cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphogenetic plastid migration and microtubule organization during megasporogenesis in Isoetes

The large megasporocytes ofIsoetes provide an exceptional system for studying microtubule dynamics in monoplastidic meiosis where plastid polarity assures coordination of plastid and nuclear division by the intimate association of MTOCs with plastids. Division and migration of the plastid in prophase establishes the tetrahedrally arranged cytoplasmic domains of the future spore tetrad and the four plastid-MTOCs serve as focal points of a unique quadripolar microtubule system (QMS). The QMS is a dynamic structure which functions in plastid deployment and contributes directly to development of both first and second division spindles. The nucleation of microtubules at discrete plastid-MTOCs is compared with centrosomal nucleation of microtubules in animal cells where growth of microtubules involves dynamic instability.
Effect of catechol amines during traumatic shock in the rat

Summary Varying quantities of epinephrine and norepinephrine were administered intravenously to albino rats immediately before drum trauma. Death during drumming (early mortality) increased in direct relation to the quantity of catechol amines and of trauma administered. This increased early mortality correlated with the ability of trauma to potentiate the toxic action of catechol amines in producing gross mottled pulmonary congestion. However, even during severe trauma, endogenous catechol amine activity was not sufficient to account for early mortality since dibenzyline failed to reduce such mortality in control animals. Those animals pretreated with catechol amines that survived the period of drumming showed a reduced late mortality and prolonged survival time. Statistical analysis indicates that this effect could not be attributed solely to elimination of low resistance animals by the increased early mortality. These findings indicate that acute increases in endogenous catechol amine activity during trauma provide a protective mechanism for late survival.
Search for ferromagnetism in doped semiconductors in the absence of transition metal ions

In contrast to semiconductors doped with transition metal magnetic elements (e.g., ${\text{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Mn}}_{x}\text{As}$), which become ferromagnetic at temperatures below $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{2}\text{ }\text{K}$, semiconductors doped with nonmagnetic ions (e.g., silicon doped with phosphorous) have not shown evidence of ferromagnetism down to millikelvin temperatures. This is despite the fact that for low densities the system is expected to be well modeled by the Hubbard model, which is predicted to have a ferromagnetic ground state at $T=0$ on two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional bipartite lattices in the limit of strong correlation near half-filling. We examine the impurity band formed by hydrogenic centers in semiconductors at low densities, and show that it is described by a generalized Hubbard model which has, in addition to strong electron-electron interaction and disorder, an intrinsic electron-hole asymmetry. With the help of mean-field methods as well as exact diagonalization of clusters around half filling, we can establish the existence of a ferromagnetic ground state, at least on the nanoscale, which is more robust than that found in the standard Hubbard model. This ferromagnetism is most clearly seen in a regime inaccessible to bulk systems but attainable in quantum dots and 2D heterostructures. If observed, this would be the first experimental realization of a system exhibiting Nagaoka ferromagnetism. We present extensive numerical results for small systems that demonstrate the occurrence of high-spin ground states in both periodic and positionally disordered 2D systems. We examine how properties of real doped semiconductors, such as positional disorder and electron-hole asymmetry, affect the ground state spin of small 2D systems, and use the results to infer properties at longer length scales.
NUCLEAR DIVISIONS IN THE TAPETAL CELLS OF GALTONIA CANDICANS

The increasing number of descriptions of nuclear divisions in tapetal cells has established the fact that these divisions are mitotic rather than amitotic, as was previously considered by many to be the case. Strasburger (I882) described typical mitoses of tapetal nuclei. Duggar (I899) also early described mitoses in the tapetal cells of Bignonia venusta, which are normally binucleate during the stages of microsporogenesis following synizesis. Tischler (I906) described mitotic division of the nuclei in tapetal cells of Ribes. The second nuclear division, however, he found to be amitotic. He also found nuclei with the tetraploid chromosome number and concluded that such nuclei resulted from a fusion of the two diploid nuclei formed after the first division. Winkler (i906) described a fusion of nuclei in the tapetal cells of Wikstroemia indica. Mitotic divisions occur in the tapetal cells, resulting in a 2-6 nucleate condition. These nuclei usually fuse to form giant nuclei, but in some cases they remain separate. Tahara (I9IO) found in Morus indica that during the early stages of the heterotypic division the tapetal cells are binucleate. Their nuclei may fuse to form a single tetraploid nucleus which in turn may divide mitotically, or they may divide separately to form four nuclei. The four nuclei then fuse in pairs, so that each cell contains two tetraploid nuclei which may later divide mitotically. Bonnet (I912) made an extensive study of the tapetal cells in several genera of angiosperms and found mitosis to be the only method of nuclear division in the material examined. In Yu,cca the first tapetal nuclear division occurs before synizesis; in Fuchsia it occurs after synizesis. The second divisions are simultaneous in each cell. In some cases two of the spindle poles converge, so that during the telophases two of the four daughter nuclei fuse to form a single tetraploid nucleus. Thus the cell contains one tetraploid and two diploid nuclei. Bonnet also described a fusion of nuclei in a resting condition which results in the formation of tetraploid and octoploid nuclei. Gates and Rees (192I) found only mitotic nuclear divisions in the tapetal cells of Lactuca. The first division occurs at the start of synizetic contraction, and by the time of maximum synizetic contraction the tapetal cells are all binucleate. Some of them remain binucleate; others undergo a second nuclear division as the pollen mother cells reach the open spireme stage. The
Perturbation boundary element method for heterogeneous reservoirs; Part 2: Transient-flow problems

This paper discusses the extension of the perturbation boundary element method (BEM) described in the companion paper (Part 1) to transient-flow problems with permeability and porosity variations. The perturbation BEM formulated in Laplace space is verified against simplified heterogeneous problems and is used to generate type curves for idealized heterogeneities. The authors observed that if the average property value in a drainage area was not much different from the near-well property value, heterogeneity had little effect on pressure responses.
Thermal decomposition of metal complexes with thioureas

Abstract Thermal decomposition of methyl and dimethylthiourea complexes of several transition metals and of cadmium complexes with several thioureas and ureas were studied by thermogravimetric analysis in air and vacuum and stability relations established. In vacuum, dimethylthiourea complexes decompose to a mixture of metal chloride and sulfide; the organic products include dimethylthiourea, methylisothiocyanate, HCl and polymerized material. In air, intermediates are formed in which part of the organic ligand is retained followed by complete decomposition to inorganic salts at higher temperatures. The intermediate contains little sulfur and appears to be a substituted urea compound.
Resistivity and morphology of TiSi2 formed on Xe+‐implanted polycrystalline silicon

Xe ion irradiation of polycrystalline silicon before Ti deposition is found to affect subsequent silicide formation. Silicide films were prepared by implanting 60, 100, or 240 keV Xe+ ions into 500‐nm‐thick undoped polycrystalline silicon before depositing Ti and annealing in vacuum. Preimplantation altered the subsequent silicide resistivity, x‐ray diffraction patterns, and morphology as compared to films prepared on unimplanted polycrystalline Si substrates. We found that minimal TiSi2 resistivities were achieved at lower temperatures with preimplantation, indicating that the Xe‐implanted substrate promotes a lower temperature transition from the metastable C49 phase to the low‐resistivity equilibrium C54 phase of TiSi2. X‐ray diffraction results confirmed the lower temperature formation of the C54 phase with preimplantation. Low‐temperature annealing (650 °C, 30 min) of 6×1016 cm−2, 240 keV Xe+‐implanted samples yielded low‐resistivity (∼22 μΩ cm) silicide films, while simultaneously annealed samples w...
Diagnosing periprosthetic infection: false-positive intraoperative Gram stains.

Background Intraoperative Gram stains have a reported low sensitivity but high specificity when used to help diagnose periprosthetic infections. In early 2008, we recognized an unexpectedly high frequency of apparent false-positive Gram stains from revision arthroplasties.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for infantile osteopetrosis

Infantile osteopetrosis is a lethal disorder resulting from a severe defect in the ability of osteoclasts to resorb bone. The only therapy shown to be capable of providing lasting benefit is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). We report the outcome of 10 patients with infantile malignant osteopetrosis treated with HCT from an HLA A, B, DRB1 matched (n = 6) or A or B locus mismatched (n = 4) family member or unrelated donor at the University of Minnesota between 1978 and 1997. Eight of 10 patients achieved primary engraftment; secondary graft failure was seen in two patients. Five of 10 patients survive; three with full or partial donor chimerism and two with autologous hematological recovery. Transient or partial donor chimerism can be sufficient to correct the hematological manifestations of osteopetrosis. We recommend early referral for consideration of HCT with a related or unrelated donor as neurosensory manifestations of osteopetrosis are generally not reversible. Donor engraftment may be easier to achieve early in the course of the disease.
High Blood Pressure in Overweight and Obese Youth: Implications for Screening

In the absence of evidence-based guidelines for high blood pressure screening in asymptomatic youth, a reasonable strategy is to screen those who are at high risk. The present study aimed to identify optimal body mass index (BMI) thresholds as a marker for high-risk youth to predict hypertension prevalence. In a cross-sectional study, youth aged 6 to 17 years (n=237,248) enrolled in an integrated prepaid health plan in 2007 to 2009 were classified according to their BMI and hypertension status. In moderately and extremely obese youth, the prevalence of hypertension was 3.8% and 9.2%, respectively, compared with 0.9% in normal weight youth. The adjusted prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) of hypertension for normal weight, overweight, moderate obesity, and extreme obesity were 1.00 (Reference), 2.27 (2.08–2.47), 4.43 (4.10–4.79), and 10.76 (9.99–11.59), respectively. The prevalence of hypertension was best predicted by a BMI-for-age ≥94th percentile. These results suggest that all obese youth should be screened for hypertension.
GENDER REPRESENTATION IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: 1900-1984

This article explores trends in the presence and centrality of males and females in American children's picture books in the twentieth century. Using the Children's Catalog as a population base and a time series analysis, we found that the imbalance in depicting males and females varies through the century in a curvilinear fashion. The earlier and later periods of the century show more egalitarian representations of females in titles and central roles. However, when stories involving only adults or animal characters are considered, males become more prominent over time. Changes in literary themes and the position of women during this time span may be useful in developing a theory to account for these trends.
A NOVEL APPROACH FOR ASSESSING DENSITY AND RANGE-WIDE ABUNDANCE OF PRAIRIE DOGS

Habitat loss, introduced disease, and government-sponsored eradication programs have caused population declines in all 5 species of prairie dogs. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) currently occupy only about 2% of an extensive geographic range (160 million hectares) and were recently considered for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. Accurate estimates of density for populations of prairie dogs would be valuable for estimating range-wide abundance and for determining threats to species persistence, yet estimates of density using robust approaches (e.g., complete enumeration or mark–recapture) are rarely undertaken. We introduce a novel approach to estimating density of prairie dogs using mark–resight methods. Using mark– resight, mark–recapture, and 3 other indices, we estimated the abundance of prairie dogs on 3 reintroduced colonies over a 3-year period (2003–2005). We show that mark–resight is a superior approach to estimating abundance of prairie dogs, that average density estimates from the southern extremity of the species’ range are considerably lower (11.3 prairie dogs/ha) than estimates from more northerly climes ( � X ¼ 18.3–90.3 prairie dogs/ ha), and that population densities can fluctuate widely in accordance with local environmental conditions. We propose that resource agencies use mark–resight methods to obtain density estimates of prairie dog populations within diverse ecoregions, and couple these estimates with an assessment of the area occupied by prairie dog colonies to determine range-wide abundance.
Home-School Partnerships in Literacy Education: From Rhetoric to Reality

Research indicates that parental involvement in schooling, particularly in the early years, can have strongly positive effects on children's academic success. But how can teachers reach out effectively to busy parents? The authors describe one approach—Fast Start—that offers a simple, easily implemented program to encourage daily reading and word study in the home.
Epidemiology of Acromioclavicular Joint Injury in Young Athletes

Background:Acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries, particularly sprains, are common in athletic populations and may result in significant time lost to injury. However, surprisingly, little is known of the epidemiology of this injury.Purpose:To define the incidence of AC joint injuries and to determine the risk factors for injury.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:A longitudinal cohort study was performed to determine the incidence and characteristics of AC joint injury at the United States Military Academy between 2005 and 2009. All suspected AC joint injuries were reviewed by an independent orthopaedic surgeon using both chart reviews as well as assessments of radiological imaging studies. Injuries were graded according to the modified Rockwood classification system as well as dichotomized into low-grade (Rockwood types I and II) and high-grade (Rockwood types III, IV, V, and VI) injuries for analysis. Injury mechanisms, return-to-play timing, and athlete-exposures were documented and ...
LRG-accelerated differentiation defines unique G-CSFR signaling pathways downstream of PU.1 and C/EBPε that modulate neutrophil activation

Expression of leucine-rich alpha2 glycoprotein (LRG), a member of the leucine-rich repeat family of proteins, was recently shown to be up-regulated during neutrophil differentiation. Its precise role in granulopoiesis, however, remains unknown. In this paper, we show that the transcription factors PU.1 and C/EBPepsilon that regulate the expression of multiple myeloid-specific genes also bind to the LRG promoter. We also demonstrate that LRG localizes to the same cytoplasmic compartment as myeloperoxidase and that G-CSF treatment of the 32Dcl3 myeloid cell line induces nuclear translocation of LRG. Stable transfection of LRG into 32Dcl3 cells resulted in accelerated, G-CSF-mediated neutrophil differentiation and induction of CD11b expression. In contrast, constitutive expression of LRG in 32Dwt18 cells, expressing a chimeric erythropoietin (Epo)/G-CSFR consisting of the EpoR extracellular domain fused to the G-CSFR transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, failed to induce accelerated neutrophil differentiation and CD11b expression in response to Epo stimulation. LRG-mediated accelerated differentiation and CD11b expression were found to correlate with an increased level of phospho-Stat3 but not with PU.1 or p27(kip1) levels. Hence, similar to other genes involved in neutrophil differentiation, the expression of LRG also appears to be regulated by PU.1 and C/EBPepsilon. Collectively, these findings suggest a role for LRG in modulating neutrophil differentiation and expression of CD11b via nonredundant G-CSFR signals.
Etanercept-Methotrexate Combination Therapy Initiators Have Greater Adherence and Persistence Than Triple Therapy Initiators With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective To estimate adherence and persistence with etanercept plus methotrexate (ETN-MTX) combination therapy and MTX, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine triple therapy at 1 year following treatment initiation in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods This retrospective analysis used data from the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases from January 2009 to July 2013. Adherence was defined as having percentage of days covered >80% for all drugs within each regimen. Persistence was defined as no treatment gap >45 days for any drug and no addition or switching to other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Multiple logistic regression models were employed in the analyses to control for potential confounders. Results A total of 3,724 ETN-MTX patients and 818 triple therapy patients were eligible. At 1 year, 27.9% who were taking ETN-MTX and 18.2% using triple therapy were adherent to all agents in their regimen (P < 0.0001), and 29.4% who were taking ETN-MTX and 23.2% using triple therapy were persistent (P < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, ETN-MTX patients had significantly greater odds of being adherent (odds ratio [OR] 1.79, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.47–2.17) and persistent (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.20–1.72) compared with patients using triple therapy. Conclusion Patients with RA initiating treatment with ETN-MTX combination therapy demonstrated greater adherence and persistence at 1 year than patients initiating triple therapy.
On the risk based limits for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

ITER is an experimental fusion facility, involving new technology and exploring new physics. A complete safety evaluation is best achieved by involving probabilistic methodologies in conjunction with the deterministic ones. The current design guideline for radioactivity releases as consequences of individual accident sequences with the corresponding frequencies is similar to the Farmer limit line. However, that approach does not include important considerations such as overall risk and uncertainties in both frequency and consequence of accident sequences. Previous work showed that the regulation of risk from technological systems should take into account several aspects of risk: overall risk, the rate at which accident frequency decreases with increasing consequences, the impact of high frequency-low consequence accidents. In the present paper, a rigorous derivation of a parametric complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF) for ITER which complies with all of these requirements is performed. Moreover, CCDF allows for the treatment of uncertainties in accident frequencies and consequences unlike the Farmer limit line approach. Therefore, defining the ITER risk limit in a CCDF form is more appropriate than the current formulation of the limit line.
Normal Modes of a Global Nonhydrostatic Atmospheric Model

Abstract Anticipating use of a very high resolution global atmospheric model for numerical weather prediction in the future without a traditional hydrostatic assumption, this article describes a unified method to obtain the normal modes of a nonhydrostatic, compressible, and baroclinic global atmospheric model. A system of linearized equations is set up with respect to an atmosphere at rest. An eigenvalue–eigenfunction problem is formulated, consisting of horizontal and vertical structure equations with suitable boundary conditions. The wave frequency and the separation parameter, referred to as “equivalent height,” appear in both the horizontal and vertical equations. Hence, these two equations must be solved as a coupled problem. Numerical results are presented for an isothermal atmosphere. Since the solutions of the horizontal structure equation can only be obtained numerically, the coupled problem is solved by an iteration method. In the primitive-equation (hydrostatic) models, there are two kinds of ...
Concepts of Synchronous Machine Stability as Affected by Excitation Control

The phenomena of stability of synchronous machines under small perturbations is explored by examining the case of a single machine connected to an infinite bus through external reactance.
On selecting software visualization tools for program understanding in an industrial context

Discusses issues related to selecting software visualization tools for program understanding in an industrial context. Visualization tools are often advocated as an effective means of aiding program understanding by creating graphical representations of the subject system through reverse engineering. However, there are numerous practical considerations related to tool selection for large, real-world projects that are unaddressed. For example, the choices are often limited to commercial tools that are widely available, that have a low cost of deployment and training, and that easily integrate into existing software engineering processes. To illustrate some of these unique issues, two types of constraints imposed on the process of software visualization tool selection to support program understanding in the domain of embedded, real-time control systems are described.
Maternal Education and the Unequal Significance of Family Structure for Children's Early Achievement

The diverging destiny of US children is a modern-day phenomenon driven, in part, by the rise in women’s education and its connection to patterns in women’s union formation. In short, more educated mothers are more likely to be in stably married families, whereas less educated mothers are more likely to be in unmarried-parent families, because of either a nonmarital birth or a union dissolution, or remarried ones. This connection between education and family structure means that children of less educated mothers are often raised in homes with fewer resources to promote their well-being than children of more educated mothers. In this study, I argue that these patterns in women’s education and family structure have implications for children’s diverging destinies that also play out in a more subtle way. Specifically, unmarried or disrupted family structures will result in lower-quality parenting for less educated mothers than for more educated mothers in the same family types, producing greater negative consequences for the achievement trajectories of their children. The results of this study, based on data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( n = 1308) and a longitudinal moderated path model, provide support for this argument. In fact, I find that family structure had no connection to the parenting of more educated mothers, or to their children’s achievement. These findings provide novel insight into the advantages that maternal education confers to children, beyond the various well-documented demographic and economic correlates that are accounted for in the study.
The role of learner attributes and affect determining the impact of agent presence

This paper introduces two experimental studies that have examined the efficacy of agent presence in relation to learner attributes and affect. With 132 high school females, Study 1 investigated the effects of learners' prior math attitudes (high vs. low) and prior math self-efficacy (high vs. low) on the changes in their attitudes and self-efficacy after working at a pedagogical agent-based environment. The results indicated that the females with low prior math attitudes significantly increased their math attitudes after working at the environment, whereas the attitudes of females with high prior math attitudes did not significantly change. The same trend was observed for their math self-efficacy. Study 2 investigated the interaction of learner gender, learner sociability (low-sociable vs. high-sociable) and agent presence (present vs. absent) on learners' math attitudes, math self-efficacy and learning with 180 male and female high school students. The results showed that for both male and female students, low-sociable students had significantly more positive math attitudes after working with an agent than without an agent, whereas high-sociable students had significantly more positive math attitudes after working at the learning environment without an agent than with an agent. The same was true for math self-efficacy. The learners significantly increased their learning regardless of the conditions. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Detecting sybil nodes in static and dynamic networks

Peer-to-peer systems are known to be vulnerable to the Sybil attack. The lack of a central authority allows a malicious user to create many fake identities (called Sybil nodes) pretending to be independent honest nodes. The goal of the malicious user is to influence the system on his/her behalf. In order to detect the Sybil nodes and prevent the attack, we use here a reputation system for every node, built through observing its interactions with its peers. The construction makes every node a part of a distributed authority that keeps records on the reputation and behavior of the nodes. Records of interactions between nodes are broadcast by the interacting nodes and honest reporting proves to be a Nash Equilibrium for correct (non-Sybil) nodes. We argue that in realistic communication schedule scenarios, simple graph-theoretic queries help in exposing those nodes most likely to be Sybil.
A homogenized energy model for the direct magnetomechanical effect

This paper focuses on the development of a homogenized energy model which quantifies certain facets of the direct magnetomechanical effect. In the first step of the development, Gibbs energy analysis at the lattice level is combined with Boltzmann principles to quantify the local average magnetization as a function of input fields and stresses. A macroscopic magnetization model, which incorporates the effects of polycrystallinity, material nonhomogeneities, stress-dependent interaction fields, and stress-dependent coercive behavior, is constructed through stochastic homogenization techniques based on the tenet that local coercive and interaction fields are manifestations of underlying distributions rather than constants. The resulting framework incorporates previous ferromagnetic hysteresis theory as a special case in the absence of applied stresses. Attributes of the framework are illustrated through comparison with previously published steel and iron data.
Perinatal exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds alters behavior and brain in the female pine vole

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are synthetic chemicals that arise from sources such as pesticides and have the ability to mimic or inhibit gonadal steroid hormones. The objective of this research was to examine the effects of EDCs on the behaviors associated with monogamy and the expression of related neuropeptide receptors. Pine voles, a novel experimental mammal, were chosen because they display strong monogamous pair bonding. Female pine voles were orally administered estrogenic diethylstilbestrol (DES) and methoxychlor (MXC) or oil control throughout gestation and lactation of pups. Exposed pups were tested as adults. Preference for the mate and maternal behaviors were assessed. While the ability to form partner preferences was intact, DES-exposed females showed increased aggression toward a stranger, while MXC exposed females showed a strong trend toward spending more time alone. Oxytocin (OT) receptor binding in the brain was assessed for possible effects on this behaviorally important neuropeptide signaling system. The cingulate cortex showed a reduction in OT binding in the MXC group. These findings demonstrate that exposure to EDCs during pre- and neonatal development can alter female adult neural phenotype and behavior related to monogamous behavior traits.
Liver dysfunction and energy source: results of a randomized clinical trial.

Controversy still exists regarding the role of the carbohydrate:fat ratio on liver function abnormalities associated with the administration of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). We designed a prospective clinical trail comparing standard carbohydrate-based TPN (8.5% amino acids, 50% dextrose, 7.5% of total calories from lipids) with an isocaloric lipid-based TPN (8.5% amino acids, 30% dextrose, 40% of total calories from lipids) in 43 patients exclusively receiving TPN > or = 2 weeks. Energy needs were calculated as basal energy expenditure x 1.5. The mean daily calorie intake for patients who obtained carbohydrate-based TPN (CHO) was 2227 kcal, whereas the lipid-based TPN (LIP-CHO) group achieved a mean of 2310 kcal. Patients with preexisting liver disease were excluded. There was no significant difference in age or diagnosis between the groups. We monitored total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, lactic dehydrogenase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase. Initial liver-associated tests did not vary significantly between groups. Group mean values after 2 weeks of TPN were significantly different for total bilirubin (1.5 mg/dL in the CHO group compared with 0.7 in the LIP-CHO group, p < .05) and direct bilirubin (0.8 mg/dL in the CHO group compared with 0.3 mg/dL in the mixed substrate group, p < .05). Differences in mean values between groups were also noted for serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, and lactic dehydrogenase. In conclusion, this prospective trial reveals that the use of a balanced energy source TPN solution prevents the abnormalities in liver-associated tests commonly associated with TPN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantitative Proteomics of Seed Filling in Castor: Comparison with Soybean and Rapeseed Reveals Differences between Photosynthetic and Nonphotosynthetic Seed Metabolism

Seed maturation or seed filling is a phase of development that plays a major role in the storage reserve composition of a seed. In many plant seeds photosynthesis plays a major role in this process, although oilseeds, such as castor (Ricinus communis), are capable of accumulating oil without the benefit of photophosphorylation to augment energy demands. To characterize seed filling in castor, a systematic quantitative proteomics study was performed. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to resolve and quantify Cy-dye-labeled proteins expressed at 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 weeks after flowering in biological triplicate. Expression profiles for 660 protein spot groups were established, and of these, 522 proteins were confidently identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry by mining against the castor genome. Identified proteins were classified according to function, and the most abundant groups of proteins were involved in protein destination and storage (34%), energy (19%), and metabolism (15%). Carbon assimilatory pathways in castor were compared with previous studies of photosynthetic oilseeds, soybean (Glycine max) and rapeseed (Brassica napus). These comparisons revealed differences in abundance and number of protein isoforms at numerous steps in glycolysis. One such difference was the number of enolase isoforms and their sum abundance; castor had approximately six times as many isoforms as soy and rapeseed. Furthermore, Rubisco was 11-fold less prominent in castor compared to rapeseed. These and other differences suggest some aspects of carbon flow, carbon recapture, as well as ATP and NADPH production in castor differs from photosynthetic oilseeds.
Application of the phase-locked loop to telemetry as a discriminator or tracking filter

This paper studies a system of FM detection suggested by work done in optimum-demodulation theory, and a summary of the problems of ordinary discriminators is made so that possible improvement may be demonstrated readily. This summary points out an important defect of FM discriminators which affects the data accuracy of the telemeter but which is rarely recognized. The system study deals with generalized optimum filtering for transient signals applicable to commutated signals and operators such as discrimination. The solution for particular applications with respect to the phase-locked loop or optimum-demodulation system is offered. With these applications available, noise and transient signals are studied to see how the system fits the practical system. Normalized charts are made which may be applied to any standard telemetering channel that may be designed. A comparison of this system with ordinary discriminators shows a large threshold improvement and a reduction in over-all system error. Graphs of the comparison of these effects are also included. Heuristic suggestions of application are offered for further study.
Computational Aspects of Nodal Multizone Airflow Systems

Abstract The multizone approach to steady-state airflow problems models a building as a network of discrete mass flow paths. A nodal formulation of the problem writes the governing equations in terms of the unknown pressures at the points where the flow paths connect. This paper proves conditions under which the nodal equations yield symmetric positive-definite matrices, guaranteeing a unique solution to the flow network. It also establishes relaxed conditions under which a nodal airflow system yields asymmetric matrices with positive eigenvalues, guaranteeing at least one solution. Properly exploiting the system properties greatly reduces the cost of numerical solution. Thus, multizone airflow programs such as C ONTAM and C OMIS depend on symmetric positive-definite systems. However, the background literature neglects or simplifies the underlying assumptions, does not assert existence and uniqueness, and even contains factual errors. This paper corrects those errors, states the implicit assumptions made in the programs, and discusses implications for modelers and programmers.
A Novel Parent Questionnaire for the Detection of Seizures in Children

Abstract Background We developed a seizure questionnaire that could be administered by a trained research assistant in a two-step process, approximating the clinical diagnostic process of a pediatric epileptologist. This questionnaire was designed to study seizure prevalence in a research population of 10-year-old children at risk for epilepsy. Methods English-speaking parents of children 6 months to 12 years old were recruited from the pediatric neurology clinics at Boston Medical Center and interviewed using a computerized questionnaire. An algorithm of parent responses rendered a 4-level ranking scale of seizure probability for events: (1) not likely, (2) indeterminate, (3) probable, (4) almost certain. Blinded to questionnaire results, pediatric neurologists served as the diagnostic gold standard, ranking each patient event using the same four-level scale based on clinical history and examination. Results The questionnaire was completed by 150 of 177 (84.7%) enrolled parents. Seizure prevalence among participants was 38.6%. The seizure questionnaire yielded a fitted receiver operating characteristic area of 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-0.97). Based on optimal sensitivity and false-positive fraction, we dichotomized the questionnaire results as consistent with seizure (levels 3 and 4) or without seizure (levels 1 and 2). Overall, findings included a 91.4% sensitivity (95% CI, 84.2%-98.6%) and an 82.6% specificity (95% CI, 74.9%-90.4%). The positive predictive value was 76.8% (95% CI, 66.9%-86.8%) and the negative predictive value was 93.8% (95% CI, 88.6%-99.1%). Conclusions This pediatric seizure questionnaire was both sensitive and specific for detecting clinically confirmed seizures. This tool may be useful to researchers and clinicians in screening large populations of children, decreasing the time and cost of added neurological assessments.
Concordance of Nurses and Physicians on Whether Critical Care Patients are Receiving Futile Treatment

BACKGROUND Nurses and physicians often describe critical care that is not expected to provide meaningful benefit to a patient as futile, and providing treatments perceived as futile is associated with moral distress. OBJECTIVE To explore concordance of physicians' and nurses' assessments of futile critical care. METHODS A focus group of clinicians developed a consensus definition of "futile" critical care. Daily for 3 months, critical care physicians and nurses in a health care system identified patients perceived to be receiving futile treatment. Assessments and patients' survival were compared between nurses and physicians. RESULTS Nurses and physicians made 6254 shared assessments on 1086 patients. Nurses and physicians assessed approximately the same number of patients as receiving futile treatment (110 for nurses vs 113 for physicians, P = .82); however, concordance was low as to which patients were assessed as receiving futile treatment (κ = 0.46). The 110 patients categorized by nurses as receiving futile treatment had lower 6-month mortality than did the 113 patients so assessed by physicians (68% vs 85%, P = .005). Patients who were assessed as receiving futile treatment by both providers were more likely to die in the hospital than were patients assessed as receiving futile treatment by the nurse alone (76% vs 32%, P < .001) or by the physician alone (76% vs 57%, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS Interprofessional concordance on provision of critical care perceived to be futile is low; however, joint predictions between physicians and nurses were most predictive of patients' outcomes, suggesting value in collaborative decision making.
GLOW TAC-KBP2011 Entity Linking System ⁄

Traditional information extraction evaluations, such as the Message Understanding Conferences (MUC) and Automatic Content Extraction (ACE), assess the ability to extract information from individual documents in isolation. In practice, however, we may need to gather information about a person or organization that is scattered among the documents of a large collection. The TAC KBP entity linking shared task challenges the participants to identify real-word entities and to map them to a knowledgebase of reference entities. This paper describes the GLOW system which participated in the competition and was based on our earlier work (Ratinov et al., 2011).
Role Preference: Are Handheld Computers an Educational or Personal Technology?

As an educational delivery platform, current handheld computer technology provides a low-cost, networked, small-form factor appliance with sufficient machine resources to support instruction, learning, assessment, and collaboration. Yet, except in the fields of medicine and law, handheld adoption for collegiate classroom use has been minimal. This study presents the results of an empirical investigation of users and non-users of handheld technology in higher education. Faculty and student personal technology preferences, handheld usage practices, and experience profiles are presented. Results confirm handhelds are peripheral to most collegiate instruction with usage confined primarily to performing personal information management. When handhelds are used for education, they function as a portable extension of the personal computer. Implications for educational practice are presented.
Abstract 1986: GBM cell migration and proliferation is inhibited by crudeRosa caninaplant extracts

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are aggressive and malignant tumors that develop in the brain. These tumors are characterized by increased rates of proliferation and invasive migration as well as angiogenesis. To date few therapeutic options exist for the treatment and management of GBMs, therefore we decided to investigate the anti-oncogenic properties of extracts from the rosehip plant. Rosehip extracts have been used for centuries as alternative therapies. Currently, rosehip extracts are being used as over the counter supplements and recent studies demonstrate that it has an anti-tumor effect. Therefore, we tested the anti-migratory and antiproliferative capacity of extracts from the rosehip (Rosa canina) plant in GBM cell lines. Three human GBM cell lines, U-251 MG, U-1242MG and A-172, were treated with rosehip extracts (1 mg/mL - 25ng/mL) and demonstrated a decrease in cell proliferation. The rosehip extract-mediated decrease in cell proliferation was equal to the decrease of cell proliferation observed when U0126 (10µM), a know inhibitor of GBM cell proliferation was utilized. Utilizing a fluorescent-based labeling strategy (Live-Dead Assay), we examined whether rosehip extracts prevented cell proliferation by initiating apoptosis. Pretreatment of the GBM cells with rosehip extracts (1 mg/mL - 25ng/mL) induced the inhibition of cell proliferation without promoting apoptosis; whereas, cells treated with staurosporine (1 µM), a known inducer of apoptosis, showed an increase in cell apoptosis. Additional studies demonstrated that rosehip extracts prevent GBM cell proliferation by decreasing the active state of MAPK and AKT. Furthermore, rosehip extract-treated GBM cells also prevent cell migration by regulating actin remodeling. Taken together, these data suggest that rosehip extracts inhibit cell proliferation via a cytostatic mechanism that does not by induce apoptosis while also serving as a migration inhibiting agent. These data suggest that, rosehip extracts may serve as an alternative, or supplement, to current therapeutic regimens for GBMs. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1986. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1986
Resource Utilization Patterns in a Community of Gall-Attacking Parasitoids

The natural history of the parasitoids attacking Asteromyia carbonifera (O.S.) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) was studied. Five species were recorded: Platygaster solidaginis (Ashmed)(Hymenoptera: Platygasteridae); Torymus capite (Huber)(Hymenoptera: Torymidae); Tetrastichus fumipennis (Girault); Tetrastichus tesserus (Burkes) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae); and a eulophid of an unknown genus[3][1]. Three aspects of parasitoid ecology were examined: (1) their trophic relationships with the host and with one another; (2) their temporal sequence of attack; and (3) foraging response to the number of host larvae per gall. All species fed parasitically on the host, but T. capite also feeds on previously parasitized hosts, on gall tissue, and as an adult drinks host haemolymph through a feeding tube. P. solidaginis attacks in the host's egg stage, T. fumipennis during early gall development, and T. capite and T. tesserus later in development. Time of attack may be related to the ability of the parasitoids to penetrate gall tissue. A negative correlation was found between the number of hosts per gall and the percent parasitism inflicted by T. tesserus ; no correlation was found in the cases of T. fumipennis and T. capite . [1]: #fn-1
Abstract 3586: Benzopyrene diol epoxide attenuates p34cdc2 and inhibits cell growth: role of p53.

Our previous findings demonstrated that DNA damage by polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) triggers cellular protective response of cell growth inhibition (G1-S cell cycle arrest and inhibition of DNA synthesis) in human fibroblast associated with accumulation of p53 protein, a known cell growth inhibitory transcription factor. Here we report that in different cell lines BPDE treatment (ultimate carcinogenic metabolite of the PAH benzo[a]pyrene) triggers variable extent of cell growth inhibition which do not correspond to the extent of increased p53 accumulation as we observed. We also observed that BPDE treatment of cells significantly down-regulates expression of p34cdc2, a known cell cycle activating protein. Although the role of cdc2 down-regulation in inhibition of cell cycle progression is well known, to the best of our knowledge cdc2 down-regulation in response to cellular insult by PAHs has not been reported. Unlike p53 accumulation there is correspondence between extent of cell growth inhibition and the extent of cdc2 down-regulation by BPDE in different cell lines. Interestingly, BPDE-induced cdc2 down-regulation is observed to be p53 dependent although there is lack of correspondence between the extent of p53 accumulation and cdc2 down-regulation. However, extent of BPDE induced cdc2 down-regulation was observed to have correspondence with the extent of accumulation of cell cycle inhibitor protein p21 (transactivation product of p53) in different cell lines. These findings may have an implication that cell growth inhibition in response to DNA damaging PAHs may involve down-regulation of cdc2 protein mediated by p53 activation (transactivation ability), and the extent of p53 accumulation is not the determining factor in this regard. Citation Format: Jagat J. Mukherjee, Subodh Kumar. Benzopyrene diol epoxide attenuates p34cdc2 and inhibits cell growth: role of p53. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3586. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3586
Epidemic pathogenic factors and intervention methods research of childhood obesity

Childhood simple obesity is due to poor lifestyle and behavior led to the body too much heat accumulation, and ultimately to adipose tissue in the body in the form of a kind of metabolic disease obstacles. Childhood obesity can cause a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, immune function disorder, for example hyperlipidemia, diabetes and immune disorders and other diseases is closely related to children's growth and development, it has the serious influence. Childhood obesity pathogenic factors are complicated, the genetic, neuroendocrine, dietary habits and behavior factors influence. At present, the domestic and foreign research on children's simple obesity core is mainly to the environmental and behavioral factors intervention and adjustment, prevention is the key.