cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of an osmotin-like protein gene from strawberry and analysis of the response of this gene to abiotic stresses.

A strawberry genomic clone containing an osmotin-like protein (OLP) gene, designated FaOLP2, was isolated and sequenced. FaOLP2 is predicted to encode a precursor protein of 229 amino acid residues, and its sequence shares high degrees of homology with a number of other OLPs. Genomic DNA hybridization analysis indicated that FaOLP2 represents a multi-gene family. The expression of FaOP2 in different strawberry organs was analyzed using real-time PCR. The results showed that FaOLP2 expressed at different levels in leaves, crowns, roots, green fruits and ripe red fruits. In addition, the expression of FaOLP2 under different abiotic stresses was analyzed at different time points. All of the three tested abiotic stimuli, abscisic acid, salicylic acid and mechanical wounding, triggered a significant induction of FaOLP2 within 2-6 h post-treatment. Moreover, FaOLP2 was more prominently induced by salicylic acid than by abscisic acid or mechanical wounding. The positive responses of FaOLP2 to the three abiotic stimuli suggested that strawberry FaOLP2 may help to protect against osmotic-related environmental stresses and that it may also be involved in plant defense system against pathogens.
Polyamine metabolism, RNA synthesis, and proliferation in densityinhibited 3T3 cells

Abstract Density-inhibited cultures of 3T3 cells were stimulated with calf serum or with one of 11 other agents reported to cause cells in culture to divide. In agreement with previous studies, activation of polyamine synthesis and cell number increase showed a similar dose-response to calf serum. In contrast, when the results from all agents were considered together, increases in ornithine decarboxylase activity and putrescine and spermidine concentrations correlated poorly with the stimulation of DNA synthesis and proliferation. However, the increases in polyamine parameters correlated highly with the stimulation of rRNA synthesis by both serum and the other agents. These latter results are consistent with previous evidence of a temporal relationship between polyamine and RNA concentrations and synthesis. Increases in polyamine synthesis were not sufficient to cause cell division in resting 3T3 cells, a result similar to previous observations with rat tissues. Also, results with glucocorticoids demonstrate that induction of cell division in resting 3T3 cells does not require activation of either polyamine or RNA synthesis.
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans and their binding proteins in embryo implantation and placentation

Complex interactions occur among embryonic, placental and maternal tissues during embryo implantation. Many of these interactions are controlled by growth factors, extracellular matrix and cell surface components that share the ability to bind heparan sulfate (HS) polysaccharides. HS is carried by several classes of cell surface and secreted proteins called HS proteoglycan that are expressed in restricted patterns during implantation and placentation. This review will discuss the expression of HS proteoglycans and various HS binding growth factors as well as extracellular matrix components and HS-modifying enzymes that can release HS-bound proteins in the context of implantation and placentation.
White light from blue: white emitting organic LEDs based on spin coated blends of blue-emitting molecules

Abstract White light emission can be obtained from spin-coated blends of two different blue-emitting organic molecules, due to the combination of exciplex formation and residual blue emission. Light-emitting diodes using a blend of 90% N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N′-diphenylbenzidine and 10% 2,5-bis(trimethylsilyl thiophene)-1,1-dioxide emits white light with Commision Internationale l'Eclairage co-ordinates of x=0.34, y=0.38 , close to the equal energy point. We show that exciplex formation does not occur in all relative concentrations of the two components, and we relate this to phase separation in spin coated films, as measured using atomic force microscopy. We suggest that a limit to exciplex formation may be structural, i.e. where the structure and/or morphology of the solid state blend does not allow significant spacial overlap between the HOMO/LUMO of the two components.
Aspects of mandibular morphology, with specific reference to the antegonial notch and the curve of Spee.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether particular metrical traits of the mandibular antegonial notches are associated with specific mandibular growth patterns, and also with the mean depth of the curve of Spee. Thirty pre-treatment lateral cephalometric radiographs belonging to a randomly selected group of patients treated in the orthodontic clinic at the SUNY at Buffalo were digitized. The surface areas of the mandibular antegonial notches, as well as some sagittal facial dimensions were measured on each radiograph. The curve of Spee was measured directly from the pre-treatment mandibular study cast of each patient included in this study. An analysis of variance showed no statistically significant difference (p<0.01) between the measurements recorded by the two examiners who conducted this study. The results of this study showed a statistically significant positive correlation between the surface areas of the antegonial notches and the lower anterior facial heights (r= 0.87, P<0.001)....
INTEGRABILITY AND CHAOS FOR TWO COPROPAGATING PULSES IN OPTICAL FIBERS

Abstract We demonstrate that a coupled system of nonlinear Schrodinger equations describing copropagating pulses in optical fibers are integrable for certain values of the coupling constants. To determine the integrable cases we used a Painleve test. For other choices of the coupling parameters we found chaos of a Hamiltonian system.
Exercise-induced hives

Cholinergic or generalized heat urticaria is characterized by the onset of small punctate wheals surrounded by a prominent erythematous flare associated with exercise, hot showers, sweating, and anxiety.’ The rash typically first appears about the neck and upper thorax, and when viewed from a distance, it appears as a flush (hives may not be perceived). However, pruritus is a prominent feature of the reaction and, upon close inspection, small punctate wheals can be discerned, sometimes as small as 1 mm in diameter. Gradually the lesions spread distally to involve the face, back, and extremities, and the wheals increase in size. In some patients the hives become confluent and resemble angioedema.’ Also, symptoms of cholinergic stimulation, such as lacrimation, salivation, and diarrhea, are occasionally seen. These various stimuli have the common feature of being mediated by cholinergic nerve fibers that innervate the musculature via parasympathetic neurons and innervate the sweat glands by cholinergic fibers that travel with the sympathetic nerves.” The characteristic lesion of cholinergic urticaria can be reproduced by intradermal injection of 100 pg of methacholine (Mecholyl) in 0.1 ml of saline solution (Fig. 1). When positive, the resultant localized hive surrounded by satellite lesions is indistinguishable from the patient’s spontaneously induced lesions, which confirms the diagnosis. However, we have found that only about one third of patients give a clearly positive skin test, these generally being the most severe cases. Challenge by exercise (e.g., running in a room warmed to 85” C or using a bicycle ergometer for 10 to 15 min) is a far more sensitive test. Thus the skin test can be used to confirm the diagnosis but cannot be used as a diagnostic test.4 Patients who have a positive Mecholyl skin test demonstrate a “hypersensitivity” to cholinergic mediators but show no evidence of an immunoglobulin-mediated allergy to acetylcholine. It is possible that the disorder is due to an intrinsic cellular abnormality that results in abnormal mediator release in the presence of cholinergic agents. A recent
MICROBIOLOGICAL AND SANITIZER ANALYSIS OF WATER USED FOR COOLING CONTAINERS OF FOOD IN COMMERCIAL CANNING FACTORIES IN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN

The cooling water in 17 food canning plants in Minnesota and Wisconsin was analyzed on site in a mobile laboratory for total aerobic count and for aerobic and anaerobic spore counts. The pH, temperature and chlorine or iodine level of the water were determined. A total of 171 water samples from 42 plant-day evaluations were analyzed. The total aerobic count was found to be a function of the concentration of hypochlorous acid (HOCl), type of cooling system, water temperature and the presence of iodine. Spore levels generally were <3 CFU/ml and did not appear to be related to the sanitizer concentration. The data collected in this study were used in estimating the probability of leaker spoilage in canned foods. The probability of a Clostridium botulinum spore leaking into a can of food was calculated to be less than 2 × 10−6 to 2 × 10−7.
Modeling studies of the effects of wind forcing and thermohaline gradients on the California Current System

Abstract This process-oriented study uses a high-resolution, multi-level, primitive equation model to study the combined effects of wind forcing and thermohaline gradients on the ocean circulation of the California Current System (CCS). The ocean circulation is generated by the model using a combination of climatological wind stress forcing and thermohaline gradients. In the first experiment, the effects of thermohaline gradients alone are evaluated; in the second experiment, previously conducted, the effects of wind forcing are isolated; while in the third experiment, the combined effects of wind forcing and thermohaline gradients are investigated. The results from the combined experiment show that even though the effects of wind forcing dominate the CCS, the additional effects of thermohaline gradients results in the following: the seasonal development of a poleward surface current and an equatorward undercurrent in the poleward end of the model region; an onshore geostrophic component, which results in a temperature front and stronger surface and subsurface currents between Cape Mendocino and Point Arena; and a region of maximum eddy kinetic energy inshore of ∼125W between Cape Mendocino and Point Arena, associated with the temperature front. These model simulations are qualitatively similar to recent hydrographic, altimetric, drifter, and moored observations of the CCS.
Measuring quality and outcomes in pediatric cardiac critical care

Abstract Measuring quality and outcomes in the pediatric cardiac critical care environment is challenging due to many inherent obstacles. These include a diverse patient mix, difficulty in determining how the care of the intensive care unit team contributes to outcomes and lack of an adequate risk-adjustment method for pediatric cardiac critical care patients. Despite these barriers, new solutions are emerging that capitalizes on lessons learned from other quality improvement initiatives and provide opportunities to build on those successes. The infrastructure is in place to develop robust quality metrics, create benchmarks for patient outcomes and to determine the structures and processes that drive variation in outcomes in the pediatric cardiac critical care setting.
Self-optimizing, thermally adaptive microfluidic flow structures

Although microfluidic devices offer many benefits, high fluid shear stresses in such devices are an undesirable consequence of miniaturization. In the present study, we present an adaptive “smart” design that mitigates the effects of high shear stresses in microfluidic-based devices by autonomously optimizing its internal flow structure. This concept was demonstrated by testing a prototype microscale thermal-fluid device that responded to changes in the local thermal environment. The autonomous, self-optimizing functionality was achieved using poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel actuated microvalves, which independently controlled the flow to four distinct regions within the device. The experimental results showed that the device optimized its internal topological flow arrangement such that fluid was delivered only to regions where cooling was required. As a result, a series of spatially distributed thermal loads were dissipated with minimal pumping power consumption.
Physical Health in Preschool Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

Exposure to violence and traumatic events during childhood has long been associated with poor physical and psychological health during adulthood. Very few studies, however, have taken steps to understand the immediate relationship between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and physical health problems in young children. In this study, we examined the mother-reported physical health problems of 102 preschool-age children who have been exposed to IPV. We found that children exhibiting more traumatic stress symptoms displayed fewer total health problems; however, gastrointestinal problems and asthma were related to poor psychological adjustment. We also found that preschool-age girls were more likely to display health problems than boys. Future studies of the physical health consequences of exposure to IPV in young children would benefit from examinations of specific changes in physiological processes to draw conclusions about the effects of violence on immune system functioning and physical health.
Stable boundary approximations for a class of implicit schemes for the one-dimensional inviscid equations of gas dynamics

The applicability to practical calculations of recent theoretical developments in the stability analysis of difference approximations for initial-boundary-value problems of the hyperbolic type. For the numerical experiments, select the one-dimensional inviscid gas-dynamic equations in conservation-law form is selected. A class of implicit schemes based on linear multistep methods for ordinary differential equations is chosen and the use of space or space-time extrapolations as implicit or explicit boundary schemes is emphasized. Some numerical examples with various inflow-outflow conditions highlight the commonly discussed issues: explicit versus implicit boundary schemes, unconditionally stable schemes, and underspecification or overspecification of boundary conditions.
Interconnection networks: physical design and performance analysis

This paper considers various physical constraints which influence the design of interconnection networks used in multiprocessor systems. Design expressions are presented for implementing an N log N packet passing interconnection network composed of circuit switched crossbar chip modules. Expressions reflecting chip level and board level pin and area constraints are derived and used to determine the network delay expected at a given clock frequency. Logic and memory delay, signal path delay, clock skew, and clock distribution delay parameters are defined and used to determine the maximum frequency which can be obtained with a given design. An example 2048 × 2048 network design is considered. This example indicates that using aggressive packaging and MOS technology, a clock frequency of about 40 Mhz is achievable. However, even at this frequency, this network would result in a one-way delay (ignoring blocking and hot spot delays) of about 1 μsec. A read operation from memory requiring a round trip would thus require about 2 μsec. This represents considerable slowdown when compared with accessing strictly local memory and appears to be a major problem in the design of network centered multiprocessor architectures.
Factors Associated with Changes in Knowledge and Attitude towards Public Health Concepts among Chiropractic College Students Enrolled in a Community Health Class

Purpose: This survey was conducted to identify factors that may be associated with changes in knowledge and attitudes towards basic health promotion and public health concepts among chiropractic students enrolled in a course in community health.
Structure of an Evolving Hailstorm, Part III: Internal Structure from Doppler Radar

Abstract Two X-hand Doppler radars observed a hailstorm that passed directly over one of the radars during the 1973 National Hail Research Experiment (NHRE). While one of the radars scanned the storm at low elevation angles the other radar, which operated simultaneously in a zenith–pointing mode, measured part of an updraft. Observations by other NHRE participants assisted in interpreting the radial velocity fields so that inflow and outflow could be identified from the scanning radar measurements. The peak updrafts occurred just ahead of. the highest reflectivity while the strongest downdrafts were found only 6 km behind the updraft. Strong turbulence was generated in the transition region between updraft and downdraft as evidenced by large velocity variances. A substantial part of the downdraft appeared to have been led by air that had ascended in the updraft. Low–level velocity fields were in general agreement with surface measurements and showed the outflow toward the front of the storm in the gust fr...
The thiobarbituric acid reaction in relation to fatty livers.

Incubation of a rat liver homogenate ± Fe 2+ gave increased amounts of malonyl-dialdehyde (MDA) 2 for the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction when the rats had previously received large doses of alcohol. Most of the MDA was derived from an in vitro oxidation of the fat which floated to the surface on centrifugation of an homogenate, and the magnitude of the TBA reaction varied with the amount of longchain unsaturated fatty acids in this fraction. The chronic administration of alcohol increased the TBA reaction only when the alcohol produced a fatty liver, and the latter varied with the amount of fat in the diet. Feeding orotic acid gave a fatty liver when the diet was fat-free, but such livers contained only small amounts of the longchain unsaturated fatty acids and formed less MDA on incubation than did the chow controls. Feeding orotic acid with a diet containing 21% of the calories as corn oil gave an equal fatty liver, but the TBA reaction and the long-chain unsaturated fatty acids in the liver were elevated. Hence, the alochol and orotic acid altered the TBA reaction in accordance with the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids deposited in the liver, but the reaction was not a good quantitative measure of any tissue constituent.
Bootstrapping weighted empirical processes that do not converge weakly

We show that the bootstrap method provides valid approximations to the sampling distribution of a weighted empirical process on D[0,1] even in the cases where it fails to converge weakly. Furthermore, the result is applied to construct valid bootstrap confidence sets in such pathological cases.
Direct Behavioral Consultation in Head Start to Increase Teacher Use of Praise and Effective Instruction Delivery

Chronic disruptive behaviors during early childhood are associated with many poor developmental outcomes including, but not limited to, school dropout and conduct disorder during adolescence. Much is known regarding effective intervention procedures for disruptive classroom behaviors by preschool children. Unfortunately, evidence-based intervention procedures may not be implemented with integrity in applied settings. Direct behavioral consultation may increase teacher intervention integrity because of direct training procedures used with teachers and students during routine classroom activities. This study evaluated a nondisruptive direct training method for increasing Head Start teachers' use of praise and effective instruction delivery. Results indicated that the direct training procedure implemented during routine instructional activities resulted in increased use of praise and effective instruction delivery that maintained following training. Additionally, increased use of praise and effective instruc...
Humor and disagreement: Identity construction and cross-cultural enrichment

Abstract In this study, disagreement and humor intertwine to enrich pragmatic and cultural knowledge and display personal identity among near-native users of English in cross-cultural communication. The study adopts ethnography of communication approach to data collection and analysis. My original data consist of three hours of audio-taped interactions among a group of four female friends who come from different countries and are engaged in ordinary social conversations, reflecting on the world through language socialization. The emphasis lies on their use of teasing and disagreement as educational tools rather than conflict indicators and the implementation of these tools to maintain a strong relationship, raise cultural awareness, and gain knowledge of the world. The data show that teasing and disagreement can be used jointly not only to establish relational identity display and development but also to reaffirm a preexisting one and to elaborate on topics that lead to scope expansion and acquisition of new notions that have not been encountered previously. These conversations create an atmosphere for scaffolding and learning, not only about language but also about other cultures and other peoples’ behavior and pragmatics. Out of such socializations, new norms may evolve and new identities may emerge. Therefore, this study intends to encourage teaching L 2 in natural settings where students can communicate their ideas freely without any limitations.
Surviving Rescue: A Feminist Reading of Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins

Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins tells the archetypal story of the young, virgin, orphan girl who is vulnerable to either debauchery or rescue. That such a girl must succumb to either one or the other is a necessary element of the archetype. In O’Dell’s work—one intended, after all, for children—the heroine is rescued by a paternalistic figure and re-inscribed into the patriarchal world. Yet, in the hands of young readers, Island—part fairytale, part rescue narrative, part feminist parable—becomes a story of independence and survival, despite the heroine’s “rescue” at the end.
Concurrent commercialization and new‐product adoption for construction products

Purpose – This paper aims to report on data from case studies of development process, and a survey of use patterns over ten years, for 13 highly innovative products. While the paper does not claim concurrent commercialization (CC) as a universal solution, it aims to highlight significant correlates between management best practice, concurrent commercialization and builder use rates for these 13 highly innovative products in the USA residential construction industry.Design/methodology/approach – To study the effect of CC on new‐product adoption rates by installers, the authors assembled data from the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Builders' Practices Survey (BPS) for the years 1996 through 2005. The data collection was executed in three phases. Best practices were collected from literature. Explanatory variables regarding best practice and presence of CC were collected and measured through case studies. The measure of market penetration, based on the concept of innovativeness, was obtained f...
The relationship between maternal role attainment and postpartum depression.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between postpartum depressive symptoms and maternal role attainment. This study was part of a larger project using a nonrandomized, longitudinal, descriptive design. A convenience sample of 168 primiparous women in their last trimester of an uncomplicated pregnancy were recruited from community hospital-sponsored prenatal classes in central Illinois, and 136 women completed questionnaires 9-14 weeks after delivery. Postpartum depression was measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Three measures of maternal role attainment were the Myself as Mother Scale, My Baby Scale, and Perceived Competence Scale. Postpartum depression demonstrated a significant, negative relationship to all measures of maternal role attainment (r = -.20 to -.35, p < .01). The occurrence of postpartum depression and its negative influence on maternal role attainment emphasize the need to assess all new mothers for depression 2-3 months after delivery.
A diaphorase-like action of 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase.

Abstract 1. 1. An oxidation of DPNH by the dye, 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol, catalyzed by hydrogen ions, and the relationship of the oxidative reaction to the irreversible modification of DPNH catalyzed by hydrogen ions has been described. 2. 2. A reaction between 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde dehydrogenase and 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol to give a 360 mμ absorbing material has been studied, and an effect of pH, as well as a number of inhibitors on the formation of the dye-protein complex, has been demonstrated. 3. 3. The dye-protein complex has been shown to catalyze the oxidation of DPNH by the dye; this diaphorase-like activity has been discussed with regard to the oxidation of the usual substrate by the dehydrogenase.
The spin glass correlation length and the crossover from three to two dimensions

Abstract The identification of a time and temperature dependent spin glass correlation length, ξ ( t , T ) , has consequences for samples of finite size. Previous experiments on layered samples show a suppression of the freezing temperature with decreasing sample thickness. The correlation length exceeding the finite sample thickness can explain these results. This novel analysis lends further credence to the correlation length paradigm of understanding spin glasses.
Effects of Hyperoxia on Tumor Necrosis Factor α and Groβ Expression in Newborn Rabbit Lungs

Chemokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory processes, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia in mechanically ventilated premature infants. We hypothesized that early expression of the proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), would be followed by later expression of the downstream chemokine, Groβ, in the oxygen-injured newborn lung. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ribonuclease protection assay (RPA) were used to assess TNFα and Groβ mRNA expression in lung RNA samples from newborn rabbits exposed to >95% O2 for 8–9 days, followed by 60% O2 for a further 2–4 weeks or from control rabbits exposed to air. Four lung samples per condition were collected every 2 days from day 0 to day 14, and at days 22 and 36. Rabbit alveolar macrophages (AM) stimulated in vitro with bacterial lipopolysaccharide served as positive controls (n = 8). Groβ mRNA expression in rabbit lung samples increased with oxygen exposure until day 8, then returned toward baseline levels. This corresponded to previously described elevations in neutrophil number in the lungs. TNFα mRNA expression in lung samples was below the limit of detection by RPA and showed no upregulation in hyperoxic lung samples by RT-PCR. TNFα activity was assessed in lung lavage (n = 2 samples per condition per time) using an L929 cell line bioassay and was not increased in hyperoxic animals. The expression of Groβ mRNA without antecedent or concurrent TNFα mRNA expression or activity makes it unlikely that Groβ in the hyperoxic newborn rabbit lung is elaborated in response to a stimulus by TNFα.
Randomized study of stability and change in patients' advance directives†

Little is known about ethnic differences in understanding or using advance directives (ADs). Although health practitioners may presume AD intentions are durable over time, there is no supporting evidence. This randomized study intended to (a) examine differences between hospitalized Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients' AD preferences, (b) assess AD stability, and (c) discover if the Life Support Preferences Questionnaire (LSPQ) influences AD preferences. Hispanics and non-Hispanics showed no difference in AD preferences. However, non-Hispanics were more likely to change AD preferences. The LSPQ itself prompted change in AD preferences, delivering an educational effect with no specific educational intent. Change seen in patients' ADs, even over a brief interval, suggests revisiting AD preferences with patients and their families after hospitalization.
Should readmission within 30 days after discharge of children hospitalized for a neurologic disorder be considered a quality assurance failure

The Affordable Care Act penalizes hospitals with high readmission rates. Children’s hospitals are not yet among these hospitals, although that is likely to change. Because chronic neurologic conditions represent a sizable proportion of all children’s hospitals costs, and because some/many of the readmissions might not be easily prevented, children’s hospitals and neurologists who care for children might be inappropriately penalized for some readmissions. We encourage more study to identify the correlates of readmission of children who have a neurologic disorder.
Interparental Conflict and Preschoolers’ Peer Relations: The Moderating Roles of Temperament and Gender

The relations between destructive interparental conflict (IPC) and three- to six-year-olds’ (N = 62) peer relations were examined as a function of child temperament and gender. Regression analyses indicated that effortful control moderated the relations of IPC with children's amount of peer interaction as well as with their problematic relations with peers. Specifically, high IPC was associated with low amount of interaction and high problematic relations for preschoolers low in effortful control, but it was related to high amount of interaction and low problems for those high in effortful control. Additionally, gender differences in the relations between IPC and the amount of peer interaction indicated that IPC was negatively related to the amount of interaction for girls but positively related to the amount for boys. The findings highlight the need for examining individual differences in the relations between IPC and the development of early peer relations.
Evaluation of Escherichia coli proteins that burden nonaffinity‐based chromatography as a potential strategy for improved purification performance

Escherichia coli is a favored host for rapid, scalable expression of recombinant proteins for academic, commercial, or therapeutic use. To maximize its economic advantages, however, it must be coupled with robust downstream processes. Affinity chromatography methods are unrivaled in their selectivity, easily resolving target proteins from crude lysates, but they come with a significant cost. Reported in this study are preliminary efforts to integrate downstream separation with upstream host design by evaluating co-eluting host proteins that most severely burden two different nonaffinity-based column processes. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and peptidase D were significant contaminants during serial purification of green fluorescent protein (GFP) by hydrophobic interaction and anion exchange chromatography. Ribosomal protein L25 dominated non-target binding of polyarginine-tagged GFP on cation exchange resin. Implications for genetic knockout or site-directed mutagenesis resulting in diminished column retention are discussed for these and other identified contaminants. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012
Fundamental limits of almost lossless analog compression

In Shannon theory, lossless source coding deals with the optimal compression of discrete sources. Compressed sensing is a lossless coding strategy for analog sources by means of multiplication by real-valued matrices. In this paper we study almost lossless analog compression for analog memoryless sources in an information-theoretic framework, in which the compressor is not constrained to linear transformations but it satisfies various regularity conditions such as Lipschitz continuity. The fundamental limit is shown to be the information dimension proposed by Renyi in 1959.
Cytologic differentiation between proliferative and nonproliferative breast disease in mammographically guided fine-needle aspirates.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is considered a valid diagnostic procedure in management of patients with breast lesions. It is also important to differentiate benign nonproliferative change from proliferative breast changes, since the risk of development of breast carcinoma in patients with atypical hyperplasia is 4–5 times that of general population. Therefore, the recognition of proliferative breast disease with atypia significantly impacts on the patient's subsequent management. To assess the feasibility of a cytologic grading system to further characterize benign breast lesions, cytologic preparation of 87 mammographically guided FNABs were studied. Cellular aspirates were evaluated for the cellular arrangement, the degree of cellular pleomorphism and anisonucleosis, presence of myoepithelial cells and nucleoli, and the status of the chromatin pattern. Values ranging from 1 to 4 were assigned to each cytologic criterion, and a score based on the sum of the individual values was calculated for each case. The minimum score attainable was thus 6. In our chosen criteria, cytologic diagnosis of nonproliferative disease was entertained when the total score ranged from 6 to 10. Proliferative disease without atypia was diagnosed with a total score ranging from 11 to 14. Atypical hyperplasia was reported when the total score ranged from 15 to 18. A cytologic diagnosis of malignancy was entertained when the total score ranged from 19 to 24. The cytologic diagnosis was then compared to the reported histologic diagnosis from the excisional biopsies and the data were statistically analyzed. A high degree of concordance was found between the cytologic jndings and the histologic diagnosis. This study suggests that it is possible to apply a cytologic grading system to further subclassify benign breast disease and distinguish these forms from neoplastic lesions.
PCORnet: turning a dream into reality.

Many modern physician specialists like to think of their work as grounded in strong science. Yet 5 years ago, a group of cardiologists published their findings on the science underlying over 2700 practice recommendations issued by their specialty societies.1 Only 314 (or 11%) were based on ‘level A’ evidence, that is, evidence based on multiple well-done randomized trials. Nearly half of the recommendations were based solely on ‘expert opinion.’ Even more disconcerting is the fact that despite the activities of many researchers, the vast majority of ongoing clinical trials are too small to provide evidence relevant to patients and clinicians.2 Robust trials that can support recommendations grounded in solid science are few and far between, in part because they have become too expensive and complicated to run. Our biomedical enterprise is conducting many clinical trials, yet we may not be getting all that much for what we spend.3 No wonder that too often, patients and caregivers seeking information on how best to improve their health or the health of their loved ones find that biomedicine does not have answers for questions they ask. Too often, clinicians cannot tell patients which therapies are likely to work best for individuals like them. Too often risks, benefits, and impact on quality of life are uncertain. Providing accurate answers based on the highest levels of scientific evidence for the majority of unresolved clinical questions is a revolutionary dream shared by patients, providers, payers, health plans, researchers, and policy makers alike. PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research … Correspondence to Dr Kathy L Hudson, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; kathy.hudson{at}nih.gov
CD4+ T-Helper Cells Stimulated in Response to Placental Ischemia Mediate Hypertension During Pregnancy

We have shown that hypertension in response to chronic placental ischemia is associated with elevated inflammatory cytokines and CD4(+) T cells. However, it is unknown whether these cells play an important role in mediating hypertension in response to placental ischemia. Therefore, we hypothesize that reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP)-induced CD4(+) T cells increase blood pressure during pregnancy. To answer this question, CD4(+) T cells were isolated from spleens at day 19 of gestation from control normal pregnant (NP) and pregnant RUPP rats, cultured, and adjusted to 10(6) cells per 100 μL of saline for intraperitoneal injection into NP rats at day 13 of gestation. On day 18, in the experimental groups of rats, arterial catheters were inserted, and on day 19 mean arterial pressure was analyzed. Inflammatory cytokines and antiangiogenic factor soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 were determined via ELISA. Mean arterial pressure increased from 104±2 mm Hg in NP rats to 124±2 mm Hg in RUPP rats (P<0.001) and to 118±1 mm Hg in rats receiving RUPP CD4(+) T cells (P<0.001). Circulating tumor necrosis factor-α and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 were elevated in recipients of RUPP CD4(+) T cells to levels similar to control RUPP rats. In contrast, virgin rats injected with NP or RUPP CD4(+) T cells exhibited no blood pressure changes compared with control virgin rats. Importantly, mean arterial pressure did not change in recipients of NP CD4(+) T cells (109±3 mm Hg). These data support the hypothesis that RUPP-induced CD4(+) T cells play an important role in the pathophysiology of hypertension in response to placental ischemia.
Explaining large-scale patterns of vertebrate diversity

The major clades of vertebrates differ dramatically in their current species richness, from 2 to more than 32 000 species each, but the causes of this variation remain poorly understood. For example, a previous study noted that vertebrate clades differ in their diversification rates, but did not explain why they differ. Using a time-calibrated phylogeny and phylogenetic comparative methods, I show that most variation in diversification rates among 12 major vertebrate clades has a simple ecological explanation: predominantly terrestrial clades (i.e. birds, mammals, and lizards and snakes) have higher net diversification rates than predominantly aquatic clades (i.e. amphibians, crocodilians, turtles and all fish clades). These differences in diversification rates are then strongly related to patterns of species richness. Habitat may be more important than other potential explanations for richness patterns in vertebrates (such as climate and metabolic rates) and may also help explain patterns of species richness in many other groups of organisms.
Seasonal hydrologic prediction in the United States: understanding the role of initial hydrologic conditions and seasonal climate forecast skill

Abstract. Seasonal hydrologic forecasts derive their skill from knowledge of initial hydrologic conditions and climate forecast skill associated with seasonal climate outlooks. Depending on the type of hydrological regime and the season, the relative contributions of initial hydrologic conditions and climate forecast skill to seasonal hydrologic forecast skill vary. We seek to quantify these contributions on a relative basis across the Conterminous United States. We constructed two experiments – Ensemble Streamflow Prediction and reverse-Ensemble Streamflow Prediction – to partition the contributions of the initial hydrologic conditions and climate forecast skill to overall forecast skill. In ensemble streamflow prediction (first experiment) hydrologic forecast skill is derived solely from knowledge of initial hydrologic conditions, whereas in reverse-ensemble streamflow prediction (second experiment), it is derived solely from atmospheric forcings (i.e. perfect climate forecast skill). Using the ratios of root mean square error in predicting cumulative runoff and mean monthly soil moisture of each experiment, we identify the variability of the relative contributions of the initial hydrologic conditions and climate forecast skill spatially throughout the year. We conclude that the initial hydrologic conditions generally have the strongest influence on the prediction of cumulative runoff and soil moisture at lead-1 (first month of the forecast period), beyond which climate forecast skill starts to have greater influence. Improvement in climate forecast skill alone will lead to better seasonal hydrologic forecast skill in most parts of the Northeastern and Southeastern US throughout the year and in the Western US mainly during fall and winter months; whereas improvement in knowledge of the initial hydrologic conditions can potentially improve skill most in the Western US during spring and summer months. We also observed that at a short lead time (i.e. lead-1) contribution of the initial hydrologic conditions in soil moisture forecasts is more extensive than in cumulative runoff forecasts across the Conterminous US.
Examine Thy Heart With All Diligence: Evaluation of Cardiac Function Using Fast Computed Tomography

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality in Western society but at its early phase may manifest as subtle alterations in coronary epicardial or microvascular function, including endothelial dysfunction, abnormal perfusion or permeability, and remodeling, which may precede clinical manifestation of vascular disease. These modifications might be associated with subclinical decline in diastolic and/or systolic function and left ventricular (LV) remodeling. Evaluation of myocardial perfusion and microvascular function to identify areas of persistent ischemia or hibernating myocardium, endothelial, or LV dysfunction is, therefore, important for clinical decision-making and fuels the search for noninvasive techniques assessing different stages of cardiac disease. Several noninvasive or minimally invasive techniques currently used to explore cardiac function, such as echocardiography, scintigraphy, and single-photon emission computed tomography, show diagnostic reliability but low spatial resolution and poor anatomic details. Therefore, higher-resolution techniques, like positron emission tomography, MRI, and computed tomography (CT), have been steadily gaining popularity.1 MRI can assess cardiac function, mass, volume, and myocardial viability, with limited application in patients with metal fragments, and positron emission tomography provides reliable estimates of myocardial perfusion and metabolism, albeit at low spatial resolution. Furthermore, since its inception in the 1970s, CT quickly incorporated into clinical practice, and recent technical advances have placed it in the forefront for comprehensive evaluation of cardiac function at several levels, from the function of the heart as a pump, to the behavior of the microvessels that feed its walls (Figure 1). For example, CT overcomes some of the limitations of MRI, because it can study patients with defibrillators or pacemakers, has a shorter acquisition time, and is more available and affordable than positron emission tomography, thus allowing access to cardiac imaging to a greater number of patients. Figure 1. A, schematic of the different levels for cardiac functional evaluation, including global heart, …
Lrig3 regulates neural crest formation in Xenopus by modulating Fgf and Wnt signaling pathways

Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains 3 (Lrig3) was identified by microarray analysis among genes that show differential expression during gastrulation in Xenopus laevis. Lrig3 was expressed in the neural plate and neural crest (NC) at neurula stages, and in NC derivatives and other dorsal structures during tailbud stages. A prominent consequence of the morpholino-induced inhibition of Lrig3 expression was impaired NC formation, as revealed by the suppression of marker genes, including Slug, Sox9 and Foxd3. In the NC induction assay involving Chordin plus Wnt3a-injected animal caps, Lrig3 morpholino inhibited expression of Slug, Sox9 and Foxd3, but not of Pax3 and Zic1. In line with this, Lrig3 knockdown prevented NC marker induction by Pax3 and Zic1, suggesting that Lrig3 acts downstream of these two genes in NC formation. Injection of Lrig3 and Wnt3a led to low-level induction of NC markers and enhanced induction of Fgf3, Fgf4 and Fgf8 in animal caps, suggesting a positive role for Lrig3 in Wnt signaling. Lrig3 could attenuate Fgf signaling in animal caps, did interact with Fgf receptor 1 in cultured cells and, according to context, decreased or increased the induction of NC markers by Fgf. We suggest that Lrig3 functions in NC formation in Xenopus by modulating the Wnt and Fgf signaling pathways.
A Note on Maximizing the Agreement Between Partitions: A Stepwise Optimal Algorithm and Some Properties

Building on Brusco and Steinley (2008), a computationally efficient stepwise optimal heuristic is provided for maximizing the adjusted Rand index (Hubert and Arabie 1985). The proposed algorithm is different than other methods for estimating the maximum value for the adjusted Rand index (e.g., Messatfa 1992) in that it does not rely on mathematical programming; consequently, problems of much larger size can be handled. Using the proposed method, various characteristics of the adjusted Rand index are explored and presented.
The Provider Expressions of Verbal Person-Centeredness (PE-VPC) Scale: Development and Initial Validation

Verbal person-centeredness (VPC) is an important component in understanding social support, as it is one way to distinguish between supportive messages of different quality and associated outcomes. VPC is typically measured from the perspective of support recipients and/or trained coders rather than support providers. The goal of this study was to test a self-report scale measuring support providers’ perceptions of their own VPC communicated during interactions. This manuscript thus outlines four studies detailing the construction and evaluation of the Provider Expressions of Verbal Person-Centeredness (PE-VPC) scale, along with its limitations and research practicality.
An Interface for Rapid Natural Language Processing Development in UIMA

This demonstration presents the Annotation Librarian, an application programming interface that supports rapid development of natural language processing (NLP) projects built in Apache Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA). The flexibility of UIMA to support all types of unstructured data -- images, audio, and text -- increases the complexity of some of the most common NLP development tasks. The Annotation Librarian interface handles these common functions and allows the creation and management of annotations by mirroring Java methods used to manipulate Strings. The familiar syntax and NLP-centric design allows developers to adopt and rapidly develop NLP algorithms in UIMA. The general functionality of the interface is described in relation to the use cases that necessitated its creation.
Inverse Electromagnetic Design for Imaging

We describe an inverse electromagnetic design algorithm to design computer generated holograms in the full-wave domain, with a finite-difference time-domain solver. The algorithm searches for an optimal binary hologram design with the adjoint gradient method.
Observations for Summer Research Success

Summer is the time during law school when the rubber meets the road and law students get to use all those legal research skills they've been developing. Written for Student Lawyer, this column offers tips for law students as they head out to research in the "real world."
A simple disposable continuous-infusion swivel for unrestrained small animals

An easy-to-prepare inexpensive disposable infusion swivel for small animals is described for acute and chronic experiments. The swivel is constructed from common plastic laboratory syringe components, needles, and a three-way stopcock.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Thermal Performance of Gas-Cooled Jet-Impingement Finger-Type Divertor Concept

As a part of the ARIES study, a modular, helium-cooled, jet-impingement, finger-type divertor design that can accommodate an incident heat flux of 10 MW/m2 has been proposed. An experimental and nu...