cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of calcific deposits in operatively excised stenotic or purely regurgitant aortic valves and their relation to mechanical stress

Two hundred twenty-one aortic cusps from 96 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement were examined. Of all the cusps that showed any calcific deposits, 87% had calcific deposits in 1 of 2 specific patterns: a coaptation pattern, where calcific deposits occurred along the line of cusp coaptation, and a radial pattern, where calcific deposits occurred as spokes spread inward from the cusp attachment to the center of the cusp. This was true irrespective of the patients' sex or age, the type of disease, and the type of valve or the extent of calcific deposits. These patterns of calcific deposits relate to the area of maximal cusp flexion and, hence, maximal mechanical stress. It is therefore concluded that calcific deposits in aortic valve cusps occur in specific patterns in most cases, and that mechanical stress may be the initiating or accelerating factor in the calcification of these cusps.
High temperature oxidation/corrosion behavior of metals and alloys under a hydrogen gradient

Abstract Metallic interconnects in SOFC stacks, perform in challenging environment, as they are simultaneously exposed to a reducing environment (e.g. hydrogen, reformate) on one side and an oxidizing environment (e.g. air) on the other side at elevated temperatures. To understand the oxidation/corrosion behavior of metals and alloys under the dual exposures and assess their suitability, selected metals and alloys, including nickel, Fe–Cr and Ni–Cr based chromia forming alloys, alumina forming Fecralloy ® , were investigated. It was found that the oxidation/corrosion behavior of metals and alloys in the presence of dual environment can be significantly different in terms of scale structure and/or chemistry from their exposure in a single oxidizing or reducing atmosphere. The anomalous oxidization/corrosion is attributed to the presence of hydrogen diffusion flux from the fuel side to the air side under the influence of a hydrogen gradient across the metallic substrates.
Detection of quantum flux modulation by single photopigments in human observers.

Abstract The action spectra of single cone photopigments of trichromatic human observers were measured by a modification of the exchange threshold technique. The quantum flux of two superimposed 2° fields, 540 and 640 nm. was adjusted to the inverse ratio of the sensitivity of either chlorolabe or erythrolabe at these wavelengths, so that one of the photopigments made a constant quantum catch. The 540 and 640 nm lights were flickered sinusoidally in counterphase above the flicker fusion frequency of the blue cones so that when the quantum fluxes were equated for chlorolabe. only erythrolabe could detect the alternation, and vice versa. This flickering field was superimposed upon a 12° background which was variable in both quantum flux and wavelength. At any wavelength between 410 and 690 nm the log of the reciprocal of the number of quanta required to extinguish the flicker of the 540/640 field described the log sensitivity at that wavelength of the only photopigment capable of detecting the flicker. The log sensitivity curves thus obtained were consistent with other measures of the cone photopigments of dichromatic and trichromatic human observers.
A Putative Second Adenylate Kinase-Encoding Gene From the Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

Sequencing of the region upstream from the yeast RAD3 gene has revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 225 amino acids (aa) that could encode a 25.3-kDa polypeptide. The predicted aa sequence of this ORF is homologous with that of several eukaryotic adenylate kinase (Adk)-encoding genes, including the yeast gene, ADK1. These findings suggest that the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has a second Adk-encoding gene, tentatively designated as ADK2.
Single unit recordings from the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve of the cat.

1. Within the cat geniculate ganglion three distinct neural populations were definable on the basis of single unit recordings. These three neural populations were designated “ear units”, “regular discharge units” and “tongue units.” Units from these three populations tended to be located in different regions of the ganglion and were influenced by different types of stimulation to different parts of the body. 2. Ear units seemed to constitute a uniform functional population, with the major differences between units being the external locus of projection. Ear units typically had no spontaneous activity. They were discharged by dynamic displacements of hairs on the skin of the inner surface of the ear. 3. Regular discharge units were classified into three types on the basis of their spontaneous activity patterns. Discharge of most of the units could be affected by static dislocations of tissues of the soft palate and pharynx. Discharge patterns, evoked and spontaneous, tended to be extremely regular. 4. Tongue units seemed to constitute an extremely diverse population. Wide variability was shown on every measure taken of tongue unit activity. Spontaneous activity patterns varied markedly from unit to unit, with bursting discharge common. Most units could be discharged by electrical stimulation of papillae of the tongue, although the number of stimulatable papillae varied from unit to unit as did latency measures. Some tongue units were discharged by mechanical stimulation of the tongue, most by chemical stimulation of the tongue (with salt, acid, quinine and common cat foods), and some by both.
Median Sternotomy Dehiscence

Abstract Sternal dehiscence requiring reoperation occurred in 36 out of 4,531 patients who had a sternotomy incision within an eight-year period. Twisted sternal wire sutures were used for the first four years and a crimped steel plate fixation was used during the second four years with a marked and significant decrease in the incidence of dehiscence from 17 out of 1,000 patients to 3 out of 1,000 patients. Thirty-five of the 36 patients were men, and 4 required reoperation for bleeding. Other factors such as mammary artery dissection, tracheostomy, and body weight of more than 82 kg were not significant. Although infection was noted in 20 patients, it was thought to be secondary. Early reoperation with antibiotic irrigation achieved wound stability in the 34 survivors with only 3 patients requiring additional procedures for chronic osteomyelitis of the sternum.
Development of non-halogenated binary solvent systems for high performance bulk-heterojunction organic solar cells

Abstract Halogenated solvents such as dichlorobenzene (DCB) are commonly used in the fabrication of bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells. However, most halogenated solvents are very toxic. This report provides a route to eliminate halogenated solvents based on Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSPs) for manufacturing high efficiency BHJ solar cells. The device performances fabricated from several different binary solvent systems were compared to that from DCB. For the investigation of different gel behavior of solvent mixtures, Hansen solubility parameters and viscosity were mainly considered for the selection of binary solvent mixture candidates. Upon the addition of 20 vol.% benzaldehyde (BA) to p-xylene (p-XL), the device performances were improved in power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 3.1% to 3.8% and external quantum efficiency (EQE) from 63% to 70%. The solar cell devices fabricated using p-XL/BA binary solvent mixtures exhibited PCE comparable to that from DCB.
Plant nutrition: Rooting for more phosphorus.

The identification of an enzyme in rice that confers improved plant yields on phosphorus-deficient soils could open up new avenues for generating nutrient-efficient crops that can thrive on marginally fertile soils. See Letter p.535 Rice is a staple crop for much of Asia. Rice yields in the region are low, however, with limited availability of phosphorous fertilizers and the susceptibility of rain-fed cultivation systems to climate variation among the problems. In this study, Sigrid Heuer and colleagues report the characterization of a gene called phosphorus-starvation tolerance 1 (PSTOL1), which confers tolerance to phosphorus deficiency. The gene is present in the traditional rice variety Kasalath but absent from the rice reference genome and other phosphorus-starvation-intolerant modern varieties. PSTOL1 is shown to act as an enhancer of early root growth, thereby enabling plants to acquire more phosphorus and other nutrients. Introduction of this gene into locally adapted rice varieties should enhance productivity under low-phosphorus conditions.
Thioredoxin gene expression is transcriptionally up-regulated by retinol in monkey conducting airway epithelial cells.

Abstract Using the differential hybridization technique, a cDNA clone, MT78, was isolated from the cDNA library of retinol-treated monkey tracheobronchial (TBE) epithelial cells. MT78 has a high sequence homology to human thioredoxin. The cDNA insert contains 506 nucleotides which encodes a peptide of 105 amino acids. The deduced peptide contains the highly conserved sequence Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys, found at the active site of all thioredoxins. The expression of the thioredoxin gene is stimulated 8–10 fold by vitamin A (retinol) in monkey TBE cells. The expression is significantly enhanced within 4 h after the vitamin A treatment and concurrent protein synthesis is not required for this enhancement. These results, in conjunction with the nuclear runon transcriptional assay, support the conclusion that thioredoxin gene is transcriptionally upregulated by retinol and/or its metabolites.
χ2 analysis of the minimal supergravity model including WMAP, ( g−2) μ and b→sγ constraints

Recent results from the WMAP measurements of the cosmic background radiation yield very tight constraints on the relic density of supersymmetric cold dark matter. We combine the WMAP constraint with those from the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and the b→sγ branching fraction in a χ2 determination over the minimal supergravity model (mSUGRA) parameter space. The most favoured region of mSUGRA parameter space for almost all tanβ values is the hyperbolic branch/focus point (HB/FP) region, with moderate to small values of superpotential Higgs mass |μ| and large GUT scale scalar mass m 0 . These favoured regions of mSUGRA parameter space can be probed by direct search experiments for supersymmetric dark matter. An exception to the HB/FP region can occur at very large tanβ with positive μ values, where wide regions allow resonance annihilation of neutralinos in the early Universe.
Acceleration of wireless channel simulation using GPUs

High-fidelity site-specific modeling of wireless communications channels has historically been too computationally intensive for casual implementation in network simulators. However, simulation cannot predict the behavior of wireless networks in real-world environments without modeling the physical channel to the degree needed to support the objectives of the simulation. The most commonly used models for studies of networking protocols do not directly model domain geometry, and use statistical models of path-loss. However, simulations of wireless indoors, or out in a domain that is cluttered with obstacles need more resolution in the description of the domain. Realistic models for these cases typically involve large amounts of floating point computation, to which modern GPUs are well suited. In this paper we demonstrate parallel radio propagation prediction in a single machine using multiple GPUs and CPU cores. We explore the tradeoffs between model accuracy and performance, and use techniques from graphical raytracing to improve the speed with which radio path loss can be computed.
Collateral Ligaments of the Tarsocrural Joint An Anatomic and Functional Study

Forty canine hock joints were used to study the anatomy and function of the medial and lateral tarsocrural collateral ligament complexes. Dissection of the ligaments was used to describe the anatomic arrangement, and location and tenseness in various positions. The component parts of the ligament complexes were evaluated for their contribution to stability of the tarsocrural joint. The medial and lateral tarsocrural collateral ligament complexes were composed of several components. The medial tibiotalar and lateral calcaneofibular short component parts were important static joint stabilizers in both flexion and extension. The long medial and lateral ligaments and the medial tibiocentral short component were less important in maintaining joint stability in flexion but were important in extension. The stability of the joint as a whole did not depend on any individual ligament component, but rather all components of the ligament complex, including the joint capsule and malleoli, acted together to stabilize the joint.
Local dispersal and deposition of fungal spores from a wheat canopy

Abstract Rotorod samplers 1,2, and 3 m above ground level and O, 10, and 30 m downwind of a wheat canopy were used to measure dispersal and deposition of Puccinia recondita and P. graminis urediniospores, and Erysiphe graminis and Cladosporium conidia under various meteorological conditions. Spore concentrations at 1 m decreased by 1.8% m-1 over a 30 m distance downwind at canopy height with wind speeds above 12 km h-1 and 2.7% m-1 in winds of less than 10 km/hr. Spore concentrations at 1 m were significantly higher at the edge of the canopy than at 10 m and 30 m downwind. However, this was not true at 2 and 3 m above the ground, indicating that the decrease was due to spore deposition rather than upward movement of the spores. During sampling periods with winds greater than 10 km-h-1, spore impaction was reduced near the source and increased with increasing distance. However, wind velocities < 8 km h-1 resulted in increased impaction near the source and decreased deposition with distance downwind from th...
Right atrial dimension-pressure relation during volume expansion is unaltered by pregnancy in the rat

Blood volume expands significantly during pregnancy, but afferent signals from cardiac receptors are reduced. In addition, during exogenous volume expansion, right atrial pressure (RAP) increases m...
Network Coding for Efficient Wireless Unicast

We consider the problem of establishing an efficient unicast connection over a wireless packet network. We show how network coding, combined with distributed flow optimization, gives a practicable approach that promises to significantly outperform the present approach of end-to-end or link-by-link retransmission combined with route optimization, where performance may be measured in terms of energy consumption, congestion, or any other cost that increases with the number of transmissions made by each node. We present a specific coding scheme and specific distributed flow optimization techniques that may be used to form the basis of a protocol
Constrained Maximum Likelihood Learning of Bayesian Networks for Facial Action Recognition

Probabilistic graphical models such as Bayesian Networks have been increasingly applied to many computer vision problems. Accuracy of inferences in such models depends on the quality of network parameters. Learning reliable parameters of Bayesian networks often requires a large amount of training data, which may be hard to acquire and may contain missing values. On the other hand, qualitative knowledge is available in many computer vision applications, and incorporating such knowledge can improve the accuracy of parameter learning. This paper describes a general framework based on convex optimization to incorporate constraints on parameters with training data to perform Bayesian network parameter estimation. For complete data, a global optimum solution to maximum likelihood estimation is obtained in polynomial time, while for incomplete data, a modified expectation-maximization method is proposed. This framework is applied to real image data from a facial action unit recognition problem and produces results that are similar to those of state-of-the-art methods.
Catalytic Oxy‐Functionalization of Methane and Other Hydrocarbons: Fundamental Advancements and New Strategies

The controlled conversion of methane to methanol requires C-H bond cleavage and C-O bond formation. A catalytic cycle incorporating 1,2-CH-addition and net oxygen insertion with late transition metals has been proposed for this conversion. This Minireview discusses the current state of the art for each step of the proposed catalytic cycle.
Regulation of Rat Cortex Function by D1 Dopamine Receptors in the Striatum

Interactions between the basal ganglia and the cerebral cortex are critical for normal goal-directed behavior. In the present study, we used immediate-early genes (c-fos, zif 268) as functional markers to investigated how basal ganglia output altered by stimulation/blockade of D1 dopamine receptors in the striatum affects cortical function. Systemic administration of the mixed D1/D2 receptor agonist apomorphine (3 mg/kg) increased immediate-early gene expression in the striatum and throughout most of the cortex. Unilateral intrastriatal infusion of the selective D1 receptor antagonist SCH-23390 (0.5-10 microg) blocked this response bilaterally in striatum and cortex in a dose-dependent manner. Even apparently regionally restricted blockade of striatal D1 receptors attenuated gene expression throughout striatum and cortex in both hemispheres. Intrastriatal administration of the D1 antagonist inhibited apomorphine-induced sniffing/whisking, whereas other motor behaviors were unaffected. To determine whether such changes in cortical gene expression could reflect altered cortical function, we examined the effects of blocking striatal D1 receptors on whisker stimulation-evoked immediate-early gene expression in the sensorimotor cortex. Apomorphine increased sensory stimulation-evoked gene expression in the barrel cortex, and intrastriatal infusion of SCH-23390 attenuated this effect. These results suggest that stimulation of D1 dopamine receptors in the striatum exerts a widespread facilitatory effect on cortical function.
Direct photosynthetic recycling of carbon dioxide to isobutyraldehyde

Global climate change has stimulated efforts to reduce CO(2) emissions. One approach to addressing this problem is to recycle CO(2) directly into fuels or chemicals using photosynthesis. Here we genetically engineered Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 to produce isobutyraldehyde and isobutanol directly from CO(2) and increased productivity by overexpression of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). Isobutyraldehyde is a precursor for the synthesis of other chemicals, and isobutanol can be used as a gasoline substitute. The high vapor pressure of isobutyraldehyde allows in situ product recovery and reduces product toxicity. The engineered strain remained active for 8 d and produced isobutyraldehyde at a higher rate than those reported for ethanol, hydrogen or lipid production by cyanobacteria or algae. These results underscore the promise of direct bioconversion of CO(2) into fuels and chemicals, which bypasses the need for deconstruction of biomass.
Phase conjugation by stimulated photorefractive scattering using a retroreflected seeding beam

The threshold for self-pumped optical phase conjugation by means of backward stimulated photorefractive scattering has been dramatically lowered by inserting a retroreflecting screen into the path of the beam after the beam leaves a BaTiO3 crystal. Stable reflectivities of as much as −60% and good phase-conjugate fidelity have been demonstrated in a crystal that has too low a gain–length product to exhibit unseeded backward stimulated scattering. Precise control of the threshold for stimulated scattering is demonstrated by adjusting the seed intensity. Reflectivity and fidelity are experimentally characterized at 515 nm as a function of the following parameters: pump and seed intensities, crystal angle with respect to the incident beam direction, crystal interaction length, crystal–lens separation, and aberration strength. Operation at 633, 730–800, and 839 nm is demonstrated also.
Elevated resting energy expenditure in adolescents with sickle cell anemia.

Abstract Objective To assess the reliability of standard prediction equations in estimating resting energy expenditure (REE) values in adolescents with sickle cell anemia. Subjects/design Body composition and metabolic measurements were performed in 8 adolescents, aged 11 to 18 years, with homozygous sickle cell anemia. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry under standard conditions, and measurements were compared with 4 prediction formulas (Harris-Benedict, Schofield, Mayo Clinic, and Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University). Fat-free mass was measured to assess REE per unit of actively metabolizing tissue. Fat-free mass was expressed as a mean of values obtained by densitometry, deuterium dilution, 40 K-counting, and total body electrical conductivity. Statistical analyses Repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to determine whether measured REE values and predicted values differed. The Fischer test was used to identify which predicted values differed significantly from the measured REE. Results All 4 prediction formulas significantly underestimated REE. Group mean values for the prediction formulas ranged from 83% to 89% of the measured value. REE averaged 47.7±10.0 kcal/kg fat-free mass per day, which is 30% to 50% higher than reported values in healthy adolescent populations. Conclusions These data suggest that REE is elevated in adolescents with sickle cell anemia. Standard equations used to predict REE are unreliable in these patients. Applications REE in patients with sickle cell anemia is best determined by indirect or direct measurement of energy expenditure. Clinically useful formulas to estimate REE should be developed for patients with conditions, including sickle cell anemia, where the metabolic rate may be altered. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99:195–199 .
Arabidopsis Seedling Growth Response and Recovery to Ethylene. A Kinetic Analysis

Responses to the plant hormone ethylene are mediated by a family of five receptors in Arabidopsis that act in the absence of ethylene as negative regulators of response pathways. In this study, we examined the rapid kinetics of growth inhibition by ethylene and growth recovery after ethylene withdrawal in hypocotyls of etiolated seedlings of wild-type and ethylene receptor-deficient Arabidopsis lines. This analysis revealed that there are two phases to growth inhibition by ethylene in wild type: a rapid phase followed by a prolonged, slower phase. Full recovery of growth occurs approximately 90 min after ethylene removal. None of the receptor null mutations tested had a measurable effect on the two phases of growth inhibition. However, loss-of-function mutations in ETR1, ETR2, and EIN4 significantly prolonged the time for recovery of growth rate after ethylene was removed. Plants with an etr1-6;etr2-3;ein4-4 triple loss-of-function mutation took longer to recover than any of the single mutants, while the ers1;ers2 double mutant had no effect on recovery rate, suggesting that receiver domains play a role in recovery. Transformation of the ers1-2;etr1-7 double mutant with wild-type genomic ETR1 rescued the slow recovery phenotype, while a His kinase-inactivated ETR1 construct did not. To account for the rapid recovery from growth inhibition, a model in which clustered receptors act cooperatively is proposed.
Efficient bulk deletes for multi dimensional clustered tables in DB2

In data warehousing applications, the ability to efficiently delete large chunks of data from a table is very important. This feature is also known as Rollout or Bulk Deletes. Rollout is generally carried out periodically and is often done on more than one dimension or attribute. The ability to efficiently handle the updates of RID indexes while doing Rollouts is a well known problem for database engines and its solution is very important for data warehousing applications. DB2 UDB V8.1 introduced a new physical clustering scheme called Multi Dimensional Clustering (MDC) which allows users to cluster data in a table on multiple attributes or dimensions. This is very useful for query processing and maintenance activities including deletes. Subsequently, an enhancement was incorporated in DB2 UDB Viper 2 which allows for very efficient online rollout of data on dimensional boundaries even when there are a lot of secondary RID indexes defined on the table. This is done by the asynchronous updates of these RID indexes in the background while allowing the delete to commit and the table to be accessed. This paper details the design of MDC Rollout and the challenges that were encountered. It discusses some performance results which show order of magnitude improvements using it and the lessons learnt.
NMDA receptor antagonists and limbic status epilepticus: a comparison with standard anticonvulsants

Status epilepticus (SE) evolves through several stages when untreated. The later stages of SE are less responsive to standard anticonvulsants and may require general anesthesia to suppress seizures. Antagonists acting at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subclass of glutamate (excitatory) receptors have been demonstrated to exert antiepileptic activity in some seizure models. We report experiments performed to determine if NMDA receptor antagonists are effective in stopping seizures in the late stages of SE. A model of limbic SE induced by 90 min of 'continuous' electrical stimulation of the hippocampus in rats was employed. Three NMDA receptor antagonists, one 'competitive' (CPP) and two 'non-competitive' (ketamine and MK-801), were compared to 3 standard antiepileptic drugs (diazepam, phenobarbital, and phenytoin) for their ability to suppress seizures at a physiologically defined stage of SE. All NMDA receptor antagonists, diazepam and phenobarbital were effective in suppressing behavioral and electrographic seizures for varying periods of time. Phenytoin had no effect on SE. Ketamine and MK-801 induced a paradoxical enhancement of electrographic seizures that preceded SE suppression. We believe that NMDA-receptor antagonists offer a novel approach for treating the late stages of SE.
Physical and topological assessment of effects of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on root architecture of big bluestem

summary The influence of a vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungus, phosphorus (P) fertilization, and soil microorganisms on growth and root architecture of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitroari) was investigated. In pasteurized soil, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly improved plant growth and increased root length and the number and the diameter of the primary, secondary and tertiary roots. These differences between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants diminished with added P. In pasteurized soil amended with non-sterile soil sievate, differences between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants were still obvious, but in many treatments these plants grew more poorly (had less dry weight, root length, number or diameter) than their counterparts in unamended pasteurized soil. Growth in non-sterile soil was also suppressed, and mycorrhizal responses were not detected since all of the plants in non-sterile soil became mycorrhizal whether or not they were inoculated. Two analyses of calculated parameters which describe root-system architecture were conducted. The first, specific root length (SRL), revealed that mycorrhizal symbiosis dramatically alters root morphology in soils of low fertility. These changes were similar to the changes evoked by added P. The second, path length (Pe) revealed that mycorrhizal fungi (and to some degree other soil microbes) significantly alter root architecture by reducing the relative amount of root branching. Apparently, mycorrhizal plants develop a more elongate, exploratory growth pattern which permits the fungal hyphae to extract nutrients from a larger volume of soil. In contrast roots of non-mycorrhizal plants maintain a more highly branched pattern of root growth, and the roots themselves play a more critical role in the direct extraction of nutrients from the soil. These differences in root topology were not directly associated with the concentration of exogenous P, but instead appeared to be controlled by the mycorrhizal fungi themselves. Thus, while internal P content of plants mediates the establishment of the mycorrhizal symbiosis, the fungi can alter the root architecture of the plant to a form which best accommodates the symbiosis under the prevailing fertility and rhizosphere conditions in the soil. By altering root-system architecture in this manner, the mycorrhizal fungi can control, at least to some degree, the dependence of the host on the symbiosis. Thus, the topology of the root system is contingent upon the microflora in the rhizosphere. The topological analysis revealed differences in root architecture not detected by any of the other measures of root morphology. These differences suggest that mycorrhizal fungi affect root architecture and plant growth in ways not directly associated with phosphorus uptake.
Point of view: spinopelvic parameters in postfusion flatback deformity patients

COMMENTARY ON: Gottfried ON, Daubs MD, Patel AA, et al. Spinopelvic parameters in postfusion flatback deformity patients. Spine J 2009;9:639–47 ( this issue ).
Rapid near-optimal VQ design with a deterministic data net

We present a new algorithm for fixed-rate vector quantizer (VQ) design with deterministic data net. The algorithm also performs efficient VQ design for simply characterized continuous distributions. The algorithm also serves as an approximation algorithm for the d-dimensional fixed-rate operational distortion-rate function, extends to a variety of network VQ problems. The algorithm generalizes to give /spl epsiv/-approximation algorithms for many network VQ design problems. A few examples are multiresolution VQ (MRVQ), multiple description VQ (MDVQ), side information VQ (SIVQ), Broadcast VQ (BCVQ), joint source-channel VQ (JSCVQ) and remote source VQ (RSVQ).
An Ecosystem Approach to Defining Conservation Boundaries: Concepts and a Case Study

Much of conservation biology has focused on developing approaches for selecting high value sites for protecting biodiversity; what has been lacking are objective criteria for delineating conservation boundaries. Defining protected area boundaries based on occupied species' habitat offers no guarantee that those reserves will continue to provide suitable habitat over time. Focusing on ecosystem protection rather than just species' populations offers a mechanism to protect those species, and does so in a dynamic context. It is the multiple temporal and spatial scales of ecosystem processes that drive habitat dynamics, foster biodiversity, and facilitate adaptations to changing conditions. Embracing the dynamics of ecosystems and their boundaries as criteria for reserve designs also forces a conceptual shift in how to assess populations within conservation areas. Monitoring programs must focus on understanding drivers of change rather than how much change has occurred relative to an arbitrary baseline. The conceptual shift to an ecosystem focus broadens the levels of biodiversity encompassed in a conservation design, and gives greater resilience to the stressors of fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change. California's Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan is highlighted as a conservation design that has adopted an ecosystem focus.
Clostridium perfringens: Sporulation, Spore Resistance and Germination

Clostridium perfringens are Gram-positive, endospore-forming, anaerobic bacteria with the ability to cause enteric diseases both in human and domesticated animals. As one of the leading cause of food-borne illness in the United States, certain C. perfringens type A isolates exert their action through the production of C. perfringens enterotoxin (CPE), which is expressed only during spore formation. In addition, C. perfringens spores are highly resistant to heat and other environmental factors. Since genome sequences of three C. perfringens strains have been annotated and made public, efforts have been made towards understanding the initiation of sporulation and identifying the key differences between Clostridium and Bacillus sporulation phosphorelay. Small, acid soluble spore proteins (SASPs) have been shown to be required for resistance of C. perfringens spores to heat. Work is also underway to identify nutrient signals required for C. perfringens spore germination.
One Thousand and One Nights

In the beginning, she was the same age, the same height, and the same weight as the young doctor. She had come into the hospital for a broken foot that had somehow become leukemia. She wore strange...
Simplified Microestimation of Fibrinogen and Seromucoid in Plasma

Simplified methods for the microestimation of fibrinogen and seromucoid in plasma are described, and their relationship is discussed. The normal range corrected for age and sex is given.
Power control and scheduling for guaranteeing quality of service in cellular networks: Research Articles

Providing quality of service (QoS) guarantees is important in the third generation (3G) and the fourth generation (4G) cellular networks. However, large-scale fading and non-stationary small-scale fading can cause severe QoS violations. To address this issue, we design QoS provisioning schemes, which are robust against time-varying large scale path loss, shadowing, non-stationary small scale fading, and very low mobility. In our design, we utilize our recently developed effective capacity technique and the time-diversity dependent power control proposed in this paper. The key elements of our QoS provisioning schemes are channel estimation, power control, dynamic channel allocation, and adaptive transmission. The advantages of our QoS provisioning schemes are (1) power efficiency, (2) simplicity in QoS provisioning, (3) robustness against large-scale fading and non-stationary small-scale fading. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms are effective in providing QoS guarantees under various channel conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Testing the Efficacy of MyPsychlab to Replace Traditional Instruction in a Hybrid Course.

Online course-packs are marketed as improving grades in introductory-level coursework, yet it is unknown whether these course-packs can effectively replace, as opposed to supplement, in-class instr...
Mechanistic Insight into Patterned Supported Lipid Bilayer Self-Assembly

Patterned supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) provide a model system for studying fluid lipid bilayers and transmembrane proteins in an array format. SLB arrays self-assemble on patterned self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) consisting of hexadecanethiol and glycol-terminated regions. While the mechanism of SLB formation on glass has been studied extensively, the formation of SLBs on other substrates is not necessarily well understood. Moreover, SLB arrays on patterned SAMs represent an intriguing system, since lipid vesicles do not adhere to glycol-terminated monolayers. Here, we utilize surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) and kinetic analysis to examine the mechanism of SLB formation on the glycol-terminated regions of patterned SAMs and supported lipid monolayer (SLM) formation on alkyl-terminated regions of patterned SAMs. We determine that vesicles rupture to form a patterned SLB through a two-step mechanism that is dependent upon vesicle attachment at the interface of the two regions of the patterned m...
Testing climate-based species distribution models with recent field surveys of pond-breeding amphibians in eastern Missouri

Species distribution models (SDMs) have become an important tool for ecologists by providing the ability to pre- dict the distributions of organisms based on species niche parameters and available habitat across broad geographic areas. However, investigation of the appropriate extent of environmental data needed to make accurate predictions has received limited attention. We investigate whether SDMs developed with regional climate and species locality data (i.e., within Mis- souri, USA) produce more accurate predictions of species occurrences than models developed with data from across an en- tire species range. To test the accuracy of the model predictions, field surveys were performed in 2007 and 2008 at 103 study ponds for eight amphibian study species. Models developed using data from across the entire species range did not ac- curately predict the occurrences of any study species. However, models developed using data only from Missouri produced accurate predictions for four study species, all of which are near the edge of their geographic ranges within the study area. These results suggest that species distribution modeling with regionally focused data may be preferable for local ecological and conservation purposes, and that climate factors may be more important for determining species distributions at the edge of their geographic ranges. Resume : Les modeles de distribution des especes (SDM) sont devenus des outils importants pour les ecologistes qui veu- lent predire la repartition des organismes en fonction des parametres de leur niche et la disponibilite de leurs habitats sur de grands espaces geographiques. On s'est cependant peu interesse a la determination de l'etendue appropriee de donnees envi- ronnementales requise pour faire des predictions precises. Nous examinons si des SDM mis au point a partir de donnees re- gionales de climat et de localisation d'espece (c.-a-d., a l'echelle du Missouri, E.-U.) fournissent des predictions plus justes des occurrences de l'espece que les modeles mis au point avec des donnees provenant de l'ensemble de l'aire de repartition de cette espece. Afin de verifier la precision des predictions du modele, nous avons procede en 2007 et 2008 a des inventai- res de terrain de huit especes d'amphibiens choisies dans 103 etangs d'etude. Les modeles mis au point pour l'ensemble de l'aire de repartition des especes ne predisent avec precision les occurrences d'aucune des especes etudiees. Cependant, les modeles bases sur les seules donnees du Missouri fournissent des predictions justes pour quatre des especes retenues qui at- teignent toutes dans la region d'etude la limite de leur repartition geographique. Ces resultats indiquent que la modelisation des distributions d'especes a partir de donnees centrees sur la region peut etre preferable pour des objectifs locaux d'ecolo- gie et de conservation et que les facteurs climatiques peuvent etre plus importants pour expliquer la distribution des especes a la marge de leur repartition geographique. (Traduit par la Redaction)
Abstract 4018: Whole exome sequencing analysis of familial Medulloblastoma.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain cancer in children. Although MB can be categorized into four distinct subtypes, the underlying genetic changes required to promote MB remain unclear. We performed whole exome sequencing was performed on germ-line DNA from two affected cousins who were diagnosed at similar ages with classic WNT subtype MB, and their unaffected mothers, who are full sisters. We found cousins to be homozygous for a variant in a gene regulating WNT-signaling (variant 1), while their mothers were heterozygous. In a mouse model of WNT-type MB, incomplete penetrance and the requirement for inactivation of TP53 were observed. We, therefore, hypothesized that a deleterious mutation in the TP53 pathway may be present. Indeed, we found a single copy of a novel mutation in a regulator of TP53 shared between the affected cousins (variant 2). This allele segregated through the cousins’ maternal line as evidenced by both mothers being heterozygous for this allele. Finally, we identified a common homozygous variant in a gene involved in promoting RAS-mediated cell proliferation (variant 3). We found that mutations in the genes of variants 1 and 3 have been previously reported to be involved in sporadic MB, suggesting that what we observe in this family translates to sporadic disease. Thus, our model for MB development is that of a threshold effect in which combinations of both familial and common variants interact to increase susceptibility. We hypothesize that this model with incomplete penetrance may underlie cancer susceptibility in many families with apparent cancer predisposition syndromes but in whom no causative mutation has been identified. We also hypothesize that this multi-gene model with incomplete penetrance may also explain a proportion of apparently sporadic cases of cancer. This work underscores the advantages of analyzing sequence data from multiple well-chosen affected and unaffected individuals in well-chosen families for gene discovery in cancer and other complex diseases. It also puts forth a new model for analysis, incorporating both agnostic and hypothesis driven models using data from the literature and complementary datasets. Citation Format: Mark M. Sasaki, Andrew D. Skol, Trevor J. Pugh, Matthew Meyerson, Kenan Onel. Whole exome sequencing analysis of familial Medulloblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4018. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4018
Computing and Visualizing the Input Parameters of Arbitrary Planar Antennas via Eigenfunctions

We propose a method for modeling planar multiport antennas of arbitrary shape using characteristic mode theory (CMT) without physically including the feeds. The characteristic modes of the feed-free structure are expanded to form a basis for the eigenfields, and a virtual probe is introduced to excite the antenna. We develop a broadband multiport circuit model for the antenna impedance based on the excitation of each mode, where the feed locations only affect transformer ratios in the model, enabling design and analysis of arbitrary feed combinations over a wide frequency range. Because a CMT expansion can be computed for any planar geometry, the shape of the radiating element can also be arbitrary. While this approach is approximate, several examples are presented to demonstrate that its accuracy and flexibility make it suitable for various planar antenna design applications. With the rapid evaluation of input impedance at multiple excitation points, input parameters, such as the multiport S, Y, or Z parameters, can be plotted as a heat map on the antenna structure, facilitating planar multiport antenna optimization and feed selection.
Mitigation of safflor yellow injection on acute lung injury of rats induced by oleic acid

Objective To investigate the effects of safflor yellow (SY) injection on acute lung injury (ALI) rats induced by oleic acid (OA) and its potential mechanism. Methods Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups,including control group,OA group,OA+10 mg/kg anisodamine group,OA+8 mg/kg SY group,OA+16 mg/kg SY group,and OA+32 mg/kg SY group. Normal saline or anisodamine or SY were pretreated before 0.18 g/kg OA iv injection. The arterial partial pressure of oxygen,the pulmonary water content index,and MPO activity in lung tissue were determined; The mRNA level of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,ICAM-1,and VCAM-1 were measured by RT-PCR; And NF-κB p65 protein in nucleus observed by immunohistochemical technology,while the level of p38 MAPK protein phosphorylation in lung tissue was analyzed by Western blotting. Results The arterial partial pressure of oxygen in all SY groups was higher than that in OA group,while the pulmonary water content index and MPO activity were lower than those in OA group,as well as the mRNA level of the above inflammatory cytokines and the NF-κB p65 in nucleus and level of p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Conclusion SY could alleviate the lung tissue edema,increase the arterial partial pressure of oxygen,and depress MPO activity in ALI rat induced by OA. The SY mechanism of attenuating the acute lung injury may be associated with inhibiting the p38 phosphorylation and NF-κB activation and reducing inflammatory factors expression.
Designing performance-based measures to assess the scientific thinking skills of chemistry undergraduate researchers

Undergraduate research (UR) is a vetted educational tool that is commonly perceived to prepare students for entering graduate school and careers in STEM fields; however, scholarly attention to date has largely relied on self-report data, which may limit inferences about the causal effects on student outcomes. In light of this, recent calls have been made for innovative and rigorous assessment strategies to better understand the efficacy and impact of UR on key disciplinary skills, both in classroom and internship UR models, that can help inform decisions about educational refinement. To more accurately measure the effect of UR on students, well-designed performance-based assessments can be used to provide direct evidence to the development of targeted skills during their research experience. Given the limited availability of tested, adaptable (and freely available) performance measures for assessing undergraduate chemistry students' scientific thinking skills, this article outlines a five-step process drawn from the literature about how reliable tasks and rubrics can be developed by faculty interested in assessing the effect of research training in the lab and classroom. For this purpose, as an applied example, the manuscript describes the development, testing, and validation of the Performance assessment of Undergraduate Research Experiences (PURE) instrument, which was designed to directly characterize the effects of research experiences on chemistry students' analytical and data-driven decision-making through open-response tasks situated in real-world scientific problems. Initial results reveal that the PURE instrument has high face validity and good reliability in measuring the scientific thinking skills of chemistry student researchers, and documents differences in UR students' answer quality over time supporting the effect of UR on research skill growth and the viability of performance data to assess these changes.
Ischemia-induced endothelial cell dysfunction

Hemorrhagic transformation upon reperfusion therapy has focused attention on ischemia-induced endothelial dysfunction. This study examined whether hyperglycemia may induce hemorrhagic transformation by enhancing endothelial mitochondrial damage during ischemia and whether preconditioning (PC) stimuli may limit ischemia-induced endothelial damage. In vivo, rats received 2.8 M D-glucose or arabinose (1 ml/100 g; i.p.) prior to undergoing two hours of middle cerebral artery occlusion and transcardiac fixation for electron microscopy. In vitro, brain endothelial cells were exposed to a PC impulse (short-term oxygen glucose deprivation; OGD) prior to an injurious event (5 hours OGD). Endothelial injury was assessed by measuring lactate dehydrogenase release. Hyperglycemia during cerebral ischemia resulted in marked changes in endothelial morphology and mitochondrial swelling. Thus, in the ischemic hemisphere, there was no evidence of endothelial mitochondrial swelling in normoglycemic rats (mean profile width 0.22 ± 0.04 vs. 0.17 ± 0.01 µm in contralateral hemisphere) but there was marked swelling in hyperglycemic rats (0.44 ± 0.02 µm). In vitro, cells preconditioned with one hour of OGD one day prior to 5 hours of OGD, showed reduced lactate dehydrogenase release (p < 0.05). In conclusion, hyperglycemia may have specific adverse effects on endothelial cell mitochondria during ischemia. Preventing those effects may help to ameliorate blood-brain barrier disruption on reperfusion. Insights into how to prevent endothelial injury may come from determining the mechanisms involved in endothelial preconditioning.