cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Problems in assessing altered calcium homeostasis in the aging nervous system

Defining a role for altered calcium homeostasis on functional deficits in the aging brain is not only hindered by the complexity and abundance of the regulatory systems involved, but also by the inability to assess calcium regulation in vivo.
Kinetics of Clustering under Vacancy Annealing

An equation is derived for the total vacancy concentration in quenched alloys containing impurities under the condition of free vacancies annealing by migration to fixed sinks. The time to reach maximum in resistivity in isothermal aging experiments need correction if the total vacancy concentration which decays exponentially after the transients has a small time constant. A procedure for this correction is outlined. Es wird eine Gleichung fur die Gesamtleerstellenkonzentration in abgeschreckten Legierungen unter der Bedingung freier Leerstellenausheilung durch Wanderung zu festen Rekombinationsstellen abgeleitet. Die Zeit fur die Erreichung des Widerstandsmaximums bei isothermen Alterungsexperimenten mus korrigiert werden, wenn die Gesamtleerstellenkonzentration, die exponentiell nach den Storungen abfallt, eine kleine Zeitkonstante besitzt. Eine Methode fur diese Korrektur wird skizziert.
Effect of Electric Current on the Inclusions in a Cu-Zn Alloy

The effect of electric current pulse (ECP) treatment on lead inclusions in a Cu-Zn alloy was studied in present work. It was found that with the application of a critical high current density, the coarse and random distributed lead inclusions transferred into grain boundaries or defects in dispersed small particles. The reason was ascribed to the specific electric effect of electric current on the grain refinement and the reduction of the diffusive activation energy of lead inclusions. Therefore, the high current density ECP treatment might be an effective method to refine inclusions of bulk materials.
A Bridging Hexazene (RNNNNNNR) Ligand from Reductive Coupling of Azides

This communication reports the first examples of transition metal complexes containing an RNNNNNNR2− ligand. Addition of 1-azidoadamantane to the diiron(I) synthon LRFeNNFeLR (LR = HC[C(R)N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)]2; R = methyl, tert-butyl) leads to the diiron complexes LRFe(μ-η2:η2-AdN6Ad)FeLR, which are surprisingly thermally stable. Magnetic, Mossbauer, and crystallographic data are consistent with pairs of high-spin iron(II) ions antiferromagnetically coupled through a dianionic AdN6Ad2− bridge.
Distributive Conjugal Transfer: New Insights into Horizontal Gene Transfer and Genetic Exchange in Mycobacteria

The past decade has seen an explosion in the application of genomic tools across all biological disciplines. This is also true for mycobacteria, where whole-genome sequences are now available for pathogens and nonpathogens alike. Genomes within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) bear the hallmarks of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Conjugation is the form of HGT with the highest potential capacity and evolutionary influence. Donor and recipient strains of Mycobacterium smegmatis actively conjugate upon coculturing in biofilms and on solid media. Whole-genome sequencing of the transconjugant progeny demonstrated the incredible scale and range of genomic variation that conjugation generates. Transconjugant genomes are complex mosaics of the parental strains. Some transconjugant genomes are up to one-quarter donor-derived, distributed over 30 segments. Transferred segments range from ∼50 bp to ∼225,000 bp in length and are exchanged with their recipient orthologs all around the genome. This unpredictable genome-wide infusion of DNA sequences is called distributive conjugal transfer (DCT), to distinguish it from traditional oriT-based conjugation. The mosaicism generated in a single transfer event resembles that seen from meiotic recombination in sexually reproducing organisms and contrasts with traditional models of HGT. This similarity allowed the application of a genome-wide association study approach to map the donor genes that confer a donor mating identity phenotype. The mating identity genes map to the esx1 locus, expanding the central role of ESX-1 function in conjugation. The potential for DCT to instantaneously blend genomes will affect how we view mycobacterial evolution and provide new tools for the facile manipulation of mycobacterial genomes.
SPIN DEPHASING IN IMPURITY INDUCED STATES IN MOLECULAR SOLIDS

Abstract Spin coherence experiments are used to determine the energy level structure, physical geometry, and exciton dynamics of a series of impurity-induced traps in 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene. The trap, a pertubed host molecule, is shown to be caused by an adjacent, translationally equivalent chemical impurity whose triplet energy may lie above or below the host exciton, but above the trap. The slow rates of thermal processes within the trap are interpreted as weak coupling between the lattice phonons and localized phonons induced at the trap by the impurity.
Impact of Collaterals on Successful Revascularization in Solitaire FR With the Intention for Thrombectomy

Background and Purpose— Collaterals at angiography before endovascular therapy were analyzed to ascertain the effect on a novel end point of successful revascularization without symptomatic hemorrhage in the Solitaire FR With the Intention for Thrombectomy (SWIFT) study. Methods— Collateral grade (American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology) on baseline angiography was independently assessed, blind to other data, with statistical analyses delineating the relationship with clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters. Results— Angiographic data on collaterals were available in 119 of 144 subjects (mean age, 67±12 years; 52% woman; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, 18 [range, 8–28]). Worse collaterals were noted in subjects with elevated baseline blood glucose ( P =0.013) and those with elevated baseline systolic blood pressure ( P =0.039). Multivariate predictors of partial or worse collaterals included absence of prior hypertension (odds ratio, 4.049, P =0.012), smoking history (odds ratio, 3.822; P =0.013), and higher blood glucose (odds ratio, 1.017; P =0.022). Collaterals were strongly related to Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) at baseline (0–1: median 8 [3–10]; 2–9 [5–10]; 3–9 [7–10]; 4–9 [8–10]; P P P =0.019), better median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at day 7/discharge ( P P P =0.021. Conclusions— Better collaterals were associated with lower glucose, lower blood pressure, smaller baseline infarcts in SWIFT, and greater likelihood of successful revascularization without hemorrhage and good clinical outcomes. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01054560.
A-optimal designs for generalized linear models with two parameters

Abstract An algebraic method for constructing A -optimal designs for two parameter generalized linear models is presented. It gives sufficient conditions to identify the A -optimal design. When the conditions are satisfied, the A -optimal design has exactly two points, which are symmetric but not weight symmetric. The methodology is illustrated by means of selected examples. This result proves the conjecture of Mathew and Sinha [2001. Optimal designs for binary data under logistic regression. J. Statist. Plann. Inference 93, 295–307] for a logistic model, and shows that the conjecture is also true for probit models and some cases of double exponential and double reciprocal models.
Uterine defense mechanisms in the mare: The use of intrauterine plasma in the management of endometritis

Twenty-nine mares with either active or subclinical endometritis were treated with intrauterine infusions of their own plasma in one of two treatment schemes. Twenty-six mares actively infected, with an average of 2.4 years barren, were treated with combinations of saline irrigations and plasma infusions. Twenty-four showed clinical improvement and were bred, resulting in 15 pregnancies. Three mares with subclinical endometritis were treated post-breeding with a single plasma infusion and all became pregnant. The response to plasma infusions supports in-vitro observations which implicate serum-derived opsonins, particularly complement, as enhancers of phagocytic function.
Effects of adsorbent conductivity and permeability on the performance of a solid sorption heat pump

Solid sorption heat pumps can improve the effectiveness with which energy resources are used for heating and cooling. These systems operate by alternately heating and cooling beds of adsorbent material to produce a flow of refrigerant. The research presented here evaluates the effects ofadsorbent thermal conductivity and permeability on the performance of a thermal wave solid sorption heat pump. In order to evaluate these effects, a numerical model of the thermal wave heat pump is developed. This model incorporates not only the effects of the conductivity and permeability, but also the effects of the adsorption equilibrium properties, refrigerant properties, application parameters, operating parameters, and bed geometry. For a typical air conditioning application, the model is used to study the influence of conductivity and permeability on the COP for systems using ammonia as a refrigerant. The results indicate that for the geometry considered, increasing the thermal conductivity of the adsorbent to 1 W/m-K can improve the COP to approximately 0.75. Further increases in conductivity do not yield improved performance. Furthermore, the reduced permeability associated with high conductivity adsorbents can impair vapor flow and lead to decreased performance.
Anastomosis of germ tubes and migration of nuclei in germ tube networks of the soybean rust pathogen, Phakopsora pachyrhizi

An important mechanism for genetic diversity in filamentous fungi is hyphal anastomosis and the formation of heterokaryons. In this study, we observed fusion of germ tubes in germinating urediniospores of Phakopsora pachyrhizi resulting in a complex hyphal network. Staining of the germ tubes derived from P. pachyrhizi urediniospores with 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) showed migration of nuclei through the network resulting in multinucleate hyphae. Short bridges connecting the hyphal network tubes were also observed. Our study provides the first evidence of germ tube and hyphal anastomosis, and nuclear migration in P. pachyrhizi. Considering the lack of a known sexual stage of P. pachyrhizi, this hyphal anastomosis followed by the parasexual cycle may explain the genetic diversity in virulence among populations of P. pachyrhizi.
The library value deficit

Purpose – While the great recession may have concluded more than a year ago, the lingering effects of state and local budget contraction and austerity are having a highly negative impact on libraries and librarians. The future for publicly funded libraries as institutions that promote learning, literacy, knowledge creation and entertainment is increasingly doubtful as publicly funded libraries across the country are seeing unprecedented levels of budget cuts. While the immediate cause of such reduced funding seems rooted in budgetary pressures, the reality is that library financial support is traditionally premised upon a publicly held assumption of goodwill for libraries and the societal benefits they represent. In order for libraries to survive the economic downturn and austerity measures put in place by government budgets, they need to rethink the role, purpose and benefits of library marketing in favor of a more sophisticated approach that conveys the unique value of their library and its offering to ...
Synthesis of 3-deoxy-d-arabino-2-heptulosonic acid 7-phosphate by phosphorylation of methyl (methyl 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulopyranosid)onate

Abstract 3-Deoxy- d - arabino -2-heptulosonic acid 7-phosphate ( 5 ), the first committed intermediate in aromatic amino acid biosynthesis, has been synthesized in good yield by treatment of methyl (methyl 3-deoxy- d - arabino -2-heptulopyranosid)onate with diphenylphosphoric chloride under mild conditions to give the 7-diphenyl phosphate. Catalytic removal of the phenyl residues, followed by base-catalyzed hydrolysis resulted in formation of (methyl 3-deoxy- d - arabino -2-heptulopyranosid)onic acid dihydrogen 7-phosphate ( 4 ), which yielded a crystalline tris-(cyclohexylammonium) salt. Acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of 4 afforded 5 , which was used to purify 3-dehydroquinate synthase.
The Impact of Illusory Fatigue on Executive Control: Do Perceptions of Depletion Impair Working Memory Capacity?

The human mind is quite adept at modifying and regulating thoughts, judgments, and behaviors. Recent research has demonstrated that depletion of self-regulatory resources can impair executive function through restriction of working memory capacity. The current work explored whether the mere perception of resource depletion (i.e., illusory fatigue) is sufficient to directly produce these deficits in executive control. To manipulate illusory fatigue, participants were exposed to a depleting or nondepleting task before being presented with false feedback about the effects of the initial task on their state of resource depletion. Participants then completed a well-established index of working memory capacity. Findings revealed that individuals provided with feedback that led to perceptions of low depletion exhibited greater working memory capacity. This effect was independent of individuals' actual state of depletion and was furthermore mediated by their perceived level of depletion. Implications for spontaneous resource replenishment are discussed.
Improving word segmentation for Thai speech translation

A vocabulary list and language model are primary components in a speech translation system. Generating both from plain text is a straightforward task for English. However, it is quite challenging for Chinese, Japanese, or Thai which provide no word segmentation, i.e. the text has no word boundary delimiter. For Thai word segmentation, maximal matching, a lexicon-based approach, is one of the popular methods. Nevertheless this method heavily relies on the coverage of the lexicon. When text contains an unknown word, this method usually produces a wrong boundary. When extracting words from this segmented text, some words will not be retrieved because of wrong segmentation. In this paper, we propose statistical techniques to tackle this problem. Based on different word segmentation methods we develop various speech translation systems and show that the proposed method can significantly improve the translation accuracy by about 6.42% BLEU points compared to the baseline system.
Older People with Access to Hand-Held Devices: Who Are They?

Abstract Introduction: Multiple comorbid conditions among older patients require frequent physician office and emergency room visits, at times leading to hospitalization. In recent years, mobile health (m-health) systems utilizing hand-held devices (e.g., smartphones) have been developed, which could be used for health-related interventions. This study investigates sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who have or have not accessed Internet via hand-held devices. Materials and Methods: Adults older than 65 years of age who participated in the Health Tracking survey of the Pew Internet and American Life Project in 2012 were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed for prevalence of Internet access via hand-held devices and differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Different online health information seeking behavior is also reported. Results: In the weighted sample size of 3,116 responses, 472 (15.1%) had access to Internet via hand-held devices. Those with su...
An investigation of gener bias in EET laboratories

Traditionally, there have been fewer women than men enrolled in electrical engineering technology. One possible reason for this is that a large percentage of women lack confidence in dealing with the laboratory setting or equipment. The author, has noticed that many times female lab groups work slower than their male counterparts, and in mixed-gender lab groups the men often dominate the group activity. In the present investigation, she tries to determine if there is a gender bias in the laboratory and what forms it takes, and to suggest a method to overcome it. A case study using a first-semester freshman laboratory is presented. The women students are compared to men students in the areas of previous experience, confidence with lab equipment, and course grade. This research demonstrates that women do perceive a negative difference in their laboratory proficiency compared to men, and this erodes self-confidence in their ability. These differences are limited to the lab, and do not appear in the overall understanding of the material. >
Administrative Breakdowns in the Governmental Response to Hurricane Katrina

Governmental response to natural disasters normally follows a well-established, fairly long-standing mobilization process. While it is too early for definitive answers, the author examines reasons for failure in early governmental response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Lack of focus, unclear mission, personnel problems, and faltering mobilization are some of the challenges posed in Katrina's wake.
Transferred-electron logic gates

A two-dimensional modeling technique is used to simulate GaAs transferred-electron devices operated as a logic gate (the TELD) and as a threshold gate. The simple logic gate has a good transfer characteristic but is shown sensitive to bias variations and operates with monostable output. For an input logic swing of 0.6 V and a fanout of 2, a propagation delay of 26 ps and gain of 1.25 is predicted. A bi-stable threshold gate shows a turn-on time of about 80 ps. An FET-triggered two-terminal transferred-electron device is calculated to have propagation delay of 27 ps with a gain of -1.2. Subsequent similar stages would require a noninverted output obtainable from a capacitive electrode on the TED. However, it is shown that additional anode load resistance is required to obtain a significant positive pulse output from such capacitive electrodes. The bias power requirement is estimated to be similar to the simple TELD gate.
Slope stability of bioreactor landfills during leachate injection: Effects of heterogeneous and anisotropic municipal solid waste conditions

In bioreactor landfills, leachate recirculation can significantly affect the stability of landfill slope due to generation and distribution of excessive pore fluid pressures near side slope. The current design and operation of leachate recirculation systems do not consider the effects of heterogeneous and anisotropic nature of municipal solid waste (MSW) and the increased pore gas pressures in landfilled waste caused due to leachate recirculation on the physical stability of landfill slope. In this study, a numerical two-phase flow model (landfill leachate and gas as immiscible phases) was used to investigate the effects of heterogeneous and anisotropic nature of MSW on moisture distribution and pore-water and capillary pressures and their resulting impacts on the stability of a simplified bioreactor landfill during leachate recirculation using horizontal trench system. The unsaturated hydraulic properties of MSW were considered based on the van Genuchten model. The strength reduction technique was used for slope stability analyses as it takes into account of the transient and spatially varying pore-water and gas pressures. It was concluded that heterogeneous and anisotropic MSW with varied unit weight and saturated hydraulic conductivity significantly influenced the moisture distribution and generation and distribution of pore fluid pressures in landfill and considerably reduced the stability of bioreactor landfill slope. It is recommended that heterogeneous and anisotropic MSW must be considered as it provides a more reliable approach for the design and leachate operations in bioreactor landfills.
Racial/Ethnic-Specific Reference Intervals for Common Laboratory Tests: A Comparison among Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and White

Reference intervals (RIs) for common clinical laboratory tests are usually not developed separately for different subpopulations. The aim of this study was to investigate racial/ethnic differences in RIs of common biochemical and hematological laboratory tests using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012 data. This current study included 3,077 participants aged 18-65 years who reported their health status as "Excellent," "Very good," or "Good," with known race/ethnicity as white, black, Hispanic, or Asian. Quantile regression analyses adjusted for sex were conducted to evaluate racial/ethnic differences in the normal ranges of 38 laboratory tests. Significant racial/ethnic differences were found in almost all laboratory tests. Compared to whites, the normal range for Asians significantly shifted to higher values in globulin and total protein and to lower values in creatinine, hematocrit, hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, and mean platelet volume. These results indicate that racial/ethnic subpopulations have unique distributions in the labortoary tests and race/ethnicity may need to be incorporated in the development of their RIs. Establishment of racial/ethnic-specific RIs may have significant clinical and public health implication for more accurate disease diagnosis and appropriate treatment to improve quality of patient care, especially for a state with diverse racial/ethnic subpopuations such as Hawai'i.
Effects of ablations of temporal cortex upon speech sound discrimination in the monkey.

Ten monkeys were trained on two auditory discrimination problems of different levels of difficulty plus one visual pattern discrimination task. Bilateral cortical ablations were made of either the ventral portion of the superior temporal gyrus to the depth of the superior temporal sulcus in the midtemporal region, or of the primary auditory projection cortex of the supratemporal plane extending onto the insular cortex in the depths of the lateral fissure. Monkeys with bilateral ablations of inferior temporal cortex were included as controls. Post operative performance revealed a modality-specific deficit in audition for the midtemporal area, and an apparent inability to relearn a speech-sound discrimination after lesion of primary auditory cortex.
Treatment of carcinoma of the bladder by external irradiation — A clinical trial part III

The results of a controlled clinical trial are described in which over 100 cases of Carcinoma of the Bladder were treated by a standard 4 MeV external irradiation method. The cases were divided into 3 groups by random selection, each group being treated by 1 of 3 daily dose fractions—a modal dose of either 200, 250 or 300 rads per day. A total dose of 6,500 rads was given. The results are analysed for each group demonstrating the crude survival, survival malignancy free, results of attempted post irradiation cystectomy and development of late recurrences. The effect of type of tumour, grade and stage of malignancy on survival rates is seen for each dose rate. The incidence and severity of the post irradiation morbidity is described in detail.
Synthesis, SAR and Unanticipated Pharmacological Profiles of Analogues of the mGluR5 Ago-potentiator ADX-47273

An iterative analogue library synthesis strategy rapidly developed comprehensive SAR for the mGluR5 ago-potentiator ADX-47273. This effort identified key substitutents in the 3-position of oxadiazole that engendered either mGluR5 ago-potentiation or pure mGluR5 positive allosteric modulation. The mGluR5 positive allosteric modulators identified possessed the largest fold shifts (up to 27.9-fold) of the glutamate CRC reported to date as well as providing improved physiochemical properties.
The Novel Core Promoter Element GAAC in the hgl5 Gene of Entamoeba histolytica Is Able to Direct a Transcription Start Site Independent of TATA or Initiator Regions

Abstract Entamoeba histolytica, an enteric protozoa, is the third leading parasitic cause of death worldwide. Investigation of the transcriptional machinery of this eukaryotic pathogen has revealed an unusual core promoter structure that consists of nonconsensus TATA and initiator regions and a novel third conserved core promoter sequence, the GAAC element. Mutation of this region in the hgl5 promoter decreases reporter gene expression and alters the transcription start site. Using positional analysis of this element, we have now demonstrated that it is able to direct a new transcription start site, 2–7 bases downstream of itself, independent of TATA and Inr regions. The GAAC region was also shown to control the rate of transcription via nuclear run on analysis and an amebic nuclear protein was demonstrated to specifically interact with this sequence. This is the first description in the eukaryotic literature of a third conserved core promoter element, distinct from TATA or initiator regions, that is able to direct a transcription start site. We have formulated two models for the role of the GAAC region: (i) the GAAC-binding protein is a part of the TFIID complex and (ii) the GAAC-binding protein functions to “tether” TATA-binding protein to the TATA box.
Turbo Equalization with Channel Prediction and Iterative Channel Estimation

Turbo equalization that cooperates with channel prediction and iterative channel estimation is investigated for mobile broadband communications. Frames of information bits are encoded, interleaved, and mapped to symbols for transmission over time-varying radio channels. The Turbo receiver consists of a maximum a posteriori probability equalizer/demapper and a soft-input soft-output maximum a posteriori probability decoder. With initial channel estimates and sparse pilot insertion across many frames, the receiver predicts the channel of the current frame. The effect of error propagation of channel prediction is mitigated by the de-interleaver that is embedded in the Turbo receiver. The predicted and interpolated channel is refined through the channel estimator that uses the soft estimates of the symbols at each Turbo iteration. Due to the bandlimiting feature of the varying channel, the estimation errors are smoothed by the low-pass filters that follow the channel estimator. Simulation results show that incorporating Turbo equalization with channel prediction and iterative channel estimation can combat fast channel variation and improve reception performance.
Transient thermoelasticity and other body force effects in boundary element shape sensitivity analysis

Structural shape design sensitivity analysis (DSA) is presented for objects subjected to gravity, centrifugal, and general thermal loading. DSA employs implicit differentiation of the governing boundary integral equations. Both a surface integral and a particular integral approach are discussed for computation of these effects in response analysis and sensitivity analysis. It is shown that the particular integral approach is capable of computing the sensitivities of objects subjected to nonharmonic temperature distributions. Attention is also given to several techniques for the modeling of temperature distributions in the DSA process. In particular, an approach that eliminates the need for the incorporation of thermal response analysis and sensitivity analysis is described in the overall shape optimization process. A sharp corner formulation is also presented that can account for the jump in the surface traction components at a sharp corner in an interzone boundary.
Science, religion and difficult dialectics

Discussing themes from my paper Scientists at play in a field of the Lord, three forum participants identify and discuss continuing social and epistemological issues which continue to challenge effective evolution education. I extend these themes and further amplify the vexing nature of an effective dialectic regarding evolution, especially for Creationists. By doing so, I offer that a full dialectic regarding evolution in classrooms requires quite a bit more explicit historicizing of both the nature of science and religion.
Documenting an Episode of Psychiatric Illness: Need for Multiple Information Sources, Multiple Raters, and Narrative

It is argued that the structured psychiatric interview, which has become the foundation of much modern clinical research, is not a sufficient method of documenting an episode of psychotic illness. This valuable resource needs to be supplemented by a high standard of recorded observation throughout hospitalization by all staff in contact with the patient. The conversion of observations into ratings can involve considerable error and should be left to at least two highly trained research workers. The only data worthy of this effort are the entire body of clinical information obtained from all sources. This requires detailed written records. The advantages of a narrative record, in addition to numerical ratings, is that it can be reinterpreted at any time using different systems of psychopathological or nosological ideas.
Ammonia in Texas Streams during Low Flow from Municipal Wastewater

: An investigation of treated municipal wastewaters discharged into Texas streams was conducted to determine the probable effect of concentrations of ammonia in receiving waters, based on existing data on ammonia levels which are lethal to various species of fish. Recorded data for most Texas cities were analyzed. Based on existing toxicity criteria for ammonia of 1/10 TLm= 0.31 mg/1 NH3-N, employing known discharge flow rates, and 7-day, 5-year or 7-day, 10-year low flows in Texas streams, appreciable numbers of sites were found to pose a threat to various species of fish. Using the bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) as a median tolerance limit species, data from 65 cities which met the aforecited requirements, were analyzed. Those included a total of 92 wastewater effluents. Sixty-nine percent of those cities and 70% of their effluents exceeded the 0.31 mg/1 NH3-N limit in the stream below the discharge point. Thirty-seven percent of the cities equaled or exceeded the 96-hour TLm concentration limit of 3.1 mg/1 ammonia. Based on the 10 mg/1 NO3-N standard for intake water for potable supplies, 32% of the effluents resulted in a stream concentration which exceeded 10 mg/1, assuming a straight conversion of NH3-N to NO3-N.
Collaborative landscape-scale ecological research: Emerging trends in urban and regional ecology

Long-term environmental changes in urban ecosystems in the United States such as habitatloss and fragmentation, drastic modiﬁcations of local and regional climate, and contam-ination and depletion of water resources have raised concerns among researchers acrossmany disciplines, such as ecology, geography, anthropology, sociology, planning, and de-sign. Certain disciplines, such as landscape architecture, urban planning, and urban design,can help determine how policies, plans, designs, and management strategies respond tothe long-term environmental changes in urban environments. New research initiatives inurban and regional ecology in the United States represent an unprecedented opportunityfor a broader dialogue between ecologists, social scientists, planners, and designers aboutthe future of cities worldwide. However, the integration of ecological research into urbanpolicy, planning, design, and management strategies is complex, but it is one of the keyissues and research priorities in landscape ecology (Musacchio and Wu, 2002; Wu andHobbs, 2002). In order to address this challenge, ecologists, social scientists, planners,and designers will need to work collaboratively to develop interdisciplinary approaches forunderstandingtheeffectsoflong-termchangesinurbanspatialpatterns,landscapes,anden-vironmental quality. Landscape architects, urban planners, and urban designers will need tobeabletoutilizesuchinterdisciplinaryinformationinthedevelopmentofsustainablehumansettlements.In the United States, important examples of interdisciplinary approaches are occurringat emerging centers of urban ecological research and application such as Baltimore (MD),Detroit (MI), Phoenix (AZ), Seattle (WA), and Willamette Valley (OR). These groupsare performing large-scale ecological studies of urbanized and urbanizing regions and arefundedbyrecentinitiativesoftheNationalScienceFoundation(e.g.,Long-TermEcologicalResearch and Biocomplexity), Environmental Protection Agency (e.g., Science To AchieveResults),NASA(e.g.,LandUseandLandCoverChangeresearch),UnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey, and United States Department of Agriculture. The researchers include ecologists,geologists,socialscientists,planners,anddesignerswhoinvestigatehowecologicalresearch
The Effect of Burn Center Volume on Mortality in a Pediatric Population: An Analysis of the National Burn Repository.

The effect of burn center volume on mortality has been demonstrated in adults. The authors sought to evaluate whether such a relationship existed in burned children. The National Burn Repository, a voluntary registry sponsored by the American Burn Association, was queried for all data points on patients aged 18 years or less and treated from 2002 to 2011. Facilities were divided into quartiles based on average annual burn volume. Demographics and clinical characteristics were compared across groups, and univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to evaluate relationships between facility volume, patient characteristics, and mortality. The authors analyzed 38,234 patients admitted to 88 unique facilities. Children under age 4 years or with larger burns were more likely to be managed at high-volume and very high–volume centers (57.12 and 53.41%, respectively). Overall mortality was low (0.85%). Comparing mortality across quartiles demonstrated improved unadjusted mortality rates at the low- and high-volume centers compared with the medium-volume and very high–volume centers although univariate logistic regression did not find a significant relationship. However, multivariate analysis identified burn center volume as a significant predictor of decreased mortality after controlling for patient characteristics including age, mechanism of injury, burn size, and presence of inhalation injury. Mortality among pediatric burn patients is low and was primarily related to patient and injury characteristics, such as burn size, inhalation injury, and burn cause. Average annual admission rate had a significant but small effect on mortality when injury characteristics were considered.
Two-photon coherence and symmetry of χ(3) in semiconductors

The polarization dependence of degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) in semiconductors provides information about the symmetry of the optically coupled states. Extracting this information, however, requires a realistic and general theoretical model that includes the frequency dispersion as well as the polarization dependence of the bound-electronic χ(3).
Further Studies on the Metabolism of Thimet by Plants, Insects, and Mammals

The oxidative and hydrolytic metabolism of Thimet by plants, insects and mammals were further studied with chromatographic and radiotracer techniques. Bean plants, southern army worms ( Prodenia eridania (Cram.)), albino rats, and a cow were utilized. The proportions of Thimet, oxidized derivatives, and hydrolysis products were determined with bean plants which had absorbed Thimet through their roots, with armyworms which had fed on these plants, and with the feces of the armyworms. Armyworms were more efficient than bean plants in vivo in oxidation of the phosphorothioate group of Thimet and in hydrolysis of the oxidation products. With the mammals, the excretory products and tissue residues were investigated. Extreme difficulty was encountered in extraction of the radioactivity from the tissues of the treated rats and cow. The relative insect and mammalian toxicity and stability to hydrolysis by alkali are reported for Thimet and its oxidation products.
Genetype of non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enteroviruses caused hand, foot and mouth disease in Chaoyang of Beijing

Objective To explore the pathogenic spectrum and predominant type of non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enteroviruses caused hand, foot and mouth disease(HFMD) in Chaosyang, Beijing in 2012. Methods The 815 specimens were collected from outpatient and in-patient cases of HFMD. The specimens which were non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enteroviruses were identified by real-time PCR. The genotyping of non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enteroviruses was performed by PCR and sequencing of 5'UTR and VP2 sequences.The sequence and phylogenetic analysis of the VP2 genes was performed. Results 61 specimens were identified as non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enterovirus positive by real-time PCR. And the types of the non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enterovirus were identified by sequence BLAST: 44 CoxA10(73.3%, 44/60), 8 CoxA6(13.3%, 8/60) and 1 CoxA4(1.7%, 1/60). 1 out of 61 specimens was tested as EV71 and 7 specimens were failed to typing. The CoxA10, CoxA6 and CoxA4 enterovirus in this study had high homology with those isolated in China, while lower homology with their prototype viruses described in the NCBI database. Phylogenetic analysis showed that there were two lineages of CoxA6 co-circulating in Chaoyang. Conclusion Hand, foot and mouth disease in Chaoyang, Beijing is concerned with diverse non-EV71, non-CoxA16 enteroviruses, including CoxA10, CoxA6 and CoxA4. And CoxAl0 is the predominant type among non-EV71, non-CoxAl6 enteroviruses.
Impact of p53, p21 and cell cycle check points in the response of pancreatic tumors to temozolomide and O6-Benzylguanine

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 1378 Pancreatic tumors are refractive to DNA alkylating agents due to their high O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) activity. An impressive enhancement in the efficacy of carmustine (BCNU) and temozolomide (TMZ) has been demonstrated in p53 efficient human pancreatic tumor xenografts following inactivation of MGMT with O6-benzylguanine (BG). Here we report that mutant-p53 cell lines are markedly more resistant than wt-p53 cell lines to treatment with TMZ in the presence of BG and that induction of a p53 dependent G1/S followed by a p53 independent G2/M cell cycle arrest in response to TMZ induced DNA damage correlates with enhanced apoptosis. Accordingly, we postulate that the induction of p53/p21 dependent cell cycle arrest by TMZ and concomitant preservation of O6-methylguanine (O6MeG) adducts by continuous depression of MGMT levels are prerequisites for an optimal apoptotic response. In support of the above, we have determined that levels of p53, nuclear p21, BAX and BCL-2 proteins remain unchanged following treatment of the mut-p53 Capan-1 or MEF (p53 -/-) lines with TMZ plus BG. This contrasts with the response of Capan-2 and MEF(p53 +/+, +/−) lines to TMZ plus BG, where marked induction of p53, p21 and BAX correlate with a 5 fold increase in apoptosis over that observed in p53 deficient lines. Of significant importance in the toxicity of TMZ for p53 efficient lines is the early induction of the mismatch repair (MMR) proteins PMS 1 and 2 and MLH 1, which participate in the abortive repair of O6-MeG mismatches and the subsequent cell killing. The induction of these proteins and their expected contribution to the efficacy of MMR related toxicity may be additive to the early apoptotic response related to the p53 mediated G1/S arrest. The above demonstrate that p53/p21 induced cell cycle arrest not only induces a classic proapoptotic response by blocking G1/S progression, but it also may facilitate cell killing by upregulating the MMR response.
Spontaneous Calcification in F34/Slc and F344/JCL Rats

F344/Slc and F344/JCL rats 2 years of age were histologically examined for the incidence and distribution of calcification. In the male rats of both strains, calcification was observed in the testis, lung, brain, kidney, heart, aorta, cornea, prostate and seminal vesicle respectively. In the female F344/JCL rats, calcification appeared in the kidney, lung, cornea, brain, stomach, ovary and heart. Among these of both sexes, the lung was one of the most affected organs for calcification. On the other hand, calcification in the kidney was more severe and frequent in the females than in the males, suggesting that the sex may be one of enhancing factors for calcification.
Healthcare financing and the cost of cancer care.

Controlling healthcare spending has been, and appears destined to remain, at the center of the public policy debate at each level of government, given that much of the healthcare bill is paid by taxpayers.
Language politics and indigenous language documents: evidence in colonial K’ichee’ litigation in seventeenth-century highland Guatemala

Prevalent scholarly studies of indigenous language documents from Mesoamerica's colonial times include the predominant argument that they were written by native scribes to protect community interests. The belief is that scribes performed as notaries in municipal councils to generate native language notarial documents as indemnity against possible infractions of their communities’ rights to possess property. Notarial documentation was usually extrajudicial, created by the municipal scribe for community protection and not for any specific litigation before a Spanish magistrate. Their writings represented internal municipal administration and the jurisdiction of the native cabildo (town council) within each republic of Indians. They could be utilized, if necessary, to bolster indigenous claims to their rights and privileges in litigation brought before Spanish officials.
Acute Leukemia of Ambiguous Lineage in Elderly Patients – Analysis of Survival Using Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare Database

Abstract Background Acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage (ALAL) is a rare leukemia with sparse data availability about the survival and management strategies in elderly patients. Methods We used the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to describe the overall survival (OS) and treatment pattern of elderly patients (age > 65 years) with ALAL. OS analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method, and its determinants were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard regression method with a significant P Results We included 705 patients with ALAL and a median age of 80 years. The 2-year OS was 16.4% for patients aged 66 to 70 years, 8.1% for patients aged 71 to 75 years, 5.5% for patients aged 76 to 80 years, and 3.7% for patients aged > 80 years ( P P P = .004) and chemotherapy (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.42-0.62; P = .001) significantly reduced the hazard for mortality. Conclusion Our study suggests that the OS of elderly patients with ALAL remains poor. Although treatment improved the OS, only 21.5% of patients received therapy. The optimal choice of therapy needs to be determined by prospective studies.
Population FBA predicts metabolic phenotypes in yeast

Using protein counts sampled from single cell proteomics distributions to constrain fluxes through a genome-scale model of metabolism, Population flux balance analysis (Population FBA) successfully described metabolic heterogeneity in a population of independent Escherichia coli cells growing in a defined medium. We extend the methodology to account for correlations in protein expression arising from the co-regulation of genes and apply it to study the growth of independent Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in two different growth media. We find the partitioning of flux between fermentation and respiration predicted by our model agrees with recent 13C fluxomics experiments, and that our model largely recovers the Crabtree effect (the experimentally known bias among certain yeast species toward fermentation with the production of ethanol even in the presence of oxygen), while FBA without proteomics constraints predicts respirative metabolism almost exclusively. The comparisons to the 13C study showed improvement upon inclusion of the correlations and motivated a technique to systematically identify inconsistent kinetic parameters in the literature. The minor secretion fluxes for glycerol and acetate are underestimated by our method, which indicate a need for further refinements to the metabolic model. For yeast cells grown in synthetic defined (SD) medium, the calculated broad distribution of growth rates matches experimental observations from single cell studies, and we characterize several metabolic phenotypes within our modeled populations that make use of diverse pathways. Fast growing yeast cells are predicted to perform significant amount of respiration, use serine-glycine cycle and produce ethanol in mitochondria as opposed to slow growing cells. We use a genetic algorithm to determine the proteomics constraints necessary to reproduce the growth rate distributions seen experimentally. We find that a core set of 51 constraints are essential but that additional constraints are still necessary to recover the observed growth rate distribution in SD medium.
Role of Brca1 in regulating the ovarian cycle

3866 Most women with familial breast and ovarian cancer carry germline mutations in BRCA1. Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that menstrual cycle activity is associated with increased risk of sporadic ovarian carcinoma. We hypothesized that BRCA1 mutations might predispose to gynecological cancers indirectly by influencing the menstrual cycle. To test our hypothesis, we utilized the Cre-LoxP approach to inactivate Brca1 specifically in ovarian granulosa cells, which play a critical role regulating menstrual cycle by secreting a number of reproductive hormones. We previously reported that 60% of mutant mice developed benign serous ovarian and/or uterine cystadenomas. These cystic tumors did not develop in granulosa cells and resembled human serous cystadnomas, which are benign tumors composed of the same cell type as ovarian serous carcinomas. The estrus cycle is composed of four stages: pre-estrus, estrus, metestrus and diestrus. We sought to determine whether Brca1 inactivation in granulosa cells influences this cycle in our mouse model by measuring and comparing the length of each phase in a group of age-matched mutant versus normal mice when they were 3 months, 8 months and 14 months old. The mice were sacrificed at 14 months in order to correlate any cyclic change to tumor predisposition. Daily vaginal lavages were obtained over a period spanning several consecutive cycles. The samples were spread on glass slides and stained with Papanicolou (PAP) stain. The average length of each phase was calculated for each individual mouse and used to calculate the average length ± SD for the entire group. An increase in the length of proestrus was seen in mutant mice that was most significant at 8 months (1.6 ± 0.45 days versus 0.9 ± 0.23 days, P=0.003). Proestrus corresponds to the follicular phase of the human menstrual cycle. There was also a decrease in the length of metestrus (corresponding to the luteal phase in the human menstrual cycle) resulting in a shorter time period between consecutive estrus phases in the mutant mice. In the 8 month old age group, mutant mice that developed cystadenomas underwent a total of 6.4 ± 0.83 estrus over a 30 days period compared to 4.0 ± 0.01 in mutant mice that did not develop tumors (p = 0.03), suggesting a correlation between cycle abnormalities and tumor predisposition. Furthermore, 75% of mice that showed cycle abnormalities developed cysts compared to 33% of those who had normal cycles. Given that proestrus is characterized by estrogen secretion while estrogen and progesterone are both secreted during metestrus, the results suggest that mutant mice have a relative increase in estrogen stimulation unopposed by progesterone. This raises the possibility that similar hormonal changes, if present in women with germline BRCA1 mutations, might account for predisposition to breast and reproductive cancers in these individuals.