cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A test of watershed classification systems for ecological risk assessment

To facilitate extrapolation among watersheds, ecological risk assessments should be based on a model of underlying factors influencing watershed response, particularly vulnerability. We propose a conceptual model of landscape vulnerability to serve as a basis for watershed classification systems to predict resistance and resilience of aquatic ecosystems to hydrology-related stressors. Watershed area, storage capacity, channel slope, and soil permeability determine sensitivity of lotic systems to stressors associated with land-use activities that impact hydrologic regimes. Natural hydrologic disturbance regimes also influence the resilience of aquatic systems by selecting for life history strategies associated with rapid recolonization following disturbance. Variability in some of these physiographic driving factors can be partitioned by landscape classification schemes such as the U.S. Forest Service Ecological Unit Classification System, while others (watershed storage) may explain remaining variability within landscape units. We are conducting a comparative watershed study to examine simple and interactive effects of physiographic units, watershed storage (lakes + wetlands), and land-clearing activities in watersheds surrounding the western arm of Lake Superior. Initial results for second-order watersheds indicate significant watershed class effects on baseflow water quality, percent motile biraphid diatom species in periphyton communities, habitat quality, and fish community integrity. Future studies have been designed to examine cumulative effects downstream.
Decreased serum inhibin levels in normal elderly men: evidence for a decline in Sertoli cell function with aging

Compared to young men, normal elderly men have decreased sperm production despite elevated serum gonadotropin levels. To determine whether the seminiferous tubule defect in elderly men includes decreased Sertoli cell function, we measured serum immunoreactive inhibin concentrations in young and elderly men before and after clomiphene citrate (CC) administration. Thirty-eight healthy men, 19 young (aged 22-35 yr) and 19 elderly (aged 65-85 yr), were studied before CC administration. The mean baseline serum inhibin level was significantly lower (P less than 0.001) in the elderly men than in the young men [416 +/- 22 (+/- SE) vs. 588 +/- 30 U/L], while serum immunoreactive FSH and LH levels were higher in the older men, and bioactive FSH levels were similar in the two age groups. Eleven young men and 13 elderly men were studied after 1 week of CC administration. The mean serum inhibin level increased by 71%, from 566 +/- 36 to 970 +/- 82 U/L, in the young men, but it increased by only 24%, from 421 +/- 26 to 520 +/- 38 U/L, in the elderly men. Serum immunoreactive LH and bioactive and immunoreactive FSH concentrations increased to similar levels in both groups after CC administration. We conclude that the seminiferous tubule defect of elderly men includes decreased Sertoli cell function.
Multiparametric iterative self-organizing MR imaging data analysis technique for assessment of tissue viability in acute cerebral ischemia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Defining viability and the potential for recovery of ischemic brain tissue can be very valuable for patient selection for acute stroke therapies. Multiparametric MR imaging analysis of ischemic lesions indicates that the ischemic lesion is inhomogeneous in degree of ischemic injury and recovery potential. We sought to define MR imaging characteristics of ischemic lesions that are compatible with viable tissue. METHODS: We included patients with supratentorial ischemic stroke who underwent multiparametric MR imaging studies (axial multi-spin-echo T2-weighted imaging, T1-weighted imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging) at the acute ( RESULTS: We included 48 patients (female-male ratio, 26:22; age, 64 [±14] years; 15 treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [rt-PA] within 3 hours of onset; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, 7 [range, 2–26]). Median symptom onset-to-MR imaging time interval was 9.5 hours. With ISODATA processing, we generated 200 region-of-interest tissue records (one to nine tissue records per patient). Regarding tissue recovery, we detected a three-way interaction among ADC, ISODATA tissue signature, and previous treatment with rt-PA (P = .003). In the group not treated with rt-PA, ischemic tissues with acute rADC greater than the median (0.79) and tissue signature ≤4 were more likely to recover (80% vs. 31% and 13%, odds ratio [95% CI]: 0.12 [0.05, 0.30] and 0.04 [0.01, 0.18] for tissue signatures 5 and 6, respectively). CONCLUSION: ISODATA multiparametric MR imaging of acute stroke clearly shows inhomogeneity and different viability of the ischemic lesion. Ischemic tissues with lower acute phase ISODATA tissue signature values (≤4) and higher rADC values (≥0.79) are much more likely to recover than those with higher signature values or lower rADC values. The effect of these factors on tissue recovery, however, is dependent on whether preceding treatment with rt-PA had been performed. Our approach can be a valuable tool in the design of therapeutic stroke trials with an extended time window.
Fading memory and necessity of the small gain theorem

The authors consider fading memory for nonlinear time-varying systems and associated problems of robust stability. They establish notation, state some preliminary results, and consider the fading memory property. Uniform and pointwise fading memory are defined. The focus is on the differences between pointwise and uniform fading memory, and conditions are provided for an operator to have pointwise fading memory. Previous results showing that the small-gain theorem is necessary for robust stability of fading memory nonlinear systems are generalized. These results are applied to a robust stabilization problem. Conditions are presented under which a closed-loop system exhibits fading memory. >
INITIAL-VALUE PROBLEM FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISTURBANCES IN A HYPERSONIC BOUNDARY LAYER

An initial-value problem is formulated for a threedimensional wave packet in a hypersonic boundary layer flow. The problem is solved using a Laplace transform with respect to time and Fourier transforms with respect to the streamwise and spanwise coordinates. The solution can be presented as a sum of modes consisting of continuous and discrete spectra of temporal stability theory. Two discrete modes, known as Mode S and Mode F, are of interest since they may be involved in a laminar -turbulent transition scenario. The continuous and discrete spectrum are analyzed numerically, and the following features are revealed: (1) the synchronism of Mode S with acoustic waves at low wave number is primarily twodimensional; (2) at high angles of dis turbance propagation, Mode F is no longer synchronized with entropy and vorticity waves; (3) at high angles of di sturbance propagation, the synchronism between Mode S and Mode F no longer leads to a Mode S instability, and at even higher angles of disturbance propagation, Mode S and Mode F are not synchronized.
Molecular Risk Profiling

Given the clinical heterogeneity and increasing stage migration to lower-risk disease with PSA screening, there is a pressing need for reliable prognostic factors in prostate cancer. An increased understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of the disease has resulted in the identification of a variety of molecular markers representing many of the hallmarks of cancer. Current markers which hold promise include cell cycle control molecules, pro-growth signals, and markers for invasion and metastasis. Evolving technologies such as circulating tumor cells also hold great promise. This chapter summarizes markers from the tumor, urine, and blood which may help better characterize an individual patient’s clinical course.
Virginia Tech as a Sentinel Event: The Role of Psychiatry in Managing Emotionally Troubled Students on College and University Campuses.

This article reviews the role of psychiatry in colleges and universities, and argues that psychiatrists are significantly underutilized as consultants and educators in managing emotionally troubled students. Focusing on the 2007 Virginia Tech mass shooting case as a sentinel event, the article outlines mental health issues facing post-secondary institutions and legal issues related to psychiatric services, including the following: the increased need for psychiatric services on campus; communication challenges among campus groups involved in managing high-risk students; efforts to balance patient confidentiality with public safety; confusion over privacy laws; and the changing role of the campus psychiatrist. An important conclusion is that psychiatrists working in campus settings have distinctive, vital skill sets that enable them to go far beyond their traditional roles of psychiatric evaluation and treatment and to serve in critical leadership, educational, and consultative capacities to benefit both emotionally troubled students and the wider campus community. Language: en
Massively Parallel Databases and Mapreduce Systems

Timely and cost-effective analytics over "big data" has emerged as a key ingredient for success in many businesses, scientific and engineering disciplines, and government endeavors. Web clicks, social media, scientific experiments, and datacenter monitoring are among data sources that generate vast amounts of raw data every day. The need to convert this raw data into useful information has spawned considerable innovation in systems for large-scale data analytics, especially over the last decade. This monograph covers the design principles and core features of systems for analyzing very large datasets using massively-parallel computation and storage techniques on large clusters of nodes. We first discuss how the requirements of data analytics have evolved since the early work on parallel database systems. We then describe some of the major technological innovations that have each spawned a distinct category of systems for data analytics. Each unique system category is described along a number of dimensions including data model and query interface, storage layer, execution engine, query optimization, scheduling, resource management, and fault tolerance. We conclude with a summary of present trends in large-scale data analytics.
Fear and psychological reactance: Between-versus within-individuals perspectives

Abstract. Psychological reactance and related defensive processes have been long cited as an explanation for failure of fear appeal messages. The overwhelming majority of studies on fear and reactance have only examined the intensity of fear from a between-individuals perspective, in which individuals who have higher peak fear are predicted to experience stronger levels of psychological reactance. Recent development in the fear appeal research suggests an alternative perspective: Psychological reactance is activated when fear is aroused but not reduced within each individual; on the other hand, psychological reactance is mitigated or inhibited when fear is aroused and then reduced. Empirical data from a quasi-experimental study using graphic tobacco warning labels are used to test and compare the two approaches to studying the relationship between fear and psychological reactance. Implications for psychological reactance and fear appeal are discussed.
Extracellular Matrix Disarray as a Mechanism for Greater Abdominal Versus Thoracic Aortic Stiffness With Aging in Primates

Objective— Increased vascular stiffness is central to the pathophysiology of aging, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis. However, relatively few studies have examined vascular stiffness in both the thoracic and the abdominal aorta with aging, despite major differences in anatomy, embryological origin, and relation to aortic aneurysm. Approach and Results— The 2 other unique features of this study were (1) to study young (9±1 years) and old (26±1 years) male monkeys and (2) to study direct and continuous measurements of aortic pressure and thoracic and abdominal aortic diameters in conscious monkeys. As expected, aortic stiffness, β, was increased P Conclusions— Thus, aortic stiffness increases with aging as expected, but the most severe increases in aortic stiffness observed in the abdominal aorta is novel, where values in young monkeys equaled, or even exceeded, values of thoracic aortic stiffness in old monkeys. These results can be explained by alterations in collagen/elastin ratio, but even more importantly by collagen and elastin disarray.
Microarrays as Model Biosensor Platforms to Investigate the Structure and Affinity of Aptamers

Immobilization of nucleic acid aptamer recognition elements selected free in solution onto the surface of biosensor platforms has proven challenging. This study investigated the binding of multiple aptamer/target pairs immobilized on a commercially available microarray as a model system mimicking biosensor applications. The results indicate a minimum distance (linker length) from the surface and thymine nucleobase linker provides reproducible binding across varying conditions. An indirect labeling method, where the target was labeled with a biotin followed by a brief Cy3-streptavidin incubation, provided a higher signal-to-noise ratio and over two orders of magnitude improvement in limit of detection, compared to direct Cy3-protein labeling. We also showed that the affinities of the aptamer/target interaction can change between direct and indirect labeling and conditions to optimize for the highest fluorescence intensity will increase the sensitivity of the assay but will not change the overall affinity. Additionally, some sequences which did not initially bind demonstrated binding when conditions were optimized. These results, in combination with studies demonstrating enhanced binding in nonselection buffers, provided insights into the structure and affinity of aptamers critical for biosensor applications and allowed for generalizations in starting conditions for researchers wishing to investigate aptamers on a microarray surface.
NF-κB Activation Mediates Induction Of Anti-Inflammatory Adenosine A2A Receptors In iNKT Cells Of Sickle Cell Patients During Vaso-Occlusive Episodes and Upon Activation Of Cultured Human iNKT Cells

iNKT cells are activated in mice and people with vaso-occlusive sickle cell disease (SCD) and play a pivotal role in initiating an inflammatory cascade. In mice, iNKT cell activation requires NF-κB signaling [Stanic, AK et al. J Immunol. 172:4667, 2004]. In mice with SCD, lung inflammation is associated with induction in iNKT cells of IFN-γ and anti-inflammatory adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) mRNAs [Wallace, KL et al. Blood 116:5010, 2010]. The A2AR is one of four G protein coupled adenosine receptors (A1, A2A, A2B and A3) and it is the most abundant adenosine receptor expressed in T cells. In patients with SCD, painful vaso-occlusive crisis (pVOC) is associated with NF-κB activation and increased expression of A2AR immunoreactivity detected with the monoclonal Ab, 7F6-G5-A2, in circulating iNKT cells. Infusion of a moderate dose (6 nM) of the A2AR agonist, regadenoson during pVOC reduced iNKT cell activation over time [Field, J. et al. Blood 121:3329, 2013]. Since A2AR activation inhibits iNKT cell activation, we reasoned that iNKT cell activation during pVOC might occur preferentially in iNKT cells with low A2AR expression. However, in the current study we show that activated human Vα24+ CD4+ iNKT cells concordantly (i.e. on the same cells) expressed Ser-536 phosphorylated/activated NF-κB (p-NFκB), cytokines and A2ARs. These findings suggest that NF-κB signaling increases A2AR expression as a counter-regulatory mechanism to render activated iNKT cells highly sensitive to inhibition by A2AR activation. Spare receptor theory predicts that enhanced receptor expression will increase the functional potency of agonists. To test this hypothesis we infused into stable SCD patients at steady state a low dose of regadenoson (2 nM) well below its receptor binding KD that was measured by competition for radioligand binding to be 12 nM. Low-dose regadenoson infusion reduced the percentage of p-NF-κB-high/activated iNKT cells by an average of 69% over 12 hours ( P = 0.005). These findings suggest that A2AR induction is a counter-regulatory mechanism that limits iNKT cell activation by increasing the sensitivity of activated iNKT cells to inhibition by adenosine. In order to further test the hypothesis that NF-κB activation stimulates A2AR transcription, we examined cultured human iNKT cells. Blockade of NF-κB with Bay 11-7082 or IKK inhibitor VII prevented rapid induction of cytokine and A2AR mRNA and protein upon iNKT activation by plate-bound anti-CD3 antibodies. In conclusion, NF-κB-mediated induction of A2ARs in iNKT cells serves as a counter-regulatory mechanism to limit the extent and duration of inflammatory immune responses. We conclude that A2AR agonists have therapeutic potential for treating inflammatory diseases associated with iNKT cell activation, including SCD. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Ragadenoson is used to inhibit activation of iNKT cells.
Mutual Fund Governance and Tax Efficiency

In this article, the authors investigate the relationship between mutual fund governance and tax efficiency. They use an overall fund governance grade and components of that governance grade—board quality, managerial incentives, corporate culture, fees, and regulatory compliance—to evaluate the effect of governance on a fund’s tax efficiency. They measure tax efficiency as the percentage of the fund’s return that is lost to taxes. They find that a fund’s overall stewardship grade positively affects its tax efficiency. Of the five determinants of the overall stewardship grade, they find that corporate culture, managerial incentives, and regulatory compliance play significant roles in influencing a mutual fund’s tax efficiency.
Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy for Identifying Lung Nodules for Thoracoscopic Resection.

Background Pulmonary nodules smaller than 1 cm can be difficult to identify during minimally invasive resection, necessitating conversion to thoracotomy. We hypothesized that localizing nodules with electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy and marking them with methylene blue would allow minimally invasive resection and reduce conversion to thoracotomy. Methods We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy followed by minimally invasive resection of a pulmonary nodule from 2011 to 2014. Lung nodules smaller than 10 mm and nodules smaller than 20 mm that were also located more than 10 mm from the pleural surface were localized and marked with methylene blue. Immediately after marking, all patients underwent resection. Results Seventy patients underwent electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy marking followed by minimally invasive resection. The majority of patients (68/70, 97%) had one nodule localized; 2 patients (2/70, 3%) had two nodules localized. The median nodule size was 8 mm (range, 4–17 mm; interquartile range, 5 mm). The median distance from the pleural surface was 6 mm (range, 1–19 mm; interquartile range, 6 mm). There were no conversions to thoracotomy. Nodule marking was successful in 70 of 72 attempts (97.2%); two nodules were identified by palpation. The nodules were most commonly metastases from other sites (31/70, 44.3%). There were no adverse events related to electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy—guided marking or wedge resection, and minimal adverse events after resections that were more extensive. Conclusions Localizing and marking small pulmonary nodules using electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy is safe and effective for nodule identification before minimally invasive resection.
Structural building panels with expanded polystyrene cores

Wall and roof panels having faces of conventional building materials such as plywood, hardboard, cement-asbestos aluminium, and cores of expanded polystyrene and have been tested under a 5-year programme of investigation. Although the bulk of the work was concerned with the structural properties of panels, comparative fire tests were also conducted.
Visual Communication as an Information Activity.

AbstractVisual literacy discussions and guidelines in LIS practice tend to be principle-driven concepts but are limited to an LIS discourse. In a casual tone, this paper reviews other expressions of what it means to be “informed” through visual means by using examples from literature, philosophy, and how end-users may think about visual resources.
An Investigation of Trust in a Cyber Security Tool

Trust has been identified as an important variable in the effective use of automated tools, including cyber security tools. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate factors affectin...
Coherent diffraction imaging of buried nanostructures in a reflection geometry with extreme ultraviolet light

We use reflection-mode ptychography CDI with HHG illumination to image copper nanostructures buried beneath 100nm of aluminum. Our technique yields absolute reflectivity images, allowing non-destructive detection of diffusion at the Al-Cu boundary, confirmed by Auger-Electron-Spectroscopy.
Abstract 564: Reduction of Blood Pressure with Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides Against Chemerin

Chemerin promotes dendritic cells and macrophage migration to sites of inflammation. The liver and adipose tissues are sources of chemerin. There is a direct relationship of BMI, plasma chemerin concentration and blood pressure. Chemerin causes arterial contraction that is amplified in tissues with endothelial dysfunction. We hypothesized that if chemerin supported hypertension through such mechanisms, removal of chemerin should decrease blood pressure. Ten antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASOs) were developed against the retinoic acid receptor responder protein 2 (RARRES2, chemerin gene). ASO642647 was chosen as a lead based on excellent tolerance and minimal changes in a standard clinical panel. The model chosen was the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt hypertensive rat as this model shows profound endothelial dysfunction. Rats were uninephrectomized, given DOCA (s.c., 150 mg/kg) and placed on 1.0% NaCl + 0.2 % KCl. One week later, radiotelemeters were implanted for measurement of systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. ASOs (control nonsense or chemerin) were injected ip weekly over 3.5 weeks (25 mg/kg week 1 and 2; 12.5 mg/kg week 3 and 4) when DOCA-salt hypertension was stable (week 3.5). A group of DOCA-salt rats also received injections of PBS (ASO vehicle). Two days after the 4th injection, tissues were dissected for measurement of chemerin mRNA and blood taken for measures of catecholamines. ASO Chemerin reduced mean arterial blood pressure vs ASO control and PBS group within the first week, and remained reduced by ~17+/- 2 mm Hg at the time of sacrifice. Target organ mass (liver, heart and kidneys) was not different between ASO control and ASO chemerin group. HPLC revealed that circulating norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) were reduced 50% in the ASO chemerin vs control or PBS group. Real time RT-PCR validated knockdown of chemerin in ASO chemerin treated animals, with reductions as follows (vs ASO control, +/-3%): Liver (94%), epididymal fat (90%), retroperitoneal fat (90% ) and mesenteric perivascular adipose tissue (85%). These experiments provide powerful support for chemerin playing a role in blood pressure elevation.
On the Cyclicality of Real Wages and Employment: New Evidence and Stylized Facts from Performance Pay and Fixed Wage Jobs

Using the National Compensation Survey between 2004-2017, we document three stylized facts and quantify cyclical heterogeneity among performance pay and fixed wage jobs. First, there is substantial dispersion in the incidence of performance pay, even within the same occupation; hourly compensation growth in performance pay job has been nearly three-times as large as that in fixed wage jobs; the share of performance pay is increasing in employer size. Second, we find that performance pay jobs respond primarily by adjusting the intensive margin of hourly compensation over the business cycle, whereas fixed wage jobs respond by adjusting the extensive margin of employment. Our estimates are identified off of comparisons of similar jobs within the same establishment over time. We provide suggestive evidence that performance pay allows firms to adjust more easily to uncertainty over the business cycle.
Is the Three-Dimensional Strut Plate an Adequate Fixation Technique for Mandibular Symphysis Fractures?

Purpose We present a series of cases of mandibular symphysis fractures treated at our institution with a 3-dimensional strut plate. The aim of the present study was to confirm the stability of this fixation technique and discuss its advantages, disadvantages, and potential complications. Patients and Methods We designed and implemented a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent surgery by the same surgeon at our institution from July 2012 to April 2014 for a mandible fracture with a symphysis component. The patients were evaluated to identify aspects of occlusion, fracture mobility, postoperative infection, and the need for hardware removal. Results The sample included 12 subjects who had met the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were a linear noncomminuted fracture, sufficient distance from the mental foramina, a maximum of 5 days between the trauma and surgery, and a minimum postoperative period of 3 months. The mean age of the sample was 33.4 years, and 1 of the 12 patients (8.3%) was female. Of the 12 patients, 10 did well, and 2 developed a surgical site infection, 1 of whom also experienced nonunion and required additional fixation. Conclusions The results of the present study suggest a 3-dimensional strut plate applied to symphysis fractures provides adequate fracture stabilization with a risk of complications comparable to that of more traditional fixation methods. In addition, the technique has the added advantage of minimal manipulation and adaptation, which could shorten the overall operating time.
Millennial-scale iron fertilization of the eastern equatorial Pacific over the past 100,000 years

Productivity in the eastern equatorial Pacific is limited by the availability of iron. Geochemical analyses of a 100,000-year-long sediment core suggest that pulses of dust deposition during Heinrich stadials fuelled primary productivity.
Long-term Outcomes after Salvage Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) following In-Field Failure of Initial SRS for Brain Metastases.

Purpose: The optimal treatment strategy following local recurrence after SRS remains unclear. While upfront SRS has been extensively studied, few reports focus on outcomes after retreatment. Here we report the results following a second course of SRS for local recurrence of brain metastases previously treated with SRS. Methods: Using institutional database, patients who received salvage SRS (SRS2) following in-field failure of initial SRS (SRS1) for brain metastases were identified. Radionecrosis and local failure were defined radiographically by MRI following SRS2. The primary endpoint was defined as the time from SRS2 to the date of all-cause death or last follow-up (overall survival, OS). The secondary endpoints included local failure free survival (LFFS) and radionecrosis free survival (RFS), defined as the time from SRS2 to the date of local failure or radionecrosis, or last follow-up, respectively. Results: Twenty-eight patients with 32 brain metastases were evaluated between years 2004-2015. The median interval between SRS1 and SRS2 was 9.7 months. Median OS was 22.0 months. Median LFFS time after SRS2 was 13.6 months. The overall local control rate following SRS2 was 84.4%. The 1 year and 2 year local control rates are 88.3% (95% CI, 76.7 – 100%) and 80.3% (95% CI, 63.5 – 100%) respectively. The overall rate of radionecrosis following SRS2 was 18.8%. On univariate analysis, higher prescribed isodose line (p = 0.033) and higher GTV volume (p = 0.015) at SRS1 were associated with radionecrosis. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend towards lower risk of radionecrosis with interval surgical resection, fractionated SRS, lower total EQD2 (< 50 Gy) and lack of concurrent systemic therapy at SRS2. Conclusion: In select patients, repeat LINAC based SRS following recurrence remains a reasonable option leading to long term survival and local control. Radionecrosis approaches 20% for high risk individuals and parallels historic values.
Seismic input motion identification in a heterogeneous halfspace

AbstractThis paper presents a new time domain method for reconstructing unknown incident seismic input waves entering into a truncated heterogeneous soil domain from a soil surface response. The pr...
Identification of rice landraces with promising yield and the associated genomic regions under low nitrogen

With the priority of the low input sustainable rice cultivation for environment friendly agriculture, NUE of rice becomes the need of the hour. A set of 472 rice genotypes comprising landraces and breeding lines were evaluated for two seasons under field conditions with low and recommended nitrogen and >100 landraces were identified with relative higher yield under low nitrogen. Donors were identified for higher N uptake, N translocation into grains and grain yield under low N. Grains on secondary branches, N content in grain and yield appears to be the selection criterion under low N. Through association mapping, using minimum marker set of 50 rice SSR markers, 12 genomic regions were identified for yield and yield associated traits under low nitrogen. Four associated genomic regions on chromosomes 5, 7 and 10 were fine mapped and QTL for yield under low N were identified from the marker delimited regions. Three candidate genes viz., 2-oxoglutarate /malate translocator (Os05g0208000), alanine aminotransferase (Os07g0617800) and pyridoxal phosphate-dependent transferase (Os10g0189600) from QTL regions showed enhanced expression in the genotypes with promising yield under low N. Marker assisted selection using SSR markers associated with three candidate genes identified two stable breeding lines confirmed through multi-location evaluation.
Search engines for scholarly research: a brief update for clinicians.

O longer imprisoned in libraries, medical information can now be readily obtained online, with Web-based journal articles, professional updates, practice guidelines, evidence-based care guides, and much more. However, this vast selection of resources may present a challenge for some clinicians, who may be overwhelmed by the available options. Complicating this has been an increasing popularity of new forms of publishing. 1–4 While traditional vehicles for the dissemination of scholarly information like books and paper journals remain popular, academics are also contributing articles to electronic journals, as well as self-publishing articles on the Web and publishing multimedia material like instructional videos in CD-ROM and DVD format. The availability of academic material in such a wide variety of formats, however, has led to new challenges, especially for busy clinicians trying to keep abreast of how the latest software developments may influence their scholarly and continuing medical education needs. In this context it is useful to consider how search engines function, and how academic search engines and other software tools compare with general search engines when searching the medical literature. Search engines
Receptor mechanisms of rapid extranuclear signalling initiated by steroid hormones

In addition to their role as direct regulators of gene transcription mediated by classical nuclear hormone receptors, steroid hormones have also been described to exert rapid effects on intracellular signalling pathways independent of gene transcription. This chapter focuses on recent advances in our understanding of the receptors and mechanisms that mediate these rapid signalling actions of oestrogens and progesterone. Increasing evidence suggests that at least some of these rapid actions are mediated by a subpopulation of the classical nuclear oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) that localize to the cytoplasm or associate with the plasma membrane. Human PR has been shown to mediate rapid progestin activation of the Src/Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathway in mammalian cells by a direct interaction with the Src homology 3 domain of Src tyrosine kinases through a Pro-Xaa-Xaa-Pro-Xaa-Arg motif located in the N-terminal domain of the receptor. Moreover, this is an extranuclear action of PR that is separable from its direct transcriptional activity. Additionally, a novel membrane protein unrelated to nuclear PR was recently identified that has properties of a G-protein-coupled receptor for progesterone and has been shown to be involved in mediating the extranuclear signalling actions of progesterone that promotes oocyte maturation in fish. The role of this membrane PR (mPR) in mammalian cells is less clear and the relationship of the membrane and classical nuclear PR in mediating rapid non-transcriptional signalling of progestins has not been explored. To date, a novel membrane ER unrelated to classical nuclear receptors has not been cloned and characterized, and many of the known rapid extranuclear signalling actions of oestrogen appear also to be mediated by a subpopulation of nuclear ER, or a closely related receptor. A novel protein termed modulator of non-genomic activity of ER (MNAR) has been identified that acts as an adaptor between ER and Src, and thus provides a mechanisms for coupling of oestrogen and ER with rapid oestrogen-induced activation of Src and the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling cascade. The physiological relevance of rapid extranuclear signalling by the classical ER has been provided by experiments showing that these actions contribute to the anti-apoptotic effect of oestrogen in bone in vivo and to the rapid effects of oestrogen on vasodilation and protection of endothelial cells against injury.
Un tal Ernestico/a certain Ernestico: On the structure of proper names

Proper names are usually assumed to be definite. In this paper we question this assumption by analyzing the Spanish construction un tal ‘X’ ‘a certain ‘X’’. We show that ‘un tal ‘X’’ has two meanings, one evidential and one evaluative, and with the evidential meaning the determiner must be indefinite. In those conditions, ‘X’ is always a proper name. We argue that proper names usually involve a presuppositional, familiar referent, expressed through the definite determiner. However, evidentiality conflicts with familiarity, hence the definite is no longer possible. Finally, we argue that proper names are licensed by features from a hierarchy that applies either to the referential base, yielding person licensing, or to an evidential base, producing sequences such as un tal ‘X’.
Computer Games in Art History. Traditional architecture and painting presented in virtual reality

Aim. The aim of the research is to show the applications of art reception in computer games. Moreover it is important to show the game as a visual object worth to analysis for art historian, because of complex structure and relations with traditional artistic media like architecture and painting. Many disciplines, like ludology, narratology and culture study research computer games, but we can see a large lack in the state of research in visual aspects of games, which should be supplemented. Methods. The subject of study are five games belonging to different game genres. The first, Assasin’s Creed II is set in a historical context, the next Witcher III and Dark Souls embedded in the realities of fantasy and finally, two games in an independent games category. The basic method is iconographic identification of the object and comparative difference and similarity between original source of inspiration and transposition of this in computer media. Therefore basic tools gained from history of art are used, which are necessary for visual analysis of a piece of art. Also important is notion of a commonplace forming a frame for images from different media. Results. Indicated examples show that classic art has a strong influence on numerous computer games. The citations and allusions from art brings an additional narration completing the story in the game. Objects of architecture or paintings also give symbolic meanings, influencing the interpretation of the whole game. Game developers oscillate between education in the history of art and the use of these references to create your own world. Conclusion. The examples presented in the article are only part of the rich area of art inspirations that can be found in many games. This should become a contribution to further research, not only taking into account the indicated types of references, but also the visuality of the games themselves The visual complexity of the games would require separate, more extensive research that would bring a lot into the perception of games and researching them
Rehabilitation Relevant to Culture and Disability

Culture and values are all too often ignored in the delivery of human services—a result that is frequently disastrous for American Indian recipients. This article examines some of the cultural aspe...
HAGE, a novel antigen for potential immunotherapy treatment against Head and Neck cancer.

LB-128 Since van der Bruggen et al. (1991) first identified specific human tumor antigens of the MAGE family, numerous potential immunotherapeutic targets have been discovered, often belonging to the so-called cancer-testis (CT) gene family. Although CT genes are usually normally expressed in some normal tissues including testis and placenta, these tissues lack MHC expression and cannot present self-antigens to T lymphocytes to elicit an immune response or induce tolerance. However, because these genes are highly expressed in several human cancers, they can become targets for host immunity and immunotherapy, providing tolerance can be overcome. In a search for novel epitopes from potential tumor target antigens, a CT antigen called HAGE, first identified in a human sarcoma has been studied. Its expression in Head and Neck cancer and normal tissues has not previously been evaluated at the mRNA and protein level. Therefore, real time RT-PCR analysis of HAGE was carried out in a variety of normal tissues including total white blood cells from healthy donors and healthy Head and Neck tissue as well as Head and Neck cancer tissues. Results showed that HAGE mRNA expression was absent in normal tissues but was present in 40% (4/10) of Head and Neck cancers tested. Sections from Head and Neck cancer tissues were then taken and stained using a custom made anti-HAGE antibody. Results showed that the putative HAGE protein was indeed produced in 75% (3/4) of mRNA positive tissues and 50% (4/8) of Head Neck cancer tissues for which HAGE mRNA expression was not assessed. The protein was found to be localized mainly in the cytoplasm. Ongoing study include the detection of HLA-A2+ CD8+ T cells specific for the HAGE(126) peptide previously identified in our laboratory as endogenously processed, as well as the detection of antibodies against HAGE or HAGE protein itself in the serum of these patients. The results of these experiments will be discussed at the meeting. In this study and for the first time HAGE protein was detected and shown to correlate with that of mRNA levels for Head and Neck cancers but was not detected in any healthy tissues tested included healthy Head and Neck tissue. We therefore propose that HAGE is a strong candidate for cancer immunotherapy due to its tumor-restricted expression and its strong immunogenic potential. This work was funded by the John and Lucille van Geest Foundation.
The relative size of auditory scenes of multiple talkers.

Normal hearing listeners discriminated a change in the number of talkers speaking consonant-vowel pairs between two auditory scenes. The number of talkers (n = 2, 4, 6, or 8) in one scene was incremented by Δn talkers (Δn = 1–8 talkers, depending on n) in the other scene. The perceptual size of the auditory scene seems to be small, as discrimination performance reached an approximate 0.75 proportion correct asymptote for n > 4. The independent variable of overall level differences affected performance, but both spatial configuration and talker similarity had very little effect.Normal hearing listeners discriminated a change in the number of talkers speaking consonant-vowel pairs between two auditory scenes. The number of talkers (n = 2, 4, 6, or 8) in one scene was incremented by Δn talkers (Δn = 1–8 talkers, depending on n) in the other scene. The perceptual size of the auditory scene seems to be small, as discrimination performance reached an approximate 0.75 proportion correct asymptote for n > 4. The independent variable of overall level differences affected performance, but both spatial configuration and talker similarity had very little effect.
Early Imaging-Based Predictive Modeling of Cognitive Performance Following Therapy for Childhood ALL

In the United States, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), the most common child and adolescent malignancy, accounts for roughly 25% of childhood cancers diagnosed annually with a 5-year survival rate as high as 94%. This improved survival rate comes with an increased risk for delayed neurocognitive effects in attention, working memory, and processing speed. Predictive modeling and characterization of neurocognitive effects are critical to inform the family and also to identify patients for interventions targeting. Current state-of-the-art methods mainly use hypothesis-driven statistical testing methods to characterize and model such cognitive events. While these techniques have proven to be useful in understanding cognitive abilities, they are inadequate in explaining causal relationships, as well as individuality and variations. In this study, we developed multivariate data-driven models to measure the late neurocognitive effects of ALL patients using behavioral phenotypes, Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DTI) based tractography data, morphometry statistics, tractography measures, behavioral, and demographic variables. Alongside conventional machine learning and graph mining, we adopted “Stability Selection” to select the most relevant features and choose models that are consistent over a range of parameters. The proposed approach demonstrated substantially improved accuracy (13% – 26%) over existing models and also yielded relevant features that were verified by domain experts.
A Case Study for the 10-Step Approach to Program Evaluation

Well-designed instructional programs seamlessly promote human performance. Students are often unaware of countless iterations of formative evaluation completed to improve effectiveness, efficiency, motivation, and flow of that instructional design. This paper examines one research-based, comprehensive, systematic evaluation approach as applied by students through two case studies where they evaluated instructional design at a macro level of real-world training programs. The 10-Step Evaluation for Training and Performance Improvement (Chyung 2019) was piloted in a graduate-level instructional design and technology class. Lessons learned include evaluators recognizing the importance of honing in on the questions to ask to determine the dimensions to evaluate while remaining unbiased with their assumptions. For example, results from the first case initially focused on a summative evaluation that hypothesized that the program should be discontinued. Conversely, that case actually uncovered unanticipated findings that resulted in recommendations for the program to be revamped in an effort to continue improvement of human performance.
The Risk and Return of Private Equity Using Market Prices

Drawing on a unique and comprehensive data set that includes more than 700 listed private equity companies (LPEs), we analyze the historical risk profile of these investment vehicles from 1994 until 2008. We find that a return index of LPEs has similar risk properties compared to a return index of listed private equity fund of funds. Both of these indices indicate that the private equity (PE) asset class suffers from substantial exposure to stock market risk as well as other measures of macroeconomic activity. In contrast with previous studies, our analysis uses the market price as an objective measure of per share value, and therefore, it does not need to rely on the self-reported internal rate of return or net asset value imputed for assets that are inherently difficult to appraise to calculate the return for the private equity companies. In a cross-sectional analysis we also investigate the influence of organizational structure, size, experience, listing exchange, financing stage, geographic positioning, and industry focus on the fund discount (NAV/Price).
Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Stromal Cells and Their Applications in Regenerative Medicine

Coronary heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Recent advances in stem cell biology have led to the development and engineering of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiac cells and tissues for application in cellular therapy and cardiotoxicity studies. Initial studies in this area have largely focused on improving differentiation efficiency and maturation states of cardiomyocytes. However, other cell types in the heart, including endothelial and stromal cells, play crucial roles in cardiac development, injury response, and cardiomyocyte function. This review discusses recent advances in differentiation of hPSCs to cardiac stromal cells, identification and classification of cardiac stromal cell types, and application of hPSC-derived cardiac stromal cells and tissues containing these cells in regenerative and drug development applications.
Outpatient visit due to influenza like illness in sentinel hospitals in Xicheng district of Beijing, 2009-2012

Objective To understand the incidence of influenza like illness (ILI) and estimate the disease burden caused by ILI in Xi-cheng district of Beijing.Methods The data of the early warning system for infectious disease in medical institutions and the National Influenza Surveillance Network were used for the study.The surveillance data of ILI from 2009 to 2012 in two sentinel hospitals in Xicheng district were collected.Excel 2007 and SPSS 13.0 were used to analyzed the statistical data.Results A total of 72 414 ILI cases were reported by two sentinel hospitals from June 2009 to May 2012,the average proportion of ILI cases in outpatients was 1.85％.During the period of 2009-2010 influenza season,average proportion of ILI in outpatients was 2.38％,the RT-PCR positive rate of influenza virus nucleic acid detection was 39.70％,the estimated influenza infection rate was 38.63％ and the influenza cases accounted for 9.19‰ of the outpatient visit in sentinel hospitals.During 2010-2011 influenza season,the average proportion of ILl in outpatients was 2.02％,the RT-PCR positive rate of influenza virus nucleic acid detection was 18.68％,the estimated influenza infection rate was 15.33％ and the influenza cases accounted for 3.10‰ of the outpatient visit in two sentinel hospitals.During 2011-2010 influenza season,the average proportion of ILI in outpatients was 1.28％,the RT-PCR positive rate of influenza virus nucleic acid detection was 18.23％,the estimated influenza infection rate was 15.66％ and the influenza cases accounted for 2.00‰ of the outpatient visit in two sentinel hospitals.ILI visits focused on child outpatients and fever clinics under the age of 15 years old.The peak of RT-PCR positive detection curve and the peak of outpatient visit due to ILI were consistent during three influenza seasons,which mainly occurred in winter and spring.Conclusions Outpatient visit due to ILI mainly occurred during winter-spring in Xicheng district.It is important to arrange the monitoring departments reasonably and carry out ILI pathogen spectrum surveillance to reduce disease burden caused by ILI. Key words: Influenza-like illness ; Surveillance; Disease burden