cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An Exploratory, Post-Harvest Comparison of Ecological and Economic Characteristics of Forest Stewardship Council Certified and Uncertified Northern Hardwood Stands∗

ABSTRACT As more forest entities worldwide consider pursuing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, a critical question remains on whether stand-level management impacts differ between certified and uncertified forests. To begin to answer this question, we measured forest structure on three FSC-certified stands, three uncertified stands, and six adjacent unharvested reference stands (12 stands total) composed primarily of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) on non-industrial private properties in central Vermont, USA. The certified and uncertified partial harvests reduced total tree biomass and live tree carbon storage by one-third compared to reconstructed pre-harvest conditions. Both treatments also contained significantly lower densities of saplings and some mid-size trees compared to non-harvested references due to similar impacts from harvesting. The net present value of merchantable sugar maple over 10 year projections was consistently lower on certified than uncertified stands, but this differenc...
Terminal myelocystocele: important differential diagnosis in the prenatal assessment of spina bifida.

The most common lumbosacral mass of a fetus is a meningomyelocele that is not covered by skin; however, skin-covered lesions do occur, and they often have a quite different clinical cause and outcome. It is often difficult to make this differentiation on ultrasonography; when a skin-covered mass in the lumbosacral region is encountered, the following differential diagnoses should be considered. The most common skin-covered lesion is the lumbosacral lipoma (i.e., lipomeningocele or lipoma), followed by the teratoma, hamartoma, and the other rarer tumors and mass lesions.1 The TM appears as a skin-covered mass in the lumbosacral region, sometimes associated with urologic and gastrointestinal tract abnormalities.2,3 Although TMs may appear similar to myelomeningoceles on prenatal ultrasonography, it is of the utmost importance to distinguish them, as the outcome and prognosis and thus the prenatal counseling will be quite different.4 In addition to the presumed difference in pathophysiology, there is no familial occurrence and therefore no genetic predisposition for future offspring.2,4,5 We present a patient with TM and describe the prenatal findings, postnatal studies, and clinical course.
Value-Group Analysis of Cultural Values in Heterogeneous Populations

Summary This paper suggests an improved methodology for the examination of cultural values in which homogeneous groups are presented as an alternative to the examination of measures of central tendency for population and a priori determined groups. Rokeach value scale and demographic data for the study were collected from 672 members of the University of South Carolina Consumer Panel. A cluster analytic approach was utilized to determine four groups of respondents with homogeneous and statistically distinct value systems. Membership in a homogeneous value group was found to be related to education level, job type, and family income. Race and sex differences were not determined for group membership; however such differences were evident when race and sex a priori groups were examined singularly. The author contends the determination of groups with homogeneous value structures is a viable alternative to the use of a priori stereotype groupings, such as sex, race, or age.
Functional plasticity of regenerated and intact taste receptors in adult rats unmasked by dietary sodium restriction

Unilateral chorda tympani nerve sectioning was combined with institution of a sodium-restricted diet in adult rats to determine the role that environment has on the functional properties of regenerating taste receptor cells. Rats receiving chorda tympani sectioning but no dietary manipulation (cut controls) and rats receiving only the dietary manipulation (diet controls) had normal responses to a concentration series of NaCl, sodium acetate (NaAc), and NH4Cl. However, responses from the regenerated nerve in NaCl-restricted rats (40-120 d postsectioning) to NaCl and NaAc were reduced by as much as 30% compared to controls, indicating that regenerating taste receptors are influenced by environmental (dietary) factors. Responses to NH4Cl were normal; therefore, the effect appears specific to sodium salts. Surprisingly, in the same rats, NaCl responses from the contralateral, intact chorda tympani were up to 40% greater than controls. Thus, in the same rat, there was over a twofold difference in sodium responses between the right and left chorda tympani nerves. A study of the time course of the functional alterations in the intact nerve revealed that responses to NaCl were extremely low immediately following sectioning (about 20% of the normal response), and then increased monotonically during the following 50 d until relative response magnitudes became supersensitive. This function occurred even when the cut chorda tympani was prevented from reinnervating lingual epithelia, demonstrating that events related to regeneration do not play a role in the functional properties of the contralateral side of the tongue.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cryptococcal Osteomyelitis: Report of a Case and a Review of the Literature

A case is reported of isolated cryptococcal osteomyelitis in an 11-year-old girl without any detectable underlying disease. The patient was successfully treated for six weeks with intravenous amphotericin B and oral 5-flucytosine. There is only one other case of cryptococcal osteomyelitis reported in the English medical literature in a child. Over 50 per cent of individuals with this infection will have an underlying condition which may have predisposed them to acquiring this disease.
Evaluation of Tank Shape and a Surface Spray for Intensive Culture of Larval Walleyes Fed Formulated Feed

Abstract Experiments were performed at Rathbun State Fish Hatchery, Moravia, Iowa, to evaluate cuboidal and cylindrical tank designs for the intensive culture of larval walleyes (Stizostedion vitreum) fed formulated feed. Three experiments (T-1 to T-3) were carried out in the spring of 1991. In experiments T- 1 and T-2, each tank design was replicated three times and each tank was equipped with a surface spray. Experiment T-3 was undertaken to preliminarily evaluate the role of surface spray in gas bladder inflation, an important factor in survival of the larvae. Gas bladder inflation (GBI) occurred in 71.5–100% of the fish that survived 15–25 d posthatch (means of two or three tanks per treatment over all experiments) for tanks with surface sprays. Gas bladder inflation occurred in a significantly greater proportion of fish reared in cylindrical tanks than fish reared in cuboidal tanks in two of the three experiments (T-2 and T-3). Viability, the percentage of the initial stock that survived to the end o...
COEVOLUTIONARY ALTERNATION IN ANTAGONISTIC INTERACTIONS

Coevolution between parasites and hosts or predators and prey often involves multiple species with similar kinds of defenses and counter-defenses. Classic examples include the interactions between phytophagous insects and their host plants, thick-shelled invertebrates and their shell-crushing predators, and ungulates and their predators. There are three major hypotheses for the nonequilibrium coevolutionary dynamics of these multispecific trophic interactions: escalation in traits, cycles in traits leading to fluctuating polymorphisms, and coevolutionary alternation. The conditions under which cycles and escalation are likely to occur have been well developed theoretically. In contrast, the conditions favoring coevolutionary alternation-evolutionary fluctuations in predator or prey preference driven by evolutionary shifts in relative levels of prey defense and vice versa-have yet to be identified. Using a set of quantitative coevolutionary models, we demonstrate that coevolutionary alternation can occur across a wide range of biologically plausible conditions. The result is often repeated, and potentially rapid, evolutionary shifts in patterns of specialization within networks of interacting species.
Do You have to Start at the Top? The Chief Executive Officer's Role in Successful Organization Development Efforts

The central role of the chief executive officer (CEO) in an organization development project is illustrated by two different CEOs in a medium-sized medical center during a 4-year period. Organization climate, nursing turnover, net profits, and market share data showed no significant improvement during the first 2 years but improved during the second 2-year period. The other critical variables -the consultant, the design of the project, the number of days the consultant spent in the organization, the general approach to delivering patient services, the medical staff, the economy, the medical job markets, and the organizational population- all remained approximately the same during the 4-year period. Results from questionnaire and interview data attribute both the negative results during the first 2 years and the positive results during the second to the person who filled the role of the CEO.
Variation-aware gate sizing and clustering for post-silicon optimized circuits

As technology is aggressively scaled, nano-regime VLSI designs are becoming increasingly susceptible to process variations. Unlike pre-silicon optimization, post-silicon techniques can tune the individual die to better meet the power-delay constraints. This paper proposes a variation-aware methodology for the simultaneous gate sizing and clustering for post-silicon tuning with adaptive body biasing. The proposed methodology uses an accurate table look-up model and fully explores the interaction between gate sizing and optimal body bias based clustering. In addition, it is suitable for industrial test cases with tens of thousands gates. Our optimization methodology includes a body bias distribution alignment strategy to mitigate the impact of critical gates. In this way, the cluster's body bias voltage is not simply determined by only a few critical gates. We also prove the linear dependence between the mean of the body bias probability distribution and the gate size. Based on this, we further investigate a simultaneous sizing and re-clustering algorithm for better leakage savings. A circuit re-balancing and gate snapping scheme is then suggested to map the solution to a standard cell library. Compared with arecently-reported method, the proposed methodology can obtain on average 25.5% leakage saving at nearly the same run time.
Low-temperature heat capacities and thermodynamic properties of zinc ferrites—II: Effect of thermal history and metallic additives☆

Abstract The heat capacities of annealed and quenched samples of Li 0.005 Zn 0.90 Fe 2.05 O 4 , and of quenched ZnFe 2 O 4 have been determined over the range 5–350δK. Addition of lithium to zinc ferrite lowers the temperature of the co-operative thermal anomaly associated with antiferromagnetic ordering transition in accord with theory, and quenching of either material results in nearly complete disappearance of the λ-anomaly but modifies the pronounced high-temperature tail less significantly. The effects on the thermal properties are interpreted in terms of sublattice populations.
Movement responses of pre-school children, primary grade children, and pre-service classroom teachers to characteristics of musical phrases.

Two studies were completed to compare responses of pre-school children. primary grade children, and pre-service teachers to a movement-to-music task. In Study 1, pre-school and college aged subject...
$Q$ -Based Design Equations and Loss Limits for Resonant Metamaterials and Experimental Validation

Practical design parameters of resonant metamaterials, such as loss tangent, are derived in terms of the quality factor Q of the resonant effective medium permeability or permittivity. Through electromagnetic simulations of loop-based resonant particles, it is first shown that the Q of the effective medium response is essentially equal to the Q of an individual resonant particle. This implies that by measuring the Q of a single fabricated metamaterial particle, the effective permeability or permittivity of a meta-material can be estimated simply and accurately without complex simulations, fabrication, or measurements. Experimental validation shows that the frequency-dependent complex permeability analytically estimated from the measured Q of a single fabricated self-resonant loop agrees with the complex permeability extracted from S parameter measurements of a metamaterial slab to better than 20 %. This Q equivalence reduces the design of a metamaterial to meet a given loss constraint to the simpler problem of the design of a resonant particle to meet a specific Q constraint. The Q-based analysis also yields simple analytical expressions for estimating the loss tangent of a planar loop magnetic metamaterial due to ohmic losses. It is shown that tan delta ap 0.001 is a strong lower bound for magnetic loss tangents for frequencies not too far from 1 GHz. The ohmic loss of the metamaterial varies inversely with the electrical size of the metamaterial particle, indicating that there is a loss penalty for reducing the particle size at a fixed frequency.
On the insufficiency of evidence for a domain-general account of word learning

One question lies at the heart of our interchange with Bloom and Markson: is word learning the result of domain-speci®c or domain-general abilities? Undoubtedly, we cover a good deal of common ground. We agree (a) that discovering which aspects of language acquisition are speci®c to language, and which are shared more generally with other cognitive tasks, requires careful attention, (b) that the answer to this question may depend upon which aspect of language is under consideration, and (c) that the acquisition of novel words and facts share some important components, including establishing a mapping to a designated individual, and retaining this mapping over time. Yet there is also a clear difference between our positions. Markson and Bloom (1997) argued forcefully for a domain-general account of word learning. We countered, highlighting some crucial distinctions between what it takes to learn a word as compared to a fact. We concluded that there is, as yet, insuf®cient logical or empirical support for a domain-general account of word learning. To recap, Markson and Bloom (1997) demonstrated that children were resoundingly successful at fast-mapping either a novel word (e.g. `This is a koba') or fact (e.g. `My uncle gave this to me'), and retaining these mappings over time. They therefore concluded that fast-mapping is not speci®c to word learning. We agree entirely. However, Markson and Bloom went beyond this evidence, claiming to have uncovered a1⁄4evidence against a dedicated system for word-learning1⁄4o. It is this latter claim ± the claim that became the title of their original paper ± to which we take strong exception. The real problem is that although Bloom and Markson's data pertain to one S.R. Waxman, A.E. Booth / Cognition 78 (2001) 277±279 277
Intraventricular dyssynchrony in light chain amyloidosis: a new mechanism of systolic dysfunction assessed by 3-dimensional echocardiography

Light chain amyloidosis (AL) is a rare but often fatal disease due to intractable heart failure. Amyloid deposition leads to diastolic dysfunction and often preserved ejection fraction. We hypothesize that AL is associated with regional systolic dyssynchrony. The aim is to compare left ventricular (LV) regional synchrony in AL subjects versus healthy controls using 16-segment dyssynchrony index measured from 3-dimension-al (3D) echocardiography. Cardiac 3D echocardiography full volumes were acquired in 10 biopsy-proven AL subjects (60 ± 3 years, 5 females) and 10 healthy controls (52 ± 1 years, 5 females). The LV was subdivided into 16 segments and the time from end-diastole to the minimal systolic volume for each of the 16 segments was expressed as a percent of the cycle length. The standard deviations of these times provided a 16-segment dyssynchrony index (16-SD%). 16-SD% was compared between healthy and AL subjects. Left ventricular ejection fraction was comparable (control vs. AL: 62.4 ± 0.6 vs. 58.6 ± 2.8%, p = NS). 16-SD% was significantly higher in AL versus healthy subjects (5.93 ± 4.4 vs. 1.67 ± 0.87%, p = 0.003). 16-SD% correlated with left ventricular mass index (R 0.45, p = 0.04) but not to left ventricular ejection fraction. Light chain amyloidosis is associated with left ventricular regional systolic dyssynchrony. Regional dyssynchrony may be an unrecognized mechanism of heart failure in AL subjects.
In vivo blockage of nitric oxide with aminoguanidine inhibits immunosuppression induced by an attenuated strain of Salmonella typhimurium, potentiates Salmonella infection, and inhibits macrophage and polymorphonuclear leukocyte influx into the spleen.

Our laboratory has previously shown that after immunization with a strain of Salmonella typhimurium , SL3235, made avirulent by a blockage in the pathway of aromatic synthesis, murine splenocytes were profoundly suppressed in their capacity to mount an in vitro antibody plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep erythrocytes. Evidence indicated that suppression was mediated by nitric oxide (NO), since the in vitro addition of N G -monomethyl-l-arginine blocked suppression. The present studies examined the effect of blocking NO production on Salmonella -induced immunosuppression by in vivo administration of aminoguanidine hemisulfate (AG). AG was administered to C3HeB/FeJ mice in their drinking water (2.5% solution) for 7 days prior to intraperitoneal inoculation with SL3235. AG treatment inhibited the increase in nitrate and nitrite levels in plasma and nitrite levels in the spleen seen in immunized mice. Importantly, AG treatment completely blocked suppression of the splenic PFC response and markedly attenuated the suppression of the response to concanavalin A in immunized mice, providing further evidence that Salmonella -induced immunosuppression is mediated by NO. AG treatment also alleviated the majority of the splenomegaly associated with SL3235 inoculation, which correlated with a blockage of influx of neutrophils and macrophages into spleens, as assessed by flow cytometry. AG treatment unexpectedly resulted in 90% mortality in mice injected with the highly attenuated vaccine strain of Salmonella , SL3235. Increased mortality in AG-treated mice correlated with inability to clear organisms from the spleen by day 15 postinoculation and with persistent bacteremia, compared with control mice. Collectively, these in vivo results underscore the dual biological consequences of NO production following Salmonella infection, with NO being necessary for host defense, but also having the potentially adverse effect of immunosuppression. A unifying hypothesis to explain how these seemingly paradoxical effects could both result from NO production is presented.
Occurrence and postmortem generation of anandamide and other long-chain N-acylethanolamines in mammalian brain

Long-chain N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) were assayed in pig, sheep and cow brain by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of their tert.-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives in the presence of deuterium-labeled internal standards. Immediately after death, total NAEs ranged from about 2.7 μg/g wet weight (sheep, cow) to 6.5 μg/g wet weight (pig) and consisted almost exclusively (99%) of saturated and monounsaturated species. Anandamide (20:4n-6 NAE) comprised about 1% of total NAE in pig and cow brain, but was absent in freshly extracted sheep brain. When pig brain was analysed after 0.5, 1, 3, 4 and 23 h at ambient temperature, NAE levels were found to increase substantially over the entire time period with 20:4n-6 NAE formation exhibiting a time lag compared to that of saturated and monounsaturated NAEs.
Some remarks on the variation of curve length and surface area

Consider the curve C = {(t, f(t): 0 < t < 1}, where f is absolutely continuous on [0, 1]. Then C has finite length, and if Ue is the &neighborhood of f in the uniform norm, we compare the length of the shortest path in UE with the length of f. Our main result establishes necessary and sufficient conditions on f such that the difference of these quantities is of order e as e -* 0. We also include a result for surfaces.
Observation of a single atom in a magneto-optical trap.

Fluorescence from Cs atoms in a magneto-optical trap is detected under conditions of very low atomic density. Discrete steps are observed in the fluorescent signal versus time and are associated with the arrival and departure of individual trapped atoms. Histograms of the frequency of occurrence of a given level of fluorescence exhibit a series of uniformly spaced peaks that are attributed to the presence of N = 0, 1, 2 atoms in the trap.
Nanobiotechnology: it's a small world after all

Nanobiotechnology is the latest technology to provide disruptive—quantum leap—opportunities in drug development research. Examples of the utility of this approach are found increasingly in the scientific literature and the lay press. Whether for therapeutics, diagnostics, drug delivery, targeting, or some other product category, the potential for nanotechnology to revolutionize medicine is quite high. A number of organizations have chosen to focus their nanotechnology efforts on cancer. This is an exciting area that should benefit from an increasing number of collaborations of interdisciplinary experts to fabricate and characterize novel and enabling nanoparticulate technologies. Drug Dev. Res. 67:1–3, 2006.
Assessment of alternative soil management practices on N2O emissions from US agriculture

Although agricultural soil management is the predominant anthropogenic source of nitrous oxide (N2O) to the atmosphere, little is known about the effects of alternative soil management practices on N2O emissions. In this study the NGAS model of Parton et al. (1996), coupled with a N and C cycling model, was used to simulate annual N2O emissions from 2639 cropland sites in the US using both no-till and conventional tillage management scenarios. The N2O mitigation potential of returning marginal cropland to perennial grass was also evaluated by comparing simulated N2O emissions from 306 Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland sites with emissions from nearby cropland sites. Extensive soil and land use data for each site was obtained from the Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) database and weather data was obtained from NASA. The initial conversion of agricultural land to no-till showed greater N2O emissions per hectare than conventional tillage. Differences between the two tillage scenarios were strongly regional and suggest that conversion of conventionally tilled soil to no-till may have a greater effect on N2O emissions in drier regions. About 80% of the total emissions were from the Great plains and central regions mainly due to their large cultivated area. Croplands producing soy, wheat, and corn were responsible for about 68% of the total emissions with rice, cotton, and vegetable croplands having the greatest N2O flux (6.5‐8.4 kg N2O‐N ha ˇ1 year ˇ1 ) under either scenario. Model simulations estimate that the agricultural lands in the US produce 448 Gg N2O‐N year ˇ1 under a conventional tillage scenario and 478 Gg N2O‐N year ˇ1 under a no-till scenario. Model estimates also suggest that the conversion of 10.5 million hectares of cropland to grassland has a N2O mitigation potential of 31 Gg N2O‐ N year ˇ1 , (8.4 Tg carbon equivalents year ˇ1 ). This value is similar in magnitude to many of the major greenhouse gas (GHG) emission-reduction strategies currently being considered to help meet US GHG reduction goals. Thus the GHG mitigation potential of this conversion is substantial and may be a viable strategy to help meet GHG reduction goals. # 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A Multidimensional Flow Cytometry Data Classification

Flow has been widely used for the diagnosis of various diseases. We proposed an automated gating approach to analyze and cluster flow data and provide researchers and physicians a 3-D way of viewing flow data. This automated approach was designed to give reproducible results, which avoid the subjective and time-consuming human manipulation. Doublets problem will be eliminated by our tool, and the result were compared with the manual gating. In addition, a 3D visualization will not only give a user-friendly representation but also avert misclassification would occur in lower dimension. We demonstrated how the 3D approach can be used to augment the K-means method in classifying the data. To validate the feasibility of our proposed automatic approach, our result is compared with the result done at the Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Single crystal electron paramagnetic resonance study of Y2BaCuO5, a common impurity in the high temperature superconductor, YBa2Cu3O7

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of pure Y2BaCuO5 in powder and single crystal forms and of YBa2Cu3O7−δ in powder and single crystal forms provide further evidence that it is Y2BaCuO5 that is the common green impurity found in many preparations of YBa2Cu3O7−δ as a powder or in pellet forms. Y2BaCuO5 tends to be excluded in the growth of YBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals. A method is presented for the growth of Y2BaCuO5 crystals from a flux. An apparent discrepancy between the observed single crystal EPR anisotropy and the reported crystal structure is resolved in three independent ways from the Y2BaCuO5 Powder and single crystal EPR data. These results show that the EPR spectrum is a superposition of the spectra of the two differently oriented Cu sites in the unit cell and is not a spectral average of them. The temperature independence of the EPR spectrum between 150 K and 300 K is also consistent with there being no temperature dependent exchange averaging of the EPR spectra of the two sites in this range. The orientations of the Cu crystal field axes, as indicated by the g axes, are in agreement with the crystal structure. Crystal field splittings of the Cu d-orbitals are estimated from the measured g values and indicate an appreciable covalency in the Cu–O bonds. The linewidth and its anisotropy indicate a minor degree of exchange narrowing.
Effects From a Randomized Control Trial Comparing Researcher and School-Implemented Treatments With Fourth Graders With Significant Reading Difficulties

This study examined the effectiveness of a researcher-provided intervention with 4th-graders with significant reading difficulties. The intervention emphasized multi-syllable word reading, fluent reading of high frequency words and phrases, vocabulary, and comprehension. To identify the participants, 1,695 fourth grade students were screened using the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test, and those whose standard score was 85 or lower were included in the study (N=485). Participants were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive either researcher-provided intervention (n=324) or intervention provided by school personnel (business as usual, BAU) (n=161). Findings revealed no statistically significant differences between students in the researcher-provided intervention and BAU groups. Using effect sizes as an indicator of impact, students in the researcher implemented treatment generally outperformed students in the school implemented treatment (BAU). Examining growth in standard scores, both groups made significant gains in reading outcomes with standard score growth from pretest to posttest of 3 standard score points on decoding, 5 on fluency,, and 2.0 to 7 standard score points on reading comprehension measures.
Mosquitoes as Vectors of Dermatobia in Eastern Colombia

The “human warble fly” ( Dermatobia hominis ) seems to be particularly common in the forest zone at the base of the Eastern Andes in Colombia, and in the course of yellow fever work in this zone observations have been accumulated on this warble fly that may be of general interest. In making routine captures of mosquitoes in several areas near Villavicencio for the purpose of checking on seasonal and habitat changes, the incidence of mosquitoes with Dermatobia eggs was noted on the record sheets. From these it has been possible to compute the relative frequency of infestation of different mosquito species. It has also often been possible to observe the behavior of the adult Dermatobia while ovipositing, and as accounts of this behavior in the literature are in part conflicting, a summary of the observations made is included in the present paper. This insect's oviposition habits are of great biological interest, entailing a curious vector relationship with mosquitoes and other flies; the behavior of the adult Dermatobia is surely as complicated and as inexplicable as that of any known insect, comparable to the highly specialized behavior patterns of some of the Hymenoptera.
Effect of Mineralo- and Glucocorticoids on Fasted Adrenalectomized Dogs Subjected to Electroshock.

SummaryElectroshock induces circulatory failure in fasted adrenalectomized dogs maintained on mineralocorticoid. Treatment with desoxycorticosterone is ineffective and animals succumb exhibiting retention of Na, C1 and renal elimination of but small amounts of K. Despite continued fasting, glucocorticoid injections bring about rapid return of normal activity and vigor accompanied by increased arterial pressure, plasma volume, and decreases in hemoconcentration. Plasma Na and C1 concentrations showed little or no changes but the total quantity of these ions in the intravascular compartment increased significantly. The data indicate that C11 oxysteroids mobilize large amounts of water and electrolyte from extravascular sources of the adrenalectomized dog prostrate from insufficiency and shift them into the intravascular compartment thereby bringing about dramatic and rapid recovery. Thus glucocorticoids, in contrast to mineralocorticoids, are apparently a vital part of the mechanism which maintains the inte...
A SIMPLIFIED ASSAY FOR CRYPTOCOCCAL PHENOLOXIDASE

factor (Rhodes et al., 1982). The standard procedure for assaying phenoloxidase activity described by Polacheck et al. (1982) requires extensive sample preparation. Appropriately grown cells must be broken gently by vortexing with glass beads to minimize loss of activity and the membranes collected by ultracentrifugation. The resultant membrane-rich samples must be assayed for protein content by the Bramhall method (Bramhall et al., 1969), which is itself tedious, and then be tested for phenoloxidase activity. Manual cell breakage among isolates of C. neoJbrmans varies with degree of encapsulation. The resulting differences in total percentage of cells broken, as well as the amount of vortexing time required to achieve that degree of breakage, introduce two potentially serious sources of sample variation into the protocol. Because of the complexity of the procedure and the heterogeneous nature of the sample that results, reproducibility in the assay is difficult to obtain. For these reasons, a simplified assay for cryptococcal phenoloxidase was sought. Choudary (1984) described a rapid assay for enzymatic analysis of yeast cytosol enzymes in situ. Candida utilis (Henneberg) Lodder and Kreger-van Rij cells were permeabilized prior to assay by treating with EDTA and dithiothreitol (DTT) followed by toluene-ethanol. Because the active site of the cryptococcal phenoloxidase is directed inward into the cytosol, an effort was made to adapt the method of Choudary (1984) for C. neoformans. Cells of C. neoformans NIH B-3501 were grown and starved as described by Polacheck et al. (1982) for phenoloxidase assay. The sample was then divided, and one part was processed according to the original protocol. The other portion of cells was further divided so that the effects of the different components of the permeabilization protocol could be assessed. The cells for the whole cell assays were suspended at 100 mg of wet weight (approximately 2 x 108 cells) per ml. The final concentration of broken cells would
Super Nested Arrays: Linear Sparse Arrays With Reduced Mutual Coupling—Part II: High-Order Extensions

In array processing, mutual coupling between sensors has an adverse effect on the estimation of parameters (e.g., DOA). Sparse arrays such as nested arrays, coprime arrays, and minimum redundancy arrays (MRA) have reduced mutual coupling compared to uniform linear arrays (ULAs). These arrays also have a difference coarray with $O\left({N}^{2}\right)$ virtual elements, where $N$ is the number of physical sensors, and can therefore resolve $O\left({N}^{2}\right)$ uncorrelated source directions. But these well-known sparse arrays have disadvantages: MRAs do not have simple closed-form expressions for the array geometry; coprime arrays have holes in the coarray; and nested arrays contain a dense ULA in the physical array, resulting in significantly higher mutual coupling than coprime arrays and MRAs. In a companion paper, a sparse array configuration called the (second-order) super nested array was introduced, which has many of the advantages of these sparse arrays, while removing most of the disadvantages. Namely, the sensor locations are readily computed for any $N$ (unlike MRAs), and the difference coarray is exactly that of a nested array, and therefore hole-free. At the same time, the mutual coupling is reduced significantly (unlike nested arrays). In this paper, a generalization of super nested arrays is introduced, called the $Q$ th-order super nested array. This has all the properties of the second-order super nested array with the additional advantage that mutual coupling effects are further reduced for $Q > 2$ . Many theoretical properties are proved and simulations are included to demonstrate the superior performance of these arrays.
Latinos and Afro-Latino Legacy in the United States: HIstory, Culture, and Issues of Identity

Author(s): Rochin, Refugio I | Abstract: My presentation has three objectives: first, to address the historical origins, and challenges facing U.S. Latinos; second, to expand on the national interest in U.S. Latinos and the surfacing issues of our relations with African-Americans, and, third, to advocate coalition building and suggest ways of working together.
Analysis on the temperature characteristics of power transformer insulation resistance

Transformer insulation resistance is an important parameter reflecting the equipment insulation condition.Insulation resistance testing process is susceptible to environmental factors such as temperature,humidity,defacing and voltage levels.Large number of testing results indicated that the existing rules for the temperature conversion of transformer insulation resistance are not applicable.According to the changes of dielectric properties of transformer insulation under different temperatures,the relationship between insulation resistance and temperature was analyzed and tested without taking account of other factors.Recommendations on the implementation of the existing rules were given,which is useful to transformer insulation status assessment.
Multiple-choice questions: Tips for optimizing assessment in-seat and online.

Multiple-choice questions are frequently used in college classrooms as part of student assessment. While multiple-choice assessments (compared to other formats such as constructed response) seem to be the preferred method of testing by instructors and students, their effectiveness in assessing comprehension in college courses is sometimes called into question. Research has shown that there are ways to optimize the construction and use of multiple-choice testing to benefit college classroom instruction and assessment, student learning, and performance, and to more efficiently utilize instructor’s time and energy. This teacher-ready research review provides an overview of the research on utilizing multiple-choice questions as well as some tips on using, writing, and administering multiple-choice questions during assessments. We also summarize the benefits and potential issues with using multiple-choice questions including concerns about cheating, ways to detect and deter cheating, and testing issues and strategies unique to online formats. We hope that this short review will be helpful to instructors as they prepare courses and assessments and further encourage the use of empirical data in pedagogy related decision-making.
Development of ATD Installation Procedures Based on Rear-Seat Occupant Postures.

The initial positioning of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) can influence the outcomes of crash tests. Current procedures for positioning ATDs in rear seats are not based on systematic studies of passenger postures. This paper compares the postures of three side-impact ATDs to the postures of 24 men and women in three vehicle rear seats and 16 laboratory conditions. When positioned using current procedures, the locations of the ES-2 and SID-HIII ATD heads are generally rearward of those observed with similar-size passengers. The SID-IIs head locations matched the expected locations of heads of passengers of similar size more closely. As the seat back angle was increased, people reclined less than the ATDs. Based on these findings, a new ATD positioning procedure for rear seats was developed. The primary objective of the new procedure is to place the ATD head in the location that is most likely for people of similar size. Linear regression equations specify the fore-aft location of the ATD hips and head with respect to the seat H-point as a function of seat back angle (SAE A40) and seat cushion length. The new procedures have been tested with the SID-HIII, ES-2, and SID-IIs side impact ATDs, but are also applicable to frontal impact testing. Language: en
Changes in the Transcriptome of Human Astrocytes Accompanying Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence.

Aging is a major risk factor for many neurodegenerative disorders. A key feature of aging biology that may underlie these diseases is cellular senescence. Senescent cells accumulate in tissues with age, undergo widespread changes in gene expression, and typically demonstrate altered, pro-inflammatory profiles. Astrocyte senescence has been implicated in neurodegenerative disease, and to better understand senescence-associated changes in astrocytes, we investigated changes in their transcriptome using RNA sequencing. Senescence was induced in human fetal astrocytes by transient oxidative stress. Brain-expressed genes, including those involved in neuronal development and differentiation, were downregulated in senescent astrocytes. Remarkably, several genes indicative of astrocytic responses to injury were also downregulated, including GFAP and genes involved in the processing and presentation of antigens by major histocompatibility complex class II proteins, while pro-inflammatory genes were upregulated. Overall, our findings suggest that senescence-related changes in the function of astrocytes may impact the pathogenesis of age-related brain disorders.
Middlebox resources management using OpenFlow

Middleboxes are adopted to enhance network functions, e.g., providing security and guaranteeing performance. Some applications require flows to sequence through several middleboxes, and such stateful policy routing is challenging for network administrators. The goal of the management is to distribute well middlebox resources and avoid overloads, thus protecting networks from malfunctioning. Furthermore, increasing demands on middlebox resources makes it difficult to process all flows. Real-time flow monitor and management can be flexibly conducted with the help of software-defined networking (SDN). Monitor and management include requesting flow statistics, routing based on resources, and rerouting due to failures. SDN also helps configure forwarding rules automatically, reduce costs and alleviate faults of manual configurations. Our work identifies the challenges of middlebox resources management and presents corresponding solutions with OpenFlow.
Optical Imaging of Mesenchymal Epithelial Transition Factor (MET) for Enhanced Detection and Characterization of Primary and Metastatic Hepatic Tumors

Purpose: To assess optical imaging of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition factor (MET) for delineation and characterization of intrahepatic models of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), and thereby demonstrate its potential use in precision oncology. Materials and Methods: MET expression in human CRC and HCC was assessed in tissue microarrays. We used GE-137, a modified cyanine 5-tagged peptide for MET targeting. HepG2 and Huh-7 (HCC) and HT-29 (CRC) cells with MET overexpression, and LNCaP cells (negative control) with minimal MET expression were incubated with the probe. Correlation between the relative fluorescence signal intensity and cellular MET expression level was assessed. Flow cytometry was used to assess probe specific binding and dissociation constant (Kd). Orthotopic xenograft models of human HCC and metastatic CRC were generated in nu/nu mice by subcapsular implantation of cells. Epifluorescence imaging was performed to capture the changes in deferential probe accumulation at different time points after injection. Target-to-liver background ratio (TBR) was calculated and the probe biodistribution within different organs was assessed. Histopathologic analysis of extracted xenografts was performed to correlate the tumors MET expression with probe uptake by cancer cells. Results: Approximately 91.5% of HCC and 81% of CRC microarray cores showed MET expression. HCC and CRC cells incubated with the probe showed substantial fluorescence compared to control LNCaP, with strong correlation between fluorescence signal and MET expression (R2 = 0.99, p < 0.001). Probe binding affinity to MET (Kd) was measured to be 2.9 ± 0.36 nM. Epifluorescence imaging showed intense uptake in subcapsular tumors with peak TBR of 5.46 ± 0.46 in Huh-7, 3.55 ± 0.38 in HepG2, and 15.93 ± 0.61 in HT-29 orthotopic xenografts at 4 hours post-injection (mean ± standard deviation). We demonstrated that in vivo probe uptake in xenografts is specific and can be blocked when co-injected with unlabeled peptide; for instance the epifluorescence TBR is reduced from 13.5 ± 1.2 to 1.7 ± 0.3 (p < 0.05) in HT-29 and from 5.3 ± 0.8 to 1.4 ± 0.2 (p < 0.05) in Huh-7 xenografts after co-injection with unlabeled peptides. Biodistribution studies showed predominantly renal clearance of the probe. Conclusion: Optical imaging of MET resulted in high TBR in animal models of primary and metastatic hepatic tumors suggesting its utility for procedural guidance.
Valproate/Lamotrigine and Growth Retardation

Growth and bone metabolism were evaluated in 27 boys and 26 girls, aged 3 to 17 years (mean 9.2 yrs), with epilepsy treated with valproate (VPA) and/or lamotrigine (LTG) for >2 years, in a study at McMaster University and Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Adrenal Teratoma: a Case Series and Review of the Literature

Adrenal teratomas are rare neoplasms and there is limited data on their surgical outcomes and long-term prognosis. We aimed to review our institutional experience and compare this to the existing literature on adrenal teratomas in adults and children. An institutional pathology database was searched for cases of adrenal teratoma (June 1956–July 2016). Clinical and imaging data were abstracted from the medical records and pathology slides were obtained for review. In addition, a PubMed search for “adrenal teratoma” from June 1952 to July 2016 was performed to identify reports of primary adrenal teratoma in patients of all ages. Of 7706 patients who underwent adrenalectomy during the study period at our institution, three patients were identified with adrenal teratoma. Patients were 24, 26, and 29 years of age, respectively. Two patients presented with abdominal pain and two of the three underwent a laparoscopic adrenalectomy. A pathologic examination revealed mature cystic teratomas that frequently displayed well-differentiated respiratory, digestive, and squamous epithelia. Eighteen case reports in the literature were identified in patients 17–61 years of age. Patients presented most frequently with abdominal or flank pain (63.6%). Median tumor diameter was 9.0 cm and tumors were frequently left-sided (81.8%), cystic (63.6%), and calcified (72.7%) on either radiologic or pathologic examination. Primary adrenal teratomas are rare neoplasms that typically present as large, left-sided nodules with cystic and calcified components seen radiographically. Although the data are limited, they are generally amenable to laparoscopic resection and have a very favorable prognosis.
Using agent transparency to support situation awareness of the Autonomous Squad Member

Abstract Agent transparency has been proposed as a solution to the problem of facilitating operators’ situation awareness in human-robot teams. Sixty participants performed a dual monitoring task, monitoring both an intelligent, autonomous robot teammate and performing threat detection in a virtual environment. The robot displayed four different interfaces, corresponding to information from the Situation awareness-based Agent Transparency (SAT) model. Participants’ situation awareness of the robot, confidence in their situation awareness, trust in the robot, workload, cognitive processing, and perceived usability of the robot displays were assessed. Results indicate that participants using interfaces corresponding to higher SAT level had greater situation awareness, cognitive processing, and trust in the robot than when they viewed lower level SAT interfaces. No differences in workload or perceived usability of the display were detected. Based on these findings, we observed that transparency has a significant effect on situation awareness, trust, and cognitive processing.
First-principles equation-of-state table of silicon and its effects on high-energy-density plasma simulations.

Using density-functional theory--based molecular-dynamics simulations, we have investigated the equation of state for silicon in a wide range of plasma density and temperature conditions of $\ensuremath{\rho}=0.001--500\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{g}/\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{3}$ and $T=2000--{10}^{8}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. With these calculations, we have established a first-principles equation-of-state (FPEOS) table of silicon for high-energy-density (HED) plasma simulations. When compared with the widely used SESAME-EOS model (Table 3810), we find that the FPEOS-predicted Hugoniot is \ensuremath{\sim}20% softer; for off-Hugoniot plasma conditions, the pressure and internal energy in FPEOS are lower than those of SESAME EOS for temperatures above $T$ \ensuremath{\approx} 1--10 eV (depending on density), while the former becomes higher in the low-$T$ regime. The pressure difference between FPEOS and SESAME 3810 can reach to \ensuremath{\sim}50%, especially in the warm-dense-matter regime. Implementing the FPEOS table of silicon into our hydrocodes, we have studied its effects on Si-target implosions. When compared with the one-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics simulation using the SESAME 3810 EOS model, the FPEOS simulation showed that (1) the shock speed in silicon is \ensuremath{\sim}10% slower; (2) the peak density of an in-flight Si shell during implosion is \ensuremath{\sim}20% higher than the SESAME 3810 simulation; (3) the maximum density reached in the FPEOS simulation is \ensuremath{\sim}40% higher at the peak compression; and (4) the final areal density and neutron yield are, respectively, \ensuremath{\sim}30% and \ensuremath{\sim}70% higher predicted by FPEOS versus the traditional simulation using SESAME 3810. All of these features can be attributed to the larger compressibility of silicon predicted by FPEOS. These results indicate that an accurate EOS table, like the FPEOS presented here, could be essential for the precise design of targets for HED experiments.
Filling in the Skeletal Pillar: Addressing Social Equity in Introductory Courses in Public Administration

In this article, the authors investigate the coverage of social equity in introductory public administration textbooks. A framework for understanding and measuring social equity is first presented,...