cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing methods for assigning SNPs to genes in gene-based tests of association using common variants.

Gene-based tests of association are frequently applied to common SNPs (MAF>5%) as an alternative to single-marker tests. In this analysis we conduct a variety of simulation studies applied to five popular gene-based tests investigating general trends related to their performance in realistic situations. In particular, we focus on the impact of non-causal SNPs and a variety of LD structures on the behavior of these tests. Ultimately, we find that non-causal SNPs can significantly impact the power of all gene-based tests. On average, we find that the “noise” from 6–12 non-causal SNPs will cancel out the “signal” of one causal SNP across five popular gene-based tests. Furthermore, we find complex and differing behavior of the methods in the presence of LD within and between non-causal and causal SNPs. Ultimately, better approaches for a priori prioritization of potentially causal SNPs (e.g., predicting functionality of non-synonymous SNPs), application of these methods to sequenced or fully imputed datasets, and limited use of window-based methods for assigning inter-genic SNPs to genes will improve power. However, significant power loss from non-causal SNPs may remain unless alternative statistical approaches robust to the inclusion of non-causal SNPs are developed.
Actin reorganization as the molecular basis for the regulation of apoptosis in gastrointestinal epithelial cells

The gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium is a rapidly renewing tissue in which apoptosis represents part of the overall homeostatic process. Regulation of apoptosis in the GI epithelium is complex with a precise relationship between cell position and apoptosis. Apoptosis occurs spontaneously and in response to radiation and cytotoxic drugs at the base of the crypts. By contrast, the villus epithelial cells are extremely resistant to apoptosis. The molecular mechanism underlying this loss of function of villus epithelial cells to undergo apoptosis shortly after their exit from the crypt is unknown. In this study we demonstrate for the first time, that deletion of two homologous actin-binding proteins, villin and gelsolin renders villus epithelial cells extremely sensitive to apoptosis. Ultrastructural analysis of the villin-gelsolin−/− double-knockout mice shows an abnormal accumulation of damaged mitochondria demonstrating that villin and gelsolin function on an early step in the apoptotic signaling at the level of the mitochondria. A characterization of functional and ligand-binding mutants demonstrate that regulated changes in actin dynamics determined by the actin severing activities of villin and gelsolin are required to maintain cellular homeostasis. Our study provides a molecular basis for the regulation of apoptosis in the GI epithelium and identifies cell biological mechanisms that couple changes in actin dynamics to apoptotic cell death.
Genotype x environment interaction for male attractiveness in an acoustic moth: evidence for plasticity and canalization.

The lek paradox arises when choosy females deplete the genetic variance for male display traits from a population, yet substantial additive genetic variation (VA) in male traits persists. Thus, the lek paradox can be more generally stated as one of the most fundamental evolutionary questions: What maintains genetic variation in natural populations? One solution to this problem may be found in the condition-dependent nature of many sexually selected traits. Genotype × environment (G × E) interactions can maintain VA under conditions of environmental heterogeneity provided certain restrictions are met, although antagonistic pleiotropy has also been proposed as a mechanism. Here, we provide evidence for G × E interactions and against the role of antagonistic pleiotropy in the maintenance of VA for sexually selected traits. Using inbred lines of the lesser waxmoth Achroia grisella, we measured VA for song attractiveness, condition and development rate under different competitive environments and found that genotypes differed in their plasticity. We argue that variation persists in natural populations because G × E interactions prevent any one variant from producing the optimal phenotype across all environments.
Phylogeography of a Holarctic rodent (Myodes rutilus): testing high‐latitude biogeographical hypotheses and the dynamics of range shifts

Aim We used the Holarctic northern red-backed vole (Myodes rutilus) as a model organism to improve our understanding of how dynamic, northern high-latitude environments have affected the genetic diversity, demography and distribution of boreal organisms. We tested spatial and temporal hypotheses derived from previous mitochondrial studies, comparative phylogeography, palaeoecology and the fossil record regarding diversification of M. rutilus in the Palaearctic and Beringia. Location High-latitude biomes across the Holarctic. Methods We used a multilocus phylogeographical approach combined with species distribution models to characterize the biogeographical and demographic history of M. rutilus. Our molecular assessment included widespread sampling (more than 100 localities), species tree reconstruction and population genetic analyses. Results Three well-differentiated mitochondrial lineages correspond to geographical regions, but nuclear genes were less structured. Multilocus divergence estimates indicated that diversification of M. rutilus was driven by events occurring before c. 100 ka. Population expansion in all three clades occurred prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and presumably led to secondary contact. Species distribution modelling predicted a broad LGM distribution consistent with population and range expansion during this period. Main conclusions The biogeographical history of M. rutilus differs from other boreal forest-associated species. Well-differentiated clades and the existence of secondary contact zones indicate prolonged isolation and persistence in Eurasian and Beringian refugia. Dynamic demographic and distributional changes emphasize the impact of pre-LGM glacial–interglacial cycles on contemporary geographical structure. The Bering Strait was not a significant factor in the diversification of northern red-backed voles.
Perceived social support and depression among Veterans with multiple sclerosis

Purpose. To examine the association between perceived social support and self-reported depression among Veterans of the US Armed Forces (‘Veterans’) with multiple sclerosis (MS), and differences in this relationship between specific support subtypes (tangible, positive social interaction, emotional/informational and affective).Method. Participants were Veterans with MS (N = 451) receiving medical services through the Veterans Health Administration who completed mailed surveys. Hierarchical regression examined the extent to which global perceived social support concurrently predicted depression among a predominantly male sample of individuals with MS. Exploratory correlational analyses examined the relationship between specific subtypes of perceived social support and depression.Results. Greater global perceived social support was associated with less depression after controlling for sociodemographic and disease-related variables. In follow-up analyses examining specific subtypes of support, greater positi...
Central Mechanisms of HPA Axis Regulation by Voluntary Exercise

Stress exerts complex effects on the brain and periphery, dependent on the temporal profile and intensity of the stressor. The consequences of a stressful event can also be determined by other characteristics of the stressor, such as whether it is predictable and controllable. While the traditional view has focused primarily on the negative effects of stress on a variety of somatic systems, emerging data support the idea that certain forms of stress can enhance cellular function. Here we review the current literature on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation by wheel running, a voluntary and controllable stressor with a distinct temporal profile. While running indeed activates a number of systems related to the stress response, other mechanisms exist to reduce the reactivity to this stressor, with possible crosstalk between running and other forms of stress.
Coca-colonization of diets in the Yucatan.

Abstract Over the past three decades, tourism-based economic development has transformed social and economic conditions in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Mayan communities have become directly involved in the changing economy as the main source of inexpensive labor for construction and service jobs at tourism centers, and as sites of ecotourism and archeotourism. In this paper, we address how these macro-processes of change intersect locally with the commoditization of food systems, diets and nutrition in four Yucatec Mayan communities with differing relationships to the tourist economy. Yucatec Mayan diets have become increasingly dependent on purchased foods, and reflect a greater consumption of commercialized processed foods. Coca-Cola, an international icon of US culture, along with other local and internationally owned calorie-dense but nutrient-poor snack foods, is now a common element of Mayan diets, leading to what we call “coca-colonization.” The consequences of this diet, likely exacerbated by the increased consumption of snack foods, include an apparent increase in overweight and obese adults as well as signs of growth stunting in children. The Maya we talked with recognize both the potential disruption that tourism brings to all aspects of their lives and the necessity of jobs that tourism creates to meet their families’ basic needs.
Desirable design characteristics for long-term monitoring of ecological variables

Long-term environmental monitoring places a set of demands on a sampling strategy not present in a survey designed for a single time period. The inevitability that a sample will become out of date must be a dominant consideration in planning a long-term monitoring programme. The sampling strategy must be able to accommodate periodic frame update and sample restructuring in order to address changes in the composition of the universe and changes in the perception of issues leading to new questions and concerns. The sampling strategy must be capable of adapting to such changes while maintaining its identification as a probability sample and its capacity to detect trends that span the update occasions. These issues are examined with respect to sub-population estimation, post-stratification via conditioning, and sample enlargement and reduction. Design features that involve complex sample structure create potentially serious difficulties, whereas an equal probability design permits greater adaptability and flexibility. Structure should be employed sparingly and in awareness of its undesirable effects.
On the K-theory of complete regular local Fp-algebras

Let A be a noetherian -algebra that is finitely generated as a module over the subring Ap of pth powers. We give an explicit formula for the de Rham?Witt complex of the power series ring At in terms of that of the ring A. We use this formula to show that, for every complete regular local -algebra whose residue field is a finite extension of the subfield of pth powers, the canonical map from the algebraic K-theory with -coefficients to the topological K-theory with -coefficients is an isomorphism.
The Paradox of Open Space Ballot Initiatives in the American West: A New West-Old West Phenomenon?

Support for local open space ballot initiatives in the American West is surprising, given that federal land conservation legislation tends to be lightning rod issues. The central focus of this study is to explore the extent to which the New West-Old West concept explains varying levels of support for local land conservation initiatives. Principal component analysis is used to obtain orthogonal variables of regionally relevant data on population, housing, and occupation/industry. Weighted Least Squares Regression is used to regress the factor analysis variables and population migration variables onto percent voting 'yes' for open space initiative. All community variables are significant predictors of levels of support: affluent communities, Old West communities, commuter communities, communities with decennial population increases, communities with non-Western state in-migration, and communities with farm population losses. What explains varying levels of support is not the polarized New West-Old West concept but, rather, a nuanced conception of the changing American West.
Clinician–Child Interactions: Adjustments in Linguistic Complexity

Purpose This pilot study examined the extent and nature of associations in the linguistic complexity used by child and clinician within conversational interactions. Method Correlation analyses focu...
Transcripts for possible capsaicinoid biosynthetic genes are differentially accumulated in pungent and non-pungent Capsicum spp

Capsaicinoids, the alkaloids responsible for pungency in chile fruit, are synthesized from phenylpropanoid intermediates and short-chain branched-fatty acids. Transcript levels of enzymes on the capsaicinoid pathway were monitored in Capsicum annuum and C. chinense fruit as a function of development, tissue type and genotype. Clones for Pal, Ca4h, and Comt were isolated from a cDNA library of habanero (C. chinense) placenta. These cDNA clones were used to measure transcript levels in different fruit tissues throughout development in six cultivars differing in pungency. Transcript levels for all three genes were positively correlated with degree of pungency in placental tissue; habanero, the most pungent chile fruit, had the highest transcript levels, CalWonder, a non-pungent fruit, had the lowest levels. Using the transcript accumulation pattern of the phenylpropanoid genes as a screening criterion, other cDNA clones have been selected. Clones for an aminotransferase, predicted to synthesize vanillylamine, and for a 3-keto-acyl ACP synthase, predicted to elongate branched-chain fatty acids, were identified. These genes are expressed in a placental-specific manner, and transcript levels are positively correlated with fruit pungency.
Continuous Determination of PM2.5 Mass, Including Semi-Volatile Species

The Real-Time Ambient Mass Sampler (RAMS) is a real-time ambient monitor for the determination of fine particulate mass, including ammonium nitrate and semi-volatile organic material. Fine particulate mass is continuously measured with a TEOM monitor containing a "sandwich" filter to trap any semi-volatile material (nitrate and organic) lost from collected particles. Gas phase compounds which will interfere with the TEOM monitor measurement are removed using a particle concentrator,diffusion denuders, and dryers. The concentrations of these gas phase species are reduced to manageable, but not zero, concentrations prior to the collection of particles on the TEOM probe. Therefore a second, parallel system preceded by a filter is used to obtain an active blank for the correction of the RAMS monitor data. The results obtained for the continuous determination of PM2.5 with the RAMS have been validated by comparison with results obtained from PC-BOSS diffusion denuder integrated samples to determine the mass of...
Learning to Use Words: Event-Related Potentials Index Single-Shot Contextual Word Learning.

Humans have the remarkable capacity to learn words from a single instance. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of initial learning context on the understanding of novel word usage using event-related brain potentials. Participants saw known and unknown words in strongly or weakly constraining sentence contexts. After each sentence context, word usage knowledge was assessed via plausibility ratings of these words as the objects of transitive verbs. Plausibility effects were observed in the N400 component to the verb only when the upcoming novel word object had initially appeared in a strongly constraining context. These results demonstrate that rapid word learning is modulated by contextual constraint and reveal a rapid mental process that is sensitive to novel word usage.
Therapeutic Processes in Clinical Supervision

Transference enactments play a central role in clinical supervision regardless of whether supervisors or supervisees consciously recognize them. Supervisors who intuitively or purposefully respond correctively to transference enactments facilitate both personality change and professional development. Consequently, supervisees relate more thoughtfully and more empathetically in both their therapeutic and personal relationships.
Image segmentation by reaction-diffusion bubbles

Figure-ground segmentation is a fundamental problem in computer vision. The main difficulty is the integration of low-level, pixel-based local image features to obtain global object-based descriptions. Active contours in the form of snakes, balloons, and level-set modeling techniques have been proposed that satisfactorily address this question for certain applications. However, these methods require manual initialization, do not always perform well near sharp protrusions or indentations, or often cross gaps. We propose an approach inspired by these methods and a shock-based representation of shape in terms of parts, protrusions, and bends. Since initially it is not clear where the objects or their parts are, parts are hypothesized in the form of fourth order shocks randomly initialized in homogeneous areas of images. These shocks then form evolving contours, or bubbles, which grow, shrink, merge, split and disappear to capture the objects in the image. In the homogeneous areas of the image bubbles deform by a reaction-diffusion process. In the inhomogeneous areas, indicated by differential properties computed from low-level processes such as edge-detection, texture, optical-flow and stereo, etc., bubbles do not deform. As such, the randomly initialized bubbles integrate low-level information and, in the process, segment the figures from the ground. >
Nitrogen placement, row spacing, and furrow irrigation water positioning effects on corn yield

Furrow irrigation often leaches NO 3 -N. We hypothesized that banding and sidedressing N fertilizer on a nonirrigated side of a corn (Zea mays L.) row would maintain yield and decrease NO 3 -N leaching. In a 2-yr field study in southern Idaho on a Portneuf silt loam (coarse silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Durinodic Xeric Haplocalcid), we evaluated the effects of (i) N placement (broadcast vs. banded), (ii) row spacing (0.76 m vs. a modified 0.56 m), and (iii) irrigation water positioning (applying water to the same side or alternating sides of a row with successive irrigations) on field corn yield and N uptake. We irrigated every second furrow nine times in 1988 and seven times in 1989. Compared with broadcasting, banding maintained grain yield in 1988 and increased it by 11% in 1989. Where N was banded in 0.56-m rows in 1989, silage yield when only the nonfertilized furrow was irrigated was 22.9 Mg ha -1 , which was 22% greater than when alternating furrows were irrigated. Compared with 0.56-m rows, the 0.76-m rows had no effect on 2-yr average grain yield but tended to increase 2-yr average silage N. Banding N on one side of a row, rather than broadcasting, and applying water all season to the furrow on the other side of the row maintained or increased grain yield, increased silage yield by up to 26%, and increased N uptake in silage by up to 21%, particularly from N-depleted profiles. Applying water to the same furrow, rather than alternating furrows, did not reduce yield or N uptake.
Manual lymphatic drainage and therapeutic ultrasound in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty post-operative period.

Background: Physiotherapy in the plastic surgery post-operative (PO) is essential to provide means for an adequate and fast recovery as it restores function through the use of physiotherapeutic procedures. Aim: The aim of the following study is to verify the effects of the association between the manual lymphatic drainage and the therapeutic ultrasound on pain, oedema and the tissue fibrosis in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty PO. Design: This is a clinical trial prospective. Materials and Methods: Eighteen women aged between 18 and 60 years participated in this study, in the late PO period following lipoabdominoplasty or liposuction in the abdomen, flanks and lower trunk, which showed tissue fibrosis of the flanks and abdomen regions. They were divided into two groups: Liposuction group and lipoabdominoplasty group. A total of twelve sessions of therapeutic ultrasound followed by the manual lymphatic drainage were performed. The patients were assessed with regard to pain, oedema and tissue fibrosis in different moments: Initial assessment, during assessment and final assessment through the application of the protocol of evaluation of cysts fibrosis levels. Statistical Analysis: The test of equality for two proportions and the confidence interval test for mean to evaluate the distribution of variables. The significance level adopted for statistical tests was 5% (P
SUBCLAVIAN VEIN THROMBOSIS : OUTCOME ANALYSIS BASED ON ETIOLOGY AND MODALITY OF TREATMENT

Therapeutic options for subclavian vein thrombosis (SVT) include anticoagulation, thrombolysis, endovascular repair, and direct surgical intervention. The most effective method of treatment remains undetermined. We reviewed our institutional experience over 7 years with SVT patients to compare the results of treatment based on etiology of thrombosis. Nineteen patients suffered SVT secondary to malignancy, catheter placement, radiation, or hypercoagulability. Thirteen were Paget-Schroetter (PSS), or primary effort-related SVT. Patients with dialysis access procedures were excluded. Thrombolysis was initiated in 31/32 patients. Success was defined as complete obliteration of clot. Adjunctive treatment to relieve external compression or improve lumenal contour was performed on 16/32 patients (eight PSS, eight secondary SVT). Success of adjunctive treatment was defined as return to baseline activity without symptoms. Objective follow up (venography or duplex scanning) was included when available. Adjunctive treatment included balloon angioplasty (6), stent placement (5), first rib resection and scalenectomy (4), and vein reconstruction (4). Initial treatment success with thrombolysis was achieved in 26/31 patients (84%). Angioplasty failed in three PSS and three secondary SVT patients. Stent placement was successful in 2/5 patients (both secondary SVT). Surgery was performed only on PSS patients: first rib resection and scalenectomy succeeded 4/4 times, vein reconstruction 2/4. Twenty-eight patients were given long-term therapy with oral anticoagulation with good longterm results. Seven patients experienced complications, including one death. Results of SVT therapy including thrombolysis and oral anticoagulation are very good. Angioplasty and stent placement in secondary SVT patients appears to add little long term benefit. Surgery may improve outcome in selected PSS patients, although the additional benefit could not be determined by the design of this study. Evaluation and treatment limited only to PSS excludes the majority of SVT patients.
High-frequency gamma activity (80-150 Hz) is increased in human cortex during selective attention

Abstract Objective To study the role of gamma oscillations (>30 Hz) in selective attention using subdural electrocorticography (ECoG) in humans. Methods We recorded ECoG in human subjects implanted with subdural electrodes for epilepsy surgery. Sequences of auditory tones and tactile vibrations of 800 ms duration were presented asynchronously, and subjects were asked to selectively attend to one of the two stimulus modalities in order to detect an amplitude increase at 400 ms in some of the stimuli. Results Event-related ECoG gamma activity was greater over auditory cortex when subjects attended auditory stimuli and was greater over somatosensory cortex when subjects attended vibrotactile stimuli. Furthermore, gamma activity was also observed over prefrontal cortex when stimuli appeared in either modality, but only when they were attended. Attentional modulation of gamma power began ∼400 ms after stimulus onset, consistent with the temporal demands on attention. The increase in gamma activity was greatest at frequencies between 80 and 150 Hz, in the so-called high-gamma frequency range. Conclusions There appears to be a strong link between activity in the high-gamma range (80–150 Hz) and selective attention. Significance Selective attention is correlated with increased activity in a frequency range that is significantly higher than what has been reported previously using EEG recordings.
Maternal Consumption of Lake Ontario Salmon in Rats Produces Behavioral Changes in the Offspring

The current study assessed the effects of maternal, paternal, or combined parental consumption of Lake Ontario salmon in rats on the behavior of their offspring. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were put on a 30 day diet of either ground rat chow containing 30% Lake Ontario salmon (LAKE) or 30% Pacific Ocean salmon (OCEAN). These females were then mated with adult male rats similarly exposed (LAKE or OCEAN). An additional control group of males and females who were fed ground rat chow (MASH) only were also mated. These pairing combinations resulted in five offspring groups: LAKE-LAKE, LAKE-OCEAN, OCEAN-LAKE, OCEAN-OCEAN, MASH-MASH. When the offspring reached 80 days of age, they were tested for reactivity to frustrative nonreward using runway successive negative contrast, which has been repeatedly shown to be increased in adult rats fed Ontario salmon. Consistent with previous work, results showed that the behavior of the OCEAN-OCEAN rats did not differ from the MASH-MASH group, indicating that a salmon diet per se does not cause behavioral change. However, the offspring of dams who consumed Lake Ontario salmon (LAKE-LAKE and OCEAN-LAKE) showed an increased depression effect relative to controls. There was little evidence of a paternal effect. A follow-up experiment employed cross-fostering to determine the relative contribution of pre- and/or postnatal exposure to Lake Ontario salmon consumption on offspring behavior. Rat pups were cross-fostered to or from dams who consumed Lake Ontario salmon during gestation and parturition. Results from two separate replications indicated that prenatal (LAKE to OCEAN) exposure alone or postnatal (OCEAN to LAKE) exposure alone produced a large increase in successive negative contrast relative to controls (OCEAN to OCEAN). These data are strong evidence of behavioral changes produced by maternal consumption of Lake Ontario salmon in the offspring rat. Further, they indicate that either prenatal or postnatal exposure alone is sufficient to produce behavioral changes in the offspring.
The Structure of Claw‐Free Perfect Graphs

In 1988, Chvatal and Sbihi (J Combin Theory Ser B 44(2) (1988), 154–176) proved a decomposition theorem for claw-free perfect graphs. They showed that claw-free perfect graphs either have a clique-cutset or come from two basic classes of graphs called elementary and peculiar graphs. In 1999, Maffray and Reed (J Combin Theory Ser B 75(1) (1999), 134–156) successfully described how elementary graphs can be built using line-graphs of bipartite graphs using local augmentation. However, gluing two claw-free perfect graphs on a clique does not necessarily produce claw-free graphs. In this article, we give a complete structural description of claw-free perfect graphs. We also give a construction for all perfect circular interval graphs.
Immune Defenses against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a Fungus Linked to Global Amphibian Declines, in the South African Clawed Frog, Xenopus laevis

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a chytrid fungus that causes the lethal skin disease chytridiomycosis in amphibians. It is regarded as an emerging infectious disease affecting diverse amphibian populations in many parts of the world. Because there are few model amphibian species for immunological studies, little is known about immune defenses against B. dendrobatidis. We show here that the South African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, is a suitable model for investigating immunity to this pathogen. After an experimental exposure, a mild infection developed over 20 to 30 days and declined by 45 days postexposure. Either purified antimicrobial peptides or mixtures of peptides in the skin mucus inhibited B. dendrobatidis growth in vitro. Skin peptide secretion was maximally induced by injection of norepinephrine, and this treatment resulted in sustained skin peptide depletion and increased susceptibility to infection. Sublethal X-irradiation of frogs decreased leukocyte numbers in the spleen and resulted in greater susceptibility to infection. Immunization against B. dendrobatidis induced elevated pathogen-specific IgM and IgY serum antibodies. Mucus secretions from X. laevis previously exposed to B. dendrobatidis contained significant amounts of IgM, IgY, and IgX antibodies that bind to B. dendrobatidis. These data strongly suggest that both innate and adaptive immune defenses are involved in the resistance of X. laevis to lethal B. dendrobatidis infections.
Groundwater influences on soil moisture and surface evaporation

Soil hydrological processes play an important role in land-atmosphere system. In most climate models, these processes are described by soil moisture variations in the first 2 m of soil resulting from precipitation, evaporation, and transpiration. Groundwater effects on soil moisture variations and surface evaporation are either neglected or not explicitly treated. Although groundwater may have a small effect on soil moisture in areas with a deep groundwater table, groundwater can act as a soil water source and have substantial effects in areas where the water table is near or within a model’s soil column. How groundwater affects soil moisture, its vertical distribution, as well as the surface water flux are the issues addressed in this study. A soil hydrological model was developed to include groundwater effects by allowing water exchange between the unsaturated zone and groundwater. The model uses a vertically varying saturation hydraulic conductivity, and is evaluated using observations at one station in the Nebraska Sand Hills. Model results show its ability to describe the roles of groundwater in maintaining the observed soil moisture, especially in deep layers. In addition, comparisons show that the soil moisture content in the first meter of the soil column from the model with groundwater is 21% greater than that from a model without groundwater. High soil moisture content in the root zone results in increased evapotranspiration (ET). The average ET in three periods from 1998 to 2000 is 7 ‐21% higher when groundwater is considered in the model. Because of the groundwater effects, spatial variations in the groundwater table can create an additional spatial variability of soil moisture and surface water flux. This additional variability could be important in development of storms in regions whose domain has a large portion with high groundwater table. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Biology of E1-Deleted Adenovirus Vectors in Nonhuman Primate Muscle

Adenovirus vectors have been studied as vehicles for gene transfer to skeletal muscle, an attractive target for gene therapies for inherited and acquired diseases. In this setting, immune responses to viral proteins and/or transgene products cause inflammation and lead to loss of transgene expression. A few studies in murine models have suggested that the destructive cell-mediated immune response to virally encoded proteins of E1-deleted adenovirus may not contribute to the elimination of transgene-expressing cells. However, the impact of immune responses following intramuscular administration of adenovirus vectors on transgene stability has not been elucidated in larger animal models such as nonhuman primates. Here we demonstrate that intramuscular administration of E1-deleted adenovirus vector expressing rhesus monkey erythropoietin or growth hormone to rhesus monkeys results in generation of a Th1-dependent cytotoxic T-cell response to adenovirus proteins. Transgene expression dropped significantly over time but was still detectable in some animals after 6 months. Systemic levels of adenovirus-specific neutralizing antibodies were generated, which blocked vector readministration. These studies indicate that the cellular and humoral immune response generated to adenovirus proteins, in the context of transgenes encoding self-proteins, hinders long-term transgene expression and readministration with first-generation vectors.
Carbon Assimilation and Digestive Toxicity in Naive Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) Exposed to Dietary Cadmium

Naive grass shrimp Palaemonetes pugio were pulse-fed cadmium-contaminated meals containing carbon-14, fluorescent or near-infrared markers and analyzed for carbon assimilation efficiency, gut residence time, feces elimination rate, extracellular digestive protease activity or gut pH. Carbon assimilation efficiency (~83%), minimum gut residence time (~435 min) and proventriculus pH (~5.29 to ~6.01) were not impacted significantly by cadmium ingestion. A dose-dependent decrease in feces elimination rate (from ~14.4 to ~6.4 mm h(-1)) was observed for shrimp for 2 h following minimum gut residence time. Protease activities increased ~2.4-fold over the range of dietary cadmium exposures, however, this variation was not dose-dependent. Differential impacts of cadmium exposure on carbon and cadmium assimilation reported previously are consistent with work involving shrimp subjected to chronic field exposure. The influence of ingested cadmium on feces elimination rate may be related to pre-assimilatory impacts on packaging, intestinal transport or release of feces. Protease activities may have been influenced by pre-assimilatory interactions between available cadmium ions in gut fluid and enzyme-secreting cells of the hepatopancreatic epithelium or direct impacts on active enzymes.
SPITZER OBSERVATIONS OF BLACK HOLE LOW-MASS X-RAY BINARIES: ASSESSING THE NON-STELLAR INFRARED COMPONENT

We have combined ground-based optical and near-infrared data with Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared data for five black hole (BH) soft X-ray transients (SXTs) in order to determine the levels of near- and mid-infrared emission from sources other than the secondary star. Mid-infrared emission from an accretion disk, circumbinary dust, and/or a jet could act as sources of near-infrared contamination, thereby diluting ellipsoidal variations of the secondary star and affecting determined BH mass estimates. Based on optical to mid-infrared spectral energy distribution modeling of the five SXTs along with the prototype, V616 Mon, we detected mid-infrared excesses in half of the systems, and suggest that the excesses detected from these systems arise from non-thermal synchrotron jets rather than circumbinary dust disks.
Physical Interpretation of Antigravity

Geodesic incompleteness is a problem in both general relativity and string theory. The Weyl-invariant Standard Model coupled to general relativity ($\mathrm{SM}+\mathrm{GR}$), and a similar treatment of string theory, are improved theories that are geodesically complete. A notable prediction of this approach is that there must be antigravity regions of spacetime connected to gravity regions through gravitational singularities such as those that occur in black holes and cosmological bang/crunch. Antigravity regions introduce apparent problems of ghosts that raise several questions of physical interpretation. It was shown that unitarity is not violated, but there may be an instability associated with negative kinetic energies in the antigravity regions. In this paper we show that the apparent problems can be resolved with the interpretation of the theory from the perspective of observers strictly in the gravity region. Such observers cannot experience the negative kinetic energy in antigravity directly, but can only detect in and out signals that interact with the antigravity region. This is no different from a spacetime black box for which the information about its interior is encoded in scattering amplitudes for in/out states at its exterior. Through examples we show that negative kinetic energy in antigravity presents no problems of principles but is an interesting topic for physical investigations of fundamental significance.
Radiosensitization with Carotid Arterial Infusion of Bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) ± 5 Fluorouracil (5FU) Biomodulation with Focal External Beam Radiation (FEBT) for Malignant Gliomas

A permanently implantable pump system has been developed for safe continuous intraarterial (IA) carotid BUdR ± 5FU infusion.[l] BUdR ± 5 FU is delivered IA because of its regional advantage (Rd). Fifty-four patients (41 Grade IV, 13 Grade III) were entered on one of two studies for the treatment of malignant gliomas with IA BUdR ± 5FU infused continuously for 8 1/2 weeks with FEBT to 5940 cGy the last 6 1/2 weeks. Twenty-three patients (18 Grade IV, 5 Grade III) were treated with BUdR alone with the maximum tolerated dose of 400 mg/m2/day for 8 1/2 weeks. The median survival was 20 months (2.4 S.E.). In the second trial, 31 patients were entered on IA BUdR + 5FU with a Kaplan Meier estimated median survival of 20.5 (4.5 SE.) months. The maximum tolerated dose of IA BUdR/5FU was 400 mg/m2/day of BUdR and 5 mg/m2/day of 5FU. The Kaplan Meier estimated median survival of all patients in trials 1 and 2 (total 54) is 20.5 (1.9 S.E.) months. The Kaplan Meier estimated median survival of the 41 Grade IV and 13 Grade III was 14 (2.9 S.E.) and 50 months (14 S.E.), respectively. The only vascular complication has been one transient episode of amaurosis fugax. The dose limiting toxicity in both trials has been a reversible self limited unilateral focal forehead dermatitis, iritis, conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Continuous IA infusion of BUdR ± 5 FU is feasible, safe, and represents a potential means of enhancing the effectiveness of FEBT in the treatment of malignant gliomas.
Simple receding horizon approach to scheduling mobile wireless clients with uncertainty

A key challenge in planning is how to schedule under uncertainty. We consider scheduling communications to dispersed wireless clients sharing a hub over a period of time in a dynamic environment. Scheduling under uncertainty research has produced either complex or unsatisfactory solutions for this problem. This paper develops a simple receding horizon linear program to allocate times for client specific traffic in order to realistically maximize client throughput. Given future uncertainty it considers clients' (estimated) future rates and loads and aggregates them utilizing various permutations. For the scenario we present, the simplest receding horizon approach using only two time intervals can perform within 3.4 percentage points of the optimal whereas a greedy approach can only achieve within 13 percentage points of the optimal. The aggregation over many periods minimizes the variations due to uncertainty and greatly simplifies the problem while providing good performance. This result can be extended to many other scheduling with uncertainty type scenarios.
Chemosterilization of Screwworm Flies: Modification of Action by Temperature

Adult male Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) were immersed 5 seconds in either watcr or 0.5% N,N' -tetramethylenebis(1-aziridine carboxamide), held at 15°, 27°, or 35°C until half the flies died; the survivors were then mated with untreated virgin females. Exposure to 15° or 35°C reduced the fertility of chemosterilant-treated males more than exposure to 27°C; exposure to 15°C also reduced the fertility of water-treated males.
A Four Degree of Freedom Robot for Positioning Ultrasound Imaging Catheters

In this paper, we present the design, fabrication, and testing of a robot for automatically positioning ultrasound (US) imaging catheters. Our system will point US catheters to provide real-time imaging of anatomical structures and working instruments during minimally invasive procedures. Manually navigating US catheters is difficult and requires extensive training in order to aim the US imager at desired targets. Therefore, a four-degree-of-freedom (4DOF) robotic system was developed to automatically navigate US imaging catheters for enhanced imaging. A rotational transmission enables 3DOF for pitch, yaw, and roll of the imager. This transmission is translated by the 4DOF. An accuracy analysis calculated the maximum allowable joint motion error. Rotational joints must be accurate to within 1.5 deg, and the translational joint must be accurate within 1.4 mm. Motion tests then validated the accuracy of the robot. The average resulting errors in positioning of the rotational joints were 0.04–0.22 deg. The average measured backlash was 0.18–0.86 deg. Measurements of average translational positioning and backlash errors were negligible. The resulting joint motion errors were well within the required specifications for accurate robot motion. The output of the catheter was then tested to verify the effectiveness of the handle motions to transmit torques and translations to the catheter tip. The catheter tip was navigated to desired target poses with average error 1.3 mm and 0.71 deg. Such effective manipulation of US imaging catheters will enable better visualization in various procedures ranging from cardiac arrhythmia treatment to tumor removal in urological cases.
The potential trend of heat supply technique

Discussed the potential trend of heat supply technique in the future,involving the convergence of heal supply and air conditioning industry and the change of the production mode in heat supply industry.Introduced some typical systems,e.g.the multiple production system,the distributed family energy source center and the comprehensive utilization of the heat pump technique.Put forward an individulized and elaborate notion on heat supply and air conditioning project.
Liver Transplantation Pathology

Liver transplantion is the treatment for end stage chronic liver diasese, acute liver failure with massive liver necrosis, malignant liver tumors, and chronic metabolic or genetic diseases. The interpretation of liver biopsies to evaluate the donor liver as well as the changes that occur after transplant requires specialized knowledge related to liver transplantation such as the following: graft preservation/reperfusion injury, vascular and biliary tract injuries, cell mediated and antibody mediated rejection, complications of immunosuppression, and recurrence of original liver disease.
Fractional order Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equations and associated stochastic processes

This chapter discusses the connection between pseudo-differential and fractional order differential equations considered in Chapters 2–6 with some random (stochastic) processes defined by stochastic differential equations. We assume that the reader is familiar with basic notions of probability theory and stochastic processes, such as a random variable, its density function, mathematical expectation, characteristic function, etc. Since we are interested only in applications of fractional order ΨDOSS, we do not discuss in detail facts on random processes that are already established and presented in other sources. For details of such notations and related facts we refer the reader to the book by Applebaum [App09] (or [IW81, Sat99]). We only mention some basic notations directly related to our discussions on fractional Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equations.
Post porosity plasma protection integration at 48 nm pitch

Integration of high porosity low-k dielectrics faces major challenges as the porosity weakens the dielectric, resulting in severe plasma induced damage (PID) and difficulties in profile control. Post porosity plasma protection (P4) integration strategy addresses those challenges by strengthening the dielectric via porosity refill during the integration steps. Realization of P4 integration at an advanced node is nontrivial. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of the P4 integration scheme in a dual damascene double patterning 48 nm pitch test vehicle with a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PECVD) k = 2.4 inter-layer dielectric (ILD). In addition, initial results of applying P4 with a PECVD k = 2.2 ILD show promise in reducing capacitance at 48 nm pitch and beyond.
International Peoples’ Tribunals

On 29 February 1992, an International War Crimes Tribunal found US President George H. W. Bush, Vice-President J. Danforth Quayle, Secretary of Defense Richard Cheney, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander of the Allied Forces in the Persian Gulf, and others named in an initial complaint, guilty of 19 crimes having been ‘established beyond a reasonable doubt’. Among others, these included crime against peace through leading Iraq into provocations justifying US military action against Iraq; war crimes: violation of Article 51.4 of the 1977 Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, indiscriminate bombing and use of excessive force, use of prohibited weapons capable of mass destruction; violation of Article 56 of the same Protocol, intentional attack of installations in Iraq containing dangerous substances and forces; and crimes against humanity, by intentionally depriving the Iraqi people of essential medicines, potable water, food and other necessities. These findings did not include any ‘sentence’ to be applied to the individuals named in the ‘Judgment’, except that the Tribunal’s members ‘condemned in the strongest possible terms’ those found guilty of the charges.
Frequency domain clutter removal for compressive OFDM ground penetrating radar

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been extensively used as a sensory system for non-destructive evaluation of transportation infrastructure. High operation efficiency is one critical specification for GPR system design. Compressive sensing (CS) coupled orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) techniques are utilized in GPR system design to leverage the operating efficiency. OFDM technique enables multi-tone signal transmission and receiving, while CS technique allows sensing with reduced set of frequency tones. The image reconstruction in compressive OFDM GPR is highly dependent on the degree of sparsity of the object signal. A frequency domain clutter removal technique is developed to leverage the sparsity of GPR signal so as to accomplish the higher compression ratio. This technique is evaluated using the real field sensing data.