cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Species of Spiny Pocket Mouse (Heteromyidae: Heteromys) Endemic to Western Ecuador

Whereas previous treatments have considered Heteromys australis the only spiny pocket mouse present in Ecuador, morphological and morphometric analyses of specimens from Ec- uador and southwestern Colombia reveal the presence of two species of the genus. Heteromys australis is distributed in evergreen forests from eastern Panamaand western Venezuela through Colombia to extreme northwestern Ecuador, where it inhabits wet, unseasonal areas of the Chocoand adjacent western slopes of the Andes. We here describe a new species, Heteromys teleus, found only in evergreen forests of central-western Ecuador, in areas less mesic and more seasonal than those characteristic of H. australis. Both species possess dark gray dorsal pelage, but H. teleus differs by larger (nonoverlapping) measurements of the hind foot and distinctive cranial proportions. Most notably, the rostrum of the new species is strik- ingly wide and massive, and the interparietal is narrow and rounded (in contrast to the wide, diamond-shaped interparietal of H. australis). The ranges of the two species together conform to the previously recognized Chocoan evergreen-forest fauna of western Colombia and north- western Ecuador. However, the restriction of H. teleus to evergreen but seasonal forests of the southern Choco ´ (transitional between the relatively unseasonal evergreen forests of the central Chocoto the north and highly seasonal xeric regions to the south) is unique within currently
A numerical investigation of interior resonances in the hybrid FEM/MoM method

The interior resonance problem that can occur when using a hybrid finite-element method/method of moments (FEM/MoM) method to model electromagnetic scattering problems is investigated. Calculations of the bistatic radar cross section of a coated dielectric sphere are presented using different formulations, solution approaches, and solvers. The solutions using the electric-field integral equation have significant errors near an interior resonance frequency. When the combined-field integral equation is employed, satisfactory solutions can be obtained that do not depend on the particular solution approach or solver.
A new genus and two new species of Canthocamptidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from caves in northern Italy

Lessinocamptus n. gen. is established toaccomodate three species from northern Italian caves.It can be ascribed to the family Canthocamptidae Sars1906 and is distinguished from the other genera by thecombined characters of: antenna exopod 1-segmented andbearing 3 setae (or 1 seta and 1 spine); mandibularpalp 2-segmented with distal article bearing 5 setae;swimming legs exopods 3-segmented; setal formula ofexopods: P1 0.0.022; P2 0.1.112; P3 0.1.212; P4 0.1.212; P1endopod 2-segmented; P2 endopod 1- or2-segmented; female P3 endopod 1- or 2-segmented, maleP3 endopod 3-segmented and modified as usual inCanthocamptinae; male P5 baseoendopod with 2 spinesand exopod with 3 spiniform setae. Three species aredescribed in detail: L. caoduroi n.sp. from thevadose zone of Lessinian caves, L. insoletus(Chappuis 1928) and L. pivai n.sp. from cave’Buso della Rana‘ near Vicenza.
Aggressive Behavior Among Military Veterans in Substance Use Disorder Treatment: The Roles of Posttraumatic Stress and Impulsivity

This study examined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and impulsivity as predictors of aggressive behavior among 133 male military veterans entering substance abuse treatment who endorsed difficulty controlling anger in the past year. At treatment intake, participants completed measures assessing PTSD symptom severity, impulsivity and aggressive behavior. Perpetration of aggressive behavior was reassessed 4 months later. Results from multivariate models indicated that PTSD symptom severity and impulsivity explained unique variance in aggressive behavior at intake but not follow-up. Mediation models indicated that the association between PTSD symptom severity and aggressive behavior was accounted for by impulsivity. The identification of impulsivity as a key mediator between trauma symptoms and aggressive behavior has significant clinical and research implications. Based on these findings, clinicians are encouraged to consider a standard assessment of impulsivity and the selection of interventions that target impulsivity as a trans-diagnostic process among at-risk client populations.
Congenital Disorders of Platelet Signal Transduction

After injury to the blood vessel, platelets adhere to the exposed subendothelium by a process (adhesion) that involves the interaction of a plasma protein, von Willebrand factor (vWF), and a specific protein on the platelet surface, glycoprotein Ib (GPIb; the Figure⇓). Adhesion is followed by recruitment of additional platelets that form clumps, a process called aggregation (cohesion). This involves binding of fibrinogen to specific platelet surface receptors—a complex comprising glycoproteins IIb-IIIa (GPIIb-IIIa). Activated platelets release the contents of their granules (secretion or release reaction), such as ADP and serotonin from dense granules, which subsequently cause recruitment of additional platelets. In addition, platelets play a major role in coagulation mechanisms; several key enzymatic reactions occur on the platelet membrane–lipoprotein surface. A number of physiological agonists interact with specific receptors on the platelet surface to induce responses, including a change in platelet shape from discoid to spherical, aggregation, secretion, and thromboxane A2 (TxA2) production. Other agonists such as prostacyclin inhibit these responses. Ligation of the platelet receptors initiates the production or release of several intracellular messenger molecules, including Ca2+ ions, products of phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis by phospholipase C (PLC; diacylglycerol [DG] and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate [InsP3]), TxA2, and cyclic nucleotides (cAMP; the Figure⇓). These subsequently induce or modulate the various platelet responses of Ca2+ mobilization, protein phosphorylation, aggregation, secretion, and liberation of arachidonic acid. The interaction between the agonist receptors and the key intracellular effector enzymes (eg, PLA2, PLC, adenylyl cyclase) is mediated by a group of GTP-binding proteins that are modulated by GTP. As in most secretory cells, platelet activation results in …
ANN implementation of stereo vision using a multi-layer feedback architecture

An artificial neural network (ANN), consisting of three interacting neural modules, is developed for stereo vision. The first module locates sharp intensity changes in each of the images. The edge detection process is basically a bottom-up, one-to-one input-output mapping process with a network structure which is time-invariant. In the second module, a multilayered connectionist network is used to extract the features or primitives For disparity analysis (matching). A similarity measure is defined and computed for each pair of primitive matches and is passed to the third module. The third module solves the difficult correspondence problem by mapping it into a constraint satisfaction problem. Intra- and inter-scanline constraints are used in order to restrict possible feature matches. The inter-scanline constraints are implemented via interconnections of a three-dimensional neural network. The overall process is iterative. At the end of each network iteration, the output of the third constraint satisfaction module feeds back updated information on matching pairs as well as their corresponding location in the left and right images to the input of the second module. This iterative process continues until the output of the third module converges to a stable state. Once the matching process is completed, the disparity can be calculated, and camera calibration parameters can be used to find the three-dimensional location of object points. Results using this computational architecture are shown. >
Measured Mass‐Loss Rates of Solar‐like Stars as a Function of Age and Activity

Collisions between the winds of solar-like stars and the local interstellar medium result in a population of hot hydrogen gas surrounding these stars. Absorption from this hot H i can be detected in high-resolution Lyspectra of these stars from the Hubble Space Telescope. The amount of absorption can be used as a diag- nostic for the stellar mass-loss rate. We present new mass-loss rate measurements derived in this fashion for four stars (� Eri, 61 Cyg A, 36 Oph AB, and 40 Eri A). Combining these measurements with others, we study how mass loss varies with stellar activity. We find that for the solar-like GK dwarfs, the mass loss per unit sur- face area is correlated with X-ray surface flux. Fitting a power law to this relation yields _ M / F 1:15� 0:20 X. The active M dwarf Proxima Cen and the very active RS CVn systemAnd appear to be inconsistent with this relation. Since activity is known to decrease with age, the above power-law relation for solar-like stars sug- gests that mass loss decreases with time. We infer a power-law relation of _ M / t � 2:00� 0:52 . This suggests that the solar wind may have been as much as 1000 times more massive in the distant past, which may have had important ramifications for the history of planetary atmospheres in our solar system, that of Mars in particular. Subject headings: hydrodynamics — stars: winds, outflows — ultraviolet: ISM — ultraviolet: stars
A control-oriented model for the cylindrical grinding process

This paper proposes a control-oriented model for the cylindrical grinding process in the state-space format. Existing models of the grinding process contain, either explicitly or implicitly, several dynamic relationships among various process variables, based on which a nonlinear state-space model can be derived. After a series of experiments are conducted to confirm the dynamic relationships and determine the model coefficients, several applications of the developed model are explored. It is demonstrated that multiple grinding cycles in batch production can be promptly predicted and analyzed using the proposed model. The proposed model enables a new approach to estimation of part qualities such as the surface roughness and actual part size with an observer. Since specific measurement settings may vary from application to application, the system observability is analyzed in order to test which immeasurable variables may be estimated based on available sensors. In addition, the capability of the model to predict multiple grinding cycles is deemed necessary for optimal control of the grinding process. Controllability tests are conducted in order to determine which control inputs are required for achieving such goals.
Spatial Variation in Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Eggs of Diamondback Terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, from the Patuxent River, Maryland

Aquatic organisms encounter a number of contaminants in their environments. Here, we report polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations detected in diamondback terrapin eggs collected from the Patuxent River, Maryland, one year after an oil spill. Data suggested a geographic difference in egg hydrocarbon concentrations. However, at one year after the oil spill, most PAH concentrations detected were low, were not correlated with the extent of shoreline oiling, and thus likely represent current background levels. Future research should investigate the route of egg PAH exposure and include studies of embryotoxicity.
What do health savings accounts mean for the emergency department

The insurance market is evolving, with increased emphasis on plans with high deductibles and a large degree of coinsurance. This article serves as an introduction to the defining characteristics of consumer-driven health care plans and their associated health savings accounts. We discuss the most recent evidence on the adoption of these plans and their effects on use and reimbursement. Compared to many specialties, the emergency department (ED) may be insulated from extensive shopping and price negotiation, because visits to the ED are often for urgent and time-sensitive conditions. However, ED utilization patterns may change if cost-conscious health savings account holders forgo other necessary medical care, or if they seek out substitutes to the ED for less urgent problems. In the long run, the ED may feel the impact of changes that stem from 2 areas: the ability of health savings accounts to control the increase in health care costs, and the potential of health savings accounts to replace or undermine more comprehensive health insurance plans. We note areas that emergency physicians should monitor as health savings accounts become more prominent.
Ethnic Disparities in Early Autism Assessment: A Large Scale Screening Study of Infants and Toddlers

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with origins early in development. Early identification and intervention are vital to improving prognosis for individuals with this disorder, and diagnosis of ASD during the toddler years has become increasing more accurate. However, many factors impact the age at first assessment, in turn impacting the likelihood of accessing early intervention services, including geographic factors, socioeconomic status, and symptom severity. Research on the impact of ethnicity and early diagnosis has thus far produced mixed results. This study investigates the impact of ethnicity and referral for autism assessment in 7,464 toddlers ages 17–37 months who were assessed by a government supported, state-wide program.
Saying goodbye to high-dead-space syringes.

The respondent above quotes the classic rhythm and blues tune, “Hit the Road Jack” made popular by Ray Charles. He is celebrating his success in finding a good vein to inject into and the ecstatic anticipation of the rush of a mixture of heroin and cocaine, also known as a speedball, hitting his cardiovascular and nervous systems. “Booting and jacking” is a culturally mediated ritual in which an injection drug user (IDU) repeatedly draws blood from their vein into the drug filled syringe (booting) and partially flushes the mixture back into their vein (jacking). This has been described in ethnographic research as reportedly boosting the intensity of the drug rush, usually from cocaine or speedball injections (Bourgois, & Bruneau, 2000), as well as being a symbolic communal celebration (Bourgois, 1998), but at the cost of elevating HIV transmission risk (Koester, 1998). This practice likely evolved as a response to the fact that residual drug solution mixed with blood is trapped in the “dead space” of a high volume syringe and will not come out unless flushed out. It’s a tiny amount, but IDUs don’t typically like to waste any drug.
The synthesis and magnetic properties of a nanostructured Ni-MgO system

We have investigated the magnetic properties of the Ni-MgO system with an Ni concentration of 0.5 at.%. In asgrown crystals, Ni ions occupy substitutional Mg sites. Under these conditions the Ni-MgO system behaves as a perfect paramagnet. By using a controlled annealing treatment in a reducing atmosphere, we were able to induce clustering and form pure Ni precipitates in the nanometer size range. The size distribution of precipitates or nanodots is varied by changing annealing time and temperature. Magnetic properties of specimens ranging from perfect paramagnetic to ferromagnetic characteristics have been studied systematically to establish structure-property correlations. The spontaneous magnetization data for the samples, where Ni was precipitated randomly in MgO host, fits well to Bloch’s T3/2-law and has been explained within the framework of spin wave theory predictions.
Design of antenna conformal to V-shaped tail of UAV based on the method of Characteristic Modes

The method of Characteristic Modes is used to design a vertically polarized communications antenna conformal to the V-shaped tail of a small UAV. The antenna must operate in the band from 50 to 90 MHz and must be Omni-Directional. This antenna has a vertical dimension of λ/17 at 50 MHz.
Norms and Interests in US Asylum Enforcement

What happens when the normative goal of granting asylum to applicants in need conflicts with US strategic interests? Asylum represents a critical case for the norms-versus-interests debate, because the protection of vulnerable individuals is a quintessential humanitarian project, but may entail strategic costs. In this article, a general theoretical framework for weighing the importance of norms and interests is developed and tested in the case of US asylum enforcement with respect to 42 countries of origin during and after the Cold War. Both norms and interests influence asylum decisions, and when they prescribe similar actions in regard to asylum cases, state agents face no difficulty in making choices. When human rights norms and state interests prescribe contradictory actions, however, analysts know little about the relative importance of each factor. The findings in this article suggest that the ways in which norms and interests affect asylum enforcement have changed over time. Normative admissions were primarily a function of procedural democracy during the 1980s, and substantive human rights have been increasingly influential since then. Second, enforcement reflected security and diplomatic considerations during the 1980s, but these concerns gave way during the 1990s to goals of maintaining good relations with trade partners and preventing undocumented migration. Finally, there is no evidence that the importance of norms relative to interests has increased over time, contrary to the predictions of some constructivists.
Comparative costs of nickel sulphides and laterites

Abstract Although relative production costs of nickel from laterite and sulphide deposits have changed during the period 1988 to 1994, cash break even costs of the average sulphide producer remain below those of the average laterite producer. Sulphide producers have higher direct production costs but lower net production costs because of significant byproduct credits. However, total costs, which include capital, are now equal for the average laterite and sulphide producers. Relative production costs have been influenced by simultaneous yearly changes in byproduct and nickel prices, oil prices and exchange rates as well as real changes in actual production, transport and capital investments. In the absence of major shifts in energy or byproduct prices, the average sulphide producer will continue to experience lower cash operating costs gained through capital investments than the average laterite producer. This suggests that the average nickel sulphide operation is more able to withstand cyclic nickel price downturns.
Epitaxial growth of EuS films and magnetooptical properties

The epitaxial growth of thin EuS films by vacuum deposition on a variety of ionic single-crystal substrates has been investigated. The structure and the epitaxy were determined by a sensitive Seemann-Bohlin diffractometer. Good epitaxial growth is obtained on the cleavage plane of mica and on the
Target redundancy in visual search: Do repetitions of the target within thedisplay impair processing?

Two experiments tested the predictions from Bjork and Murray’s (1977) extension of Estes’ (1972, 1974) interactive channels model that repetition of a target within a display should, under certain conditions, impair or slow processing. These predictions were contrasted with those of the continuous flow model (Eriksen & Schultz, 1979) that, under the same conditions, repetitions should not impair processing and might possibly facilitate it. Experiment 1 evaluated the relative effects of feature similarity, variable target-noise spacing, and perceptual segregation in a response competition paradigm. In general, results favored the continuous flow conception and competition among internal recognition responses, and no evidence was found for impaired performance due to target repetitions. However, questions concerning possible facilitation arising from redundancy led to Experiment 2. In that experiment, trials were blocked by spacing or noise type. Again, target redundancy did not impair performance relative to the single target control. However, no facilitation effects were found.
FACULTATIVE ALTITUDINAL MOVEMENTS BY MOUNTAIN WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS (ZONOTRICHIA LEUCOPHRYS ORIANTHA) IN THE SIERRA NEVADA

Abstract Mountain White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha) winter in Mexico and often arrive in the vicinity of their breeding grounds in the Sierra Nevada well before nesting is possible. Arrival at Tioga Pass, California (elevation 3,030 m), usually occurs in early May, but residual winter snow and adverse weather can delay nesting for weeks. We used radiotelemetry to determine whether prebreeding Mountain White-crowned Sparrows engaged in weather-related altitudinal movements during the waiting period between the end of spring migration and onset of breeding during 1995–2001, with a range of residual winter snowpacks. Interannual variation in arrival date and onset of egg laying was 18 and 41 days, respectively. We tracked females for two years and males for all seven years. During spring snowstorms (which occurred in four years), radiomarked individuals moved to lower elevation sites, where they often remained for several days. Departing birds left Tioga Pass by early afternoon and ret...
From Visual Plasticity to the Bionic Eye

While visual plasticity is strongest in early infancy, new studies show that plasticity is maintained well into adult life. This possibility is compellingly demonstrated by one patient, SK, who gained vision for the first time in adult life and significantly improved his ability to see the world around him. The persistence of visual plasticity in adults is promising news for the developing field of visual prosthesis. In recent years, there has been an explosion of research on prosthetic devices for the brain. While memory-enhancing brain chips are still science fiction, cochlear implants, which stimulate the inner ear with tiny electrodes, now allow people who were once deaf to hear with increasing accuracy. Although there is not yet any visual equivalent to the cochlear implant, in recent years vision researchers have started to experiment with similar prosthetic techniques to treat blindness. The goal of visual prosthesis is to allow functional restoration of vision and to improve quality of life for blind patients. In order to achieve these goals, the prosthetic devices must tap into the brain’s plasticity. Plasticity is how the brain adapts to new environmental stimuli. It enables all forms of learning, including memorizing facts, playing the piano, and learning to see. Specifically, plasticity is how neural networks in the brain reorganize in response to new experiences. Understanding plasticity furthers insight into the brain mechanisms active in visual prostheses, and may help scientists develop new approaches for future devices.
Allgemeine Probleme der Repräsentation

Als wir die Verantwortlichkeit und die Frage, wie sie sich verwirklichen last, erorterten, wiesen wir darauf hin, das eine ihrer wichtigsten Formen die Verantwortlichkeit gegenuber der Wahlerschaft ist. Der Hauptzweck aller Reprasentationssysteme ist es, die staatliche Verantwortlichkeit moglichst wirksam zu gewahrleisten. In von der Religion beherrschten Zeiten wird die Auffassung von der herrscherlichen Statthalterschaft Gottes auf Erden den Konig und seine Beamten mit einem Gefuhl der Verantwortlichkeit erfullen. Wenn aber dieser Glaube schwindet, kann willkurliche Tyrannei aus einem solchen Reprasentationsgedanken erwachsen. Aber auch die Idee der Toleranz wird dann moglich; sie setzt voraus, das die absolute Gewisheit, auf der eine religiose Sanktion beruht, nicht mehr besteht.
A Real-Time Simulation for Path Planning in Needle Insertion Tasks

In the last two decades it has been proposed to use actuation forces of shape memory alloy wires to develop an active needling tool to facilitate the conventional needle-based procedures. In these procedures it is always desired to guide the needle though an accurate trajectory reaching the target location. In some cases it is also desired to maintain a curved path to avoid obstacles and prevent damage to sensitive organs. Therefore, it is of a great importance to investigate the interactions of needle within tissue and understand the mechanics of the needle insertion procedure. The nonlinear properties of the deforming tissue while needle is inserted make the prediction of the needle tip placement difficult. Previous studies include experimental and analytical investigations based on a particular tissue properties and needle shape. In this work mechanics of a bevel-tipped needle inserted into soft tissue has been investigated via numerical simulation. The nonlinear properties of the tissue have been implemented in the model. This model has been generated in LS-DYNA software using Arbitrary-Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation for the solid-fluid interactions. Total insertion depth of 150mm of a 0.5mm diameter needle has been modeled. The small stiff element sizes of the needle dictate an expensive computational time. In order to have reasonable computational costs many assumptions were made such as decreasing the Young’s Modulus of the needle and tissue by the same factor. Needle insertion tests have also been performed to evaluate the accuracy of the simulations. The error of less than 10% was found and therefore validated our simulation approach. Using this model it would be possible to predict the steerability of different configurations of the needle inside the tissue. It can also be used for surgical simulation and training purposes and path planning.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
The integrative liberal arts and engineering – The ‘grand challenge’ of curricular implementation

This article provides a reaction to the provocation, ‘Liberal Studies for Engineering', by Bucciarelli and Drew (B&D) located in this issue. These authors provide an argument for a new type of engineering degree – one that delivers professional training in engineering through a liberal arts-infused curriculum. Although the B&D proposition is conceptually interesting, here I discuss some of the barriers associated with the implementation of such curricula in an academic setting. By addressing these barriers up front, universities may create the structures and culture that will allow greater acceptance of proposals like that articulated by B&D.
The Role of Farm Management in Underdeveloped Countries

N THIS PAPER the thesis is advanced that in the economic development of primarily agricultural economies the most lucrative place to employ labor more fully and productively is right on the farms. This improvement in resource management on the farm would also step up total food production. It is not implied that agriculture can employ productively all the underemployed labor in low-income, highly populated countries-the quantity of it is too vast. Nor would it be the thing to do from the standpoint of long run development. But in a primarily agricultural economy, agriculture is viewed as one of the essential starting points in the process of development. It is therefore argued further that the remaining excess labor, along with the additional food, can be converted into capital for general economic development. Thus farm management can contribute in several ways-by showing how labor on farms can be employed more productively, by stepping up food output, and by facilitating capital formation.
Hardly Depressing and Far from Painful

The influence of psychosocial factors on treatment outcomes for various musculoskeletal conditions has been considered anecdotally for some time. Our understanding of this association is further improving through formal, scientific study. Instinctively, we, as clinicians, cringe when a patient observes that he or she has “a higher tolerance to pain than most people,” and yet we recognize that pain, as a perception, is difficult to quantify and is challenging to qualify in relative terms. It is notable that the prevalence of depression increased 60% from 2005 to 20081; perhaps this increase was due to variations in local or global sociopolitical factors, or perhaps was secondary to improved screening, greater implementation of testing, or a lowered threshold by the medical community for assigning some form of causation to a symptom or an outcome. The considerable impact of both depression and pain catastrophization on various upper-extremity conditions2-5, on a patient’s selection of treatment6, and on patient satisfaction7 has been documented previously. Interestingly, many studies have concentrated on cross-sectional data without considering the change in outcomes as a consequence of treatment (or the absence of treatment), and they have not considered the relative variations …
Abstract 36: Elevated Expression of Dual Oxidases (Duox) Under Ischemic Conditions Contributes to Oxidative Stress and Decreased Cell Viability.

Introduction: Redox imbalance during ischemia/reperfusion Injury in the brain following focal ischemic stroke is associated with impaired neurological functions. Following ischemia/reperfusion, there is a burst of oxidative stress/reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS physiologically serve as signaling molecules but excessive amounts of ROS contribute to destruction of endothelial integrity, blood brain barrier disruption, and neuronal cell death. NADPH oxidases (NOX) are important sources of ROS during ischemic stroke. Dual oxidases (Duox) are new members of NOX family and are known for directly generating hydrogen peroxide/ROS. Role of Duox following brain ischemic injury has been little investigated. Methods: Ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion. In vitro ischemia was generated by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Expression was analysed by western blot analysis, RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence staining. ROS was measured by dichloro-dihydrofluorescein staining. Results: Our preliminary studies for the first time have identified that expression of Duox are spatially and temporally regulated in ipsilateral hemisphere of spontaneously hyertensive rat brains following MCAO and reperfusion. Expression of Duox 1 was up-regulated about 2 folds after 3 days, and16 folds after 7 days of reperfusion. Its expression was further increased to about 30 folds at day 21 after reperfusion. The expression of Duox 1 was specifically up-regulated in activated astrocytes and VWF and CD31 positive endothelial cells indicating its presence in blood vessels. In support of these in vivo observations, Duox1 expression was significantly increased in astrocytes and endothelial cell cultures exposed to either ATP or OGD. Duox1 expression was associated with increased ROS production and decreased cell viability. However, pre-treatment with Duox1 specific siRNA decreased the ROS production and increased the cell viability by about 30 percent. Summary: Up-regulation of Duox under ischemic/reperfusion conditions suggests that this enzyme potentially contributes to excessive ROS production. Further studies targeting these novel oxidases may open up a promising approach to reduce brain injury after stroke.
Mechanics of Collagen in the Human Bone: Role of Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Interactions

Here, we report results of our simulations studies on modeling the collagen-hydroxyapatite (HAP) interface in bone and influence of these interactions on mechanical behavior of collagen through molecular dynamics and steered molecular dynamics (SMD). Models of hexagonal HAP (10-10) and (0001) surface, and collagen with and without telopeptides were built to investigate the mechanical response of collagen in the proximity of mineral. The collagen molecule was pulled normal and parallel to the (0001) surface of hydroxyapatite. Water molecules were found have an important impact on deformation behavior of collagen in the proximity of HAP due to their large interaction energy with both collagen and HAP. Collagen appears stiffer at small displacement when pulled normal to HAP surface. At large displacement, collagen pulled parallel to HAP surface is stiffer. This difference in mechanical response of collagen pulled in parallel and perpendicular direction results from a difference in deformation mechanism of collagen. Further, the collagen molecule pulled in the proximity of HAP, parallel to surface, showed marked improvement in stiffness compared to absence of HAP. Furthermore, the deformation behavior of collagen not only depends on the presence or absence of HAP and direction of pulling, but also on the type of mineral surface in the proximity. The collagen pulled parallel to (10-10) and (0001) surfaces showed characteristically different type of load-displacement response. In addition, here we also report simulations on 300 nm length of collagen molecule indicating the role of length of model on the observed response in terms of both the magnitude of modulus obtained as well as the mechanisms of response of collagen to loading.
Effect of Simultaneous Administration of Growth Complex and Estradiol on Mammary Gland of Hypophysectomized Rat

ConclusionNutrition of the animal is an important factor in the effects noted on the breasts of hypophysectomized rats after injection of estrogenic hormone. It is probable, however, that this hormone exerts a part of its effect on the breast by way of the hypophysis.
Heparin Bolus or Infusion: Can We Draw a Conclusion?∗

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke and an increased prevalence of late cognitive decline, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease. Although there is a dearth of prospective data proving that reduction of AF episodes mitigates the risk for these
Experimental Study on Tailings Dam Piping

Piping will bring a great threat to the tailings dam safety,the piping field test and indoor sand tank model test has been done,observation and analysis of the occurring of piping,the whole development processes from piping incipit to dike failure are observed and their mechanisms are analyzed.Piping occurs because of the maximum effective diameter,coefficient of permeability,saturation density,the downstream filter layer dip,hydraulic gradient,soil composition,soil stratum structure,soil gradation,covering layer of the surface soil friction angle,cohesion,cover thickness,viscosity,degree of saturation and other factors and it is a multivariate nonlinear complex problem.
Women and the Parties: An Analysis of Republican and Democratic Strategies for Recruiting Women Candidates

Heading into the 2014 midterm elections, women form less than one-fifth of those representing the nation in Congress (CAWP 2014a). Women remain underrepresented among elected officials in both parties, but the problem is particularly pronounced within the Republican caucus in Congress, which is even more male dominated today than a decade ago. This study draws on qualitative data, including in depth interviews with officeholders and candidates as well as organizational and party elites, to explore the approaches of the national Democratic and Republican parties towards the recruitment and support of women candidates. This study seeks to answer the following questions: How committed are the parties to the goal of recruiting more women? What strategies are the two parties employing to recruit women, and how effective are these strategies? In the end, do the parties’ distinctive approaches to recruiting and supporting women candidates help explain the partisan gap among women members of Congress? Party organizations are better funded and more active in recruiting and supporting candidates than they were decades ago. This study explores whether and how the parties utilize their increased power to address women’s underrepresentation among their elected officials.
Effect of Na and Cl infusion on loop function and plasma renin activity in rats.

Inhibition of plasma renin activity (PRA) by saline has been shown to be related to a specific effect of chloride. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that inhibition of renin release by selective chloride infusion in the rat is related to increased chloride transport in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle (TALH). Measurements of loop of Henle function were obtained by micropuncture before and after a 5% body wt infusion of solutions containing either 0.15 mol/l NaCl, 0.15 mol/l lysine monohydrochloride (LysCl), or 0.15 mol/l Na-assorted anions (NaAA). Both NaCl and LysCl infusion lowered PRA (60.8 +/- 11.9 to 22.6 +/- 3.7 ng angiotensin I (ANG I).ml-1.h-1 and 53.3 +/- 6.8 to 34.5 +/- 4.6 ng ANG I.ml-1.h-1; P less than 0.05), whereas NaAA infusion had no effect on PRA (66.7 +/- 15.1 to 59.1 +/- 12.4 ng ANG I.ml-1.h-1). Analysis of late proximal and early distal fluid showed that chloride transport in the TALH was significantly elevated by infusion in all three groups, and there were no differences among the groups after infusion. Distal chloride concentration increased in the NaCl and LysCl groups (26 +/- 2 to 37 +/- 1 meq/l and 26 +/- 2 to 36 +/- 2 meq/l; P less than 0.05), but distal chloride concentration decreased in the NaAA group (28 +/- 2 to 22 +/- 1 meq/l; P less than 0.05). There was no correlation between PRA and fluid flow rate or chloride delivery to the distal tubule.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
CELL-CELL SIGNALING DURING NEUROGENESIS : SOME ANSWERS AND MANY QUESTIONS

Development of a multicellular organism requires that cells communicate with each other in order to regulate their growth, organize into tissues and coordinate their function. This cell-cell communication is mediated by signals cells receive (or send) between each other and from the environment. The signaling can be a short range remote signaling (through secreted signaling molecules), contact signaling (via plasma membrane bound molecules, gap junctions) or a long range signaling (through hormones). In this article, I have reviewed the recent advances on the role of cell-cell signaling in the development of the embryonic nervous system of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster and discussed some of the open questions raised by these studies. It discusses the contributions of the neurogenic genes Notch and Delta and the signaling pathways controlled by wingless, patched and hedgehog in neuroblast formation, neuroblast identity specification and neuroblast lineage elaboration.
Tutorial 1: ontology engineering

In recent years the development of ontologies - explicit formal specifications of the terms in the domain and relations among them -has been moving from the realm of Artificial-Intelligence laboratories to the desktops of domain experts. Ontologies have also become common on the World-Wide Web. The ontologies on the Web range from large taxonomies categorizing Web sites (such as on Yahoo!) to categorizations of products for sale and their features (such as on Amazon.com). On the Web and in many large applications ontologies serve a variety of purposes: making the knowledge about a particular domain explicit, sharing and reusing this knowledge, analyzing domain knowledge. A number of languages for defining ontologies on the Web, such as RDF(S) and DAML+OIL, are under development. In this tutorial we will discuss why one would build an ontology and present a methodology for creating ontologies based on declarative knowledge representation systems. We will present ontology examples, discuss common problems and pitfalls in ontology development and approaches to solving the problems. We will also give a brief overview of the current research issues in ontology engineering and compare some Web-based ontology-representation languages.
Os Trigonum Excision in Dancers via an Open Posteromedial Approach

Background:An os trigonum is a potential source of posterior ankle pain in dancers, often associated with flexor hallucis longus (FHL) pathology. Options for operative excision include open excision, subtalar arthroscopy, and posterior endoscopy. The purpose of this paper was to present a series of dancers who underwent excision of a symptomatic os trigonum via an open posteromedial approach.Methods:This study is a retrospective case series of 40 ankles in 38 dancers who underwent os trigonum excision via an open posteromedial approach with FHL tenolysis between 2000 and 2013. All patients were interviewed and charts retrospectively analyzed. Collected variables included pre- and postoperative pain level, time to return to dance, and subjective satisfaction. The average age was 19.2 years; ballet was the primary dance form in 36 (95%) of patient-cases. Eight (20%) of the patient-cases were professional dancers, and 30 (75%) were students or preprofessional dancers.Results:Average preoperative pain level w...
Basis element decomposition with spectral microCT using multi-layered, multi-colored scintillation detectors

Synchrotron-based X-ray imaging is a useful tool in biomedical research because it can nondestructively produce high-resolution, 3D images. In this technique, X-rays impinge upon a thin scintillator and the visible light emission is focused onto a CCD using microscope optics. With this type of detector, sub-micron resolution has been achieved. We have also studied the possibility of extending this detector to have multiple scintillating layers for the purposes of performing spectral microCT with polychromatic sources. When such a multi-layer detector is illuminated by a polychromatic spectrum, the first layer will preferentially stop lower-energy X-rays, and the deeper layers higher-energy X-rays, leading to limited but perfectly registered spectral resolution. This detection setup also has the advantage of efficient use of synchrotron X-rays, short scan times, and the potential adaptation to a bench top system. Here we present some of our preliminary experimental results obtained using a custom multi-layer scintillating detector in conjunction with a color CCD camera. We found that our dual-layer detector does provide a significant amount of spectral separation, which suggests that material decomposition will be possible. This will be useful in identifying the elemental stains in X-ray histology. So far we have only attempted to do the material decomposition in the image domain because it is simpler to implement and does not require very precise calibration data. In the future, we would like to develop a calibration phantom that will enable us to do the decomposition in the sinogram domain. This yields a more quantitatively rigorous decomposition and has the additional advantage of eliminating beam-hardening artifacts caused by the polychromatic spectrum.
The Pointwise Approach

In this chapter, we introduce the pointwise approach to learning to rank. Specifically, we will cover the regression-based algorithms, classification-based algorithms, and ordinal regression-based algorithms, and then make discussions on their advantages and disadvantages.
A statistical approach to semi-supervised speech enhancement with low-order non-negative matrix factorization

Compared to generic source separation, NMF for speech enhancement is relatively underexplored. When applied to the latter problem, NMF is bereft of performance consistency (across runs and data samples), esp. with small-sized dictionaries. This limitation raises the need for higher-order representations, leading to increased computational costs. In this paper, we propose a statistical-estimation technique that attempts to bridge this gap. Our approach combines multiple low-order NMF decompositions of noisy speech to increase the overall enhancement performance. We show PESQ improvements of up to 0.24 beyond what is achievable by a single NMF parametrization and, at iso-performance levels, major reductions in computational cost.
On the modeling and classification of wafer map failure patterns

Semiconductor manufacturers routinely test integrated circuits (IC's) while they are still part of the wafer. When the IC failure rate is high, a map of the test results typically reveals clusters of failures. Such ‘failure patterns’ evince circuit-to-process mismatches and processing problems, providing valuable information for design and process improvement. We select five failure patterns that resemble simple geometrical ‘objects’— Segments, Disks, Annuli, Bands , and Rings—and determine their uniform random distributions through use of the invariant pdf. Two to four geometrical variables govern an object's statistics by locating boundaries that divide the wafer map into zones. The geometry of these zones drives subsequent calculations, giving rise to eleven Shapes. One-zone shapes comprise Pass and Fail; two-zone shapes comprise Segments , A-Disks, B-Disks, A-Annuli , and B-Annuli; three-zone shapes comprise Bands, A-Rings, B-Rings, and C-Rings. In addition to Shape, relevant features include Area, Location, and—if there are three zones— Orientation and Curve Direction. These four new ‘feature variables’ are real-valued functions of the geometrical variables, changing continuously as one pattern shape transforms into another. This formulation enables construction of a synthetic wafer map generator, valuable for creating and studying classifiers. One study employs synthetic datasets with 160,000 maps and estimates the Bayes error of the synthetic population to be less than 1.5 percent. Other studies employ several classifiers, chief among which are nearest neighbor classifier N20 and prototype classifier kh, created with synthetic maps, and nearest neighbor classifier Xdata, created with industrial maps. These classifiers are evaluated using input sets of type RAND, containing synthetic maps, and DATA, containing industrial maps. Classification of RAND reveals that N20 is the more accurate Shape classifier, scoring 95 percent, while kh is more accurate with Area and Location, at 96 and 94 percent, respectively. Xdata accuracies are 85, 91, and 83 percent. Classification of RAND plus bit noise demonstrates that N20 is affected less by noise than either kh or Xdata. Classification of DATA finds the kh classifier to be somewhat better than either N20 or Xdata with Shape, Area, and Location accuracies around 67, 77, and 75 percent, and with Xdata accuracy comparable to that of N20.
Aortic Valve Surgery in the Pediatric Population

In this paper, current approaches to pediatric aortic valve surgery are discussed. While many pediatric aortic valve operations are palliative until an adult-sized prosthetic can fit, some recent advances in adult aortic valve repair techniques can be applied to the pediatric population yielding more definitive repair. Systematic analysis of the valve pathology is necessary to decide on the appropriate operation and refer patients to surgeons with the appropriate expertise. The Ross operation remains an ideal operation for pediatric patients with significant aortic valve disease and a competent pulmonic valve, given that it allows the autograft to grow with the child. Depending on aortic valve pathology, those with regurgitation secondary to aneurysmal dilation of the aorta may be candidates for various valve-sparing techniques. Critical congenital aortic stenosis may be managed via balloon valvuloplasty or surgical valvotomy depending on the specific scenario. Valve replacement is not ideal in the pediatric population, particularly if the patient is not full-grown, but can be necessary.