cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rhizosphere bacterial communities of wheat vary across the growing season and among dryland farming systems.

Abstract Despite knowledge that seasonality and plant phenology impact soil microbiota, farming system effects on soil microbiota are not often evaluated across the growing season. We assessed the bacterial diversity in wheat rhizosphere soil through the spring and summer of 2016 in winter wheat (Triticum aestivium L.) in Montana, USA, from three contrasting farming systems: a chemically-managed no-tillage system, and two USDA-certified organic systems in their fourth year, one including tillage and one where sheep grazing partially offsets tillage frequency. Bacterial richness (range 605 – 1174 OTUs) and evenness (range 0.80 – 0.92) peaked in early June and dropped by late July (range 92 – 1190, 0.62-0.92, respectively), but was not different by farming systems. Organic tilled plots contained more putative nitrogen-fixing bacterial genera than the other two systems. Bacterial community similarities were significantly altered by sampling date, minimum and maximum temperature at sampling, bacterial abundance at date of sampling, total weed richness, and coverage of Taraxacum officinale, Lamium ampleuxicaule, and Thlaspi arvense. This study highlights that weed diversity, season, and farming management system all influence rhizosphere soil microbial communities. Local environmental conditions will strongly affect any practical applications aimed at improving soil diversity and functionality, especially in semi-arid regions where abiotic stress and seasonal variability in temperature and water availability drive primary production.
Modeling of Gas-Wall Partitioning of Organic Compounds Using a Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship

Abstract. This study streamlines modeling of the gas–wall process (GWP) of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOC) by predicting gas–wall equilibrium partitioning constant (Kw,i) and accommodation coefficient (αw,i) of SVOC(i) using a quantitative structure–activity relationship. PaDEL-Descriptor, software that calculates molecular descriptors, is employed to obtain physicochemical parameters (i.e., hydrogen bond acidity (Hd,i), hydrogen bond basicity (Ha,i), dipolarity/polarizability (Si), and polarizability (αi)) of SVOC(i). For the prediction of Kw,i, activity coefficients (γw,i) of SVOC(i) to the chamber wall are semiempirically predicted using chamber data in the form of a polynomial equation coupled with the physicochemical parameters. γw,i of various SVOCs differ in functionalities and molecular sizes ranging from 100 to 104. We conclude that the estimation of γw,i is essential to improve the prediction of Kw,i. To predict the impact of relative humidity (RH) on GWP, each coefficient in the polynomial equation for ln(Kw,i) was correlated to RH. Increasing RH enhanced GWP significantly for all polar SVOCs. For example, the predicted Kw,i of 1-heptanoic acid increased more than three times (from 0.58 to 1.96) by increasing RH from 0.4 to 0.75 due to the reduction in γw,i. The characteristic time for GWP are estimated using Kw,i and αw,i to evaluate the effect of GWP on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) mass. It might be significant in the absence of inorganic aerosol, but is insignificant in the presence of electrolytic salts, where aqueous reactions dominate SOA growth.
Terahertz Vibrational Motions Dictate and Drive the Properties of Advanced Materials

Low-frequency (terahertz) vibrational motions often involve large amplitude displacements of entire molecules in the condensed phase. These vibrational pathways are critical to understanding and describing advanced material properties, including mechanical response, charge carrier dynamics, phase-transformation phenomena, and chemical stability, to name a few. In this work, the broad and pervasive nature of specific terahertz motions in such phenomena will be explored, and recent advances in using terahertz radiation to manipulate materials will be highlighted.
Risky Business: Sexual Risk and Responsibility Messages in Teen Sex Romps

Previous research on media effects has revealed a relationship between exposure to sexual content on screen and sexual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Highly sexual films targeting adolescent audiences may be particularly influential. Study 1 examined movies of the comedy subgenre of Teen Sex Romps (TSRs) in a quantitative content analysis. In particular, the frequency of sexual behavior, talk about sex, and risk and responsibility messages were analyzed. Findings revealed that messages related to sexual precaution appeared only once for every 10 instances of sexual behavior, and mentions of birth control occurred approximately once for every 17 conversations about sex. Using a cross-sectional survey design, study 2 examined the association between exposure to TSR films and participants’ attitudes toward casual sex and condom use. As predicted, exposure to TSR films was associated with more permissive sexual attitudes, more sexual behavior outside of romantic relationships, and less favorable attitudes towards condoms. Implications for questions of media influence and sexual health are discussed.
A methodology for analyzing renewable energy opportunities for desalination and its application to Aruba

Abstract There are numerous possible technology combinations for providing desalination using renewable energy sources. This paper presents a model that captures facets ranging from hourly availability of the renewable energy sources to economic parameters such as inflation and discount rate without relying on third-party software. The proposed approach considers different combinations of reverse osmosis and multi-stage-flash distillation driven by wind, solar PV and solar thermal with reference systems driven from the electric grid or natural gas. The levelized cost of water and the primary energy usage are presented as the main indicators for the performance of the different system architectures. Aruba is chosen as an example to show an application of the model. The project duration and the efficiency of desalination technologies is used to demonstrate the model capability for sensitivity analyses. The authors provide all used equations in the supplemental material to this paper.
An Impact Event Detection System for Composite Box Structures

A major element of the certification of composite aircraft structures is the evaluation of their tolerance for impact damage. The concept of Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) is used to set a damage size threshold below which the structure shall be able to carry Ultimate Load. This is similar to the detectability threshold for fatigue cracks in metal structures. Appearance of BVID, however, cannot be directly associated with the applied load spectrum and the presence of stress concentrations, contrary to fatigue damage. The goal of the research is to replace inspection for BVID by detection of impact events. A system based on acoustic emission was developed to detect and localize impact events on a thermoplastic composite structure (an aircraft elevator). A piezoelectric sensor was attached to the spar of the elevator. A software module based on an artificial neural network was designed to identify the location and energy level of impact events on the elevator skins. The module was able to determine the zonal source locations of impacts using only a single sensor.
The effects of Medicaid on access to care and adherence to recommended preventive services.

OBJECTIVE To quantify the impact of Medicaid enrollment on access to care and adherence to recommended preventive services. DATA SOURCE 2005-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component. STUDY DESIGN We examined several access measures and utilization of several preventive services within the past year and within the time frame recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force, if more than a year. We estimated local average treatment effects of Medicaid enrollment using a new, two-stage regression model developed by Nguimkeu, Denteh, and Tchernis. This model accounts for both endogenous and underreported Medicaid enrollment by using a partial observability bivariate probit regression as the first stage. We identify the model with an exogenous measure of Medicaid eligibility, the simulated Medicaid eligibility rate by state, year, and parents vs childless adults. A wide range of changes in Medicaid eligibility occurred during the time period studied. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Sample of low-income, nonelderly adults not receiving disability benefits. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Medicaid enrollment decreased the probability of having unmet needs for medical care by 7.5 percentage points and the probability of experiencing delays getting prescription drugs by 7.7 percentage points. Medicaid enrollment increased the probability of having a usual source of care by 16.5 percentage points, the probability of having a routine checkup by 17.1 percentage points, and the probability of having a flu shot in past year by 12.6 percentage points. CONCLUSION Medicaid enrollment increased access to care and use of some preventive services. Additional research is needed on impacts for subgroups, such as parents, childless adults, and the smaller and generally older populations for whom screening tests are recommended.
Companion Animal Caregiving and Well-Being

Much of the research on human-animal interaction measures the impact of the presence of a companion animal or the interaction with a specific type of animal on human well-being. Little attention has been given to measurement of the animal’s well-being and the impact of a companion animal’s declining health or death on the human caregiver. Caring for a sick or aging animal can be time consuming, emotionally draining, and financially expensive. Some of the conflicting results in the human-animal interaction literature may be accounted for by such factors as the level of attachment to the animal, involvement with the animal, and in particular the age and health status of the animal. Research challenges and the need to recognize and measure the effects of companion animal caregiving are discussed, particularly in the context of chronic illness, aging, and bereavement.
Comparative Morbidity Profile of Elective vs Therapeutic Neck Dissection.

ObjectiveNeck dissection (ND) is one of the most commonly performed procedures in head and neck surgery. We sought to compare the morbidity of elective ND (END) versus therapeutic ND (TND).Study De...
A compact 1200 V, 700 A, IGBT-based pulse generator for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in vivo laboratory experiments on small animals

An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) pulse generator for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation used for in vivo laboratory experiments on small animals, such as mice, is reported. The pulse generator is based upon an IGBT that can switch 700 A of current for 1 ms and that has a DC breakdown voltage of 1200 V. The duration of the design’s output pulse is controlled by, and follows, an input trigger pulse. The voltage amplitude of the output pulses is determined by an external high-voltage power supply and the energy stored in a 330 µF capacitor bank. The approach enables the amplitude of the voltage applied across the coil, the length of time the voltage is applied, and the number of times the voltage pulses are applied all to be controlled and adjusted to facilitate a wide range of experimental options. This paper provides a detailed schematic of the design, design discussions, and some representative experimental results. Additionally, the reported design can be scaled to higher currents by using an IGBT with a higher current rating.
Early Development of Spatial Orientation in Humans

Up to this point in the conference the focus has been almost exclusively on animals other than humans. Among other things, we have heard about homing behavior in pigeons, detour behavior in horses, caching behavior in chickadees, and maze-running behavior in rats and hamsters. To the extent that humans have been mentioned, it has been in the context of the abnormal human brain and what light it might shed on the physiology underlying spatial behavior. All that is about to change. In my own paper and in those to follow, an attempt will be made to outline some of what is known about normal human spatial behavior in three-dimensional, real-life space. The scope of the problem is large—in fact, too large to provide a definitive overview. Instead, what I have chosen to do is to focus on the very beginnings of the human life cycle—the infant years between birth and 18 months—in an effort to provide some understanding of the roots of later spatial accomplishments. After all, to use an appropriately spatial metaphor, one cannot fully appreciate where one is without some knowledge of where one has been and how far one has had to travel to reach the present location.
Anti-HIV activity of drugs that stimulate cholesterol efflux

Results TO-901317 inhibited the spread of HIV in MDM cultures by 90% at the peak dose (500 nM) and infection of PBLs by 70%. Pioglitazone inhibited HIV infection by 50% in both MDM and PBL cultures at 1 M. Analysis of HIV produced from cells treated with each drug showed reduced cholesterol content. Reduction in infectivity correlated with reduction of viral cholesterol. Therefore, drugs stimulating cholesterol efflux reduce HIV infectivity by targeting viral cholesterol. from 2006 International Meeting of The Institute of Human Virology Baltimore, USA. 17–21 November, 2006
Sensory motor remapping of space in human-machine interfaces.

Studies of adaptation to patterns of deterministic forces have revealed the ability of the motor control system to form and use predictive representations of the environment. These studies have also pointed out that adaptation to novel dynamics is aimed at preserving the trajectories of a controlled endpoint, either the hand of a subject or a transported object. We review some of these experiments and present more recent studies aimed at understanding how the motor system forms representations of the physical space in which actions take place. An extensive line of investigations in visual information processing has dealt with the issue of how the Euclidean properties of space are recovered from visual signals that do not appear to possess these properties. The same question is addressed here in the context of motor behavior and motor learning by observing how people remap hand gestures and body motions that control the state of an external device. We present some theoretical considerations and experimental evidence about the ability of the nervous system to create novel patterns of coordination that are consistent with the representation of extrapersonal space. We also discuss the perspective of endowing human–machine interfaces with learning algorithms that, combined with human learning, may facilitate the control of powered wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
The impact of body mass index onshort- and long-term outcomes inpatients undergoing coronary revascularization: insights from the bypass angioplasty revascularization investigation (BARI)

Abstract Objectives We sought to investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on short- and long-term outcomes after initial revascularization with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). Background Equivocal results exist on the impact of BMI on the risk of in-hospital complications after PTCA or CABG, and no long-term mortality data exist from a large series of revascularized patients. Methods From the randomized series and observational registry of the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI), 2,108 patients who had PTCA and 1,526 patients who had CABG were evaluated by taking their BMI at study entry. They were classified as follows: low ( Results Among patients who had PTCA, each unit increase in BMI was associated with a 5.5% lower adjusted risk of a major in-hospital event (death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coma); among patients who had CABG, no difference in the in-hospital outcome was observed according to BMI. In contrast, BMI was not associated with five-year mortality in the PTCA group; among the CABG group, adjusted relative risks of five-year cardiac mortality according to levels of BMI were 0.0 (low), 1.0 (normal), 2.02 (overweight), 3.16 (class I obese) and 4.85 (class II/III obese) (linear p Conclusions Body mass index appears to have a differential impact on short- and long-term outcomes after coronary revascularization. These results underscore the need for further research to identify factors responsible for the apparent short-term protective effect of a higher BMI in patients undergoing PTCA and to study the impact of weight reduction on the long-term survival of obese patients undergoing CABG.
Parallelizing the track-target model for the MIMD machine

The tracking-target model serves as a trajectory generation and scenario definition module which can model ballistic missile threats. The authors document a project to implement the tracking-target model on a parallel processing environment. The tracking-target model is a program based on a DEC VAX/VMS platform in FORTRAN. During this parallelization task, a data dependency analysis was conducted and changes to convert the serial version to the equivalent parallel version were analyzed in two separate areas. First, the physical forces acting on the missile were determined to be independent and were tasked to separate processors for parallel execution. Second, the Runge-Kutta method of solving ordinary differential equations was restructured, so that parallel execution could be achieved. The parallel version has exhibited speedups of up to a factor of 6.3 resulting from a shared memory multiprocessor machine. >
Site-Specific and Sensory Neuron-Dependent Increases in Postsynaptic Glutamate Sensitivity Accompany Serotonin-Induced Long-Term Facilitation at Aplysia Sensorimotor Synapses

Long-term changes in the efficacy of Aplysia sensory neuron (SN) connections accompany behavioral training or applications with 5-HT. The changes evoked by training or 5-HT include formation of new SN varicosities and transmitter release sites. Because new synapse formation requires proper alignment of presynaptic structures with postsynaptic zones containing a high density of transmitter receptors, we examined whether changes in postsynaptic sensitivity to the presumed SN transmitter (glutamate) were correlated with formation and distribution of new SN varicosities in contact with motor cell L7 in cell culture. The formation of stable SN connections after 4 d in culture did not significantly change overall responses to focal applications of glutamate. However, specific sites along L7's axon apposed to SN varicosities expressed larger responses to glutamate compared with adjacent sites with few SN varicosities. After treatments with 5-HT that evoked long-term changes in both the structure and the function of SN-L7 synaptic interaction, glutamate responses increased selectively at sites along the surface of L7's axon with preexisting or new SN varicosities. Increases in postsynaptic response to glutamate 24 hr after 5-HT treatment required interaction with an SN. These results suggest that new synapse formation between neurons, either with regeneration or after external stimuli that evoke increases in synaptic efficacy, involves site-specific changes in expression of functional neurotransmitter receptors on the postsynaptic cell that is regulated by interaction with the presynaptic neuron.
Investigation of the effect of a power feed vacuum gap in solid liner experiments at 1 MA

We present an experimental study of plasma initiation of a solid metal liner at the 1 MA level. In contrast to previous work, we introduce a vacuum gap at one of the liner connections to the power feed to investigate how this affects plasma initiation and to infer how this may affect the symmetry of the liner in compression experiments. We observed that the vacuum gap causes non-uniform plasma initiation both azimuthally and axially in liners, diagnosed by gated optical imaging. Using magnetic field probes external to the liner, we also determined that the optical emission is strongly linked to the current distribution in the liner. The apparent persistent of azimuthal non-uniformities may have implications for fusion-scale liner experiments.
Electro-Optic Modulators

This chapter begins the discussion of optical-signal modulation and switching. In many cases, the same device can function as either a modulator or a switch, depending on the strength of the interaction between the optical waves and the controlling electrical signal, as well as on the arrangement of input and output ports. The device is considered to be a modulator if its primary function is to impress information on a light wave by temporaly varying one of its properties. A switch, on the other hand, changes the spatial position of the light, or else turns it off and on. Many of the same factors must be considered in designing or evaluating both modulators and switches. Hence, it is logical to discuss them together.
Structure and Small Molecule Binding of a Tetranuclear Iron(II) Resorc(4)arene-Based Cage Complex

Four iron(II) ions help assemble a container molecule (1), by bringing together two hemispherical resorc[4]arenes. The resorc[4]arene ligands are appended with four iminodiacetate moieties which act as ligands for the iron atoms. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 1 shows that the iron atoms are coordinated in an N,N-cis-fac manner and exhibit a trigonal prismatic geometry. When 1 is formed in water, six water molecules, hydrogen bonded together, occupy its cavity. However, when 1 is formed with bromobenzene present in the water solution, bromobenzene is trapped in the cavity. Multinuclear NMR experiments (1H, 2H, and 19F) demonstrate the pH-dependent encapsulation of various organic guest molecules by 1, e.g., substituted benzenes, alkanes, ethers, and chlorocarbons. Complex 1 is the first iron(II)-containing cage complex that is formed by assembly of resorcinarene molecules and that binds neutral organic molecules.
Nonpulsing reagent metering for continuous colorimetric detection systems.

Abstract A method has been developed for metering liquid reagents without variations in flow rate for continuous colorimetric detection systems. The reagent is forced from a storage chamber by hydraulic head or by gas overpressure, and flow control is achieved by resistance in the delivery line which may be either capillary tubing and/or a needle valve. Continuous flow of the reagent reaction mixture through the colorimeter is achieved by using a water aspirator. Such a system is now employed routinely in a continuous carbohydrate analyzer in which concentrated sulfuric acid and a 5% phenol solution are continously metered and mixed with the effluent from an anion-exchange resin column that separates the carbohydrates in physiological samples.
Lipoprotein(a) is strongly associated with coronary artery calcification in type-2 diabetic women

Background Lp(a), implicated in both atherogenesis and thrombosis pathways, varies significantly by demographic and metabolic factors, providing challenges for its use in Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether type-2 diabetic subjects, relative to non-diabetics, might benefit more from Lp(a) measurement in the prediction of CHD risk, as measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC).
Merit, Equity, and Test Validity: A New Look at an Old Problem

The U.S. Supreme Court's Johnson v. Transportation Agency ruling in 1987 has rekindled the merit versus equity debate. In particular, it has encouraged reassessment of some of the debate's underlyi...
A Theoretical Study of the In Vivo Mechanical Properties of Angiosperm Roots: Constitutive Theories and Methods of Parameter Estimation

To investigate the constitutive relation of a plant tissue regarded as a deformable continuum, stress and strain must be determined experimentally for the same configurations. Such experiments are hindered by the inherent theoretical complexity of continuum mechanics, and by the technical difficulties of effecting external stress loads or body forces on the tissue without invasion, especially on a small scale. An understanding of appropriate mechanical problems and their solutions can help the experimentalist overcome these difficulties to a certain extent. Based on recent work on fiber-reinforced material, we formulate a constitutive theory for the root of different angiosperm species and suggest a set of loading conditions to determine the parameter values in a specific tissue sample. The loading conditions are formulated with a view toward experimental realization in vivo or with minimal invasion. For each loading condition, we formulate the corresponding mechanical problem and show how to obtain the values of the elastic parameters from known solutions. This framework can be used to analyze the interplay between mechanical and metabolic behavior in plants and to study the elastodynamics of plant tissues.
Interaction between discrimination of drug states and external stimuli.

Rats learned a two-choice operant response by discriminating differences between external stimuli, internal (drug-produced) stimuli, or a combination of these two types of stimuli. Separate groups of rats were used for each stimulus condition. A tactile and visual external cue was superior to the ethanol-saline cue in producing stimulus control, but the group receiving both drug and external stimulus cues performed in a manner very similar to the external cue-only group. The two stimulus sources thus did not “add” to promote more rapid or complete discrimination. After acquisition of discrimination, previously coincident drug and external stimulus states were reversed to determine which stimulus source had more behavioral control. This test for stimulus selectivity indicated that the external stimulus had essentially complete control of response choice.
Intertwining liftings and Schur contractions

In their paper [5], C. Foias and A. Frazho have found explicit formulas for the Schur contraction associated with a given contractive intertwining lifting. In this Note we give a more direct and probably the simplest way to find the Schur contraction for a given contractive intertwining lifting.
Effects of lorazepam and its withdrawal on sleep, performance, and subjective state.

The effects of 3 mg lorazepam on polysomnographic recordings, performance, anxiety, and perceived sleep were examined. Six insomniac subjects slept in the sleep laboratory for 18 consecutive nights after having taken placebo or lorazepam. Polysomnographic data and subjective reports indicated hypnotic efficacy in terms of sleep initiation and maintenance. There was some evidence of rebound insomnia after drug withdrawal, although it was not evident from all measures. Clear performance decrements occurred during lorazepam use. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1983) 34, 496–500; doi:10.1038/clpt.1983.203
The knee joint center of rotation is predominantly on the lateral side during normal walking

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis of whether the center of rotation (COR) in the transverse plane of the knee is in the medial side during normal walking in a manner similar to that previously described during non-ambulatory activities. The kinematics for normal knees was obtained from 46 knees during normal walking using the point cluster technique. The COR of the medial-lateral axis of the femur relative to the tibia was determined during the stance phase of walking. The hypothesis that the COR is in the medial side during stance was not supported by this study. The average COR during the stance phase of walking was in the lateral compartment for all 46 knees. In addition, the instantaneous COR occurred on the medial side on average <25% of the time during the stance phase. Thus, while the COR is predominantly on the lateral side of the knee during walking, the normal function of the knee during walking is associated with both lateral and medial pivoting. These results also demonstrate the importance of describing knee kinematics in the context of a specific activity or the constraints of the test conditions.
Acquired Gerbode Defect After Aortic Valve Replacement

![Figure][1] [![Graphic][3] ][3][![Graphic][4] ][4][![Graphic][5] ][5] A 78-year-old man with bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement presented with leg edema. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography revealed a high-velocity systolic jet entering the right atrium (RA)
Terrestrial foraging and dental microwear in Papio ursinus

Dental microwear of ten wild-shot chacma baboons (Papio urinus) form Northwest and Northern Privinces, South Africa was examined by scanning electron microscopy. All specimens were collected during the dry season, during which these primates exploit hypogeous (underground) food items, including tubers and corms. The microwear fabric of thisP. ursinus sample is characterized by high pitting frequencies and large microwear features. It differs significantly from those displayed by other terrestrially foraging papionins of the genusTheropithecus. Exogenous grit is hypothesized to be largely responsible for the observedP. ursinus wear pattern, which resembles the microwear profiles of durophagous primates. It is suggested that large microwear features and a high incidence of enamel pitting, which are generally held to represent a microwear “signature” of durophagy, may not always be indicative of hard-object feeding in anthropoid primates.
Abstract 2780: Chemokine and chemokine receptor genetic variants as predictors of aggressive prostate cancer among European-American men

Background: Chemokines are essential mediators in the pathogenesis of inflammatory, autoimmune, vascular and neoplastic diseases. Consequently, investigators have evaluated the relationship between sequence variants in chemokines in relation to autoimmune or inflammatory disorders. However, the impact of inheriting multiple chemokine-chemokine receptor genetic susceptibilities on prostate cancer (PCa) clinical outcomes remains uncharacterized. Objectives & Hypothesis: Consequently, we systematically evaluated the joint modifying effects of 78 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected in 43 chemokine and chemokine receptor-associated genes. We hypothesized that individuals inheriting multiple chemokine-associated alleles linked with increased tumor metastasis, cell survival, or inflammation would have an increased risk of developing PCa or aggressive disease relative to those with the referent genotypes. Methods: To test the hypothesis, we used SNP profile data collected from 2277 European-American male participants of the Cancer Genetic Markers of Susceptibility (CGEMS) project, involving 1176 PCa cases and 1101 controls. Using a case-control and case-only designs, we evaluated the independent and joint modifying effects of 78 SNPs detected in chemokines, chemokine receptors and downstream signaling targets in relation to PCa risk and aggressive disease (tumor stage >2 and tumor grade >2). Main effects and complex interactions were assessed using logistic regression analysis, multi-factor dimensionality reduction (MDR) with covariate adjustment (i.e., age-group and family history of prostate cancer), and hierarchical entropy graphs. To control for multiple comparisons, we used 1000-fold permutation testing. Results: A three-SNP interaction [CCL21 promoter SNP at position -191 (rs11574914), CCR6 promoter SNP at position -397 (rs2023305), CCL17 intron 1+2217 (rs223895)] was the best prediction model in relation to aggressive disease, following restriction of the data analysis to the top 25 th percentile of markers based on ReliefF scores (TBA = 56%, CVC = 90%, p = 0.024). Verification of this interaction using other bioinformatic techniques, including symbolic modeling, classification and regression trees (CART) and computational evolutionary systems modeling is currently underway. Conclusions: Our preliminary findings support the role of chemokine-related markers as significant predictors of aggressive prostate cancer among European-American men. Future Directions: Additional studies are needed to determine whether CCL21-CCR6-CCL17 interactions are predictive of disease prognosis within ethnically diverse sub-populations. In addition, the biological implications of the interaction require further investigation. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2780. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-2780
Energy dependence of polymer gels in the orthovoltage energy range

Purpose: Ortho-voltage energies are often used for treatment of patients’ superficial lesions, and also for small- animal irradiations. Polymer-Gel dosimeters such as MAGAT (Methacrylic acid Gel and THPC) are finding increasing use for 3-dimensional verification of radiation doses in a given treatment geometry. For mega-voltage beams, energy dependence of MAGAT has been quoted as nearly energy-independent. In the kilo-voltage range, there is hardly any literature to shade light on its energy dependence. Methods : MAGAT was used to measure depth-dose for 250 kVp beam. Comparison with ion-chamber data showed a discrepancy increasing significantly with depth. An over-response as much as 25% was observed at a depth of 6 cm. Results and Conclusion: Investigation concluded that 6 cm water in the beam resulted in a half-value-layer (HVL) change from 1.05 to 1.32 mm Cu. This amounts to an effective-energy change from 81.3 to 89.5 keV. Response measurements of MAGAT at these two energies explained the observed discrepancy in depth-dose measurements. Dose-calibration curves of MAGAT for (i) 250 kVp beam, and (ii) 250 kVp beam through 6 cm of water column are presented showing significant energy dependence. ------------------- Cite this article as : Roed Y, Tailor R, Pinksy L, Ibbott G. Energy dependence of polymer gels in the orthovoltage energy range. Int J Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(2):020232. DOI : 10.14319/ijcto.0202.32
Everyone wants a window seat.

Through chance and unfathomable lengths of time, evolution has shown remarkable creativity, yet some creatures still defy imagination. The digenetic (requires more than one host) trematodes definitely fall into that category. Childhood imagination could not provide a more bizarre life cycle than that evolved by some of these helminths that bedevil so called higher creatures. Diplostomum spathaeum illustrates that phylum with an ophthalmic twist. The life cycle of D spathaeum begins as an egg in the faeces of a piscivorous bird, such as a gull or a pelican, as a definitive and unaffected host. It is in this host that the sexual phase occurs and the adult parasite lays its eggs in the bird’s gastrointestinal tract. The excrement containing the eggs is deposited in a fresh water lake or stream. As the faeces drop to the floor of the lake or stream, perhaps on the northern Canadian shield where they are prevalent, the eggs embryonate for approximately 3 weeks and then hatch when exposed to light. The photonegative and short lived miracidia exit the eggs, find their way to a snail, often of the Lymnaea genus, and penetrate the flesh. In the snail, the miracidia penetrate the hepatopancreas and undergo metamorphosis into sporocysts …
Let There Be Light: Photo‐Cross‐Linked Block Copolymer Nanoparticles

Polymeric nanoparticles are prepared by selectively cross-linking a photo-sensitive dimethylmaleimide-containing block of a diblock copolymer via UV irradiation. A well-defined photo-cross-linkable block copolymer is prepared via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of a dimethylmaleimide-functional acrylamido monomer containing photoreactive pendant groups with a poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) macro-chain transfer agent. The resulting amphiphilic block copolymers form micelles in water with a hydrophilic PDMA shell and a hydrophobic photo-cross-linkable dimethylmaleimide-containing core. UV irradiation results in photodimerization of the dimethylmaleimide groups within the micelle cores to yield core-cross-linked aggregates. Alternatively, UV irradiation of homogeneous solutions of the block copolymer in a non-selective solvent leads to in situ nanoparticle formation.
Eastern range extension of Hormophysa cuneiformis (Phaeophyceae: Fucales) in Micronesia

Hormophysa cuneiformis , a brown macroalga in the family Sargassaceae, is now documented from Pohnpei based on a specimen collected in May 1957 and recently discovered in the Herbarium Pacificum of the Bishop Museum. Previously documented collections of H. cuneiformis in Micronesia were made from Palau in the western Pacific in July 1968 and January 1971, and Pagan Island in the Northern Mariana Islands in July 1975.
A self-collimating convolution backprojection algorithm for optimizing dose distributions of I-125 prostate implants

The algorithm presented here for optimizing brachytherapydose distributions is based on the idea that the seed distribution can be modeled as an activity distribution determined analogously to gamma cameraimaging. The peripheral dose to the tumor is converted to a set of uncollimated projection data that are then filtered and backprojected to produce an initial seed distribution. The actual doses resulting from the seed placement are used to correct the initial projection data for attenuation, scatter, and lack of collimation. The corrected projection data are backprojected a second time to yield the optimized but unconstrained seed distribution. Clinical constraints such as the number of different seed activities, the maximum seed activity, the minimum peripheral tumordose, and the minimum percentage of the volume which receives less than a specified dose are then applied to the unconstrained solution. Through the entire process, the dose calculations are functions of source anisotropy, scatter, and attenuation. When applied to a set of elliptical contours, the algorithm produces elliptical peripheral dose isodose contours and reasonable dose volume histograms for a constrained solution. The results for actual patient prostate contours were not as good, primarily because of the difficulties encountered in dealing with the irregular geometry of the prostate. However, the algorithm shows promise for further research.
Visual persistence from brief letters and pictures

The visual persistence from briefly presented letters and pictures was assessed by the popular probe-matching procedure over a range of background and target luminance levels and for several color conditions. It was determined that the fading visible persistence measured in this way increased with increasing target luminance and with decreasing background luminance. For small foveal presentations, photopically-matched targets of differing wavelength produced equivalent persistences; but for larger, parafoveal presentations, scotopically-matched targets of differing wavelength produced equivalent persistences. This was true for both letter and picture targets. Results were discussed in terms of an early sensory locus to such persistence effects. The strong consistency of these findings to some previous work and the apparent inconsistency with other work were treated in terms of different kinds of visual persistence effects assessed by different experimental methods.
Generalized fuzzy clustering for segmentation of multi-spectral magnetic resonance images.

An integrated approach for multi-spectral segmentation of MR images is presented. This method is based on the fuzzy c-means (FCM) and includes bias field correction and contextual constraints over spatial intensity distribution and accounts for the non-spherical cluster’s shape in the feature space. The bias field is modeled as a linear combination of smooth polynomial basis functions for fast computation in the clustering iterations. Regularization terms for the neighborhood continuity of intensity are added into the FCM cost functions. To reduce the computational complexity, the contextual regularizations are separated from the clustering iterations. Since the feature space is not isotropic, distance measure adopted in Gustafson-Kessel (G-K) algorithm is used instead of the Euclidean distance, to account for the nonspherical shape of the clusters in the feature space. These algorithms are quantitatively evaluated on MR brain images using the similarity measures.
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis promoted by cobalt(III).Participation of polynuclear metal complexes

Abstract Complex formation between ATP (adenosine 5′-triphosphate) and tn 2 CO III (aq) (tn = trimethylenediamine) and resulting hydrolysis of the ATP to ADP (adenosine 5′-diphosphate), AMP (adenosine 5′-monophosphate), PP i (pyrophosphate), and P i (orthophosphate) have been examined by means of 31 P nmr. With ATP ∼0.1 M and tn 2 Co III (aq) up to 0.3 M, complex formation was promoted by equilibrating solutions for a period at pH 4, after which hydrolysis was allowed to proceed at each of several pHs in the range 5 to 9 prior to quenching by addition of strong base. With ATP 0.01 M and tn 2 Co III (aq) up to 0.08 M, the above procedure was followed in some cases; in other experiments the pH of each ATP/tn 2 Co III (aq) solution was adjusted immediately to a value in the range 5 to 9 with the remainder of the procedure as before. In most cases the hydrolysis was at 25°C, but temperature dependence was also examined. The integrals for the β-phosphorus resonance have been used to analyze for ATP in the quenched solutions; independent measurements of ATP by an enzyme/spectrophotometric method (Bergmeyer) gave similar results. Cobalt to ATP molar ratios up to 1 produce tn 2 Co III ATP as the predominant ATP complex; this 1:1 complex shows no detectable acceleration in hydrolysis compared to free ATP. Cobalt to ATP molar ratios of ⪢1 lead to complexes of type (tn 2 Co III ) 2 ATP and (tn 2 Co III ) 3 ATP, which exhibit greatly enhanced reactivity towards ATP hydrolysis. At a 2:1 molar ratio (0.1 or 0.01 M ATP), the enhancement is rate is ∼10 5 at pH 7 where the rate is a maximum (comparison for 25°C); at higher molar ratios the rate enhancements are even greater. The results support the view that effective metal ion catalysis of ATP hydrolysis requires formation of reactive species involving more than one metal ion per ATP.
The role of palmaris muscle tendon in mitral valve annulus reconstruction: a novel technique for mitral valve repair.

Background: Autogenous tissue for heart valve repair is limited to pericardium and fascia lata. Prosthetic annuloplasty rings have limitations and are expensive. No previous cadaveric study has documented autotransplantation of forearm tendons for mitral valve repair. The purposes of this anatomical study were (1) to determine the feasibility of using tendons for annular reconstruction during mitral valve repair (band or ring shape) and (2) to compare the metric dimensions and gross morphology with those of prosthetic rings. Methods: The palmaris tendon (PM) (n = 7) was harvested from forearms of human cadavers and prepared in the dissecting room. The tendon was incorporated along the valve annulus. Surgery consisted of mitral valve annuloplasty performed with an undersized and a complete tendon. Results: On gross handling PM tissue was morphologically resilient. Preparation and use of PM for annuloplasty were feasible. Anatomical reconstruction of the annulus with autogenous tissue using this tendon also was feasible. The annulus behaved as a flexible ring that allowed for improved atrioventricular continuity. Complete (n = 7) and partial (n = 7) annuloplasty rings were constructed. Metric dimensions were similar to those of prosthetic rings. Conclusion: PM is a suitable novel autogenous tissue that can be harvested together with the radial artery and has direct relevance in ischemic mitral valve regurgitation. These tendons can be easily utilized to achieve results similar to those of pericardial reconstruction and prosthetic annuloplasty rings. The tissue is readily available from the patient, and no extra cost is incurred. Further chemical studies in the human subjects are warranted.
Hydroxyl time series and recirculation in turbulent nonpremixed swirling flames

Abstract Time-series measurements of OH, as related to accompanying flow structures, are reported using picosecond time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (PITLIF) and particle-imaging velocimetry (PIV) for turbulent, swirling, nonpremixed methane–air flames. The [OH] data portray a primary reaction zone surrounding the internal recirculation zone, with residual OH in the recirculation zone approaching chemical equilibrium. Modeling of the OH electronic quenching environment, when compared to fluorescence lifetime measurements, offers additional evidence that the reaction zone burns as a partially premixed flame. A time-series analysis affirms the presence of thin flamelet-like regions based on the relation between swirl-induced turbulence and fluctuations of [OH] in the reaction and recirculation zones. The OH integral time-scales are found to correspond qualitatively to local mean velocities. Furthermore, quantitative dependencies can be established with respect to axial position, Reynolds number, and global equivalence ratio. Given these relationships, the OH time-scales, and thus the primary reaction zone, appear to be dominated by convection-driven fluctuations. Surprisingly, the OH time-scales for these nominally swirling flames demonstrate significant similarities to previous PITLIF results in nonpremixed jet flames.
Beam Deflectometry for Measuring Two-Dimensional Refractive Index Profiles in Rectangular Gradient-Index (GRIN) Optical Materials

We present a numerical method for calculating two-dimensional index fields from measured boundary values of ray position and slope. Refractive index errors of <1% (RMS) of the total index range (n_max - n_min) are achieved using this approach.
Cirurgia cardíaca fetal: características hemodinâmicas da placenta durante circulação extracorpórea

A diminuicao da perfusao placentaria com consequente disturbio de trocas gasosas ocorre com frequencia apos a circulacao extracorporea (CEC) fetal experimental. Com o objetivo de caracterizar a hemodinâmica placentaria durante a CEC, foram colocadas em CEC sete placentas de ovelhas, isoladas in situ, atraves da canulacao dos vasos umbilicais. O fluxo da CEC foi alterado de 15 a 300 ml/min/kg de peso fetal, em normotermia e hipotermia. A resistencia vascular placentaria (RVP) permaneceu constante durante uma pressao de perfusao e fluxo da CEC acima de 40 mmHg e 150 ml/min/kg, respectivamente. Abaixo destes valores, a relacao da RVP com estes dois parâmetros foi inversamente proporcional. Um maior aumento da RVP foi observado durante a hipotermia. A implicacao clinica destes achados reside no fato de que a diminuicao do fluxo e da pressao de perfusao placentaria durante a CEC pode conduzir a um ciclo vicioso, resultando em prejuizo adicional da perfusao placentaria das trocas gasosas, sendo que a hipotermia agrava ainda mais esta disfuncao placentaria.