cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The causal effect of red blood cell folate on genome-wide methylation in cord blood: a Mendelian randomization approach

Investigation of the biological mechanism by which folate acts to affect fetal development can inform appraisal of expected benefits and risk management. This research is ethically imperative given the ubiquity of folic acid fortified products in the US. Considering that folate is an essential component in the one-carbon metabolism pathway that provides methyl groups for DNA methylation, epigenetic modifications provide a putative molecular mechanism mediating the effect of folic acid supplementation on neonatal and pediatric outcomes. In this study we use a Mendelian Randomization Unnecessary approach to assess the effect of red blood cell (RBC) folate on genome-wide DNA methylation in cord blood. Site-specific CpG methylation within the proximal promoter regions of approximately 14,500 genes was analyzed using the Illumina Infinium Human Methylation27 Bead Chip for 50 infants from the Epigenetic Birth Cohort at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Using methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype as the instrument, the Mendelian Randomization approach identified 7 CpG loci with a significant (mostly positive) association between RBC folate and methylation level. Among the genes in closest proximity to this significant subset of CpG loci, several enriched biologic processes were involved in nucleic acid transport and metabolic processing. Compared to the standard ordinary least squares regression method, our estimates were demonstrated to be more robust to unmeasured confounding. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the largest genome-wide analysis of the effects of folate on methylation pattern, and the first to employ Mendelian Randomization to assess the effects of an exposure on epigenetic modifications. These results can help guide future analyses of the causal effects of periconceptional folate levels on candidate pathways.
Transport- and diffusion-based optical tomography in small domains: a comparative study

We compare reconstructions based on the radiative transport and diffusion equations in optical tomography for media of small sizes. While it is well known that the diffusion approximation is less accurate to describe light propagation in such media, it has not yet been shown how this inaccuracy affects the images obtained with model-based iterative image reconstructions schemes. Using synthetic nondifferential data we calculate the error in the reconstructed images of optical properties as functions of source modulation frequency, noise level in measurement, and diffusion extrapolation length. We observe that the differences between diffusion and transport reconstructions are large when high modulation frequencies and noise-free data are used in the reconstructions. When the noise in data reaches a certain level, approximately 12% in our simulations, the differences between diffusion- and transport-based reconstructions become almost indistinguishable. Given that state-of-the-art optical imaging systems operate at much lower noise levels, the benefits of transport-based reconstructions of small imaging domains can be realized with most of the currently available systems. However, transport-based reconstructions are considerably slower than diffusion-based reconstructions.
An Alternate to Cobalt-Base Hardfacing Alloys

The price of cobalt has risen dramatically in the last few years, and supply has often been uncertain. The most popular hardfacing alloys contain substantial amounts of cobalt, and have thus been especially affected by these factors. The present study has developed a new hardfacing alloy, HAYNES Alloy No. 716, with lower cobalt content, to replace the most popular alloy, HAYNES STELLITE Alloy No. 6 which is cobalt based. The alloy design which led to the development of the new alloy is discussed, and properties are compared with Alloy No. 6. Hardness at room temperature and elevated temperatures, weldability, and corrosion and abrasion resistance of the new alloy compare favorably with Alloy No. 6.
Market outcomes in a congested electricity system with fuel supply network

We formulate a mathematical equilibrium model of an oligopolistic electricity market where generation costs are derived from a fuel supply network. In numerical results for a small test system, the equilibrium electricity prices and quantities along with resulting welfare measures are compared against the results of a computational agent simulation where generators submit supply function parameters based on quadratic costs with reinforcement learning. Results for the equilibrium model with quadratic costs are included as an intermediate step. The qualitatively similar results found by equilibrium model with high computational efficiency indicate the model's promise for use in infrastructure planning studies.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and suicidal behavior

Studies of the neurobiology of suicidal behavior have become an important and integral part of psychiatric research. Over the past several years, studies of the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the pathophysiology of suicidality have attracted significant interest of researchers. Multiple lines of evidence including studies of levels of BDNF in blood cells and plasma of suicidal patients, postmortem brain studies in suicidal subjects with or without depression, and genetic association studies linking BDNF to suicide suggest that suicidal behavior may be associated with a decrease in BDNF functioning. Studies of the BDNF function are important for suicide research and prevention because of the multiple reasons including the following: (i) BDNF plays a role in the pathophysiology of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders and other conditions associated with suicidal behavior. Treatment-induced enhancements of BDNF can facilitate neural integrity and recovery of function in psychiatric disorders, and consequently prevent suicidal behavior; (ii) abnormal BDNF function may be associated with elevated suicidality independently of psychiatric diagnoses. It is possible that treatment-induced improvement in the BDNF function prevents suicidal behavior independently of improvement in psychiatric disorders; (iii) BDNF may be a biological marker of suicidal behavior in certain patient populations. It is to be hoped that the studies of the neurobiology of suicidal behavior will lead to the development of new methods of suicide prevention.
An Analog VLSI Saccadic Eye Movement System

In an effort to understand saccadic eye movements and their relation to visual attention and other forms of eye movements, we - in collaboration with a number of other laboratories - are carrying out a large-scale effort to design and build a complete primate oculomotor system using analog CMOS VLSI technology. Using this technology, a low power, compact, multi-chip system has been built which works in real-time using real-world visual inputs. We describe in this paper the performance of an early version of such a system including a 1-D array of photoreceptors mimicking the retina, a circuit computing the mean location of activity representing the superior colliculus, a saccadic burst generator, and a one degree-of-freedom rotational platform which models the dynamic properties of the primate oculomotor plant.
Pathways out of Homelessness in Los Angeles and Tokyo: Multilevel Contexts of Limited Mobility amid Advanced Urban Marginality

The widespread entrenchment of gaping urban inequality has aroused concern abouthow economic, demographic and (neoliberal) ideological globalization interacts withlocal conditions to shape its magnitude, manifestations and experiences. This articleexplores how the process of exiting homelessness is affected by an interaction of socialcontexts operating at multiple levels, from the global to the individual. I advance andassess a multilevel framework of exiting homelessness by combining comparison ofsecondary data at multiple social levels and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis oflongitudinal interview data from persons using transitional housing programs in LosAngeles and Tokyo. In the two cities, individual vulnerabilities and acculturation tohomelessness are superseded via different pathways out of homelessness. Pathways inLos Angeles rely on social and organizational ties amid a paucity of economicopportunities, whereas pathways in Tokyo use economic resources amid limited ties.Contrary to approaches that emphasize singular contexts driving marginality, Idemonstrate differing local impacts of globalization and the important and interactingroles of the state, organizational contexts of social service delivery and culturaldimensions of social capital. This points towards the utility of a new povertymanagement framework for understanding interventions addressing homelessness asfragmented, contradictory and contingent upon multiple contexts.
Heterotrophic protozoa and small metazoa: feeding rates and prey-consumer interactions

A common approach to divide zooplankton into groups has been by size or size fractiona- tion (micro-, meso- and macrozooplankton). Whereas almost all zooplankton retained by 200 um mesh are metazoa, those not retained are proto- and metazoa. Even so, the variability of major taxa among those retained by 200 (jm mesh can range widely between samples, that of passing 200 urn can vary even more when considering the grazing impact. If heavily weighted towards protozoa, the 50 um3 in volume, i.e. those which could be actively perceived. It is hypothesized that in the absence of control by meta- zooplankton, protozoa control their own abundance by predation/cannibalism.
Neurofibromatosis: types 1 and 2.

SUMMARY: Neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2 are a group of neurocutaneous syndromes resulting from disorders in cell regulation. Despite sharing a common name, neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2 are quite distinct phakomatoses, both clinically and genetically.
Control of distributed convex optimization

This paper addresses the problem of solving unconstrained, separable, convex optimization problems over networks and introduces a new approach to the problem: control of distributed convex optimization. We first develop Hopwise Equalizing (HE), a non-gradient-based, distributed asynchronous iterative algorithm that is asymptotically convergent and that is capable of solving the problem. Based on the framework provided by HE, we then develop Controlled Hopwise Equalizing (CHE), showing that a common Lyapunov function, constructed based on the first-order convexity condition, can be used to incorporate the notion of greedy, decentralized, feedback iteration control, whereby individual nodes use potential drops in the value of the Lyapunov function to control, on their own, when to initiate an iteration. Finally, via extensive simulation on wirelessly connected random geometric graphs, we show that CHE is significantly more bandwidth/energy efficient than several existing subgradient algorithms, requiring far less communications to solve a convex optimization problem.
Genetics and Genomics for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease: Update A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a major source of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite a decline of ≈30% over the past decade, heart disease remains the leading killer of Americans.1 For rare and familial forms of CVD, we are increasingly recognizing single-gene mutations that impart relatively large effects on individual phenotype. Examples include inherited forms of cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, and aortic diseases. However, the prevalence of monogenic disorders typically accounts for a small proportion of the total CVD observed in the population. CVDs in the general population are complex diseases, with several contributing genetic and environmental factors. Although recent progress in monogenic disorders has occurred, we have seen a period of intense investigation to identify the genetic architecture of more common forms of CVD and related traits. Genomics serves several roles in cardiovascular health and disease, including disease prediction, discovery of genetic loci influencing CVD, functional evaluation of these genetic loci to understand mechanisms, and identification of therapeutic targets. For single-gene CVDs, progress has led to several clinically useful diagnostic tests, extending our ability to inform the management of afflicted patients and their family members. However, there has been little progress in developing genetic testing for complex CVD because individual common variants have only a modest impact on risk. The study of the genomics of complex CVDs is further challenged by the influence of environmental variables, phenotypic heterogeneity, and pathogenic complexity. Characterization of the clinical phenotype requires consideration of the clinical details of the diseases and traits under study. This update expands the prior scientific statement on the relevance of genetics and genomics for the prevention and treatment of CVDs.2 In the earlier report, we focused on the current status of the field, which consisted of predominantly family-based linkage studies and single-gene or mendelian mutations of relatively large phenotypic effect …
Characterization of the Rate and Temperature Sensitivities of Bacterial Remineralization of Dissolved Organic Phosphorus Compounds by Natural Populations

Production, transformation, and degradation are the principal components of the cycling of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in marine systems. Heterotrophic Bacteria (and Archaea) play a large part in this cycling via enzymatic decomposition and intracellular transformations of organic material to inorganic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). The rate and magnitude of inorganic nutrient regeneration from DOM is related to the elemental composition and lability of DOM substrates as well as the nutritional needs of the mediating organisms. While many previous efforts have focused on C and N cycling of DOM, less is known in regards to the controls of organic P utilization and remineralization by natural populations of bacteria. In order to constrain the relative time scales and degradation of select dissolved organic P (DOP) compounds we have conducted a series of experiments focused on (1) assessment of the short-term lability of a range of DOP compounds, (2) characterization of labile DOP remineralization rates, and (3) examination of temperature sensitivities of labile DOP remineralization for varying bacterial populations. Results reinforce previous findings of monoester and polyphosphate lability and the relative recalcitrance of a model phosphonate: 2-aminoethylphosphonate. High resolution time-series of P-monoester remineralization indicates decay constants on the order of 0.67‐7.04 day 1 for bacterial populations isolated from coastal and open ocean surface waters. The variability of these rates is predictably related to incubation temperature and initial concentrations of heterotrophic bacteria. Additional controls on DOP hydrolysis included seasonal shifts in bacterial populations and the physiological state of bacteria at the initiation of DOP addition experiments. Composite results indicate that bacterial hydrolysis of P-monoesters exceeds bacterial P demand and thus DOP remineralization efficiency may control P availability to autotrophs.
Modification of the Audit Report: Mitigating Investor Attribution by Disclosing the Auditor's Judgment Process

ABSTRACT: This study examines the effectiveness of disclosure in the auditor's report of the auditor's judgment process as a means to mitigate unfavorable attribution to the auditor after the occurrence of an adverse event, i.e., the tendency to ascribe the cause to a factor(s) that can be readily associated with the event (“second guessing”). Modification of the audit report in this manner is consistent with recent calls to make the audit report more responsive to user expectations and with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Improving Financial Reporting for the establishment of a professional judgment framework. We provide 72 nonprofessional investors with a case where there are both positive and negative indicators about the going-concern status of a client. The auditor issues a standard audit report, and nine months later the client files for bankruptcy. Participants are randomly assigned to two groups: judgment process information or no judgment process information. The results indicate...
A small cache of large ranges: Hardware methods for efficiently searching, storing, and updating big dataflow tags

Dynamically tracking the flow of data within a microprocessor creates many new opportunities to detect and track malicious or erroneous behavior, but these schemes all rely on the ability to associate tags with all of virtual or physical memory. If one wishes to store large 32-bit tags, multiple tags per data element, or tags at the granularity of bytes rather than words, then directly storing one tag on chip to cover one byte or word (in a cache or otherwise) can be an expensive proposition. We show that dataflow tags in fact naturally exhibit a very high degree of spatial-value locality, an observation we can exploit by storing metadata on ranges of addresses (which cover a non-aligned contiguous span of memory) rather than on individual elements. In fact, a small 128 entry on-chip range cache (with area equivalent to 4 KB of SRAM) hits more than 98% of the time on average. The key to this approach is our proposed method by which ranges of tags are kept in cache in an optimally RLE-compressed form, queried at high speed, swapped in and out with secondary memory storage, and (most important for dataflow tracking) rapidly stitched together into the largest possible ranges as new tags are written on every store, all the while correctly handling the cases of unaligned and overlapping ranges. We examine the effectiveness of this approach by simulating its use in definedness tracking (covering both the stack and the heap), in tracking network-derived dataflow through a multi-language web application, and through a synthesizable prototype implementation.
T-Vector Direction Differentiates Postpacing From Ischemic T-Wave Inversion in Precordial Leads

Background— Postpacing precordial T-wave inversion (TWI), known as cardiac memory (CM), mimics ischemic precordial TWI, and there are no established ECG criteria that adequately distinguish between the two. On the basis of CM properties (postpacing sinus rhythm T vector approaching the direction of the paced QRS vector), we hypothesized that CM induced by right ventricular pacing would manifest a TWI pattern different from that of precordial ischemic TWI, thereby discriminating between the two. Methods and Results— T-wave axis, polarity, and amplitude on a 12-lead ECG during sinus rhythm were compared between CM and ischemic patients. The CM group incorporated 13 patients who were paced in DDD mode with short atrioventricular delay for 1 week after elective pacemaker implantation. The ischemic group consisted of 47 patients with precordial TWI identified among 228 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention for an acute coronary syndrome. The combination of (1) positive TaVL, (2) po...
Unitary Nonplanar Closed Loops

We show how one can calculate the Veneziano amplitude for an arbitrary nonplanar diagram with one closed loop. In particular, we calculate explicitly the nonplanar diagram with four external particles and one "twisted vertex." If we write the amplitude $M=\ensuremath{\int}{d}^{4}\ensuremath{\Pi}$ $\mathfrak{M}(\ensuremath{\Pi})$, we find that our result for $\mathfrak{M}(\ensuremath{\Pi})$ is periodic in the loop momentum $\ensuremath{\Pi}$, so that the expression for $M$ does not converge. We show that, if we integrate over just one period, we obtain the correct result for the imaginary part of the amplitude in the $s$ channel. Consequently, we adopt this as our definition of the unitary nonplanar amplitude. Finally, we show that with this redefinition, $M$ satisfies the duality requirement that it be completely symmetric in the "untwisted" momenta.
Vertical vibration of a flexible foundation resting on saturated layered soil half-space.

This paper is concerned with the vertical vibration of a flexible foundation resting on a saturated layered soil half-space that consists of a dry soil layer and an underlying semi-infinite saturated soil. The problem is of the mixed boundary value type and, by means of the Hankel transform technique, the determination of dynamic compliance coefficient and contact stress distribution leads to a pair of dual integral equations. These equations are then reduced to a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind, which is solved by standard numerical procedure. Some limiting cases existing in the literature are revisited to validate the accuracy of the present solution. Extensive numerical results are presented to illustrate the influences of the thickness of the overlying dry soil, the foundation flexibility, and the shear modulus ratio between dry and underlying saturated soils on the dynamic responses of the flexible foundations.
Source-Type-Specific Inversion of Moment Tensors

The mapping of the fit of seismic moment tensor (MT) solutions in source-type space helps to characterize uncertainty and solution uniqueness. Current practice relies on the forward testing of a distribution of randomly generated MTs in source-type space, which is slow and does not necessarily recover the true maximum fit surface. We design an iterative damped least-squares inversion scheme to invert waveforms and/or P -wave first motions for best-fitting MT solutions for specific source types. An event associated with the sinkhole at the Napoleonville salt dome, Louisiana, an industrial quarry explosion, and an earthquake at The Geysers geothermal field, northern California, are presented as examples. We find that the inversion method is more accurate and successful than the random-search approach in recovering the region of best-fitting MT solutions or source types and is substantially faster. The approach also enables the determination of the best-fitting MT for specified source types such as pure double couples, tensile cracks, or explosions, as well as compound mechanisms in a single numerical framework. Online Material: Description and figures comparing inversion performance using spherical and Cartesian eigenvector parameterizations; figures showing the revised full moment tensor solution of event TE1 and additional network sensitivity solutions of event TE3.
A Marxist Controversy on China

Karl Marx is responsible for the famous if inaccurate dictum that while previous philosophers had been interested in explaining the world, he was interested in changing it. Yet the fact remains that Marx was passionately interested in explaining the world. The drive to explain is presumably intimately bound up with the drive to change and yet one cannot help but feel that as Marx becomes involved in some of the more complex problems of social history the desire to explain often becomes for a time at least the overriding end.
Youth Techtual Economies: The Paradox and Purchase of Equity

This chapter utilizes a cultural sociological lens towards economy to describe and explore youth techtual economies and the purchase/paradox of educational equity. Reading the inclusion and purchase of technology as text, techtual economies detail and nuance the larger contexts of culture, relational social ties, and institutional structures. Taking heed of the ways in which people differentiate media, money and moments of transaction, I consider youth techtual counter-economies and interrogate why these spaces of socialization and affinity (i.e., social networking spaces, microblogs, etc.) are silenced rather than drawn upon. In reading the array of techtual economies included, this chapter moves beyond reading economy solely in terms of monetary means. Instead, it illuminates how rituals, practices, and the so-called figured worlds of school and technology monetize the purchase of equity.
Quinone Substituted Porphyrin Dimers: New Photosynthetic Model Systems

The 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Johann Deisenhofer, Hartmut Michel, and Robert Huber for their elucidation of the X-ray crystal structure of the reaction center (RC) from the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis(Deisenhofer et al. 1984). More recently, structural information for the RC of Rhodobacter sphaeroideshas also become available (Allen et al., 1986;Chang et al., 1986). Six tetrapyrrolic subunits are found at the active sites of these two structurally similar RCs: A dimeric bacteriochlorophyll “special pair” (P), two “accessory” bacteriochlorophylls (Bchls), and two bacteriopheophytins (Bphs), all held in a well-defined but skewed geometry along a C2 axis of symmetry. The Bchls are separated from P by center-to-center distances of ca. 11 A and interplane angles of ca. 70°. The Bphs in turn are separated by similar distances and angles from the Bchls. Four of these six prosthetic groups are currently considered to define the relevant electron transport chain (Kirmaier and Holten, 1987). This consists in sequence of the photosensitizer (P), an “accessory” Bchl, an intermediate Bph, and a quinone acceptor (Q). In R. sphaeroides, Q is an ubiquinone; in R. viridis, it is a menaquinone. In both cases, Q lies roughly 13-14 A away from the corresponding Bph center. Charge separation between P* and Bph entities is known to occur on a time scale of 2-4 ps with nearly 100% quantum efficiency (Woodbury et al., 1985;Martin et al., 1986;Wasielewski and Tiede, 1986;Kirmaier and Holten, 1988). Furthermore this process exhibits activationless behavior, increasing in rate by a factor of two at liquid helium temperature (Woodbury et al., 1985;Fleming et al., 1988). Subsequent electron transfer from Bph- to Q to give P+-Bchl-Bph-Q-occurs in 200 ps, also with 100% quantum yield (Kirmaier and Holten, 1987).
Standard acid reflux testing revisited

Patients who present with uncontrolled esophageal acid reflux symptoms require endoscopy to determine the presence or absence of ulcers and stenoses, acid reflux testing to determine if acid reflux is present, and manometry to evaluate esophageal peristalsis and spastic states. These studies are usually done in stages, at separate times. Esophageal manometry catheters currently in use have an incorporated infusion channel. This allows instillation of a dilute acid meal after esophageal manometry has been completed. Standard acid reflux testing can then be done using dynamic positioning and physiologic maneuvers. When combined with an esophagogastroduodenas copy (EGD), these three studies provide all information necessary within 2–3 h to determine further treatment of these patients. A total of 210 patients underwent these studies. A hiatus hernia was present in 84%. An ineffective lower esophageal sphincter was found in 64%. Esophageal hypocontractility was present in 18%, hypercontractility in 14%, and dysmotility in 36%. Upper esophageal sphincter was weak in 42%, hypercontractile in 42%, and dysmotile in 32%. Acid reflux disease was found in the hiatus hernia in 14% and acid reflux to the level of the lower esophagus in 16%, middle esophagus in 13%, and upper esophagus in 40%. Distal esophagitis was present in 47%, esophageal ulceration in 29%, gastric prolapse in 11%, gastritis in 52%, bile reflux disease in 10%, and Barrett's epithelium in 5%. In conclusion, an extremely high number of patients with esophageal acid reflux disease show dysmotility patterns. Standard acid reflux testing using dynamic positioning will identify most patients with significant acid reflux disease. When combined with an EGD, complete testing for acid reflux disease can be performed at one setting. Further study is needed comparing dynamic acid reflux testing to 24-h pH testing.
Comparison of Carbon-based Nanostructures with Commercial Products as Thermal Interface Materials

Heat dissipation in electronics packaging can be highly dependent on Thermal Interface Materials (TIM). TIM contact, compliance, and conductivity can be the dominant limiting factors in the overall conduction heat transfer across the interface. Mixing multiwall Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs), which have high thermal conductivity, with other thermally conducting materials holds great promise as TIM fillers and has been shown to have higher thermal performance than commercial TIM ‘1’. Such mixtures possess greater thermal conductivity as a result of increased thermal conduction paths through highly conductive, high aspect ratio CNTs. In this work, we develop and test an advanced apparatus based on the ASTM D5470-06 standard to measure thermal interface resistance. Our experimental findings quantify the thermal performance trends of industry-standard TIM Arctic Silver® 5 along with hybrid TIM mixtures of Arctic Silver®5 and varying weight ratios of CNTs. Early experimental findings show that Arctic Silver®5 mixed with 0.5 to 1% multiwall CNT by weight may improve thermal conductivity over pure Arctic Silver®5.The goal of this research is to investigate the viability of integrating CNTs with commercial products as improved TIM for electronic cooling in chip packages.
Irritative deposits from stainless steel electrodes in the preoptic rat brain causing release of pituitary gonadotropin.

SummaryWhen ovulation was induced by means of stainless steel electrodes in the preoptic area, delivering pulses of varied characteristics, a prominent zone of mild inflammation appeared at the end of the electrode track. When ovulation failed, the zone was characteristically small or absent. Electrolysis with direct current, 10 μA or more for 20 sec or longer, proved uniformly effective in causing ovulation. Substitution of platinum electrodes for stainless steel usually gave negative results. Microinjection of FeCl3 solution into the preoptic tissue induced ovulation, while injection of similar amounts of acidified NaCl did not. Finally, electrolysis stimulated ovulation when electrodes of reagent grade iron wire were used, but not when similar electrodes of platinum were employed. It is concluded that iron and perhaps other metals electrolytically deposited from electrodes of stainless steel (or nichrome) produce irritative foci whose stimulative action on certain neurons continues long after the flow ...
Broadband and Ultra-flat Optical Comb Generation Using an EO Comb Source and a Programmable Pulse Shaper

Optical frequency comb generation using an advanced electro-optic comb source, a programmable pulse shaper, and a highly nonlinear fiber is demonstrated. The generated 18 GHz comb has 2 dB power variation within a 24 nm bandwidth.
Trends in Pulsating Turbine Performance: Pulse-Detonation Driven Axial Flow Turbine

An investigation of previous studies involving turbines driven by pulsating, unsteady flows is conducted. The suitability of conventional steady flow performance metrics for application to the case of pulsating flow is discussed, with a focus on the observed deviation from quasi-steady behavior. This deviation is found to be a strong function of upstream geometry, pulse form and amplitude, and disparity between the time scales of the pulse and of the rotor dynamics. Existing studies exhibit controversy as to the effects of parametric variation of pulsating flow quantities on the turbine performance as well as suitable metrics to describe this performance. These studies are used to predict qualitative trends for the performance of an integrated pulse-detonation driven axial turbine. Trends from current experimental studies of pulse-detonation driven flows are examined to assess these hypotheses.
The requirement of cortisol for the inhibitory effect of norepinephrine on the antidiuretic action of vasopressin.

SummaryCortisol (CpF) is required for various physiological actions of norepinephrine (NE). In humans and animals, NE abolishes the antidiuretic action of arginine vasopressin (AVP). This study evaluates whether CpF is necessary for the interaction between NE and AVP on the kidneys. Six trained adrenalectomized (ADX) dogs were maintained with desoxycorticosterone acetate DOCA and 8 g of NaCl/day but without CpF for 3 days prior to study which was carried out in the awake animal. In this state, the dogs were volume expanded with weight gain of 0.7 to 1 kg and moderate water diuresis could be induced. With intravenous infusion of AVP (15-25 mU/hr) urine volume (UV) fell from 2.66 ± 0.55 (SE) to 0.98 ± 0.23 ml/min and urinary osmolality (Uosm) rose from 248 ± 32 to 513 ± 42 mOsm/kg H2O. Addition of NE (360-600 μg/hr) did not abolish the effect of AVP. Intravenous injection of CpF (50 mg) increased water diuresis in the control periods, and the infusion of AVP to CpF and DOCA-treated ADX dogs also produced a ...
Biophysical characterization and functional consequences of a slowly inactivating potassium current in neostriatal neurons.

Gabel, Lisa A. and Eric S. Nisenbaum. Biophysical characterization and functional consequences of a slowly inactivating potassium current in neostriatal neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 79: 1989–2002, 199...
Demonstration of Hight-yield Techniques for Liangyou 29,A New Two-line Middle-season Super Hybrid Rice

The field demonstration of newly developed super hybrid rice was carried out every year in order to obtain the corresponding field practices for maximum tapping the yielding potential of the new promising combinations on the headquarters farm at the center.Two hybrid rice varieties for the middle season rice in Hunan were grown in 2006.Lianyou 29(8820S/R29)yielded 12 567.6 kg/hm2 estimated via the harvested actual area of 37.001 8 by the output examination group of the institute.In this paper the morphological,physiological and ecological characteristics of the hybrids were mentioned.The matching integrated field managements for the two outstanding hybrid rices were proposed.
418 TRANSGENIC MICE WITH TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR β TYPE II RECEPTOR DYSFUNCTION HAVE ATTENUATED HYPOXIA-INDUCED PULMONARY HYPERTENSION AND REMODELING

We previously demonstrated that rats and mice exposed to chronic hypoxia exhibit increased pulmonary arterial pressure and right ventricular and pulmonary vascular remodeling with increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in lung. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is known to increase proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells and production of ECM in pulmonary fibroblasts, suggesting a role for TGF-β in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and remodeling. This study tested the hypothesis that mice with dominant-negative TGF-β type II receptors (DNIIR) exhibit blunting of pulmonary hypertension and remodeling in response to hypoxia. Adult male wild-type (WT) and DNIIR mice were exposed to air or 10% O2 for 6 weeks. Mean right ventricular pressure (MRVP) was measured in anesthetized, spontaneously breathing mice as an index of pulmonary hypertension. RV free wall and the left ventricle and septum (LV + S) were weighed. Cross sections of lung were immunostained with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) antibody for quantitaion of transformation of alveolar fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Tissue weights were normalized by body weight using ANCOVA. Results (means ± SE, n = 7,( p
The Effect of Celebrity Endorsement Announcements oh Stock Prices

Celebrities are being increasingly used to market products, yet no effort has been made to discern their impact on the marketplace or on the return to stockholders. This study tests the hypothesis that celebrity endorsers do not make a difference in improving a firm’s profitability and therefore its value. The paper uses standard event study methodology to test the hypothesis. The results show that celebrity endorsers have only a very weak effect on stock returns raising questions about the policy decisions of firms using celebrities.
Y-configured dual intracranial stent-assisted coil embolization for the treatment of wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms

Objective Despite advances in both the surgical and endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms, wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms (i.e., basilar tip aneurysms in which both posterior cerebral arteries emanate from the base of a wide-necked aneurysm) represent a subset of aneurysms that continues to pose technical challenges in treatment. We sought to demonstrate the safety and short-term durability of a novel dual stent-assisted coil embolization technique. Methods Two Neuroform stents (Boston Scientific/Target, Fremont, CA) were deployed in the posterior cerebral arteries and the basilar artery, one passing through the interstices of the other in a Y-configuration, thereby recreating an aneurysm neck and enabling safe coil delivery while preserving the parent vessels. Results Seven patients with unruptured, asymptomatic, wide-necked basilar tip aneurysms involving both posterior cerebral arteries and ranging in size from 7 to 20 mm underwent treatment with this stent-assisted coiling technique. Two stents were successfully deployed in six of the patients and one stent was successfully deployed in the seventh. One patient developed a transient internuclear ophthalmoplegia, and another experienced transient partial right oculomotor nerve palsy. All aneurysms had complete or near-complete embolization with the initial procedure. Follow-up angiography performed 6 months (six patients) and 1 year (one patient) after treatment demonstrated coil compaction and slight recanalization in one patient and recanalization requiring retreatment in another. All patients were neurologically intact at least 6 months after the initial procedure, as well as subsequent procedures, without clinical signs of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusion These initial technical and clinical results are highly encouraging, and this technique may significantly improve the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.
Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Penis: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Basal cell carcinoma of the skin is the most common tumor in humans but occurrence in the penis is extremely rare. We report the sixteenth case of basal cell carcinoma of the penis. This lesion was successfully treated with simple local excision. A review of the literature revealed that most such tumors present in the fifth through seventh decades of life on the shaft of the penis. Natural history is that of a slowly growing tumor with little propensity to metastasize. Universal success has been achieved with simple local excision.
Patient Age and the Outcomes after Decompressive Hemicraniectomy for Stroke: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis

Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) for space-occupying cerebral infarction in older adults remains controversial, and there are limited nationwide data evaluating the outcomes after craniectomy for stroke by patient age. Patients who underwent DHC for ischemic stroke were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2002–2011). Multivariable logistic regression examined in-hospital mortality and a poor outcome (death, tracheostomy and gastrostomy, or discharge to institutional care). Covariates included year of admission, comorbidities, severity indices, and treatment variables (including the timing of decompression). Craniectomy was performed in 1673 patients: 62.4 % were aged 18–60 years, 20.6 % aged 61–70 years, and 17.0 % aged greater than 70 years. DHC was associated with reduced adjusted odds of in-hospital death compared with medical treatment alone among patients with cerebral edema in all age categories, including those older than 70 years (p ≤ 0.008). However, among surgical patients, the adjusted odds of mortality were significantly greater for patients aged 61–70 (30.7 %, p = 0.02) and greater than 70 years (34.5 %, p = 0.02), but not different for patients aged 51–60 (22.8 %), compared to those aged 18–50 years (19.7 %). The adjusted odds of a poor outcome also increased significantly with age, particularly for patients greater than 60 years. In this nationwide analysis, DHC was associated with reduced mortality regardless of patient age, including among those aged greater than 70 years. However, patients aged greater than 60 years treated surgically experienced higher odds of mortality (32.4 %), discharge to institutional care (47.1 %), and a poor outcome (77.0 %) compared with younger patients.
An Outline for Planning Development of River Basins: a Regional Approach

River basin development programs are complex frameworks, in which every project is required to be formulated as a sub-system of the larger plan. Some of the major issues encountered when planning a river basin scheme on a regional basis are the utilization of surface flows and groundwater resources (including the maintenance of a desired level of water quality), the determination of alternative cropping patterns in irrigated agriculture, evaluation of tradeoffs between competing uses of water, and sequencing of investments in both space and time. The proposed outline will probably be useful when considering the various projects in the Yellow River basin, so that they may fit an overall plan. The methodology was adapted from previous work on river basin development performed for the World Bank in South Asia.
Conduction, breakdown, and other phenomena in dielectric liquids

The format of this year's chapter is essentially the same as last year's. In addition to major sections on conduction and breakdown, sections on the following topics are included: technology, fluid motion, electrostatics, and dielectric phenomena. The selection of subject matter in the dielectric phenomena section is based upon its direct or indirect connection with conduction or breakdown. Although the connection may seem obscure in some cases, those concerned will recognize the articles of interest to them. Relaxation behavior is generally excluded from this section, but subjects like opalescence and secondary electron emission are included, in addition to the obviously-important subject of electric field distribution.
A Higher Ratio of Dose to Actual Weight of Conditioning Chemotherapy Leads to More Toxicity without Improvement in Outcome in Autologous HSC Transplant for DLBCL.

Background: High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is considered standard therapy in patients with chemosensitive relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (BEAM) is a standard widely used DLBCL conditioning regimen. Chemotherapy doses, both standard and high dose, are traditionally based in body surface area (BSA) and are often calculated using the corrected ideal body weight. However, this practice is empirical and the best way to dose chemotherapy is unknown. Weight-based dosing has been suggested to better predict toxicity of the conditioning regimen. We correlate the BEAM dose/actual weight ratio with toxicity and overall outcome in a uniform cohort of patients receiving HSC transplant for relapsed DLBCL Methods: Retrospective analysis of 80 consecutive patients treated at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN between 2001 and 2006 who received a HSC transplant following BEAM conditioning was performed. All doses were based on BSA calculated using the corrected ideal body weight. Weight-based dose intensity was retrospectively calculated utilizing the melphalan dose/Kg as a surrogate for the entire regimen. Weight-based dose intensity was correlated with toxicity in the first 30 days after transplant and survival outcome. Results: Median age at the time of transplant was 62 (interquartile range 53–65; range 26–77); 65% were males; median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was 2. Median dose of melphalan was 3.2 mg/Kg (interquartile range 2.9–3.6; range 2.2–4.5). Only one patient died within 30 days of the transplant. Patients who received > 3.6 mg/Kg of melphalan were more likely to have Grade 3 or 4 mucositis (44.4% v. 9.8%, P=0.001) than the remaining patients. Median numbers of days spent in the hospital in the first 30 days after transplant was 13 (3–18) for melphalan dose >3.6 mg/kg vs. 7 (0.5–10.5) for the remaining patients (P=0.043). Weight based dose intensity did not correlate with survival (P=0.8) or disease-free survival (P=0.3). Conclusion: Weight based dose intensity of BEAM correlates with toxicity post autologous HSC transplant. Patients receiving doses corresponding to >3.6 mg/kg of melphalan are at increased risk of high-grade mucositis and prolonged hospitalization.
Leaflet Thrombosis in Surgically Explanted or Post-Mortem TAVR Valves

Leaflet thrombosis is currently one of the greatest concerns related to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Symptomatic valve thrombosis is a rare occurrence, but reduced leaflet motion, diagnosed by computed tomography, seems to be a more common finding [(1)][1]. We screened our
Upwelling and primary production during the U.S. GEOTRACES East Pacific Zonal Transect

The 2013 U.S. GEOTRACES Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect (EPZT) traversed the highly productive Peruvian coastal upwelling (PCU) region. In this work, the flux of nitrate into the euphotic zone is derived for stations within the PCU using a previously developed method whereby dilution of the water column 7Be inventory by upwelled 7Be-free water provides a means to infer upwelling rates. Furthermore, with knowledge of upwelling rates, 7Be profiles are used to constrain vertical diffusivity within the upper thermocline. These transport terms are applied to nitrate profiles to estimate net community production between 79°W and 104°W along the EPZT, which includes the zone of active upwelling to the edge of the oligotrophic gyre. With a simple, one-dimensional model, the calculated upwelling rates were inversely related to mixed layer temperature and ranged from 0 to 3.0 m/d. Results using a depth-dependent upwelling rate with a component of horizontal advection are also described. Vertical diffusivities near the base of the euphotic zone were in the range 1.7–4.5 × 10−4 m2/s. These values are compared to those generated by analysis of temperature profiles. Net community production averaged 15 mmol C/m2/d for stations between 84°W and 104°W and was 134 mmol C/m2/d for the furthest inshore station at 79°W which displayed the lowest SST and greatest rate of upwelling.
A comparative study of phenotypic traits related to resource utilization in anuran communities

Larval anuran communities vary along a gradient of pond permanency. The families Hylidae, Ranidae, and Bufonidae have each diversified into multiple pond types. Species using ponds that dry seasonally (vernal ponds) must compete well to metamorphose before pond drying, while permanent ponds, which contain more predators, produce weaker selection for competitive ability. Quantifying phenotypic traits related to resource acquisition in 14 anuran species provides insight into the mechanistic underpinnings of adaptive radiation in anuran lineages. Under controlled laboratory conditions and at both early and late developmental stages, relative growth rate, relative consumption rate, assimilation efficiency and production efficiency varied significantly among species. As predicted, vernal pond species had high growth rates relative to species using more than one pond type. However, within a pond type, families frequently differed in phenotype. In species using permanent ponds with fish predators, hylids had high growth rates while ranids had low growth rates, and in species using vernal ponds, bufonids had higher assimilation efficiencies than hylids. Differences also occurred between stages; hylids and ranids in permanent, but fishless, ponds were similar at an early stage, but late stage hylids in the same pond type had lower growth and consumption rates, and higher assimilation efficiencies than ranids. Functional relationships between phenotypic traits also differed among species and developmental stage. Negative correlations between evolutionary change (independent contrast values) in both mass and growth rate (both stages), and mass and consumption rate (late stage), suggest the presence of trade-offs. These results indicate that different lineages have diversified in different ways into the same pond types.