cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Normative location theory: Placement in continuous space

Abstract This paper selectively reviews an area of operations research, refered to as normative location theory, that deals with the placement of objects in continuous space. The computational procedures discussed in this literature require initially that a certain set objects be located a priori; the placement of the objects in a second set is then determined in such a way that the total “interaction” among the fixed and variable objects is minimized. A number of strategies appropriate for different distance functions are surveyed and a numerical example is given illustrating one particular iterative algorithm. Although the current versions of these location methods depend upon more than the nonmetric information contained in the proximity measures defined for all pairs of objects, they can be generalized, and consequently, several possible connections to nonmetric multidimensional scaling are pointed out.
Challenges and Opportunities of Open Data in Ecology

Ecology is a synthetic discipline benefiting from open access to data from the earth, life, and social sciences. Technological challenges exist, however, due to the dispersed and heterogeneous nature of these data. Standardization of methods and development of robust metadata can increase data access but are not sufficient. Reproducibility of analyses is also important, and executable workflows are addressing this issue by capturing data provenance. Sociological challenges, including inadequate rewards for sharing data, must also be resolved. The establishment of well-curated, federated data repositories will provide a means to preserve data while promoting attribution and acknowledgement of its use.
Quinua and Relatives (Chenopodium sect. Chenopodium subsect. Cellulata)

Traditionally viewed as an Andean grain crop,Chenopodium quinoa Willd. includes domesticated populations that are not Andean, and Andean populations that are not domesticated. Comparative analysis of leaf morphology and allozyme frequencies have demonstrated that Andean populations, both domesticated(quinua) and free-living(ajara), represent an exceptionally homogeneous unit that is well differentiated from allied domesticates of coastal Chile(quingua) and freeliving populations of the Argentine lowlands(C. hircinum). This pattern of relationships indicates that Andean populations represent a monophyletic crop/weed system that has possibly developed through cyclic differentiation (natural vs. human selection) and introgressive hybridization. Relative levels of variation suggest that this complex originated in the southern Andes, possibly from wild types allied withC. hircinum, with subsequent dispersal north to Colombia and south to the Chilean coast. Coastal populations were apparently isolated from post-dispersal differentiation and homogenization that occurred in the Andes. Other data point toward a center of origin in the northern Andes with secondary centers of genetic diversity subsequently developing in the southern Andes and the plains of Argentina. Comparative linkage of South American taxa, all tetraploid, with North American tetraploids of the subsection will eventually clarify this problem. While the possibility of a direct phyletic connection betweenC. quinoa and the Mexican domesticate(C. berlandieri subsp. nuttalliae,) cannot be excluded, available evidence indicates that the latter represents an autonomous lineage that is associated with the basal tetraploid, C. b. subsp.berlandieri, through var.sinuatum, whereas South American taxa show possible affinities to either var. zschackei or var.berlandieri. An extinct domesticate of eastern North America,C. b. subsp.jonesianum, represents either another instance of independent domestication, possibly from subsp. b. var.zschackei, or a northeastern outlier of subsp.nuttalliae.
Gravitational Forces in the Brane World

We consider the problem of gravitational forces between point particles on the branes in a Randall-Sundrum (R-S) two brane model with S{sup 1}/Z{sub 2} symmetry. Matter is assumed to produce a perturbation to the R-S vacuum metric and all the 5D Einstein equations are solved to linearized order (for arbitrary matter on both branes). We show that while the gauge condition h{sub i5}=0,i=0,1,2,3 can always be achieved without brane bending, the condition h{sub 55}=0 leads to large brane bending. The static potential arising from the zero modes and the corrections due to the Kaluza-Klein modes are calculated. Gravitational forces on the Planck (y{sub 1}=0) brane recover Newtonian physics with small Kaluza-Klein corrections (in accord with other work). However, forces on the TeV (y{sub 2}) brane due to particles on that brane are strongly distorted by large R-S exponentials.
Effects of a Severe Frost on Riparian Rainforest Restoration in the Australian Wet Tropics: Foliage Retention by Species and the Role of Forest Shelter

Restoration of ecological communities that can withstand future climate and land use changes requires information on species responses to various natural disturbances. Frost is an important disturbance that regulates plant species distributions, and although rare in tropical rainforest, it can occur in upland areas, especially where deforestation has occurred. We report the impacts of a severe frost that occurred in June and July 2007 on the Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia and caused extensive damage to riparian restoration plots of upland rainforest species. We estimated proportion foliage retention to (1) compare impacts across 45 species; (2) examine the influence of plant height on frost effects; and (3) determine if plantings under shelterbelts of mature trees received less damage. Species exhibited different levels of foliage retention. Species that were particularly frost resistant included those from riparian habitats and a conifer. Some heavily impacted species are deciduous and may survive frost by shedding leaves; this warrants further investigation. Plant canopy height above ground level was only weakly correlated to foliage retention. Sheltered plants were much less damaged than unsheltered conspecifics, suggesting a useful way to mitigate frost impacts. These principles should help guide the development of resilient ecological communities in frost-prone areas.
HRh(dppb)2, a Powerful Hydride Donor

The Rh(I) and Rh(III) hydrides HRh(dppb)2 and [HRh(dppb)2(NCCH3)](BF4)2 (where dppb is 1,2-(bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene) have been prepared, and a structural study of [HRh(dppb)2(NCCH3)](BF4)2 has been completed. The latter complex is an octahedral complex with a trans arrangement of the hydride and acetonitrile ligands. A pKa value of 9.4 was measured for this complex by equilibration of [Rh(dppb)2](BF4) with 4-bromoanilinium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile. [Rh(dppb)2](BF4) reacts with H2 in the presence of Pt(dmpp)2, which acts as a base, to form HRh(dppb)2 and [HPt(dmpp)2](BF4) (where dmpp = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)propane). An equilibrium constant of 0.42 ± 0.2 was measured for this reaction. Using this equilibrium measurement and a thermodynamic cycle, the hydride donor ability (ΔG°H-) of HRh(dppb)2 was determined to be 34 kcal/mol. This value indicates that HRh(diphosphine)2 complexes are powerful hydride donors. Similarly the pKa value of HRh(dppb)2 was calculated to be 35 from a thermodynam...
Marx on Man's Sociality by Nature: An Inexplicable Omission?

Documents and notes the specific content of Marx′s postulate (in the original German edition of Das Kapital, 1867) that “der Mensch von Natur...ein gesellschaftliches thier ist”. All the prominent English editions (unlike the French, Russian, Italian and Spanish versions examined) except one omit the “by nature” qualifier. Suggests reasons for and the significance of this critical and essentially mysterious omission.
Matrix isolation and theoretical studies of ONNO: Assignment of a new combination band and density functional calculations

Abstract An investigation of the nitric oxide dimer was conducted utilizing the matrix isolation technique coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. A previously unreported absorption in matrices at 3609 cm−1 was observed and has been assigned to the NO dimer. This new absorption has been assigned as a combination band arising from the ν1 and ν5 stretches at 1866 cm−1 and 1776 cm−1, respectively. Density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations were also performed to determine the optimized structures and relative energies of the cis- and the trans-ONNO. The potential energy surface for isomerization via N-N bond torsion was also calculated predicting barriers to isomerization of 30.8 and 8.0 kJ/mol.
A routine for the computation of an orthomax solution and its associated orthomax orthonormal

'r [n.£ (afj)2 - "Y<'~ a~) 2] ~ 1~1 1=1 Orthomax Value = ,.. 2 • j=1 n Maximizing the orthomax value with ('}'= 1) will define the varimax criterion, with (-y = r/2) the equamax criterion, with h = 0) the quartimax criterion. If the variables are normalized during the maximization process, then the resulting transformation solution is referred to as a "normal" solution; otherwise, it is referred to as a "raw" solution. Any value may be chosen for "Y, but little is presently known about the properties of the resulting solutions. The general orthomax routine is written to maximize the orthomax criterion, regardless of choice for "Y, utilizing a series of single plane transformations, that is, Factors 1 and 2 are
Early Childhood Bereavement

ABSTRACT Acute bereavement responses in preschool children were prospectively assessed. Parentally bereaved subjects (26, 3− to 6-year-olds) were compared with matched, nonbereaved controls ( N = 40). Bereaved subjects, particularly boys, were significantly more symptomatic (Child Behavior Checklist — Parent). On a newly standardized affect interview for preschoolers, bereaved children reported feeling more scared and less happy than controls. Bereaved children, especially girls, reported significantly more sadness when thinking about their parents. The ability to report these grieving emotions correlated significantly with improved functioning. Children from families experiencing a drop in income after the death were more symptomatic. Disturbance among subject parents and children was highly correlated. Issues of developmental capacity to grieve and the impact of environmental mediators are discussed.
Inhibition of HSP27 alone or in combination with pAKT inhibition as therapeutic approaches to target SPARC-induced glioma cell survival

Background The current treatment regimen for glioma patients is surgery, followed by radiation therapy plus temozolomide (TMZ), followed by 6 months of adjuvant TMZ. Despite this aggressive treatment regimen, the overall survival of all surgically treated GBM patients remains dismal, and additional or different therapies are required. Depending on the cancer type, SPARC has been proposed both as a therapeutic target and as a therapeutic agent. In glioma, SPARC promotes invasion via upregulation of the p38 MAPK/MAPKAPK2/HSP27 signaling pathway, and promotes tumor cell survival by upregulating pAKT. As HSP27 and AKT interact to regulate the activity of each other, we determined whether inhibition of HSP27 was better than targeting SPARC as a therapeutic approach to inhibit both SPARC-induced glioma cell invasion and survival.
Hypermnesia and schizophrenia.

states may be explained as either a direct consequence of the putative abnormality in memory, e.g., incoherent language could result from unusually forceful illogical associations caused by an acute overload of painful memories, or as a defense against a chronic accumulation of painful memories which in the normal person would be forgotten, e.g., delusions of grandeur. It is the purpose of this paper to raise the possibility that the "primary" abnormality in some schizophrenic patients may be an inability to forget normally owing to their having abnormally vivid memories and to discuss a variety of phenomena of pos
Hyperosmotic Stress Induces Rapid Focal Adhesion Kinase Phosphorylation at Tyrosines 397 and 577 ROLE OF Src FAMILY KINASES AND Rho FAMILY GTPases

Hyperosmotic stress induced by treatment of Swiss 3T3 cells with the non-permeant solutes sucrose or sorbitol, rapidly and robustly stimulated endogenous focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation at Tyr-397, the major autophosphorylation site, and at Tyr-577, within the kinase activation loop. Hyperosmotic stress-stimulated FAK phosphorylation at Tyr-397 occurred via a Src-independent pathway, whereas Tyr-577 phosphorylation was completely blocked by exposure to the Src family kinase inhibitor PP-2. Inhibition of p38 MAP kinase or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases did not prevent FAK phosphorylation stimulated by hyperosmotic stress. Overexpression of N17 RhoA did not reduce hyperosmotic stress-mediated localization of phosphorylated FAK to focal contacts and treatment with the Rho-associated kinase inhibitor Y-27632 did not prevent FAK translocation and tyrosine phosphorylation in response to hyperosmotic stress. Overexpression of N17 Rac only slightly altered the hyperosmotic stress-mediated localization of phosphorylated FAK to focal contacts. In contrast, overexpression of the N17 mutant of Cdc42 disrupted hyperosmotic stress-stimulated FAK Tyr-397 localization to focal contacts. Additionally, treatment of cells with Clostridium difficile toxin B potently inhibited hyperosmotic stress-induced FAK tyrosine phosphorylation. Furthermore, FAK null fibroblasts compared with their FAK containing controls show markedly increased sensitivity, manifest by subsequent apoptosis, to sustained hyperosmotic stress. Our results indicate that FAK plays a fundamental role in protecting cells from hyperosmotic stress, and that the pathway(s) that mediates FAK autophosphorylation at Tyr-397 in response to osmotic stress can be distinguished from the pathways utilized by many other stimuli, including neuropeptides and bioactive lipids (Rho- and Rho-associated kinase-dependent), tyrosine kinase receptor agonists (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent), and integrins (Src-dependent).
HIV-1 regulatory proteins: targets for novel drug development

Due to the development of HIV-1 resistance to current antiviral drugs and the known toxicity of many of these drugs, there is a clear need to identify and develop novel compounds for use in the treatment of HIV-1 infected patients. The HIV-1 regulatory proteins, Tat and Rev, are required for HIV-1 replication and therefore represent two important viral targets for drug development. Novel drugs that target these proteins would increase the number of available treatment strategies for HIV-1 infection. This could result in better combination therapies in which many different viral targets could be inhibited simultaneously, thereby decreasing the likelihood of selecting for drug-resistant viruses. This review outlines many of the ways that Tat and Rev can be targeted for drug development, describes recently reported lead compounds as inhibitors of these proteins and discusses strategies for implementing drug screens for identifying novel inhibitors.
Body size clines in sceloporus lizards: proximate mechanisms and demographic constraints.

SYNOPSIS. Although most species of animals examined to date exhibit Bergmann’s clines in body size, squamates tend to exhibit opposing patterns. Squamates might exhibit reversed Bergmann’s clines because they tend to behaviorally regulate their body temperature effectively; the outcome of this thermoregulation is that warmer environments enable longer daily and annual durations of activity than cooler environments. Lizards of the genus Sceloporus provide an opportunity to understand the factors that give rise to contrasting thermal clines in body size because S. undulatus exhibits a standard Bergmann’s cline whereas S. graciosus exhibits a reverse Bergmann’s cline. Interestingly, rapid growth by individuals of both species involves adjustments of physiological processes that enable more efficient use of food. Patterns of adult body size are likely the evolutionary consequence of variation in juvenile survivorship among populations. In S. undulatus, delayed maturation at a relatively large body size is exhibited in cooler environments where juveniles experience higher survivorship, resulting in a Bergmann’s cline. In S. graciosus, high juvenile survivorship is not consistently found in cooler environments, resulting in no cline or a reversed Bergmann’s cline, i.e., geographic patterns in body size aren’t necessarily produced by natural selection. Thus, discerning the mechanistic links between the thermal physiology of an organism and environment-specific rates of mortality will be critical to understanding the evolution of body size in relation to environmental temperature.
Projector-based dual-resolution stereoscopic display

We present a stereoscopic display system which incorporates a high-resolution inset image, or fovea. We describe the specific problem of false depth cues along the boundaries of the inset image, and propose a solution in which the boundaries of the inset image are dynamically adapted as a function of the geometry of the scene. This method produces comfortable stereoscopic viewing at a low additional computational cost. The four projectors need only be approximately aligned: a single drawing pass is required, regardless of projector alignment, since the warping is applied as part of the 3D rendering process.
The founder effect in a human isolate: evolutionary implications.

An investigation of the founder effect has been made on the H-leut, a religious isolate. Ninety-one founders, representing a maximum of 150 independent genomes, have been shown to account for the total gene pool of the 9,536 people in two of the three major subpopulations within the isolate, the S-leut and the L-leut. Each of these two leut is subdivided into four clans which in turn are subdivided into colonies. Malecot's coefficient of kinship has been calculated between each of the 91 founders and the contemporary parents, and used to describe the relative genetic contributions of the founders to the gene pool of each subpopulation. Analysis of this distribution suggests that a considerable amount of genetic diversity may be attributable to the founder effect. Part of this diversity may be accounted for by variation in the birth dates of the founders. The size of the subset of the 91 founders related to each subpopulation decreases with decreasing subpopulation level. A correlation has been found between two measures of relationship between pairs of clans: (1) Kurczynski's modification of Mahalanobis's distance measure based on gene frequency differences; and (2) a comparison of the relative contributions of founders to the gene pools of the clans.
Neutrophil activation and chemotaxis after in vitro treatment with perfluorocarbon.

The in vitro effects of perfluorocarbon (PFC) on human neutrophil activation and chemotaxis were examined. Neutrophils were incubated, with and without PFC, and were analyzed for chemotaxis through 5-microns and 8-microns pore filters. Neutrophil activation was quantitated by flow cytometry. Activation studies showed that PFC-treated neutrophil samples (n = 6) produced only 39.83% +/- 25.9% (mean +/- SD) of matched control (n = 6) fluorescence. Chemotaxis studies showed that PFC-treated neutrophil samples (n = 8) had migration of only 18.63% +/- 6.5% (of control values) of neutrophils to the outer boundary of the 5-microns filters (n = 8 controls). The 8-microns pore filter migration (n = 8) was similarly low, with a mean outer boundary migration count of only 26% +/- 19.8% of the control (n = 8) value. Thus, neutrophils exposed to perfluorocarbon produce significantly less detectable H2O2 (P < .001) and have a significantly lower chemotactic response (P < .001).
Gray-level grouping (GLG): an automatic method for optimized image contrast Enhancement-part I: the basic method

This is Part II of the paper, "Gray-Level Grouping (GLG): an Automatic Method for Optimized Image Contrast Enhancement". Part I of this paper introduced a new automatic contrast enhancement technique: gray-level grouping (GLG). GLG is a general and powerful technique, which can be conveniently applied to a broad variety of low-contrast images and outperforms conventional contrast enhancement techniques. However, the basic GLG method still has limitations and cannot enhance certain classes of low-contrast images well, e.g., images with a noisy background. The basic GLG also cannot fulfill certain special application purposes, e.g., enhancing only part of an image which corresponds to a certain segment of the image histogram. In order to break through these limitations, this paper introduces an extension of the basic GLG algorithm, selective gray-level grouping (SGLG), which groups the histogram components in different segments of the grayscale using different criteria and, hence, is able to enhance different parts of the histogram to various extents. This paper also introduces two new preprocessing methods to eliminate background noise in noisy low-contrast images so that such images can be properly enhanced by the (S)GLG technique. The extension of (S)GLG to color images is also discussed in this paper. SGLG and its variations extend the capability of the basic GLG to a larger variety of low-contrast images, and can fulfill special application requirements. SGLG and its variations not only produce results superior to conventional contrast enhancement techniques, but are also fully automatic under most circumstances, and are applicable to a broad variety of images.
Computation of π Using Arithmetic-Geometric Mean

A new formula for π is derived. It is a direct consequence of Gauss’ arithmetic-geometric mean, the traditional method for calculating elliptic integrals, and of Legendre’s relation for elliptic integrals. The error analysis shows that its rapid convergence doubles the number of significant digits after each step. The new formula is proposed for use in a numerical computation of π, but no actual computational results are reported here.
Effects of personality and own stand on judgment and production of statements about a central issue

Abstract : Pro-Mormon Ss who varied in authoritarianism, dogmatism and concreteness-abstractness as well as position of own stand judged a series of statements according to their favorablesness-unfavorableness toward the Mormon religion and produced items of their own about the church. With effects of own stand controlled through matching of Ss within personality groupings, differences in concreteness-abstractness, but not in authoritarianism or dogmatism, significantly affected the usage of extreme categories, number of categories used, width of gap in judgmental scale and the 'pro-ness' of the items produced. Own stand correlated -.17 with the tendency to use extreme categories, suggesting that this factor significantly influences judgmental activity only when it is highly extreme and intense and that some of the effects attributed to this variable in earlier studies could more appropriately be ascribed to variations in personality. (Author)
Dimension reduction and parameter estimation for additive index models

In this paper, we consider simultaneous model selection and estimation for the additive index model. The additive index model is a class of structured nonparametric models that can be expressed as additive models of a set of unknown linear transformation of the original predictor variables. We introduce a penalized least squares estimator and discuss how it can be efficiently computed in practice. Both theoretical and empirical properties of the estimate are presented to demonstrate its merits. Extensions to more general prediction framework are also discussed.
Average delay analysis of opportunistic single copy delivery in Manhattan area using biased random walk

In Mobile Opportunistic Networks, the cost and effectiveness of any opportunistic forwarding is measured by the expected delay of a message. Hence, its critical goal is to have low delay for a message. This paper studies the average delay of a message in a Mobile Opportunistic Network on Manhattan area. We first model the mobility of a message as a biased random walk in tilted grid and analyze the delay of a message based on the hitting time of a bias random walk. We have derived an exact expression of expected delay for a walk starting from any point in tilted grid for both biased and unbiased random walks and provide a closed form approximation of average delay of a message for the case of unbiased random walk. The key result is that the average delay of a message in Mobile Opportunistic Networks is very sensitive to the biased level of a random walk at each stage of the walk (depends on the distance from destination at its current stage). Then, this key result explains why most of the smart message forwarding algorithm in Mobile Opportunistic Network works reasonably well.
Ab initio study of hydrogen-bond formation between aliphatic and phenolic hydroxy groups and selected amino acid side chains.

Hydrogen bonding was studied in 24 pairs of isopropyl alcohol and phenol as one partner, and water and amino-acid mimics (methanol, acetamide, neutral and protonated imidazole, protonated methylalamine, methyl-guanidium cation, and acetate anion) as the other partner. MP2/6-31+G* and MP2/aug-cc-pvtz calculations were conducted in the gas phase and in a model continuum dielectric environment with dielectric constant of 15.0. Structures were optimized in the gas phase with both basis sets, and zero-point energies were calculated at the MP2/6-31+G* level. At the MP2/aug-cc-pvtz level, the BSSE values from the Boys−Bernardi counterpoise calculations amount to 10−20 and 5−10% of the uncorrected binding energies of the neutral and ionic complexes, respectively. The geometry distortion energy upon hydrogen-bond formation is up to 2 kcal/mol, with the exception of the most strongly bound complexes. The BSSE-corrected MP2/aug-cc-pvtz binding energy of −27.56 kcal/mol for the gas-phase acetate···phenol system has b...
Adapting to a Changing Environment: Modeling the Interaction of Directional Selection and Plasticity

Human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation constrains the range of many species, making them unable to respond to climate change by moving. For such species to avoid extinction, they must respond with some combination of phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation. Haldane's "cost of natural selection" limits the rate of adaptation, but, although modeling has shown that in very large populations long-term adaptation can be maintained at rates substantially faster than Haldane's suggested limit, maintaining large populations is often an impossibility, so phenotypic plasticity may be crucial in enhancing the long-term survival of small populations. The potential importance of plasticity is in "buying time" for populations subject to directional environmental change: if genotypes can encompass a greater environmental range, then populations can maintain high fitness for a longer period of time. Alternatively, plasticity could be detrimental by lessening the effectiveness of natural selection in promoting genetic adaptation. Here, I modeled a directionally changing environment in which a genotype's adaptive phenotypic plasticity is centered around the environment where its fitness is highest. Plasticity broadens environmental tolerance and, provided it is not too costly, is favored by natural selection. However, a paradoxical result of the individually advantageous spread of plasticity is that, unless the adaptive trait is determined by very few loci, the long-term extinction risk of a population increases. This effect reflects a conflict between the short-term individual benefit of plasticity and a long-term detriment to population persistence, adding to the multiple threats facing small populations under conditions of climate change.
Are Elements of the Chronic Care Model Associated with Cardiovascular Risk Factor Control in Type 2 Diabetes

Article-at-a-Glance Background Control of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular (CV) disease, the most common cause of morbidity and mortality among people with Type 2 diabetes is dependent on both patient self-care behaviors and the characteristics of the clinic in which care is delivered. The relationship between control of CV risk factors, patient self-care behaviors, and the presence of CCM (Chronic Care Model) components across multiple primary care clinic settings was examined. Methods Thirty consecutive patients presenting with Type 2 diabetes were enrolled from each of 20 primary care clinics from across South Texas. Patients were asked about their stage of change for four self-care behaviors: diet, exercise, glucose monitoring, and medication adherence. CV risk factors included the most recent values of glycosolated hemoglobin (A1C), blood pressure, and (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Clinicians in each clinic completed the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) survey, a validated measure of the CCM components. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used. Results Only 25 (13%) of the 618 patients had good control of all three CV risk factors. Good control of these risk factors was positively associated with community linkages and delivery system design but was inversely associated with clinical information systems. Patients who were in the maintenance stage of change for all four self-care behaviors were more likely to have all three risk factors well controlled. Discussion Risk factors for CV disease among patients with diabetes are associated with the structure and design of the clinical microsystem where care is delivered. In addition to focusing on clinician knowledge, future interventions should address the clinical microsystem's structure and design to reduce the burden of CV disease among patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Central American Pezizales. IV. The Genera Sarcoscypha, Pithya, and Nanoscypha

This treatment of three genera, Sarcoscypha (Fr.) Boudier, Pithya Fuckel, and Nanoscypha Denison, concludes a series dealing with the family Sarcoscyphaceae in Central America. The limits of the th...
Cobalt phosphide-based nanoparticles as bifunctional electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting

Cobalt phosphide-based nanoparticles serve as effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting reactions with activities comparable to more expensive precious metal catalysts.
Bracing and rehabilitation training. Effect on the energy expenditure of the elderly hemiplegic; preliminary report.

Rehabilitation training and brace wearing resulted in considerable conservation of energy in 10 elderly hemiplegic patients, the former therapeutic modality playing a larger role in this conservation than the latter. Total energy expenditure at the conclusion of treatment was still 31 per cent higher than that of the reference group. In spite of this additional energy demand, cardiovascular complications were not observed in the course of the therapeutic program. This suggests that elderly hemiplegic patients possess sufficient reserves to be able to cope with the increased physical demands of a rehabilitation program.
Application and Improvement of Gray Correlation and Evidence Theory in Fault Recognition

Aiming at the uncertain and fuzzy problem of sensor feature information in complex testing environment,it provided entropy-weight gray correlation to get the Basic Probability Assignment Function(BPAF).Based on the information fusion method of evidence theory,it designed a two-degree evidence fusion algorithm,including time fusion with multiple measurement periods and space fusion with multiple sensors,and uses a decision-making method based on the basic reliability as the support of fault detection and recognition.The selection of features weight in gray correlation was solved by entropy-weight method,and the correct rate in complex environment was improved by two-degree evidence fusion algorithm.The simulation result indicated that it had better recognition rate,stronger robustness and more widespread application than the common fault recognition algorithm.So,it is a valid and feasible method for fault pattern recognition in complex environment.
Contribution of soluble aluminium species to absorption of aluminium from the rat gut in situ

1. Rat gut perfusion studies in vivo at pH 4, 6 or 8 using aluminium chloride or equimolar aluminium chloride and sodium citrate showed that elevated plasma aluminium concentrations were associated with aluminium solubility in the perfusion. Elevated plasma aluminium levels and soluble aluminium in the perfusate occurred with perfusion of equimolar aluminium chloride and sodium citrate at all three pH values. 2. Partitioning studies in vitro , utilizing water and ethyl acetate, revealed that uncomplexed aluminium exhibited maximum partitioning into the ethyl acetate phase at pH 2.5. When complexed with citrate, aluminium exhibited partitioning over a much broader pH range, pH 2.5–8.0. 3. A direct linear relationship was observed between the soluble aluminium concentration of the perfusate and the increase in the plasma aluminium level, suggesting that soluble aluminium is absorbed by a passive diffusion mechanism.
Functional effects of in vitro obstruction on the rabbit urinary bladder.

AbstractBladder outlet obstruction has been the subject of numerous clinical and experimental investigations. Although these studies have demonstrated that the bladder can respond to outlet obstruction with muscular hypertrophy and hyperplasia, resulting in markedly altered morphological and functional characteristics, the nature of the direct effect of obstruction on the ability of the bladder to empty is relatively unknown.If one regards the bladder as a simple pump mechanism, decreasing the diameter of the outlet port (obstruction) would be expected to increase the work the bladder muscle would have to do in order to empty. The purpose of this present investigation is to better define the physical nature of the increased stress placed on the normal bladder via partial outlet obstruction. For these studies, the in vitro whole bladder is an appropriate model for several reasons: 1) one has complete control of initial intravesical volume, pressure, outlet diameter, and outlet resistance, and 2) this model...
Survey of Literature on Cost-Benefit Analysis for Industrial Project Evaluation

The field of industrial project evaluation is a relatively new branch of economic analysis, and as such is still in its formative stages. Numerous gaps still exist in the available literature, and in many cases alternative approaches to problems have been suggested which entail differences of concept that are as yet unresolved. These facts have determined the design of this survey. An attempt has been made here to take a constructive and forward-looking approach, focusing on gaps, weaknesses and unresolved issues in the field and attempting to contribute to an improvement of existing procedures wherever possible.
The role of liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of systemic fungal infections

Amphotericin B remains the treatment of choice for systemic fungal infections, but amphotericin B is toxic and is often not effective in treating disseminated infections. Liposome intercalation of amphotericin B reduces the toxicity associated with amphotericin B and targets reticuloendothelial tissues most heavily involved in fungal infections. The targeted delivery and reduced toxicity of liposomal amphotericin B improves the therapeutic index of amphotericin B. Although liposomes have been shown to effectively treat a variety of experimental and human fungal infections, the optimal composition of liposomal amphotericin has not been established. Vesicle type, lipid content, size, and conditions of storage markedly affect toxicity, therapeutic efficacy, and tissue distribution. In vitro studies have been poor predictors of in vivo efficacy and toxicity. Animal models can be used to evaluate in vivo the optimal liposome preparation. Liposomal amphotericin B appears to be an improved means of amphotericin B delivery and may improve the treatment of patients with systemic fungal infections.
Reactivity of a Nickel Sulfide with Carbon Monoxide and Nitric Oxide.

The reactivity of the “masked” terminal nickel sulfide complex, [K(18-crown-6)][(LtBu)NiII(S)] (LtBu = {(2,6-iPr2C6H3)NC(tBu)}2CH), with the biologically important small molecules CO and NO, was surveyed. [K(18-crown-6)][(LtBu)NiII(S)] reacts with carbon monoxide (CO) via addition across the Ni–S bond to give a carbonyl sulfide complex, [K(18-crown-6)][(LtBu)NiII(S,C:η2-COS)] (1). Additionally, [K(18-crown-6)][(LtBu)NiII(S)] reacts with nitric oxide (NO) to yield a nickel nitrosyl, [(LtBu)Ni(NO)] (2), and a perthionitrite anion, [K(18-crown-6)][SSNO] (3). The isolation of 3 from this reaction confirms, for the first time, that transition metal sulfides can react with NO to form the biologically important [SSNO]− anion.
Life Balance in Nurse Educators: A Mixed Methods Study

AIM The aim of the study was to explore relationships among nurse educator life balance, quality of life, and lived experience of life balance that may be used to develop strategies to prevent or minimize challenging aspects of the profession that lead to dissatisfaction and/or burnout. BACKGROUND Nurse educator balance is significant to the national nurse faculty shortage crisis. The inability to achieve life balance contributes to job dissatisfaction and burnout, which contribute to the educator shortage. METHOD Convergent parallel mixed-methods design. RESULTS Participants were found to have moderate life balance correlating with greater perceived satisfaction. Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: Support, Demands, Workload, and Personal/Time Attributes. CONCLUSION Findings from this study can be utilized to develop strategies to minimize the nurse educator shortage.
Wavelet compression in marine seismic data

Marine seismic data is often modeled as a convolution of a source wavelet and a reflectivity sequence representing the propagation medium in the Earth at a common midpoint between source and receiver. In such a model, the reflectivity sequence associated with each source-receiver pair is a compressed version of a hypothetical reflectivity sequence that corresponds to a zero-offset reference source-receiver pair placed at the same midpoint. The process of normal moveout correction to align the data to the zero-offset reference trace, stretches both the reflectivity sequences and source wavelet simultaneously. While stretching the compressed reflectivity sequences is desirable, stretching the wavelet, which has not been compressed before, will cause considerable loss in resolution. If an inverse filter is applied to shorten the length of (i.e. compress) the wavelet prior to the normal moveout correction, then the amount of stretch encountered by the wavelet will be reduced. If the filter can compress the wavelet to a perfect spike, then the amount of stretch will be reduced to zero. This suggests that the zero-offset trace along with any single non-zero offset trace could provide two nonlinear simultaneous equations that can be solved to determine the deconvolution filter needed to reduce the wavelet to a spike. Once this is done, the reflectivity sequence will be recovered and the propagation geometry will be delineated. In this paper the author shows that this filter can be determined, theoretically, without a priori knowledge of the wavelet and with no assumptions in regards to its statistical properties. In practice, however, more than two traces will be needed to minimize the effects of noise and random errors. This deconvolution problem is formulated as an optimization problem.
Examining the Racial Disparities In Presentation and Treatment for Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).

Abstract 1521 Background: Data from the United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry indicate that black (B) Americans have a lower relative incidence of DLBCL than Whites (W), but a higher disease-specific mortality (Malik, ASH Annual Meeting 2009). Studies of the SEER-Medicare (Vance, ASH Annual Meeting 2007) and National Cancer Database (Flowers, ASH Annual Meeting 2009) populations revealed that B patients (pts) with DLBCL were less likely to receive rituximab with chemotherapy, however, full details on clinical and demographic parameters that may influence incidence and treatment selection were not available in either dataset. To examine these racial disparities in a setting with more detailed ascertainment of presenting features and the use of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy with or without rituximab (R), we studied the differences in presentation, socioeconomic status (SES), Family History, and treatment received by B and W patients with DLBCL at Emory University and UAB. Methods: Patients diagnosed with DLBCL at Emory University (1981-2010) and UAB (1985-2010) were identified from pathology, clinical and pharmacy records. Baseline demographic data, components of the International Prognostic Index (IPI: age, performance status (PS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), number of extranodal sites involved, and stage), B-symptoms, family history, insurance status, employment status, treatment and survival data were extracted. Racial differences in presentation, socio-demographic factors, and first-line treatment received were analyzed using Chi-squared statistical analysis. Results: A total of 862 (575 Emory and 287 UAB) patients with a confirmed diagnosis of DLBCL were identified. The median age of diagnosis for B pts (n=168) was significantly lower than that for W pts (n=607) [49 years (interquartile range [IQR] 36–60) vs. 57 years (IQR 46–69), p vs. W differences in employment (38% B vs . 39% W employed, p=0.822). However, fewer B pts were insured (94% B vs . 98% W, p=0.005), and insurance status differed by race (59% B vs. 79% W private, 17% B vs. 5% W Medicaid, 13% B vs. 11% W Medicare, p vs. 46% W, p=0.48). Pts who had elevated LDH were more likely to receive R-CHOP (p=0.022). Conclusions: These data corroborate findings that B pts present with DLBCL at a significantly younger age, and provide the impetus for examining racial differences in family history of lymphoma in population-based datasets as a possible contributing factor to the lower relative incidence of DLBCL in B population. In this setting of two regional referral centers with detailed ascertainment of treatment and few uninsured patients, there do not appear to be racial disparities in the adoption of R-CHOP for DLBCL. Disclosures: Foran: Genentech: Honoraria.
EPR Oximetry in Biological and Model Samples

The well-known broadening of CW EPR spectra due to collision of the free radical with molecular oxygen in solution has been made into a tool for measuring oxygen concentration in numerous biological systems. The principles of the measurement of oxygen by this method are described, both for spin labels and for oxygen-sensitive particulate probes, such as coals, India ink, and lithium phthalocyanine. Applications are described for cell respiration, membrane permeability, and in vivo measurements on animal organs.
anexVis: visual analytics framework for analysis of RNA expression.

Summary Although RNA expression data are accumulating at a remarkable speed, gaining insights from them still requires laborious analyses, which hinder many biological and biomedical researchers. This report introduces a visual analytics framework that applies several well-known visualization techniques to leverage understanding of an RNA expression dataset. Our analyses on glycosaminoglycan-related genes have demonstrated the broad application of this tool, anexVis (analysis of RNA expression), to advance the understanding of tissue-specific glycosaminoglycan regulation and functions, and potentially other biological pathways. Availability and implementation The application is accessible at https://anexvis.chpc.utah.edu/, source codes deposited on GitHub. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Deficiencies of Protein C and Protein S and Thromoembolic Disease

Blood clotting pathways (Fig. 1) involve sequential enzymatic activations of serine protease zymogens. Protein C and protein S are vitamin K-dependent plasma proteins central to the protein C pathway. The protein C pathway is an antithrombotic regulatory system that inhibits the blood coagulation pathways and also stimulates fibrinolysis (1, 2, 3, 4). This presentation concerns a description of the functions of protein C and protein S, of the methods to measure protein C and protein S in plasma, and of the clinical presentation of protein C and protein S deficiencies associated with venous thrombotic disease.
The ALT-70 predictive model outperforms thermal imaging for the diagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis: A prospective evaluation

Background We previously demonstrated that dermatology consultation substantially reduces the rates of misdiagnosis of cellulitis; however, broad implementation of dermatology consultation is impractical on account of existing practice patterns and reimbursement systems. Meanwhile, efforts to improve diagnostic accuracy have culminated in point-of-care tools, including the ALT-70 predictive model for lower extremity cellulitis and thermal imaging. Objective To prospectively evaluate the performance of the ALT-70 predictive model and thermal imaging in diagnosing lower extremity cellulitis in a head-to-head comparison. Methods We collected ALT-70 and thermal imaging data from patients with presumed lower extremity cellulitis and compared classification measures and accuracy for the ALT-70 predictive model, thermal imaging, and combination testing (ALT-70 predictive model plus thermal imaging). Results We enrolled 67 patients with ALT-70 and thermal imaging data. The ALT-70 predictive model conferred the highest sensitivity (97.8%) and negative predictive value (90.9%), whereas combination testing had the highest specificity (71.4%) and positive predictive value (86.6%). The ALT-70 predictive model had improved classification measures compared with thermal imaging. Combination testing conferred a marginal benefit compared with the ALT-70 predictive model alone. Limitations Single-center design may limit generalizability. Conclusion The ALT-70 predictive model outperformed thermal imaging in diagnosing lower extremity cellulitis. The accuracy of the ALT-70 predictive model was high and consistent with its performance in previously published literature. Broad implementation of the ALT-70 predictive model in clinical practice may decrease the rates of misdiagnosis of lower extremity cellulitis.
Factors Contributing to Increases in Diabetes-Related Preventable Hospitalization Costs Among U.S. Adults During 2001-2014

OBJECTIVE To examine changes in diabetes-related preventable hospitalization costs and to determine the contribution of each underlying factor to these changes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used data from the 2001–2014 U.S. National Inpatient Sample for adults (≥18 years old) to estimate the trends in hospitalization costs (2014 USD) in total and by condition (short-term complications, long-term complications, uncontrolled diabetes, and lower-extremity amputation). Using regression and growth models, we estimated the relative contribution of following underlying factors: total number of hospitalizations, rate of hospitalization, the number of people with diabetes, mean cost per admission, length of stay, and cost per day. RESULTS During 2001–2014, the estimated total cost of diabetes-related preventable hospitalizations increased annually by 1.6% (92.9 million USD; P CONCLUSIONS The total cost of diabetes-related preventable hospitalizations had been increasing during 2001–2014, mainly resulting from increases in number of people with diabetes and cost per hospitalization day. The underlying factors identified in our study could lead to efforts that may lower future hospitalization costs.