cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised pedestrian detection using support vector data description

In this paper, an unsupervised pedestrian detection algorithm is proposed. An input image is first divided into overlapping detection windows in a sliding fashion and Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features are collected over each window using non-overlapping cells. A distance metric is used to determine the distance between histograms of corresponding cells in each detection window and the average pedestrian HOG template (determined a priori). These distances over a group of cells are concatenated to obtain the feature vector pertaining to a block of cells. The feature vectors over overlapping blocks of cells are concatenated to form the distance feature vector of a detection window. Each window provides a data sample and the data samples extracted from the whole image are then modeled as a normalcy class using Support Vector Data Description (SVDD). The benefit of using the state-of-the-art SVDD technique to model the normalcy class is that it can be controlled by setting an upper limit on the permissible outliers during the modeling process. Assuming that most of the image is covered by background, the outliers that are detected during the modeling of the normalcy class can be hypothesized as detection windows that contain pedestrians in them. The detections are obtained at different scales in order to account for the different sizes of pedestrians. The final pedestrian detections are generated by applying non-maximal suppression on all the detections at all scales. The system is tested on the INRIA pedestrian dataset and its performance analyzed with respect to accuracy and detection rate.
Condensins Regulate Meiotic DNA Break Distribution, thus Crossover Frequency, by Controlling Chromosome Structure

Meiotic crossover (CO) recombination facilitates evolution and accurate chromosome segregation. CO distribution is tightly regulated: homolog pairs receive at least one CO, CO spacing is nonrandom, and COs occur preferentially in short genomic intervals called hotspots. We show that CO number and distribution are controlled on a chromosome-wide basis at the level of DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation by a condensin complex composed of subunits from two known condensins: the C. elegans dosage compensation complex and mitotic condensin II. Disruption of any subunit of the CO-controlling condensin dominantly changes DSB distribution, and thereby COs, and extends meiotic chromosome axes. These phenotypes are cosuppressed by disruption of a chromosome axis element. Our data implicate higher-order chromosome structure in the regulation of CO recombination, provide a model for the rapid evolution of CO hotspots, and show that reshuffling of interchangeable molecular parts can create independent machines with similar architectures but distinct biological functions.
Vaporization of zirconium fluoride glasses

Abstract Zirconium fluoride is a volatile component of ZrF 4 -based glasses above 450 ° C. A high temperature mass spectrometer measured the relative rates of evolution of the gasses that vaporized from ZBL and ZBLAN glasses. ZrF 4 , ZrClF 2 , and ZrClF 3 vaporized under different conditions; their presence was confirmed from the isotopic ratios expected from natural zirconium and chlorine. The chlorides result from chlorine gas used during glass melting to provide a reactive atmosphere. Atomic fluorine, rather than molecular fluorine, also vaporized as expected from thermodynamic calculations for the low pressures in the mass spectrometer. Crystals of LaF 3 and AlF 3 grew around evaporation sites. The weight loss from evaporation was proportional to time for ZBLAN glass and perhaps proportional to square root time for ZBL glass.
Development and Validation of a Social Skills Assessment Measure: The Tross-C

A 52-item teacher rating scale designed to assess children's social skills efficiently was developed and validated. Factor analysis of the scale demonstrated that it appears to measure similar dime...
An immune response-dependent mechanism for the vertical transmission of an entomopathogen.

An exceptionally efficient mechanism for the vertical transmission of a parasitic gregarine is dependent on the insect host's immune response. Gametocysts ofAscogregarina chagasi on the genital accessory glands of adult female sand flies (Lutzomyia longipalpis) become encapsulated through hemocyte-mediated immune reactions. Oocysts ofA. chagasi, ejected into the lumen of the glands owing to pressure exerted by this capsule, become glued to eggshells and are subsequently ingested by larvae. InL. longipalpis with an experimentally suppressed encapsulation reaction, fewer accessory glands contained oocysts ofA. chagasi.
The great instauration: Restoring professional and technical writing to the humanities

If you wish to start an undergraduate professional and technical writing program at a small liberal arts college, you will find good arguments for your project in the educational writings of Sir Francis Bacon. Unlike other Renaissance Humanists, Bacon located the New Learning (what we now call the humanities) within the related contexts of scientific discovery and invention and professional training and development. His treatise, The Advancement of Learning, proposes to draw knowledge from and apply knowledge to the natural and social world. Bacon's curricular ideas can benefit emerging PTW programs in the humanities in three ways: They make a convincing apologia for most English departments and writing programs, wed humanistic education to public service, and provide a rich but practical theoretical framework for program development and administration.
Redistribution of synaptic efficacy supports stable pattern learning in neural networks

Markram and Tsodyks, by showing that the elevated synaptic efficacy observed with single-pulse long-term potentiation (LTP) measurements disappears with higher-frequency test pulses, have critically challenged the conventional assumption that LTP reflects a general gain increase. This observed change in frequency dependence during synaptic potentiation is called redistribution of synaptic efficacy (RSE). RSE is here seen as the local realization of a global design principle in a neural network for pattern coding. The underlying computational model posits an adaptive threshold rather than a multiplicative weight as the elementary unit of long-term memory. A distributed instar learning law allows thresholds to increase only monotonically, but adaptation has a bidirectional effect on the model postsynaptic potential. At each synapse, threshold increases implement pattern selectivity via a frequency-dependent signal component, while a complementary frequency-independent component nonspecifically strengthens the path. This synaptic balance produces changes in frequency dependence that are robustly similar to those observed by Markram and Tsodyks. The network design therefore suggests a functional purpose for RSE, which, by helping to bound total memory change, supports a distributed coding scheme that is stable with fast as well as slow learning. Multiplicative weights have served as a cornerstone for models of physiological data and neural systems for decades. Although the model discussed here does not implement detailed physiology of synaptic transmission, its new learning laws operate in a network architecture that suggests how recently discovered synaptic computations such as RSE may help produce new network capabilities such as learning that is fast, stable, and distributed.
The Ross Operation in Children and Young Adults: A Fifteen-Year, Single-Institution Experience

Background The optimal operation for aortic valve disease in children and young adults remains controversial. The Ross operation offers avoidance of anticoagulation and the potential for growth but is technically demanding and creates double-valve disease. The goal of this study is to report our experience with the Ross operation and the need for reintervention at intermediate follow-up. Methods A retrospective review of Ross operations in a single surgeon experience from 1992 to 2007 was conducted. All echocardiograms were reevaluated by a single cardiologist. Results The cohort included 54 patients with a mean age of 13.5 years (range 0.5 to 35 years). Pulmonary autograft implantation was accomplished using root replacement (n = 43), root inclusion (n = 9), and Dacron tube root replacement (n = 2). Follow-up was available for 47 patients (87%) at a mean length of 6.4 years. There were no deaths. Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from explantation at 10 years were 100% for the autograft and 71% for the homograft. Autograft insufficiency at latest follow-up was trivial in 37 patients (82%), mild in 6 patients (13%), and moderate in 2 patients (4%). Reintervention for the homograft included balloon dilation in 3 children and conduit change in 5 children (all ≤ 2 years old at initial operation). Conclusions The Ross operation can be performed in children and adults with low mortality and can provide a durable result for the aortic valve with a low incidence of aortic insufficiency. The need for homograft replacement during follow-up in our series was primarily limited to children who were age 2 years or younger at initial operation.
The α5β1 integrin selectively enhances epidermal growth factor signaling to the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt pathway in intestinal epithelial cells

Abstract We have investigated EGF-driven signaling processes in rat intestinal epithelial cell lines that overexpress either the α5β1 integrin or the α2β1 integrin. Both cell types display efficient activation of Erk/MAP kinase, but only the α5β1 expressing cells display a strong activation of Akt. A complex is formed between activated EGFR and α5β1, but not with α2β1; this complex also contains ErbB3 and p85. Thus α5β1 can support efficient activation of both the Erk and the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt branches of the EGFR signaling cascade, whereas α2β1 can support only the Erk branch.
End-of-Life Care in U.S. Nursing Homes: A Review of the Evidence

Objectives The purpose of this study was to systematically review the empiric evidence on end-of-life care in nursing homes in the United States The guiding research question for this review was what is the state of research evidence in end-of-life care in long-term care? Design We conducted a systematic review of the literature. Data The review was limited to published and indexed research in peer-reviewed journals in five major databases between 1995 and October 2002. Results The initial search yielded a total of 395 articles. The search was narrowed, focusing on nursing homes in the United States and empiric research. The result was 43 articles related to research in end-of-life care in American nursing homes. It was categorized into eight foci: prognosis, pain, hospice, hospitalization, advanced care planning, communication, family perceptions, and miscellaneous. Conclusion There is a dearth of research published in end-of-life care in the nursing home setting. What is available is primarily descriptive. The empiric research only documents poor end-of-life care in U.S. nursing homes. Empiric evidence has grown in this area, but there is now a need for research of creative and innovative solutions aimed at improving the quality of end-of-life care in this setting.
Quantifying and interpreting collective behavior in financial markets

Firms having similar business activities are correlated. We analyze two different cross-correlation matrices C constructed from ~i! 30-min price fluctuations of 1000 US stocks for the two-year period 1994 ‐95 and ~ii! one-day price fluctuations of 422 US stocks for the 35-year period 1962‐96. We find that the eigenvectors of C corresponding to the largest eigenvalues allow us to partition the set of all stocks into distinct subsets. These subsets are similar to business sectors, and are stable for extended periods of time. We find that price fluctuations of these subsets are characterized by power-law decaying time correlations, reminiscent of strongly interacting systems. The internal structure of a complex system manifests itself in correlations among its constituents. In complex physical systems, interactions between constituents cause ‘‘collective modes’’ having special statistical properties which reflect the underlying dynamics. Can we quantify collective movement of stock prices in analogous terms? To address this question, we analyze the equal-time correlation matrix C constructed from the price fluctuations of a large number of stocks. First, we find that the ‘‘collective modes’’ for the stock market problem partition the set of all stocks studied, into distinct subsets. Typically, these subsets are formed by combinations of related industries, and in some cases, they go beyond grouping by industry. Due to company diversification, the traditional partitioning of firms into subsets by products and services is difficult and sometimes arbitrary, and thus our results could be viewed as a ‘‘statistical alternative to traditional industry classification’’ @1#. Furthermore, we find that the price fluctuations of the collective modes display long-range power-law time correla
The maize low-phytic acid 3 encodes a myo-inositol kinase that plays a role in phytic acid biosynthesis in developing seeds

*Summary Phytic acid, myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis phosphate or Ins P 6, is the most abundant myo-inositol phosphate in plant cells, but its biosynthesis is poorly understood. Also uncertain is the role of myo-inositol as a precursor of phytic acid biosynthesis. We identified a low-phytic acid mutant, lpa3, in maize. The Mu-insertion mutant has a phenotype of reduced phytic acid, increased myo-inositol and lacks significant amounts of myo-inositol phosphate intermediates in seeds. The gene responsible for the mutation encodes a myo-inositol kinase (MIK). Maize MIK protein contains conserved amino acid residues found in pfkB carbohydrate kinases. The maize lpa3 gene is expressed in developing embryos, where phytic acid is actively synthesized and accumulates to a large amount. Characterization of the lpa3 mutant provides direct evidence for the role of myo-inositol and MIK in phytic acid biosynthesis in developing seeds. Recombinant maize MIK phosphorylates myo-inositol to produce multiple myo-inositol monophosphates, Ins(1/3)P, Ins(4/6)P and possibly Ins(5)P. The characteristics of the lpa3 mutant and MIK suggest that MIK is not a salvage enzyme for myo-inositol recycling and that there are multiple phosphorylation routes to phytic acid in developing seeds. Analysis of the lpa2/lpa3 double mutant implies interactions between the phosphorylation routes.
The BOS1 Gene Encodes an Essential 27-kD Putative Membrane Protein That Is Required for Vesicular Transport from the ER to the Golgi Complex in Yeast

We recently described the identification of BOS1 (Newman, A., J. Shim, and S. Ferro-Novick. 1990. Mol. Cell. Biol. 10:3405-3414.). BOS1 is a gene that in multiple copy suppresses the growth and secretion defect of bet1 and sec22, two mutants that disrupt transport from the ER to the Golgi complex in yeast. The ability of BOS1 to specifically suppress mutants blocked at a particular stage of the secretory pathway suggested that this gene encodes a protein that functions in this process. The experiments presented in this study support this hypothesis. Specifically, the BOS1 gene was found to be essential for cellular growth. Furthermore, cells depleted of the Bos1 protein fail to transport pro-alpha-factor and carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) to the Golgi apparatus. This defect in export leads to the accumulation of an extensive network of ER and small vesicles. DNA sequence analysis predicts that Bos1 is a 27-kD protein containing a putative membrane-spanning domain. This prediction is supported by differential centrifugation experiments. Thus, Bos1 appears to be a membrane protein that functions in conjunction with Bet1 and Sec22 to facilitate the transport of proteins at a step subsequent to translocation into the ER but before entry into the Golgi apparatus.
Focus on rehabilitation: teamwork that works.

The end-stage renal disease patient has progressed in the past 25 years from the patient who was chosen by a committee to continue life, to a patient who chooses to live well on dialysis. The Vanderbilt Dialysis Clinic (VDC) has developed a collaborative team approach to enable the patient to more effectively achieve this goal. The emphasis has been placed on the patient's "ability, not disability." The collaborative effort of the staff at the VDC has evolved based on the perspective of a team concept. Each discipline or member of the team has a specific goal but functions in a manner that is interdependent of the other team members. The physician, nurses, dietitians, social workers, technicians, and activities director all play an important role in the concept of rehabilitating the whole person. The key to a successful rehabilitation program is to begin with interested patients and staff to serve as a catalyst for others. The Rehabilitation Program at VDC has been based on the principles of continuous quality improvement (CQI) at the unit. The team used the CQI process to brainstorm ideas to implement the exercise program, to overcome barriers to success, and to recognize opportunities to motivate patients and staff. Physicians, nurses, technicians, and dietitians worked together to develop the screening protocols so that the staff would feel comfortable when assessing the patient for exercise. An exercise physiologist from Vanderbilt's Kim Dayani Human Performance Center participated in evaluating the exercise screening information and worked with individual patients and staff members as the program began. Equipment was acquired in the form of used stationary bicycles, smaller ergometer-style pedals, hand and ankle weights, and therabands. The exercise program was initiated with only 2 to 4 patients per week participating, after which time it was evaluated and modified. VDC discovered that heightened awareness does indeed impact the level of participation in the facility. The Rehabilitation Team implemented the exercise program in October 1996 with 60% patient participation, yet within 6 months, participation decreased to 25%. One year later in conjunction with a Rehabilitation Fair, interest again peaked to a participation level of 60% in the center and 66% with the home dialysis population. While the improvement in participation may have been due to more quantifiable measurement, it is perhaps more reflective of the emphasis placed on the importance of exercise. Motivators such as an Annual Rehabilitation Fair in which all areas of the Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council's "5 E's"—encouragement, education, exercise, employment, and evaluation—are emphasized and have been effective in generating renewed interest among staff and patients in improving overall rehabilitation of patients at the VDC. Continuous motivation of patients and staff through ongoing program implementation, evaluation, and modification based on the CQI process is necessary to maintain everyone's level of interest.
High Frequency cDNA Recombination of the Saccharomyces Retrotransposon Ty5: The LTR Mediates Formation of Tandem Elements

Retroelement cDNA can integrate into the genome using the element-encoded integrase, or it can recombine with preexisting elements using the recombination system of the host. Recombination is a particularly important pathway for the yeast retrotransposon Ty5 and accounts for ~30% of the putative transposition events when a homologous substrate is carried on a plasmid and ~7% when the substrate is located at the chromosomal URA3 locus. Characterization of recombinants revealed that they are either simple replacements of the marker gene or tandem elements. Using an assay system in which the donor element and recombination substrates are separated, we found that the long terminal repeats (LTRs) are critical for tandem element formation. LTR-containing substrates generate tandem elements at frequencies more than 10-fold higher than similarly sized internal Ty5 sequences. Internal sequences, however, facilitate tandem element formation when associated with an LTR, and there is a linear relationship between frequencies of tandem element formation and the length of LTR-containing substrates. We propose that recombination is initiated between the LTRs of the cDNA and substrate and that internal sequences promote tandem element formation by facilitating sequence alignment. Because of its location in subtelomeric regions, recombinational amplification of Ty5 may contribute to the organization of chromosome ends.
Rupture extent of the 1978 Miyagi‐Oki, Japan, earthquake and seismic coupling in the northern Honshu Subduction Zone

Underthrusting at subduction zones can cause large earthquakes at shallow depths, but is always accommodated by aseismic creep below a certain depth. This transition depth is referred to as the depth of seismic coupling and can be directly observed in a subduction zone as the lower depth extent of significant moment release of the deepest large underthrusting earthquakes. In 1978, a large (Ms=7.5) earthquake occurred off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture in northern Honshu. Its focal mechanism represents underthrusting of the Pacific plate beneath Honshu. Since the hypocenter is located 150 km landward from the trench and there are no other large interplate earthquakes further landward from the trench axis, this event defines the maximum depth of the coupled zone. The lower limit of significant moment release of the Miyagi-Oki earthquake is obtained by analysis of the long-period P waves. The deconvolved source time function consists of a dominant single pulse with peak moment release at 12 s and a total duration of 18 s. The rupture extent of this dominant pulse does not extend deeper than 40 km, thus the transition from coupled to uncoupled in northern Honshu occurs at or above 40 km depth.
Double-flow behavior observed in well tests of an extremely heterogeneous mine-spoil aquifer

Abstract A radial-flow investigation was performed to examine hydraulic characteristics of a heterogeneous unconfined mine-spoil aquifer formed by reclamation of surface-mine overburden. Slug test estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K) range over four orders of magnitude (from 10−6 to 10−2 m/s) and display two prominent statistical modes, ascribed to fine matrix and coarse rubble zones, respectively. A large proportion of wells displayed either of two anomalous slug-test response patterns, attributable to zones of highK around or near the well. Slug-test estimates of matrixK appear unbiased, but those of high-conductivity zones are thought to contain error induced by local heterogeneity and drainage of storage from near the water table. Numerical simulation of slug tests suggests that high-K zones, vertically continuous to the water table and either in the annulus of (e.g. well skin) or in close proximity to the well, may produce response similar to that observed. It is not possible to distinguish well-skin from heterogeneity effects based on the nature of slug test response alone. Pumping yields, however, are generally higher for wells with anomalously rapid slug-test response and suggest that, in some cases, the heterogeneity extends to large distance from the well. Despite their local region of influence, slug tests in such extremely heterogeneous aquifers may encounter highly conductive zones that may reduce the reliability of their results if they permit water-table drainage to the well.
THE HEMODYNAMIC BASIS FOR THE CARDIAC EFFECTS OF PARATHYROID HORMONE (PTH)AND PTH-RELATED PROTEIN

PTH and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) have been regarded to have positive inotropic effects on the heart as well as positive chronotropic and vasodilator effects. However, inotropy due to a direct effect of these peptides has not heretofore been distinguished from an indirect inotropic effect as a result of altered heart rate or coronary flow. The aim of this study was to determine whether PTH and PTHrP have direct inotropic effects in isolated perfused rat hearts. Three groups of hearts were studied; in all groups, hearts contracted isovolumically and were perfused with a constant coronary pressure. In the control group, heart rate, coronary flow, peak pressure (LVP,,,), peak rate of rise of LV pressure (dP/dt ,,,,,I, and peak intracellular calcium (measured by aequorin) all increased with PTH and PTHrP in a dose-dependent manner. When heart rate was fixed by pacing in a P TH-RELATED protein (PTHrP) was discovered in a search for a circulating tumor-derived factor responsible for the hypercalcemia of malignancy (l-5). In terms of its hypercalcemic properties, PTHrP bears many similarities to PTH, the normal secretory product of the parathyroid cell. In contrast to PTH, PTHrP is not normally found in the circulation, but, rather, is expressed in a wide variety of different cells, an observation that has given rise to the concept of PTHrP as an autocrine or paracrine factor. Smooth muscle, a particularly rich source of PTHrP, responds to mechanical stress with a rapid increase in messenger RNA for the protein (6-12). By regulating smooth muscle tone, PTHrP may be an important local factor produced in response to biomechanical forces. The smooth muscle of the cardiovascular system is particularly responsive to PTHrP, as shown by enhanced expression of PTHrP messenger RNA when smooth muscle of rat aorta is distended (12). Despite major differences between PTH and PTHrP in their genetics, regulation, and many physiological actions, PTH and PTHrP are both vasodilators and directly increase heart rate independent of autonomic reflexes (13-18). It has been reported that PTH stimulates G protein action and increases intracellular calcium in cardiac myocytes (19).
Lobo's Disease in a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncates) from Matagorda Bay, Texas

Lobo's disease was diagnosed in a free-ranging male bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus examined as part of a live-capture and release program conducted in Matagorda Bay, Texas, USA, during July 1992. Diagnosis was based on typical presentation of a raised skin lesion, with sub-epidermal granuloma and demonstration of typical features of the organism by light microscopy, using hematoxylin and eosin, and methenamine silver stains. This is the first instance of Lobo's disease found in a dolphin on the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS) environmental data record validation status

This paper reports on the recent status of the validation program for the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS), a hyperspectral infrared sounding system designed for providing high resolution atmospheric vertical temperature and moisture profile (AVTP and AVMP) environmental data records (EDRs). CrIMSS EDR validation activities, currently (as of this writing, May 2012) segueing from the Early-Orbit Checkout (EOC) phase to the Intensive Cal/Val (ICV) phase of the program, are briefly highlighted.
SDF-1 axis and myocardial repair

the ability of the heart to sustain hemodynamic demands is greatly challenged when cell loss or disruption of myocardial homeostasis occurs. Cell therapy using stem or progenitor cells is a promising option to restore the lost myocardium and normalize ventricular function. Initial clinical trials
Justificar, interpretar y otros asuntos pragmáticos

In this paper I discuss an argument by Luis Robledo, according to which Rorty's notion of 'justification as consensus" is saddled with internal inconsistencies: it turns out -so the argument goes- that it is logically possible to conceive of a community that behaves as if p were justified, whereas p does not reach the justification standards of the very same community. Thus, starting from Rorty's own premises, we would be forced to acknowledge the legitimacy of an objective concept of justification, which Rorty seems to deny. I contend that this argument is misguided. I begin by noticing that the imaginary situation so described presupposes an external interpretative standpoint upon the practices of a given community. Next I show that, correctly understood, such an external standpoint is not incompatible with a pragmatist philosophy. Moreover, it precludes the legitimacy of an idea of objectivity akin to the one we find in Putnam's late writings, contrary to what the argument aimed to show.
IQGAP1 Mediates VE-Cadherin–Based Cell–Cell Contacts and VEGF Signaling at Adherence Junctions Linked to Angiogenesis

Objective— Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces angiogenesis by stimulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production primarily through the VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2). One of the initial ...
Elizabeth Johnson, the United States Bishops, and Thomas Aquinas: An evaluation

This essay evaluates one important aspect of the assessment made by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in their recent Notification of supposed doctrinal errors made by Elizabeth Johnson in Quest for the Living God. Taking up the Committee’s own reference to Thomas Aquinas as a legitimating authority, and using the work of both Rudi Te Velde and W. Norris Clarke, I argue that both the Bishop’s Committee and Johnson have trouble straddling the middle ground of the analogical language and thinking that they nevertheless advocate. Ultimately I contend that in their defensive critique of Johnson the Committee tends toward an objectivism that is explicitly eschewed by Aquinas, while Johnson’s concern for God’s ineffability leads her to marginalize consideration of the analogical similarity between God and creatures.
Hormonally induced eosinopenia of peritoneal fluid of white rats.

Renewed interest in the physiology of the eosinophilic leukocyte has been aroused by a number of studies stemming from the observation that the eosinophils in the circulating blood are, to a large extent at least, regulated by the concentration of the circulating adrenal cortical hormones. Numerous other factors such as epinephrine, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, foreign protein, starvation, surgical procedures and environmental temperatures, fright or fear likewise, excite eosinopenias in normal experimental animals. The literature in this area is now enormous and an attempt to-review it here is not regarded as essential to this report. Whereas the eosinophilic leukocyte of the circulating blood has been extensively studied, with reference to its behavior in the presence of the oxysteroid hormones, less consideration has been given to the eosinophilic cells in the fluid of the peritoneal space. This clear, colorless fluid, although not abundant, is rich in cells. A large percentage of these cells are eosinophilic leukocytes which resemble in nuclear organization and in cytoplasmic granulation the eosinophils of the peripheral blood. Opinions of the fate of the eosinophilic leukocytes, either in their normal life cycle or during eosinopenias induced by the administration of cortisone or adrenocorticotrophic hormone, are not in complete accord. The role of the spleen in their sequestration has been both refuted and sustained. The rapid recovery of the eosinophil level following induced eosinopenias suggests at least either a release from such areas of sequestration or, more likely, a rapid proliferation of them within normal hematopoietic centers. Yet, the bone marrow, an eosinopoietic center, is generally believed to be unresponsive to the hormone-induced eosinopenias. Eosinophils are a normal cytologic constituent of the gastrointestinal tract where they occur in the mucosal or the submucosal layers. The intestine then may well constitute a site for their rapid proliferation, whereby the level of eosinophils in either peripheral blood or peritoneal space is restored following an eosinopenic state. Godlowski concluded that the epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa, in the presence of antigenic protein, migrate from their bed and transform into true eosinophilic leukocytes. This report covers a study of the reactions of the eosinophilic leukocytes of the peritoneal space to exogenous steroid hormones, to adrenal extracts and to
Inviting Emotional Connections to Ethnographic Research An Ethnodrama of a Community Change Initiative

Two central struggles facing activist scholars, including critical ethnographers of education, are (a) power relations researchers and participants navigate and (b) dissemination of our work to reach multiple audiences, including study participants and others outside academia. This one-act ethnodrama was written as part of a critical ethnography of a community change initiative. Ethnodrama is an appropriate choice given roles afforded participants and audience in which emotional connections and closeness of data and experience are highlighted.
MONETARY SHOCKS, POLICY TOOLS AND FINANCIAL FIRM STOCK RETURNS: EVIDENCE FROM THE 2008 US QUANTITATIVE EASING

We extend the work of Bernanke and Kuttner [(2005). What explains the stock market’s reaction to federal reserve policy? Journal of Finance, 60, 1221–1257] by examining the impact of monetary shocks and policy tools on aggregate stock returns as well as the stock returns of financial institutions during the recent period of quantitative easing (QE) in the US. Specially, we test for the effectiveness of a major non-conventional monetary policy tool, the use of special asset purchase programs by the Federal Reserve, in impacting the financial markets. Estimates from vector auto-regression (VAR) analyses show that the impact of both unexpected and expected monetary shocks on aggregate stock returns is magnified several times during periods of QE. In addition, traditional monetary policy tools, like the Federal Funds rate, have no impact on aggregate stock returns, neither leading up to, nor during QE, while our non-conventional policy measure does appear to have some impact. In an extension of our results, w...
Reviews and prospects for the research of rice grain quality

This paper mainly reviewed some present research situations of rice quality in the world,including rice quality breeding,rice quality evaluation,physiological mechanism of quality forming,environment and starch structure on the impact of rice quality,genetics and gene mapping of quality traits,the application of new technology on quality research,and so on.At the same time,with the work practice of rice quality breeding,some prospects on rice quality research had been raised.
The impact of a closed formulary on prescribing patterns in the treatment of injured workers

Prescription drug spending accounts for nearly twenty percent of workers’ compensation (WC) health care costs, and prescription drug overdose is a leading cause of death in the United States. To guide physicians to prescribe safer, less addictive, and more cost-effective drugs, Texas WC implemented one of the first formularies tailored specifically for the treatment of work-related injuries by establishing a list of non-preferred drugs that require preauthorization before they can be prescribed. I draw on Texas WC administrative data on medical and pharmacy bills to examine the impact of the formulary on health care bills paid for through WC several months after a worker’s initial injury. I find that the closed formulary results in workers being half as likely to use non-preferred drugs and reduces average spending on non-preferred drugs by half several months after claims begin. I find no evidence that spending on preferred drugs or spending on non-pharmacy medical care increase to compensate for the decreased spending on non-preferred drugs. The lack of a shift towards preferred drugs suggests that doctors were not choosing non-preferred drugs over preferred drugs prior to the formulary. Instead, non-preferred drugs were one of multiple approaches doctors used in treating work-related injuries.
A Generalization of the Paired t-Test

The analysis of paired data with a variable number of readings per pairing is discussed. The standard t‐test based on paired means is not valid if there is within‐pairing variability. A generalized paired t‐test is developed and a numerical example is given.
Stratigraphic framework and lake level history of Lake Kivu, East African Rift

Abstract Sediment cores and seismic reflection data acquired from the eastern basin of Lake Kivu, Rwanda reveal extensive limnologic variations due to changes in regional climate and basin structure. The eastern basin of the lake contains a sedimentary wedge which is > 1.5 km in thickness on its western side, and basal sediments are estimated to be at least 1.5 million years old. Sediments are likely to be thicker and older than this in the northern, Congolese basin of the lake. Above the ∼300 m iosbath only a thin layer of Holocene sediments are observed indication that this may have been the lake’s high stand prior to that time. There are at least three erosional unconformities interpreted as desiccation or near-desiccation events which are estimated to have occurred at ∼475 ka, ∼100 ka, and ∼20 ka; the two most recent of these low stages likely developed during the African Megadrought and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) periods. Following the LGM, the water levels rose to form a ∼100 m deep lake with its surface ∼370 m below the current lake level. The lake remained near that level for several thousand years and during this time the Virunga Volcanic Province expanded. At ∼12.2 ka a change to wetter climate conditions rapidly filled the lake to spill out of the Bukavu Bay basin southward toward Lake Tanganyika. Tephra sampled from the cores show that there have been at least 24 large local volcanic events since the early Holocene lake transgression.
Specific, generic, and familial diversity of Devonian bryozoans

Lack of an adequately calibrated Devonian time scale precludes satisfactory comparisons of Recent and Devonian bryozoan diversities. Nevertheless, Devonian bryozoans apparently are 3–100 times less diverse than Recent bryozoans. This variation is a function of how Devonian time is divided (whole period, stages, per million years) as well as the diverse skeletal architecture of cheilostome bryozoans, the most abundant Recent bryozoan order. The Givetian has the largest specific, generic, and familial diversity of any Devonian stage and the drop in bryozoan diversity from the Givetian to the Frasnian is greater than the rise or fall of diversity between any other adjacent stages. Diversity hardly changes among bryozoans across the Frasnian–Famennian boundary. Among bryozoans the Givetian–Frasnian extinction was a major event. Devonian taxonomic diversity is less than nomenclatorial diversity, although both exhibit the same trends from stage to stage during the Devonian. The amount of difference between the two measures of diversity is probably a reflection of the intensity of research on Devonian Bryozoa, especially revisionary studies of previously described faunas. Monographic bursts in diversity are present and are a measure of the episodic character of taxonomic studies on less popular phyla. Examination of the literature commonly provides a finer stratigraphic resolution than indicated in compilations such as the Zoological Record. Although some significant areas of the exposed continents have not received adequate study, Devonian bryozoans show marked geographic changes in diversity that can not be ascribed entirely to lack of study.
CREB Deficiency: A Potential Critical Factor for Selective GM-CSF Hypersensitivity in Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia.

Abstract Abstract 2604 Poster Board II-580 Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a mixed myelodysplastic /myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) of infancy and early childhood. The pathogenesis of JMML has been linked to dysregulated signal transduction through the NF1/RAS signaling pathway and PTPN11. This dysregulation results in JMML cells demonstrating selective hypersensitivity to GM-CSF in in vitro dose-response assays. Since JMML hematopoietic progenitor cells are selectively hypersensitive to (rather than independent of) GM-CSF, it is rational to hypothesize that the function of the GM-CSF receptor in JMML patients is not constitutively over-active unless stimulated by the cytokine. We previously reported that PTEN is deficient in JMML patients. PTEN expression is up-regulated by Egr-1, which is one of the targets of the cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB). CREB, as a transcriptional factor, is expressed ubiquitously and bound to the cAMP-response-element (CRE) of the Egr-1 promoter. After phosphorylation at serine 133, CREB selectively activates the transcription of Egr-1 in response to GM-CSF stimulation in hematopoietic cells. We evaluated the CREB protein level in peripheral blood or bone marrow samples collected from 26 JMML patients. Mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated and lysed in lysis buffer at a density of 107/100μl. Protein levels of CREB were evaluated by ELISA and Western-blot. We found that 22/26 (85%) of subjects were substantially CREB deficient while they had constitutively high activity of MAP kinase (Erk-1/2). In comparison to normal controls (n=7), the median level of total CREB protein by ELISA was significantly lower in JMML subjects (0.62 vs 8.85 ng/mg BSA in normal controls; p=0.006). The mechanism that causes CREB deficiency in JMML is under further investigation and further results may be available to present at the meeting. This is the first evidence that CREB, a critical component downstream of the GM-CSF receptor, is highly deficient in the majority of JMML cases. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
… and the Leg Bone's Connected to the Toxic Waste Dump Bone

Ecological images—the fragile web of life, NASA's “blue marble” Earth, everything being connected—appeal to our love for the planet's being and our faith that there is still hope, if we can just care enough. But this imagery is neither true nor false. In other words, when we visualize these sorts of things, we don't know what we're talking about! We think we do. But what is this wholeness really, are we actually parts of it, and what kind of part? A lot of thinking ecologically sounds religious because it involves extremely profound and hard to express (at least at present) concepts and feelings.
The Epidemiology of Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy in the United States: Declining Incidence and Evolving Risk Factors

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) in the United States may be changing over time due to population-level changes in obstetric care. METHODS The Kids' Inpatient Database from 1997 to 2012 was analyzed. Annual estimates of BPBP incidence and disease determinant distribution were calculated for the general population and the study population with BPBP. Long-term trends were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to quantify the risk associated with each determinant. RESULTS The database yielded a combined total of 5,564,628 sample births extrapolated to 23,385,597 population births. The population incidence of BPBP dropped 47.1% over the 16-year study period, from 1.7 to 0.9 cases per 1000 live births (P<0.001). Female, black, and Hispanic subgroups had moderately increased risks of BPBP. Among children with BPBP, 55.0% had no identifiable risk factor. Shoulder dystocia was the strongest risk factor for BPBP in the regression model [odds ratio (OR), 113.2; P<0.001], although the risk of sustaining a BPBP in the setting of shoulder dystocia decreased from 10.7% in 1997 to 8.3% in 2012 (P=0.006). Birth hypoxia was independently associated with BPBP (OR, 3.1; P<0.001). Cesarean delivery (OR, 0.16; P<0.001) and multiple gestation birth (OR, 0.45; P<0.001) were associated with lower incidence of BPBP. Notably, the rate of cesarean delivery increased by 62.8% during the study period, from 20.9% in 1997 to 34.0% in 2012 (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Over a 16-year period, the incidence of BPBP fell dramatically, paralleled by a significant increase in the rate of cesarean delivery. Systemic changes in obstetric practice may have contributed to these trends. As more than half of BPBP cases have no identifiable risk factor, prospective investigation of established risk factors and characterization of new disease determinants are needed to more reliably identify infants at greatest risk. Racial and geographic inequalities in disease burden should be investigated to identify interventional targets. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III-case series.
Interaction strategies of blind ehealth and mhealth users: a qualitative investigation

Research lacks a comprehensive understanding of the interaction strategies of blind users in eHealth and mHealth interactions. Without this understanding, we cannot develop an accessible and usable eHealth and mHealth for blind users. Therefore, the objective of the proposed dissertation research is to understand blind users' interaction strategies in the context of their eHealth and mHealth interactions.
Shining a Light on Black Holes in Keratinocytes.

The mechanisms by which melanins are transferred from melanocytes and stored within keratinocytes to generate skin pigmentation are hotly debated. Correia et al. and Hurbain et al. provide evidence that melanin cores of melanosomes are secreted from melanocytes and taken up and stored within non-degradative membranous organelles in keratinocytes in the basal epidermis of human skin.
Hemodynamics and Perfusion in Premature Infants During Transfusion.

Background Premature infants may require packed red blood cell transfusions, but current guidelines lack empirical evidence and vary among institutions and prescribers. Objective To compare the physiological changes in cardiovascular hemodynamics and oxygen delivery between premature infants with anemia who receive packed red blood cell transfusions and premature infants without anemia. Methods The study was a prospective observational cohort investigation of 75 premature infants. Comparisons among the data were made before, during, and after transfusion in infants with anemia and over time in infants in the control group. In infants with anemia, feedings were withheld 12 hours before and after transfusions. Results Electrical cardiometry and near-infrared spectroscopy measurements in premature infants with anemia revealed changes in hemodynamic parameters not detected by standard bedside monitoring. Statistically significant changes were seen before and after transfusions in cardiac output, fractional tissue oxygen extraction, heart rate variability, heart rate complexity, and splanchnic regional tissue oxygen saturation. Conclusion Bedside monitoring of cardiovascular hemodynamics and oxygen delivery during packed red blood cell transfusion may inform individualized care for the premature infant with anemia and could be useful for the development of evidence-based practice guidelines.
Rescued from the fate of neurological disorder

Polymer-coated gold nanoparticles carrying the CRISPR components for knocking out, in the striatum of adult mice with fragile X syndrome, a gene implied in the syndrome’s pathophysiology rescue the mice from the exaggerated repetitive behaviours characteristic of the syndrome’s phenotype.
ULTRASONIC TRANSIT-TIME MEASUREMENT OF BLOODFLOW IN THE CHICKEN LEG

An implantable bloodflow measuring system improved to resolve flow in 0.5 mm vessels. The small flow in such vessels requires that upstream-downstream time of flight differences of 1 picosecond be resolved. This accuracy is attained by utilizing transducer reciprocity principles. A practical electronic implementation is outlined. Bloodflow in the common dorsal metatarsal artery of an adult chicken is illustrated.