cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation of ventilation efficiency, and pre-closure temperatures in emplacement drifts at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, using Monte Carlo and composite thermal-pulse methods

Predictions of waste canister and repository driftwall temperatures as functions of space and time are important to evaluate pre-closure performance of the proposed repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Variations in the lithostratigraphic features in densely welded and crystallized rocks of the 12.8-million-year-old Topopah Spring Tuff, especially the porosity resulting from lithophysal cavities, affect thermal properties. A simulated emplacement drift is based on projecting lithophysal cavity porosity values 50 to 800 m from the Enhanced Characterization of the Repository Block cross drift. Lithophysal cavity porosity varies from 0.00 to 0.05 cm3 /cm3 in the middle nonlithophysal zone and from 0.03 to 0.28 cm3 /cm3 in the lower lithophysal zone. A ventilation model and computer program titled “Monte Carlo Simulation of Ventilation” (MCSIMVENT), which is based on a composite thermal-pulse calculation, simulates statistical variability and uncertainty of rock-mass thermal properties and ventilation performance along a simulated emplacement drift for a preclosure period of 50 years. Although ventilation efficiency is relatively insensitive to thermal properties, variations in lithophysal porosity along the drift can result in a range of peak driftwall temperatures can range from 40 to 85 °C for the preclosure period.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Staying Ahead of the Automation: A Vertical Situation Display Can Help

In this paper we present a Vertical Situation Display (VSD) for Flight Management System equipped aircraft. It was developed, implemented and evaluated in the Advanced Concepts Flight Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center. The VSD was designed to support flight crews in managing the vertical flight path when using high levels of aircraft automation inside Terminal Areas.
Experimental interspecies transmission studies of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies to cattle: comparison to bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle.

Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) of animals include scrapie of sheep and goats; transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME); chronic wasting disease (CWD) of deer, elk and moose; and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of cattle. The emergence of BSE and its spread to human beings in the form of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) resulted in interest in susceptibility of cattle to CWD, TME and scrapie. Experimental cross-species transmission of TSE agents provides valuable information for potential host ranges of known TSEs. Some interspecies transmission studies have been conducted by inoculating disease-causing prions intracerebrally (IC) rather than orally; the latter is generally effective in intraspecies transmission studies and is considered a natural route by which animals acquire TSEs. The “species barrier” concept for TSEs resulted from unsuccessful interspecies oral transmission attempts. Oral inoculation of prions mimics the natural disease pathogenesis ro...
Single-strand DNA gaps trigger an ATR- and Cdc7-dependent checkpoint.

Department of Genetics and Development; Columbia University; New York, NewYork USA*Correspondence to: Jean Gautier, Ph.D.; Department of Genetics and Development;Columbia University; HHSC 1602A; 701 West 168th Street; New York, New York10032 USA; Tel.: 212.305.9586; Fax: 212.923.2090; Email: jg130@columbia.eduReceived 02/06/03; Accepted 02/07/03Previously published online as a
Overexpression of GRK6 rescues L-DOPA-induced signaling abnormalities in the dopamine-depleted striatum of hemiparkinsonian rats.

l-DOPA therapy in Parkinson's disease often results in side effects such as l-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID). Our previous studies demonstrated that defective desensitization of dopamine receptors caused by decreased expression of G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) plays a role. Overexpression of GRK6, the isoform regulating dopamine receptors, in parkinsonian rats and monkeys alleviated LID and reduced LID-associated changes in gene expression. Here we show that 2-fold lentivirus-mediated overexpression of GRK6 in the dopamine-depleted striatum in rats unilaterally lesioned with 6-hydroxydopamine ameliorated supersensitive ERK response to l-DOPA challenge caused by loss of dopamine. A somewhat stronger effect of GRK6 was observed in drug-naive than in chronically l-DOPA-treated animals. GRK6 reduced the responsiveness of p38 MAP kinase to l-DOPA challenge rendered supersensitive by dopamine depletion. The JNK MAP kinase was unaffected by loss of dopamine, chronic or acute l-DOPA, or GRK6. Overexpressed GRK6 suppressed enhanced activity of Akt in the lesioned striatum by reducing elevated phosphorylation at its major activating residue Thr(308). Finally, GRK6 reduced accumulation of ΔFosB in the lesioned striatum, the effect that paralleled a decrease in locomotor sensitization to l-DOPA in GRK6-expressing rats. The results suggest that elevated GRK6 facilitate desensitization of DA receptors, thereby normalizing of the activity of multiple signaling pathways implicated in LID. Thus, improving the regulation of dopamine receptor function via the desensitization mechanism could be an effective way of managing LID.
Active contour-based multiresolution transforms for the segmentation of fluorescence microscope images

In recent years, the focus in biological science has shifted to understanding complex systems at the cellular and molecular levels, a task greatly facilitated by fluorescence microscopy. Segmentation, a fundamental yet difficult problem, is often the first processing step following acquisition. We have previously demonstrated that a stochastic active contour based algorithm together with the concept of topology preservation (TPSTACS) successfully segments single cells from multicell images. In this paper we demonstrate that TPSTACS successfully segments images from other imaging modalities such as DIC microscopy, MRI and fMRI. While this method is a viable alternative to hand segmentation, it is not yet ready to be used for high-throughput applications due to its large run time. Thus, we highlight some of the benefits of combining TPSTACS with the multiresolution approach for the segmentation of fluorescence microscope images. Here we propose a multiscale active contour (MSAC) transformation framework for developing a family of modular algorithms for the segmentation of fluorescence microscope images in particular, and biomedical images in general. While this framework retains the flexibility and the high quality of the segmentation provided by active contour-based algorithms, it offers a boost in the efficiency as well as a framework to compute new features that further enhance the segmentation.
Telencephalic origin of human thalamic GABAergic neurons

In non-primate mammalian species, telencephalic and diencephalic neurons originate from their respective local proliferative zones. Using vital dye labeling in organotypic slice cultures, we show that in human brain, a contingent of neurons from the ganglionic eminence of the telencephalon migrate to the dorsal thalamic association nuclei of the diencephalon. These neurons rely on homotypic-neurophilic guidance during their migration, are GABAergic, and express Dlx1/2 homeodomain-containing proteins. Similar experiments in a non-human primate and in rodent embryos did not reveal a similar migratory pathway. Migration assays demonstrated that the human dorsal thalamus attracts telencephalic cells, an effect not observed in the mouse, in which such migration is inhibited by chemorepulsive cues. These data suggest that modifications in the pattern of migratory guidance cues in the forebrain may underlie the appearance of a new migratory pathway and thus contribute to the evolutionary expansion of the thalamic association nuclei in the human.
Suppression of glitches in X-ray measurements

Abstract There are two approaches in eliminating glitches that occur at particular X-ray monochromator energies due to coincidences of several reflections which take intensity from the main beam. The first is to move the monochromator crystals in such a manner as to avoid producing the glitches. This is very difficult in practice. The other approach is to make the I0 and I detector systems very linear so as to cancel out the intensity changes and eliminate the glitch. We have used the latter approach at our laboratory EXAFS setup and at SSRL with a high degree of success. A discussion is presented on the elimination of nonlinearities in detector systems.
Individuals with isolated patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis exhibit higher mechanical loading at the knee during the second half of the stance phase.

Abstract Background Patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent disease and an important source of pain and disability. Nonetheless, biomechanical risk factors associated with this disease remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to compare biomechanical factors that are associated with patellofemoral joint loading during walking between individuals with isolated patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis and no osteoarthritis. Methods MR images of the knee were obtained using a 3D fast-spin echo sequence to identify patellofemoral joint cartilage lesions. Thirty-five subjects with isolated patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis (29 females) and 35 control subjects (21 females) walked at a self-selected speed and as fast as possible. Peak knee flexion moment, flexion moment impulse and peak patellofemoral joint stress during the first and second halves of the stance phase were compared between groups. Findings When compared to the controls, individuals with patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis demonstrated significantly higher peak knee flexion moment (P = .03, Eta2 = .07), higher knee flexion moment impulse (P = .03, Eta2 = .07) and higher peak patellofemoral joint stress (P = .01, Eta2 = .10) during the second half of the stance phase. No significant group difference was observed during the first half of the stance phase. Interpretation Findings of this study suggest that increased mechanical loading (i.e. knee flexion moment, impulse and patellofemoral joint stress) during the second half of the stance phase is associated with patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis. Prevention and rehabilitation programs for patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis may focus on reducing the loading on the patellofemoral joint, specifically during late stance.
Managing older adults with ground-level falls admitted to a trauma service: the effect of frailty.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether frail elderly adults are at greater risk of fracture after a ground-level fall (GLF) than those who are not frail. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PARTICIPANTS: All elderly (≥65) adults presenting after a GLF over 1 year (N = 110; mean age ± SD 79.5 ± 8.3, 54% male). MEASUREMENT: A Frailty Index (FI) was calculated using 50 preadmission frailty variables. Participants with a FI of 0.25 or greater were considered to be frail. The primary outcome measure was a new fracture; 40.1% (n = 45) of participants presented with a new fracture. The secondary outcome was discharge to an institutional facility (rehabilitation center or skilled nursing facility). Multivariate logistic regression was performed. RESULTS: Forty-three (38.2%) participants were frail. The median Injury Severity Score was 14 (range 9-17), and the mean FI was 0.20 ± 0.12. Frail participants were more likely than those who were not frail to have fractures (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-2.3, P = .01). Thirty-six (32.7%) participants were discharged to an institutional facility. Frail participants were more likely to be discharged to an institutional facility (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.08-3.09, P = .03) after a GLF. CONCLUSION: Frail individuals have a higher likelihood of fractures and discharge to an institutional facility after a GLF than those who are not frail. The FI may be used as an adjunct for decision-making when developing a discharge plan for an elderly adult after a GLF. Language: en
Biology of Hyposoter exiguae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), A Parasite of Lepidopterous Larvae

Hyposoter exiguae (Viereck), a Nearctic ichneumonid, is a solitary endoparasite of the larvae of several species of Lepidoptera. It prefers to oviposit in late first- and second-instar larvae and emerges from the third. Three larval instars have been observed, the last leaving the host body to spin its cocoon. At 72° to 76° F. the insect spends 2 days in the egg stage, 7 days as a larva, and 7 to 8 days in the cocoon. Females mate only once, but males mate with more than one female. Mated females produce about equal numbers of both sexes; unmated females produce males only. Temperature was found to be the main factor influencing the life cycle and longevity of the parasite. Developmental time at 60° to 80° F. ranged from 33.8 to 14.6 clays. Longevity at 40° to 80° F. ranged from 50.5 to 6.5 days. Percent emergence from cocoons was also related to temperature. Those held longest at 40° F. prior to removal to 72° to 76° F. showed emergence of only 20% as compared with 100% for those held for the shortest period. Spilochalcis albifrons (Walsh) was the most frequent hyperparasite reared. It oviposits in the cocoon of H. exiguae , and its life cycle requires 23 days at 72° to 76° F.
Characterization of subcoleoptile internode elongation in grasses grown in low light

Summary The subcoleoptile internode (SCI) of developing Panicoid grass seedlings often elongates excessively, and results in placement of the coleoptilar node (CN) at or above the soil surface. Most seedlings with a CN located on or above the soil surface perish. Location of the CN is controlled by the interaction of Pfr and an auxin-producing system in the coleoptile. Grass species which have an elevated CN in field situations also have elevated nodes when grown under continuous dim light. To refine a plant culture system which could be used in a plant breeding program to reduce CN elevation, four forage grasses and three sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) hybrids and their parents were grown in this system. Objectives were to determine the kinetics of SCI and shoot elongation and, for sorghum, to also determine if variability in response existed among inbred lines, and if heterosis was observed for either shoot or SCI elongation. Seed were planted in commercial potting media and resulting plants measured for 7d. For all species, SCI elongation appeared to cease by 4 d, although shoots continued to elongate. Heterosis (above high parent) was observed for shoot length, but not for SCI length, for all sorghum hybrids. Variability in SCI length among sorghum inbreds suggests that genetic variability exists for sensitivity to light, and subsequent CN placement. If this technique was used in a plant breeding scheme, desired seedlings could be chosen by 4d post planting (when seedlings are more able to survive transplanting). This system may be useful in a plant breeding approach to modify photomorphogenic responses of monocot seedlings.
GENETIC APPROACHES TO ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS. HYPERLIPOPROTEINEMIAS I

An approach to detecting genetic predisposition in infants and children to early onset coronary heart disease (CHD) in adult life is through lipid screening and lipoprotein analysis. A study of 200 children independently ascertained and 148 children ascertained through one parent having hyperlipoproteinemia has been conducted and discloses that the lipoprotein phenotypes IIa, IIb and IV are detectable in infancy and childhood. Familial data may be subjected to alternate genetic models to seek best fit: multifactorial inheritance, single gene loci for IIa, IIb and IV, bivariate analysis and multiple alleles. Lipid and lipoprotein levels of a given individual are best interpreted in the context of family studies. Early identification of the infant or child at risk should include family history of early onset CHD with lipid screening. Those individuals or families suspected from screening procedures as being at risk should be evaluated intensively with the goal of immediate medical modification.
Signals, Ambiguity, and Strategic Force Structure

In this paper we consider some problems that arise when a nation attempts to implement a strategy of stable deterrence over time. The problems arise when a nation's planners make strategic inferences based on an adversary's ambiguous signals of intent and action. A necessary condition for inferring an opponent's strategic objectives is good technical intelligence. We explore some alternative intelligence models and their effect on national response. It appears that even small improvements in the content and timing of intelligence information received by a nation pursuing stable deterrence would help constrain a noncooperative adversary and open new channels of communication.
Use of the splenic and hepatic arteries for renal revascularization

During a 16-year period at the Massachusetts General Hospital 77 patients underwent 79 procedures (29 hepatorenal bypasses, 50 splenorenal arterial anastomoses) for treatment of renovascular hypertension, renal preservation, or both. The procedure was chosen primarily to avoid a diseased or scarred aorta in 41, to allow a staged approach to bilateral renal artery stenoses or multiple vascular lesions in 17, as a "lesser operation" for five poor-risk patients, for complex problems including trauma, mycotic aneurysm, aortic dissection, thoracoabdominal aneurysm, and renal artery aneurysm in five, and as the procedure of choice in 11 patients. The perioperative mortality rate was 6% for the 77 patients studied. No hepatic dysfunction was seen. Deterioration of renal function occurred on three occasions but only in patients with bilateral simultaneous repair. Cure or improvement of hypertension was achieved in 52 of 63 patients and renal function preserved or improved in 67 of 77 patients. Long-term functional results remain good during follow-up periods up to 14 years. Our experience indicates that use of the hepatic or splenic artery may provide a safe and largely successful alternative for renal revascularization in selected circumstances.
Structure in the visible absorption bands of jet-cooled phenylperoxy radicals.

The visible absorption bands of the phenylperoxy radical in the gas phase have been investigated using cavity ring-down spectroscopy. Jet-cooling was used to reduce the spectral congestion. Structured spectra spanning the range from 17,500 to 19,000 cm(-1) are reported for the first time. Analyses of these data have been guided by the results from time-dependent density functional calculations. The observed spectrum was found to be dominated by the bands of the B(2)A″-X(2)A″ transition. An analysis of the rotational contour for the origin band yielded a homogeneous line width of 2.2 cm(-1), corresponding to a decay rate of 4.1 × 10(11) s(-1). The results provide a rationale for the lack of structure in room temperature spectra that have been previously attributed to phenylperoxy. They also indicate that the lower energy region of the spectrum may show resolvable structure at room temperature. If so, this would provide a more definitive signature for monitoring phenylperoxy in kinetic measurements.
Use of a beowulf cluster for estimation of risk using swat

Estimation of uncertainty using agronomic models typically requires a Monte Carlo study with a large number of simulations. Parallel computation dramatically speeds repetitive computation of this sort. The use of a Beowulf cluster parallel computer offers a low cost method of parallel computing that is fairly simple to construct, but application information is specialized, with little concerning agronomic model simulation. The objective in this note is to present a method of simulation using an agronomic model on a Beowulf cluster. To facilitate the analysis of uncertainty, the method performs the simulations within the R statistical computing environment. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was run for 1200 annual simulations on varying numbers of processors for speed comparisons. The cluster achieved close to the theoretical speed increase as the simulation results were stored in an R object. Two examples of nonparametric estimation of uncertainty are presented.
2:26 Safety of thoracic pedicle screw insertion with and without computer assistance

Abstract Purpose of study: The placement of pedicle screws is technically demanding and poses potential hazards related mainly to penetration of the anterolateral vertebral body or medial pedicle. To investigate safety, we undertook an in vitro analysis of thoracic pedicle screw placement by two senior spine surgeons using standard fluoroscopy, virtual fluoroscopy and computed tomography image guidance. Methods used: In a simulated OR environment, cadaveric thoracic spines with the posterolateral rib cage intact were mounted in foam. Pedicle screws were placed from T1 up to T11 in 20 cadaveric thoracic spines using standard anatomic landmarks and fluoroscopic guidance (Group 1), FluoroNav with one reference (Group 2) or multiple reference points (Group 3), and Stealth (Group 4). Radiation exposure to the surgeon's torso, hands and specimen were measured. The specimens were then dissected, sagittally split and examined for evidence of pedicle or vertebral body cortical screw perforations. Any cortical violation except the costovertebral junction was considered out. The cortical perforations were then graded by 2-mm increments. Statistical analysis was performed. of findings: There were 94, 99, 70 and 74 screws placed in the four groups. There was significantly more average radiation exposure to the specimen in Group 3 (27 mREM) and less in Group 4 (0 mREM) than in Group 1 (7.8 mREM). Radiation exposure to the surgeon was minimal, measuring less than 1 mREM to the surgeon's torso per specimen in all groups except 4 (0 mREM). Average time per screw was significantly longer in Group 4 (6.8 minutes) compared with Group 1 (2.4 minutes). Cortical violations were significantly less in Group 3 (11.4%) and Group 4 (5.4%) compared with Group 1 (20.2%). The only medial cortical violations were in Group 1, and none were greater than 2 mm. Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: Anatomic landmarks and standard fluoroscopy have been shown to have approximately 20% thoracic screw malpositioning. The current study confirms this and demonstrates greater accuracy with image guidance. Overall significance of findings: Although the time for screw placement was longer with Stealth and FluoroNav, the percentage of screws with cortical violations was significantly less. Computer-assisted thoracic pedicle screw placement may provide more accurate placement and less risk to critical structures. Disclosures: Device or drug: pedicle screws. Status: approved. Device or drug: FluoroNav. Status: approved. Device or drug: Stealth. Status: approved. Conflict of interest: Christopher Shaffrey, grant research support; Jens Chapman, grant research support Syntles USAAO/ASIF International Sofamor Danek; Jens Chapman, CHAIR, Surgical Dynamics.
International Electives at the University of Minnesota Global Pediatric Residency Program: Opportunities for Education in All Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Competencies

Abstract Purpose Globally competent pediatricians are in demand because of the increasing numbers of children from immigrant families living in the United States and the shortages of health care workers in low-income countries where the majority of the worlds' children live. This study sought to better understand the educational outcomes of international electives taken by pediatric residents training in global health. Methods Thirty-two pediatric residents who participated in an international elective as part of a global health curriculum completed reflective essays which were analyzed for themes from 2006 to 2010. During the first-order analysis, the emergent themes mapped to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competencies. In response, a second-order analysis re-examined the essays with an additional researcher to support categorization consistent with the ACGME competencies. Results More than 90% of essays described experiences related to medical knowledge, patient care and systems-based practice. More than 50% included reflections on practice-based learning and improvement, professionalism, and interpersonal and communication skills. Residents also described the impact on their personal and professional development. Conclusion International electives can provide educational opportunities for residents to develop competency in each of the 6 ACGME domains and to reevaluate their life purpose and career goals. In addition to opportunities to increase their medical knowledge, patient care and communication skills, residents find international electives rich learning environments for systems-based practice, practice-based learning/improvement, and professionalism, domains that can be challenging to teach. These findings support the importance of international electives in global health in meeting core requirements in residency training.
Mineral-water reactions in metamorphism and volcanism

Abstract Low-temperature (120°C and less) metamorphism of graywacke, granite and andesite yields zeolites and precursor gels by reaction with fresh water but low-greenschist facies by reaction with salt (sea)water.
Microbial oxidation of manganese in a North Carolina estuary

Experiments were conducted with 54Mn(II) to determine the kinetics of particulate manganese formation in seawater from the lower Newport River estuary, North Carolina. Dissolved Mn was rapidly converted into particles at constant rates that ranged from 0.36 to 6.2% h-r (0.62-3.5 nmol liter-l h-l), yielding turnover times of the dissolved manganese pool of 0.7-l 1 d. Dissolved Mn turnover rates increased with temperature (Q10 = 2) up to a maximum at 25”-35°C and also increased with the ratio of particulate to dissolved Mn. These two factors explained most of the variation in the observed turnover rates. Sample deoxygenation reduced the formation of particulate 54Mn by 94% and virtually all the particulate 54Mn formed in natural oxygen-containing samples could be dissolved by 10 PM ascorbic acid, a strong reducing agent. These results indicated that the formation of particulate 54Mn resulted primarily from the oxidation of Mn(I1) to manganese oxides (MnO,). The oxidation rates, however, were much too rapid to be accounted for by abiotic mechanisms, and the rate was reduced by 97% following heat sterilization of the seawater. In addition, the rates conformed to the Michaclis-Menten enzyme kinetics model with V,,, equal to 1.2 x lO-8 mol liter-’ h-’ and K, equal to 1.9 x lo-’ M. These findings provide strong evidence that oxidation of Mn in the estuarine samples is microbially catalyzed. This catalysis appears to be instrumental in the rapid redox cycling of Mn and in the scavenging of dissolved Mn onto particles in aquatic systems.
Cys155 of 27 kDa maize γ-zein is a key amino acid to improve its in vitro digestibility

Twenty-seven kilodalton gamma-zein is a subclass of the maize zein storage proteins and, due to its localization at the protein body periphery, is critical to digestibility characteristics of all zeins. This protein had low in vitro digestibility, presumably due to its high Cys content (7.35 mol%) that is similar to the hard-to-digest analogous sorghum protein, gamma-kafirin. Therefore, each of the conserved disulfide-bonded Cys' was mutated to create C144A, C148A, C155A, and C156A maize gamma-zein mutants. The C155A showed a remarkable increase in digestibility to proteases - pepsin, chymotrypsin, and trypsin. A high conservation of this Cys among cereal gamma-prolamins indicates the utility of this finding.
Azinphos-methyl (AZM) phase-out: Actions and attitudes of apple growers in Washington State

The Environmental Protection Agency's phase-out of the pesticide azinphos-methyl (AZM) has encouraged the transition of apple pest management toward more environmentally and socially sustainable practices. This study reports on results of a 2009 survey of conventional apple growers in Washington State. Growers were asked about their approaches and attitudes toward the AZM phase-out and barriers to the adoption of reduced-risk insecticides (AZM-alternatives) as part of their integrated pest management (IPM) programs. Chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques were used to examine relationships between actions and attitudes toward the phase-out and grower characteristics. Results showed that Washington apple growers have begun eliminating AZM and adopting AZM-alternatives. However, larger growers (in terms of acreage and income) and growers more familiar with Washington State University's (WSU's) educational resources were more likely to have already reduced their AZM use. These results suggest that larger farms can play an important role in increasing the sustainability of conventional agriculture, despite a common association of sustainable agriculture with small farms. Results also suggest that agricultural extension services could be well served to extend their outreach to smaller growers and others lagging in the transition to more sustainable apple pest management.
Improving software quality utilizing an integrated CASE environment

In response to a trainer system contract opportunity, the Trainer and Simulation department located at IBM's Owego, NY facility undertook a transition from a more traditional software development approach to an integrated environment comprising state-of-the-art hardware, tools, and a selected software development methodology. The pre-integration development environment is discussed. The chosen environment implementation is also discussed, including the CASE (computer-aided software engineering) Real-Time Curriculum. This curriculum describes a software requirement and design development method applied to develop reusable, object-oriented domain models. Technical considerations driving the implementation of the heterogeneous environment comprising IBM and vendor products are addressed. The 1997 status of the CASE environment, with a look towards its future capabilities, is also discussed. >
Management of gestational diabetes mellitus and pharmacists' role in patient education

PURPOSE: The pathophysiology, diagnosis, complications, and management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are discussed, along with considerations in setting up a pharmacist-run GDM education service. SUMMARY: GDM occurs when there is insufficient insulin secretion to counteract pregnancy-related decreases in insulin sensitivity. GDM can be diagnosed by using the same criteria used to diagnose types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus (DM): a fasting blood glucose concentration of > 126 mg/dL on two separate occasions or a random blood glucose concentration of > 200 mg/dL on two separate occasions. Complications of GDM include maternal type 2 DM, maternal hypertension, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, and neonatal hypoglycemia. GDM is managed with medical nutritional therapy (MNT), exercise, and therapy with human or synthetic insulin. The American Diabetes Association recommends starting insulin therapy when MNT fails to maintain plasma glucose concentrations at < or = 105 mg/dL during fasting, < or = 155 mg/dL one hour after eating, or < or = 130 mg/dL two hours after eating. A pharmacist interested in establishing a GDM education service must assess the feasibility of providing such education in his or her practice and whether such a program is needed. Other considerations are developing a curriculum, marketing the service, maintaining records, calculating costs, and obtaining reimbursement. CONCLUSION: GDM can have serious effects if not treated properly. A major part of managing GDM involves educating the patient about diet, exercise, blood glucose self-monitoring, and insulin self-administration. A successful pharmacist-run GDM education service must have a market and prices sufficient to generate profit.
Social anxiety disorder: common, disabling, and treatable.

Background: Social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia) is characterized by extreme fear, avoidance, or both of one or more social or performance situations, such as making a presentation, meeting new people, or eating in front of others. This condition is common, with a lifetime prevalence of up to 13%, and one third of affected persons have major dysfunction. Methods: The English-language literature on social anxiety disorder indexed on MEDLINE was searched using the phrases “social phobia” or “social anxiety disorder;” this search was supplemented with other data sources, such as recent textbooks, to determine common clinical symptoms, differential diagnosis, and management in the primary care setting. Results: Recognition and treatment of social anxiety disorder is poor; only a small minority of patients with this condition have it appropriately diagnosed or treated. Primary care physicians should suspect social anxiety disorder in patients who have specific symptoms and signs (such as hyperhidrosis, flushing, tremor, and white-coat hypertension), in patients who have symptoms of anxiety (such as chest pain, palpitations, or dizziness), or in patients who have another known anxiety disorder, depression, or substance abuse. Drug treatment consists of serotonin-reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or high-potency benzodiazepines. A specific type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy is another effective treatment, but it is not acceptable or accessible to most patients. Conclusions: Because social anxiety disorder is common, disabling, and treatable, primary care physicians should intensify their efforts to recognize it.
Stabilization of flood sequencing protocols in sensor networks

Flood is a communication primitive that can be used by the base station of a sensor network to send a copy of a message to every sensor in the network.When a sensor receives a flood message, the sensor needs to check whether it has received the message for the first time and so the message is fresh, or it has received the same message earlier and so the message is redundant. In this paper, we discuss a family of four flood sequencing protocols that use sequence numbers to distinguish between fresh and redundant flood messages. They are a sequencing free protocol, a linear sequencing protocol, a circular sequencing protocol, and a differentiated sequencing protocol. We analyze the self-stabilization properties of these four flood sequencing protocols. We also compare the performance of these flood sequencing protocols, using simulation, over various settings of sensor networks. We conclude that the differentiated sequencing protocol has better stabilization property and provides better performance than those of the other three protocols.
A comprehensive study on the variations in urinary concentrations of endogenous gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB).

I This study was designed to supplement previous attempts to establish an accurate range of normal endogenous gamma- hydroxybutyrate (GHB) concentrations in random antemortem urine samples. Furthermore, its purpose was to ascertain the effect of gender, race, age, medications, and select medical conditions on endogenous concentrations of GHB in urine and the proposed endogenous urinary GHB cutoff of 10 pg/mL Urine samples (n = 207) were provided by subjects who reported that they had never used GHB. As part of the colleclion process, subjects also completed a short survey to collect information about gender, race, age, orally ingested medications, and select medical conditions. All specimens were analyzed in duplicate for lhe presence of endogenous GHB using a previously reported headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. The data were analyzed for tendencies among different population groups. GHB
The Primary Limitation to Photosynthesis Following Low Temperature Stress under High Light

Certain plants which are accustomed to growing under temperate conditions show a distinct inhibition of function when exposed for brief periods to temperatures that are well below that optimal for growth yet above freezing. This chill-induced impairment of metabolism persists for an extended period of time after plants are rewarmed to growth temperatures. In many instances, photosynthesis is the foremost physiological process that displays a loss of activity following a low temperature exposure. Damage to photosynthesis is exacerbated when low temperatures are sustained in the presence of high light intensities.
An iterative receiver for turbo-coded pilot-assisted modulation in fading channels

We introduce an iterative joint channel and data estimation receiver that exploits both the power of pilot-symbol assisted modulation (PSAM) and turbo coding for fading channels. The key innovation is a low-complexity soft channel estimator which divides a processing block into overlapped cells and performs maximum a posteriori (MAP) sequence estimation and MMSE filtering based on the received signal and extrinsic information delivered by the soft channel decoder. Simulation results show that for turbo-coded PSAM systems under time-variant fading the proposed receiver offers significant performance gains over a non-iterative receiver and two other cancellation schemes.
346: Three-dimensional matrix embedding of endothelial cells abates alloimmunity via upregulation of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T regulatory cells

Purpose: We evaluated outcomes of orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) using donors with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and assessed changes in LV wall thickness in patients who received a donor hearts with or without LVH. Methods and Materials: We reviewed 427 patients who had OHT: 62 received hearts with LVH (interventricular septum (IVS) or posterior wall (PW) thickness 12 mm) by echocardiography and 365 patients without donor LVH. Results: Mean recipient age was 56 11 and donor age 30 2 yrs. Recipient age, gender, UNOS status, indications for OHT, and hemodynamics were similar in both groups. Ischemic time 240 min occurred only in patients with LVH (6%, p 0.03). The mean donor age was greater in the LVH group (35 12 vs 29 12, p 0.001) and they had higher rates of intracranial hemorrhage (38% vs 15%), p 0.001). Other donor characteristics were similar. LV wall thickness (LVWT) was increased in the LVH group compared with non-LVH donors (IVS: 12.6 1.9 vs 8.5 1.1, PW: 12.7 1.0 vs 9.0 1.0 mm, p 0.0001). Mild LVH (LVWT 12-13 mm) was found in 42%, moderate ( 13-17 mm) in 53% and severe ( 17 mm) in 5% of donors. Median follow-up was 3.8 yrs (range 0 to 17 yrs). Significant regression of LVH occurred (IVS: -1.6 2.0 mm, p 0.0004, PW: -1.8 0.2 mm, p 0.001) at mean followup of 4 2 yrs. The mean IVS: 1.1 0.2 vs 1.1 0.1,p 0.2 , PW: 1.1 0.2 vs 1.1 0.1,p 0.5 and rates of patients with LVH (38% vs 32%, p 0.5) were similar in both groups at followup. Recipients of hearts with and without LVH had similar 30 day (1.6% vs. 3.3%, p 0.7) and 1 yr mortality (3.5% vs 9.5%,p 0.2). Long-term survival was similar in the two groups, p 0.11; survival estimates (7 yrs) were 66 1% vs 57 3%. The incidences of rejection and graft CAD were similar in the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed no evidence that donor LVH was associated with increased mortality. Conclusions: Shortand long-term survival , LV wall thickness and rates of LVH at follow-up were similar in both groups, suggesting that donor hearts with mild and moderate LVH can be successfully used in OHT.
QED in strong coupling: some recent results

Abstract New results related with QED in strong coupling and its possible nontrivial fixed point are presented. In particular we obtain the phase diagram of QED in 4 dimensions in the plane (β, Nf): at β = 0 and Nf = 30 we found a chiral transition of first order while for small Nf the transition is continuous. QED3 is also discussed: we specially analyze the existence of a critical Nf below which chiral symmetry is broken. Finally, results for QED4 with Nf = 2 are presented showing the difficulties in extracting the asymptotic scaling behaviour of the theory.
Efficient and Privacy-Aware Data Aggregation in Mobile Sensing

The proliferation and ever-increasing capabilities of mobile devices such as smart phones give rise to a variety of mobile sensing applications. This paper studies how an untrusted aggregator in mobile sensing can periodically obtain desired statistics over the data contributed by multiple mobile users, without compromising the privacy of each user. Although there are some existing works in this area, they either require bidirectional communications between the aggregator and mobile users in every aggregation period, or have high-computation overhead and cannot support large plaintext spaces. Also, they do not consider the Min aggregate, which is quite useful in mobile sensing. To address these problems, we propose an efficient protocol to obtain the Sum aggregate, which employs an additive homomorphic encryption and a novel key management technique to support large plaintext space. We also extend the sum aggregation protocol to obtain the Min aggregate of time-series data. To deal with dynamic joins and leaves of mobile users, we propose a scheme that utilizes the redundancy in security to reduce the communication cost for each join and leave. Evaluations show that our protocols are orders of magnitude faster than existing solutions, and it has much lower communication overhead.
Comparison of Bayesian and maximum-likelihood inference of population genetic parameters

Comparison of the performance and accuracy of different inference methods, such as maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference, is difficult because the inference methods are implemented in different programs, often written by different authors. Both methods were implemented in the program MIGRATE, that estimates population genetic parameters, such as population sizes and migration rates, using coalescence theory. Both inference methods use the same Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm and differ from each other in only two aspects: parameter proposal distribution and maximization of the likelihood function. Using simulated datasets, the Bayesian method generally fares better than the ML approach in accuracy and coverage, although for some values the two approaches are equal in performance. Motivation: The Markov chain Monte Carlo-based ML framework can fail on sparse data and can deliver non-conservative support intervals. A Bayesian framework with appropriate prior distribution is able to remedy some of these problems. Results: The program MIGRATE was extended to allow not only for ML(-) maximum likelihood estimation of population genetics parameters but also for using a Bayesian framework. Comparisons between the Bayesian approach and the ML approach are facilitated because both modes estimate the same parameters under the same population model and assumptions. Availability: The program is available from http://popgen.csit.fsu.edu/ Contact: beerli@csit.fsu.edu
The political process and its relationship to the psychotherapy of substance misusers : an historical perspective

There are massive changes underway in the allocation of funds for health care in the United States which will impact upon services provided for users and misusers of intoxicating substances. Recent findings suggest that conditions in the marketplace and the development of professions have effected standards of care rather than a reasoned analysis of need and outcome. Psychologists question to what extent they will be involved in public policy issues including what is clinically and socially relevant. The goal of this paper was to determine if an historical perspective upon federal regulation of intoxicating substances (tobacco/alcohol/drugs) would enlighten the psychotherapy scientist in the pursuit of standards for service. The methodology included a review of the economic and social structure of colonial America which included tobacco plantations, breweries, and distilleries as well as a review of the formation of the federal government and political system in which men, women, and slaves were each assi...
Hormone balance and abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants

Plant hormones play central roles in the ability of plants to adapt to changing environments, by mediating growth, development, nutrient allocation, and source/sink transitions. Although ABA is the most studied stress-responsive hormone, the role of cytokinins, brassinosteroids, and auxins during environmental stress is emerging. Recent evidence indicated that plant hormones are involved in multiple processes. Cross-talk between the different plant hormones results in synergetic or antagonic interactions that play crucial roles in response of plants to abiotic stress. The characterization of the molecular mechanisms regulating hormone synthesis, signaling, and action are facilitating the modification of hormone biosynthetic pathways for the generation of transgenic crop plants with enhanced abiotic stress tolerance.
Repair of giant subcostal hernia using porcine acellular dermal matrix (Strattice™) with bone anchors and pedicled omental flap coverage: a case report

Introduction Giant abdominal wall hernias represent a major challenge to the hernia surgeon in practice today. Of the common abdominal wall hernias, those located in the subcostal region are among the most difficult to repair, and have historically been plagued by higher recurrence rates than other locations, such as the midline. No technique has been identified as the clearly superior choice for hernias of this type.
Improving Student Understanding of Spatial Ecology Statistics.

Abstract This activity is designed as a primer to teaching population dispersion analysis. The aim is to help improve students' spatial thinking and their understanding of how spatial statistic equations work. Students use simulated data to develop their own statistic and apply that equation to experimental behavioral data for Gambusia affinis (western mosquitofish). This activity can be adapted and conducted at the 9–16 grade levels.
Does the Presentation Style of Questions Inserted into Text Influence Understanding and Retention of Science Concepts

The purpose of this research was to determine the relative effects of the presentation style of questions inserted into text materials for students in university introductory biology. The sample was randomly assigned to seven treatment groups of approximately equal size and read a 2,354-word passage on bacterial adaptations taken from a popular university general biology textbook. Experimental treatment groups read the same passage with (1) questions placed at the beginning of selected paragraphs and with the questions presented with (2) underlining, (3) in uppercase, (4) set above the paragraph, (5) underlined and set above, and (6) set above in uppercase respectively. The criterion variable was a 20-item multiple-choice exam with five possible answers per question given once to all students immediately after they read the passage and again exactly four weeks later. Presentation strategy groups were contrasted against the reading without questions groups. Four of the six groups reading with questions at the beginning of the paragraph scored significantly higher on the test given immediately after the reading than the group reading without questions. There were no significant differences between any of the group scores for the test given four weeks after reading. Other differences in results between these strategies and implications for text writers are discussed.