cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preprocessing of fluoresced transmembrane potential signals for cardiac optical mapping

Fluorescence imaging of transmembrane voltage-sensitive dyes is used to study electrical activation in cardiac tissue. However, fluorescence signals typically have a low signal to noise ratio that can be contaminated with motion artifacts. We describe an alternative processing approach for fluoresced transmembrane potentials (fTmps) using the wavelet multiresolution analysis. We show that fTmp signals can be decomposed and reconstructed to form three sub-signals that contain signal noise (noise signal), the early depolarization phase of the action potential (rTmp signal), and motion artifact (rMA signal). Discrete wavelet transform is used with coiflet 4 scaling and wavelet functions for fTmp decomposition and reconstruction of these sub-signals. Our results show that this type of analysis can be used to remove baseline drift, reduce noise, and reveal wavefronts. It streamlines the preprocessing of fTmps for subsequent measurement of activation times and conduction velocities. The approach is promising for studying wave fronts without aggressive mechanical tissue constraint or electromechanical uncoupling agents, and it is particularly useful for single camera systems that do not provide for ratiometric imaging.
Pharmacologic Consideration for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in the Elderly

The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among people older than 50 years is increasing. HIV-infected patients require lifelong treatment with antiretroviral agents to suppress viral replication and maintain immune function. The use of antiretroviral agents in the elderly can be complicated by multiple chronic comorbidities and coadministered non-HIV medications. The pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral agents may be altered due to age-related decrements in hepatic and renal function. The elderly may be more sensitive than younger people to antiretroviral drug toxicity. A better understanding of the pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral agents in the elderly is of importance for the successful management of complex antiretroviral regimens in this population.
Vibrational Dynamics of Terminal Acetylenes: I. Comparison of the Intramolecular Vibrational Energy Redistribution Rate of Gases and the Total Relaxation Rate of Dilute Solutions at Room Temperature

The population relaxation rate of the first excited state of the acetylenic C−H stretch is compared for room-temperature gas-phase and solution-phase samples of 10 terminal acetylenes. The gas-phase sample pressure is less than 1 atm for all measurements, ensuring that the dynamics occur under collision-free conditions. The relaxation rates are measured using two-color transient absorption picosecond spectroscopy. The population of the excited state is monitored directly through the anharmonically shifted v = 1−v = 2 excited-state transition. The relaxation rates of isolated and solvated molecules are strongly correlated and follow a relationship expected for a parallel relaxation process in solution: the total rate in solution is the sum of a molecule-dependent rate related to the isolated molecule dynamics and a molecule-independent solvent-induced relaxation rate. For the terminal acetylenes, the vibrational normal-mode frequencies of the acetylene chromophore and their anharmonic interactions are hig...
Lithium nitride (Li3N): standard enthalpy of formation by solution calorimetry

Abstract The enthalpies of reaction of a carefully prepared and characterized specimen of lithium nitride, Li 3 N, with H 2 O and with HCl(aq) were found to be −(581.62±1.42) kJ mol −1 [−(139.01±0.34) kcal th mol −1 ] and −(803.50±1.26) kJ mol −1 [−(192.04±0.30) kcal th mol −1 ], respectively. Enthalpies of solution of LiCl and NH 4 Cl were also measured. Combination of the measured results with auxiliary thermochemical data from the literature yielded values of −(165.14±1.55) kJ mol −1 [−(39.47±0.37) kcal th mol −1 ] and −(164.77±1.51) kJ mol −1 [−(39.38±0.36) kcal th mol −1 ], respectively, for the standard enthalpy of formation, ΔH f o (Li 3 N, c, 298.15 K). A weighted mean value, −(164.93±1.09) kJ mol −1 [−(39.42±0.26) kcal th mol −1 ], is recommended for ΔH f o (Li 3 N, c, 298.15 K). This result differs by about 8 kcal th mol −1 from previous determinations.
The bioenergetics of axial plant growth I. Concept and model formulation

The axial growth of plant tissue obeys the physical laws of energetics during deformation of a continuous medium. In this manuscript the concept of biological energy conservation is employed to formulate a mathematical model of axial plant growth. The model is derived from a statement of the exchange of the thermodynamic potential energy with the kinetic energy of deformation. This derivation does not invoke a force balance analogy with simple mechanical systems and has no turgor dependence. The mathematical expression for growth which results from energy conservation considerations is given by a system of coupled, nonlinear, first-order, partial diffrential equations in the material coordinate system for the local tissue displacement velocity, V(X, t) , and the longitudinal tissue strain, E(X, t) . The coefficient of the equations, γ 2 , is equal to the change of the tissue thermodynamic potential energy with respect to the longitudinal strain, dΘ/d E , divided by a tissue density term. This term is referred to as the “specific energy capacity” of tissue growth. The chemical components of the thermodynamic potential energy as applied to plant growth are the total water potential and the mole number of the carbon based components participating in biomass synthesis. The derivatives with respect to tissue strain of the turgor, osmotic potential and extent of the biosynthetic reactions, therefore, all participate in the performance of the work of growth. The result of this analysis indicates that an increased rate of biosynthetic reactions in the production of biomass and the biochemical loosening of the cell wall contribute to increased axial growth rates. An increased tissue osmotic potential and strain hardening of the cell wall, on the other hand, serve to decrease axial growth rates. The model formulation is unique to plant growth studies since it combines principles of mechanical energy conservation during deformation with a chemical thermodynamic description of the potential energy. The concept that the change of the thermodynamic potential energy performs the work of deformation is more general and applicable to biological systems than the currently employed force balance approach.
Fine structure of splenic pulp

Splenic tissue from the dog, monkey, guinea pig, and rat were fixed in OsO4, embedded in maraglas, and examined by electron microscopy. The red pulp is composed of sinuses, the walls of which are formed by littoral cells (macrophages and fixed reticulum cells) resting on a framework of reticulum. The pulp cords (Billroth cords) are formed by sinuses containing bands of reticulum which compartmentalize the cord. Interlocked littoral cells and entrapped formed elements of the blood are found in the cords. The stroma of the white pulp is composed of two types of fixed reticular cells (fixed reticular cells, type A; and fixed reticular cells, type B), macrophages, and cell types intermediate between macrophages and fixed reticular cells. The reticulum of the white pulp is similar to that of the red pulp. With PTA staining the extracellular connective tissue (reticulum) is found to be composed of a homogeneous substance with fibrillar elements, namely (1) fibrils 50 mμ in diameter with a 640 A axial periodicity, (2) fibrils of similar diameter without periodicity, and (3) non-periodic, closely packed undulating, parallel fibrils ca. 70 A in diameter. The reticulum is, in general, enclosed by cytoplasm of littoral cells or sandwiched between cells; rarely, however, the reticulum appears to be in contact with the blood in the sinus. The junction of capillary and sinus is abrupt and the terminal capillary endothelium is surrounded by litoral cells.
Significance of the Ca-Na Pyroxene-Lawsonite-Chlorite Assemblage in Blueschist-Facies Metabasalts: An Example from the Renge Metamorphic Rocks, Southwest Japan

Paleozoic lawsonite-bearing low-grade metabasalts with rare flattened pillow structures occur in the Chugoku Mountains, Southwest Japan. The meta-mafic rocks are divided into meta-pillow basalt core (PBC), meta-pillow basalt rim (PBR), and metabasaltic breccia (BB). The PBC have MORB-like major and trace element concentrations, contain 5 wt% water, and a Na-amphibole-free mineral assemblage: Ca-Na pyroxene (maximum 29% jadeite component) + lawsonite + chlorite + quartz. In contrast, the PBR and BB contain a lawsonite-blueschist-facies mineral assemblage: Na-amphibole ± lawsonite + pumpellyite ± chlorite + albite + quartz. Parageneses and compositions of minerals yield equilibrium P-T conditions of T< 280°C and P = 0.6-0.7 GPa for all three rock types. Phase relations in the 2Al-Ca-2Fe3+-(Fe+Mg) tetrahedron suggest that the Na-amphibole-free mineral assemblage in PBC occurs only under relatively oxidized conditions. This mineral assemblage has been described from low-grade metabasalts in several high-P-low...
Lactosaminoglycans are involved in uterine epithelial cell adhesion in vitro.

The cell type specificity of glycoeonjugate synthesis between the epithelial and stromal cells of the uterus is described. Lactosaminoglycans (LAGs) constituted a major fraction of the cell-associated glycoconjugates synthesized by epithelial, but not stromal, cells. Furthermore, LAGs comprised the bulk (greater than 90%) of glycoconjugates that could be released from epithelial cell surfaces by proteases. Several lines of evidence indicate that the epithelial cell-specific lactosaminoglycans appear to interact directly with a cell surface galactosyltransferase (GalTase). This includes the observation that agents that perturb galactosyltransferase function also interrupt epithelial cell adhesion and cause LAG release from the cell layer. In addition, LAGs are galactosylated when UDP-[3H]galactose is added to intact epithelial cell layers. Interference with cell surface GalTase activity with α-lactalbumin or UDP-galactose, but not other agents, specifically interrupted epithelial cell adhesion; however, the same agents had absolutely no effect on stromal cells. Collectively, these studies describe the novel occurrence of lactosaminoglycans on cell surfaces in an adult tissue other than hematopoietic cells and provide evidence for cell type-specific involvement of lactosaminoglycans in uterine cell adhesion processes.
Spontaneous multivessel coronary artery dissection causing massive myocardial infarction.

![Figure][1] [![Graphic][3] ][3][![Graphic][4] ][4] A 33-year-old Caucasian male with no medical history was referred for evaluation of an abnormal echocardiogram at an outside hospital after initially presenting with complaints of vague epigastric pain. The echocardiogram
A Comparison with Experimental Results and Outstanding Issues in Baryon Physics

A comparison is made between the results for baryon masses and decay widths from the analyses of Nπ elastic scattering experiments, and a constituent quark model calculation of these quantities. This is also carried out for pion photoproduction, and for formation and production of strange baryons. This comparison is used to focus on the outstanding issues in baryon spectroscopy, with an eye towards how the new generation of experimental facilities can best address them.
Behavior Genetics from an Interactional Point of View

The gradual emergence of behavior genetics as a field of legitimate inquiry is having a profound effect on the field of developmental psychology. The impact has not been to change the questions asked by developmental psychologists. Nor can behavior geneticists claim to have provided definitive answers to these questions. What has happened, rather, is that problems concerning the relative effects of genetic and environmental factors on behavioral development, problems that previously had seemed impervious to empirical inquiryI are being approached with a high level of focused attention and educated expertise. The increasing legitimacy of behavior genetics as a methodologically viable disci pline has enabled psychologists to address questions that often were simply not allowed in the context of a behaviorist psychology. Because of some very real problems inherent in any attempt to specify the effects of genetic and environmental factors on behavioral development, the entire issue was frequently avoided by an affirmation of the impossibility of the endeavor.
Automated qualitative and quantitative metabolic profiling analysis of urinary steroids by a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-data system

A computer system (MSSMET), using methylene unit retention indices for an off-line reverse library search analysis of selected ion chromatograms from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry data, has been applied to the qualitative and quantitative determination of urinary steroids. Several published methods for the isolation and derivatization of urinary steroids were evaluated for reproducibility using fused silica capillary column gas chromatography. Using a procedure that gave the greatest reproducibility, MSSMET analyses of urinary steroids were evaluated with packed (3-m 3% OV-101) and capillary (50-m OV-101 WCOT fused silica) columns. Most urinary steroids could be accurately quantitated using the packed column. However, urinary steroids with similar mass spectra and retention behavior on a packed column (i.e., androsterone and etiocholanolone, or 3 alpha, 11 beta, 17 alpha, 21-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-pregnane-20-one and 3 alpha, 11 beta, 17 alpha, 21-tetrahydroxy-5 alpha-pregnane-20-one) were completely separated using the capillary column and could be reproducibly quantitated with a 2-sec scan cycle time (10-15 data points across a peak) but not with a longer scan cycle time. Overloading was the major problem encountered with the fused silica capillary column.
Photonic Lightwave Circuits

Integrated-optic waveguide devices become more and more complicated to realize high functionality. Numerical simulations are prerequisite for the design of waveguide devices. Planar lightwave circuits (PLCs) provide various important functionalities for optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), time division multiplexing (TOM), code division multiplexing (CDM) systems and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) access networks. This paper reviews the recent progress and future prospects of waveguide device design and its application to FTTH access networks and photonic signal processing applications.
PolyScan: An automatic indel and SNP detection approach to the analysis of human resequencing data

Small insertions and deletions (indels) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are common genetic variants that are thought to be associated with a wide variety of human diseases. Owing to the genome's size and complexity, manually characterizing each one of these variations in an individual is not practical. While significant progress has been made in automated single-base mutation discovery from the sequences of diploid PCR products, automated and reliable detection of indels continues to pose difficult challenges. In this paper, we present PolyScan, an algorithm and software implementation designed to provide de novo heterozygous indel detection and improved SNP identification in the context of high-throughput medical resequencing. Tests on a human diploid PCR-based sequence data set, consisting of 90,270 traces from 13 genes, indicate that PolyScan identified approximately 90% of the 151 consensus indel sites and approximately 84% of the 1546 heterozygous indels previously identified by manual inspection. Tests on tumor-derived data show that PolyScan better identifies high-quality, low-level mutations as compared with other mutation detection software. Moreover, SNP identification improves when reprocessing the results of other programs. These results suggest that PolyScan may play a useful role in the post human genome project research era.
On Cognitive Constraints and Learning Progressions: The case of “structure of matter”

Based on the analysis of available research on students’ alternative conceptions about the particulate nature of matter, we identified basic implicit assumptions that seem to constrain students’ ideas and reasoning on this topic at various learning stages. Although many of these assumptions are interrelated, some of them seem to change or lose/gain strength independently from one another. Overlapping or competing presuppositions about the structure, properties, and dynamics of matter may be able to coexist at any given level, particularly at intermediate stages of expertise. Our results allowed us to suggest common paths in the transition from naive through novice to expert along relevant dimensions related to the structure and properties of chemical substances. The identification of these cognitive constraints provides a useful framework that educators can use to better understand and even predict many of their students’ learning difficulties. It can also assist in the design and organisation of learning experiences and assessment tools that recognise and take advantage of the most likely trajectories towards expertise (learning progressions) followed by many students.
Target Reputation and Appropriability: Picking and Deploying Resources in Acquisitions

This study explores sources of acquirer satisfaction and achievement of strategic objectives following acquisitions. We develop two sets of factors based on picking and deploying target resources that we expect will affect these outcomes, and consider how the two interact. We find that target reputation is consistently related to desirable acquisition outcomes. In particular, product quality and financial reputation positively affect satisfaction; product quality is a strong predictor of achieving market-based objectives; and management and product reputation facilitate learning. Retaining top management after the transaction is also positively related to satisfaction. We support and extend the theory of relative standing—target executives are retained to a greater degree when management reputation is strong, and this leads to better outcomes for acquirers. Other deployment effects vary depending on the outcome and the strength of the acquired resource.
Standardized Analysis of Mandibular Osteoradionecrosis in a Rat Model

Objective. To develop a rat model of mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) that uses novel micro-computed tomography bone volume analysis and detailed histology to provide a more effective, quantifiable, and standardized way to study ORN in vivo.Study Design. Animal model.Setting. Academic medical center.Subjects and Methods. Modifications to our previously published rat model of mandibular ORN were done to develop an ideal protocol consisting of 10 rats (6 experimental and 4 controls) with their left middle mandibular molar removed 7 days after either 20 Gy high dose rate brachytherapy or sham irradiation. Rats were sacrificed 21 days after extraction for landmark defined bone volume and histologic analysis.Results. A standardized method of quantification was achieved in all samples. The radiated group (XRT) had a mean bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) of 13.8% compared to 65.9% for controls (P < .001). There were increases in osteoclasts and fibrosis, decreases in osteoblasts, and less bone in radiated sam...
Gamma Interferon Suppresses Erythropoiesis via Interleukin-15

Impaired erythropoiesis causes anemia during genetic disorders, chronic disease, and infection. In studies of the underlying mechanisms researchers have increasingly focused on gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Here, we identified a previously unrecognized role for interleukin-15 (IL-15) in red blood cell homeostasis and demonstrated that IFN-γ and signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 1-dependent pathways up-regulate expression of IL-15 in vivo. These findings identified new therapeutic targets for anemia.
Evaluation of a second-generation microtransesophageal echocardiography transducer and software

Background:Transesophageal echocardiographic imaging of small infants has been limited because of equipment size. A newer miniaturized transducer has allowed for the imaging of even the smallest patients but has been limited by intermittent poor image quality because of hardware durability. A second generation of the transducer was developed to address this problem. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance and durability of the second-generation transducer over multiple uses and to compare the image quality from the modified transducer and new software preset to the original transducer.Methods:Patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) based on clinical indications with the original or second-generation transducers were included in the study. All studies were reviewed for image quality and unacceptable image degradation, which was defined as imaging quality inadequate for clinical use. Study review was performed by two echocardiographers.Results:Using the original transducer, ...
Evaluation of Reference Dilution Test Methods for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains Isolated from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis

ABSTRACT The development of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is most likely a consequence of increasing life expectancy and more prolonged exposure to antibiotics. The optimal method for antibiotic susceptibility testing of CF strains, particularly mucoid P. aeruginosastrains, is unknown. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of 48 CF strains (25 mucoid) and 50 non-CF strains to 12 anti-Pseudomonasagents were tested by both agar dilution and commercially custom-prepared broth microdilution plates (PML Microbiologicals, Portland, Oreg.) in three laboratories simultaneously to determine if broth microdilution could substitute for agar dilution as the reference method in subsequent studies. Comparison of MICs generated by agar dilution and broth microdilution demonstrated correlation coefficients (r) exceeding 0.85 for all agents tested; correlation was excellent for aminoglycosides (r ≥ 0.92) and very good for β-lactam agents including agents paired with a β-lactamase inhibitor (r ≥ 0.87) and for ciprofloxacin (r = 0.86). Correlation was not improved by 48-h readings, but correlation between 24- and 48-h readings ranged between 0.91 and 0.98 for both methods. Interlaboratory variations were minimal, as the percentage of acceptable variations was 94% for both methods, and serious discords were infrequent (
An examination of the impact of clinically significant levels of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology on the classification of pain as mild, moderate, or severe in a sample of veterans with chronic pain.

Chronic pain affects approximately 50% of veterans, half of whom also suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Researchers have previously identified a method for translating 0–10 pain scales to categories of pain (mild, moderate, or severe pain) to make pain ratings more meaningful in the context of category-based treatment guidelines. Although one such study focused on veterans with pain, none have considered whether empirically derived cutoffs differ based on the presence of clinically significant levels of PTSD symptomatology. Therefore, the purpose of the study presented here was to replicate previous findings on pain categorization in veterans and to assess whether the cutoffs differ based on the presence or absence of clinically significant levels of PTSD symptomatology. On the basis of the responses of 198 veterans, our results supported the previous finding that scores of 1–4 are classified as mild pain, 5–7 as moderate, and 8–10 as severe. In addition, veterans with comorbid pain and clinically significant levels of PTSD symptomatology were found to have a lower cutoff between mild and moderate pain, but they did not have a different cutoff between moderate and severe pain. These results, which support that lower levels of pain severity are associated with higher levels of pain-related interference for veterans with comorbid pain and clinically significant levels of PTSD symptomatology relative to veterans with pain without clinically significant levels of PTSD symptomatology, highlight the importance of considering contextual factors (e.g., psychosocial factors) when assessing a veteran’s pain severity.
The tri-trophic niche concept and adaptive radiation of phytophagous insects

A conceptual divide exists between ecological and evolutionary approaches to understanding adaptive radiation, although the phenomenon is inherently both ecological and evolutionary. This divide is evident in studies of phytophagous insects, a highly diverse group that has been frequently investigated with the implicit or explicit goal of understanding its diversity. Whereas ecological studies of phytophagous insects increasingly recognize the importance of tri-trophic interactions as determinants of niche dimensions such as host-plant associations, evolutionary studies typically neglect the third trophic level. Here we attempt to reconcile ecological and evolutionary approaches through the concept of the ecological niche. We specifically present a tri-trophic niche concept as a foil to the traditional bi-trophic niche concept for phytophagous insects. We argue that these niche concepts have different implications for understanding herbivore community structure, population divergence, and evolutionary diversification. To this end, we offer contrasting empirical predictions of bi- and tri-trophic niche concepts for patterns of community structure, the process of population divergence, and patterns of evolutionary diversification of phytophagous insects.
Integrating Nano-logic into an Undergraduate Logic Design Course

The goal of this work is to motivate our students and enhance their ability to address newer logic blocks namely majority gates in the existing framework. We use a K-map based methodology to introduce a few novel nano-logic design concepts for the undergraduate logic design class. We want them to possess knowledge about a few fundamental abstracted logical behaviors of future nano-devices and their functionality which in turn would motivate them to further investigate these non-CMOS emerging devices, logics and architectures. This would augment critical thinking of the students where they apply the learnt knowledge to a novel/unfamiliar situation. We intend to augment the existing standard EE and CS courses by inserting K-map based knowledge modules on nano-logic structure for stimulating their interest without significant diversion from the course framework. Experiments with our students show that all the students were able to grasp the basic concept of majority logic synthesis and almost 63% of them had a deeper understanding of the synthesis algorithm demonstrated to them.
Adenoma and Carcinoma, Pars Distalis, Anterior Pituitary Gland, Rat

Pituitary neoplasms vary greatly in size, from single or multiple microscopic foci to large masses that replace the whole gland, markedly enlarging it up to a diameter of 20 mm and a weight of 350 mg or more (Kovacs et al. 1977b; Fig. 83). The neoplasms are generally well defined, spherical, circumscribed, soft, friable, and smooth, but they may have an irregular nodular surface, and they are not encapsulated. Either they are solid, or they contain cavernous vessels with hemorrhages and congestion (Andersson 1969). The neoplasms are separated from the brain, but a few invade the adjacent brain and meninges. Large neoplasms protrude from the sella and produce compression atrophy of the adjacent brain parenchyma (Wolfe et al. 1938; Ross et al. 1970; Kovacs et al. 1977b). The cut surface is light brown to dark red depending on the vascularity of the neoplasm.
MACROECONOMICS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: FULL EMPLOYMENT AS A POLICY GOAL

This paper describes research that integrates Keynesian and Walrasian economics in a new way. The author develops a model in which high unemployment can persist and any unemployment rate can occur as an equilibrium. Equilibrium is selected by the self-fulfilling beliefs of asset market participants. Using this new framework, the author argues that fiscal policy is not the best solution to the problem of restoring full employment. A policy of asset market management, similar to quantitative easing, is put forward as a more effective approach.
Correlation between Direct Charge Measurement (DCM) and LCR meter on deep submicron CMOS test structure capacitance measurement

This paper reports capacitance measurement correlation between Direct Charge Measurement (DCM) and conventional LCR meter on 0.18um CMOS test structure. Measurement results of interconnect and MOSCAP test structures are presented. Mathematical analysis shows that DCM and LCR meter results correlate very well for MOSCAP as well. Amplitude Adjustment Method and Amplitude Extrapolation Methods are proposed to calibrate nonlinear C-V measurement errors. Theoretical discussion can also be applied to Charge-Based Capacitance Measurement (CBCM) because it uses similar stimulus.
Rhodiola rosea therapy for major depressive disorder: a study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled trial.

Background: Rhodiola rosea (R. rosea), a botanical of both western and traditional Chinese medicine, has been used as a folk remedy for improving stamina and reducing stress. However, few controlled clinical trials have examined the safety and efficacy of R. rosea for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study seeks to evaluate the safety and efficacy of R. rosea in a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study design. Methods/Design: Subjects with MDD not receiving antidepressant therapy will be randomized to either R. rosea extract 340-1,360 mg daily; sertraline 50-200 mg daily, or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be change over time in the mean 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating score. Secondary outcome measures will include safety and quality of life ratings. Statistical procedures will include mixed-effects models to assess efficacy for primary and secondary outcomes. Discussion: This study will provide valuable preliminary information on the safety and efficacy data of R. rosea versus conventional antidepressant therapy of MDD. It will also inform additional hypotheses and study design of future, fully powered, phase III clinical trials with R. rosea to determine its safety and efficacy in MDD.
Activation of CR3-mediated phagocytosis by MSP requires the RON receptor, tyrosine kinase activity, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and protein kinase C ζ

Macrophage-stimulating protein (MSP) promotes the phagocytosis of C3bi-coated erythro- cytes by resident peritoneal macrophages, al- though the mechanism by which this occurs is largely unknown. We show that MSP-induced com- plement-mediated phagocytosis requires the RON receptor tyrosine kinase and the M2 integrin, as evidenced by the inability of RON/ and M/ peritoneal macrophages to augment phagocytosis of complement-coated sheep erythrocytes in re- sponse to MSP. MSP stimulation of macrophages results in tyrosine phosphorylation and AKT acti- vation, and inhibitor studies demonstrate a phago- cytic requirement for tyrosine kinase and phospha- tidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) activity as well as activity of the atypical protein kinase C (PKC) iso- form , which localizes to MSP-induced phago- somes containing complement-coated beads. Addi- tionally, MSP augments the ability of peritoneal macrophages to bind to intercellular adhesion mol- ecule-1 (ICAM-1) via the M2 integrin. MSP- induced ICAM-1 adhesion is also dependent on tyrosine kinase activity, PI-3K, and PKC , indi- cating that these signaling requirements are up- stream of complement receptor 3 activation. J. Leukoc. Biol. 73: 802-814; 2003.
Comparison of relative demands implicated in direct selection and scanning: Considerations from normal children

The relative demand of the two physical access techniques of direct selection and row column scanning was compared across 100 normal children: 20 each in grades 1 through 5. The children were required to find a specific shape on the 128 target array of the Prentke Romich Light Talker™, using either the optical head pointer to direct select or rocking lever switch to access the row column scan. The direction-following task had four difficulty levels. Performance on the task was measured by the number of errors. Analysis of variance results indicated that the subjects made significantly more errors when using row column scanning than when using direct selection. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in errors with an increase in difficulty level and a decrease in errors with an increase in grade level. In general, the results substantiated previous speculations that row column scanning is a more difficult task than direct selection. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are addre...
Active lmitation learning: formal and practical reductions to I.I.D. learning

In standard passive imitation learning, the goal is to learn a policy that performs as well as a target policy by passively observing full execution trajectories of it. Unfortunately, generating such trajectories can require substantial expert effort and be impractical in some cases. In this paper, we consider active imitation learning with the goal of reducing this effort by querying the expert about the desired action at individual states, which are selected based on answers to past queries and the learner's interactions with an environment simulator. We introduce a new approach based on reducing active imitation learning to active i.i.d. learning, which can leverage progress in the i.i.d. setting. Our first contribution is to analyze reductions for both non-stationary and stationary policies, showing for the first time that the label complexity (number of queries) of active imitation learning can be less than that of passive learning. Our second contribution is to introduce a practical algorithm inspired by the reductions, which is shown to be highly effective in five test domains compared to a number of alternatives.
Bulk Transfer Coefficients for Heat and Momentum over Leads and Polynyas

Abstract Leads and polynyas are areas of open water surrounded by pack ice. In winter, when the polar oceans have extensive ice covers and the water-air temperature difference is typically 20°–40°C, they allow enormous amounts of sensible and latent heat to escaoe from the ocean to the atmosphere. Parameterizing these fluxes accurately is thus an important part of modeling the growth and decay of sea ice. To develop a unified method for parameterizing the turbulent transfer from open water surrounded by pack ice, we have reanalyzed data reported in the literature on momentum and heat transfer over Arctic leads and polynyas. The neutral stability value of the 10-m drag coefficient, CDN10 = 1.49×10−1, is independent of wind speed and open-water fetch for winds from 1 to 10 m s−1 and fetches from 7 to 500 m. That value is slightly higher than values typical of the open ocean at these wind speed probably because of the form drag over the upwind ice or at the ice edges and because the wave field is still activ...
From Vassar to the Discovery of the Higgs Particle

President Hill, Professor Feroe, the Board of Trustees, the eminent faculty, proud parents, grandparents and Vassar graduates of the class of 2014: Thank you for giving me this great honor and wonderful opportunity to address today's 150th commencement ceremony.
Education and Learning in the Early Islamic World

Education and Learning in the Early Islamic World is the 43rd volume of a series that examines the formation of the classical Islamic world (1/622–339/950). Gilliot opens the book by reviewing West...
Migration: social repositioning and phonetic redesign

ð Evidence for split (ae) (i.e. tensing before nasals and /g/, retraction elsewhere) in Ontario: speakers from Toronto show forms that are less tensed/more retracted than those found outside of Toronto. Data from Montreal English (Boberg 2005) shows an even weaker split. Therefore, it appears that (3⁄4)-variation across Canada is not uniform. Question: Is split (ae) a marker of regional identity or social position within a community, or both?
Abstract 307: Phospholipase Cε Is Involved in Gq-Dependent Protein Kinase D Activation in Cardiac Myocytes

We previously demonstrated that PLCe is a critical mediator of endothelin-1 (ET-1)- and norepinephrine (NE)-dependent hypertrophy in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). Both α-adrenergic and ET-1 receptors couple to Gq as well as other G proteins. To determine if PLCe is required for Gαq-dependent hypertrophy NRVMs were infected with adenoviruses expressing wtGαq and PLCe siRNA followed by measurement of hypertrophy. PLCe-siRNA significantly inhibited Gαq-induced increases in myocyte area and atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) mRNA expression. Similarly, disruption of PLCe association with perinuclear mAKAP inhibited Gαq-dependent hypertrophy. These data suggest that ET-1 and PE signal, at least in part, through Gαq and PLCe. To explore the functional role of PLCe in ET-1/Gq dependent hypertrophy, activation of protein kinase D (PKD) in NRVMs was assessed in response to ET-1. PLCe-siRNA significantly inhibited ET-1 induced PKD activation (∼50% inhibition). Disruption of PLCe-mAKAP interactions also significantly inhibited ET-1 induced PKD activation (∼50% inhibition). We propose that PLCe scaffolded to mAKAP at the nuclear envelope responds to Gαq-dependent, as well as other hypertrophic signals, to locally regulate PKD in a process that is critical for hypertrophy development.
OPTICAL IMAGING OF HUMAN BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer has become one of the most serious epidemic diseases of middle aged women since the incidence has increased over the decade dramatically to one eighth or ninth of a woman’s life time. Over thirty thousand woman die every year from breast cancer. Mortality can be reduced by early cancer detection. While X-ray mammography has been used to screen breast cancer currently, this technique has difficulty detecting breast cancer in some cases. The reasons are as follows: first, its detection ability has been restricted in some cases, as it is mainly sensitive to calcification, and is hard to distinguish between normal fibrotic tissue and cancer. Secondly for woman under the age of 35 years old, X-ray mammogram does not see through breast tissue with sufficient contrast, since young breast tissue is normally fibrotic. Thirdly X-ray radiation itself is carcinogenic, and frequent usage is not recommended. Recently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging has appeared to be a better technology than X-ray for new mammography (1), but it is more expensive and may not be used as a typical screening test at present. For these reasons, we are still seeking a better imaging technique to satisfy our needs for early breast cancer detection.
Motivating from the Top Down

Learning teams are an integral part of the Darden experience and are featured in all the schools programs--full-time MBA, MBA for Executives, and Executive Education. Learning teams play an important role in developing subject matter knowledge and an ability to work collaboratively. Indeed, the learning team experience is so fundamental that over the years Darden full-time MBA alumni give it equal standing as a core course in the MBA curriculum. This note will help students understand why we use learning teams and to examine their own expectations and beliefs about learning and working in teams.
Results of an Academic, Health Care Worksite Weight Loss Contest for Southeastern Americans: Scale Back Alabama 2011-2013

Few studies have assessed the effectiveness of competitive incentivized worksite weight loss programs. Scale Back Alabama (SBA) is a free, state-supported program designed to promote weight loss am...
HYDROGEOPHYSICAL IMAGING CONSTRAINED BY GROUNDWATER FLOW MODELING AND LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS OF ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF UNDISTURBED SOILS AT HISTORICAL GRANT-KOHRS RANCH, MT.

Electrical underground imaging is an important tool in hydrogeological characterization, but the ill-posed nature of the resulting inverse electrical problem limits the ability to map complex hydrogeological units. The need for regularization techniques to obtain stable images in these cases is clear, but the standard regularization terms are based in smooth functionals and as a result making difficult to separate small contrast boundaries for shallow hydrogeological units. In our work, we use constrains to the conductivity distributions in the imaging process. These constraints were obtained by combining hydrogeologic field measurements with laboratory measurements of electrical properties of undisturbed soils cores measured under similar conditions at the core location. The setting for this investigation is located at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, which is located in the Clark Fork River flood plain (headwaters to the Columbia River). The hydrogeophysical investigation is driven by flooding that has occurred after stream restoration and a lack of understanding of groundwater-surface water interactions. Water levels, drill cuttings, and surface water flow data is not enough to accurately characterize water mounding from an irrigation ditch and the natural variation of hydraulic conductivity. Soil cores were taken at several locations in the floodplain, and our results show that they significantly improved hydrogeological data interpretation at historical Grant-Kohrs Ranch. The coupled hydrogeologic and hydrogeophysical results is used to showed an important improvement our conceptual in the understanding of hydrologic processes and develop a to construct a groundwater flow model at Grant-Kohrs Ranch. Introduction Grant Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (Figure 1) is a U.S. National Parks Service (NPS) owned ranch created in 1972 to commemorate the western cattle industry. The ranch was originally established in 1862 in the flood plain near the confluence of the Clark Fork River and its tributary Cottonwood Creek. In the late 1990s the NPS conducted riparian stream restoration along Johnson Creek, a much smaller tributary of the Clark Fork River near the Ranch house. Since then, flooding near the ranch has been problematic during wet water years. Limited livestock grazing through fencing and
The influence of exogenous human chorionic gonadotropin cycles with spontaneous luteinizing hormone surges on the outcome of in vitro fertilization

Thirty consecutive patients who displayed endogenous luteinizing hormone (LH) surges and reached oocyte recovery for the purpose of in vitro fertilization were reviewed (LH surge group). Another 37 patients receiving human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the absence of an LH surge served as a control group (no surge-hCG group). All patients underwent ovulation induction using clomiphene citrate (CC) plus human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG). The numbers of oocytes recovered and embryos transferred were significantly lower in the LH surge group compared with the no surge-hCG group (P
Comparative Toxicity and Metabolism of N-Acyl Homologues of Acetaminophen and Its Isomer 3′-Hydroxyacetanilide

The hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen (APAP) is generally attributed to the formation of a reactive quinoneimine metabolite (NAPQI) that depletes glutathione and covalently binds to hepatocellular proteins. To explore the importance of the N-acyl group in APAP metabolism and toxicity, we synthesized 12 acyl side chain homologues of acetaminophen (APAP) and its 3′-regioisomer (AMAP), including the respective N-(4-pentynoyl) analogues PYPAP and PYMAP. Rat hepatocytes converted APAP, AMAP, PYPAP, and PYMAP extensively to O-glucuronide and O-sulfate conjugates in varying proportions, whereas glutathione or cysteine conjugates were observed only for APAP and PYPAP. PYPAP and PYMAP also underwent N-deacylation followed by O-sulfation and/or N-acetylation to a modest extent. The overall rates of metabolism in hepatocytes varied approximately 2-fold in the order APAP < AMAP ≈ PYPAP < PYMAP. Rat liver microsomes supplemented with NADPH and GSH converted APAP and PYPAP to their respective glutathione conjugates (form...
Stents: Safety and Efficacy

Drug-eluting stents revolutionized the safety and efficacy of percutaneous coronary intervention and remain the backbone of percutaneous revascularization. Through iterative advances and persistent innovation stent design, vascular biology, and pharmacology, the continued expectation is that advances in design and composition will provide long-term durability and safety for the millions of patients with coronary disease globally.
Global large-scale stratosphere–troposphere exchange in modern reanalyses

Abstract. Stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE) has important impacts on the chemical and radiative properties of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. This study presents a 15-year climatology of global large-scale STE from four modern reanalyses: ERA-Interim, JRA-55, MERRA-2, and MERRA. STE is separated into three regions (tropics, subtropics, and extratropics) and two transport directions (stratosphere-to-troposphere transport or STT and troposphere-to-stratosphere transport or TST) in an attempt to identify the significance of known transport mechanisms. The extratropics and tropics are separated by the tropopause break . Any STE occurring between the tropics and the extratropics through the tropopause break is considered subtropical exchange (i.e., in the vicinity of the subtropical jet). In addition, this study employs a method to identify STE as that which crosses the lapse-rate tropopause (LRT), while most previous studies have used a potential vorticity (PV) isosurface as the troposphere–stratosphere boundary. PV-based and LRT-based STE climatologies are compared using the ERA-Interim reanalysis output. The comparison reveals quantitative and qualitative differences, particularly for TST in the polar regions. Based upon spatiotemporal integrations, we find STE to be STT dominant in ERA-Interim and JRA-55 and TST dominant in MERRA and MERRA-2. The sources of the differences are mainly attributed to inconsistencies in the representation of STE in the subtropics and extratropics. Time series during the 15-year analysis period show long-term changes that are argued to correspond with changes in the Brewer–Dobson circulation.
Compressive sensing over graphs: How many measurements are needed?

In this paper, we study the problem of compressive sensing for sparse signal vectors generated over the graphs. The signal vectors to be recovered are sparse vectors representing the parameters of the links over the graphs. The collective additive measurements we are allowed to take must follow connected paths over the underlying graphs. For a sufficiently connected graph with n nodes, using O(k log(n)) path measurements, it is shown that we are able to recover any sparse link vector with no more than k nonzero elements, even though the measurements have to follow the graph path constraints.