identifications allowed for a more comprehensive range of the prey field of A. solandri to be identified and should be used as a standard component in future diet studies.
OPTIMIZATION OF ESTROGEN GROWTH RESPONSE IN MCF-7 CELLS

The factors involved in estradiol-17β induced growth stimulation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells have been examined. Wild type MCF-7 cells (and clone E3) were shown to undergo slow growth in phenol-red-free medium containing specific calf sera. The E3 clone was used to document a mean 6-day growth stimulation of 3.35-fold (doubling time=33±3 h) in cultures supplemented with 10−11 M estradiol-17β. The serum batch utilized in the culture medium is most important in acquiring significant growth stimulation of MCF-7 cells by estradiol-17β. Regardless of the absence of phenol-red, only selected sera (2 out of 14 tested) supported minimal growth of MCF-7 cells in the absence of added estradiol 17β (doubling time=55±11 h). When a calf-serum-supplemented culture failed to display a complete growth response to estradiol-17β, it was due to the rapid growth of the cells in the control (minus estradiol-17β) flasks. Sera that promoted shorter doubling times for MCF-7 cells cultured in the absence of estradiol-17β were rendered less supportive of growth if treated with dextran-coated charcoal or when cultures were supplemented with the estrogen antagonist ICI 164,384 (10−7 M). Pooled extracts of these sera were shown to contain stimulatory levels of estradiol-17β. Dextrancoated charcoal treatment of sera removed or deactivated factors (other than estradiol-17β) which were not only required for the growth of MCF-7 cells, but were necessary for estrogen-stimulated growth. Varying the serum-containing medium, buffer, and nutrient mix or the addition of insulin has no effect on the growth response of these cells to estradiol-17β. These investigations document the culture conditions required to produce a maximal and consistent proliferative effect of E2 on MCF-7 cells without exposing the serum constituent to damaging chemical or absorbent agents.
The polish helmet mounted display systems for military helicopters

The paper has been intended to present selected results of the studies on the helmet mounted display systems developed in the Air Force od Technology (AFIT) for polish military helicopters. In the first part of the paper there is presented the SWPL-1 CYKLOP helmet mounted display system (built in the AFIT's Departament for Avionics for Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters). The second part is intended to present totechnology demostration of helemet mounted sight system NCS ORION dedicated for polish military helicopters.
Analysis of RNA expression of normal and cancer tissues reveals high correlation of COP9 gene expression with respiratory chain complex components

The COP9 signalosome, composed of eight subunits, is implicated in cancer genetics with its deneddylase activity to modulate cellular concentration of oncogenic proteins such as IkB and TGFβ. However, its function in the normal cell physiology remains elusive. Primarily focusing on gene expression data of the normal tissues of the head and neck, the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database was used to identify groups of genes that were expressed synergistically with the COP9 genes, particularly with the COPS5 (CSN5), which possesses the catalytic activity of COP9. Expressions of seven of the COP9 genes (COPS2, COPS3, COPS4, COPS5, COPS6, COPS7A, and COPS8) were found to be highly synergistic in the normal tissues. In contrast, the tumor tissues decreased the coordinated expression pattern of COP9 genes. Pathway analysis revealed a high coordination of the expression of the COPS5 and the other COP9 genes with mitochondria-related functional pathways, including genes encoding the respiratory chain complex. The results indicate that mRNA expression data for the matched normal tissues available in TCGA are statistically reliable, and are highly useful to assess novel associations of genes with functional pathways in normal physiology as well as in the cancer tissues. This study revealed the significant correlation between the expressions of the COP9 genes and those related to the mitochondrial activity.
Association of inactivation of STK11/ LKB1 with a suppressive immune microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC).

11002 Background: Little is currently known about how the oncogenotype of LUAC shapes its immune micro-environment. We recently identified that major subsets of KRAS-mutant LUAC defined on the basi...
Role of MicroRNA in Osteoarthritis

Although the potential effect of aberrant expression of catabolic and anabolic genes on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) is well-documented, the regulatory mechanism for the expression of these genes in articular chondrocytes remains to be elucidated. The recent advances in epigenetic studies have identified microRNA (miRNA) as one of the epigenetic mechanisms for the regulation of gene expression. This mini review highlights the role of miRNA in the regulation of gene expression in articular chondrocytes and its significance in the pathogenesis of OA, with a discussion on the potential of miRNA as a new biomarker and therapeutic target for OA. Further investigations are required to determine the specificity, sensitivity, and efficacy of miRNA for clinical applications
Impact of dispersant on early life stages of the water flea Daphnia magna and the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica.

In response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, over 1 million gallons of dispersant were applied in Gulf of Mexico offshore waters; Corexit 9500 was the most applied dispersant. The impact on organisms in nearshore and freshwaters has received little scrutiny. Acute 48 h toxicity of Corexit 9500 and a new hyperbranched polyethylenimine (HPEI) dispersant-like compound were evaluated for the freshwater indicator organism, Daphnia magna and for larval and early spat stages of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica. For D. magna, Corexit 9500 demonstrated toxicity (EC50 of 0.14 [0.13, 0.15] ppm) similar to the 10-kDa HPEI (EC50 of 0.16 [0.12, 0.19] ppm). HPEI toxicity increased as a function of molecular weight (1.2 to 750 kDa). The 10 kDa size HPEI was further investigated because it dispersed crude oil with equal effectiveness as Corexit. For Corexit, 100% oyster mortality was detected for the ≤0.2-mm size classes and mortality >50% for the 0.3- and 0.7-mm size classes at the two greatest concentrations (25 and 50 ppm). HPEI (10 kDa) exhibited low mortality rates (<30%) for all concentrations for all oyster size classes except the 0.1-mm class. Although mortality rates for this size class were up to 60%, mortality was still less than the mortality caused by Corexit 9500. The low toxicity of HPEI polymers for C. virginica in comparison with Corexit 9500 suggests that HPEI polymers warrant further study.
Heavy-Atom Tunneling Calculations in Thirteen Organic Reactions: Tunneling Contributions are Substantial, and Bell's Formula Closely Approximates Multidimensional Tunneling at ≥250 K.

Abstract: Multidimensional tunneling calculations are carried out for 13 reactions, to test the scope of heavy-atom tunneling in organic chemistry, and to check the accuracy of one-dimensional tunneling models. The reactions include pericyclic, cycloaromatization, radical cyclization and ring opening, and SN2. When compared at the temperatures that give the same effective rate constant of 3 x 10-5 s-1, tunneling accounts for 25 - 95% of the rate in 8 of the 13 reactions. Values of transmission coefficients predicted by Bell's formula, κBell, agree well with multidimensional tunneling (canonical variational transition state theory with small curvature tunneling), κSCT. Mean unsigned deviations of κBell vs κSCT are 0.08, 0.04, 0.02 at 250, 300 and 400 K. This suggests that κBell is a useful first choice for predicting transmission coefficients in heavy-atom tunnelling.
Efficient Indexing and Querying of Geo-tagged Aerial Videos

Driven by the advances in control engineering, material science and sensor technologies, drones are becoming significantly prevalent in daily life (e.g., event coverage, tourism). Consequently, an unprecedented number of drone videos (or aerial videos) are recorded and consumed. In such a large repository, it is difficult to index and search aerial videos in an unstructured form. However, due to the rich sensor instrumentations of drones, aerial videos can be geotagged (e.g., GPS locations, drone rotation angles) at the acquisition time, providing an opportunity for efficient management of aerial videos by exploiting their corresponding spatial structures. Each aerial video frame can thus be represented as its spatial coverage, termed aerial Field-Of-View (aerial-FOV). This effectively converts a challenging aerial video management problem into a spatial database problem on aerial-FOVs. In this paper, we focus on efficient indexing and querying of aerial-FOVs. Unfortunately, aerial-FOVs are shaped in irregular quadrilaterals, and this renders existing spatial indexes inefficient to index aerial-FOVs. Therefore, we propose a new index structure called TetraR-tree that effectively captures the geometric property of aerial-FOVs. Based on the TetraR-tree, we develop two novel search strategies to efficiently process point and range queries on aerial-FOVs. Our experiments using both real-world and large synthetic video datasets (over 30 years' worth of videos) demonstrate the scalability and efficiency of our proposed indexing and querying algorithms.