cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black Versus White Differences in Rates of Addressing Parental Tobacco Use in the Pediatric Setting

Abstract Objective To examine racial differences in rates of screening parents for cigarette smoking during pediatric outpatient visits and to determine if a parental tobacco control intervention mitigates racial variation in whether cigarette smoking is addressed. Methods As part of the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) randomized controlled trial, exit interviews were conducted with parents at 10 control and 10 intervention pediatric practices nationally. Parents were asked to report if during the visit did anyone ask if they smoke cigarettes. A generalized linear mixed model was used to estimate the effect of black vs white race on asking parents about cigarette smoking. Results Among 17,692 parents screened at the exit interview, the proportion of black parents who were current smokers (16%) was lower than the proportion of white parents who smoked (20%) ( P Conclusions Although a smaller proportion of black parents in control practices smoked than white, black parents were more likely to be asked by pediatricians about smoking. The CEASE intervention was associated with higher levels of screening for smoking for both black and white parents.
Foreclosures and Invasive Insect Spread: The Case of Asian Citrus Psyllid

Human economic activity is considered to be an important factor in exacerbating the speed of invasive species spread, but may also play an important role in preventing it. In this study, we investigate the role of home foreclosure in the spread of Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) throughout residential areas of Southern California. We find that foreclosures are indeed a significant factor in explaining ACP spread, even after controlling for other human and environmental effects. Our results suggest that human economic activity may be more important in controlling the spread of invasive species than previously realized, and that the external costs of the foreclosure problem may also be underestimated.
Incomplete blinking and idiopathic nocturnal lagophthalmos, the overlooked dry eye components

Abstract Dry eye is a common condition in primary eye care presenting with many factors both endogenous and exogenous. Two such factors that are often subtle in presentation and easily overlooked are incomplete blinking and idiopathic nocturnal lagophthalmos. Whether they cause or exacerbate a dry eye through excessive exposure, it is important for all primary eye-care providers to be aware of these factors and include them in the differential diagnosis for each dry eye or exposure patient. Knowledge of their presence allows for a more complete treatment plan and better patient education. Presented here are two cases which demonstrated dry eye complications. One experienced contact lens intolerance due to incomplete blinking, the other was symptomatic from idiopathic nocturnal lagophthalmos.
An image force theorem for dislocations in anisotropic bicrystals

Using a formalism developed by Stroh (1962), a simple image force theorem for a dislocated anisotropic bicrystal is derived. An extension of the Stroh formalism, shows that the prelogarithmic energy factors depend only on the crystallographic directions of the dislocation line and its Burgers vector relative to each medium constituting the bicrystal. In addition, a formula is developed which allows one to obtain the prelogarithmic energy factor by simple numerical integration. A previous result of Dundurs and Sendeckyj (1965) for the net integrated tractions on any plane parallel to the interface of a dislocated bicrystal is extended to the anisotropic case. Finally, an intimate relation between dislocations moving parallel to the bicrystal interface and Stoneley waves in anisotropic bicrystals is developed.
Effect of Strabismus Surgery on the Reading Ability of School-Age Children

Aim. To evaluate if strabismus surgery on children between the ages 5 and 14 years leads to an improvement in reading ability by comparing reading performance of patients before and after surgery. Methods. Pre- and postoperatively, the visual acuity, ocular alignment, and stereoacuity of 15 children with horizontal strabismus was recorded. The “3-Minute Reading Assessments: Word Recognition, Fluency, and Comprehension” for the appropriate age-group were used to assess children between the ages of 5 and 14 years. Thirteen of the 15 children presented with esotropic deviation, and the remaining 2 were exotropic. Results. Postoperatively, 12 patients were orthophoric and 3 had significant residual esotropia. The 15 patients had an average improvement in reading speed (10.3 words per minute), accuracy (4%), and fluency (2 points). For the 12 orthophoric patients, reading speed increased by 12.2 (P = .003), accuracy by 3% (P = .064), and fluency by 1.33 (P = .006). Conclusion. Corrective strabismus surgery in ...
A New Microcomputer-Based ECG Analysis System

A new automated ECG system using advances in microprocessor technology and computerized electrocardiography is described. This microcomputer-based system is self-contained and mobile. It acquires both the 12-lead and orthogonal lead (Frank) electrocardiograms and analyzes the latter within minutes. Software includes the program developed in the Veterans Administration which uses advanced statistical classification techniques and a large well-documented patient data base. Diagnostic probabilities are computed using a Bayesian approach. Diagnostic performance has been tested using independent clinical criteria and found to be quite accurate. This system enables the clinician to immediately review the computer's identifications, measurements, and diagnostic classifications and quickly use these results in clinical decision making. Serial comparisons are readily made since all previous recordings are stored on floppy diskettes. The use of microprocessors in this system makes it economically feasible for practicing physicians.
Interleukin-6 Is an Important In Vivo Inhibitor of Intestinal Epithelial Cell Death in Mice

Background & Aims: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a well-recognized mediator of liver disease and regeneration. However, the in vivo effects of IL-6 on enterocytes and the intestinal tract have not been elucidated. We sought to determine the in vivo effects of IL-6 on enterocytes. Methods: Murine models of increased or absent IL-6 were examined. Results: Systemic, high-dose IL-6 administration to mice over 7-10 days resulted in intestinal hyperplasia with a ~40% increase in small bowel mass and in intestinal villus height. No increase in crypt cell proliferation was noted. IL-6 administration was associated with induction of pSTAT3 in enterocytes along the lower and middle regions of villi but not in crypts. IL-6 administration was also associated with induction of anti-apoptotic proteins including pAKT, ref-1, and FLIP. along with decreased executor caspase activity and PARP cleavage. Pulse bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling demonstrated equivalent crypt cell proliferation rates but prolonged enterocyte lifespan and slowed enterocyte migration rates in IL-6 treated mice. Furthermore, IL-6–treated mice showed less intestinal injury and improved barrier function following ischemia reperfusion of the small bowel. Conversely, Il6 null mice exhibited impaired recovery following massive enterectomy and increased apoptosis after 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy relative to wild-type controls. Conclusions: IL-6 inhibited both constitutive and induced enterocyte cell death in vivo. Loss of IL-6 in mice resulted in increased activation of pro-apoptotic and necrotic pathways in enterocytes after injury. Therapies that augment IL-6 or its signaling pathways may help manage intestinal disorders associated with increased apoptosis, necrosis, and gut injury.
Study of continuum D*+ spin alignment

The spin alignment of ${D}^{*+}$ mesons produced in ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ annihilation at $\sqrt{s}=10.5$ GeV is obtained from a study of the angular distribution of the decay ${D}^{*+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{0}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$. The alignment is studied as a function of momentum and compared to theoretical predictions. We find an average value of the spin alignment parameter $\ensuremath{\eta}$ of $〈\ensuremath{\eta}〉=0.04\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01$. We obtain a model-dependent measurement of the probability of producing a vector particle $〈{P}_{V}〉=0.77\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.01$ for $D$ mesons.
Multivariate estimation and variance reduction in terminating and steady-state simulation

Research on the analysis of steady-state simulation experiments has concentrated on mitigating the effects of initial-condition bias and estimating the variance of the simulation point estimator, usually a sample mean. There has been little research on improving the precision of point estimators through variance reduction, especially in multivariate estimation problems. In fact, multivariate estimation procedures are rarely used in simulation output analysis. We consider applying the non-overlaping batch means output analysis method in conjunction with the control-variates variance reduction technique to estimate a multivariate mean vector. The effect of the number of batches and the number of control variates on the multivariate point and region estimators and the univariate point and interval estimators are considered. Our results have implications for terminating simulations as well.
Boxer safety, and the relationship between the referee and the ringside physician

Both the referee and the ringside physician are entrusted with the safety of the boxer in the ring. The Uniform Boxing Rules (approved August 25, 2001, Amended August 2, 2002, Amended July 3, 2008) recognise the referee as the sole arbiter of a bout and the only individual authorised to stop a contest. Unified rules of mixed martial arts (MMA) and some boxing commissions recognise both the referee and the ringside physician as arbiters of a fight, and the only individuals authorised to enter the fight area at any time during competition and stop a fight when the combatant’s safety is compromised. Irrespective of who stops the fight, the stoppage should be timely and fair to the combatants and their corners; a premature stoppage is unfair to the boxers, their corners, the promoter and the public, while a fight stopped too late risks serious injury and even death of the boxer.[1] Stoppage from inside the
Gassmann-consistency of velocity-porosity transforms

Rock physics results have shown that the effective elastic moduli, and thus the seismic velocity of rock, depend on the porosity, lithology, and pore fluid. Laboratory experimentation has resulted in several deterministic porosity-velocity transforms or models for siliciclastic rocks. The development of these models led to the interpretation of petrophysical properties, porosity in particular, from seismic velocity data.
Gene therapy with novel adeno-associated virus vectors substantially diminishes atherosclerosis in a murine model of familial hypercholesterolemia.

Background Familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited disease caused by mutations in the LDL receptor gene leading to severe hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. The LDL receptor is predominantly expressed in the liver, making it a preferred target organ for somatic gene therapy. We recently isolated a new family of vectors based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) isolated from nonhuman primates, which enable efficient and stable transgene expression following in vivo gene delivery to liver. Methods Traditional vectors based on AAV serotype 2 and two novel AAVs from nonhuman primates, serotypes AAV7 and AAV8, were produced encoding for the human LDL receptor. Vectors were injected into the portal veins of LDL receptor deficient mice that were fed a high-fat diet to achieve severe pretreatment hypercholesterolemia. Results Animals receiving the novel AAV vectors realized nearly complete normalization of serum lipids and failed to develop the severe atherosclerosis that characterized the untreated animals; the AAV2 vector constructs demonstrated partial lipid correction and only a modest improvement in atherosclerosis. Conclusions Using vectors based on novel nonhuman primate AAVs, which provide advantages in terms of efficiency, we were able to achieve a long-term correction of the metabolic defect in LDL receptor deficient mice. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Delayed orbital infection after endoscopic orbital decompression for dysthyroid orbitopathy

Abstract Objective To present a delayed complication of endoscopic orbital decompression that has not been reported previously in the literature. Design Retrospective non-comparative small case series. Participants Three patients with dysthyroid orbitopathy. Intervention The medical records of patients with dysthyroid orbitopathy who underwent endoscopic orbital decompression and subsequently developed orbital infection were reviewed. Results : Three patients with dysthyroid orbitopathy developed orbital infection (cellulitis or abscess) originating from the frontal sinus more than 2 years after their endoscopic orbital decompression surgery. Management required drainage of the abscess, administration of antibiotics, and creation of adequate frontal sinus drainage. Conclusions Delayed orbital infection can occur after endoscopic orbital decompression for dysthyroid orbitopathy when the frontal sinus ostium is obstructed by orbital fat or scar tissue. Infection within the frontal sinus can cause secondary orbital cellulitis or abscess. Early signs and symptoms of a frontal sinus infection can be easily misdiagnosed as progression of the patient's thyroid eye disease. Awareness of this possible complication followed by appropriate early intervention will prevent a potentially blinding condition. Furthermore, ever since this complication was observed, the authors' surgical technique of endoscopic decompression has been modified to leave the most anterosuperior portion of the lamina papyracea to prevent fat prolapse and scar formation into the region of the frontal recess.
Asynchronous space-time cooperative communications in sensor and robotic networks

For wireless sensor networks or robotic networks, cooperative communications encoded with space-time block code (STBC) are desirable to improve their energy efficiency and reliability. However, existing STBC-encoded cooperative communication schemes usually require perfect synchronization among the transmitting sensors or robots, which is difficult and even impossible to achieve in practice. In this paper, we address this problem by developing a new receiving scheme for Alamouti's STBC cooperative transmission where two asynchronous transmitting sensors or robots are employed. The new scheme uses a linear-prediction-based channel equalization technique to mitigate the effect of asynchronism. The performance of the new scheme is analyzed and demonstrated by simulations.
The Mayo Clinic Value Creation System

The authors present Mayo Clinic's Value Creation System, a coherent systems engineering approach to delivering a single high-value practice. There are 4 tightly linked, interdependent phases of the system: alignment, discovery, managed diffusion, and measurement. The methodology is described and examples of the results to date are presented. The Value Creation System has been demonstrated to improve the quality of patient care while reducing costs and increasing productivity.
Physical, chemical and hydrological properties of Ponderosa pine ash

In this study, ash is analysed as a geological material; in particular, we focus on ash produced by the burning of Ponderosa pine, a conifer that is widespread throughout mountainous landscapes of western North America. One set of ash samples used in the analyses was collected from a wildfire site and another set was created in the laboratory. We found that the median particle size of the ash was in the fine sand to silt range with at least 25–50% of the particle size distribution in the appropriate range for maintaining debris flow behaviour. Measurements of the infiltration capacity of ash found values similar to fine sands, indicating that a layer of ash can reduce the infiltration capacity of coarse soils. The elemental composition of ashes analysed through inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry was dominated by Ca, K, Mg, P, Mn, Fe and Al. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of calcite, quartz and feldspars in ashes created from a variety of fuels; fuel type and combustion temperature were found to have a dominant control on ash mineralogy. The results suggest that the elemental and mineral composition of ash could be used to identify dominant fuel sources and combustion temperatures.
Obscenity and Contemporary Community Standards: A Survey1

Erotic materials may be declared legally obscene only after they have passed a series of tests, one being the application of “contemporary community standards.” A survey of 1083 adult volunteers from the Detroit Metropolitan Area indicated that there was no single standard used by the respondents in their evaluation of a series of erotic pictures. Significant differences between “sexual liberals” and “sexual conservatives” were obtained for several picture rating dimensions.
Dictyostelium Stress-activated Protein Kinase α, a Novel Stress-activated Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase-like Kinase, Is Important for the Proper Regulation of the Cytoskeleton

Mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades regulate various cellular functions, including growth, cell differentiation, development, and stress responses. We have identified a new Dictyostelium kinase (stress-activated protein kinase [SAPK]), which is related to members of the mixed lineage kinase class of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases. SAPK is activated by osmotic stress, heat shock, and detachment from the substratum and by a membrane-permeable cGMP analog, a known regulator of stress responses in Dictyostelium. SAPK is important for cellular resistance to stresses, because SAPK null cells exhibit reduced viability in response to osmotic stress. We found that SAPK mutants affect cellular processes requiring proper regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, including cell motility, morphogenesis, cytokinesis, and cell adhesion. Overexpression of SAPK results in highly elevated basal and chemoattractant-stimulated F-actin levels and strong aggregation and developmental defects, including a failure to polarize and chemotax, and abnormal morphogenesis. These phenotypes require a kinase-active SAPK. SAPK null cells exhibit reduced chemoattractant-stimulated F-actin levels, cytokinesis, developmental and adhesion defects, and a motility defect that is less severe than that exhibited by SAPK-overexpressing cells. SAPK colocalizes with F-actin in F-actin– enriched structures, including membrane ruffles and pseudopodia during chemotaxis. Although SAPK is required for these F-actin–mediated processes, it is not detectably activated in response to chemoattractant stimulation.
ELABORATION OF BODY PLAN AND PHASE CHANGE DURING DEVELOPMENT OF ACETABULARIA: How Is the Complex Architecture of a Giant Unicell Built?

▪ Abstract While uninucleate and unicellular, Acetabularia acetabulum establishes and maintains functionally and morphologically distinct body regions and executes phase changes like those in vascular plants. Centimeters tall at maturity, this species has allowed unusual experimental approaches. Amputations revealed fates of nucleate and enucleate portions from both wild type and mutants. Historically, graft chimeras between nucleate and enucleate portions suggested that morphological instructions were supplied by the nucleus but resided in the cytoplasm and could be expressed interspecifically. Recently, graft chimeras enabled rescue of mutants arrested in vegetative phase. Since the 1930s, when Acetabularia provided the first evidence for the existence of mRNAs, a dogma has arisen that it uses long-lived mRNAs to effect morphogenesis. While the evidence favors translational control, the postulated mRNAs have not been identified, and the mechanism of morphogenesis remains unknown. Amenable to biochemistr...
Ruptured mesenteric artery aneurysm in a patient with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency: Etiologic implications

Abstract Clinical observations suggest that some aneurysms may be manifestations of intrinsic tissue abnormalities or systemic disease. Several investigators have reported reduced elastin content and increased elastase activity in infrarenal aortic aneurysms. Alpha 1 -antitrypsin is the primary serum protease inhibitor modulating elastase activity. Elevated elastase activity caused by reduced alpha 1 -antitrypsin inhibition, theoretically, could contribute to aneurysm formation. We report a case of ruptured middle colic artery aneurysm in a patient with multiple visceral artery aneurysms and profound alpha 1 -antitrypsin deficiency. Reported middle colic artery aneurysms are reviewed, and etiologic implications are discussed. (J VASC SURG 1993;17:420-4.)
Three-Dimensional Analysis and Surgical Planning in Craniomaxillofacial Surgery

Purpose Three-dimensional (3D) analysis and planning are powerful tools in craniofacial and reconstructive surgery. The elements include 1) analysis, 2) planning, 3) virtual surgery, 4) 3D printouts of guides or implants, and 5) verification of actual to planned results. The purpose of this article is to review different applications of 3D planning in craniomaxillofacial surgery. Materials and Methods Case examples involving 3D analysis and planning were reviewed. Common threads pertaining to all types of reconstruction are highlighted and contrasted with unique aspects specific to new applications in craniomaxillofacial surgery. Results Six examples of 3D planning are described: 1) cranial reconstruction, 2) craniosynostosis, 3) midface advancement, 4) mandibular distraction, 5) mandibular reconstruction, and 6) orthognathic surgery. Conclusions Planning in craniomaxillofacial surgery is useful and has applicability across different procedures and reconstructions. Three-dimensional planning and virtual surgery enhance efficiency, accuracy, creativity, and reproducibility in craniomaxillofacial surgery.
Surface Diffusion Measured Using Laser Induced Thermal Desorption: Hydrogen on Ru (001)

The surface diffusion of hydrogen atoms was studied on clean and chemically-modified Ru (001) surfaces using laser induced thermal desorption techniques. Experiments at low coverages between 260–330 K revealed an activation barrier for surface diffusion of 4 kcal/mole and a preexponential of 6.3 × 10−4 cm 2/sec. The diffusion coefficients were not coverage-dependent over a wide range of coverages. The isotope effect was close to the predictions from simple transition state theory suggesting that quantum mechanical tunneling effects are minor in the measured temperature range between 260–300 K. Carbon and sulfur on Ru (001) were both found to reduce the surface mobility of hydrogen atoms. The effect of carbon was explained by a trapping mechanism, whereas the effect of sulfur was consistent with a blocking mechanism. Coadsorbed carbon monoxide also reduced the surface mobility of hydrogen and displayed a pronounced reduction at a coverage where an ordering transition occurs in the CO adlayer.
Urban Sustainability and Poverty: Can Microfinance Make a Difference?

Microfinance is perceived as a way to provide the impoverished with access to credit, but does it provide a sustainable solution to the ever growing problem of urban poverty? Microfinance has found new visibility with the experience of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. The Grameen Bank is considered a model of microfinancial success leading to a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. But microfinance has had a mix of success and failures and despite being present in every region of the world; it is poorly documented and understood. Scholars who want to get an informed understanding of the microfinance world will find themselves confronted with an abundance of anecdotal information, giving the misleading impression of a wealth of data but little in the form scientific data. For example, empowerment of women is the best documented aspect of microfinance. However important woman empowerment may be, it does not capture the totality of the impact of microfinance on poverty or on the economy. Microfinance is a unique instrument to fight poverty and the difference it has made is beyond debate, but is reliance on microfinance sustainable for developing countries?
The efficiency of 3'-end formation contributes to the relative levels of different histone mRNAs

Sequences at both the 5' and 3' ends of mouse histone genes contribute to the expression of individual genes. The 3' sequences required for high expression of the mouse H2a-614 gene are the same as the sequences required for 3'-end formation. When these sequences were substituted for the 3' end of the poorly expressed H2a-291 gene, expression of the H2a-291 gene was increased fivefold. A 65-nucleotide fragment containing the H2a-614 3' processing signal increased expression of the H2a-291 gene when it was placed in the proper orientation downstream of the H2a-291 3' end. The only mRNAs that accumulated from this gene ended at the H2a-291 3' end, which suggests that the transcript is sequentially processed. In an in vitro processing system, the different histone 3' ends showed different processing efficiencies, which correlated with their expression in cells. These results suggest that the efficiency of processing is important in determining the steady-state levels of individual mouse histone mRNAs.
Virtual machine images as structured data: the mirage image library

The rise of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) clouds, both private and public, has created new problems in managing large collections of virtual-machine (VM) images. VM images must be kept up-to-date with security patches and scanned for malicious or improperly licensed software. Because images are bulky, attention must be paid to the latencies of deployment and capture. Large collections of VM images also present new opportunities which, while not completely realized today, do not exist with collections of physical machines. Users can search for images that contain the software they want, configured as they want it. Collections can be mined for patterns in order to answer questions like “which database management systems does our company use?” Images can be compared with one another. This paper describes Mirage, an image library that addresses these problems and opportunities and is pluggable into various clouds. Mirage stores images in a format that indexes their filesystem structure, instead of as opaque disk images. Like other libraries, Mirage provides features for image capture and deployment. In addition, Mirage maintains a provenance tree that records how each image was derived from other images; allows operations, like patching and scanning, that normally require a VM instance to execute offline; and enables analyses such as image search and comparison. Other papers have used Mirage [16, 13, 17] or described parts of the system [8]. This paper is the first overview of the complete system. It also describes three novel features that reduce the costs of translating between disk images and the Mirage format: a content-addressed store optimized for VM image data; a simple yet flexible indexer that supports a variety of filesystem and image types; and delta deployment, which uses precomputed deltas between images to speed up format conversions. Finally, we relate our experience with Mirage in the IBM Workload Deployer product (IWD) [3], which serves images to a customer’s own private cloud, and in the Research Compute Cloud (RC2) [10], which is a production IaaS cloud.
The Morality of Profit-Making: A Scale Development

Even though the superiority of market systems for producing goods and services efficiently has been demonstrated with theoretical and empirical proofs, the morality of markets and profit-making is still debated and doubted in discussions of ethics. Economists from Adam Smith to Amartya Sen have been intensely interested in this relationship between economics and ethics. Our paper develops a scale in which the perception of the morality of profit making can be assessed. The resulting scale contains nine items in a two factor analysis. The coefficient alpha for the overall scale was an excellent 0.86. The scale can reliably differentiate between individuals with differing views of the morality of profit-making.
Inter-Ethnic Conflict in the Republics of Russia in Light of Religious Revival

An American sociologist who has supervised a series of field surveys in Russia from 1993 to 1997, involving 110,000 respondents, examines the different patterns of religious revival among the Russians and the Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, and Shamanist non-Russians in 16 of the 20 republics within the Federation during these years. She explores the reasons for the greater religiosity of the Russians in the republics than those in the oblasts and, paradoxically, for their greater tolerance of Islam and Buddhism. The author's 1997 findings are based on her survey embracing 800 to 1,000 high school seniors in each of 16 republics and a simultaneous stratified national random sample of 1,068 individuals 17 and 18 years of age in the oblasts. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: I100, Z10. 23 tables, 41 references.
Ill thrift and juvenile llama immunodeficiency syndrome.

The problem of “ill thrift” or “failure to thrive” in juvenile llamas is widespread and relatively common in the continental United States. Juvenile llama immunodeficiency syndrome (JLIDS) is one of several causes of the problem and is the most common cause of ill thrift in juvenile llamas evaluated at Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital. This article will review current knowledge of JLIDS and will briefly discuss other causes of ill thrift in juvenile llamas.
CORRELATIONS BETWEEN QUANTITATIVE CHARACTERS AND ENZYME GENOTYPES IN AVENA BARBATA.

In a recent analysis of genetic variability in the slender wild oat species, Avena barbata, in California, Clegg and Allard (1972) described two complementary fivelocus allozyme complexes whose distributions are closely associated with environment. Populations in the semi-arid Mediterranean warm-summer region of California are fixed for one specific combination of alleles whereas populations in the most mesic portions of the Mediterranean cool-summer region are monomorphic for a specific balanced opposite set of alleles. Populations in intermediate habitats in the cool-summer region are usually polymorphic at all five loci and in these polymorphic populations the frequencies of "xeric" and "mesic" combinations of alleles are correlated with environment, xeric combinations becoming more frequent as the habitat becomes increasingly arid and vice versa. In a subsequent study Hamrick and Allard (1972) found local genetic differentiation within the environmentally heterogeneous Napa Valley of California: populations occupying well watered sites on the valley floor are monotypic for the mesic genotype, arid sites on the hills surrounding the valley support populations monotypic for the xeric combination of alleles, and in transitional areas allelic frequencies change from predominantly mesic combinations at the base of hillsides to predominantly xeric combinations on the upper arid slopes. Furthermore, in polymorphic populations pronounced genetic heterogeneity often occurs on a very fine scale (down to areas of one square meter or less), correlated with microgeographical variations in aridity (Allard et al., 1972; Hamrick, unpub. data). It is thus evident that the frequency of the two complementary allelic complexes is highly correlated with discernible climatic and edaphic features of the environment and that soil moisture level is an especially important determinant in their distribution. During the course of the above studies of allozyme variants it was noticed that various measurement characters tended to change with the habitat. Thus plants from the more mesic sites generally flowered and matured earlier, were taller, tillered more profusely and produced more seeds than plants from the more xeric sites. To obtain quantitative data on this apparent correlation between continuously varying characters and the frequency of mesic and xeric allozyme complexes in populations, field measurements were made on a number of populations. An example of such field data is given on Table 1 which shows that date of seed maturation is correlated with degree of aridity and with allozyme frequencies on a Napa Valley hillside transect, designated CSA, located about eight km south of the city of Calistoga (Hamrick and Allard, 1972). However, such field data do not allow separation of environmental effects from genetic effects for quantitative characters. Consequently we have carried out a "common garden" study to determine whether differences in quanti-
Philip I. Marcus: a gentleman of science (1927-2013).

Philip never tired of thinking, talking, and writing about dsRNA's roll in regulating cellular and viral activities and putting his ideas out there to stimulate the thoughts of others (Marcus 1983). The articles in this special issue are a testament to the many colleagues that have been influenced by his work and shared his fascination with this molecule. A description of Philip's many scientific accomplishments goes beyond the scope of this piece. Suffice it to say that his many contributions to the fields of virology, cell biology, and the interferon system include the following: development of procedures to clone single cells (the clonogenic assay); demonstration of the sensitivity of cells in vitro to X-irradiation; studies that defined the effect of aging cells in vitro and the demonstration that the in ovo development of the interferon system continues on time in vitro; the cloning of the first avian interferon gene; the discovery of intrinsic interference (a non-interferon-mediated viral interference) and development of the hemadsorption negative (HAD−) plaque test for rubella virus; studies describing transcription inhibition of viruses as a mechanism of interferon action; the discovery that one molecule of dsRNA was the threshold for interferon induction; the description and analysis of interferon dose (multiplicity)-response (interferon yield) curves; the discovery of interferon-induction suppressing particles and a description and analysis of their action in virus-infected cells; a description and quantitation of cell-killing particles; studies on the role of the interferon system in persistent infection; a demonstration of viral interference by defective-interfering particles in individual cells in vitro; the use of interferon induction as a quasispecies marker for VSV; the finding that influenza virus can express a transient resistance to interferon action; demonstration that oral delivery of interferon in chickens can inhibit viral pathogenesis; demonstration that oral delivery of interferon in chickens had an adjuvant effect on antibody production in virus-infected chickens; and the discovery and description of a double-stranded ribonuclease co-induced and secreted along with avian interferons (Marcus 2007). Philip left a decidedly positive impression that went beyond his scientific accomplishments on almost everyone he met. One of his colleagues described him by saying “He…was generous in his comments and advice, always enthused, gracious, and critical when appropriate. Someone you could trust. We need more like Philip, one of the few who make a difference. He will be missed more than people realize, and a vast number will never know their loss” (Anonymous). Another colleague summed it up by saying “Phil was not one to put himself center stage or trumpet his achievements. It was his humility, his commitment to supporting others, his enthusiasm for science that set Phil apart. In every regard, he was a gentleman of science” (Anonymous). Philip died at age 86 on September 1, 2013. He is dearly missed and will be forever remembered.
Examining the properties and therapeutic potential of glial restricted precursors in spinal cord injury

In the aftermath of spinal cord injury, glial restricted precursors (GRPs) and immature astrocytes offer the potential to modulate the inflammatory environment of the injured spinal cord and promote host axon regeneration. Nevertheless clinical application of cellular therapy for the repair of spinal cord injury requires strict quality-assured protocols for large-scale production and preservation that necessitates long-term in vitro expansion. Importantly, such processes have the potential to alter the phenotypic and functional properties and thus therapeutic potential of these cells. Furthermore, clinical use of cellular therapies may be limited by the inflammatory microenvironment of the injured spinal cord, altering the phenotypic and functional properties of grafted cells. This report simulates the process of large-scale GRP production and demonstrates the permissive properties of GRP following long-term in vitro culture. Furthermore, we defined the phenotypic and functional properties of GRP in the presence of inflammatory factors, and call attention to the importance of the microenvironment of grafted cells, underscoring the importance of modulating the environment of the injured spinal cord.
Epidemiological Investigation on AIDS in Renhe District,Panzhihua City From 1999 to 2008

Objective To learn the epidemic features of AIDS in Renhe District so as to provide scientific basis for making prevention strategy.Method The epidemic situation of AIDS in Renhe District during 1998 to 2008 was analyzed by using the epidemic report and survey data.Results Since 1999,165 cases of HIV-infected have been found,and the cases increaed sharply during 2005 to 2008,which accounted for 93.3% of the cumulative cases.The male cases accounted for 7.6%.Among the 165 HIV-infected persons,the proportion of the Han nationality was 85.5%,and the unemployed people accounted for 41.2%.Of the cases 87.3%,distributed from 20 to 49 years of age.The main way for them to be infected was drug addition by intravenous injection which took up 69.1% among various infection means.Conclusion The number of AIDS case is continuously increasing in Renhe District.So it is also a critical time for us to take effective measures for prevention.
Anandamide, a naturally-occurring agonist of the cannabinoid receptor, blocks adenylate cyclase at the frog neuromuscular junction

Anandamide (arachydonylethanolamide) is a naturally-occurring ligand of the canabinoid receptor. When anandamide binds to its receptor, adenylate cyclase is inhibited. At the frog neuromuscular junction, anandamide lessened the increase in quantal size produced by pretreatment in hypertonic solution. It did not alter the increases in quantal size produced by insulin or by a permeable agonist of cAMP. It was known that hypertonic treatment increases quantal size by way of the cAMP-protein kinase A pathway. Anandamide had no effect on miniature endplate potential frequency (fmepp) in untreated preparations. After fmepp was increased in the presence of a permeable cAMP agonist, anandamide brought fmepp back to resting levels. The conclusions are that the motor nerve terminal has a cannabinoid receptor. The binding of anandamide to this receptor seems to block adenylate cyclase.
Influence Objectives as Antecedents to Influence Strategy Selection Within Distribution Channels

This paper proposes a normative framework for the selection of influence strategies within a distribution channel relationship. The basis for selection focuses upon (1) the objective at hand for the source of influence and (2) the level of relationalism within the channel relationship. In route, a typology of six influence objectives are presented, developed from qualitative data from a survey of 300 automobile dealers. Propositions are offered as to what influence strategy is most effective given the objective of the influencer and relational climate of the exchange relationship.
A Dialect for Imaging and Graphics

Our group at Drexel University’s Image Processing Center is engaged in research and development in Image Data Analysis, Computer Vision, and Image Processing. A typical researcher is expert in some field of Imaging Science, but is not a computer scientist. Nevertheless, a typical project requires substantial computer programming on the part of the researcher. Typically, these programs include computer graphics, program control through a menuing system, as well as imaging calculations specific to the task. Computer graphics involves the generation, representation, manipulation, and evaluation of graphic objects with related nongraphic information, and interactive operations such as drawing or picking. Menuing operations require adherence to a complex protocol of declarations and invocations that are specific to the computer system. Image computations require manipulation of complex data structures in the framework of a Vision Kernel that has a certain class of objects and standard operations. These data structures may or may not be compatible with the Graphics Kernel. Thus a program that creates user interfaces and acts upon objects in the image must cover all these areas.
Sixth Nerve Palsy in Children

Sixth nerve palsy is a cause of incomitant esotropia that increases in the field of action of the paralytic lateral rectus muscle. Acquired palsies are much more common than congenital, and etiologies include trauma, neoplasm, elevated intracranial pressure, infection, and inflammation, as well as other miscellaneous and idiopathic causes. Due to the high association of sixth nerve palsy with brain tumors in children, neuroimaging is generally indicated. Sixth nerve palsies must be distinguished from entities such as Duane retraction syndrome and Mobius syndrome, both of which possess distinct clinical features that are not present in isolated sixth nerve palsy. Partial or complete recovery of acquired sixth nerve palsies are common, compelling observation until at least 6 months of stable misalignment prior to surgical intervention. Conservative management seeks to avoid amblyopia if the palsy occurs during the period of visual development or to relieve diplopia if it occurs after visual maturation. The goal of surgical management, often utilizing muscle transposition procedures, is to restore binocularity in primary gaze and provide the greatest field of single binocular vision.
Frustrated Phagocytic Spreading Dynamics End in Distinct Non-Muscle Myosin II Dependent Contraction

Phagocytosis is the process by which individual cells engulf large (up to 10 μm) particles. It is the hallmark behavior of macrophages and neutrophils, being the process through which those cells ingest and degrade pathogens and debris from the body. The biochemical cascade involved with triggering Fc-receptor mediated phagocytosis (i.e. antibody dependent phagocytosis) has been well-studied; however, questions regarding how molecular scale signals coordinate such a large-scale process remain unanswered. To help address those questions, we developed a high-throughput method for quantitatively characterizing single-cell phagocytosis dynamics using Frustrated Phagocytosis (phagocytosis of a large flat surface). Our work reveals that FP response depends on opsonin density in a binary manner: above a minimum ligand density cells undergo a period of rapid spreading, below that threshold they do not. Surprisingly, the dynamic behavior (e.g. spreading-rate, and final contact-area) of cells undergoing FP is independent of opsonin density. We also find that FP includes a late-stage myosin II dependent contractile period, during which the cell exerts significant forces on the underlying substrate. Based on these findings we posit that phagocytosis dynamics are determined by two major factors. First, after Fc-receptor stimulation, phagocytic spreading is driven by the recruitment and polymerization of F-actin at the leading edge of the cell. This polymerization force drives the cell to spread along the target particle with dynamics determined by the viscoelastic properties of the cell, not signal diffusion or chemical kinetics. Second, we argue that late-stage contraction is driven by the formation of an F-acin “contractile belt” that runs parallel to the cell perimeter. Structured illumination fluorescence reveals F-actin bundles are formed during contraction and we hypothesize that late-stage myosin II activity is responsible for their formation. Funding: NSF CAREER-DMR #0848797 & NSF-PoLS #0848797.
Via pattern design and optimization for differential signaling 25Gbps and above

Ground via design rules may need to be re-visited to support high-speed signaling for 25Gbps and above, according to our experience. In this paper, the study begins with some basic via patterns with different ground via placement to investigate loss, crosstalk, common mode, and electromagnetic field distribution to help understand the underlying physics. The benefit of joint anti-pad is also analyzed for signaling at 25Gbps and above. Impact of adjacent vias to the modeled via pair of interest is studied and it is found that the adjacent vias should be properly terminated and included in the modeling. Finally crosstalk study is performed for the given via patterns.
Hepatic tumor imaging using iron oxide MRI: comparison with computed tomography, clinical impact, and cost analysis.

Background: The surgical management of hepatic tumors has traditionally relied on preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in combination with intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS). Unfortunately, the ability to detect and characterize hepatic tumors by using CECT is limited, and IOUS frequently reveals additional disease that alters the operative approach. Recent advances in hepatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may improve preoperative tumor detection and characterization; however, little is known about how MRI compares with CECT or about the clinical impact and cost considerations of liver MRI. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed to compare iron oxide (Feridex [Fe])-MRI with CECT in the preoperative imaging of hepatic neoplasms, as well as to determine the clinical impact and overall healthcare costs associated with Fe-MRI. Results: Of approximately 1000 patients who underwent abdominal MRI at a single institution during a 20-month period, 57 were identified who underwent Fe-MRI evaluation of the liver. Indications for imaging included suspected metastases (n = 43), an indeterminate hepatic mass (n = 9), or primary hepatic cancer (n = 5). Overall, Fe-MRI identified a total of 157 lesions (mean, 2.75 per patient; range, 0–14). CECT was performed in 50 patients, of whom 35 had primary or metastatic cancer. Fe-MRI identified more lesions than CT (n = 136 vs. 77; P = .016), and the average size of lesion detected by Fe-MRI was significantly smaller than that by CECT (2.5 vs. 3.4 cm; P = .018). Comparison of CECT and Fe-MRI findings with IOUS and pathological specimens showed a significant difference in sensitivity (MRI, 86%; CECT, 58%; P, .001), and IOUS changed the operative approach in only 5% of those imaged with Fe-MRI. Overall, Fe-MRI altered the clinical management in 67% of patients imaged (n = 38 of 57), which corresponded to an overall net cost savings of $108,368 ($1,901 per patient). Conclusions: Fe-MRI is a powerful imaging technique, with greater hepatic tumor detection sensitivity than CECT. Moreover, it is an economically feasible imaging method that will alter the clinical management in most patients imaged.