cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toxicity of organic and inorganic selenium to mallard ducklings

The toxicity of selenomethionine and sodium selenite to mallard ducklings (Anas platyrhynchos) was measured by feeding each form from hatching to six weeks of age at dietary concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 ppm selenium. At 80 ppm selenium, sodium selenite caused 97.5% mortality by six weeks and selenomethionine caused 100% mortality. At 40 ppm, these two forms of selenium caused 25 and 12.5% mortality. No mortality occurred at 10 or 20 ppm. Diets containing 20, 40, or 80 ppm selenium in both forms caused decreases in food consumption and growth. The only statistically significant effect of 10 ppm selenium was with sodium selenite, which resulted in larger livers than controls. Selenomethionine was more readily stored in the liver than sodium selenite at levels above 10 ppm selenium in the diet. Based on comparisons of residues of selenium in livers of surviving and dead ducklings, concentrations in the liver were not diagnostic of death due to selenium poisoning. Because both forms of selenium resulted in severe reductions in food consumption, selenium-induced starvation may have been related to duckling mortality. It was not clear whether either form of selenium at 10 ppm in the diet resulted in a leveling off of selenium concentrations in the liver within six weeks.
Simultaneous determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) using reversed-phased ion-pairing liquid chromatography with dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

A method for the simultaneous determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) species in waters, soil leachates and synthetic bio-fluids is described. The method uses reversed-phase ion-pairing liquid chromatography to separate the chromium species and a dynamic reaction cell (DRC®) equipped ICP-MS for detection of chromium. Separation of the chromium species is carried out in less than 2 min. Cr(III) is complexed with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) prior to separation by mixing samples with the mobile phase containing 2.0 mM tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAOH), 0.5 mM EDTA (dipotassium salt), and 5% (vol/vol) methanol, adjusted to pH 7.6. The interfering 40Ar12C+ background peak at mass 52 was reduced by over four orders of magnitude to less than 200 cps by using 0.65 mL min−1 ammonia as a reaction gas and an RPq setting on the DRC of 0.75. Method detection limits (MDLs) of 0.09 μg L−1 for Cr(III) and 0.06 μg L−1 for Cr(VI) were obtained based on peak areas at mass 52 for 50 μL injections of low level spikes. Reproducibility at 2 μg L−1 was 3% RSD for 5 replicate injections. The tolerance of the method to various levels of common cations and anions found in natural waters and to matrix constituents found in soil leachates and simulated gastric and lung fluids was tested by performing spike recovery calculations for a variety of samples.
A highly sensitive ELISA D-dimer increases testing but not diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Objectives: To determine the effect of introducing a rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) D-dimer on the percentage of emergency department (ED) patients evaluated for pulmonary embolism (PE), the use of associated laboratory testing, pulmonary vascular imaging, and the diagnoses of PE. Methods: Patients evaluated for PE during three 120-day periods were enrolled: immediately before (period 1), immediately after (period 2), and one year after the introduction of a rapid ELISA D-dimer in the hospital. The frequency of ED patients evaluated for PE with any test, with D-dimer testing, and with pulmonary vascular imaging and the frequency of PE diagnosis during each time period were determined. Results: The percentage of patients evaluated for PE nearly doubled; from 1.36% (328/24,101) in period 1 to 2.58% (654/25,318) in period 2 and 2.42% (583/24,093) in period 3. The percentage of patients who underwent D-dimer testing increased more than fourfold; from 0.39% (93/24,101) in period 1 to 1.83% (464/25,318) in period 2 and 1.77% (427/24,093) in period 3. The percentage of patients who underwent pulmonary vascular imaging increased from 1.02% (247/24,101) in period 1 to 1.36% (344/25,318) in period 2 and to 1.39% (334/24,093) in period 3. There was no difference in the percentage of patients diagnosed as having PE in period 1 (0.20% [47/24,101]), period 2 (0.27% [69/25,318]), and period 3 (0.24% [58/24,093]). Conclusions: In the study's academic ED, introduction of ELISA D-dimer testing was accompanied by an increase in PE evaluations, D-dimer testing, and pulmonary vascular imaging; there was no observed change in the rate of PE diagnosis.
The hemodynamic pattern in tricuspid valve disease

Abstract 1. 1. The pressure curves from the right atrium in four patients with tricuspid regurgitation are presented. 2. 2. A pattern of severe organic tricuspid regurgitation is shown which is characterized by “ventricularization” of the right atrial pressure curve. 3. 3. The characteristics of the pressure curves aiding in differentiating organic from functional tricuspid regurgitation are discussed.
Allocating primary abd back-up copies of databases in distributed computer systems: a model and solution procedures

Abstract Given an existing set of computer installations, determining database partitions and allocating one or more copies of these partitions among computer installations, is a challenging problem frequently faced by designers of distributed computer systems. In this paper, the database partitioning and allocation problem is studied for a class of organizations that not only have widely dispersed operations and localized information demands, but also are critically dependent on their computer systems for their operations. This dependence on the availability of their information systems necessitates online back-up copies of their databases. A realistic model capturing many important facets of this problem is presented. An efficient solution procedure is outlined and computational experience with this procedure is reported. The use of the model in designing distributed computer systems is demonstrated with an example.
Open source software and the algorithm visualization community

Abstract Algorithm visualizations are widely viewed as having the potential for major impact on computer science education, but their quality is highly variable. We report on the software development practices used by creators of algorithm visualizations, based on data that can be inferred from a catalog of over 600 algorithm visualizations. Since nearly all are free for use and many provide source code, they might be construed as being open source software. Yet many AV developers do not appear to have used open source best practices. We discuss how such development practices might be employed by the algorithm visualization community, and how they might lead to improved algorithm visualizations in the future. We conclude with a discussion of OpenDSA, an open-source project that builds on earlier progress in the field of algorithm visualization and hopes to use open-source procedures to gain users and contributors.
Young adult perceptions of smoking in outdoor park areas

Abstract Purpose Smoking restrictions in recreational settings are established to promote anti-smoking norms and reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. Outdoor smoke-free policies are increasing, yet little is known about the perceptions of such restrictions. Methods Data were collected from a population-based sample of young adults (n=2289) in upper Midwestern United States. Cross-sectional multivariate logistic regression was used to assess predictors of the perceived difficulty to smoke in outdoor park areas. Results Living in an area with a smoke-free park policy was associated with a 1.4 times higher odds of perceiving difficulty to smoke compared to those living in an area without such a policy, after controlling for past month smoking, physical activity, age, and gender. Both smokers and non-smokers living in an area with a smoke-free park policy had higher odds of perceiving difficulty to smoking in park areas (OR=1.6 and 1.3 respectively) compared to smokers and non-smokers living in areas without such policies. Conclusion Banning smoking in park areas was associated with a heightened perception of difficulty in smoking for young adult smokers and non-smokers.
Localizing practice effects in dual-task performance

Practice effects on dual-task processing are of interest in current research because they may reveal the scope and limits of parallel task processing. Here we used onsets of the lateralized readiness potential (LRP), a time marker for the termination of response selection, to assess processing changes after five consecutive dual-task sessions with three stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) and priority on Task 1. Practice reduced reaction times in both tasks and the interference between tasks. As indicated by the LRP, the reduction of dual-task costs can be explained most parsimoniously by a shortening of the temporal demands of central bottleneck stages, without assuming parallel processing. However, the LRP also revealed a hitherto unreported early activation over the parietal scalp after practice in the short SOA condition, possibly indicating the isolation of stimulus–response translation from other central processing stages. In addition, further evidence was obtained from the LRP for a late motoric bot...
An extension of "A new method of computing the state transition matrix of linear time-varying systems"

The class of linear time-varying systems \dot{x}(t) = A (t)x(t) where the state transition matrix can be computed by \Phi(t,0) = exp (A_{1}t) exp (A_{2}t) is extended to the cases where eigenvalues of A(t) need not be independent of t .
A Distributed Graph Algorithm for Geometric Routing in Ad Hoc Wireless Networks

This paper presented a fully distributed algorithm to compute a planar subgraph of the underlying wireless connectivity graph. This work considered the idealized unit disk graph model in which nodes are assumed to be connected if, and only if, nodes are within their transmission range. The main contribution of this work is a fully distributed algorithm to extract the connected, planar graph for routing in the wireless networks. The communication cost of the proposed algorithm is O(d log d) bits, where d is the degree of a node. In addition, this paper also presented a geometric routing algorithm and established its lower bound. The algorithm is fully distributed and nodes know only the position of other nodes and can communicate with neighboring nodes in their transmission range.
Trade‐offs in community ecology: linking spatial scales and species coexistence

Trade-offs in species performances of different ecological functions is one of the most common explanations for coexistence in communities. Despite the potential for species coexistence occurring at local or regional spatial scales, trade-offs are typically approached at a single scale. In recent years, ecologists have increasingly provided evidence for the importance of community processes at both local and regional spatial scales. This review summarizes the theoretical predictions for the traits associated with trade-offs under different conditions and at different spatial scales. We provide a spatial framework for understanding trade-offs, coexistence and the supportive empirical evidence. Predictions are presented that link the patterns of diversity observed to the patterns of trade-offs that lead to coexistence at different spatial scales. Recent evidence for the evolution of trade-offs under different conditions is provided which explores both laboratory microcosm studies and phylogenetic tests. Examining trade-offs within a spatial framework can provide a strong approach to understanding community structure and dynamics, while explaining patterns of species diversity.
Unsupervised segmentation of color-texture regions in images and video

A method for unsupervised segmentation of color-texture regions in images and video is presented. This method, which we refer to as JSEG, consists of two independent steps: color quantization and spatial segmentation. In the first step, colors in the image are quantized to several representative classes that can be used to differentiate regions in the image. The image pixels are then replaced by their corresponding color class labels, thus forming a class-map of the image. The focus of this work is on spatial segmentation, where a criterion for "good" segmentation using the class-map is proposed. Applying the criterion to local windows in the class-map results in the "J-image," in which high and low values correspond to possible boundaries and interiors of color-texture regions. A region growing method is then used to segment the image based on the multiscale J-images. A similar approach is applied to video sequences. An additional region tracking scheme is embedded into the region growing process to achieve consistent segmentation and tracking results, even for scenes with nonrigid object motion. Experiments show the robustness of the JSEG algorithm on real images and video.
Cherenkov-excited luminescence scanned imaging

Ionizing radiation is commonly delivered by medical linear accelerators (LINAC) in the form of shaped beams, and it is able to induce Cherenkov emission in tissue. In fluorescence-based microscopy excitation from scanned spots, lines, or sheets can be used for fast high-resolution imaging. Here we introduce Cherenkov-excited luminescence scanned imaging (CELSI) as a new imaging methodology utilizing 2-dimensional (∼5-mm-thick) sheets of LINAC radiation to produce Cherenkov photons, which in turn excite luminescence of probes distributed in biological tissues. Imaging experiments were performed by scanning these excitation sheets in three orthogonal directions while recording Cherenkov-excited luminescence. Tissue phantom studies have shown that single luminescent inclusions ∼1 mm in diameter can be imaged within 20-mm-thick tissue-like media with minimal loss of spatial resolution. Using a phosphorescent probe for oxygen, PtG4 with the CELSI methodology, an image of partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) was imaged in a rat lymph node, quantitatively restoring pO2 values in differently oxygenated tissues.
Idiopathic anaphylaxis: Classification, evaluation, and treatment of 123 patients

The manifestations, evaluation, treatment, and course of 123 patients with idiopathic anaphylaxis (IA) are described for a total of 374 patient years of our management. Observation of this group of patients resulted in the description and classification of IA as one or more episodes of generalized IA with multiple systemic manifestations or IA with life-threatening angioedema of the tongue or larynx. Therapy is based on the frequency of episodes. Acute therapy is appropriate for infrequent episodes, but prophylactic therapy is indicated for frequent episodes. In patients with frequent episodes, remissions can be induced and maintained with prednisone. Prolonged remissions may occur after prednisone is stopped. There have been no deaths from IA in patients managed by our service. By definition, there is no identifiable antigen responsible for episodes of IA, and there is no underlying disease in these patients. A mast cell basophil-activation mechanism is suggested. IA may represent the most severe form of a spectrum of diseases that include idiopathic urticaria and angioedema.
Government and Environmental Innovation in Europe and North America

This article challenges certain tenets of the theories of reflexive law and ecological modernization. While far-sighted prevention-oriented and structural changes are needed, some proponents of these theories argue that the very industries and firms that create environmental problems can, through continuous institutional learning; the application of life cycle analysis; dialogue and networks with stakeholders; and implementation of "environmental management systems," be transformed into sustainable industries and firms. While useful, these reforms are insufficient. It is not marginal or incremental changes that are needed for sustainability, but rather major product, process, and system transformations — often beyond the capacity of the dominant industries and firms. This article also questions the alleged failure of regulation to stimulate needed technological changes, and identifies the conditions under which innovation for sustainability can occur. Finally, it discusses differences in needed policies for industrialized and developing countries.
Information processing in the inferior colliculus of cat using high frequency acoustical stimulation and direct electrical stimulation of the osseous spiral laminae.

In studies of the single unit neural response of the inferior colliculus which attempt to avoid the effects of neural volleying by using high frequency acoustical stimuli and direct electrical stimulation of nervous processes in the osseous spiral laminae of the cochlea, we have observed that, given knowledge of a neuron's characteristic frequency, the necessary and sufficient stimulus is either f . t . i = a constant, or f . t . τ = a constant, where f is bandwidth, t is duration, i is interaural intensity differences, and τ is interaural differences in time of signal arrival. The first stimulus form ( f . t . i ) is always effective in producing a neural response and predominates over the second stimulus form ( f . t . τ ) in eliciting a response. Most neurons are sensitive to lateralizing stimuli, i.e., to i (contralateral) vs i (ipsilateral) and to τ (contralateral) vs τ (ipsilateral). We have also observed that the effect of changes in i is usually correlated more with diminution in the absolute value of the contralateral input than the ipsilateral, perhaps indicating a “priming” effect and leading to the view that the inferior colliculus is biased toward the reception of contralateral sounds. Any of these effects may be registered neuronally in at least three different ways - (1) by changes in averaged spike count height at a set time; (2) by changes in latency of a set averaged spike count peak; or (3) by changes in total spike count.
Robust decision feedback detection of M-DPSK

Decision feedback differential detection (DFDD) of M-DPSK in Rayleigh fading channels significantly outperforms the conventional two-symbol differential detector. However, computation of the feedback coefficients of DFDD requires the knowledge of second order statistics of the channel, and any imperfections therein can severely degrade the error performance of DFDD. While adaptive DFDD schemes circumvent this problem, high computational complexity associated with them may prohibit their practical application. In this paper, we propose a "fixed-coefficient" (i.e., no adaptation is required) DFDD that is robust to variations in channel statistics, provided that the power spectral density of the channel varies-over a known set of functions. For the special case of Jakes' fading model, the proposed DFDD performs close to the recursive least square algorithm based DFDD if the Doppler spread is unknown to the receiver, providing excellent performance versus complexity trade-off.
Blind separation of nonstationary sources based on spatial time-frequency distributions

Blind source separation (BSS) based on spatial time-frequency distributions (STFDs) provides improved performance over blind source separation methods based on second-order statistics, when dealing with signals that are localized in the time-frequency (t-f) domain. In this paper, we propose the use of STFD matrices for both whitening and recovery of the mixing matrix, which are two stages commonly required in many BSS methods, to provide robust BSS performance to noise. In addition, a simple method is proposed to select the auto-and cross-term regions of time-frequency distribution (TFD). To further improve the BSS performance, t-f grouping techniques are introduced to reduce the number of signals under consideration, and to allow the receiver array to separate more sources than the number of array sensors, provided that the sources have disjoint t-f signatures. With the use of one or more techniques proposed in this paper, improved performance of blind separation of nonstationary signals can be achieved.
Localized feature selection to maximize discrimination

We present an automatic method of designing correlation filters for pattern recognition that are composed of select local features (i.e., small parts of a reference object). The local features are selected for their ability to discriminate between the reference object and other known objects or patterns. In the basic localized feature selection problem, we design a correlation filter from a single optimal local feature. In the general localized feature selection problem, we design a correlation filter composed of several local features. We show that the discrimination ability of a correlation filter designed form properly selected local features is actually greater than the discrimination ability of a traditional matched filter.
Dexmedetomidine as sole sedative for awake intubation in management of the critical airway

We report a series of successful awake fiberoptic intubations in patients with critical (unstable, difficult) airways using the alpha(2)-agonist, dexmedetomidine. Dexmedetomidine has several desirable pharmacologic properties, including sedation, anxiolysis, hypnosis, analgesia, amnesia, antisialagogue effects, and a unique respiratory-sparing effect. Dexmedetomidine appears to be a useful agent for sedation during awake fiberoptic intubation in difficult airway patients.
Latency Viewed as a Stochastic Process and its Impact on Wide Area Power System Control Signals

A method of calculating the communication delay (latency) for measurements and control signals in a power system is shown. The basis of the calculation is a dedicated communication channel for control signals. The time delay calculation is examined using a dynamic equivalent of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council transmission system. The impact on control system response is discussed. The application given is a wide area control system for interarea mode damping. Results demonstrate that control signal latency can degrade the performance of controls in a wide area control system.
Rejection of bone marrow allografts by mice with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). Evidence that natural killer cells can mediate the specificity of marrow graft rejection

C.B-17 scid (H-2d) mice are homozygous for the gene that causes severe combined immune deficiency (SCID). These mice have no T or B cell function, yet display normal natural killer (NK) activity. Irradiated SCID mice were challenged with marrow grafts to determine if antibodies are necessary for marrow allograft rejection. SCID mice rejected H-2/Hh-1 allogeneic marrow grafts. Moreover, this rejection capability could be adoptively transferred using SCID marrow as a source of NK progenitors infused into irradiated B6 (H-2b) hosts. We conclude that NK cells can mediate marrow allograft reactivity in the absence of immunoglobulin. It follows that NK cells probably have specific receptors for Hh antigens.
Unexpected ricochet of spheres off water

A sphere was observed to apparently ricochet off the free surface of water at incident angles as large as 45° while the expected (empirical/analytical) maximum angle to the horizontal for ricochet was 6°. Closer examination of the process revealed that the cavitating sphere penetrated the liquid to depths as great as 35 sphere diameters. Under certain circumstances the sphere was also observed to leave the liquid in a direction close to the incoming direction; that is, the sphere ricocheted backwards! This peculiar behavior was found to be a result of an unintentional spin applied to the sphere upon launching. By crudely modelling the process, the sphere path is qualitatively predicted. It was found that the drag and lift coefficients required to model the trajectory data were several times smaller than those obtained for the non-cavitating case or for the non-spinning case. If more precise sphere trajectory data were available, this experiment could be used to measure the lift and drag coefficients of a spinning and cavitating sphere.
Digital processing of an interferometric velocimeter for ballistic shock measurement

We have developed a ballistic shock sensor based on interferometric velocimetry. The requirements of the sensor are that it should measure the motion of an impacted armored plate with velocities up to 10 m/s, frequencies up to 100 kHz, and displacements not exceeding about 3 mm. Our fiber optic system uses a 3 × 3 fiber directional coupler and digital demodulation for passive stabilization of the interferometer. In this paper, we describe the digital signal processing for phase drift compensation and automatic calibration of the system. Simulation results will be presented.
The day-long antianginal effectiveness of nitroglycerin patches. A double-blind study using dose-titration.

This study was designed to determine the day-long antianginal effectiveness of nitroglycerin patches in the nitrate-exposed patient, as well as the doses required. Eight men with chronic stable angina, a positive treadmill test, and demonstrated responsiveness to long-term oral isosorbide dinitrate were studied after they had been taking effective doses of isosorbide dinitrate three times a day for at least two weeks. Treadmill exercise bouts were performed every 1 to 2 hours over 1 day, after the 8 AM application of active nitroglycerin patches in a previously titrated dose, and on another day after application of placebo patches. Mean necessary effective patch dose was 125 sq cm (60 to 220 sq cm). Mean exercise duration to angina rose from 271 to 480 s (p (Chest 1991; 99:1120-25)
A Nash game algorithm for SIR-based power control in 3G wireless CDMA networks

We propose a new algorithm for distributed power control in cellular communication systems. We define a cost for each mobile that consists of a weighted sum of power and square of signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) error and obtain the static Nash equilibrium for the resulting costs. The algorithm requires only interference power measurements and/or SIR measurements from the base station and converges even in cases where limits on available power render the target SIRs unattainable. Examples generated using realistic data demonstrate that, in demanding environments, the Nash equilibrium power provides substantial power savings as compared to the power balancing algorithm while reducing the achieved SIR only slightly. Additional simulations show that the benefit of the Nash equilibrium power control over the power balancing solution increases as the receiver noise power or number of users in the cell increases. The algorithm has the advantage that it can be implemented distributively. An additional benefit of the algorithm is that, based on their chosen cost function, mobiles may choose to "opt out", i.e., stop transmitting, if they determine that the power required to achieve their SIR objectives is more expensive to them than not transmitting at all.
A cost-effective junior resident training and assessment simulator for orthopaedic surgical skills via fundamentals of orthopaedic surgery: AAOS exhibit selection.

Background: Psychomotor testing has been recently incorporated into residency training programs not only to objectively assess a surgeon’s abilities but also to address current patient-safety advocacy and medicolegal trends. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a cost-effective psychomotor training and assessment tool—The Fundamentals of Orthopaedic Surgery (FORS)—for junior-level orthopaedic surgery resident education. Methods: An orthopaedic skills board was made from supplies purchased at a local hardware store with a total cost of less than $350 so as to assess six different psychomotor skills. The six skills included fracture reduction, three-dimensional drill accuracy, simulated fluoroscopy-guided drill accuracy, depth-of-plunge minimization, drill-by-feel accuracy, and suture speed and quality. Medical students, residents, and attending physicians from three orthopaedic surgery residency programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education participated in the study. Twenty-five medical students were retained for longitudinal training and testing for four weeks. Each training session involved an initial examination followed by thirty minutes of board training. The time to perform each task was measured with accuracy measurements for the appropriate tasks. Statistical analysis was done with one-way analysis of variance, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Forty-seven medical students, twenty-nine attending physicians, and fifty-eight orthopaedic surgery residents participated in the study. Stratification among medical students, junior residents, and senior residents and/or attending physicians was found in all tasks. The twenty-five medical students who were retained for longitudinal training improved significantly above junior resident level in four of the six tasks. Conclusions: The FORS is an effective simulator of basic motor skills that translates across a wide variety of operations and has the potential to advance junior-level participants to senior resident skill level. Clinical Relevance: The FORS simulator may serve as a valuable tool for resident education.
Internal wave spectrum in shallow water: measurement and comparison with the Garrett-Munk model

The covariance matrix of sound-speed variations is determined from yo-yo CTD data collected during the SWARM 95 experiment at a fixed station. The data covered approximately 2 h and were collected during a period when nonlinear solitary internal waves were absent or negligible. The method of empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) is applied to the sound-speed covariance matrix assuming that the internal wave modes are uncorrelated. The first five eigenvectors are found to agree well with the theoretically modeled eigenfunctions based on the measured buoyancy frequency and the internal wave eigenmode equation. The mode amplitudes for the first five modes are estimated from the corresponding eigenvalues. They agree with the Garrett-Munk model if j*=1 is used instead of j*=3. A second method is used to deduce the mode amplitudes and mode frequency spectra by projecting the sound-speed variation (as a function of time) onto the theoretical mode depth functions. The mode amplitudes estimated with this method are in agreement with the EOF results. A modified Garrett-Munk model is proposed to fit the frequency spectrum of linear internal waves in shallow water.
A comparative transcriptomic study of an allotetraploid and its diploid progenitors illustrates the unique advantages and challenges of RNA-seq in plant species.

 Premise of the study: RNA-seq analysis of plant transcriptomes poses unique challenges due to the highly duplicated nature of plant genomes. We address these challenges in the context of recently formed polyploid species and detail an RNA-seq experiment comparing the leaf transcriptome profi le of an allopolyploid relative of soybean with the diploid species that contributed its homoeologous genomes.  Methods: RNA-seq reads were obtained from the three species and were aligned against the genome sequence of Glycine max. Transcript levels were estimated for each gene, relative contributions of polyploidy-duplicated loci (homoeologues) in the tetraploid were identifi ed, and comparisons of transcript profi les and individual genes were used to analyze the regulation of transcript levels.  Key results: We present a novel metric developed to address issues arising from high degrees of gene space duplication and a method for dissecting a gene ’ s measured transcript level in a polyploid species into the relative contribution of its homoeologues. We identify the gene family likely contributing to differences in photosynthetic rate between the allotetraploid and its progenitors and show that the tetraploid appears to be using the “ redundant ” gene copies in novel ways.  Conclusions: Given the prevalence of polyploidy events in plants, we believe many of the approaches developed here to be applicable, and often necessary, in most plant RNA-seq experiments. The deep sampling provided by RNA-seq allows us to dissect the genetic underpinnings of specifi c phenotypes as well as examine complex interactions within polyploid genomes.
Testing of high-power semiconductor laser bars

A measurement system called laser bar prober for characterizing high-power semiconductor edge-emitting laser bars is described. The laser bar prober is fully automated to handle testing of large numbers of lasers, is multifunctional to measure various laser characteristics and is accurate in predicting performance of fully mounted lasers. The bar prober has been proven to be an effective instrument for screening lasers during manufacturing process as well as an indispensable tool for providing rapid feedback to the development of new laser structures. In this paper, the design of the laser bar prober is described and a few examples of its applications are given; in particular, a time-resolved technique to correlate the measurement data of a laser within a laser bar to those of a fully mounted laser is demonstrated.
Diameter Dependence of the Refractive Index of Melt-Drawn Glass Fibers

The diameter dependence of the refractive index of as-formed glass fibers is examined. It is shown that the measured results on fibers of a soda–lime–silica glass can be satisfactorily explained by combining three factors: the diameter dependence of the cooling rate, the cooling rate dependence of the fictive temperature, and the dependence of glass properties on its fictive temperature.
Soil microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrous oxide emissions from urban afforestation in the New York City Afforestation Project

Abstract The establishment of stands of trees in previously unforested areas (afforestation) is active in cities around the world. Given the complex and often degraded state of urban soils, there is great interest in soil biological processes that support plant growth but may also produce greenhouse gases in these new forests. We measured soil to atmosphere fluxes of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in order to determine how the presence/absence of shrubs and compost in urban afforestation site preparation affects the emission of this potent greenhouse gas. To complement the measurement of N 2 O flux, microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), potential net N mineralization and nitrification, microbial respiration, and soil inorganic N were measured in experimentally afforested plots in New York City, USA. Results suggest that afforestation with shrubs and trees stimulates smaller fluxes of N 2 O from soils than afforestation without shrubs and trees. The range of N 2 O flux observed from recently afforested plots was −0.031–0.641 ng N cm −2 h −1 . There were no significant differences in N 2 O fluxes and microbial biomass C between sites with shrubs and/or one–time application of compost. The results suggest that afforestation efforts to create natural vegetation structure (i.e. canopy trees with understory plants) and foster a functional microbial community through additions of organic matter may not increase emissions of N 2 O to the atmosphere. Rather, this method of afforestation site preparation may tighten C and N cycles and leave N 2 O emissions in these urban ecosystems unchanged.
Is transcatheter aortic valve replacement a safe treatment for elderly patients with severe aortic valve stenosis

Purpose This article's purpose is to make advanced practice nurses (APNs) aware of a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for treating symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis in elderly patients. These patients are not safe surgical candidates because of their age and prohibitive risk profile, but they can benefit from valve replacement. Methods A systematic literature review was completed by searching online databases such as CINAHL, PubMed, and Google. Research articles from 2008 to 2014 were retrieved from various medical journals such as The American Journal of Cardiology, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, and New England Journal of Medicine. Key words used in the search were aortic valve replacement, elderly patients, and severe aortic stenosis (AS). Conclusion Minimally invasive TAVR is highly superior to the medical treatment including aortic valvuloplasty and is noninferior to the surgical aortic valve replacement for the treatment of symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis in elderly patients who are not safe surgical candidates. Implications for practice APNs have the education and skills to diagnose AS. Hence, they should stay abreast of new treatments and provide safe care and referrals for their patients diagnosed with severe AS.
The Continuing Development of E. coli as a Heterologous Host for Complex Natural Product Biosynthesis

Heterologous biosynthesis of natural products is meant to enable access to the vast array of valuable properties associated with these compounds. Often motivated by limitations inherent in native production hosts, the heterologous biosynthetic process begins with a candidate host regarded as technically advanced relative to original producing organisms. Given this requirement, E. coli has been a top choice for heterologous biosynthesis attempts as associated recombinant tools emerged and continue to develop. However, success requires overcoming challenges associated with natural product formation, including complex biosynthetic pathways and the need for metabolic support. These two challenges have been heavily featured in cellular engineering efforts completed to position E. coli as a viable surrogate host. This chapter outlines steps taken to engineer E. coli with an emphasis on genetic manipulations designed to support the heterologous production of polyketide, nonribosomal peptide, and similarly complex natural products.
A Phase 1 study of ARRY-543, a potent, selective, reversible inhibitor of ErbB receptors

B257 Background: ARRY-543 is an ATP-competitive, selective, reversible inhibitor of EGFR and ErbB2, and, in human tumor xenografts, ARRY-543 is active against both EGFR- and ErbB2-driven tumors. This Phase I open-label study was designed to determine the MTD and PK of QD and BID dosing schedules. Methods: Escalating doses of ARRY-543 were administered in successive cohorts (QD and BID regimens) of pts with solid tumors. All pts received a single oral dose followed by one week of safety and PK evaluations. Daily dosing (QD or BID) started on Day 8, with steady state PK assessments on Day 22 and tumor imaging every 2nd Cycle. Results: As of July 2007, 46 subjects have been enrolled: 22M/24F, median age 59 yrs (34-82), ECOG PS of 0 (n=9), 1 (n=32) or 2 (n=5). ARRY-543 was administered at doses of 50, 100, 200 300, and 400 mg QD and 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg BID. The half-life of the drug is approximately 6.6 hours, independent of dose. ARRY-543 showed increasing dose-related drug exposure, with a mean steady-state plasma AUC24hr of 71 µg-hr/mL at the 300 mg BID dose and, preliminarily, an AUC24hr of 125 µg-hr/mL at the 400 mg BID dose. At both these BID doses, the Ctrough drug concentrations exceeded 2 µg/mL, providing drug levels capable, based on pre-clinical data, of continuously inhibiting the target. In both QD and BID dosing regimes, the most common grade 1/ 2 adverse events have been rash, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting; both rash and fatigue showing dose-related trends. Two of 4 pts in the 400 mg QD dose cohort experienced DLTs (grade 3 fatigue (1) and grade 3 fatigue and grade 3 diarrhea (1)). Interestingly, no DLTs were been observed in the 300 mg BID dose cohort, and only 1 of 6 patients treated at the 400 mg BID dose level has experienced a DLT (rapidly reversible Grade 3 fatigue). This occurred despite substantially higher drug AUCs in both BID cohorts compared to the 400 QD cohort. No objective responses have been observed but, in the 100-300 mg BID cohorts, eight of fifteen patients had stable disease, remaining on therapy for 12 - 32+ wks. Conclusions: Given once a day, the MTD of ARRY-543 is 300 mg, with fatigue being the DLT at 400 mg. This toxicity was not as prominent on a twice daily dosing schedule and the MTD for ARRY-543 may be ≥ 400 mg BID. Systemic concentrations of ARRY-543 increased with escalating doses at all dose levels tested. Preliminary evidence of clinical activity was long-lasting stable disease. An expansion phase of this study is underway and will provide a preliminary assessment of biological activity in ErbB2+ breast cancer patients and other ErbB-driven cancers.
GaAs Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits

Publisher Summary GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology encompasses the disciplines of semiconductor materials and devices, microwave circuit design, and fields and waves. This chapter provides an overview of GaAs monolithic microwave technology, and describes the GaAs materials and device technologies that support the circuit technology, circuit design and fabrication techniques, examples of circuits that have been built, unresolved issues, and projections for evolution of the technology. GaAs MMIC technology's origin is based in GaAs materials and microwave device technology. The chapter discusses relative advantages and disadvantages of this technology compared to other microwave circuit technologies, and describes different types of MMIC circuits that can be built using the technology. It also highlights the fundamentals of GaAs microwave device technology. The chapter describes unique features of GaAs as a semiconductor material that make it particularly suited to fabrication of high-performance high-speed devices. It also discusses a few practical aspects of GaAs microwave device physics.
The Medieval Islamic Hospital: Medicine, Religion, and Charity

Introduction Prologue: a tale of two bimaristans Part I. Building a Bimaristan: 1. From Jerusalem to Damascus: the monumental bimaristans of the Levant 2. Reclaiming the past: the (new) bimaristans of Egypt 3. 'The best of deeds': medical patronage in Mamluk Egypt Part II. Physicians and Patients: 4. Theory and practice: the reign of the bimaristan physicians 5. 'A house for king and slave': the patients of the bimaristan Conclusion Annex: who built the first Islamic hospital?
Broad focus declaratives in Veneto-Spanish bilinguals: Peak alignment and language contact

This paper examines peak alignment in Veneto-Spanish bilinguals in the small community of Chipilo, Mexico. We have two goals: First, to provide a description of the peak alignment patterns present in bilingual Chipilo Spanish. As Chipilo Spanish is in contact with a northern Italian variety (Veneto), we hypothesize that changes in peak alignment from monolingual norms, specifically regarding early peak alignment, may be due to transfer from Veneto. Second, we seek to compare the present data, based on controlled speech, to the results of a previous study on semi-spontaneous speech in Chipilo Spanish, contributing to the literature that compares methodologies in intonation research (see Face 2003). Our results show that bilinguals demonstrate early peaks in controlled speech, although to a lesser extent than in semi-spontaneous speech. We attribute this to contact with Veneto and a strong sense of ethnolinguistic identity that leads speakers to maintain features of a Chipileno variety of Spanish.
The recognition of lipolytic activity with the microscope.

In view of its probable wide applicability, it seems desirable to publish a note on a simple technic for the recognition with the microscope of the action of lipase. In brief, the method is to make an emulsion of neutral fat previously stained with a red Sudan stain, subject some of the emulsion to the action of the supposed lipase for an appropriate time and then examine with the microscope a recovered drop of the emulsion in a solution of Nile blue sulfate. It has long been known that Nile blue sulfate stains liquid neutral fats a reddish color and fatty acids blue.
The well-bottom trace analysis of one-cone bit

The well-bottom trace of cone bit is the important character. It was formerly attained throughexperiment that was arduous and taking time. In the paper the well-bottom trace of one-cone bit is gainedby computer simulation. It is analyzed how structural parameters of cone bit affect the well-bottom trace,and the major characters are fo und out that affect the well-bottom trace. The well-bottom trace of one-cone bit through computer simulation and that through experiment are compared, testing the right of simulation results and the availability of computer simulation. Some useful advice is given to subsequent bit design.
Radiation-associated Kidney Injury

Radiation-associated kidney injury, also known as radiation nephropathy, can occur in both the acute and chronic phase, but most commonly occurs 6–12 months after exposure. It is difficult to predict who is at risk for radiation nephropathy because of the varying doses, dosing fractionation and other systemic treatments cancer patients receive. Patients typically present with hypertension, edema and proteinuria consistent with an acute kidney injury but can also be accompanied by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with schistocytes and thrombocytopenia. Renal biopsy findings are not specific to radiation injury and are more typical of HUS. Progression to chronic renal failure and ultimately to dialysis dependence is common. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are increasingly being used as successful treatment. The development of end stage renal disease is a poor prognostic event in these patients and survival on chronic dialysis is poor compared to that of age-matched non-diabetic and diabetic patients.
The Social Consequences of Marketing: Macromarketing and Public Policy

The study of the social consequences of marketing actions, the understanding of the causal factors underlying those consequences, and the analysis of corrective strategy form a central thrust of ma...
Occult and subsequent cancer incidence following risk-reducing surgery in BRCA mutation carriers

Abstract Objective To report the frequency and features of occult carcinomas and the incidence of subsequent cancers following risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in BRCA mutation carriers. Methods 257 consecutive women with germline BRCA mutations who underwent RRSO between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2014 were identified in an Institutional Review Board approved study. All patients were asymptomatic with normal physical exams, CA 125 values, and imaging studies preoperatively, and had at least 12months of follow-up post-RRSO. All patients had comprehensive adnexal sectioning performed. Patient demographics and clinico-pathologic characteristics were extracted from medical and pathology records. Results The cohort included 148 BRCA1 , 98 BRCA2 , 6 BRCA not otherwise specified (NOS), and 5 BRCA1 and 2 mutation carriers. Occult carcinoma was seen in 14/257 (5.4%) of patients: 9 serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STIC), 3 tubal cancers, 1 ovarian cancer, and 1 endometrial cancer. Three patients (1.2%) with negative pathology at RRSO subsequently developed primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC), and 2 of 9 patients (22%) with STIC subsequently developed pelvic serous carcinoma. 110 women (43%) were diagnosed with breast cancer prior to RRSO, and 14 of the remaining 147 (9.5%) developed breast cancer following RRSO. Median follow-up of the cohort was 63months. Conclusion In this cohort, 5.4% of asymptomatic BRCA mutation carriers had occult carcinomas at RRSO, 86% of which were tubal in origin. The risk of subsequent PPSC for women with benign adnexa at RRSO is low; however, the risk of pelvic serous carcinoma among women with STIC is significantly higher.