cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Selective Lymphadenectomy in the Management of Patients with Malignant Melanoma

background A novel surgical technique based on selective lymphadenectomy was used to stage 132 patients with intermediate and thick cutaneous malignant melanoma. Preoperative and intraoperative lymph node mapping techniques were used to ascertain regional lymph node basins at risk for metastasis, and to identify the first node(s) the afferent lymphatics encounter in the basin, defined as the “sentinel” node(s). It has been shown that the histology of the sentinel node reflects the histology of the rest of the nodal basin, and according to preliminary studies using this technique, the likelihood of bypassing the sentinel node(s) to “higher” level nodes is less than 2%. Epidemiologic studies indicate that the long-term survival of patients with melanomas of intermediate thickness or greater is significantly compromised if regional lymph nodes are involved. Yet, the utility of performing lymph node dissections for the purposes of staging only is controversial, not only because of the morbidity and expense of the procedure, but the lack of proven survival benefit. objective In the present study, we performed preoperative and intraoperative lymphatic mapping, harvested clinically normal sentinel nodes, and examined them for micrometastasis by light microscopy. Both conventional stains and immunocytochemistry for S-100 protein and HMB-45 antibodies were performed, and only those patients with documented micrometastasis received complete lymph node dissections. results The sentinel node(s) was identified in each of the patients. Micrometastasis disease was detected in 31 (23%) of the patients by selective lymphadenectomy, and the sentinel node(s) was the only node involved in 83% of the cases upon subsequent complete nodal dissection. conclusion Our preliminary results suggest that selective lymphadenectomy following lymphatic mapping is an effective procedure for staging melanoma patients with lesions of intermediate thickness or greater. Our results indicate that sentinel lymph nodes may be successfully identified and harvested in the majority of patients, and that they may be examined for the first evidence of micrometastasis without the need of a complete nodal dissection. Information as to whether micrometastases are present in the sentinel node would be valuable in staging patients, and identifying candidates for complete nodal dissections. We are participating in a National Cancer Institute-sponsored multicenter trial to ascertain whether this surgical approach can impact on the recurrence rate and survival of patients with stage 1 and 2 melanoma.
New Developments in Parsing Technology

New Developments in Parsing Technology is a collection of papers based on contributions to the International Workshop on Parsing Technology in the years 2000 and 2001. The publication formatof acollection might raisethefollowing questions: Isthe whole ofthe collection more than the sum of its previously published parts by virtue of an inspired selection of the most seminal papers in the area? Or does the collection go beyond a mere reprint of revised versions of workshop papers by including insightful overview articles or other previously unpublished material? In case of New Developments in Pars- ing Technology the answers to these questions are yes concerning added value by the inclusion of a previously unpublished invited talk by Michael Collins, and no concern- ing exceeding the sum of its previously published parts. Table 1 lists the table of contents of the book. The book starts out with an introduc- tory chapter written by the editors. In this article, the editors motivate an interest in parsing technology by listing 12 application areas that make crucial use of parsing tech- niques. Given the limited pool of candidate papers from two workshops, unfortunately
Population forecasts and confidence intervals for Sweden: a comparison of model-based and empirical approaches.

This paper compares several methods of generating confidence intervals for forecasts of population size. Two rest on a demographic model for age-structured populations with stochastic fluctuations in vital rates. Two rest on empirical analyses of past forecasts of population sizes of Sweden at five-year intervals from 1780 to 1980 inclusive. Confidence intervals produced by the different methods vary substantially. The relative sizes differ in the various historical periods. The narrowest intervals offer a lower bound on uncertainty about the future. Procedures for estimating a range of confidence intervals are tentatively recommended. A major lesson is that finitely many observations of the past and incomplete theoretical understanding of the present and future can justify at best a range of confidence intervals for population projections. Uncertainty attaches not only to the point forecasts of future population, but also to the estimates of those forecasts’ uncertainty.
Reply to Wickramasinghe

IN his argument concerning absorption, Wickramasinghe uses an interstellar absorption cross-section of 2 × 104 barns/H atom, appropriate for an energy of 0.15–0.2 keV (ref. 1). As the proposed mechanism requires photons in the range 0.2–0.4 keV, it seems appropriate to use 3 × 103 barns/H atom, correct for an energy of 0.3 keV (ref. 1). Then the solution to Wickramasinghe's equation (1) yields ƒ = 0.02, that is, 2% of the galactic disk is exposed to the required flux. This is in substantial agreement with the fraction ƒ = 0.013 that I obtained neglecting absorption2.
Changes in Erythrocyte Membranes during Cold Storage of Whole Blood

. Various assays and physicochemical methods were used to observe changes taking place in membrane proteins from erythrocytes that had been stored up to 42 days at 4°C. Red cell membranes were found to decrease in hydrophobicity, flexibility, and sulfhydryl content on storage. These changes are not due to proteolysis, but related to an unresolved change in the structural characteristics of the lipoproteins comprising the ‘membrane superstructure’.
Modeling the effects of varicella vaccination programs on the incidence of chickenpox and shingles.

Abstract Two possible dangers of an extensive varicella vaccination program are more varicella (chickenpox) cases in adults, when the complication rates are higher, and an increase in cases of zoster (shingles). Here an age-structured epidemiologic–demographic model with vaccination is developed for varicella and zoster. Parameters are estimated from epidemiological data. This mathematical and computer simulation model is used to evaluate the effects of varicella vaccination programs. Although the age distribution of varicella cases does shift in the simulations, this does not seem to be a danger because many of the adult cases occur after vaccine-induced immunity wanes, so they are mild varicella cases with fewer complications. In the simulations, zoster incidence increases in the first three decades after initiation of a vaccination program, because people who had varicella in childhood age without boosting, but then it decreases. Thus the simulations validate the second danger of more zoster cases.
A study of the effect of aspect ratio on benard convection

Abstract The effect of aspect ratio on the stability of two-dimensional Benard convection is studied numerically. Five values of aspect ratio are considered; they are 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10. For a fixed Prandtl number of 1, it is found that the onset of Benard convection occurs around 1800, with the cell motion being more pronounced at this Rayleigh number for larger aspect ratios. An even number of cells appears for all the aspect ratios. The length of each cell and average Nusselt number agree well with values reported in literature.
Culture, institutions and defence cuts: overcoming challenges in operational energy security

Given the dramatic defence spending cuts occurring on both side of the Atlantic, the time would seem ripe for greater transatlantic cooperation in operational energy security — that is, the energy necessary to train for, deploy to, conduct, and redeploy from combat operations. However, with few exceptions, the prospects for greater cooperation in this area — in terms of common strategies, plans, doctrine, materiel and training, for example — appear quite low. Europe remains hobbled by institutional, organisational, and fiscal limitations, while the USA — largely for cultural reasons — struggles to overcome an episodic commitment to energy security.
On Dynamic Algorithms for Algebraic Problems

In this paper, we examine the problem of incrementally evaluating algebraic functions. In particular, iff(x1,x2,?,xn)=(y1,y2,?,ym) is an algebraic problem, we consider answering on-line requests of the form “change inputxito valuev” or “what is the value of outputyj?” We first present lower bounds for some simply stated algebraic problems such as multipoint polynomial evaluation, polynomial reciprocal, and extended polynomial GCD, proving an ?(n) lower bound for the incremental evaluation of these functions. In addition, we prove two time-space trade-off theorems that apply to incremental algorithms for almost all algebraic functions. We then derive several general-purpose algorithm design techniques and apply them to several fundamental algebraic problems. For example, we give anO(n)time per request algorithm for incremental DFT. We also present a design technique for serving incremental requests using a parallel machine, giving a choice of either optimal work with respect to the sequential incremental algorithm or superfast algorithms withO(loglogn) time per request with a sublinear number of processors.
Photographic study of high-flux subcooled flow boiling and critical heat flux ☆

This study examines both high-flux flow boiling and critical heat flux (CHF) under highly subcooled conditions using FC-72 as working fluid. Experiments were performed in a horizontal flow channel that was heated along its bottom wall. High-speed video imaging and photomicrographic techniques were used to capture interfacial features and reveal the sequence of events leading to CHF. At about 80% of CHF, bubbles coalesced into oblong vapor patches while sliding along the heated wall. These patches grew in size with increasing heat flux, eventually evolving into a fairly continuous vapor layer that permitted liquid contact with the wall only in the wave troughs between vapor patches. CHF was triggered when this liquid contact was finally halted. These findings prove that the CHF mechanism for subcooled flow boiling is consistent with the interfacial lift-off mechanism proposed previously for saturated flow boiling.
The association of esophageal duplication cyst with esophageal atresia.

Bronchopulmonary foregut malformations are a group of related disorders with a common embryologic pathogenesis. Two bronchopulmonary foregut malformations may occur concomitantly in the same patient.
The Cognitive Demands of a Negotiation Curriculum: What Does It Mean to “Get”Getting to YES?

A leading theory of human development — constructive-developmental theory — posits that people make meaning in qualitatively different ways through the course of their lives and that their meaning-making capacities continue to evolve even in adulthood. This article begins with a brief introduction to constructive-developmental theory, including its roots in Jean Piaget's work on child development and Robert Kegan's more recent work on adult development. The author then explores the different ways in which students at different developmental stages might make sense of the same negotiation concepts. The article discusses some implications of these diverse understandings for negotiation teachers in terms of goal setting, evaluation, teaching methods, and transformational learning. It then concludes with a suggestion for more research on the connections between constructive–developmentalism and negotiation pedagogy.
Contesting childhood in the US justice system - The transfer of juveniles to adult criminal court

Recent legislative enactments have altered the boundary between US juvenile and criminal justice systems. Youth that were previously adjudicated as juveniles are increasingly being labeled 'adults' and tried in the criminal court. This article begins with a review of policy and practice changes in the transfer of children to the criminal court. Through a discussion of relevant social and political discourses, the author examines the meanings of these changes for constructions of childhood and the contestation of childhood that they represent. The article concludes with a framework for analyzing and reconfiguring the trying of children as adults.
The πN scattering in nuclear matter

Abstract The effect of a nuclear medium on the πN scattering amplitude is discussed in a general formalism. A double-counting problem coming from the usual definition of the density-dependent πN scattering amplitude is resolved in this framework. We study the corrections to the fourth-order Chew-Low amplitude. It is shown that the leading terms of the Pauli correction cancel to this order, when one includes the Pauli effect in all intermediate states. The effect of a nuclear medium at nuclear matter density is found to be a 12 % quenching of the amplitude at threshold.
Real wage productivity elasticity across advanced economies, 1963-1996

The question of a constant wage share (Bowley's Law) has long been both an empirical and theoretical point of contention between rival theories of macroeconomic (functional) distribution. This paper explores some of these theoretical debates and issues related to Bowley's Law in contextualizing a simple empirical test of the real wage productivity elasticity of a cross section of 15 advanced economies across the 34-year period from 1963 to 1996. The evidence supports the hypothesis of a structural break in functional distribution on or around 1979 when real wages exhibit productivity inelasticity and the share of wages in national income starts a downward trajectory almost across the board. This is especially striking given the wide variety of labor market institutions and conditions across the 15 advanced economies. The paper concludes by posing the question that in light of the evidence presented perhaps a possible rethinking is in order (especially vis-a-vis possible national union strategies) regardin...
Selected-control synthesis of Te nanowires and Te/C nanocables by adjusting hydrothermal temperature

Abstract Single-crystalline Te nanowires with an average diameter of 70 nm and Te/C nanocables with a smooth core about 50–100 nm in diameter and a surrounding sheath about 60 nm in thickness were obtained through the reduction of Na 2 TeO 3 with glucose in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) under hydrothermal conditions at 130 °C and 170 °C. The products were characterized in detail by multiform techniques: X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In the process, the temperature was found to play important roles in determining the produced Te nanowires and Te/C nanocables.
Two-dimensional computational model for electrostrictive graft elastomer

The electrostrictive graft elastomer is a new type of electromechanically active polymer. Recently developed by NASA, it consists of flexible backbone chains, each with side chains, called grafts. Grafts from neighboring backbones physically cross-link and form crystal units. The flexible backbone chains and the crystal graft units are composed of polarized monomers, which contain atoms with electric partial charges, generating dipole moments. Polarized domains are created by dipole moments in the crystal units. When the elastomer is placed into an electric field, external rotating moments are applied to polarized domains. It stimulates the rotation of the polarized crystal graft units, which further induces deformation of the elastomer. In this paper, two-dimensional computational models are established to analyze the deformation mechanism of the graft elastomer.
Lateral Stress Dorsiflexion View: A Case Series Demonstrating Clinical Utility in Midterm Hallux Limitus

The lateral hallux stress dorsiflexion view is part of our standard workup for midterm hallux limitus (HL)/hallux rigidus (HR). It provides a functional radiographic examination of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint. Midterm HL primarily involves degenerative changes in the upper one third of the metatarsal phalangeal joint involving formation of bone spurs, dorsal bone impingement, joint space narrowing with cartilage degeneration, and fragmentation of the bone spurs. The lateral hallux stress dorsiflexion view provides diagnostic information not visible on a standard weightbearing lateral view in patients with midterm HL/HR, including joint space narrowing on the dorsal third of the joint despite intact cartilage through the center one third of the joint, the extent of maximum first metatarsal phalangeal joint dorsiflexion, and direct visualization of dorsal bone spur impingement. This functional radiographic examination also appears to provide improved patient understanding regarding why their joint is stiff and painful. Improved patient understanding of their condition positively influences the shared decision making regarding the treatment objectives and options. The cases of 5 patients with stage II or III HL/HR are presented to depict the utility of this radiographic view, including objective measurement of maximum first metatarsal phalangeal joint dorsiflexion, confirmation of a bony block at the end range of dorsiflexion, the presence or absence of joint space narrowing at the dorsal third of the joint, evaluation of the excursion of the sesamoid apparatus, a tool to help the patient understand, an intraoperative assessment of procedure effectiveness, and a comparison of maximum dorsiflexion before and after surgery.
Entropy of Radiation

An expression for the entropy flux of linearly polarized electromagnetic radiation of any specific intensity, ${K}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$, is obtained. The latter expression is then generalized to include radiation of any type of polarization.
Discrete Measurement Of Field Distribution Ming Fiber Optic Microbend Sensor

The need for the correct knowledge of the distribution of physical fields (e.g., pressure, mechanical stress, temperature) has initiated the design and implementation of a sensing device which uses fiber optic microbend sensor. The device is equipped with a central processor which is monitoring 16 individual fiber optic microbend devices as point sensors. It can easily be expanded to 32, 48, or n x 16 point sensors.
Computed tomography of choanal atresia: special considerations of the unilateral type.

Abstract Seven cases of choanal atresia are presented: four cases with bilateral choanal atresia, and three cases with unilateral choanal atresia. The patients in three of these cases were born with the CHARGE association-an association of choanal atresia with coloboma, heart disease, retarded growth, genital hypoplasia, and ear anomalies. Diagnosis in all cases was confirmed. Computed tomography generally confirms the clinical diagnosis of bilateral choanal atresia. Unilateral choanal atresia, however, presents late, and both the clinical and radiographic manifestations may be subtle. In all our cases of unilateral choanal atresia, computed tomography demonstrated the definitive components accounting for this deformity. Computed tomography, because it so accurately defines the anatomic malformation, is now the imaging modality of choice in this entity.
Integration of metallic nanostructures in fluidic channels for fluorescence and Raman enhancement by nanoimprint lithography and lift-off on compositional resist stack

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted Highlights? Nanoimprint lithography patterning. ? Non-flat substrates. ? Self-aligned nano-structures. ? Integration with fluidic systems. We present and demonstrate a novel fabrication method to integrate metallic nanostructures into fluidic systems, using nanoimprint lithography and lift-off on a compositional resist stack, which consists of multi-layers of SiO2 and polymer patterned from different fabrication steps. The lift-off of the stack allows the final nano-features precisely aligned in the proper locations inside fluidic channels. The method provides high-throughput low-cost patterning and compatibility with various fluidic channel designs, and will be useful for fluorescence and Raman scattering enhancement in nano-fluidic systems.
Some effects on depth-position and course-prediction judgments in 2-D and 3-D displays

With increasing use of three-dimensional stereoscopic display systems, there is a need to define optimal user interface guidelines for these systems. This study examines human performance in two tasks which required participants to view 3-D imagery with or without retinal disparity cues. The imagery consisted of an airspace control zone and it was rendered on the display screen in each of three formats: (1) a plan view, (2) a simple perspective view, and (3) an enhanced perspective view. One task required viewers to judge relative depth positions for objects within the 3-D space, while the other task required extrapolation of object motion headings. Retinal disparity cues reduced both the number and degree of errors, but only for the plan view, course prediction task condition. Not only did retinal disparity cues not provide any performance advantages for perspective displays, but performance levels for these displays were no different than those achievable with a plan view in the absence of retinal disparity cues. Although retinal disparity cues had no effect on search time, the enhanced perspective displays formats effectively increased search times relative to plan view and simple perspective formats. Neither retinal disparity cues nor display format had an effect on subjective ratings of viewer confidence.
Building desktop applications with Web services in a message-based MVC paradigm

Over the past decade, classic client side applications with model-view-controller (MVC) architecture haven't changed much but become more complex. In this paper, we present an approach of building desktop applications with Web Services in an explicit message-based MVC paradigm. By integrating with our publish/subscribe messaging middleware, it makes SVG browser (a Microsoft PowerPoint like client application) with Web service style interfaces universally accessible from different client platforms - Windows, Linux, MacOS, PalmOS and other customized ones. Performance data suggests that this scheme of building application around messages is a practical architecture for the next generation Web application client.
Heart rate predicts mortality in patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function.

Abstract Background Elevated resting heart rates have been associated with increased mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (EF). It is unclear, though, if this association applies to those with heart failure and preserved EF. Methods and Results We determined outcome for 685 consecutive patients with a prior diagnosis of heart failure and a preserved EF (>50%) documented on echocardiography at 1 of 3 laboratories. Patients with non-sinus rhythm were excluded from the analysis. We determined adjusted mortality rates at 1 year after the echocardiogram. The mean age of the cohort was 70 ± 11 years. Of the 685 included patients, 87% had a history of hypertension, 50% had diabetes, and the mean EF was 60% ± 6%. All-cause mortality at 1 year was significantly lower in the group with heart rate below 60 beats/min (10%) when compared with the group with heart rates between 60 and 70 beats/min (18%), 71–90 beats/min (20%), and >90 beats/min (35%) ( P 90 ( P = .01 across all groups). Conclusions These data suggest that an elevated resting heart rate is a marker for increased mortality in patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function. Heart rate may be useful in these patients for improved cardiovascular risk assessment.
The accuracy of the compressible Reynolds equation for predicting the local pressure in gas-lubricated textured parallel slider bearings

The validity of the compressible Reynolds equation to predict the local pressure in a gas-lubricated, textured parallel slider bearing is investigated. The local bearing pressure is numerically simulated using the Reynolds equation and the Navier–Stokes equations for different texture geometries and operating conditions. The respective results are compared and the simplifying assumptions inherent in the application of the Reynolds equation are quantitatively evaluated. The deviation between the local bearing pressure obtained with the Reynolds equation and the Navier–Stokes equations increases with increasing texture aspect ratio, because a significant cross-film pressure gradient and a large velocity gradient in the sliding direction develop in the lubricant film. Inertia is found to be negligible throughout this study.
Falsely Increased Immunoassay Measurements of Total and Unbound Phenytoin in Critically Ill Uremic Patients Receiving Fosphenytoin

Background: Fosphenytoin, a phosphate ester prodrug of phenytoin, is metabolized to phenytoin in vivo. Phenytoin metabolites accumulate in renal insufficiency and cross-react in some phenytoin immunoassays. Our aim was to determine the accuracy of phenytoin immunoassays in renal patients treated with fosphenytoin. Methods: We measured phenytoin with HPLC and with the aca, ACS:180, TDx phenytoin II, Vitros, and AxSYM methods. Specimens were collected 2–120 h after fosphenytoin administration from 17 patients with renal insufficiency. Results: The AxSYM, TDx phenytoin II, ACS:180, and Vitros assays displayed falsely increased phenytoin results up to 20 times higher than the HPLC results. The aca Star results for these specimens were comparable to the HPLC results. Although fosphenytoin can cross-react with phenytoin immunoassays, no fosphenytoin was detected by a sensitive HPLC method in any sample that was tested for its presence. Conclusion: These results are consistent with the formation of one or more novel metabolites or adducts of fosphenytoin that accumulate in some critically ill patients with renal insufficiency and that display significant cross-reactivity with some, but not all, phenytoin immunoassay methods.
Density-based multipath secure communication over mobile ad hoc networks

Security is a critical issue in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), where mobile nodes communicate with each other over relatively unreliable wireless links with no fixed infrastructure. One example of this occurs on battle fields, where soldiers often wear cameras and wireless mobile devices to send or receive images/video of different angles or locations in order to obtain better observation of the area. Such an environment could be highly insecure since an enemy could place devices to eavesdrop on or compromise the soldier nodes. In this paper, we consider a case where time sensitive multimedia is sent using multiple paths which can make better use of load balancing strategies, increase bandwidth and save node energy. However, an enemy node could listen in on more than one path at the same time, allowing it to collect sufficient shares of an image or video frame to recover the image. Our proposed algorithm is based on a quantitative analysis of security to protect against such multi-path eavesdropping. We prove that our algorithm can achieve better level of security by detouring traffic via paths without or with less vulnerable areas at the same amount of redundancy. On the other hand, we also prove, using simulation results and mathematical derivation, our algorithm can provide much more redundancy for better multimedia quality purpose while at the same time guaranteeing the same level of security.
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, and outcome after ischemic stroke.

Background: Inflammatory markers have been associated with ischemic stroke risk and prognosis after cardiac events. Their relationship to prognosis after stroke is unsettled. Methods: A population-based study of stroke risk factors in 467 patients with first ischemic stroke was undertaken to determine whether levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) predict risk of stroke recurrence, other vascular events, and death. Results: Levels of Lp-PLA2 and hs-CRP were weakly correlated (r=0.09; P=.045). High-sensitivity CRP, but not Lp-PLA2, was associated with stroke severity. After adjusting for age, sex, race and ethnicity, history of coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, smoking, and hs-CRP level, compared with the lowest quartile of Lp-PLA2, those in the highest quartile had an increased risk of recurrent stroke (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-4.18) and of the combined outcome of recurrent stroke, MI, or vascular death (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-3.42). After adjusting for confounders, hs-CRP was not associated with risk of recurrent stroke or recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death but was associated with risk of death (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.18-3.75). Conclusions: Inflammatory markers are associated with prognosis after first ischemic stroke and may offer complementary information. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 may be a stronger predictor of recurrent stroke risk. Levels of hs-CRP, an acute-phase reactant, increase with stroke severity and may be associated with mortality to a greater degree than recurrence.
The roles of opioid peptides in controlling thyroid stimulating hormone release

We have studied the role of the opioid peptides in controlling TSH secretion. Morphine sulfate significantly decreased, while naloxone had no effect on, basal plasma TSH levels of female rats. In contrast, naloxone blocked the stress-induced fall in plasma TSH. Microinjection of beta-endorphin into the third ventricle resulted in a fall in TSH while such injection of naloxone into the posterior hypothalamus increased TSH. Microinjection of beta-endorphin directly into the pituitary caused a rise in plasma TSH. It is concluded that opioid peptides probably play no role in basal TSH secretion, but are involved in the stress-induced fall in TSH. Furthermore, it appears that opioid peptides have a site of action in the hypothalamus to decrease TSH and a direct pituitary action to increase TSH.
Gene expression as an indicator of the molecular response and toxicity in the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis and the water flea Daphnia magna exposed to functionalized gold nanoparticles

Nanoparticle (NP) physiochemical properties have been shown to be important determinants of NP interactions with biological systems. Due to both nanomaterial diversity and environmental complexity, a mechanistic understanding of how physiochemical properties affect NP/organism interactions will greatly aid in the accurate assessment and prediction of current and emerging NP-induced environmental impacts. Herein, we investigated key biological apical endpoints, such as viability, growth, and reproduction and the expression of genes associated with related molecular pathways in response to exposure to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with either positively charged ligands, polyallyamine hydrochloride, or negatively charged ligands, mercaptopropionic acid, in two model organisms, the bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and the water flea Daphnia magna. By linking changes in molecular pathways to apical endpoints, potential biomarkers for functionalized AuNP impacts were identified in both organisms. Specifically, act was identified as a potential biomarker in D. magna and 16S as a potential biomarker in S. oneidensis. We also revealed that changes in molecular pathways induced by ligand–NP combination were strongly dependent upon the type of ligand on the NP surface, and the effects from their respective ligands alone might predict these effects for the ligand–NP combination, but only in some cases. Lastly, we revealed that it is possible to identify similar pathways provoked upon NP exposure across organisms. This study shows that molecular pathways will help elucidate mechanisms for NP toxicity that are predictive of adverse environmental outcomes.
Evaluating Public-Private Partnership Organizational Alternatives for Existing Toll Roads

Public-private partnership (P3) agreements on existing toll roads in the United States have raised critical questions pertaining to the true costs and benefits associated with these agreements for all stakeholders. Of particular concern is an apparent reliance on monetary calculations alone to determine toll road lump-sum value. This primary focus on monetary considerations appears to neglect a number of nonmonetary variables associated with potential benefits and costs. The objective of this paper is to present a four-step process that uses two analytical methods to assess the benefits, costs, and other impacts associated with P3 organizational alternatives. The first analytical method uses cash-flow diagrams to calculate the net present value (NPV) for each P3 alternative. The second method weighs the relative importance of quantitative and qualitative (nonmonetizable) variables. Four distinct groups of variables form the basis of the two analytical methods: monetary, monetizable, quantitative, and qualitative. The last two groups represent variables that are nonmonetizable. It is these variables that can reflect the much larger stewardship role that government plays in society. The primary user of these analytical methods is identified as the public sector decision maker who has been asked to make recommendations regarding different organizational alternatives for toll road operation.
The Role of Gully Stabilization in Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation

Cross-sectional changes of gullies on two rapidly eroding coal-refuse deposits in southwestern Indiana were studied in relation to storm runoff and sediment yield in order to evaluate their role in landscape instability and reclamation. Data were collected in various reaches of the gully networks in three instrumented watersheds. One of the gullied watersheds was studied both before and after minimal disturbance reclamation. The measured changes indicated that, prior to reclamation, colluvial buildup (derived from gully side slopes) during winter was followed by colluvial flushing in late spring and erosional downcutting in summer and autumn. Total annual backwearing of gullies (similar to surface lowering) ranged from 2.9 to 4.6 cm, and backwearing over shorter periods (< 1 month) was as much as 1 cm. A sediment budget analysis indicated that the gullies were yielding about four times more sediment per unit area than the watersheds as a whole and about an order of magnitude more sediment per unit area than the adjacent in-terfluves. Following reclamation, which involved the emplacement of rip-rap check dams and water bars with no grading, colluvial flushing ceased, vegetation became established on the gully floors, and all coarse sediment was retained within the watersheds. Backwearing of gully side slopes continued to occur, however, but this led to further gully infilling and the creation of more subdued and erosionally stable landscape. Gully side walls were eventually secured by volunteer vegetation from adjacent interfluves, which led to further watershed stabilization.
Worth the wait: effects of age of onset of marijuana use on white matter and impulsivity

Rationale Marijuana (MJ) use continues to rise, and as the perceivedriskofusingMJapproachesanall-timehistoriclow, initiation of MJ use is occurring at even younger ages. As adolescence is a critical period of neuromaturation, teens and emerging adults are at greater risk for experiencing the negative effects of MJ on the brain. In particular, MJ use has been shown to be associated with alterations in frontal white matter microstructure, which may be related to reports of increased levels of impulsivity in this population. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between age of onset of MJ use, white matter microstructure, and reported impulsivity in chronic, heavy MJ smokers. Methods Twenty-five MJ smokers and 18 healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging and completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. MJ smokers were also divided into early onset (regular use prior to age 16) and late onset (age 16 or later) groups in order to clarify the impact of age of onset of MJ use on these variables. Results MJsmokers exhibited significantly reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) relative to controls, as well as higher levels of impulsivity. Earlier MJ onset was also associated with lower levelsofFA.Interestingly,withintheearlyonsetgroup,higher impulsivity scores were correlated with lower FA, a relationship that was not observed in the late onset smokers. Conclusions MJ use is associated with white matter development and reported impulsivity, particularly in early onset smokers.
Institutional Variables Affecting Female Representation in National Legislatures: The Case of Norway

A controversy exists over whether district magnitude, the number of seats per district, has a positive effect on female representation. This study considers district magnitude's effect on female representation in Norway over a 40-year period. The data analysis finds that party magnitude, the size of a party's district delegation, is a more powerful explanatory factor than district magnitude. Party magnitude's effect appears to follow a cycle. Prior to demands for representation being raised, party magnitude has little effect. As women mobilize and representation demands are raised party magnitude plays a significant role, but once women are firmly entrenched as powerful players in party politics, party magnitude's effect decreases. This formulation is consistent with the Norwegian findings and also explains why previous cross-sectional research has produced inconsistent findings. In addition, the crucial role that candidate nomination processes play in explaining the high levels of representation found in...
Optimal design of a climatological network: beyond practical considerations

Abstract. Station locations in existing environmental networks are typically chosen based on practical constraints such as cost and accessibility, while unintentionally overlooking the geographical and statistical properties of the information to be measured. Ideally, such considerations should not take precedence over the intended monitoring goal of the network: the focus of network design should be to adequately sample the quantity to be observed. Here we describe an optimal network design technique, based on ensemble sensitivity, that objectively locates the most valuable stations for a given field. The method is computationally inexpensive and can take practical constraints into account. We describe the method, along with the details of our implementation, and present-example results for the US Pacific Northwest, based on the goal of monitoring regional annual-mean climate. The findings indicate that optimal placement of observing stations can often be highly counterintuitive, thus emphasizing the importance of objective approaches. Although at coarse scales the results are generally consistent, sensitivity tests show important differences, especially at smaller spatial scales. These uncertainties could be reduced with improvements in datasets and improved estimates of the measurement error. We conclude that the method is best suited for identifying general areas within which observations should be focused, and suggest that the approach could serve as a valuable complement to land surveys and expert input in designing new environmental observing networks.
Beyond probabilistic record linkage: Using neural networks and complex features to improve genealogical record linkage

Probabilistic record linkage has been used for many years in a variety of industries, including medical, government, private sector and research groups. The formulas used for probabilistic record linkage have been recognized by some as being equivalent to the naive Bayes classifier. While this method can produce useful results, it is not difficult to improve accuracy by using one of a host of other machine learning or neural network algorithms. Even a simple single-layer perceptron tends to outperform the naive Bayes classifier—and thus traditional probabilistic record linkage methods—by a substantial margin. Furthermore, many record linkage system use simple field comparisons rather than more complex features, partially due to the limits of the probabilistic formulas they use. This paper presents an overview of probabilistic record linkage, shows how to cast it in machine learning terms, and then shows that it is equivalent to a naive Bayes classifier. It then discusses how to use more complex features than simple field comparisons, and shows how probabilistic record linkage formulas can be modified to handle this. Finally, it demonstrates a huge improvement in accuracy through the use of neural networks and higher-level matching features, compared to traditional probabilistic record linkage on a large (80,000 pair) set of labeled pairs of genealogical records used by FamilySearch.org.
Inhibition of Potassium Uptake by Low Concentrations of Norepinephrine and Dibutyryl Cyclic Amp

(1) The inhibition of potassium uptake by low concentration of norepinephrine (3 X 10-8 M) and of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DBcAMP, 10 minus5 M) was studied in cardiac Purkynĕ fibres. (2) The inhibitory action of DBcAMP on K uptake was abolished by the alpha blocker phentolamine. (3) Norepinephrine alone decreased K uptake and such inhibition was somewhat larger when DBcAMP was added. DBcAMP alone caused the usual decrease in K uptake but addition of norepinephrine abolished it. (4) The inhibition caused by norepinephrine reduced the increase in uptake caused by a high concentration (10 minus 3 M) of DBcAMP. (5) The inhibitory effect of norepinephrine was reversed in the presence of high concentration of magnesium (5.25 mM). (6) The inhibitory effect of norepinephrine was reversed by aminophylline and abolished by caffeine. (7) The inhibitory action of norepinephrine and BCcAMP was reversed or abolished, respectively, by imidazole. (8) It is concluded that the inhibition of potassium uptake by low concentration of DBcAMP is mediated by an alpha receptor mechanism and that possibly the "receptors" for this effect of norepinephrine and DBcAMP are located at different sites. Also it appears that DBcAMP may be acting at the membrane and that the action of methylxanthines and imidazole is not necessarily mediated only by a modification of phosphodiesterase activity.
Processing Differences between Feature-Based Facial Composites and Photos of Real Faces

Summary: Computer-generated faces (composites) constructed by select2ing individual facial features (e.g. eyes, nose, mouth) are poorly recognized because this process contrasts with the natural holistic processing of real faces. This result suggests that there should be differences in the cognitive processing of these composites compared with photos of real faces, which would make these stimuli problematic for theories seeking to explain real face processing. We conducted five experiments to test potential conditions for moving composite processing closer to how real face photos are processed, first taking the perspective of researchers who construct composites with a random selection of available features and then taking a perspective closer to police by creating each composite to match a real face photo. Composites with randomly selected features (but configured like real faces) showed no face inversion effect and recognition memory for these composites benefited from increased encoding time, unlike real face photos. Although composites constructed to match real face photos yielded an inversion effect, they still were remembered differently than the photos. Researchers should not use feature-based composites as proxies for real face photos. We conclude with a discussion of alternative methods of constructing composites. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. It is no secret that there are problems with faces produced by feature-based composite systems. These systems construct faces via a selection of individual facial features such as nose, eyes, and mouth, rather than a more holistic process. They do not produce good likenesses of target faces, whether these individuals are well known to the participant 1 or not (Frowd,McQuiston-Surrett,Anandaciva,Ireland,&Hancock,
Liver regeneration: a link to inflammation through complement.

We have emphasized here the similarities that exist between the inflammatory and regenerative responses in terms of mediators involved, providing evidence that liver regeneration includes an inflammatory reaction. Particular emphasis has been placed on the role of complement, an early and fundamental player in innate immunity, in regeneration of the liver. During the inflammatory response there are multiple interactions existing between several complement proteins and the network of pleiotropic mediators, the cytokines. Through cytokine functions, complement is involved in precise and balanced regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses and the control of cellular growth and apoptosis. Additionally, through cytokine signaling and other, more direct processes, complement is now known to be vital for proper liver regeneration. Thus, the interactions between various complement proteins and cytokines are essential for both immune responses and tissue regeneration, and provide a new link in the expanding chain connecting these two biological phenomena.
Conserved arginine residues in the carboxyl terminus of the equine arteritis virus E protein may play a role in heparin binding but may not affect viral infectivity in equine endothelial cells

Equine arteritis virus (EAV), the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, has relatively broad cell tropism in vitro. In horses, EAV primarily replicates in macrophages and endothelial cells of small blood vessels. Until now, neither the cellular receptor(s) nor the mechanism(s) of virus attachment and entry have been determined for this virus. In this study, we investigated the effect of heparin on EAV infection in equine endothelial cells (EECs). Heparin, but not other glycosaminoglycans, could reduce EAV infection up to 93 %. Sequence analysis of the EAV E minor envelope protein revealed a conserved amino acid sequence (52 RSLVARCSRGARYR 65) at the carboxy terminus of the E protein, which was predicted to be the heparin-binding domain. The basic arginine (R) amino acid residues were subsequently mutated to glycine by site-directed mutagenesis of ORF2a in an E protein expression vector and an infectious cDNA clone of EAV. Two single mutations in E (R52G and R57G) did not affect the heparin-binding capability, whereas the E double mutation (R52,60G) completely eliminated the interaction between the E protein and heparin. Although the mutant R52,60G EAV did not bind heparin, the mutations did not completely abolish infectivity, indicating that heparin is not the only critical factor for EAV infection. This also suggested that other viral envelope protein(s) might be involved in attachment through heparin or other cell-surface molecules, and this warrants further investigation.