cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traumatic Brain Injury Exacerbates Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology in the Retinas of TgF344-AD Rats

Alzheimer9s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects 6.2 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. alone, and is the leading cause of dementia. Moreover, AD can lead to visual impairment, and AD histopathology also manifests in the retina. However, the factors that modulate AD pathophysiology and lead to varied susceptibility and presentation in the population are not well understood. In this context, traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can arise from sport concussions, military combat, and other causes, is associated with a 2.3-fold higher risk of developing AD and AD-related dementias (ADRD). Thus, we set out to evaluate the effects of TBI, AD, and their combination, on retinal histopathology. Several animal models have been developed to investigate the mechanisms underlying AD, but many have been limited by imperfect recapitulation of human pathology, and no model of TBI-associated AD (AD-TBI) has been characterized. To address this gap, we generated an innovative model of AD-TBI by taking advantage of a transgenic rat model (Tg-F344-AD) shown to recapitulate the main features of human AD pathology, and combining it with a two-time unilateral controlled cortical impact paradigm to mimic repetitive mild TBI (rmTBI). Histopathological analyses at four months post-impact confirm the presence of AD markers in transgenic retinas, and an increased severity of AD pathology due to TBI. Together, these results contribute to our understanding of the effects of TBI on AD retinopathy, with implications for patient care and therapeutic development.
Prairie and tree planting tool—PT2 (1.0): a conservation decision support tool for Iowa, USA

This article overviews the prairie and tree planting tool or PT2 (1.0), an online GIS-based decision support tool for landowners interested in exploring opportunities to plant prairie or trees in and around their farm fields for conservation or production purposes. PT2 1.0 can be found online at: https://pt2.nrem.iastate.edu/ . With the PT2 (1.0) users locate farm fields of interest in an online aerial photograph and mapping geographic information system (GIS). Users explore areas they are considering for prairie or tree cover by examining different data layers: soil maps, 2-foot contour topography maps, LiDAR hillshade maps, and a map of current land values based on estimated land rent. Users then utilize scaled dimensional drawing tools to measure and delineate areas of interest for planting trees and or prairie. Once an area is delineated, users select from drop-down menus prairie seed mixes or woody species that are suitable for the soils present, and users can select basic long-term management options. PT2 (1.0) estimates total annualized costs for tree or prairie establishment, long-term management, and opportunity costs (based on area weighted expected soil rent), and factors in the potential benefit of utilizing government cost-share programming, e.g., Environmental Quality Incentive Program or the Conservation Reserve Program. Key data layers are currently functional in Iowa, likewise the financial data underlying the cost analysis are specific to Iowa. PT2 (1.0) is, however, open source and open code and guidance is provided regarding how to access and adapt the data for use in other states.
On-tissue spatial proteomics integrating MALDI-MS imaging with shotgun proteomics reveals soy consumption-induced biomarkers in a fragile X syndrome mouse model

Soy-based diets are associated with increased seizures and autism. Thus, there is an acute need for unbiased protein biomarker identification in Fragile X syndrome (FXS) in response to soy consumption. Herein, we present a spatial proteomics approach integrating mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) with label-free proteomics in a mouse model of FXS to map the spatial distribution and quantify the levels of proteins in the hippocampus and hypothalamus brain regions. In total, 1,004 unique peptides were spatially resolved, demonstrating the diverse array of peptidomes present in the tissue slices and the broad coverage of the strategy. A group of proteins that are known to be involved in the GABAergic system, synaptic transmission, and co-expression network analysis indicated that protein in soy group was significantly associated with metabolism and synapse modules in the Fmr1KO brain. Ultimately, this spatial proteomics work laid the ground for identifying novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for FXS.
People, Paths, and Purpose: Notations for a Participatory Envirotecture

Philip Thiel believes that environmental design and research should be based on the eye-level experience of the users in the course of their movement through the environment. He also argues that design should be primarily concerned with the self-identified and clearly specified needs and preferences of the users. He presents here a progress report on his forty years of work on the development of new tools and procedures necessary for the implementation of this approach in environmental design and behavioral research. Thiel describes a user-oriented participatory process of environmental planning, design, and management. Named "envirotecture," it identifies and profiles the prospective users and flow-charts their proposed activities on site, in the context of their day. It then employs a representative sample of these users as consultants for the formulation of "experiential performance specifications" as part of the project program. Design development then proceeds with reference to the responses of these user-consultants to alternative designs in the form of simulated environmental sequences. This book brings together a social awareness, a knowledge of environmental perception and cognition, and an operational design method in an unprecedented synthesis. It focuses on the central and critical concerns of socially responsible designers, as well as on the interests of researchers in environmental psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
SU-D-204-01: Dual-Energy Calibration for Breast Density Measurement Using Spectral Mammography

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of minimizing the systematic errors in dual-energy breast density quantification induced by the use of tissue-equivalent plastic phantoms as the calibration basis materials. Methods: Dual-energy calibration using tissue-equivalent plastic phantoms was performed on a spectral mammography system based on scanning multi-slit Si strip photon-counting detectors. The plastic phantom calibration used plastic water and adipose-equivalent phantoms as the basis materials, which have different x-ray attenuation properties compared to water and lipid in actual breast tissue. Two methods were used to convert the dual-energy decomposition measurements in plastic phantom thicknesses into true water and lipid basis. The first method was based entirely on the theoretical x-ray attenuation coefficients of the investigated materials in the mammographic energy range. The conversion matrix was determined from least-squares fitting of the target material using the reported attenuation coefficients of water and lipid. The second method was developed based on experimental calibrations, which measured the low-and high-energy signals of pure water and lipid of known thicknesses. A non-linear rational function was used to correlate the decomposed thicknesses to the known values, so that the conversion coefficients can be determined. Both methods were validated using independent measurements of water and lipid mixture phantoms.more » The correlation of the dual-energy decomposition measurements and the known values were studied with linear regression analysis. Results: There was an excellent linear correlation between the converted water thicknesses and the known values. The slopes of the linear fits were determined to be 0.63 and 1.03 for the simulation and experimental results, respectively. The non-linear fitting in the experimental approach reduced the root-mean-square (RMS) errors from approximately 3.4 mm to 1.5 mm. Conclusion: The results suggested that conversion of the dual-energy measurements into water and lipid thicknesses minimized the systematic errors in tissue decomposition studies.« less
Part-time faculty satisfaction and reward systems.

This document is a study of part-time faculty at the University of louisville. The data collection, conducted by a questionnaire maned to all part-time faculty members, developed a demographic profile of the university's part-time faculty as well as a profile within the taxonomy of part-time faculty motivation described by Tuckman. After establishing that profile, a comparative analysis of the level of satisfaction and desired reward systems was conducted. This study provides initial data about the composition of part-time faculty at this four-year institution and provides possible strategies for college and university administrators planning part-time faculty compensation and recognition programs.
Low-complexity detection of OFDM in doubly-dispersive channels

When OFDM systems with large block length are used in fast-fading multipath channels, the channel may induce significant intercarrier interference (ICI). As a result, the standard ML, MMSE and ZF detectors become prohibitively complex. In response, we propose a computationally-efficient decision-feedback detection strategy based on optimal windowing and linear MMSE estimation. Simulation results indicate good performance relative to the standard MMSE detector but with significant computational savings.
Computer Simulation Methods for Defect Configurations and Nanoscale Structures

The selectively electrical doping of high-temperature electronic materials, such as SiC, GaAs, and GaN, using ion implantation, is an important technique that has been widely used in semiconductor industries. However, ion irradiation and the ion beam process create atomic-level defects, nano-defect structures and nanoamorphous domains, particular under ion-implantation to high dopant concentrations, the accumulation of which can cause amorphization, dopant diffusion, and dopant–defect interactions. These defects and nanoscale structures generated by ion–solid interaction prevent the electrical activation of the implanted dopant atoms and can affect the performance of semiconductor-based devices.
Oligoclonality of Vdelta1 and Vdelta2 cells in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells: TCR selection is not altered by stimulation with gram-negative bacteria.

Despite the enormous potential repertoire of γδ T cells, there are several observations which suggest that the expressed γδ repertoire in the periphery of normal individuals is often quite restricted. To assess selective expansions among γδ T cells from both adult and newborn blood samples, PBMC from 12 normal adults and cord blood from 15 normal newborns were analyzed for TCRDV1 and TCRDV2 junctional diversity by CDR3 size spectratyping and single-strand conformational polymorphism. Although TCRBV usage showed extensive heterogeneity in adults and newborns, both populations often showed CDR3 region restriction for TCRDV1 and TCRDV2. Analysis of the CDR3 spectratype patterns of newborn twins suggested that clonal selection for TCRDV is independent of genetic background. The possible role of Gram-negative bacteria in driving selective responsiveness of γδ T cells in PBMCs from adults was examined by in vitro stimulation with Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Donors whose TCRDV repertoire was highly clonal in the unstimulated blood cells showed the same predominant clones among the bacteria-stimulated cultures. In individuals whose γδ T cells were less restricted, in vitro stimulation did not select for clonality; rather, the TCRDV repertoires were similar before and after bacterial stimulation. Together, these data indicate that γδ T cells are often clonally restricted in adults as well as in newborns and suggest that the prominent stimulatory activity of Gram-negative bacteria does not by itself account for the restriction or diversity of the γδ T cell repertoire.
Kenneth Jay Boss (1935–2014)

Abstract Kenneth Jay Boss (1935–2014), longtime Curator of Malacology and Professor of Biology at Harvard University, made significant contributions to malacology, including through his diverse publications on molluscan systematics and the history of malacology; curation of the mollusk collections at the Museum of Comparative Zoology; and teaching undergraduate and graduate students. In the Mollusca, he described 22 species, five genera, two family-level names, and one superorder; he also co-authored a new genus and species in the Polychaeta (Annelida). This paper discusses his professional career and catalogs his publications and new taxa.
Evolution of Gender Differences in Post‐Secondary Human Capital Investments: College Majors

Over the past 40 years, the level of human capital investments has changed substantially for men and women. Changes in the intensive margin of college major selection have been also been substantial, as the number of graduates in humanities, social science, and teaching has declined, and the number in science, engineering, and business has increased, especially for women. However, while women are now more likely to complete a college degree than men, the distribution of college majors among college graduates remains unequal with women about 2/3 as likely as men to major in a business or science field. In this paper, we develop and estimate a dynamic overlapping generations model of human capital investment and employment decisions to understand these longterm changes in human capital investments. Our departure from the previous literature is that we separately examine college major choices, rather than aggregating these choices to the education level. We overcome the absence of field of study information in the CPS and Census data by combining these data with auxiliary data sources which characterize the changes in field of study composition across a large number of birth cohorts. Results from counterfactual experiments show that changes in skill prices, higher schooling costs, and a reduction in the value of home for women all played an important role in the educational attainment and college major composition trends.
Cell Division During Inhibition of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Escherichia coli

When cultures of Escherichia coli B/r growing at various rates were exposed to ultraviolet light, mitomycin C, or nalidixic acid, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis stopped but cell division continued for at least 20 min. The chromosome configurations in the cells which divided were estimated by determining the rate of DNA synthesis during the division cycle. The cultures were pulse-labeled with 14C-thymidine, and the amount of label incorporated into cells of different ages was found by measuring the radioactivity in cells born subsequent to the labeling period. The cells which divided in the absence of DNA synthesis were those which had completed a round of chromosome replication prior to the treatments. It was concluded that completion of a round of replication is a necessary and sufficient condition of DNA synthesis for cell division.
Interview with Jeremy Kilpatrick

Jeremy Kilpatrick received his doctorate in mathematics education from Stanford University. He worked with E. G. Begle on activities associated with the School Mathematics Study Group (SMSG), the largest of the curriculum reform initiatives of the 1960s. He has been the Regents Professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Georgia since 1993.
Leadership: A Supercomplex Phenomenon

Treating leadership as a supercomplex phenomenon and relating leadership research to the philosophical disciplines is a way to begin to understand its enigmatic and fluid nature. Its theories are living theories that change in an ever-dynamic world. Leadership is a phenomenon embedded in experience. This article examines leadership against the backdrop of the disciplines of philosophy (ontology, epistemology, politics, axiology and ethics, and aesthetics) with particular emphasis on phenomenology. I suggest that leaders and followers understand and filter subjective experiences through self-reflection until self-awareness is achieved in the moment by pausing and filtering subjective experiences before responding to people and situations. As a consequence, our intentions can be ethically focused, politically mitigated, and directed appropriately. Additionally, inappropriate intentions can be assuaged if the leader is self-aware and present in the moment.
Application of a hot spot model to fragment emission from pion true absorption

This paper describes the application of a ''hot spot'' statistical model to the process of pion-induced fragmentation. In other reactions the spectra of pre-equilibrium particles are well described by the evaporation of particles from highly excited subsystems evolving within a cold nuclear system. The model is found to be very successful at describing both the /sup 3/He and /sup 4/He spectra from 160 MeV positive pion absorption on silver and is the first successful application of a statistical model to pion-induced emission of complex particles. The implications this has for the process of pion true aborption are examined.
A Long-Term Investment Planning Model for Mixed Energy Infrastructure Integrated with Renewable Energy

The current energy infrastructure heavily depends on fossil energy, which will be mostly depleted beyond 21st century. Another built-in disadvantage of fossil energy is the pollutant and green house gas emission. It is time to reform the environment-degrading energy infrastructure into a sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure such that it is more environmental friendly. Compared with fossil energy, it is expensive to transport renewable energy for a long distance. Another problem of renewable energy is fluctuation and it is not so stable as fossil energy. To solve the two bottleneck energy investment planning problems (transmission and fluctuation) of renewable energy development, we propose a long-term investment planning model that can help analysts, investors and policy makers find out how to take full use of current and emerging technologies to support the development of renewable energy so that our energy infrastructure can be reformed to be cleaner in a long-term period, e.g. 40 years. In this model, we propose and implement a parallel planning method for power systems. In this method, a large region that needs to be planned is partitioned into multiple subregions. Each subregion is modeled as two optimization models. One is an hour-level model with the goal to minimize the power price volatility caused by imbalance of power demand and supply and the $CO_{2}$ emission at hour level. Another is a year-level model with the goal to minimize the investment cost of transmission, operation, and fossil/clean power capacity expansion at year-level. The year-level model also needs to satisfy the RPS \cite{rps} (Renewable Portfolio Standard, which has been approved by 27 states and D.C.) requirements because it is a year-level policy. We use an energy storage system to store surplus clean power e.g. wind power and this helps solve the fluctuation problem of wind energy. The stored energy is allowed to be traded among neighboring subregions. All models are linear or mixed integer linear programming models and need to satisfy the constraints about fossil/clean power capacity expansion and available clean energy. We use Midwest area and wind energy as an example and implement the parallel modeling method in a cluster system, which supports parallel computing. According to our best knowledge, this is the first parallel long-term energy investment planning model for exploring the relationships between public policy (RPS), renewable energy and fossil energy. It can be used to solve large-scale planning problems on supercomputers.
Multielemental Analysis of Purpleback Flying Squid Using High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (HR ICP-MS)

Forty-four elements were analyzed in 21 tissues of purpleback flying squid, Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis, by high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HR ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES). Greater concentrations of V, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Cd, Pb, and Bi were found in liver, pancreas, and ink sac than in other tissues. Ink sac concentrated remarkable levels of Ca and Sr in addition to the above-mentioned elements. Several alkalis, alkaline earth, and rare earth elements preferentially accumulated in muscle. Among the hard tissues, accumulation of V and U in beak, Ni, Zn, and Cd in gladius and Cr in skin was prominent. K, Rb, Cs, Pb, Bi and some transition elements (V, Co, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the livers of adult than in juvenile squids. Sodium, alkaline earth, and rare earth elements were higher in the livers of juveniles than in adult squids.
Design of a Fast and Low-Power Sense Amplifier and Writing Circuit for High-Speed MRAM

A high-speed and low-power prepared and write sense amplifier (PWSA) is presented for magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM). The sense amplifier incorporates a writing circuit for MRAM bits switched via timing of precessional dynamics (~GHz speed) in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). By combining read and write functions in a single power-efficient circuit, the PWSA allows for fast read and write operations while minimizing the bit error rate after data programming. The PWSA circuit is designed based on a 65 nm CMOS technology, and the magnetic dynamics are captured by a Verilog-A compact model based on macrospin behavior for MTJs. Using the preread and comparison steps in the data program operation, we are able to reduce write power consumption by up to 50% under random data input conditions. Furthermore, using the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy effect for precessional switching, more than 10× reduction of write power and transistor size both in the memory cell and the write circuit is achieved, compared with using the spin transfer torque effect. The circuit achieves 2 ns read time, 1.8 ns write time, and 8 ns total data program operation time (consisting of two read steps, one write step, and a pass/fail check step) using this PWSA concept, and a 2× larger sensing margin through the current feedback circuit.
A distributed workflow for an astrophysical OpenMP application: using the data capacitor over WAN to enhance productivity

Astrophysical simulations of protoplanetary disks and gas giant planet formation are being performed with a variety of numerical methods. Some of the codes in use today have been producing scientifically significant results for several years, or even decades. Each must simulate millions of resolution elements for millions of time steps, capture and store output data, and rapidly and efficiently analyze this data. To do this effectively, a parallel code is needed that scales to tens or hundreds of processors. Furthermore, an efficient workflow for the transport, analysis, and interpretation of the output data is needed to achieve scientifically meaningful results.Since such simulations are usually performed on moderate to large parallel systems, the compute system is generally located at a remote institution. However, analysis of results is typically performed interactively, and due to the fact that most supercomputing centers do not offer dedicated interactive nodes, the transfer of simulation output data to local resources becomes necessary. Even if interactive resources were available, typical network latencies make X-forwarded displays nearly impossible to work with. Since data sets can be quite large and traditional transfer mechanisms such as scp and sftp offer relatively low throughput, this transfer of data sets becomes a bottleneck in the research workflow.In this article we measure the scalability of the Computational HYdronamics with MultiplE Radiation Algorithms (CHYMERA) code on the SGI Altix architecture. We find that it scales well up to 64 threads for moderate and large sized problems. We also present a novel approach to enable rapid transfer and analysis of simulation data via the Data Capacitor (DC) and Lustre WAN (Wide Area Network) [17]. The usage of a WAN file system to tie batch system operated compute resources and interactive analysis and visualization resources together is of general interest and can be applied broadly.
Three decades in: Priming for meta-analysis in play-literacy research

In this literature review, we examined 30 years of play-literacy inquiry through a quantitative lens in order to identify, assemble and summarize studies of sufficient methodological strength to form a corpus of research that encourages meta-analytic thinking. First, a multi-phase search of the literature was conducting yielding 192 studies that addressed pretend play and early literacy variables. Subsequent screening resulted in a total of 16 studies that met inclusion criteria, constituting a corpus of primary research that quantitatively measured play-literacy relationships in early childhood educational settings serving children ages 3—7. Next, several content analyses were used to describe and organize the corpus as a resource for meta-analytic thinking. The first round of analysis focused on developing a survey matrix that organized the particulars of individual studies into categories of information conducive to a meta-analytic approach. The second round probed for the theory of change used to expl...
Semi-analytic evaluation of morse oscillator energies and wavefunctions in excited rotational states

Abstract A simple technique for generating accurate semi-analytic solutions for the one-dimensional Morse oscillator is presented. This modified Morse technique retains the simplicity and form of the j = 0 Morse solution but still satisfactorily includes the rotational features of the cases where j ≠ 0. The modified Morse solutions are compored to rigid rotor and exact numerical calculations performed by the finite element method. The technique is shown to give an accurate representation of the true wavefunction, and this result should make the method particularly useful for the generation of vibration-rotation transition matrix elements.
The stability–complexity relationship at age 40: a random matrix perspective

Since the work of Robert May in 1972, the local asymptotic stability of large ecological systems has been a focus of theoretical ecology. Here we review May’s work in the light of random matrix theory, the field of mathematics devoted to the study of large matrices whose coefficients are randomly sampled from distributions with given characteristics. We show how May’s celebrated “stability criterion” can be derived using random matrix theory, and how extensions of the so-called circular law for the limiting distribution of the eigenvalues of large random matrix can further our understanding of ecological systems. Our goal is to present the more technical material in an accessible way, and to provide pointers to the primary mathematical literature on this subject. We conclude by enumerating a number of challenges, whose solution is going to greatly improve our ability to predict the stability of large ecological networks.
The synthesis and chemistry of some bis-aziridinylketones and their spectral study

The synthesis and spectral characteristics of certain bis(1-alkyl-3-phenyl-2-aziridinyl)ketones are reported. The reactions of 1,2,4,5-tetrabromo-1,5-diphenyl-3-pentanone (2) with primary amines are assumed to have a mechanism similar to that of a simple dibromo-ketone. The so-called cis, cis- or trans, trans-configurations of the bis-aziridinylketones were determined by 1H and 13C nmr spectra.
Morphology control in precision polyolefins

Herein, we review the major advances in controlling polyethylene morphology through precise control of branch frequency and identity. This control is made possible by the acyclic diene metathesis reaction.
Do residue levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human blood produce mild hypothyroidism

PCBs are nearly ubiquitous environmental contaminants, occurring in most human adipose tissue and blood samples. It has recently been recognized that PCBs and related compounds share important structural properties with thyroid hormones and can bind thyroid hormone binding proteins. It is reasonable that such specific binding interactions can modulate the distribution of these compounds in the body and alter hormone-protein interactions that are responsible for the maintenance of normal thyroid status. Most of the available evidence indicates that the levels of free thyroid hormones in plasma are a reflection of the maintenance of normal thyroid status in any individual. A theoretical model for the transport of thyroid hormones in blood has been extended to estimate the modulating effects of PCBs on free thyroid hormones. Using conservative assumptions based on experimental data, our calculations indicate that PCB concentrations normally found in humans can effect significant increases in free thyroxine levels in serum by competing with serum thyroid hormone binding proteins. Experimental data are discussed which support the proposal that antagonist binding of PCBs to thyroid hormone binding proteins in serum could produce varying degrees of hypothyroidism. The biological result is compatible with the “equilibrium hypothesis” in which thyroid hormone redistributes between specific and nonspecific binding proteins rather than emphasizing the importance of free hormone as the active moiety.
Solution structure of an insect-specific neurotoxin from the New World scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing.

We report the high-resolution solution structure of the 6.3 kDa neurotoxic protein CsE-v5 from the scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing (CsE, range southwestern U.S.). This protein is the second example of an Old World-like neurotoxin isolated from the venom of this New World scorpion. However, unlike CsE-V, which is the first Old World-like toxin isolated and shows both anti-insect and anti-mammal activity, CsE-v5 shows high specificity for insect sodium channels. Sequence-specific proton NMR assignments and distance and angle constraints were obtained from 600 MHz 2D-NMR data. Distance geometry and dynamical simulated annealing refinements were performed to produce a final family of 20 structures without constraint violations, along with an energy-minimized average structure. The protein structure is well-defined (0.66 and 0.97 D rmsd for backbone and all heavy atoms, respectively) with a compact hydrophobic core and several extending loops. A large hydrophobic patch, containing four aromatic rings ...
Clostridium difficile enteritis: A review and pooled analysis of the cases

Abstract Introduction Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of healthcare-associated infection diarrhea and usually restricted to infection of the colon. However, small bowel involvement of C. difficile infection has been reported. We performed a literature review and pooled analysis of the reported cases of C. difficile enteritis Method A Pubmed literature database search and pooled analysis of the reported cases of C. difficile enteritis. Results 56 cases of C. difficile enteritis have been reported from 1980 to 2010; 48 cases were published since 2001. Median age was 55 years. 27 patients (48.2%) were female. 29 patients (51.8%) had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis and 20 patients (35.7%) had predisposing medical condition(s) that might lead to an immunoincompetent state. 33 patients (58.9%) had colectomy with ileostomy and 13 patients (23.2%) had other small and/or large bowel surgery. Thirty four patients (60.7%) received ICU management and 18 patients (32.1%) died. We categorized the patients into two groups, 38 survivors (67.9%) 18 non-survivors (32.1%). Significantly older age was noted in non-survivors. Median age was 48 years and 66 years, respectively for survivors and non-survivors, P Conclusions C. difficile enteritis is still rare, however it seems to be increasingly reported in recent years. Surgically altered intestinal anatomies, advanced age, predisposing medical condition(s) that might lead to immunoincompetence appear to be at risk for developing C. difficile enteritis. Recognition of C. difficile infection not only in the colon but also in the small bowel may lead to improved outcomes.
Multi-focus and multi-window techniques for interactive network exploration

Networks analysts often need to compare nodes in different parts of a network. When zoomed to fit a computer screen, the detailed structure and node labels of even a moderately-sized network (say, with 500 nodes) can become invisible or difficult to read. Still, the coarse network structure typically remains visible, and helps orient an analyst’s zooming, scrolling, and panning operations. These operations are very useful when studying details and reading node labels, but in the process of zooming in on one network region, an analyst may lose track of details elsewhere. To address such problems, we present in this paper multi-focus and multi-window techniques that improve interactive exploration of networks. Based on an analyst’s selection of focus nodes, our techniques partition and selectively zoom in on network details, including node labels, close to the focus nodes. Detailed data associated with the zoomed-in nodes can thus be more easily accessed and inspected. The approach enables a user to simultaneously focus on and analyze multiple node neighborhoods while keeping the full network structure in view. We demonstrate our technique by showing how it supports interactive debugging of a Bayesian network model of an electrical power system. In addition, we show that it can simplify visual analysis of an electrical power network as well as a medical Bayesian network.
Meridional distribution of226Ra in the eastern Pacific along GEOSECS cruise tracks

Abstract We present the distribution of 226 Ra in eight vertical profiles from the eastern Pacific. The profiles are located along a meridional trend near 125°W, from 43°S to 29°N. Surface 226 Ra concentrations are about 7 dpm/100 kg, except for the two stations south of 30°S where the higher values are due to the Antarctic influence. Deep waters show a distinctive south-to-north increase in the 226 Ra content, from about 26 to 41 dpm/100 kg near the bottom. Unlike in the Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans, the effect of 226 Ra injection from bottom sediments is clearly discernible in the area. The presence of this primary 226 Ra can be traced up to at least 1–1.5 km above the ocean floor, making this part of the sea bed among the strongest source regions for the oceanic 226 Ra. Numerical solutions of a two-dimensional vertical advection-diffusion model applied to the deep (1.2–4 km) 226 Ra data give the following set of best fits: upwelling velocity( V z ) = 3.5m/yr, vertical eddy diffusivity( K z ) = 0.6cm 2 /s, horizontal (north-south) eddy diffusivity( K y ) = 1 × 10 7 cm 2 /s, and water-column regeneration flux of 226 Ra( J ) = 3.3 × 10 −5 dpmkg −1 yr −1 as an upper limit. These parametric values are in general agreement with one-dimensional (vertical) model fits for the Ra-Ba system. However, consideration of 226 Ra balance leads us to suspect the appropriateness of describing the vertical exchange processes in the eastern Pacific with constant V z and K z . If future modeling is attempted, it may be preferable to treat the area as a diffusion-dominant mixing regime with depth-dependent diffusivities.
The Limits to Life History Evolution in Daphnia

Although evolutionary ecologists have studied variation within and between populations for some time, the variation reported in nearly all ecological investigations is restricted to the phenotypic level. In many cases this type of information is entirely adequate for solving ecological problems. However, because the phenotypic variance for characters can often be largely or even entirely attributed to environmental effects, a comparison of phenotypes is often an inappropriate evolutionary analysis. The concoction of evolutionary explanations from ecological data with little regard for genetic constraints has attracted some rather severe criticism (Gould and Lewontin, 1979) that is well supported on theoretical grounds (Lande, 1979, 1980, 1982; Templeton, 1981). If we are to understand the adaptiveness of morphological and behavioral characters and their potential for evolutionary change, it is imperative that we begin to evaluate the relative contribution of genetic effects to the variance of characters as well as the mechanistic and quantitative relations of characters to fitness and to each other via linkage disequilibrium and pleiotropy. Data of this type have been slow in coming for natural populations (Istock et al., 1976; Derr, 1980; Giesel and Zettler, 1980; Arnold, 1981; Dingle and Hegmann, 1982) and, for practical reasons, may be nearly unattainable for many of the organisms upon which evolutionary ecologists have focused research. One organism that is particularly suitable for genetic as well as ecological analysis and that may help shed some light on the limits to phenotypic evolution is the planktonic cladoceran, Daphnia pulex. This small (1-3 mm) crustacean reproduces by a non-recombinational mode of parthenogenesis during most of the year. Daphnia populations are often annually initiated by resting eggs produced sexually in previous years, and almost always consist of a multitude of genetically unique clones that differentially expand depending upon their fitness attributes. As parthenogenesis may proceed without disturbance for > 10-25 generations and generation times are short (1020 days), an excellent opportunity is provided for examining the operation of selection on a group of constant genotypes. Here I examine the genetic basis of fitness characters in a Daphnia pulex population inhabiting an intermittent wood-
Regulation of gene function: a comparison of enzyme activity levels in relation to gene dosage in diploids and triploids of Drosophila melanogaster.

A study of gene activity in diploid and triploid Drosophila melanogaster females has been performed. Levels of enzyme activity of X-linked glucose 6-phosphate and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenases and autosome-linked α-glycerophosphate and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases were measured and correlated with DNA content, in crude extracts of whole flies or thoraces. The results show that the contribution of each dose of a given gene to the level of enzyme activity is equal in diploid and triploid cells. These findings are discussed in the context of the phenomenon of dosage compensation.
The cellular origin of corticofugal projections to the superior olivary complex in the rat

Corticofugal pathways originating in auditory cortex innervate most subcortical auditory nuclei in the ascending pathway [Auditory Neurosci. 1 (1995) 287-308; J. Comp. Neurol. 371 (1996) 15-40]. Our goal is to determine if these projections arise from the same neurons or if different neurons project to each of the separate structures. We also seek to identify the layers and fields of auditory cortex from which these neurons originate. In the present study, we answer these questions with respect to the projections to the superior olivary complex (SOC). Fluorescent retrograde tracers, Fast Blue (FB) or Diamidino Yellow (DiY), were injected into the SOC and the pattern of labeled cells was determined in temporal neocortex. We also injected FB into the granule cell domain (GCD) of the cochlear nucleus. Cortical projections to the GCD derive exclusively from layer V pyramidal cells in primary auditory cortex [Brain Res. 706 (1996) 97-102]. Thus the pattern of labeling produced by injections in the GCD provided a reference for interpreting the labeling after SOC injections. Layer V pyramidal cells project to the SOC, and these neurons were distributed bilaterally in primary and secondary areas of auditory cortex. The projections to the SOC from primary auditory cortex are predominantly uncrossed, whereas those from secondary auditory cortex are nearly equal for the two hemispheres. In animals that received injections of FB in the GCD and DiY in the SOC, cells labeled by each injection had a different laminar distribution and very few cells were double labeled. These data suggest that the cortical pathways ending in the cochlear nucleus and SOC are largely independent. We discuss the implications of these findings with respect to the multifunctional nature of the SOC in brainstem auditory processing.
Morphology and properties of compatibilized polylactide/thermoplastic starch blends

Abstract This paper investigates the properties and interfacial modification of blends of polylactide (PLA) and glycerol-plasticized thermoplastic starch (TPS). A twin-screw extrusion process was used to gelatinize the starch, devolatilize the water to obtain a water-free TPS and then to blend into the PLA matrix. The investigated TPS concentration ranged from 27 to 60 wt%. In the absence of interfacial modification, the TPS/PLA blend morphology observed through scanning electron microscopy was very coarse with TPS particles sizes between 5 and 30 μm. Interfacial modification was achieved by free-radical grafting of maleic anhydride (MA) unto the PLA and then by reacting the modified PLA with the starch macromolecules. Blends comprising MA-grafted PLA showed much finer dispersed phase size, in the 1–3 μm range and exhibited a dramatic improvement in ductility. The paper discusses the effects of two interfacial modification strategies on the blend morphology and tensile properties and investigates the compatibilization efficiency for glycerol plasticizer contents between 30 and 39 wt% and for starches from three different sources: wheat, pea and rice.
Elucidating mechanical transition effects of invading cancer cells with a subnucleus-scaled microfluidic serial dimensional modulation device

Mechanical boundaries that define and regulate biological processes, such as cell-cell junctions and dense extracellular matrix networks, exist throughout the physiological landscape. During metastasis, cancer cells are able to invade across these barriers and spread to distant tissues. While transgressing boundaries is a necessary step for distal colonies to form, little is known about interface effects on cell behavior during invasion. Here we introduce a device and metric to assess cell transition effects across mechanical barriers. Using MDA-MB-231 cells, a highly metastatic breast adenocarcinoma cell line, our results demonstrate that dimensional modulation in confined spaces with mechanical barriers smaller than the cell nucleus can induce distinct invasion phases and elongated morphological states. Further investigations on the impact of microtubule stabilization and drug resistance reveal that taxol-treated cells have reduced ability in invading across tight spaces and lose their super-diffusive migratory state and taxol-resistant cells exhibit asymmetric cell division at barrier interfaces. These results illustrate that subnucleus-scaled confinement modulation can play a distinctive role in inducing behavioral responses in invading cells and can help reveal the mechanical elements of non-proteolytic invasion.
A LILLIEFORS TEST OF FIT TO THE TWO-COMPONENT HOMOSCEDASTIC NORMAL MIXTURE

The null distribution of a Lilliefors modification of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, was winvestigated as a goodness of fit test to the two-component homoscedastic normal mixture. The mixture parameters were estimated using a variable metric minimization algorithm to search for the maximum likelihood estimates. Selected percentiles of the null distribution were estimated from four sets of 2,500 pseudorandom samples, each of size 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and 500, with mixing proportions of p = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 0.95, and standardized mean differences of d = 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 standard deviations apart (3,240,000 total samples). The results suggest that the test is not invariant to the values of the mixture parameters, p and d. The critical values appeared to be well-behaved, strictly decreasing functions of the sample size. An essentially invariant test is developed by modeling the selected critical values as nonlinear functions of p, d, and n. Power studies suggest reasonable po...
New Types of Waves in Systems with O(2) Symmetry

Abstract A number of novel phenomena arising in systems with O(2) symmetry are described. These include pulsing traveling waves with either a periodically or quasiperiodically modulated phase velocity, and heteroclinic waves which alter their appearance with time, taking successively the form of pure traveling waves, standing waves and steady states. Chaotic waves can also be present. These states result from the codimension-two interaction between a reflection-breaking steady state bifurcation and a reflection-preserving Hopf bifurcation from a circle of nontrivial equilibria. The resulting waveforms are illustrated using a model of magnetoconvection with periodic boundary conditions.
Investigation of Abrasion of Nitrile Rubber

Abstract Abrasion of NBR appears as a dry (particulate) wear, similar to unfilled BR, NR, and SBR, and filled BR. The abraded surface seems textured on two scales: that of the ridges of the abrasion pattern and that of small particles of debris. The formation of macroridges on filled and unfilled NBR appears to involve two distinct ridges one formed after the other. First, fine and tightly spaced primary ridges, followed by rough and sparsely spaced secondary ridges. The abrasion pattern on unfilled NBR is relatively stable once steady state has been reached and the pattern has been fully developed. As for the filled NBR, both the scale and roughness of the secondary ridges are uneven, even if steady state has been reached completely. Wear rates of filled and unfilled NBR have been found to be proportional to an exponent n of the applied frictional work. The unsteady state rates of wear were also somewhat dependent on the number of revolutions of the test wheel. Both the proportionality coefficient k and ...
Argon geochronology of Kilauea's early submarine history

Submarine alkalic and transitional basalts collected by submersible along Kilauea volcano's south flank represent early eruptive products from Earth's most active volcano. Strongly alkalic basalt fragments sampled from volcaniclastic deposits below the mid-slope Hilina Bench yield 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages from 212 ± 38 to 280 ± 20 ka. These ages are similar to high-precision 234 ± 9 and 239 ± 10 ka phlogopite ages from nephelinite clasts in the same deposits. Above the mid-slope bench, two intact alkalic to transitional pillow lava sequences protrude through the younger sediment apron. Samples collected from a weakly alkalic basalt section yield 138 ± 30 to 166 ± 26 ka ages and others from a transitional basalt section yield 138 ± 115 and 228 ± 114 ka ages. The ages are incompatible with previous unspiked K-Ar studies from samples in deep drill holes along the east rift of Kilauea. The submarine birth of Kilauea volcano is estimated at <300 ka. If the weakly alkalic sequence we dated is representative of the volcano as a whole, the transition from alkalic to tholeiitic basalt compositions is dated at ∼150 ka.
The Importance of Group Cohesion in Inpatient Treatment of Combat-Related PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most widespread mental illness resulting from exposure to combat, necessitating an increase in the provision of group therapy. This pilot study examined the efficacy of, and treatment outcome predictors associated with, group inpatient treatment of combat-related PTSD. Participants included 38 active duty military personnel deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), diagnosed with PTSD, and consecutive admissions to an inpatient PTSD treatment facility. A paired samples t-test revealed significant change in symptom severity and global functioning between pre- and post-treatment. Multiple regression analyses supported the predictive utility of baseline symptomatology and group cohesion (> 50% of the variance in treatment outcome), highlighting the importance of group cohesion in the efficacy of group treatment for combat-related PTSD.