cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New lightweight materials: Balsa wood‐polymer composites based on ethyl α‐(hydroxymethyl)acrylate

It is clearly demonstrated here that ethyl α-(hydroxymethyl)acrylate (EHMA) is a unique monomer for increasing the dimensional stability and physical properties of balsa wood. Copolymers containing EHMA, and especially EHMA-styrene mixtures, were shown to improve the dimensional stability (water soak test) and the absolute mechanical properties of balsa wood. Improvements in specific modulus and specific toughness (absolute properties divided by specific gravity) were achieved using an EHMA-styrene monomer mixture with polybutadiene diacrylate as cross-linker and toughening agent, with the best results obtained at low (10–40%) weight gain. This is the first report that we are aware of describing specific property improvement greater than expected based on density increase. These improvements in modulus and toughness were ascribed to efficient penetration of monomers into the cell walls. Solid-state NMR and scanning electron microscopy confirmed strong interaction of the copolymers generated in situ with wood cell wall components, consistent with the property improvements obtained. The combination of a light-weight, renewable wood precursor with synergistic reinforcement by this combination of monomers offers unique opportunities for increased use of wood-polymer composites in a wide variety of structural and insulating applications. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The migration of microfilariae (Dirofilaria immitis) from the blood vessels to the lymphatics

Abstract 1. 1. An experiment is reported in which microfilariae (Dirofilaria immitis) have been injected into the circulation of an uninfected dog. 2. 2. It has been shown in both donor and recipient that microfilariae readily leave the circulation and enter lymphatics. No evidence of a cellular reaction on the part of the host has been found in relation to living microfilariae.
Northern hybridization analysis of mitochondria gene expression in maize cytoplasm with varied nuclear backgrounds.

Type T cytoplasmic male sterility in Zea mays is associated with mitochondrial RNA (mtRNA) coding sequences found on a 1.5 kb AvaI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragment not found in other cytoplasms (N, C, or S) (Abbott and Fauron 1986). Three probes (pH3.2N, pH2.7N, and ORF 13) specific to different parts of the 1.5 AvaI T region were used in a Northern blot analysis of N mtDNAs from lines with diverse nuclear backgrounds (Rf1, Rf2 included). The N mtDNA clone pH 3.2N shows homology with the right-hand boundary of the 1.5 AvaI T region and includes a portion of an open reading frame (ORF 25). Southern blots of AvaI and BamH1 digestions of N, T, S, and C mtDNA, probed with pH3.2N demonstrate that sequences in or adjacent to this region are highly active in recombination. The clone pH 2.7N is homologous to an untranscribed region of ATPase 6 and the structural gene; and ORF 13 is a portion of the 1.5 AvaI region derived predominantly from 26S 3′ flanking sequences. pH3.2N and 1.5 AvaI sequences showed identical hybridization patterns on Northern blots of N, T, Trev and Tres mtRNAs. Transcript sizes of mtRNAs homologous to the pH 3.2N probe in all of these lines were different, however, there was no variation in transcript sizes when pH 2.7N was used as a probe. Northern blots of mtRNA from N cytoplasms with various nuclear restored backgrounds showed no difference in expression when probed with pH 3.2N or pH 2.7N; however, transcripts homologous to an ORF 13 specific probe can be detected in N cytoplasm with a particular nuclear background. This may suggest activity of nuclear restorer alleles in N cytoplasm.
Sprouting of peripheral nerve axons in the spinal cord of monkeys

It has been previously suggested that two conditions must be met in order for sprouting to occur in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord: afferent fibers must be stimulated to grow and alternate synaptic sites must be made available. We show that reversibly deactivating peripheral nerve axons by nerve crush alone, which produces little or no additional available synaptic sites, results in expansion of the peripheral nerve inputs in the spinal cord in both adult and infant macaque monkeys.
Boiling flow in a horizontal fracture

The modeling of a geothermal reservoir requires an in-depth understanding of the heat transfer process that causes the fluid flowing within a fracture to boil as heat is transferred to the fluid from the surrounding rock. One of the key parameters that describes this process is the boiling heat transfer coefficient. In this work, experiments were performed and a model based on the experiments was developed in order to quantify the heat transfer coefficient. In the process, it was also determined that flow in fractures may be described using linear relative permeability functions.
Effect of Thyrotoxicosis and Its Treatment on Bone Mineral and Muscle Mass

Thyrotoxicosis is a known cause of loss of bone and muscle mass. Bone mineral mass was studied by partial body in vivo neutron activation analysis, in which stable 48Ca is converted to radioactive 49Ca and measured in a whole body counter. A calcium bone index (CaBI) has been established that normalizes the Ca measurements for body size. Muscle mass was measured by counting the natural radioactive 40K in a whole body counter. A potassium index (Ki) was obtained, which, as with the CaBI, normalized potassium for body size. Forty-one hyperthyroid patients were studied, with sequential measurements on 13 subjects for up to 50 months after they became euthyroid. For the 37 patients who were under 55 yr of age, the mean CaBI was not significantly differentfrom that of the controls (0.95 ± 0.15 compared to 1.00 ± 0.12). Of the total 41 patients, however, 9 had CaBI values below the normal range (2 SD below the normal mean), reflectingbone loss. The mean Ki [ 0.88 ± 0.08 (1 SD)] in patients under 55 yr of age wa...
EASI: An Air–Sea Interaction Buoy for High Winds

AbstractThis paper describes the new Extreme Air–Sea Interaction (EASI) buoy designed to measure direct air–sea fluxes, as well as mean properties of the lower atmosphere, upper ocean, and surface waves in high wind and wave conditions. The design of the buoy and its associated deep-water mooring are discussed. The performance of EASI during its 2010 deployment off Taiwan, where three typhoons were encountered, is summarized.
Prediction of Enzyme Mutant Activity Using Computational Mutagenesis and Incremental Transduction

Wet laboratory mutagenesis to determine enzyme activity changes is expensive and time consuming. This paper expands on standard one-shot learning by proposing an incremental transductive method (T2bRF) for the prediction of enzyme mutant activity during mutagenesis using Delaunay tessellation and 4-body statistical potentials for representation. Incremental learning is in tune with both eScience and actual experimentation, as it accounts for cumulative annotation effects of enzyme mutant activity over time. The experimental results reported, using cross-validation, show that overall the incremental transductive method proposed, using random forest as base classifier, yields better results compared to one-shot learning methods. T2bRF is shown to yield 90% on T4 and LAC (and 86% on HIV-1). This is significantly better than state-of-the-art competing methods, whose performance yield is at 80% or less using the same datasets.
Modeling antennas on automobiles in the VHF and UHF frequency bands, comparisons of predictions and measurements

This paper describes comparisons of analysis and measurements of antenna patterns on automobiles in the VHF and UHF frequency bands. The actual measurements and analysis were performed at six different frequencies ranging from 41 MHz to 918 MHz. An antenna on a vehicle in a roadway environment in the presence of Earth does not have antenna patterns or input impedances as if it were located in free space or over a perfectly conducting ground plane. Antenna patterns of a whip antenna on a vehicle were measured on an outdoor antenna range with the vehicle on a 10 meter diameter turntable. Patterns were also measured with the vehicle over real ground away from the turntable to determine the effects of the steel turntable on antenna patterns. The three-antenna gain measurement technique was used to measure antenna gain. The measured patterns and gains were compared to predictions using the numerical electromagnetics code (NEC-4) [G.J. Burke, Jan 1992].
Conceptual SOS Model and Simulation Systems for A Next Generation National Healthcare Information Network (NHIN-2): Creating A Net-Centric, Extensible, Context Aware, Dynamic Discovery Framework for Robust, Secure, Flexible, Safe, and Reliable Healthcare

This paper describes the emerging US National Healthcare Information Network (NHIN). Scheduled to be completed for the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHSS) by 2014, the NHIN will be a complex system of systems information network built up from consumer, physician, hospital, and regional healthcare information organizations (RHIOs). The advantages and disadvantages of NHIN's RHIOs are discussed, and a proposed service oriented architecture (SOA) version we have preliminarily named NHIN-2 is described. This paper explains the advantages of the proposed SOA-enhanced NHIN-2, and how it could be modeled and simulated using tools and techniques currently being developed in the ARCES project for the US Department of Defense (DoD). The paper discusses the potential "dual use" or "peacetime dividends" the DoD work could provide in developing the NHIN-2.
Dependent diplomacy: : signaling, strategy, and prestige in the diplomatic network

Diplomatic recognition is an essential tool of statecraft but remains largely unanalyzed by political scientists. Two recent trends in diplomatic practice raise notable puzzles: (i) use of diplomatic ties to signal (dis)approval of a regime or its policies, based largely on cues from diplomatic partners, and (ii) reliance on diplomatic missions as a means of securing prestige in the international system. I argue that both trends are the result of network influences. States face resource constraints and must choose diplomatic partners wisely, but they lack complete information about the risks and benefits of extending diplomatic recognition. To solve this informational dilemma, they condition recognition on the diplomatic activity of others. First, states send missions to countries that host missions from their own diplomatic partners, which increases the strength of diplomatic signals and reduces political risks. Second, states send missions to countries that host large numbers of missions in general (that is, “prestigious” countries), which increases their capacity for information gathering. In general, a state's decision to extend or retract diplomatic recognition depends heavily on the decisions of other states. Employing novel network methodologies, I show that these endogenous network influences are among the most consistent and substantively powerful determinants of diplomatic recognition.
Recovery of anthocyanins, pectin, and dietary fiber from cull lowbush blueberries

Cull lowbush blueberries are a potential industrial source of ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Pureed berries were extracted with ethanol acidified with 1, 3, or 5% (w/w) citric acid. Anthocyanins in the extract were determined spectrophotometrically; pectin and fiber were measured in the residue. More anthocyanins were extracted with 5% citric acid, with highest yields at 7 months’ postharvest. Total pectin increased from 3 to 7 months, but decreased at 9 months when 5% citric acid was used. Pectin esterification was influenced by acid level and storage time. Residual dietary fiber decreased over the 9 month storage period. These findings suggest that berries should be sorted for defects as soon as possible after freezing, then culls should be extracted within 6–7 months after harvest for optimal yields.
Practical aspects of insufficiency of the anterior pituitary gland in the adult.

AVOLUMINOUS literature bears witness to the intense interest and attention centered on the pituitary gland, and to the position of prime importance that it occupies among the endocrine glands. Such notoriety, though perhaps justified, has introduced many divergent opinions with sufficient confusion to distract the interest of the average reader from certain practical data relating to pituitary disorders. It is not difficult to understand how this situation has evolved: 1. Conclusions based on animal work have been too freely transposed and applied to human beings. 2. The tools used in studying pituitary function, especially in man, have been notably crude. 3. Many pituitary hormones employed clinically have been impure, of varying potency and quite unpredictable in the response which they elicit. 4. Inaccuracies have been perpetuated by adherence to historical precedent. Cachexia often is still regarded as a sine qua non of destruction of the anterior pituitary, probably because it was mentioned in the ea...
Much More Than A Game: Players, Owners, and American Baseball Since 1921 . By Robert F. Burk. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. Pp. xi, 372. $45.00, cloth; $19.95, paper.

Much More Than a Game: Players, Owners, and American Baseball Since 1921 is the second of two books, the first published in 1994, by Robert F. Burk, Professor of History at Muskingum College, dealing with labor relations, broadly defined, in major-league baseball. Burk has drawn upon extensive primary and secondary sources concerning baseball, and provides readers interested in understanding the economics, history, and economic history of this rather unusual and exciting labor market with much useful information and analysis. Burk provides very useful information on salaries in the minor leagues and describes the changing ethnic composition of the industry's labor force. He also provides material on the history of the minor leagues and of the Negro leagues.
Line shape of the non-thermal 6300 A O(1D) emission

Abstract The line shape of the non-thermal O( 1 D) 6300 A emission is calculated using the two population model of Schmitt, Abreu and Hays ( Planet. Space Sci. 29 , 1095, 1981). The calculated line shapes simulate observations made from a space platform at different zenith angles and altitudes. The non-thermal line shapes observed at zenith angles other than the local vertical have been obtained by using the Addition theorem for spherical harmonics of a Legendre polynomial expansion of the non-thermal population distribution function.
Peak early diastolic velocity rather than pressure half-time is the best index of mechanical prosthetic mitral valve function

Reliable screening of mechanical prosthetic mitral valve (PMV) dysfunction by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is mandatory because transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) cannot be routinely used. However, acoustic shadowing seriously hampers detection of PMV dysfunction with TTE, particularly regurgitation. To identify TTE indexes that can detect PMV dysfunction (regurgitation or obstruction), 134 patients (age 60 +/- 12 years, 64 men) with PMV who underwent TTE and TEE within 3 +/- 5 days were assessed. There were 73 normal and 61 dysfunctional valves (40 regurgitant, 21 obstructive). By multivariate analysis, peak E velocity was the best predictor of a dysfunctional valve. Both peak E velocity (E > or =1.9 m/s; sensitivity 92%, specificity 78%) and the ratio of velocity-time integrals of flow through the prosthesis to that of the left ventricular outflow (VTI(pmv/)VTI(lvo) > or =2.2; sensitivity 91%, specificity 74%) were successful in detecting PMV dysfunction. Although pressure half-time (PHT) readily identified PMV obstruction, it did not detect regurgitation. Logistic models including peak E velocity and VTI(pmv)/VTI(lvo) or PHT were equally successful in detecting PMV dysfunction. However, all 3 variables were needed to best distinguish among normal, obstructed, and regurgitant valves. A peak E velocity > or =1.9 m/s and VTI(pmv)/VTI(lvo) ratio > or =2.2 predicted valve regurgitation in 83% of valves when PHT was 130 ms. Importantly, a peak E velocity < 1.9 m/s, VTI(pmv)/VTI(lvo) ratio < 2.2, and a PHT < 130 ms had a predictive accuracy for a normal valve of 98%. Thus, TTE Doppler indexes can be used as screening parameters of PMV dysfunction and help select patients for further diagnostic evaluation with TEE.
A Discriminative Latent Variable Model for Online Clustering

This paper presents a latent variable structured prediction model for discriminative supervised clustering of items called the Latent Left-linking Model (L3M). We present an online clustering algorithm for L3M based on a feature-based item similarity function. We provide a learning framework for estimating the similarity function and present a fast stochastic gradient-based learning technique. In our experiments on coreference resolution and document clustering, L3M outperforms several existing online as well as batch supervised clustering techniques.
Vanishing decay functions and enlarged deployment regions to facilitate the design of randomly deployed sensor detection systems

The design of randomly deployed sensor detection systems to detect a low-power signal emitter tends to be difficult because the measurements are conditionally dependent in general and the designer usually does not have all the information to characterize the distribution of measurements, making the alternative hypothesis composite. In this paper, it is shown that these two issues can be solved if the system designer considers a vanishing decay function and an enlarged sensor deployment region. It is shown that there are sufficient conditions under which such a design approach causes the measurements to become independent of the emitter location, causes the measurements to become conditionally independent and identically distributed, and generates a design that ensures a detection performance.
An Improved Method for In Situ Freezing of Cat Brain for Metabolic Studies

: This study introduces a new method for rapid freezing of the cat brain. The method employed a Styrofoam box which was fitted around the head of the animal. Liquid nitrogen was poured into the box until the head was submerged. Temperature changes in three brain sites (ventral hypothalamus, the fourth ventricle, and the corpus callosum) and levels of labile carbohydrate metabolites (glycogen, glucose, ATP, P-creatine, and lactate) in five brain regions (cortex, thalamus, midbrain, cerebellum, and pons) frozen by the box method were compared with those frozen by a conventional cup method in which liquid nitrogen was poured into a hollow Styrofoam cup placed on top of the skull. The box method shortened the time of arrival of the freezing front and improved the freezing rate. The time required to bring the tissue to -20°C was shortened, from 20 min at the ventral hypothalamus and 10–12 min at the fourth ventricle with the cup method, to <5 min at both sites with the box technique. Continued perfusion of brainstem prior to freezing was demonstrated. Levels of metabolites frozen by either method were similar. Lactate levels in any of the five brain regions studied by either method were not elevated, indicating no ischemic change. The shorter freezing time resulting from the box method should provide improved temporal resolution in studying dynamic metabolic changes such as those frequently observed in pathological conditions.
Evaluating the effects of cache redundancy on profit

Previous works in computer architecture have mostly neglected revenue and/or profit, key factors driving any design decision. In this paper, we evaluate architectural techniques to optimize for revenue/profit. The continual trend of technology scaling and sub-wavelength lithography has caused transistor feature sizes to shrink into the nanoscale range. As a result, the effects of process variations on critical path delay and chip yields have amplified. A common concept to remedy the effects of variations is speed-binning, by which chips from a single batch are rated by a discrete range of frequencies and sold at different prices. An efficient binning distribution thus decides the profitability of the chip manufacturer. We propose and evaluate a cache-redundancy scheme called substitute cache, which allows the chip manufacturers to modify the number of chips in different bins. Particularly, this technique introduces a small fully associative array associated with each cache way to replicate the data elements that will be stored in the high latency lines, and hence can be effectively used to boost up the overall chip yield and also shift the chip binning distribution towards higher frequencies. We also develop models based on linear regression and neural networks to accurately estimate the chip prices from their architectural configurations. Using these estimation models, we find that our substitute cache scheme can potentially increase the revenue for the batch of chips by as much as 13.1%.
Evidence for extensive methane venting on the southeastern U.S. Atlantic margin

We present the first evidence for widespread seabed methane venting along the southeastern United States Atlantic margin beyond the well-known Blake Ridge diapir seep. Recent ship- and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)–collected data resolve multiple water-column anomalies (>1000 m height) and extensive new chemosynthetic seep communities at the Blake Ridge and Cape Fear diapirs. These results indicate that multiple, highly localized fluid conduits punctuate the areally extensive Blake Ridge gas hydrate province, and enable the delivery of significant amounts of methane to the water column. Thus, there appears to be an abundance of seabed fluid flux not previously ascribed to the Atlantic margin of the United States.
Increased systolic performance with diastolic dysfunction in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats

Hypertensive heart disease is characterized by early development of hypertrophy and fibrosis that leads to heart failure (HF). HF develops in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after 18 months; however, it is not clear whether hypertrophy leads to altered cardiac performance at an earlier age in these rats. We studied cardiac performance in 10- to 11-month-old SHR and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY), using presssure-volume (PV) conductance catheter system to evaluate systolic and diastolic function in vivo at different preloads, including preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW), +dP/dt, and its relation to end-diastolic volume (+dP/dt–EDV) and preload-adjusted maximal power (PWR max –EDV 2 ) as well as the time constant of left ventricular pressure decay, tau (τ), as an index of relaxation. The slope of the end-diastolic pressure-volume relation (EDPVR) and the ex vivo PV relation, both indexes of stiffness, were also calculated for each heart, and the Doppler E/A ratio was determined. In addition, plasma samples were obtained to assess B-type natriuretic peptide levels (BNP). We found that PRSW was higher in SHR than in WKY (174.5±15.6 versus 92.6±18.9 mm Hg; P P P 2 was elevated in SHR (7.3±1.5 versus 3.1±0.6 mW/μL 2 ). τ was prolonged in SHR (14.5±1 ms versus 10.8±0.8 for WKY, P P P P
Achieving High Accuracy Prediction of Minimotifs

The low complexity of minimotif patterns results in a high false-positive prediction rate, hampering protein function prediction. A multi-filter algorithm, trained and tested on a linear regression model, support vector machine model, and neural network model, using a large dataset of verified minimotifs, vastly improves minimotif prediction accuracy while generating few false positives. An optimal threshold for the best accuracy reaches an overall accuracy above 90%, while a stringent threshold for the best specificity generates less than 1% false positives or even no false positives and still produces more than 90% true positives for the linear regression and neural network models. The minimotif multi-filter with its excellent accuracy represents the state-of-the-art in minimotif prediction and is expected to be very useful to biologists investigating protein function and how missense mutations cause disease.
Short-Term Visual Restriction in Visual and Auditory Discrimination.

This study explored the effect of sensory restriction on perceptual thresholds. The experimental predictions were formulated from Lindsley's model of the reticular activating system (RAS). Attention was focused upon changes in the visual CFF threshold, loudness discrimination and pitch discrimination as related to two levels of visual restriction. Ss were 60 male volunteers. Statistical analysis included analysis of covariance followed by a priori group comparisons. Statistical support (p < .05) was found for 3 of 4 general hypotheses. It was concluded that the RAS attempts to maintain cortical arousal at an optional level by regulating stimulus input. A reduction in this input apparently lowers perceptual thresholds in the sensory system restricted and other systems as well.
Virtual screening to enrich hit lists from high‐throughput screening: A case study on small‐molecule inhibitors of angiogenin

“Hit lists” generated by high-throughput screening (HTS) typically contain a large percentage of false positives, making follow-up assays necessary to distinguish active from inactive substances. Here we present a method for improving the accuracy of HTS hit lists by computationally based virtual screening (VS) of the corresponding chemical libraries and selecting hits by HTS/VS consensus. This approach was applied in a case study on the target-enzyme angiogenin, a potent inducer of angiogenesis. In conjunction with HTS of the National Cancer Institute Diversity Set and ChemBridge DIVERSet E (∼18,000 compounds total), VS was performed with two flexible library docking/scoring methods, DockVision/Ludi and GOLD. Analysis of the results reveals that dramatic enrichment of the HTS hit rate can be achieved by selecting compounds in consensus with one or both of the VS functions. For example, HTS hits ranked in the top 2% by GOLD included 42% of the true hits, but only 8% of the false positives; this represents a sixfold enrichment over the HTS hit rate. Notably, the HTS/VS method was effective in selecting out inhibitors with midmicromolar dissociation constants typical of leads commonly obtained in primary screens. Proteins 2003;50:81–93. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Influence of Culture on Parenting Practices of East Asian Families and Emotional Intelligence of Older Adolescents A Qualitative Study

Academic success among East Asian students is well known and almost stereotypical. Yet the attention to emotional well-being continues to be minimal. The discrepancy between academic success and social/emotional difficulties appears to be a problem among East Asian adolescents. This qualitative grounded theory study examines how the cultural influences in parenting practices of East Asian parents impact the different aspects of emotional intelligence in older adolescents. Twenty older adolescents (ages 16—19) and their mothers, from Chinese and Korean heritage, living in the Southern Bay area in California participated in the study. The main form of data collection was through formal, in-depth and open-ended interviews and administration of standardized emotional intelligence questionnaires. The findings suggest that East Asian beliefs in hierarchy in family order, ‘saving face’, hard work/education, respect for elders and sibling relations have an impact on parent/child interaction. In addition, acculturation and globalization contributed to the change in cultural norms. The repeating themes related to parenting practices were correlated with very low, low, medium and high emotional intelligence levels. Distinct attitudinal and perceptual differences between adolescents with very low and high EQ were found.
Image segmentation using multilayer neural network

An image segmentation method based on multilayer neural networks is introduced. This method was applied to both the aerial and texture images. The performance of this method on a synthetic image is compared to a model based image segmentation technique. Simulation results on both aerial and texture images are provided. A method to extract important features of the image before the training is proposed. >
Developmental distribution of collagen IV isoforms and relevance to ocular diseases.

Type IV collagens are the most abundant proteins in basement membranes. Distinct genes encode each of six isoforms, α1(IV) through α6(IV), which assemble into one of three characteristic heterotrimers. Disease-causing mutations in each of the six genes are identified in humans or mice and frequently include diverse ocular pathogenesis that encompass common congenital and progressive blinding diseases, such as optic nerve hypoplasia, glaucoma, and retinal degeneration. Understanding where and when collagen IV molecules are expressed is important because it defines limits for the location and timing of primary pathogenesis. Although localization of collagen IV isoforms in developed human eyes is known, the spatial and temporal distribution of type IV collagens throughout ocular development has not been determined in humans or in mice. Here, we use isoform-specific monoclonal antibodies to systematically reveal the localization of all six collagen IV isoforms in developing mouse eyes. We found that α1(IV) and α2(IV) always co-localized and were ubiquitously expressed throughout development. α3(IV) and α4(IV) also always co-localized but in a much more spatially and temporally specific manner than α1(IV) and α2(IV). α5(IV) co-localized both with α3(IV)/α4(IV), and with α6(IV), consistent with α5(IV) involvement in two distinct heterotrimers. α5(IV) was present in all basement membranes except those of the vasculature. α6(IV) was not detected in vasculature or in Bruch's membrane, indicating that α5(IV) in Bruch's membrane is part of the α3α4α5 heterotrimer. This comprehensive analysis defines the spatial and temporal distribution of type IV collagen isoforms in the developing eye, and will contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying collagen IV-related ocular diseases that collectively lead to blindness in millions of people worldwide.
Thyroid Cancer and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Use: A Pooled Analysis of Patients Older Than 40 Years of Age

Background: Cyclooxygenase (COX-2) has been associated with tumor growth and metastasis in several cancers, including thyroid cancer. For this reason, several investigators have studied COX-2 inhibitors in preclinical models of thyroid cancer and found antineoplastic effects. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to assess if the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with a reduced incidence of thyroid cancer. A second aim of the study was to determine additional risk or protective factors for thyroid cancer. Methods: Three large prospective population-based studies (the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study; the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial; and the U.S. Radiologic Technologists Study) were pooled to investigate the association between self-reported frequency of aspirin and nonaspirin NSAID use one year prior to baseline (no use, ≤2/week, >2–6/week, and ≥7/week) and subsequent risk of thyroid cancer. A Cox regression proportional hazard model was u...
Bridging semantics and syntax with graph algorithms—state-of-the-art of extracting biomedical relations

Research on extracting biomedical relations has received growing attention recently, with numerous biological and clinical applications including those in pharmacogenomics, clinical trial screening and adverse drug reaction detection. The ability to accurately capture both semantic and syntactic structures in text expressing these relations becomes increasingly critical to enable deep understanding of scientific papers and clinical narratives. Shared task challenges have been organized by both bioinformatics and clinical informatics communities to assess and advance the state-of-the-art research. Significant progress has been made in algorithm development and resource construction. In particular, graph-based approaches bridge semantics and syntax, often achieving the best performance in shared tasks. However, a number of problems at the frontiers of biomedical relation extraction continue to pose interesting challenges and present opportunities for great improvement and fruitful research. In this article, we place biomedical relation extraction against the backdrop of its versatile applications, present a gentle introduction to its general pipeline and shared resources, review the current state-of-the-art in methodology advancement, discuss limitations and point out several promising future directions.
Ten (tentative) truths about elder abuse.

Over the past few years, much speculation has been done about elder abuse, and some fairly extreme and unsupported statements have been made about it and widely believed. States have engaged in a flurry of activities, sometimes in a rational and well thought out manner and sometimes, unfortunately, in ways that have responded more to political pressures than to the real needs of the elderly. In the midst of discussions and contra versies about elder abuse, many persons, professionally and personally concerned about the elderly, find themselves confused about the issue. How much elder abuse is there? Who is most likely to be affected? Some writers seem actually to be opposed to the concept of specialized services for elder abuse and question whether it is an important problem at all, while others argue that it is a serious problem facing the elderly. Who is correct? Such questions have been difficult to answer because, until very recently, very little was known about elder abuse. Pre liminary studies of the issue were conducted as early as the late 1970s but these, because of a variety of methodological weaknesses, provided only limited reliable information (for a critique of early research, see: Pedrick-Cornell and Gelles, 1982; Johnson, Hudson, and O'Brien, 1985; Hudson, 1986; Pillemer and Suitor, in press). These weaknesses include failure to use case-control designs; reliance on interviews with profes sionals rather than victims; unclear definitions and measures of
Variation in the glycolytic pathway: The role of evolutionary and physiological processes

We systematically determined the prevalence of altered enzyme expression by examining all the enzymes in a single metabolic pathway, glycolysis. The contributions of evolutionary adaptation and physiological acclimation to this alteration were distinguished by quantifying the variation between populations and determining the effect of acclimation on enzyme expression. Of the 10 cardiac glycolytic enzymes, two enzymes, phosphoglucoisomerase and aldolase, were expressed at a significantly greater level in a northern population of Fundulus heteroclitus than in a southern population but were unaffected by acclimation temperature. The expression of two other enzymes, phosphoglyceromutase and enolase, was the same in both populations at a given temperature but significantly greater at the colder acclimation temperature. These findings indicate that both evolved differences between populations and physiological adjustment within a population occur in a single pathway and can potentially compensate for the differ...
Redefining Viability: Why the State Must Ensure Viable Alternatives to Pregnancy and Motherhood

This Article aims to move the reproductive justice literature forward by proposing a new explanation as to why the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Harris v. McRae and Webster v. Reproductive Health Services were incorrect and should now be abandoned. In particular, it argues that the state is constitutionally obligated, as exemplified by the Supreme Court’s criminal rights jurisprudence, to ensure that fundamental rights that protect the individual against the state’s "transformative power" — the power of the state to fundamentally transform an individual’s life — are meaningful. Put differently, this Article advances the novel argument that by denying the state’s obligation to guarantee access to contraceptives and abortions, the Supreme Court has allowed the state to reduce the right of reproductive choice, a bulwark against the state’s transformative power, to a meaningless promise.
Retinal displays

Summary form only given, as follows. Computers have become pervasive, ubiquitous, mobile and can push increasing streams of data to people. But the utility of these information engines may be affected mostly by the design of last few inches connecting the human to the machine. The author will relate lessons learned in a 36 year quest to develop advanced display technology culminating in his invention of the virtual retinal display, a means for scanning an image directly onto the retina of the eye. The unique resolution and luminance characteristics of the VRD make it ideal for wearable computing applications.
A comparison between placental and amniotic mesenchymal stem cells for transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) in experimental spina bifida.

Abstract Purpose We compared placental-derived and amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (pMSCs and afMSCs, respectively) in transamniotic stem cell therapy (TRASCET) for experimental spina bifida. Methods Pregnant dams (n=29) exposed to retinoic acid for the induction of fetal spina bifida were divided into four groups. Three groups received volume-matched intraamniotic injections of either saline (n=38 fetuses) or a suspension of 2×10 6 cells/mL of syngeneic, labeled afMSCs (n=73) or pMSCs (n=115) on gestational day 17 (term=21–22days). Untreated fetuses served as controls. Animals were killed before term. Statistical comparisons were by Fisher's exact test (p Results Survival was similar across treatment groups (p=0.08). In fetuses with isolated spina bifida (n=100), there were higher percentages of defect coverage (either partial or complete) in both afMSC and pMSC groups compared with saline and untreated groups (p Conclusions Both pMSC and afMSC can induce comparable rates of coverage of experimental spina bifida after concentrated intraamniotic injection in the rodent model. This broadens the options for timing and cell source for TRASCET as a potential alternative in the prenatal management of spina bifida.
A phaereta pallipes as a Parasite of the Face Fly in Missouri, with Notes on Laboratory Culture and Biologyl

During 1962 and 1963, the dominant cow-dung-inhabiting muscoid Diptera were collected to determme the seasonal activity of Aphaereta pallipes (Say). During both seasons, Raumia querula (Walker) was the preferred host, Orthellia caesarion (Meigen) was second and the face fly, Musca autumnalis De Geer, was third. The highest parasitism of M. autumnalis in one collection was 78% on September 27, 1962. A. pallipes was colonized for 18 months with O. caesarion as the host. Induced parasitism averaged 44.4% (range 0-100%), and 0-23 parasites emerged from host puparia. The life cycle for A. pallipes averaged 18.9 days, the sex ratio was 10 males to 13 females, and longevity of the adults was about 4 days.
ID: 132: LUPUS KERATINOCYTES ARE PRIMED BY AN AUTOCRINE TYPE I INTERFERON LOOP TO ROBUSTLY SECRETE IL-6

Background Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is a disfiguring disease that can affect up to 70% of patients with systemic lupus. Treatment modalities are often ineffective and flares are frequent. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which has gotten recent attention in SLE as IL-6 is increased in the serum of active patients and blockade of IL-6 is therapeutic in murine lupus models and phase I human trials. The source of IL-6 in CLE remains unclear. Methods All studies were approved by the University of Michigan Internal Review Board (IRB# 72843 and 66116 to JMK). RNA was isolated from formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies of CLE rashes, which were obtained from the University of Michigan Pathology database. Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression level of the myxovirus (influenza virus) resistance 1 (MX-1) and interleukin-6 (IL6) genes. Biopsies were stained for IL-6 using immunohistochemistry. Skin biopsies were obtained from uninvolved skin of SLE patients with a history of cutaneous involvement or healthy controls followed by isolation and culture of keratinocytes. At confluence, cultures were treated with various concentrations of TLR ligands or UVB and IL-6 release was measured via ELISA. Blockade of type I IFN signaling was completed via monoclonal antibody to the type I IFN receptor. Results Real-time PCR analysis of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (sCLE) (n=21) and discoid (DLE) (n=22) rashes demonstrated a significant upregulation of both the IFN-regulated gene, MX1, and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 when compared with control samples (n=9). Immunohistochemical analysis of skin biopsies confirmed upregulation of IL-6 in the epidermis when compared to control. Keratinocytes from healthy skin of lupus patients produced significantly more IL-6 when stimulated by TLR2, 3 or 4 agonists or exposed to UVB radiation when compared to identical passage keratinocytes from healthy controls. Treatment of control keratinocytes with IFNα increased their IL-6 production and blockade of type I IFNs in the culture media of SKE keratinocytes downregulated the secretion of IL-6. Conclusions IL-6 is increased at the RNA and protein level within cutaneous lupus biopsies when compared to healthy control skin. Keratinocytes are a major producer of IL-6 in the skin and lupus keratinocytes have enhanced production of IL-6 in response to TLR ligands and UV radiation. Exposure to type I IFN can increase IL-6 production in keratinocytes. SLE-derived keratinocytes downregulate IL-6 production in the presence of tonic blockade of the type I IFN receptor. These data suggest that the epidermis, which is an important barrier for environmental insults, is primed for IL-6 production by autocrine type I IFN production and that this may be one mechanism by which factors such as UV exposure may trigger rash development. Further investigations should focus on the pathogenic significance of IL-6 upregulation in the skin and whether targeting this pathway will have an impact on cutaneous disease activity.
Monocyte-mediated defense against bacteria, fungi, and parasites

Circulating blood monocytes are a heterogeneous leukocyte population that contributes critical antimicrobial and regulatory functions during systemic and tissue-specific infections. These include patrolling vascular tissue for evidence of microbial invasion, infiltrating peripheral tissues and directly killing microbial invaders, conditioning the inflammatory milieu at sites of microbial tissue invasion, and orchestrating the activation of innate and adaptive immune effector cells. The central focus of this review is the in vivo mechanisms by which monocytes and their derivative cells promote microbial clearance and immune regulation. We include an overview of murine models to examine monocyte functions during microbial challenges and review our understanding of the functional roles of monocytes and their derivative cells in host defense against bacteria, fungi, and parasites.
Sex Matters: A Gender-Specific Standard for Cross-Gender Searches of Inmates

Male and female inmates have different profiles and needs, and adapt to prison in different ways. When policy is made and implemented, however, the male model of imprisonment sets the standard. This article argues that courts and prison administrators should consider the differences between men and women in prison, particularly in the context of cross-gender searches, which brings those differences to the fore. The case of Jordan v. Gardner, in which the court recognized women inmates' specific histories of abuse in evaluating the potential psychological harm of cross-gender searches, is presented as an exemplary use of a gender-specific standard. It is recommended that a gender-specific standard be used by both courts and prison administrators in order to measure more appropriately and accurately the impact of cross-gender searches on women inmates.
AV Malformations: Radiation Therapy

Clinical and radiologic follow-up of 86 patients with symptomatic, but surgically inaccessible, cerebral arteriovenous malformations treated with stereotactic heavy charged particle Bragg-peak radiation is reported from the Divisions of Neurosurgery and Neuradiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California.
Transducer Reception Process

From results obtained in Chaps. 8 and 10, we know how to model the incident sound beam produced by a transducer and the waves scattered from a flaw due to such an incident wave field. In this chapter we model the reception of those scattered waves at the face of a receiving transducer. In the paraxial approximation, the reception process like the transmission process can be characterized by a diffraction correction term. This diffraction correction term and an additional factor due to averaging the waves over the receiver face constitute the reception term in an LTI model of an ultrasonic system.
Darwin's American ascendancy.

Randall Fuller's lively new volume, The Book That Changed America , draws readers into the political and intellectual foment of antebellum America on the cusp of war. In just under 300 pages, he unfolds the story of how On the Origin of Species debuted in the United States on the eve of the Civil War and was read by a country torn apart by slavery and divided over whether the American union could (or should) survive the conflict. Moving deftly amid a diversity of familiar American figures, including novelists, poets, philosophers, zoologists, and botanists, Fuller captures their excitement, as well as their debates over Darwin's ideas
Functional properties, bioactive compounds, and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion study of dried fruit pomace powders as functional food ingredients

Abstract Apple (AP), blueberry (BP), red raspberry (RP), and cranberry pomace (CP), were evaluated for their physicochemical and functional properties and bioactive compounds (i.e. dietary fibers and phenolics) as potential functional food ingredients. Bound phenolics in AP, BP, and CP could be liberated through simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD). Among all tested fruit pomace (FP), RP contained the highest total phenolic content based on both chemical extraction and SGD. AP contained the highest soluble dietary fiber obtained from AOAC method and SGD, while it presented the lowest insoluble dietary fiber in comparison with BP, RP, and CP. Total dietary fiber content of RP and CP from SGD was significantly (P
The Néron Model

Let R bea discrete valuation ring with maximal ideal p and fraction field K, and let E/K be an elliptic curve given by a Weierstrass equation say with coefficients a1, a2, a3, a4, a6 ∈ R. This equation can be used to define a closed subscheme . An elementary property of closed subschemes of projective space says that every point of E(K) extends to give a point of W(R), that is, a section Spec(R) → W.
Single-Step Synthesis of Small, Azide-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles: Versatile, Water-Dispersible Reagents for Click Chemistry

Nanoparticles possessing functional groups that can be readily conjugated (e.g., through click chemistry) are important precursors for the preparation of customized nanohybrid products. Such nanoparticles, if they are stable against agglomeration, are easily dispersible and have well-defined surface chemistry and size. As click-ready reagents, they can be stored until their time of use and then simply dispersed and reacted with an appropriate substrate. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are excellent candidates for this purpose, and some clickable gold nanoparticles have been developed; however, AuNPs for use in aqueous systems are often prepared through difficult multistep processes and/or can be poorly dispersible in water. Here we report a single-step synthesis of clickable, water-dispersible AuNPs. The synthesis yields uniform, 3.5 nm diameter cores coated with a well-defined molecular ligand shell that makes the AuNPs stable and dispersible in water. The AuNP mixed ligand shell consists of hydroxyl-terminat...