cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Baseline Neurocognitive Testing in Sports-Related Concussions The Importance of a Prior Night’s Sleep

Background:The management of sports-related concussions (SRCs) utilizes serial neurocognitive assessments and self-reported symptom inventories to assess recovery and safety for return to play (RTP). Because postconcussive RTP goals include symptom resolution and a return to neurocognitive baseline levels, clinical decisions rest in part on understanding modifiers of this baseline. Several studies have reported age and sex to influence baseline neurocognitive performance, but few have assessed the potential effect of sleep. We chose to investigate the effect of reported sleep duration on baseline Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) performance and the number of patient-reported symptoms.Hypothesis:We hypothesized that athletes receiving less sleep before baseline testing would perform worse on neurocognitive metrics and report more symptoms.Study Design:Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed 3686 nonconcussed athletes (2371 male, 131...
Oscillations of the magnetic polarization in a Kondo system at finite magnetic fields

The electronic properties of a Kondo impurity are investigated in a magnetic field using linear response theory. The distribution of electrical charge and magnetic polarization are calculated in real space. The (small) magnetic field does not change the charge distribution. However, it unmasks the Kondo cloud and generates a Kondo polarization. The weight of the d-electron components with their magnetic moment up and down is shifted and the compensating moments of the s-electron clouds don't cancel any longer (a requirement for an experimental detection of the Kondo cloud). In addition to the polarization cloud (of the conduction electrons) an oscillating polarization component with a period of half the Fermi wave length is observed. This represents an internal electronic structure of the Kondo impurity.
Kicking a dying dog. DDT and the demise of malaria in the American South, 1942-1950.

Le dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane fut le premier produit chimique ayant des proprietes insecticides capables d'eradiquer le paludisme en Amerique du Sud de 1942 a 1950
Long-term effects of continuous exposure to amphetamine on brain dopamine concentration and synaptosomal uptake in mice

Continuous release of p-chloroamphetamine from subcutaneously implanted minipumps for 3 days decreased brain 5-hydroxytryptamine, but not norepintamine or dopamine, when analyzed 2 weeks later. In contrast, 2 weeks after infusion of amphetamine, whole brain dopamine but not 5-hydroxytryptamine or norepinephrine, was decreased. Also, the high affinity uptake of [3H]dopamine was markedly and selectively reduced in striatal synaptosomes. Thus, neurotoxicity is apparently not unique to halogenated amphetamine derivatives, but is produced by amphetamine itself if administered continuously.
Political Competition, Constitutional Arrangements, and the Quality of Public Policies in Costa Rica

This article explains why Costa Rica, by the mid-twentieth century, began to depart from the all-too-common mixture of political instability and economic stagnation characteristic of much of the developing world. The article argues that this country has benefited from better-than-average public policies, a conclusion based on a major comparative ranking of state policies. It further argues that interminable political stalemates gradually democratized the struggle for power and laid the groundwork for an innovative constitutional framework, one that allocates the technical functions of government to a set of autonomous institutions. A central implication of this argument is that institutional design is the backdrop for development-enhancing public policies.
Distribution in developing rat enamel of simultaneously injected fluoride and calcium

– Radioactive sodium fluoride (NaF18) and calcium chloride (Ca45Cl2) were injected simultaneously into rats, eight to ten days old. Thirty minutes after injection, the animals were killed by rapid freezing and sectioned sagittally through the level of the teeth. Both F18 and Ca45 were accumulated in the. superficial zone of the enamel in those areas where matrix was being formed. There was a marked increase in the concentration both of F18 and Ca45 in the surface of the enamel, where matrix formation was just completed. However, at maturation only Ca45 was accumulated in the whole thickness of the enamel, and no F18 was found in this area. The results may indicate an association between fluoride and the organic matrix of the developing enamel. The distribution of F18 in the enamel was similar to that of tetracycline shortly after injection.
Relationship between the iron regulated outer membrane proteins and the outer membrane proteins of in vivo grown Pasteurella multocida.

Abstract The SDS-PAGE patterns of the outer membrane protein (OMP) extracts of Pasteurella multocida strain P1059, grown under iron-restricted, iron-replete and in vivo conditions, were examined. The results showed that the iron-regulated outer membrane proteins (IROMPs) with molecular masses of 76 kDa, 84 kDa, and 94 kDa were expressed by bacteria grown in iron-restricted media. They were also expressed by in vivo grown P. multocida . Convalescent-phase sera, obtained from turkeys which had survived pasteurellosis, contained antibodies that reacted intensly with the three IROMPs. This indicated that these proteins were expressed in vivo. Bacteria expressing the IROMPs showed greater binding to Congo Red when compared to cells not expressing IROMPs. Cells expressing the IROMPs or its OMP extracts grown in iron-restricted media also showed greater binding to 59 Fe-pasteurella siderophore (multocidin) when compared to bacteria or its extracts not expressing IROMPs. Convalescent-phase sera, which contained antibodies against the IROMPs, blocked this specific 59 Fe-multocidin binding to IROMPs. Autoradiography was used to determine which of these IROMPs functioned as a receptor for the iron-multocidin complex. The results suggested that these three IROMPs have specific epitopes for binding to the iron multocidin complex.
How to approach an interdisciplinary engineering problem: Characterizing undergraduate engineering students' perceptions

Interdisciplinary undergraduate engineering programs have increased in importance and significance over the past decade. To understand the strengths and weaknesses of these interdisciplinary courses and programs, it is important to examine how students' perceptions develop through the duration of the course or program, specifically in regards to their approach to an interdisciplinary engineering problem. The overall purpose of this research is to assess second-year undergraduate engineering students' perceptions of interdisciplinary engineering work. In this study, students applied their knowledge to a real-world design problem. Students' responses were analyzed using verbal protocol analysis and a pre-defined coding scheme, which focused on four dimensions of interdisciplinary understanding. While the quantitative analysis does not reveal many statistically significant associations, these results reinforced those published in previous studies. Qualitative analysis of the data identified trends due to gender effects and interactions. In addition, the findings indicated students' awareness of the interdisciplinary approach and the importance of team dynamics within interdisciplinary projects.
Single-event correlation between heavy ions and 252Cf fission fragments

Abstract The results of a correlation study show that 252Cf sources can replace accelerators for single-event tests, provided that the depth of penetration and the linear energy transfer required of the heavy ions fall within the spectrum of the 252Cf fission fragments.
Milrinone: Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Acute and Chronic Management

Milrinone (Inocor-Sanofi-Winthrop) represents a second generation phosphodiesterase inhibitor currently approved for intravenous administration in the treatment of decompensated congestive heart failure. By inhibiting Type III phosphodiesterase, milrinone increases intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate. This results in a positive inotropic effect on the heart and vasodilatation in the periphery. The hemodynamic consequences of this action produce left ventricular afterload reduction, with an increase in cardiac output and a reduction in total peripheral resistance. Unlike the sympathomimetic amines, milrinone produces no tolerance and possesses the distinct advantage of directly decreasing pulmonary vascular resistance. Short-term intermittent infusion by peripheral administration, continuous infusion, long-term therapy, and intermittent outpatient therapy was demonstrated to be safe, efficacious, and cost effective. It is hypothesized that intravenous milrinone, by producing biventricular afterload reduction, offers an efficacious, cost-effective tool for the treatment of decompensated heart failure.
A Theoretical Investigation of the Behavior of Droplets in Axial Acoustic Fields

This paper describes a theoretical investigation of the behavior of small droplets in an acoustic field. It was motivated by the increasing interest in the use of pulsations to improve the performance of energy intensive, industrial processes which are controlled by rates of mass momentum and heat transfer. The acoustic field is expected to enhance heat and mass transfer to and from the droplets, probably because of the relative motion between the droplets and the gas phase. Relative motion is traditionally quantified by an entrainment factor which is defined as the ratio between the amplitude of the droplet and the gas phase oscillations, and a phase delay. In an alternate approach, these two quantities are combined into a single quantity called the “degree of opposition” (DOP), which is defined as the ratio of the amplitude of the relative velocity between the droplet and the gas phase to the amplitude of the acoustic velocity. The equation for the droplet motion is solved using two methods; by numerical integration and by using a spectral method. Despite the nonlinear nature of the problem, the results were found not to be sensitive to initial conditions. The DOP was predicted to increase with increasing droplet diameter and frequency. In other words, larger diameters and higher acoustic frequencies reduce the ability of the droplets to follow the gas phase oscillations. The DOP also decreases with increasing acoustic velocity. It was shown that the amplitude of the higher harmonics are very small and that the droplet mean terminal velocity decreases with increasing acoustic velocity. Theoretical predictions were compared with experimental data and good agreement was observed.
Potential use of valuation-based systems and networks in pavement management systems

A major objective of a Pavement Management System (PMS) is to assist highway managers and engineers in making consistent and cost effective decisions related to maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements. But in many circumstances in PMS decision making, pavement engineers find themselves in a state of uncertainty. In this paper, the application of valuation- based systems and networks is used to provide a framework for representing, solving, and drawing inferences under a PMS decision-making environment. The valuation-based system is a new representation of decision-making and problem solving. The graphical depiction of a valuation-based system is called a valuation network. Valuation networks provide a compact representation emphasizing qualitative features of decision making. A valuation network in PMS decision making is constructed and the key algorithm in solving and making inferences in the network is illustrated.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Nerve conduction abnormalities in aging mice deficient for myelin-associated glycoprotein.

Ultrastructural, biochemical, and electrophysiological analyses were done on 12–14-month-old mice deficient for myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) to further characterize the neuropathy that develops as they age. Electron microscopy demonstrated normal myelin compaction and axonal degeneration in a large number of myelinated nerve fibers. Western blots showed that the proteins of compact myelin, P0 glycoprotein, and myelin basic protein were not significantly altered in the mutants; however, the Schwann cell protein, 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase, was reduced to less than half the control level. Also, both total and phosphorylated high-molecular-weight neurofilament proteins (TNFH and PNFH, respectively) were significantly decreased, as was the PNFH:TNFH ratio. Electrophysiological evaluation revealed a mild, but statistically significant, reduction of conduction velocity and a nonsignificant mild decrease in compound muscle action potential amplitudes. This constellation of findings in aging MAG-null mice is consistent with an axonopathy that resembles axonal Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT2) disease in many respects. Thus, mutation of a myelin-associated gene expressed by Schwann cells can induce axonal degeneration and cause a neuropathy with minimal signs of demyelination. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 1380–1387, 2001
Inclusive Fitness Theorizing Invokes Phenomena That Are Not Relevant for the Evolution of Eusociality

In this Formal Comment, the authors challenge the claims of a recent theoretical study that genetic relatedness is important in the evolution of eusociality.
Duration of colonization and interactions between early and late colonists determine the effects of patch colonization history on patch biodiversity

Patches can vary in their colonization history as the result of many factors, including differences in patch size and isolation, which alter the timing and duration in which one or more species colonize a patch. Prior work has found that the particular time that a species colonizes a patch can affect the performance of co-occurring species, but it is less clear whether it affects the biodiversity of the patch. Our objective was to evaluate how two components of colonization history affect biodiversity – the total duration of the colonization window in which a predator is able to colonize the patch and the particular time in the patch's colonization history (i.e. early versus late in community development) that colonization by a predator occurs. We conducted an experiment to examine how the duration and timing in which predatory dragonflies colonize recently filled ephemeral ponds affects insect biodiversity. Dragonfly colonization history had an important effect on insect biodiversity. Ponds with a longer colonization history by dragonflies had fewer insect morphotypes than ponds with a shorter colonization history. The timing of dragonfly colonization (i.e. early versus late in community development) had no effect on the number of insect morphotypes present despite altering both the rate of dragonfly metamorph production and the abundance of larval dragonflies present at the end of the study. The effect of duration of long-term dragonfly colonization on biodiversity stemmed from early colonists weakening the influence of later colonists on insect biodiversity. Though colonization by dragonflies reduced adult insect abundance, differences in the time in which dragonflies colonized ponds had no effect on total insect abundance. Moreover, differences in patch biodiversity appears to be affected more by variation in the duration a patch was colonized by a predator than variation in the time in which a patch was colonized by a predator.
Fast parameter optimization of large-scale electromagnetic objects using DIRECT with Kriging metamodeling

With the advent of fast methods to significantly speed up numerical computation of large-scale realistic electromagnetic (EM) structures, EM design and optimization is becoming increasingly attractive. In recent years, genetic algorithms, neural network and evolutionary optimization methods have become increasingly popular for EM optimization. However, these methods are usually associated with a slow convergence bound and, furthermore, may not yield a deterministic optimal solution. In this paper, a new hybrid method using Kriging metamodeling in conjunction with the divided rectangles (DIRECT) global-optimization algorithm is used to yield a globally optimal solution efficiently. The latter yields a deterministic answer with fast convergence bounds and inherits both local and global-optimization properties. Three examples are given to illustrate the applicability of the method, Le., shape optimization for a slot-array frequency-selective surface, antenna location optimization to minimize EM coupling from the antenna to RF devices in automobile structures, and multisensor optimization to satisfy RF coupling constraints on a vehicular chassis in the presence of a wire harness. In the first example, DIRECT with Kriging surrogate modeling was employed. In the latter two examples, the adaptive hybrid optimizer, superEGO, was used. In all three examples, emphasis is placed on the speed of convergence, as well as on the flexibility of the optimization algorithms.
High School Students' Marital Lifestyle Preferences: A Test of Reference Group Theory

The impact of parents and best friends upon the marital lifestyle preferences of a sample of 181 high school students is examined. Respondents' choices of lifestyles are found to be correlated with their perceptions of best friends' choices to a slightly greater degree than with perceptions of parents' choices. However, perceptions of best friends' and parents' choices both exert a significant influence on respondents' own choices. Mother's occupation also exerts a strong influence. A variety of family and attitudinal variables tested through regression analysis fail to show any additional significant influence on respondents' stated preferences for marital lifestyles.
Demonstration of Nonlinear Frequency Domain Methods

method in which users deliberately choose not to resolve temporal modes in the solution. A variable-time-period method has been proposed such that the nonlinear frequency domain method can be applied to problems where the time period of the unsteadiness is either known or unknown a priori. To validate the latter case, results from this method have been compared with experimental results of vortex shedding in low Reynolds number flows past cylinders. Validation of the first case utilizes experimental data of a pitching airfoil in transonic flow. These comparisons demonstrate the efficiency of the nonlinear frequency domain method in representing complex nonlinear flow field physics with a limited number of temporal modes.
Tumor-induced STAT3 activation in monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells enhances stemness and mesenchymal properties in human pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) mobilizes myeloid cells from the bone marrow to the tumor where they promote tumor growth and proliferation. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a population of tumor cells that are responsible for tumor initiation. Aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 activity in PC identifies CSCs, and its activity has been correlated with poor overall prognosis in human PC. Myeloid cells have been shown to impact tumor stemness, but the impact of immunosuppressive tumor-infiltrating granulocytic and monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (Mo-MDSC) on ALDH1Bright CSCs and epithelial to mesenchymal transition is not well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that Mo-MDSC (CD11b+/Gr1+/Ly6G−/Ly6Chi) significantly increase the frequency of ALDH1Bright CSCs in a mouse model of PC. Additionally, there was significant upregulation of genes associated with epithelial to mesenchymal transition. We also found that human PC converts CD14+ peripheral blood monocytes into Mo-MDSC (CD14+/HLA-DRlow/−) in vitro, and this transformation is dependent on the activation of the STAT3 pathway. In turn, these Mo-MDSC increase the frequency of ALDH1Bright CSCs and promote mesenchymal features of tumor cells. Finally, blockade of STAT3 activation reversed the increase in ALDH1Bright CSCs. These data suggest that the PC tumor microenvironment transforms monocytes to Mo-MDSC by STAT3 activation, and these cells increase the frequency of ALDH1Bright CSCs. Therefore, targeting STAT3 activation may be an effective therapeutic strategy in targeting CSCs in PC.
Translation-invariant data visualization with orthogonal discrete wavelets

Orthogonal discrete wavelet transforms can be made translation-invariant by adding redundant wavelet coefficients through repeated shifting operations. Orthogonality is lost, but isometry and compact time support can be preserved. The practical application to data visualization of scalograms based on such transforms is discussed and illustrated with measured transient signals.
An algebra for cross-experiment performance analysis

Performance tuning of parallel applications usually involves multiple experiments to compare the effects of different optimization strategies. This article describes an algebra that can be used to compare, integrate, and summarize performance data from multiple sources. The algebra consists of a data model to represent the data in a platform-independent fashion plus arithmetic operations to merge, subtract, and average the data from different experiments. A distinctive feature of this approach is its closure property, which allows processing and viewing all instances of the data model in the same way - regardless of whether they represent original or derived data - in addition to an arbitrary and easy composition of operations.
Regional lung strains via a volumetric mass conserving optical flow model

The main function of the respiratory system is gas exchange. Since many disease or injury conditions can cause biomechanical or material property changes that can alter lung function, there is great interest in measuring regional lung function and regional mechanical changes. The mechanical properties of lung parenchymal tissue are both elastic and dissipative, as well as being highly nonlinear. A novel lung-specific optical flow energy function for computing motion field from planar CT images was previously proposed. The main advantage of the proposed optical flow framework is the possibility to enforce physical constraints on the numerical solutions. In this paper, a 3-D extension of the aforementioned technique is proposed and the principal tissue strains from the 3-D displacement field are derived. Both the 3-D calculated deformation fields and strains are evaluated on a contracting/expanding simulated sponge volume simulating lung motion and POPI-model data from a human subject.
Organizational leaders’ social identity: a basis for employer–employee motivation in small organizations in Sri Lanka

Using social identity theory (SIT) framework, this qualitative research examines the impact of organizational leaders' social identity on themselves and their employees' motivation in small business organizations in Sri Lanka. The findings reveal that leaders' social identity becomes an inner psychological force that shapes the behaviours, beliefs and perceptions of themselves and their employees. In the Sri Lankan context, leaders' personal and social identities provide a sense of pride, credibility, power, involvement, stability, quality consciousness and perfection. Social identity functions as a driver of competition, encouraging innovation and creativity that lead to excellence. The author proposes that SIT can be used as the basis for maintaining a culture of excellence and designing human resource development interventions to upkeep employer–employee motivation.
Nonlinear Aeroelastic Simulations of a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Using Two Unsteady Aerodynamic Formulations

Nonlinear aeroelasticity of a flapping wing Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is analyzed in this paper. The geometrically nonlinear deformations are modeled by a nonlinear strain-based beam formulation, coupled with six rigid-body degrees of freedom of the aircraft. Wing flapping kinematics is described using a set of Euler angles. Two types of unsteady aerodynamic formulations are incorporated for loads on all lifting surfaces. One is Peters’ finitestate inflow formulation and the other is developed in Cranfield University, which considers the effects of vortex shedding from both the airfoil’s leading- and trailing-edges on lift generation. All these formulations are implemented in an integrated numerical frame-work, where coupled aeroelastic and flight dynamic simulations can be performed. The two aerodynamic formulations are prototyped within this framework and their applicability is assessed. Nomenclature A1 ~ A11 = coefficients computed from the airfoil degrees of freedom a = distance of beam reference axis (pitching axis) in front of mid-chord, m a0 = local aerodynamic frame, with a0y axis aligned with zero lift line of airfoil a1 = local aerodynamic frame, with a1y axis aligned with airfoil motion velocity B = body reference frame b = positions and orientations of the B frame, as time integral of β; semi-chord of airfoil, m BF, BM = influence matrices for the distributed forces and moments c = airfoil chord length, m CFF, CFB, CBF, CBB = components of the generalized damping matrix C GB = rotation matrix from the B frame to the G frame d
Fake Honeypots: A Defensive Tactic for Cyberspace

Cyber-attackers are becoming more aware of honeypots. They generally want to avoid honeypots since it is hard to spread attacks from them, attacks are thoroughly monitored on them, and some honeypots contain planted false information. This suggests that it could be useful for a computer system to pretend it is a honeypot, to scare away smarter attackers. We examine here from a number of perspectives how this could be accomplished as a kind of "vaccination" of systems to reduce numbers of attacks and their severity. We develop a mathematical model of what would make an attacker go away. We report experiments with deliberate distortions on text to see at what point people could detect deception, and discover they can respond to subtle clues. We also report experiments with real attackers against a honeypot of increasing obviousness. Results show that attacks on it decreased over time which may indicate that attackers are being scared away. We conclude with some speculation about the escalation of honeypot-antihoneypot techniques
A 2.9-dB noise figure, Q-band millimeter-wave CMOS SOI LNA

This paper discusses a two-stage low noise amplifier (LNA) implemented in a 45nm CMOS SOI process that operates between 43 and 53 GHz. The LNA stages are based on a cascode amplifier with simultaneous noise and input power matching. The LNA exhibits a minimum noise figure (NF) of 2.9 dB at 47 GHz and measured gain of 18.5 dB at 49 GHz. The output P 1dB compression power is 3 dBm and saturation output power is 7 dBm to reach a peak efficiency of 22%. The measured OIP3 is 14 dBm. The LNA occupies an area of 0.35mm2 with pads and consumes 19 mA from 1.2 V supply. The results present the lowest noise figure for a silicon-based millimeter-wave LNA.
Oocyte and egg organization in the patellogastropod Lottia and its bearing on axial specification during early embryogenesis

In the basal gastropod Lottia, the apical region of the oocyte is normally the site where the meiotic apparatus attaches and polar body formation occurs following fertilization. This site marks the animal-vegetal axis of the egg. A stereotypical cleavage pattern is organized, and the segregation of developmental potential occurs along this axis during early development. The segregation of developmental potential is a relatively late event and probably does not start until after cleavage begins. By compressing oocytes during the process of germinal vesicle breakdown, the position where the meiotic apparatus attaches to the cell membrane can be altered so that it no longer corresponds to the apical end of the oocyte. This new site of polar body formation sets up a new animal-vegetal axis that organizes cleavage and the segregation of developmental potential. The timing of animal-vegetal axis specification in Lottia is much later than it is in derived gastropods with a precocious specification of the D quadrant.
Neuro-control in divergence eye movements

Vergence eye movements are essential to daily life. When driving down a highway a person typically looks between the speedometer and the road signs. This form of eye movement initiates a vergence response. Vergence is composed of convergence (inward) and divergence (outward) eye movements. Convergence movements are a combination of dual controllers, described as feedforward and feedback components. The feedforward component is a pulse of energy released by burst cells in the initial stage of the eye movement. Feedback is a series of steady periodic pulses released by tonic cells to fixate the eyes onto the target. However, divergence eye movements have not been studied extensively in the past This study will examine the neuro-control strategy used to mediate divergence eye movements (looking from near to far), when given different initial positions for the eyes to begin moving from. Preliminary data using independent component analysis (ICA) shows the divergence system contains an initial pulse, similar to the burst cells found to initiate convergence movements, when the movement began with a large initial bias (target very close to the subject). In responses beginning at a target located further away from the subject and continuing to move farther away, there is no noticeable pulse based on ICA. Demonstrated in this study is the dynamics of divergence movements at different initial conditions.
Invited Talk: A Process Algebra Master Equation

A master equation provides a complete probabilistic description of the dynamics of stochastic processes. We give a master equation for a small stochastic process algebra (a subset of CCS with interaction rates). We show that it is equivalent to the standard chemical master equation, connecting our process algebra to the stochastic chemistry of unary and binary reactions.
Fast and loose covalent binding of ketones as a molecular mechanism in vertebrate olfactory receptors: Chemical production of selective anosmia

Abstract Olfactory receptors undoubtedly have fast rates of association with odorant molecules. If the dissociation rate is also fast, the dissociation constant, Kd, will be comparatively large (≥10-6M). With such fast and loose binding, a receptor will recover function rapidly. If, on the other hand, the dissociation rate is slow, odorant binding will be tight, and the receptor will have slow recorvery. Previous investigators have explored tight binding (Kd≤10-8M). The present study is the first to probe the possibility of fast and loose binding in the olfactory epithelium of air-breathing vertebrates. Our approach is based on the conjecture that ketones are bound as Schiff bases (just as retinal is bound in visual pigment). As a model system, the Schiff base-forming bacterial enzyme acetoacetate decarboxylase (AAD) has been studied. Nucleophilic attack (e.g. BH4- reduction) of reversible AAD-carbonyl complexes produces irreversible binding to the active site in a fraction, φ, of the enzyme molecules. Kinetics are discussed and interpreted using the derived expression φ=1-[Kd/(Kd+S0)]m, where S0 is the initial concentration of carbonyl substrate and the exponent m is the ratio of the rate constant for attack of the protein-substrate complex to the rate constant for removal of substrate (e.g. by hypothesize attack of the free carbonyl). We hypothesize a similar pathway when the olfactory epithelium of experimental animals is treated with solutions of cyclohexanone or ethyl acetoacetate, in which Schiff base linkages are attacked in vivo by some endogenous nucleophile. We have developed a behavioral assay for olfactory receptor inactivation and report the first example of a chemically produced selective anosmia (odor blindness).
Metabolic profiling reveals altered sugar and secondary metabolism in response to UGPase overexpression in Populus

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is a sugar-metabolizing enzyme (E.C. 2.7.7.9) that catalyzes a reversible reaction of UDP-glucose and pyrophosphate from glucose-1-phosphate and UTP. UDP-glucose is a key intermediate sugar that is channeled to multiple metabolic pathways. The functional role of UGPase in perennial woody plants is poorly understood. We characterized the functional role of a UGPase gene in Populus deltoides, PdUGPase2. Overexpression of the native gene resulted in increased leaf area and leaf-to-shoot biomass ratio but decreased shoot and root growth. Metabolomic analyses showed that manipulation of PdUGPase2 results in perturbations in primary, as well as secondary metabolism, resulting in reduced sugar and starch levels and increased phenolics, such as caffeoyl and feruloyl conjugates. While cellulose and lignin levels in the cell walls were not significantly altered, the syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio was significantly reduced. These results demonstrate that PdUGPase2 plays a key role in the tightly coupled primary and secondary metabolic pathways and perturbation in its function results in pronounced effects on growth and metabolism beyond cell wall biosynthesis of Populus.
Systems engineering to systems biology

Mol Syst Biol. 4: 185 The ‘bottom‐up’ approach to systems biology entails quantitatively studying complex biological processes by analyzing their molecular components. A converse system biology approach is to infer properties of biological systems in a ‘top‐down’ fashion, using a variety of network reverse engineering methods, data‐driven modeling and data integration strategies. Application of a top‐down approach to the quantitative biology of a small size system is however less common. In a recent publication, Mettetal et al (2008) have insightfully applied such a strategy to successfully decode critical properties of osmo‐adaptation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . A biological system can, in principle, be dissected by successively inactivating each component individually and measuring how the overall input–output characteristics of the system change. For cellular systems, such dissection involves gene knockouts and/or knockdowns. However, given the complexity of living cells, it is difficult to link the function of single components (e.g. a protein) to observed outputs. Moreover, invasive knockout/knockdown often leads to undesired complications (e.g. lethality). Mettetal et al followed a different systems reverse‐engineering approach by which they considered the system first as a ‘black box’ and assumed it to be equivalent to a linear time‐invariant (LTI) system (Oppenheim et al , 1997) (Figure 1A and B). An LTI system has two defining properties: first, the output from a set of inputs represents the linear sum of the outputs from each individual input (Figure 1C). Second, the generated output is independent of the time point at which the causal input was applied (Figure 1D). An LTI system is characterized by a single ‘response function.’ Once the response function is known, the output for any arbitrary input can be …
Standards for Measurement of the Critical Fields of Superconductors

The origins, definitions, and measurement of the various critical magnetic fields associated with superconductors are reviewed. The potential need for a consensus standard for the measurement of these fields is evaluated. Measurement techniques as practiced both in industry and in the national laboratories and extrapolation techniques commonly used to determine the upper critical fields of the newer materials are presented. Sources of error in the experimental determination of critical fields are assessed for the various common techniques. A comprehensive bibliography of the modern literature on critical field measurement and interpretation is included.
Clinal Variation in Vocalizations of an Antbird (Thamnophilidae) and Implications for Defining Species Limits

Abstract In avian taxa in which vocalizations are considered innate, such as suboscine passerines, vocal characters are increasingly being used to help determine whether populations have achieved species status. In comparing vocal characteristics of distant populations, however, one must be concerned with the possibility of character gradation through intermediate populations. The first quantitative study of a species in a suboscine family to test for clinal vocal variation, our vocal study found clinal variation in the pace (number of notes per second) of male loudsongs, and revealed that the geographic pattern of the clines was consistent with genetic variation found in the companion molecular study (Brumfield 2005). The result underscores the necessity of searching for intermediacy when analyzing vocalizations of geographically distant populations. Furthermore, given that male loudsong pace was the only vocal character that varied across the intergrading populations, the result also provides support to...
The role of imaging in the management of progressive glioblastoma : a systematic review and evidence-based clinical practice guideline.

Which imaging techniques most accurately differentiate true tumor progression from pseudo-progression or treatment related changes in patients with previously diagnosed glioblastoma? These recommendations apply to adults with previously diagnosed glioblastoma who are suspected of experiencing progression of the neoplastic process. Magnetic resonance imaging with and without gadolinium enhancement is recommended as the imaging surveillance method to detect the progression of previously diagnosed glioblastoma. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is recommended as a diagnostic method to differentiate true tumor progression from treatment-related imaging changes or pseudo-progression in patients with suspected progressive glioblastoma. The routine use of positron emission tomography to identify progression of glioblastoma is not recommended. Single-photon emission computed tomography imaging is recommended as a diagnostic method to differentiate true tumor progression from treatment-related imaging changes or pseudo-progression in patients with suspected progressive glioblastoma.
Predictors of quality of life in women: hormone therapy self-efficacy and health-promoting behaviors.

ABSTRACT Osteoporosis and coronary heart diseases (CHD) are two major health problems that affect postmenopausal women. The literature emphasizes that prevention of osteoporosis and/or CHD through the practices of health-promoting behaviors and hormone therapy usage can improve quality of life (QOL) for women. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of health-promoting behaviors and hormone therapy self-efficacy on QOL. The sample contained 210 women between the ages of 45 and 84 years of age, who completed three instruments developed specifically for this study. The majority of the participants perceived moderate satisfaction with their life as a whole, performed many health-promoting behaviors, and perceived slight confidence in their ability to continue hormone therapy. Among current users of hormones, hormone therapy self-efficacy beliefs explained 31% of the variance in QOL. Among non-users of hormones, health-promoting behaviors explained 7% of the variance in QOL. In the entire sample, ...
RCL Circuit Equations

RCL networks are widely used for the modeling and simulation of the interconnect of today's complex VLSI circuits. In realistic simulations, the number of these RCL networks and the number of circuit elements of each of these networks is so large that model reduction has become indispensable. We describe the general class of descriptor systems that arise in the simulation of RCL networks, and mention two particular benchmark problems.
Abstract C74: Epigenetic changes in postpartum breast cancer amongst Hispanic women

The risk of breast cancer has been shown to increase immediately following pregnancy. Breast cancers that occur in the post-partum period are more aggressive, more likely to metastasize and are associated with worse patient outcomes. They also tend to affect younger women, and may represent a substantial proportion of early onset breast cancer, a phenomenon that disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority groups, such as Hispanics. Hispanic women are more likely to have higher parity, are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, and have a worse survival after diagnosis. The goal of this study, therefore, is to compare breast cancers diagnosed in Hispanic women in the high-risk post-partum period with those diagnosed outside of this time period to identify epigenetic features associated with the aggressive post-partum cancer. RNA and DNA were isolated from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast cancer tissues from a Hispanic population within the Ella Binational Breast Cancer study participants. Using a quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase approach (Exiqon miRCURY LNA™ Universal RT microRNA PCR panels), we were able to test for the expression of 360 human microRNAs (miRNAs) that our laboratory previously identified as miRNAs that are specific for human mammary cells. MiRNAs are short-stranded, non-coding RNAs that are often deregulated in breast cancer. We have identified seven miRNAs that are differentially expressed in breast cancer that occurs in the post-partum period including: hsa-miR-137, hsa-miR-31, hsa-miR-342-3p, hsa-miR-342-5p, hsa-miR-542-5p, hsa-miR-190b, and hsa-miR-103. Previously, our laboratory showed that epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, deregulate miRNA expression in breast cancer. Consequently, we used a Sequenom MassARRAY platform to determine whether these miRNAs are also being epigenetically regulated. We are also investigating the mechanistic role these miRNAs may play in the early onset post-partum breast cancers. Citation Format: Jose L. Munoz-Rodriguez, Lukas Vrba, Chengcheng Hu, Patricia A. Thompson-Carino, Maria Elena Martinez, Bernard W. Futscher. Epigenetic changes in postpartum breast cancer amongst Hispanic women. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C74. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-C74
Sampling Considerations in Using Stream Insects for Monitoring Water Quality

Three transects in an apparently uniform riffle area of a second-order stream were evaluated for variability in the seasonal and spatial distributions of 23 insect species. Organism densities of species and instars from each season, transect, and location were compared, using three-way analysis of variance, and components of variation attributable to time, transect, and location were estimated. Time differences were most prominent among the early instars and pupae. Transect and location differences were most commonly found in the mature larvae. Filter feeders showed the most time and location differences, whereas collector-gatherers showed more frequent transect differences. The number of 0.09-m2 Hess samples required to detect a 100% change in population densities between two locations ranged from three to 1,560. In single-organism studies, sample sizes may be substantially reduced by restricting sampling or analysis to specific substrates, locations, seasons, or instars. In community production rate studies, necessary sample size can be determined based on a biomass weighted average of individual organism sample sizes necessary to maintain a given confidence interval.
Mechanical Properties of Austenitic Stainless Steel Made by Additive Manufacturing

Using uniaxial tensile and hardness testing, we evaluated the variability and anisotropy of the mechanical properties of an austenitic stainless steel, UNS S17400, manufactured by an additive process, selective laser melting. Like wrought materials, the mechanical properties depend on the orientation introduced by the processing. The recommended stress-relief heat treatment increases the tensile strength, reduces the yield strength, and decreases the extent of the discontinuous yielding. The mechanical properties, assessed by hardness, are very uniform across the build plate, but the stress-relief heat treatment introduced a small non-uniformity that had no correlation to position on the build plate. Analysis of the mechanical property behavior resulted in four conclusions. (1) The within-build and build-to-build tensile properties of the UNS S17400 stainless steel are less repeatable than mature engineering structural alloys, but similar to other structural alloys made by additive manufacturing. (2) The anisotropy of the mechanical properties of the UNS S17400 material of this study is larger than that of mature structural alloys, but is similar to other structural alloys made by additive manufacturing. (3) The tensile mechanical properties of the UNS S17400 material fabricated by selective laser melting are very different from those of wrought, heat-treated 17-4PH stainless steel. (4) The large discontinuous yielding strain in all tests resulted from the formation and propagation of Luders bands.
A Comparison of Human Leukocyte Phosphatase Activity toward Sodium β-Glycerophosphate, Adenosine 5'-Phosphate and Glucose 1-Phosphate

The ability of human leukocyte enzymes to hydrolyze phosphorus is compared in terms of the conventional substrate sodium β-glycerophosphate and the metabolically important phosphate esters, adenosine 59-phosphate and glucose 1-phosphate. At pH 9.9, there is marked and comparable variation in phosphatase activity toward all three substrates, this being low in chronic myelocytic leukemia and high in the presence of infection and certain "stressful" states. Moreover, substrate mixture experiments show no increased hydrolysis of phosphorus when two substrates are present in the incubation mixture. Increased phosphatase activity toward both glucose 1-phosphate and sodium β-glycerophosphate resulted when corticosteroids were administered in large doses for 72 hours. The data, while not providing absolute proof, are compatible with the hydrolysis of phosphorus at pH 9.9, being due in the case of all three substrates to the activity of the same phosphomonoesterase or group of phosphomonesterases. At pH 5.5, phosphatase activity toward both sodium β-glycerophosphate and adenosine 59-phosphate was likewise demonstrated, but, in leukocytes, the pH of maximal activity varies from subject to subject and is dependent to a large extent on the amount of the highly variable "alkaline phosphatase" activity present in any given cell population at the time of analysis.
Morphological and genetic variation of the Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater) across its widely disjunct distribution in Central America

ABSTRACT Geographic barriers between populations of a species can result in divergence of genes, morphology, or behaviors that can lead to speciation. The Yellow-backed Oriole (Icterus chrysater) is distributed from southern Mexico to Colombia, but with a major range disjunction of 600 km in Costa Rica. We examined molecular and morphological data for differences between northern and southern populations. We sequenced the mitochondrial control region and six nuclear introns. Genetic data show strong north–south population structure with evidence of gene flow. The evidence of gene flow between populations is surprising because of the large geographic break between populations. We also measured six morphological characters from specimens collected along the species’ distribution and found shallow north–south divergence.