cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Vitamin D Analogue Inhibits Colonic Carcinogenesis in the AOM/DSS Model

Background The azoxymethane (AOM) model recapitulates many features of human colon cancer, lacking an inflammatory component. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) induces colitis and promotes AOM-induced colon cancer in mice. Vitamin D analogues are anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive in models of colon cancer. Our aim was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive efficacy of the vitamin D analogue Ro26-2198 in the AOM/DSS model and in vitro in HCA-7 colon cancer cells. Materials and methods A/J mice received Ro26-2198 (0.01 μg/kg body wt/day × 28 days) or vehicle by mini-osmotic pump. Animals were treated with a single dose of AOM (5 mg/kg body wt) or vehicle 1 week after pump insertion. Mice received 3% DSS or water × 7 days beginning week 3. Animals were sacrificed after 8 weeks and colon segments were fixed in formalin or flash-frozen. Hematoxylin and eosin colonic sections were examined for dysplasia and colonic lysates were assessed for c-Myc, cyclooxygenase 2, and phospho-(active) extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) by Western blotting. For in vitro studies, HCA-7 cells were treated with Ro26-2198 followed by interleukin-1beta (IL-1β). Proliferation was measured by WST-1 assay. Results Ro26-2198 delayed the onset of clinical colitis. Several dysplastic foci were present in the AOM/DSS group; none were found in the Ro26-2198 group. Compared with control, AOM/DSS significantly increased c-Myc (15-fold), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) (2.5-fold), and pERK (10-fold), and Ro26-2198 abolished these increases. In vitro , Ro26-2198 inhibited IL-1β-induced ERK activation and COX-2 induction and decreased HCA-7 cell proliferation. Conclusions Ro26-2198 inhibited proliferative (ERK, c-Myc) and pro-inflammatory (COX-2) signals and progression to dysplasia, suggesting chemopreventive efficacy in this model of colitis-associated carcinogenesis.
Minimal residual disease in multiple myeloma: bringing the bench to the bedside

Outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) have improved substantially in the past decade, with improvements in both progression-free survival and overall survival. Many patients are now achieving a complete response to treatment, and consequently highly sensitive assays are needed for detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with MM. Results of multicolour flow cytometry and deep-sequencing studies suggest that among patients achieving a complete response, MRD-negative status is associated with significant improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival. Despite the increasing need for MRD testing in patients with MM, considerable heterogeneity in techniques for MRD detection hinders the clinical interpretation of their results. The criteria used to define MRD, strengths and weaknesses of the major types of tests (flow cytometry versus molecular testing), and the optimal sample type (bone marrow aspirate versus peripheral blood) are all unresolved dilemmas in MRD testing. This Review presents an overview of the various techniques for MRD detection in patients with MM. In addition, this article discusses challenges and opportunities for the routine use of MRD testing, possible future directions for clinical trials and implications for drug approval processes.
Ethylene effect on kochia (Kochia scoparia) and emission following dicamba application

Abstract The role of ethylene in kochia injury following the application of dicamba and other auxinic herbicides is not known. Experiments were conducted to evaluate kochia response to ethylene generated within plant tissue and to quantify ethylene emission from kochia following dicamba application to determine if ethylene production could be used to differentiate between dicamba-susceptible (S) and dicamba-resistant (R) kochia accessions. Dicamba at 0.28 kg ha−1 and fluroxypyr at 0.28 kg ha−1 caused severe stem and petiole twisting within 6 h of application, with S kochia exhibiting a greater level of epinasty than R kochia and fluroxypyr causing more epinasty than dicamba. Fluroxypyr provided similar control of S and R kochia, but dicamba provided less control of R kochia than S kochia. Ethylene evolution in S kochia from ethephon at 1.1 kg ha−1 and dicamba at 0.28 kg ha−1 was similar, approximately 70 ng (g fresh weight)−1 h−1. Elevated ethylene concentration from as much as 2 kg ha−1 ethephon did not ...
Orthogonal Greedy Coupling - A New Optimization Approach to 2-D FPGA Routing

We propose a novel optimization scheme that can improve the routing by reducing a newly observed router decaying effect. A pair of greedy-grow algorithms, each emphasizing a different optimization target are designed. By applying one algorithm first and then switching to the other when the first one approaches its decaying stage, the undesired effect can be significantly reduced and thus better results are produced. On the tested MCNC and industry benchmarks, in addition to our very low segment consumption the total number of tracks used by our scheme is 37% less than a published conventional maze router and 22% less than the best known 2-step global/detailed router [4,5]. Our results show that complicated multi-objective problems could be effectively attacked by coupling low complexity algorithms that traverse the solution space in orthogonal directions. This idea is applicable on both algorithmic and architectural optimization approaches [7].
Mississippian Barnett Shale: Lithofacies and depositional setting of a deep-water shale-gas succession in the Fort Worth Basin, Texas

The Mississippian Barnett Formation of the Fort Worth Basin is a classic shale-gas system in which the rock is the source, reservoir, and seal. Barnett strata were deposited in a deeper water foreland basin that had poor circulation with the open ocean. For most of the basin's history, bottom waters were euxinic, preserving organic matter and, thus, creating a rich source rock, along with abundant framboidal pyrite. The Barnett interval comprises a variety of facies but is dominated by fine-grained (clay- to silt-size) particles. Three general lithofacies are recognized on the basis of mineralogy, fabric, biota, and texture: (1) laminated siliceous mudstone; (2) laminated argillaceous lime mudstone (marl); and (3) skeletal, argillaceous lime packstone. Each facies contains abundant pyrite and phosphate (apatite), which are especially common at hardgrounds. Carbonate concretions, a product of early diagenesis, are also common. The entire Barnett biota is composed of debris transported to the basin from the shelf or upper oxygenated slope by hemipelagic mud plumes, dilute turbidites, and debris flows. Biogenic sediment was also sourced from the shallower, better oxygenated water column. Barnett deposition is estimated to have occurred over a 25-m.y. period, and despite the variations in sublithofacies, sedimentation style remained remarkably similar throughout this span of time.
Life in the Slow Lane Revisited: Ontogenetic Separation Between Chimpanzees and Humans

This study investigates the evolution of human growth by analyzing differences in body mass growth trajectories among three populations: the Ache of eastern Paraguay, the US (NHANES, 1999-2000), and captive chimpanzees. The relative growth statistic "A" from the mammalian growth law is allowed to vary with age and proves useful for comparing growth across different ages, populations, and species. We demonstrate ontogenetic separation between chimpanzees and humans, and show that interspecific differences are robust to variable environmental conditions. The human pattern of slow growth during the lengthened period from weaning to the beginning of the adolescent growth spurt is found among the Ache (low energy availability and high disease load) and also in the US (high energy availability and low disease load). The human growth pattern contrasts with that of the chimpanzee, where absolute growth rates and relative "A" values are faster and less prolonged. We suggest that selection has acted to decrease human growth rates to allow more time for increased cognitive development with lower body-maintenance costs.
Back to the Present: The Supreme Court Refuses to Move Public Range Law Backward, But Will the BLM Move Public Range Management Forward?

At least since the passage of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the law has regarded federal public lands as a public resource, managed for the best interests of the American people by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). While the BLM has the authority to restrict grazing on public land in order to enhance other public uses, such as environmental uses, in practice the BLM has been reluctant to abridge the permittee’s grazing privileges. This reluctance has engendered ranchers’ expectations that these privileges are their rights, but after the Clinton/Babbitt Administration’s Rangeland Reform failed to satisfy these expectations, the Supreme Court, in Public Lands Council v. Babbitt, upheld the denial of these expectations. This decision was not a major step forward in public rangeland law, but was a reiteration of well-established principles. While the Court’s holding, and other aspects of Rangeland Reform, promise a more enlightened approach to public grazing in the future, a positive ecological result depends upon satisfactory BLM implementation, which may be unlikely. More importantly, the new regulations do not alter the assumption that livestock grazing is an appropriate use of virtually all public lands, regardless of the ecological consequences. Because of this, those concerned about the negative impacts of livestock grazing on public lands should continue to pursue alternative avenues of reform like litigation and market transactions compensating ranchers not to graze on public lands.
An analysis of the failed municipal bond and note futures contracts

This study analyzes the failure of the municipal bond and municipal note futures contracts. The municipal bond contract is shown to have been the most effective hedge in the municipal market over its tenure. Changes in volume in the municipal bond contract were closely related to changes in the volume in the U.S. Treasury bond futures contract, the spot–municipal-over-bonds (MOB) ratio, and visible supply. The failure of the municipal bond contract is mainly attributed to a decrease in trading volume in the U.S. Treasury futures market. This was impacted by the onset of electronic trading, which the municipal futures market was reluctant to embrace. The municipal note contract was a less effective hedge than U.S. Treasury note futures and ten-year London Interbank Offered Rate swaps. The failure of the municipal note futures contract is attributed to the existence of well-established alternative hedges, and segmentation in the municipal market. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 28:656–679, 2008
Dynamic representation and recursive estimation of cyclic and two-dimensional processes

Autoregressive-moving average dynamic models are construtted for nonstationary processes which exhibit cyclic behavior. Recursive linear mean-square prediction and filtering policies are then formulated which utilize these models. Application to a problem in two-dimensional image restoration is considered in detail.
Examining the Starting Dose of Glyburide in Gestational Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the impact of initial glyburide dosing on pregnancy outcomes. STUDY DESign: Retrospective cohort of singleton pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) from 2007 to 2013. Women who received glyburide were compared by initial dose: 2.5 mg (n = 170) versus 5 mg (n = 154) total daily dose. The primary maternal outcome was hypoglycemia, defined as a blood glucose 4,000 g), hypoglycemia (<40 mg/dL), shoulder dystocia, and preterm delivery. RESULTS The 5 mg/day glyburide dose did not increase maternal hypoglycemia (26% in the 2.5 mg/day group vs. 27% in the 5 mg/day group; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.67; confidence interval [CI] 0.30-1.49). An increase in macrosomia in the 5 mg/day group was not significant after adjusting for maternal obesity (AOR 2.16; CI 0.96-4.88). Differences in preterm birth and large for gestational age were not significant after adjusting for prior preterm birth and maternal obesity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A higher starting dose of glyburide for the management of GDM was not associated with increased maternal hypoglycemia or decreased adverse neonatal outcomes.
Modal analysis of carrier transport in SPRITE detectors

Transport phenomena in signal-processing in the element (SPRITE) detectors are the critical link between the optical input and the electronic output of these devices. The properties of this link determine such important properties as the responsivity, the modulation transfer function (MTF), tire detectivity (D*), and the noise power spectral density (PSD). The previous literature1-3 has presented approximate solutions to the transport problem that neglect boundary effects, which have long been thought to play a major role in SPRITE behavior.4,5 Here we present a new solution to the problem through the use of modal analysis. This method intrinsically includes the three-dimensional boundary conditions and thus is more complete than the previous analysis.
A Comparison of Olefin and Paraffin Autoignition chemistries: A Motored-Engine Study

The autoignition chemistries of the olefins 1-butene, 2-butene, isobutene, 2-methyl-2-butene, and 1-hexene and their corresponding paraffins were examined in a motored, single-cylinder engine by measuring stable intermediate species and performing heat-release analyses. The same engine conditions were used for each olefin-paraffin pair, and compression ratio was varied to affect different levels of chemical activity. Experimental measurements for each olefin-paraffin pair are compared with each other and with literature values
Dynamic Bayesian predictive synthesis in time series forecasting

Abstract We discuss model and forecast combination in time series forecasting. A foundational Bayesian perspective based on agent opinion analysis theory defines a new framework for density forecast combination, and encompasses several existing forecast pooling methods. We develop a novel class of dynamic latent factor models for time series forecast synthesis; simulation-based computation enables implementation. These models can dynamically adapt to time-varying biases, miscalibration and inter-dependencies among multiple models or forecasters. A macroeconomic forecasting study highlights the dynamic relationships among synthesized forecast densities, as well as the potential for improved forecast accuracy at multiple horizons.
An Uncommon Cause for Multiple Cerebral Ischemic Infarcts (P4.344)

Objective: To present a rare case of multiple ischemic infarcts due to cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in an immunocompetent patient. Background: Cryptococcal infection is an important opportunistic infection in immunosuppressed hosts. CM is the most common presentation with over one million cases worldwide each year. Cerebral infarcts occur in approximately 20 percent of CM cases. However, there have been only three published cases in immunocompetent patients, all of which had lacunar or single large artery infarct. This is the first case report of CM causing multi-focal infarcts in an immunocompetent host. Methods: This case report describes an uncommon cause of sub-acute multiple infarcts in an immunocompetent Caucasian man. Results: A 56-year-old healthy male presented with a ten-day history of progressive nausea, vertigo, headache, slurred speech and unsteady gait. Physical examination revealed normal vital signs, normal neurologic examination, and no skin rash. Brain MRI demonstrated multiple punctate infarcts in left hemisphere and patchy infarcts in bilateral cerebellum. CT angiography of head and neck showed focal narrowing of right MCA M1 segment, mid-basilar artery, left distal M2 segment. Cardiac monitor suggested atrial fibrillation, and heparin infusion was initiated for possible cardio-embolism. The patient became confused overnight with leukocytosis. Opening pressure of the lumbar puncture was more than 55 cm H20. CSF study showed lymphocytic pleocytosis, elevated protein, and decreased glucose. Cryptococcal antigen was detected and CSF fungal culture confirmed Cryptococcus neoformans. Investigations for immunodeficiency were negative. He responded well to the antifungal treatment and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility for gait instability. Conclusions: Cerebral infarcts due to CM in immunocompetent patients are unusual. However, cryptococcal infection should be considered in atypical stroke manifestations, since early diagnosis and prompt treatment can improve outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Khattak has nothing to disclose. Dr. Desai has nothing to disclose. Dr. Desai has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wise has nothing to disclose. Dr. Moore has nothing to disclose. Dr. Shah has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wilder has nothing to disclose. Dr. Remmel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liu has nothing to disclose.
Neutralization of RANTES and Eotaxin Prevents the Loss of Dopaminergic Neurons in a Mouse Model of Parkinson Disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) is second only to Alzheimer disease as the most common human neurodegenerative disorder. Despite intense investigation, no interdictive therapy is available for PD. Recent studies indicate that both innate and adaptive immune processes are active in PD. Accordingly, we found a rapid increase in RANTES (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted) and eotaxin, chemokines that are involved in T cell trafficking, in vivo in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the serum of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-intoxicated mice. RANTES and eotaxin were also up-regulated in the substantia nigra pars compacta of post-mortem PD brains as compared with age-matched controls. Therefore, we investigated whether neutralization of RANTES and eotaxin could protect against nigrostriatal degeneration in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Interestingly, after peripheral administration, functional blocking antibodies against RANTES and eotaxin reduced the infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells into the nigra, attenuated nigral expression of proinflammatory molecules, and suppressed nigral activation of glial cells. These findings paralleled dopaminergic neuronal protection, normalized striatal neurotransmitters, and improved motor functions in MPTP-intoxicated mice. Therefore, we conclude that attenuation of the chemokine-dependent adaptive immune response may be of therapeutic benefit for PD patients.
Review of Relevant Research in Children's Emotional Competence and Peer Interaction

Emotional capacity,which is based on emotional intelligence,is the manifest of mutual penetration and promotion of cognition and emotion.Emotional competence of children plays an important role in the formation and development ofpeer relations.Through the analysis of emotion understanding,emotion regulation,peer acceptance in emotional capacity,we drawa conclusion that educators should pay attention to training emotional abilities of children to improve poor peer interaction,to enhance their peer acceptance,and to promote the healthy development of children.
A correction method of measurement hysteresis for throttle flow sensor

Aiming at throttle flow sensor measurement hysteresis problem,a prediction correction method based on the GM( 1,1) model is proposed. Firstly,measurement datas are updated in real-time according to the metabolic model,and then the new and the old datas are given different weight value by using adaptive filtering method.Finally,a GM( 1,1) model based on these measurement data is established to predict the next data,the data to be displayed in the throttle flow sensor will be replaced by the obtained prediction data. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively solve the problem of throttle flow sensor measurement hysteresis,average relative error is within 0. 38 %,therefore,the method can meet the requirements of practical engineering.
Building dynamic, long-running systems

Complex applications that are effectively systems-of-systems are becoming more common and more useful. Our goal is to devise new ways of architecting such systems that will make their programming easier. We take a component oriented approach. A component's interface, which we call an outerface, includes not only the syntax of the component, but also its semantics and constraints on its use. Implementations of outerfaces are defined separately. Our underlying framework, TAIGA, lets the user code directly to the outerface and automatically finds, validates and binds an appropriate implementation. The framework handles component evolution and failure by detected changes and dynamically revalidating and rebinding possibly new implementations to existing outerfaces while maintaining the running system. We are currently working on extending this framework to handle modern, distributed systems-of-systems.
Fluorescence quantitation of s-IgA in parotid saliva and of s-IgA bound to oral microorganisms.

Quantitation of secretory IgA (s-IgA) in parotid saliva (1), whole saliva (2,3) and in other exocrine secretions (4) is generally performed by radial immunodiffusion. Although simple and quantitative, this method does not readily lend itself to the determination of s-IgA bound to oral microorganisms. Two techniques quantitating the binding of parotid salivary s-IgA to Streptococcus mutans, a modified ELISA assay (5) and an agglutinin assay (6), have recently been published. The aim of the present work was to develop fluorescence methods to quantitate the concentration of s-IgA in parotid saliva and the percentage of parotid s-IgA bound to a specific oral microorganism. Fluorescence assays have the advantage of high sensitivity and moreover permit direct visualization of binding by fluorescence microscopy.
Coiled-Coil Probes Identified the Unfolding Pathway of Yeast Phosphoglycerate Kinase

Large multi-domain proteins which have complicated reacting interfaces and dominate the proteomes of life remain mysterious regarding to their folding behaviors and mechanisms. Comprehensive studies towards the understanding of the fundamentals of protein folding mechanisms tend to bias small single-domain monomeric proteins, possibly due to their simplicity and reversible refolding capabilities. Yet the understanding of protein folding behaviors acquired from studying small single-domain proteins are not adequate to generate an accurate extrapolation for predicting the folding mechanisms of proteins that contain more than one domain. Here we present the characterization and interpretation of the unfolding pathway of a model large multi-domain protein yeast phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) using single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) and insertion of the antiparallel coiled-coil (CC) polypeptide probe we developed previously. When placed into different loop regions inside of yeast PGK, the CC probe affected different portion of the unfolding profile. Statistical comparison between the force-extension (FE) curves of multiple CC inserted yeast PGK's and the wildtype yeast PGK provided insights into figuring out the effects of conformational changes in domains and across the interfaces between domains on the unfolding pathway of the entire yeast PGK protein. Together with coarse-grain simulation modeling of the unfolding pathway, the sequence of the unfolding events occurred along the unfolding pathway of yeast PGK is precisely determined.
Moral self-cultivation East and West: A critique

Chinese thought places great emphasis on moral self-cultivation, but offers no clear view of why people should want to become more virtuous and of how they can do so largely through their own efforts. Chinese philosophers like Mencius talk of extending our benevolence from our own family to people outside the family but offer no guidelines about how or whether to do this. Similarly, in the West, both Aristotle and Kant offer theories of how we can improve ourselves morally. Both emphasize habituation: habitual repetition of virtuous actions or habitual refusal to yield to immoral temptations. But recent psychology has been skeptical of the efficacy of these particular modes of moral self-improvement. Moral improvement more easily occurs through the influence of other people than through one’s own efforts.
Efficient and Balanced Routing in Energy-Constrained Wireless Sensor Networks for Data Collection

Cost-based routing protocols are the main approach used in practical wireless sensor network (WSN) deployments for data collection applications with energy constrains; however, those routing protocols lead to the concentration of most of the data traffic on some specific nodes which provide the best available routes, thus significantly increasing their energy consumption. Consequently, nodes providing the best routes are potentially the first ones to deplete their batteries and stop working. In this paper, we introduce a new routing strategy for energy efficient and balanced data collection in WSNs, which can be applied to any cost-based routing solution to exploit suboptimal network routing alternatives based on the parent set concept. While still taking advantage of the stable routing topologies built in cost-based routing protocols, our approach adds a random component into the process of packet forwarding to achieve a better network lifetime in WSNs. We evaluate the implementation of our approach against other state-of-the-art WSN routing protocols through thorough testbed experiments and simulations, and demonstrate that our approach achieves a significant reduction in the energy consumption of the routing layer in the busiest nodes ranging from 11% to 59%, while maintaining over 99% reliability.
Inferences for Contrasts and Treatment Means

There are many types of comparisons among treatments that can be undertaken in the analysis of an experiment. Contrasts for pairwise comparisons, treatment-versus-control comparisons, trends, and difference of averages are introduced and examined in detail in this chapter. Confidence intervals and hypothesis testing for these contrasts are developed for the one-way analysis of variance model. The necessity for a multiplicity adjustment when examining more than one contrast is explained, and the Bonferroni, Scheffe, Tukey, and Dunnett methods of multiple comparisons are described. The chapter provides a detailed discussion of the calculation of sample sizes using the width of confidence intervals. The concepts introduced in this chapter are illustrated through a real experiment and with the use of SAS and R software.
Infant sleep problems and childhood overweight: Effects of three definitions of sleep problems

Sleep problems have been defined using a variety of definitions. No study has assessed the longitudinal association between infant sleep problems and childhood overweight or obesity using existing definitions of sleep problems. This study used longitudinal data (n = 895) from the multi-site Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) to investigate the effects of infant sleep problems on childhood weight status in Grade 6. Infants with sleep problems in Phase I (1991) and with complete data through Phase III (2004) of SECCYD were included. Sleep problems were assessed using maternal reports of night wakings and duration of a waking episode. Sleep problems were defined using Richman (1981), Lozoff et al. (1985), and Zuckerman et al. (1987) definitions. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between sleep problems during infancy and childhood weight status in Grade 6 while controlling for birth weight, race, sex, breastfeeding, maternal poverty, family structure, and maternal education. After adjusting for all covariates, children with a history of sleep problems were found to be overweight in Grade 6 using Zukerman et al. (Odds ratio (OR) = 1.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11–2.55) and Richman (OR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.05–2.97) definitions, but not using Lozoff et al. definition. Infant sleep problems were not found to be associated with being obese. The study found differential effects of infant sleep problems on childhood overweight in Grade 6 per different definitions of sleep problems. Findings highlight the need to construct a single definition of infant sleep problems.
Atomic norm minimization for modal analysis

Maintaining safely operable structures such as buildings and bridges requires periodic assessment of the health of the structure. We study the problem of identifying the characteristic modes and frequencies of a structure from small amounts of vibrational data collected from wireless sensors deployed across the structure. Using the recent technique of atomic norm minimization, we show that under certain conditions exact recovery of the mode shapes and frequencies is possible, and we survey several possible randomized sampling and compression schemes for minimizing the amount of data that is collected and transmitted by the sensors.
Non-crosstalk light propagation in anisotropic metamaterials composed of multilayered metal-insulator stack

An interesting metamaterial Non-Crosstalk structure with anisotropic properties has been developed in the Nanoplasmonics and Metamaterials Research Lab at RIT. It is a cubical structure with Multilayer Metal-Insulator (MMI) stack-up, in the center of which are two groves cut orthogonal to each other. The dielectric properties of the structure developed analytically have shown this to be an Indefinite Isotropic Media (IAM) [1]. In the present work, the MMI structure has been developed using these analytical formulations. With a dipole antenna as source, it is shown that propagation occurs along one direction and not in the orthogonal direction.
Surface fuels in recent Phytophthora ramorum created gaps and adjacent intact Quercus agrifolia forests, East Bay Regional Parks, California, USA

Abstract Phytophthora ramorum, cause of “sudden oak death” or SOD, has had significant impacts on composition and structure in coastal forests of central and northern coastal California and southwestern Oregon. Despite the proximity of susceptible coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) forests to densely populated urban areas, the impacts of SOD on their fuels have not been studied. We sampled surface fuels and vegetation structure in 16 plots in both SOD-caused gaps and intact stands (32 plots total) across two parks in the East Bay Regional Park District, east of San Francisco Bay. Plots were selected from a set of randomly placed pre-existing locations used in determining the disease distribution and intensity across the park system. Among the vegetation characteristics examined, only coast live oak basal area and live and dead tree density, canopy cover and maximum forb height differed between SOD created gap plots and adjacent intact forest plots. However, surface fuels such as vegetation cover, litter cover, wood cover, duff depth, fuels height, ladder fuels abundance, 1 h, 10 h, 100 h, and 1000 h fuels were greater in gap plots than intact forest plots. Although no fire behavior models were run, surface fuels suggest SOD created gaps may facilitate passive crown fire due to increased ladder and other fuels. This study represents a spatially explicit (gap focused) point-in-time estimate of surface fuels that will continue to change through time as disease progresses through these stands causing vegetation changes as fuels accumulate and decompose.
Aus allen Weltteilen: Die Arktis. By Imre Josef Demhardt

This is a compilation of ninety-two short articles on the exploration of the Arctic that appeared in the geographical journals of nineteenth-century Germany and Austria. All these accounts are abou...
Design of Mechatronic Systems: An Inter-Disciplinary Laboratory 1

Abstract The aim of this paper is to describe some early steps in the development of an interdisciplinary Mechatronics curriculum at the Ohio State University. More specifically, this paper reports on the development of an inter-disciplinary mechatronics laboratory funded in pan by a giant by the National Science Foundation 1 Division of Undergraduate Education. The aim of the grant is to foster the development of an inter-departmental, inter-disciplinary curriculum in Mechatronics. The specific effort described in this paper represents only a pan of tne educational and research activities in the field of electro-mechanical systems at the Ohio Stale University.
Necrobacillosis in two white-tailed deer fawns (Odocoileus virginianus)

Introduction: Fusobacterium necrophorum is an obligate, anaerobic, gram-negative rod and is a commensal organism that remains viable in the soil for months. This bacterium is common in the environment and frequently inhabits the oral cavities and intestinal tracts of apparently healthy horses, cattle, sheep, captive and free-ranging ungulates, marsupials, and humans. Fusobacterium necrophorum cannot penetrate intact epithelium and therefore is an opportunistic invader following epithelial damage. Consequently, Fusobacterium causes clinical disease most often in the oral cavity associated with erupting teeth or coarse feed. However, F. necrophorum also is commonly associated with severe, debilitating lesions of the hooves (often called “foot rot”) of domestic livestock and captive hoofed stock. There are three main subspecies of Fusobacterium necrophorum; funduliforme, necrophorum, and pseudonecrophorum. The most pathogenic subspecies is Fusobacterium necrophorum necrophorum (Williams & Barker 2008). Fusobacterium necrophorum causes a variety of clinical signs consistent with a disease called necrobacillosis (Roeder et al. 1989). Necrobacillosis has been associated with F. necrophorum infections in captive cervids in North America and Switzerland and can cause economic losses (Sieber et al. 2010). This report aims to describe two cases of necrobacillosis in white-tailed deer fawns.
Surgical Management of Fecal Incontinence

Fecal incontinence is the inability to have control of gas or stool evacuation and inability to defer the act of defecation until a socially proper time and place. Intact musculature including the puborectalis and internal and external anal sphincters are prerequisites for fecal control, as is a functioning nerve supply to these muscles. Other factors contributing to fecal continence include stool consistency, rectal sensitivity and capacity, and an intact anorectal sampling reflex. Any impairment to one or more of these factors can result in fecal incontinence.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha-mediated drug toxicity in the liver.

Introduction: Drug-induced hepatic injury is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα)-mediated drugs are included ...
La Llorona Calling: The Epidemic of Latina Adolescent Depressive Symptoms and Suicidality

We discuss the 30-year epidemic of Latina adolescent depressive symptoms and suicide attempts by reclaiming the interpretation of epidemiological findings from a perspective that is focused on the strength and power of young women—rather than as victims of their class, culture, or families. Additionally, we include a review of recent literature of protective factors as well as risk factors, in order to focus on prevention efforts that may be consistent with Latina adolescents’ gendered and cultural roots. Our ultimate goal is to raise awareness among researchers, scholars, counselors, and prevention specialists about the public health issue of Latina adolescent depression and suicidality as a means to inspire new research and interventions that may save the lives of more young women in the future.
Appointment Planning and Scheduling in Outpatient Procedure Centers

This chapter provides a summary of the planning and scheduling decisions for outpatient procedure centers. A summary and background of outpatient procedure centers and their operations is provided along with the challenges faced by managers. Planning and scheduling decisions are discussed and categorized as either long-or short-term decisions. Examples and results are drawn from the literature along with important factors that influence planning and scheduling decisions. A summary of open challenges for the operations research community is presented.
Analysis and Pollution Implications of the E — ∈ Turbulence Model Predictions of the Neutral ABL

The central result discussed in this paper was that condition (12) on closure constants should be satisfied in order for the E — ∈turbulence model to properly represent the solution for turbulence quantities near the NABL top (edge). This condition was derived from mathematical analysis of the E — ∈ model equations near the NABL top assuming a steady-state balance between diffusion and dissipation terms in the E and ∈ equations. The accuracy of numerical predictions of the NABL by the E —∈ model when the value of σ e was changed from 1 to 0.6 to satisfy (12) supports the validity of this constraint. This stated, it should be emphasized that this change in the value of σ e is not in and of itself suggested as a “fix” to the E — ∈ model for NABL prediction; the change was only made to satisfy (12) in attempts to demonstrate the predictive effects of the model’s analytic collapse to the proper NABL edge solution. It remains for future work to examine the physical implications of (12), and as a result to hopefully arrive at a means of satisfying this constraint consistent with the physics of the flow. In the meantime, the alteration σ e =0.6 from the standard value σ e =1 is seen as a practical solution to the problem of satisfying (12), and therefore of rectifying the oft-reported failure of the standard E — ∈ model for NABL prediction.
Is the Quote Midpoint the Right Point? Empirical Evidence of the Asymmetry of the Effective Spread

We use the TORQ and SOD data sets to evaluate the impact of general market sentiment and recent stock specific returns on the effective spread and the accuracy of the Lee and Ready (1991) trade classification algorithm. We identify economically and statistically significant asymmetry in effective spreads, which is positively correlated to market sentiment and recent stock return. The accuracy of the Lee and Ready inference varies with market sentiment and with recent individual stock returns. Buy inferences are more accurate during up markets and sell inferences are more accurate during down markets.
The association between cigarette smoking and low-grade cervical abnormalities in reproductive-age women

Objective: To evaluate the association between smoking and the occurrence of low-grade cervical cytological abnormalities.
Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the Long-Term Memory Effects of Acute Exercise During the Memory Consolidation Stage of Memory Formation

Research in humans demonstrates that exercise prior to memory encoding can help to facilitate memory function. However, our understanding of whether exercise during the memory consolidation stage can influence long-term memory in humans is relatively unknown, which was the purpose of this experiment. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the effects of exercise on prospective memory. Using a randomized controlled trial design, at baseline, two groups (n = 20 per group) were exposed to a word-list episodic memory function test (RAVLT; ray auditory verbal learning task). Afterward, one group (experimental) came back into the laboratory to complete a high-intensity bout of treadmill exercise for 15 min. This exercise occurred approximately 4 h after memory encoding (i.e., during the memory consolidation stage). Both groups (experimental and control) completed a 24-h follow-up evaluation assessing their recognition and source attribution memory of the baseline memory assessment. At the 24-h follow-up period, the experimental group had a greater source attribution memory score (20.8 vs. 18.4 words; P = .04). Acute exercise was not associated with prospective memory. In conclusion, high-intensity exercise during the memory consolidation stage was effective in increasing source attribution memory function.
Depression, Fatigue, and Their Association with Post-Stroke Disability (P5.196)

Objective: To study the interplay of fatigue and depression to determine which is a stronger predictor of post-stroke disability Background: Approximately 30% of stroke patients develop major depression either in the early or late stages of recovery and a greater number of stroke survivors report fatigue. Hypothesis: Patients with more severe depression and fatigue have a greater degree of disability post-stroke. Design/Methods: Prospective, observational, and cross-sectional study. Patients with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke within the past 3 years were recruited from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and King’s County Hospital Centers. Included were patients > 18 years old with ischemic stroke and no severe disabling pre-existing physical or psychological illnesses. After informed consent, patients were evaluated for fatigue [Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS)], depression [Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI)], and post-stroke disability [modified Rankin scale (mRS)]. Spearman correlations were used to assess the extent of associations between FAS, BDI, and mRS. Results: Of the 83 subjects enrolled, 76 (91%) were Afro-Caribbean, 47 (56%) were female, and mean age was 66.9 (SD±12.7) years. In bivariate analysis, post-stroke disability had positive, significant correlations with depression (rs= 0.25, p= 0.021) and fatigue (rs= 0.22, p= 0.044). The predictors fatigue and depression also had a stronger positive significant correlation with each other (rs= 0.62, p= Conclusions: While depression and fatigue are both associated with post-stroke disability in bivariate analyses, the two predictors do not interact. Because the predictors themselves are highly intercorrelated, neither variable is a significant predictor controlling for the other and for covariates. Disclosure: Dr. Tan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Weedon has nothing to disclose. Dr. Tsui has nothing to disclose. Dr. McCuaig has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gilles has nothing to disclose. Dr. Balucani has nothing to disclose. Dr. Singer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Law has nothing to disclose. Dr. Levine has nothing to disclose.
Geography and the Incidence of Financial Misreporting

The decision to misreport financial information is a function of the perceived costs and benefits from this activity. Though the benefits from misreporting are well documented, the ex ante cost of misreporting has been ignored in the literature and is likely to be relatively subjective and varying as a function of the information set available to firms. We characterize the information set to capture differences in beliefs regarding the ex ante costs of misreporting. We use distance to SEC offices, accounting practices of neighboring firms and characteristics of auditors in the region to proxy for differences in the information set of firms and the associated beliefs regarding the costs of misreporting. We find that the proxies for differences in ex ante costs of misreporting significantly explain misreporting intensity
Rotaviruses: immunological determinants of protection against infection and disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on four important questions that remain unanswered: (1) what is the importance of virus serotype in formulating an optimal vaccine? (2) which immunological effector arm most likely protects against rotavirus disease? (3) by what means is virus antigen best presented to the host to elicit a protective immune response? (4) what are the advantages and disadvantages of replicating agents as compared to nonreplicating agents as candidate rotavirus vaccines? Although two proteins (vp4 and vp7) are probably important in inducing protection against challenge, it has not been clearly demonstrated that inclusion of the epidemiologically important human P or G type is important in protection against human disease. No immunological effector arm clearly explains protection against heterotypic challenge. Protection against disease is not predicted by rotavirus-specific neutralizing antibodies in serum. Oral inoculation may not be necessary to induce a protective, virus-specific immune response at the intestinal mucosal surface, but parenteral inoculation of experimental animals with rotavirus induces an immune response at the intestinal mucosal surface that is protective against challenge. Induction of a rotavirus-specific protective immune response is probably associated with the presence of virus-specific T and B cells in intestinal lymphoid tissues and virus-specific sIgA or IgG at the intestinal mucosal surface. There is some experimental evidence to support the hypothesis that neither rotavirus replication nor presentation of rotavirus antigen to the intestinal mucosal surface is necessary to achieve this aim.
The Expanding Role of MT1-MMP in Cancer Progression

For over 20 years, membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) has been recognized as a key component in cancer progression. Initially, the primary roles assigned to MT1-MMP were the activation of proMMP-2 and degradation of fibrillar collagen. Proteomics has revealed a great array of MT1-MMP substrates, and MT1-MMP selective inhibitors have allowed for a more complete mapping of MT1-MMP biological functions. MT1-MMP has extensive sheddase activities, is both a positive and negative regulator of angiogenesis, can act intracellularly and as a transcription factor, and modulates immune responses. We presently examine the multi-faceted role of MT1-MMP in cancer, with a consideration of how the diversity of MT1-MMP behaviors impacts the application of MT1-MMP inhibitors.
Supramolecular ligands for the extraction of lanthanide and actinide ions

Interest in the isolation and recovery of lanthanide and actinide metals has gained recent attention due to their increasing use in everyday materials (e.g. batteries, screens, sensors) as well as their application in alternative energy production (e.g. nuclear power). However, the purification of these metals, both from recycled materials and raw sources, is daunting due to the similar chemical properties of these elements. This review focuses on the use of supramolecular, preorganized organic ligands as extraction agents in liquid–liquid extraction systems to achieve the separation and recovery of f-elements. For the purposes of this review, “supramolecular ligands” are those that append two or more chelating groups to a scaffold. The synthesis of each ligand is presented, along with selections of the extraction results from each compound. When appropriate, the extraction results of the supramolecular, preorganized ligands are compared with their monomeric, commercial counterparts.
Aprica: A New Genus and Life History for the Pteridivore Xanthiapatula Druce, 1898 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Aprica Goldstein, gen. nov. is described to accommodate Xanthiapatula Druce, 1898. Recent discovery of its larva, which has been recorded eating foliage of species in six families of leptosporangiate ferns, suggest a possible subfamily assignment within the Eriopinae, but this cannot be substantiated based on adult morphology. This species has no obvious close relatives either among the core noctuid pteridivore genera currently recognized in the Eriopinae (e.g., Callopistria Hubner, [1821]), nor among genera more recently discovered to be fern-feeders but which remain incertae sedis with respect to subfamily (e.g., Leucosigma Druce, 1908, Lophomyra Schaus, 1911). The recorded foodplant profile is similar to that of another ambiguously placed Nearctic species Fagitanalittera (Guenee, 1852) (Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Xylenini, incertae sedis) with which it shares no obvious synapomorphies.