cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Solute concentrations of the phloem and parenchyma cells present in squash callus

Abstract. Glutaraldehyde fixation was used to determine the solute concentrations in the various cell types present in tissue cultures of squash (Cucurbita pepo). Small pieces of callus were plasmolyzed in a graded series of mannitol solutions and fixed in 20 kg m−3 glutaraldehyde adjusted to be isosmotic with the particular plasmolysing solution. The callus samples were further processed using standard electron microscopy techniques. Using this procedure, mature sieve elements that form in squash callus have an osmotic potentional of -2.4MPa. The osmotic potential of the callus sieve elements was comparable to values reported for the sieve tube members of the phloem in intact plants. This ability of callus sieve elements to develop high internal hydrostatic pressures demonstrates that they are capable of phloem loading. However, the osmotic potentials of the surrounding parenchymatous cells and companion cells were only –1.15 and –1.5 MPa, respectively. In contrast to the companion cells of the phloem in intact plant tissues, the osmotic potential of the callus companion cells indicated that they were not directly involved in phloem loading. Several immature sieve elements containing distinct nuclei and vacuoles were observed in the callus granules. These immature sieve elements were plasmolyzed in weaker mannitol solutions (below 0.6kmol m−3) than the enucleate sieve elements (1.01 kmol m−3 mannitol). The low solute concentrations in immature sieve elements indicated that the ability to load sugars occurs concomitantly with the maturation of the sieve element protoplast.
Visual transitions: using multimedia to tie ideas together

Engineering is a multitude of ideas, many of which are related to each other in some non-obvious ways. Students that see these relationships have an insight as to how things in two apparently different areas might affect each other. For example, how the positions of poles and zeros affect frequency response or how a spectrogram relates to a sound. A visual transition is an animation whose purpose is to illustrate the ties between two entities. This paper shows four visual transitions for a new discrete signal processing course. The course is designed to build sophomore students intuition about signals and systems by relating sounds and images to their mathematical descriptions. The course uses numerous in-class demonstrations (many are visual transitions) to motivate learning. The in-class demonstrations are being captured on the World Wide Web so the students can explore them outside of class.
CONCEPTUAL: a network correctness and performance testing language

Summary form only given. We introduce a new, domain-specific specification language called CONCEPTUAL. CONCEPTUAL enables the expression of sophisticated communication benchmarks and network validation tests in comparatively few lines of code. Besides helping programmers save time writing and debugging code, CONCEPTUAL addresses the important-but largely unrecognized-problem of benchmark opacity. Benchmark opacity refers to the current impracticality of presenting performance measurements in a manner that promotes reproducibility and independent evaluation of the results. For example, stating that a performance graph was produced by a "bandwidth" test says nothing about whether that test measures the data rate during a round-trip transmission or the average data rate over a number of back-to-back unidirectional messages; whether the benchmark preregisters buffers, sends warm-up messages, and/or preposts asynchronous receives before starting the clock; how many runs were performed and whether these were aggregated by taking the mean, median, or maximum; or, even whether a data unit such as "MB/s" indicates 10/sup 6/ or 2/sup 20/ bytes per second. Because CONCEPTUAL programs are terse, a benchmark's complete source code can be listed alongside performance results, making explicit all of the design decisions that went into the benchmark program. Because CONCEPTUAL's grammar is English-like, CONCEPTUAL programs can easily be understood by nonexperts. And because CONCEPTUAL is a high-level language, it can target a variety of messaging layers and networks, enabling fair and accurate performance comparisons.
Do parents lead their children by the hand

The types of gesture+speech combinations children produce during the early stages of language development change over time. This change, in turn, predicts the onset of two-word speech and thus might reflect a cognitive transition that the child is undergoing. An alternative, however, is that the change merely reflects changes in the types of gesture+speech combinations that their caregivers produce. To explore this possibility, we videotaped 40 American child–caregiver dyads in their homes for 90 minutes when the children were 1;2, 1 ;6, and 1;10. Each gesture was classified according to type (deictic, conventional, representational) and the relation it held to speech (reinforcing, disambiguating, supplementary). Children and their caregivers produced the same types of gestures and in approximately the same distribution. However, the children differed from their caregivers in the way they used gesture in relation to speech. Over time, children produced many more REINFORCING (bike+point at bike), DISAMBIGUATING (that one+ point at bike), and SUPPLEMENTARY combinations (ride+point at bike). In contrast, the frequency and distribution of caregivers’ gesture+ speech combinations remained constant over time. Thus, the changing relation between gesture and speech observed in the children cannot be traced back to the gestural input the children receive. Rather, it appears to reflect changes in the children’s own skills, illustrating once again gesture’s ability to shed light on developing cognitive and linguistic processes.
The Self-Enhancement Motive in Collectivistic Cultures The Rumors of My Death have been Greatly Exaggerated

Self-enhancement biases are generally weaker or absent in collectivistic cultures than they are in independent ones. The source of this effect has been the topic of debate. Some claim the self-enhancement motive is absent in collectivistic cultures, whereas others claim that collectivistic cultures discourage the motive's expression. The majority of the articles in this special issue provides greater support for the latter explanation than for the former. Self-enhancement biases were found in collectivistic cultures—including Japan, once restrictions there that normally discourage the motive's expression were loosened or eliminated. These results point to the self-enhancement motive as a universal force of human behavior.
Sound-producing mechanisms of Buenoa macrotibialis Hungerford (Hemiptera: Notonectidae)

Abstract In Buenoa macrotibialis, experimental results indicate that the stridulatory mechanism composed of the tibial combs and rostral prongs is involved in producing trills, chirps, and dart-chirps; the femoral ridges and coxal peg mechanism is involved in producing grasping-chirps and cleaning-chirps; and the forelegs probably stridulate in unison. Either half of the tibial comb can produce trills, chirps and dart-chirps, though these signals are usually altered from normal. Both combs are normally involved in signal production, but one tibial comb can produce these signals with only slight alterations. The frequency spectrum of acoustic signals of macrotibialis is generated by resonation, not by rate of stridulation. The body proper, or some part(s) thereof, apparently functions as the resonator. Vibrations created by stridulation of the tibial comb-rostral prong and femoral ridge-coxal peg mechanisms probably are transmitted to the resonator by the rostrum and/or coxae.
Differential gene body methylation and reduced expression of cell adhesion and neurotransmitter receptor genes in adverse maternal environment

Early life adversity, including adverse gestational and postpartum maternal environment, is a contributing factor in the development of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and depression but little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. In a model of gestational maternal adversity that leads to innate anxiety, increased stress reactivity and impaired vocal communication in the offspring, we asked if a specific DNA methylation signature is associated with the emergence of the behavioral phenotype. Genome-wide DNA methylation analyses identified 2.3% of CpGs as differentially methylated (that is, differentially methylated sites, DMSs) by the adverse environment in ventral-hippocampal granule cells, neurons that can be linked to the anxiety phenotype. DMSs were typically clustered and these clusters were preferentially located at gene bodies. Although CpGs are typically either highly methylated or unmethylated, DMSs had an intermediate (20–80%) methylation level that may contribute to their sensitivity to environmental adversity. The adverse maternal environment resulted in either hyper or hypomethylation at DMSs. Clusters of DMSs were enriched in genes that encode cell adhesion molecules and neurotransmitter receptors; some of which were also downregulated, indicating multiple functional deficits at the synapse in adversity. Pharmacological and genetic evidence links many of these genes to anxiety.
An eccentric shear-lag model and implications on the strength of fibrous composites

Abstract The stress field in the vicinity of a broken fiber-reinforced composite is analysed by means of a shear-lag model. The broken filament is positioned eccentrically relative to its neighboring fibers to simulate the commonplace non-uniformity ot fiber spacing within the transverse plane, it is shown that a fiber break gives rise to severe bending, in addition to tension, in the neighboring fibers—with a substantial overstress focused on the nearest unbroken filament. The complex nature of the stress field, which is caused by the failure of a fiber within a composite casts doubt on the applicability of failure statistics derived from tensile failure data of single fibers, which is commonly used to predict the strength of composites.
Assessing the Geographic Distribution of Centers for Independent Living Across Urban and Rural Areas: Toward a Policy of Universal Access

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) have emerged as a significant source of services, supports, and advocacy for people with disabilities in the United States. Since 1978, the federal government ...
Relational victimization: The association between recalled adolescent social experiences and emotional adjustment in early adulthood

Although the relationship between relational victimization and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence has been established, it is unknown whether it extends into early adulthood. The current retrospective study investigated the relationship between recall of adolescent relational victimization and symptoms of depression, social anxiety, and loneliness in 205 undergraduate students. The effects of gender and perceived social support on these relationships were assessed, as were the psychometric qualities of the Relational Victimization Questionnaire (RVQ). Recalled adolescent relational victimization was related to increased symptoms of depression and social anxiety; neither gender nor perceived social support affected the strength of these relationships. Results indicated that the RVQ has adequate internal consistency and a single factor structure. Implications for psychologists working with adolescents are highlighted. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling the Diffusive Transport of Bulk Fiber Mass in a Card

A probabilistic model for the behavior of bulk fiber mass in a card is developed. This model is based on a random-walk description of fiber motion in the interface regions between rotating cylinders. The description incorporates the likelihood of fiber-surface interactions resulting in fibers traveling with one surface or the other, the speeds of the surfaces, the typical distances traveled between such interactions, and the lengths of time spent in the interfaces. These parameters depend, in turn, on the geometry of the card and the characteristics of both the surfaces and the fibers. The model is implemented in a computational simulation of a basic card consisting of a main cylinder and a worker/stripper pair; this includes not only the transport of mass through each interface, but the propagation of the mass around the cylinder surface and transfer from one surface to another at each time step of the numerical computations. Given certain data representing the density of input fiber mass versus time, th...
Variable Na I Absorption toward ρ Leonis: Biased Neutral Formation in the Diffuse Interstellar Medium?

We present multiepoch KPNO coude feed telescope observations of interstellar Na I and Ca II absorption toward the bright star ρ Leo. Comparisons of the Na I profiles observed over a period of 8 yr reveal significant temporal variations in the Na I column in at least one component, implying that there is "structure" at scales on the order of the proper motion (~12 AU). Archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph observations of the C I fine-structure excitation in the variable component suggest that the density is 20 cm-3, significantly lower than the densities inferred in past H I 21 cm and Na I studies. We suggest that the bulk of the trace neutral species are in the density peaks within an interstellar cloud. The patchy distribution of these species naturally gives rise to the large fluctuations seen on scales of 10-1000 AU in past temporal and binary studies. This picture predicts that the scales over which fluctuations will be observed vary as a function of the ionization rate of a species.
Accurate Analysis of Switching Patterns in High Speed On-chip Global Interconnects

This paper investigates the impact of signal rise and fall time variations on voltage overshoot and propagation delay in inductive lines for different switching patterns. Equivalent circuit model parameters have been extracted using FastCap and FastHenry field solvers; and results have been obtained by HSpice simulator. Most existing works study the impacts of different switching patterns considering only a constant rise/fall time. However, here it is observed that decreasing rise/fall time alters the inductive behavior under different switching patterns. The investigation in this paper reveals that switching patterns start showing significant impact for a particular range of rise and fall times.
Dermal Absorption of Finite doses of Volatile Compounds

Laplace domain solutions to a previously published finite dose skin diffusion model are presented. The purpose of the current analysis is to derive a simple algebraic expression quantifying the total mass that is systemically absorbed at infinite time after exposure, relative to the applied mass. The resulting expression is a function of two dimensionless parameters: f, the fractional depth within the skin surface through which the permeant is initially deposited, and χ, the ratio of maximum evaporation flux to maximum dermal flux. The result may be useful for dermal risk assessment as well as in the evaluation of cosmetic and pharmaceutical product performance.
Using multiple-precision arithmetic

High-precision arithmetic is useful in many different computational problems. The most common is a numerically unstable algorithm, for which, say, 53-bit (ANSI/IEEE 754-1985 Standard) double precision would not yield a sufficiently accurate result.. For most current machines, 53-bit double precision is the highest provided in hardware, giving about 16 significant digits. (By "significant digits", I mean the number of equivalent decimal digits of precision, rather than the number with base /spl ne/ 10.) Calculating with 30 or 40 significant digits can often overcome the algorithm's instability and provide adequate accuracy. In the article, I give some examples of calculations in which multiple precision can be useful.
Teriparatide as a systemic treatment for lower extremity nonunion fractures: a case series.

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the effect of teriparatide (parathyroid hormone [1-34]) on the healing of long bone nonunion fractures. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with fracture nonunion, aged 10 to 99 years who were treated with teriparatide at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia or the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania between November 2002 and January 2013. The primary endpoints were radiographic evidence of callus formation and fracture union, ability to bear weight without affected limb limp, and normal range of motion and strength. Results Six patients aged 19 to 64 years with tibial or femoral fractures that had not healed for 3 to 36 months were treated with teriparatide 20 μg/day. Accelerated healing of fracture nonunion was confirmed in 5 of 6 patients with time to complete union of 3 to 9 months. The shortest time to recovery was observed in younger patients without comorbidities. Treatment was well tolerated. Conclusion Teriparatide is a promising treatment for nonunion fractures, but its response depends on associated comorbidities. The potential benefit of teriparatide as an adjunct to treat nonunion justifies randomized placebo-controlled trials to determine its efficacy and safety in broader populations. (Endocr Pract. 2015;21:136-142)
Ossicular chain reconstruction

The historical aspects surrounding the development of ossicular implants are reviewed. The currently available biocompatible implant materials are described, and their frequency of use by otologic surgeons in the reconstruction of the sound-conducting mechanism summarized. The author outlines his personal techniques for the successful use of biocompatible ossicular implants.
Validity and Reliability of the Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services Adolescent Health Risk Assessment

PURPOSE: Seventy-five percent of adolescent morbidity and mortality is a result of risky behaviors. The Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS) is a 21-question adolescent risk screening tool developed to identify the behaviors contributing most to adolescent morbidity, mortality, and social problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the RAAPS. METHODS: This study used psychometric methods to establish face-, content-, and criterion-related validity and inter-rater and equivalence reliability. Focus groups with adolescents (n = 21) and health care professionals (n = 7) were facilitated to establish face validity. Adolescent expert review (n = 10) was gathered to establish content validity and reliability. A retrospective chart audit of adolescents (n = 263) who completed both the RAAPS and the Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services risk questionnaire was conducted to assess criterion-related validity and equivalence between paired question responses using Cohen kappa measure, percent agreement, and Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Face validity was established by consensus of focus group. Adolescent expert content validity index scores ranged from 0.825 to 1.0, and inter-rater content agreement ranged from 0.9 to 1.0. Cohen kappa ranged from 0.44 to 0.99; percent agreement ranged from 0.71 to .99; Fisher exact test resulted in all p > 0.05 establishing criterion-related validity and equivalence. CONCLUSION: Validity and reliability of the RAAPS as a measure of adolescent risk behaviors was established. Results indicate RAAPS is an acceptable screening tool in identifying adolescent risk behaviors, contributing most to morbidity, mortality, and social problems. Language: en
Structure of the nucleotide‐binding domain in the β‐subunit of Escherichia coli F1‐ATPase

Abstract We propose a working model for the tertiary structure of the nucleotide-binding domain of the β-subunit of E. coli F 1 -ATPase, derived from secondary structure prediction and from comparison of the amino acid sequence with the sequences of other nucleotide-binding proteins of known three-dimensional structure. The model is consistent with previously published results of specific chemical modification studies and of analyses of mutations in the β-subunit and its implications for subunit interactions and catalytic mechanism in F 1 -ATPases are discussed.
Maturation of CD4+ Lymphocytes in the Aged Microenvironment Results in a Memory-Enriched Population

With advancing age the CD4+ T lymphocyte compartment becomes enriched for memory cells in both humans and experimental animals. Although it has been assumed that the shift from a naive to a memory-dominant population is due to a lifetime of antigenic exposure and selection as well as a loss of naive cell input due to reduced thymopoiesis, the present data suggest that the aged microenvironment influences the maturation of newly produced CD4+ T cells. In two models, aged and young mice were compared for the ability to reconstitute their peripheral CD4+ T cell pools following depletion, and both age groups were found to be competent to renew this population. However, the phenotype and lymphokine profile of populations arising in aged animals were distinctly different from those in the young mice. In contrast to the expectation that depletion and reconstitution might give rise to a naive-dominant T cell pool, aged mice reconstituted a population nearly indistinguishable from that found in control age-matched individuals. The majority of the CD4+ pool were CD44high CD45RBlow Mel-14low and upon activation with anti-CD3 these CD4+ T cells produced mRNA for IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, and IFN-γ. In aged bone marrow-transplanted mice, the same phenotypic profile and cytokine mRNA pattern were found in CD4+ T cells of host and donor origin. In contrast, the majority of CD4+ T cells in young reconstituted mice were CD44low CD45RBhigh Mel-14high. These lymphocytes, when activated, produced high levels of mRNA for IL-2, with little or no IL-4, IL-5, or IFN-γ mRNA.
Federal Income Tax Reform in the United States: How Did It Happen? What Did It Do? Where Do We Go from Here?

. The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1913 provided the legal basis for progressive federal income taxes. They now yield revenues of about $450 billion annually. Tax base erosion eventually produced a levy in serious violation of norms of allocation efficiency, distributional equity, and macroeconomic performance. Vested private interests influenced legislators by propaganda and campaign contributions to minimize their tax burdens at the expense of less wealthy taxpayers. The result was an irrational and badly flawed tax structure. In 1981 the maximum marginal tax rate on income from property and wealth was significantly reduced along with other bracket reductions. The income tax reform movement culminated in 1984 to 1986. It expanded the base of the tax while reducing marginal rates as well as brackets, with little change in the distribution of the burden among different income groups but achieving some greater equity in tax liabilities for those with similar incomes.
British Names for American Birds

Eighty-seven English names for British birds are used to denote birds native to central and eastern North America. Analysis reveals that English names for British birds are typically applied to those American birds, among all American birds, that are closest to the British birds in scientific (Linnaean) classification. This naming strategy accords with the finding of a similarity judgment experiment in which 34 subjects match realistic pictures of British and American birds for perceptual resemblance. The results of the experiment indicate that folk observers tend to judge those American birds, among all American birds, to be most similar to British birds that have the same name as the latter. In addition, the experiment suggests that folk perception of biological similarity is a better predictor of the detailed nature of folk biological classification than is scientific taxonomy.
Communicating Across Differences: Toward a Multicultural Approach to Institutional Transformation

In the two decades since Audre Lorde (1984) pointed out that we have no patterns for relating across our differences as equals (p. 115), struggles to transform higher education have come to focus on communication about and across differences. Despite these efforts, conversations in higher education about group difference and equity too often exacerbate feelings of cynicism and disenfranchisement. In this article we discuss research into the actual discourses at work in communication about the cultural politics of institutional practices. We report on an analysis of qualitative data, using this data to help clarify the challenges of relating across differences as equals.
Corporate Governance, CEO Compensation, and Firm Performance

We examine whether board and ownership structure variables explain the level of chief executive officer (CEO) compensation. After controlling for standard economic determinants (i.e., the firm's demand for a high-quality CEO, firm performance, and risk), we find that board and ownership structure variables explain a significant amount of cross-sectional variation in CEO compensation. We also find that the predicted component of compensation arising from these board and ownership structure characteristics has a significant negative relation with subsequent firm accounting performance. Overall, our analysis indicates that unusually large CEO compensation levels reflect managerial entrenchment or poor governance mechanisms, and that firms with more entrenched managers or poorer governance systems perform worse.
Impact of Water Resources on Vector-Borne Diseases

Vector-borne diseases are transmitted to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans by insects and other types of arthropods. Mosquitoes are the principal vectors associated with most types of water and related land resources developments in the United States. The nature of these problems is reviewed. The need to understand the ecologic conditions involved in vector production and to incorporate vector prevention designs and techniques in project proposals and plans is stressed.
Environment-Aware Indoor Localization Using Magnetic Induction

The Magnetic Induction (MI) communication techniques have enabled or enhanced many wireless applications in the indoor environments where line-of-sight (LOS) links usually do not exist. The position information of each wireless device in such complex environment can also be derived by the same MI systems without additional hardware or infrastructure. However, while MI signals can penetrate most transmission media without significant attenuation and phase shifting, the conductive objects in the indoor environment (e.g., metallic pipelines, beams, and human bodies) can still dramatically influence the MI signals, which can cause significant estimation errors in the MI-based indoor localization. To date, no analysis/solution has been provided to address such problem. In this paper, an environment-aware indoor localization mechanism is proposed for MI-based wireless networks in complex non-LOS environments without preinstalled infrastructures. First, the influence of conductive objects on the MI-based wireless network in indoor environment is investigated. Then based on the influence analysis, a joint device localization and conductive-object tomography algorithm is developed to estimate the position of each wireless devices as well as distribution of objects. The simulation evaluation shows the proposed mechanism can accurately localize each device in a MI-based networks in a complex floor plan with multiple conductive walls and obstructions.
2 kW single-mode fiber laser with 20-m long delivery fiber and high SRS suppression

A 2 kw single-mode fiber laser with a 20-m long delivery fiber and high back reflection resistance has been demonstrated. An Yb-doped fiber with large core size and differential modal gain is used to realize high SRS suppression and single-mode operation simultaneously. The 20 m-long delivery fiber gives flexibility to the design of processing systems. An output power of 2 kW is achieved at a pump power of 2.86 kW. The slope efficiency is 70%. The power of the Stokes light is less than -50 dB below the laser power at the output power of 2 kW even with a 20-m delivery fiber. Nearly diffraction-limited beam quality is also confirmed (M2 = 1.2). An output power of 3 kW is believed to be achieved by increasing pumping power. The back reflection resistance properties of the fabricated singlemode fiber laser is evaluated numerically by the SRS gain calculated from measured laser output spectra and fiber characteristics. The acceptable power of the back reflection light into the fiber core is estimated to be 500 W which is high enough for processing of highly reflective materials. The output power fluctuation caused by SRS and back reflection in materials processing will be well suppressed. Our high power single-mode fiber lasers can provide high quality and stable processing of highly reflective materials.
Advantages of Time-Based New Product Development in a Fast-Cycle Industry:

The authors study the impact of time-based product development on sustainable market share gains in a high-technology computer component industry. Three dominant firms, with international new produ...
Desoxycorticosterone acetate and adenohypophyseal content of adrenocorticotrophic hormone.

SummaryDCA pellets increase the concentration of ACTH in the adenohypophysis of the intact rat. The steroid inhibits the marked depletion of pituitary stores of ACTH which normally occurs 24 hours after adrenalectomy.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Reaction of a Ketone-Derived 1,4-Dienolate Compound

The tetrahydrofuran tetrasolvated dimeric lithium dienolate derived from 2,2,7,7-tetramethyloctan-3,6-dione is characterized in the solid state by X-ray diffraction analysis and in solution by diffusion NMR. This dienolate was reacted with tropanone to yield two new products that are also described.
Effects of Cyclic Temperature on the Time-Dependent Behavior of Posttensioned Concrete Bridges

AbstractTypically, measurement and analysis of concrete time-dependent behaviors such as creep and shrinkage are performed under the assumption of constant temperature conditions. However, many structures in the field are subject to variable seasonal and daily temperatures. This paper explores how changes in temperature affect the time-dependent behavior of concrete structures, with a particular focus on posttensioned concrete bridges. Temperature-dependent creep, shrinkage, aging, and relaxation models were incorporated into structural finite-element analyses examining a posttensioned concrete beam under variable thermal loading. The impacts of uniform temperature changes on the time-dependent deflections, strains, and stresses were accounted for using an Arrhenius-adjusted age based on the structure temperature. However, nonuniform temperature changes, such as thermal gradients through the depth of the cross-section, caused time-dependent behavior that could not be accounted for using the Arrhenius-adju...
PTCT-05CHEMOTHERAPY ADMINISTRATION DIRECTLY INTO THE FOURTH VENTRICLE IN CHILDREN WITH MALIGNANT FOURTH VENTRICULAR BRAIN TUMORS: A PILOT CLINICAL TRIAL

BACKGROUND: We hypothesize that chemotherapy can be safely and repeatedly administered directly into the fourth ventricle to treat recurrent malignant brain tumors in children. METHODS: For the first time in humans, methotrexate was infused into the fourth ventricle in children with recurrent, malignant brain tumors. A catheter was surgically placed into the fourth ventricle under direct visualization and attached to a ventricular access device. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow was confirmed by CINE MRI postoperatively. Each cycle consisted of 4 consecutive daily methotrexate infusions (2 milligrams). Disease response was monitored with serial MRI scans and CSF cytologic analysis. Trough CSF methotrexate levels were sampled. RESULTS: Five patients (3 with medulloblastoma and 2 with ependymoma) received 18, 18, 12, 9, and 3 cycles, respectively. There were no serious adverse events or new neurological deficits attributed to methotrexate. Two additional enrolled patients were withdrawn prior to planned infusions due to rapid disease progression. Median serum methotrexate level four hours after infusion was 0.04 micromoles per liter (µmol/L). Range was 0.02–0.13 µmol/L. Median trough CSF methotrexate level 24 hours after infusion was 3.18 µmol/L (range 0.53 - 212.36 µmol/L). All three patients with medulloblastoma had partial response or stable disease until one patient had progressive disease after cycle 18. Both patients with ependymoma had progressive disease after 9 and 3 cycles, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data establish the safety of neurosurgical implantation of a catheter into the fourth ventricle and direct infusion of low-dose methotrexate into the fourth ventricle. Some patients with recurrent medulloblastoma experience a beneficial anti-tumor effect both within the fourth ventricle and at distant sites. These results support future clinical trials of direct infusion of chemotherapy and novel agents into the fourth ventricle for children with malignant posterior fossa tumors.
Efficacy of Insecticides to Limit Caterpillar Damage to Prairie Cordgrass Seed

Two successive years of tests were used to evaluate the utility of conventional and reduced risk insecticides in limiting caterpillar damage to developing seeds in prairie cordgrass. Small larvae of A. spartinana (Tortricidae) feed by tunneling within spikes, damaging several florets (spikelets) and any developing seed as they move. Later the caterpillars enter stems and crawl downward, leaving clear evidence of infestation at the point of tiller entry. Loss of seed from this insect is often severe and thus, a primary concern, but overwintered larvae also tunnel into new growth the following spring, potentially limiting density of tillers and biomass production. Replicated “micro-plots” (0.5 m2) of prairie cordgrass were established on the University of Illinois’ Energy Farm in Urbana, IL …
Eye Care Disparities and Health-Related Consequences in Elderly Patients with Age-Related Eye Disease

ABSTRACTThe elderly population in the United States (age 65 and older) is growing rapidly, estimated by the U.S. Census Department to reach 83.7 million by 2050.1 Visual impairment increases with age among all racial and ethnic groups.2 In the elderly, the most common culprits for vision loss are cataract, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).2 In the developed world, vision loss from cataract has been dramatically reduced by increased access to cataract surgery. However, AMD and glaucoma lead to irreversible vision loss without early diagnosis and intervention. In the U.S., cases of AMD are expected to double by 2050, reaching 17.8 million among patients age 50 or older.3 Similarly, cases of glaucoma are expected to reach 5.5 million by 2050, an increase of over 90% from 2014.3 The visually impaired elderly face disparities in access to eye care, and subsequent general medical and psychosocial complications.
The NHERF1 PDZ1 domain and IRBIT interact and mediate the activation of Na+/H+ exchanger 3 by ANG II

Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE)3, a major Na(+) transporter in the luminal membrane of the proximal tubule, is subject to ANG II regulation in renal Na(+)/fluid absorption and blood pressure control. We have previously shown that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor-binding protein released with inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IRBIT) mediates ANG II-induced exocytosis of NHE3 in cultured proximal tubule epithelial cells. In searching for scaffold protein(s) that coordinates with IRBIT in NHE3 trafficking, we found that NHE regulatory factor (NHERF)1, NHE3, and IRBIT proteins were coexpressed in the same macrocomplexes and that loss of ANG II type 1 receptors decreased their expression in the renal brush-border membrane. We found that NHERF1 was required for ANG II-mediated forward trafficking and activation of NHE3 in cultured cells. ANG II induced a concomitant increase of NHERF1 interactions with NHE3 and IRBIT, which were abolished when the NHERF1 PDZ1 domain was removed. Overexpression of a yellow fluorescent protein-NHERF1 construct that lacks PDZ1, but not PDZ2, failed to exaggerate the ANG II-dependent increase of NHE3 expression in the apical membrane. Moreover, exogenous expression of PDZ1 exerted a dominant negative effect on NHE3 activation by ANG II. We further demonstrated that IRBIT was indispensable for the ANG II-provoked increase in NHERF1-NHE3 interactions and that phosphorylation of IRBIT at Ser(68) was necessary for the assembly of the NHEF1-IRBIT-NHE3 complex. Taken together, our findings suggest that NHERF1 mediates ANG II-induced activation of renal NHE3, which requires coordination between IRBIT and the NHERF1 PDZ1 domain in binding and transporting NHE3.
The Representation and Use of Constraints in Structural Design

Design is, perhaps, the toughest problem solving activity that engineers perform. Design can be viewed as (Mostow, 1985) constructing an artifact or structure that: 1. satisfies a given functional specification, 2. conforms to the limitations of the resources, and 3. satisfies implicit and explicit design criteria on the form of the artifact.
Somatization in Hispanics

1. Major psychological disorders are found universally, but their form and content are modified by culture. In addition, the expression of psychosocial distress is largely shaped by cultural values and beliefs. 2. Preliminary research indicates Hispanics are more likely to somatize than Anglos when experiencing psychosocial disorders or psychosocial distress. 3. Additional research is required into the sources of stress for hispanic women, especially those born in the United States, and its effect on their health.
Improved optical enhancement using double-width plasmonic gratings with nanogaps

Plasmonic grating structures have been shown effective at increasing near-field optical enhancement. A double-width plasmonic grating design is introduced, where each period has two alternating metal widths separated by a nanogap. With this new design, analysis has shown that plasmonic resonances couple between each metal section, resulting in even greater optical enhancement compared with single-width gratings. The geometry that gives the greatest optical enhancement has been determined with a computational model. This work demonstrates that the increased enhancement is due to hybridized modes that couple between the two grating segments.
Differences between Men and Women Enrolling in Smoking Cessation Programs Using Yoga as a Complementary Therapy

Abstract: This study compares the characteristics of men and women, respectively, participating in two randomized controlled pilot studies whose primary aims were to test the feasibility of yoga as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation. Participants were aged 18-65, generally healthy and were daily smokers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests examined gender differences in smoking rate, potential treatment mediators, and covariates (e.g., smoking history, health status, weight concerns, mood, and prior withdrawal symptoms). A total of 55 women and 38 men participated in the study. Differences between men and women at enrollment included: women reported significantly greater withdrawal (p<0.005), anxiety (p=0.032), and depression (p=0.027) symptoms than men. More women than men (91% vs. 66%) reported having been told by their doctor to quit smoking (p=0.003), had an existing smoking-related illness (33% vs. 13%; p=0.032), and reported smoking for weight control (15% vs. 0%; p=0.014). Results showed good feasibility for recruiting both men and women into a study using yoga as a complementary therapy for smoking cessation. Results also indicate that interventions may need to be tailored to meet different needs (e.g., addressing co-morbid depression ) between men and women.
A study of a mucolipide from ox brain.

We should like to subsume under the group designation “mucolipide” the complex lipide polymers that combine constituents commonly considered characteristic of the cerebrosides with others usually assigned to the mucoids. They are soluble in water, but also in organic solvents, and they contain fatty acid, a sphingosine-like base, a hexose, also amino sugar, sometimes amino acids, and, most significantly, sialic acid or a related substance. This has been pointed out recently in notes dealing briefly with the subject of this communication (1, 2).’ Lipides of the general type under discussion here, i.e. compounds related to the cerebrosides, but soluble in water and yielding a violet color with Bial’s reagent or a direct color reaction with p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde without previous treatment with alkali, have been encountered not infrequently in the older literature. Since what appears to be their first description, by Landsteiner and Levene (4, 5), similar substances were found in spleen (6), normal brain (7), and in the brain of cases of NiemannPick disease (8) and of Tay-Sachs disease (9). Two representatives of the mucolipide group have been investigated in some detail. (1) The “gangliosides,” a name first given to mucolipides isolated from brain tissue of instances of lipidoses (10) and later extended, perhaps without justification, to material from normal nervous and other tissues; and (2) “strandin,” a high molecular lipide complex from ox brain (11). Folch and his collaborators (11) deserve great credit for pointing out the existence in nervous tissue of a lipide derivative of high molecular weight. For the isolation of this material, they employed a much milder procedure than is customary
Putting Data in the Driver's Seat: Optimizing Earnings for On-Demand Ride-Hailing

On-demand ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Lyft are helping reshape urban transportation, by enabling car owners to become drivers for hire with minimal overhead. Although there are many studies that consider ride-hailing platforms holistically, e.g., from the perspective of supply and demand equilibria, little emphasis has been placed on optimization for the individual, self-interested drivers that currently comprise these fleets. While some individuals drive opportunistically either as their schedule allows or on a fixed schedule, we show that strategic behavior regarding when and where to drive can substantially increase driver income. In this paper, we formalize the problem of devising a driver strategy to maximize expected earnings, describe a series of dynamic programming algorithms to solve these problems under different sets of modeled actions available to the drivers, and exemplify the models and methods on a large scale simulation of driving for Uber in NYC. In our experiments, we use a newly-collected dataset that combines the NYC taxi rides dataset along with Uber API data, to build time-varying traffic and payout matrices for a representative six-month time period in greater NYC. From this input, we can reason about prospective itineraries and payoffs. Moreover, the framework enables us to rigorously reason about and analyze the sensitivity of our results to perturbations in the input data. Among our main findings is that repositioning throughout the day is key to maximizing driver earnings, whereas »chasing surge' is typically misguided and sometimes a costly move.
Retinal oxygen delivery and metabolism in healthy and sickle cell retinopathy subjects

Purpose Reduction in inner retinal oxygen delivery (DO2) can cause retinal hypoxia and impair inner retinal oxygen metabolism (MO2), leading to vision loss. The purpose of the current study was to establish measurements of DO2 and MO2 in healthy subjects and test the hypothesis that DO2 and MO2 are reduced in sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) subjects. Methods Dual wavelength retinal oximetry and Doppler optical coherence tomography were performed in 12 healthy control and 12 SCR subjects. Images were analyzed to measure retinal arterial and venous oxygen content (O2A and O2V), venous diameter (DV), and total retinal blood flow (TRBF). Retinal arteriovenous oxygen content difference (O2AV), DO2, MO2, and oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) were calculated according to the following equations: O2AV = O2A - O2V; DO2 = TRBF * O2A; MO2 = TRBF * O2AV; OEF = MO2/DO2. Results Retinal DV and TRBF were higher in the SCR group as compared to the control group, whereas, O2A, O2V, and O2AV were lower in SCR group as compared to the control group. DO2, MO2, and OEF were not significantly different between control and SCR groups. MO2 and DO2 were linearly related, such that higher MO2 was associated with higher DO2. There was an inverse relationship between TRBF and OEF, such that lower TRBF was associated with higher OEF. Conclusions Increased blood flow compensated for decreased oxygen content, thereby maintaining DO2, MO2, and OEF at predominately lower stages of SCR. Quantitative assessment of these parameters has the potential to advance knowledge and improve diagnostic evaluation of retinal ischemic conditions.
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Sclerosing Features: An Uncommon and Potentially Aggressive Variant.

Abstract:Sclerosing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), also known as “desmoplastic” SCC, is a rare subtype of cutaneous malignancy. This variant is clinically significant because it is associated with an increased risk of local recurrence and metastasis. We herein present 16 examples of sclerotic SCC of
Human bioavailability and health protective effects of soy isoflavones

26 Introduction 27 Subjects and methods 29 Results 34 Discussion 35 Literature cited 41 II. BIOAVAILABILITY OF SOYBEAN ISOFLAVONES DEPENDS UPON GUT MICROFLORA IN WOMEN 51 Abstract 5
Androgen Decline in the Aging Male: Making Sense of the “Male Menopause”

Testosterone often declines as men age, and this decline may be associated with a number of specific physical changes that affect quality of life and life expectancy. Unlike the female menopause, which is rapid and well described, this “male menopause” may be gradual, and discerning symptoms that are actually caused by testosterone deficiency and improved by testosterone replacement can be challenging. This chapter will review Androgen Decline in the Aging Male (ADAM), also known as Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome (TDS) and cover symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and precautions.
Caudal cell mass developmental aberrations: an imaging approach

Abstract The objective of this review is to describe antenatal and postnatal imaging criteria, which allow diagnosis and aid workup, prognostication and treatment of developmental anomalies of the caudal cell mass. The lower spinal cord (conus medullaris), filum terminale and inferior lumbar and sacral nerve roots develop from the caudal cell mass, a remnant of the embryologic primitive streak composed of undifferentiated pluripotential cells. Anomalous caudal cell mass development can manifest as tight filum terminale, caudal dysgenesis, terminal myelocystocele, anterior sacral meningocele or sacrococcygeal teratoma. Lower spinal cord development occurs simultaneously and in topological proximity to the developing lower gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts, leading to coexistent malformations. We review the embryology of the caudal cell mass, describe the role of antenatal and postnatal imaging for diagnosing, staging, prognosticating and guiding intranatal or postnatal intervention for developmental anomalies of this region and briefly discuss clinical manifestations and treatment goals and strategies. An overview of antenatal imaging diagnosis of associated multisystem abnormalities will be provided where applicable.
Dupilumab safety and efficacy in uncontrolled asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Objective: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in patients with uncontrolled asthma. Data source: A search of electronic databases was performed usin...