cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Harnessing clinical annotations to improve deep learning performance in prostate segmentation

Purpose Developing large-scale datasets with research-quality annotations is challenging due to the high cost of refining clinically generated markup into high precision annotations. We evaluated the direct use of a large dataset with only clinically generated annotations in development of high-performance segmentation models for small research-quality challenge datasets. Materials and methods We used a large retrospective dataset from our institution comprised of 1,620 clinically generated segmentations, and two challenge datasets (PROMISE12: 50 patients, ProstateX-2: 99 patients). We trained a 3D U-Net convolutional neural network (CNN) segmentation model using our entire dataset, and used that model as a template to train models on the challenge datasets. We also trained versions of the template model using ablated proportions of our dataset, and evaluated the relative benefit of those templates for the final models. Finally, we trained a version of the template model using an out-of-domain brain cancer dataset, and evaluated the relevant benefit of that template for the final models. We used five-fold cross-validation (CV) for all training and evaluation across our entire dataset. Results Our model achieves state-of-the-art performance on our large dataset (mean overall Dice 0.916, average Hausdorff distance 0.135 across CV folds). Using this model as a pre-trained template for refining on two external datasets significantly enhanced performance (30% and 49% enhancement in Dice scores respectively). Mean overall Dice and mean average Hausdorff distance were 0.912 and 0.15 for the ProstateX-2 dataset, and 0.852 and 0.581 for the PROMISE12 dataset. Using even small quantities of data to train the template enhanced performance, with significant improvements using 5% or more of the data. Conclusion We trained a state-of-the-art model using unrefined clinical prostate annotations and found that its use as a template model significantly improved performance in other prostate segmentation tasks, even when trained with only 5% of the original dataset.
Unproductive Workers and State Repression

Social Reproduction Theory, as advanced by scholars such as Bhattacharya (2017) and Ferguson (2019), is at its core a theory of the revolutionary capacity of “unproductive” workers such as teachers...
Energy Dependent Corrections to Spin Observables in Nucleon-Nucleus Scattering

Several speakers at this conference have shown that spin observables can uncover subtle effects that are otherwise hidden in the study of unpolarized phenomena. In this contribution results will be presented that show important modifications to spin observables once the explicit energy dependence of the effective nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction is taken into account. The main ideas used will be illustrated by concentrating on a very simple, nevertheless non trivial, example, the \({{0}^{ + }}(\vec{p},\vec{p}\prime ){{0}^{ - }}\) reaction.
Metaphors we read by: People, process, and fan fiction

New metaphors must be adopted for the writing of fan fiction. Henry Jenkins's metaphor of the textual poacher has achieved tacit acceptance and widespread circulation, suggesting that it has become relatively fixed as a description of fan creative practices among fans as well as in scholarship. Challenges to this model and metaphor are important but have not successfully displaced the prominence of the textual poacher. One promising alternative structure is that of Brownian motion, a scientific concept that both Michel de Certeau and Constance Penley have offered as a metaphor for creativity. Whereas textual poaching offers us a vision of fans as nomads, moving through a place and collecting materials, Brownian motion offers us a vision of fan fiction as world building, a process that remakes the place itself. Metaphors such as Brownian motion do not only offer us a different framework for understanding the creative processes that characterize fan fiction writing; they also remind us to focus on those creative processes themselves, as well as on the fans who engage in them.
Control of cell differentiation during proliferation. I. Monocytic differentiation of HL-60 promyelocytes.

Abstract The cell proliferation relating an uncommitted precursor cell to a differentiated terminal cell has been quantitated. HL-60 promyelocytes, a bipotent precursor cell capable of differentiating along either the myeloid or monocytic pathway, were induced by a human lymphocyte-conditioned medium (CM) to differentiate into macrophage-like cells. The promyelocytes had a generation time of approx. 42 h. Most promyelocytes which differentiated became macrophage-like cells after only one cell division. Some, a minority, underwent more than one division. The time between induction of differentiation and expression of differentiated characteristics could thus be very short. Labelled S-phase promyelocytes could differentiate after traversing S, G2 and undergoing mitosis. Some, approx. 21%, required a subsequent complete cell cycle before differentiating. The data suggest a model in which cells must undergo a S-phase-specific differentiation control event in the presence of CM in order to differentiate in the subsequent G1 phase. This model proposes that a discrete time in S phase exists when cells are susceptible to exogenous regulation directing them to yield differentiated daughter cells.
Optimum imaging of colorectal metastases

Dramatic improvements in diagnostic imaging have developed with and enabled increasingly sophisticated treatments for metastatic colorectal cancer. Advances in therapeutic techniques, such as surgical resection and percutaneous therapies, demand that diagnostic imaging provide an accurate assessment of disease burden as well as precise localization. In this article, we present the current state-of-the-art of diagnostic imaging for evaluation of metastatic colorectal cancer. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;102:909–913. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The InvestiGATOR/sup /spl reg//: a studio-based DSP learning paradigm

Driven by $32 billion of semiconductor sales in 2003 alone, the DSP industry continues to be in need of trained entry-level engineers. Preparing neophytes for DSP careers has historically been the role of higher education. Typically, undergraduate DSP studies have evolved from research-centric graduate programs and are delivered in a conventional lecture format. Unfortunately, this approach too often emphasizes theory and analysis to the exclusion of technology and design. The University of Florida (UF), with the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), Texas Instruments (TI), and Mathworks, are developing the InvestiGATOR, an inquiry-based learning paradigm that provides undergraduates with an understanding of core DSP-concepts using authentic hands-on technology-centric studies delivered in a studio-based format.
Electrophoretic studies of human placental dehydrogenases.

Abstract Lactate, malate, isocitrate, glutamate, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases from human term placenta, early placenta, and from a hydatidiform mole were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel disk electrophoresis. Technical modifications for the demonstration of GDH- and TPN-dependent ICDH are described. The results demonstrate the heterogeneity of LDH isoenzymes and the presence of isoenzymes for MDH and TPN-ICDH. The young placenta had additional isoenzymes of G-6-PDH.
Nature's Matrix: Linking Agriculture, Conservation and Food Sovereignty, by Perfecto, Ivette, John Vandermeer, and Angus Wright

Nature's Matrix: Linking Agriculture, Conservation and Food Sovereignty is a thorough description of a new paradigm in biodiversity conservation. Through this well organized and easy to follow narr...
Effect of gastric inhibitory polypeptide on lower esophageal sphincter pressure in cats.

Abstract The effect of gastric inhibitory polypeptide on lower esophageal sphincter pressure was studied in cats to determine whether the effect was similar to that of its structurally related hormones, secretin, glucagon, and vasoactive intestinal peptide. Five healthy cats without endoscopic evidence of esophagitis were manometrically evaluated for 75 min using triple lumen open-tipped constantly perfused catheters. Exogenous gastric inhibitory polypeptide, 0.2 μg per kg per min, alone significantly decreased ( P P
Oxidative DNA damage causes premature senescence in mouse embryonic fibroblasts deficient for Krüppel-like factor 4.

Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor with tumor suppressor activity in various cancer types. Cells that sustain double strand breaks (DSBs) in their DNA due to high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can develop genomic instability, which can result in cancer formation. One protective response to increased levels of ROS is the induction of cellular senescence. Recently, we found that mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) null for Klf4 are genetically unstable, as evidenced by the presence of DNA DSBs. However, it is yet unknown whether KLF4 is involved in regulating oxidative stress-induced DNA damage. Therefore, we sought to determine the mechanisms by which ROS induce genomic instability in Klf4-deficient MEFs. With SA-β-Gal staining, we show that Klf4(-/-) MEFs enter senescence earlier than Klf4(+/+) MEFs, and western blot shows accumulation of p21 and p53 with increasing passages. In addition, immunostaining against γ-H2AX indicates that the increased level of DNA damage in Klf4(-/-) MEFs positively correlates with ROS accumulation. Consistent with ROS as a source of DSB in Klf4(-/-) MEFs, treatment with NAC, reduces the accumulation of DNA damage. Our RT-PCR result demonstrates that Klf4(-/-) MEFs have decreased expression of the antioxidant gene, Gsta4. The downregulation of the Gsta4 correlates with significant levels of ROS accumulation, as shown by DCFDA and FACS analysis, and thus the oxidative stress-induced premature senescence. Together these findings suggest a mechanism by which KLF4 protects against DNA damage and oxidative stress at least in part through the regulation of Gsta4 and likely related genes.
Water Quality and Aquaculture: Preliminary Considerations

Water quality is a somewhat nebulous and often used term that is seldom defined adequately. In fact, many dictionaries do not even have water quality as an entry. Probably as good a definition as any follows: Water quality is the summation of all physical, chemical, biological, and aesthetic characteristics of water that influence its beneficial use. In this book, we are concerned with water quality in aquaculture. Any characteristic of water in production systems that effects survival, reproduction, growth, and production of aquaculture species, influences management decisions, causes environmental impacts, or reduces product quality and safety can be considered a water quality variable. Other factors being equal, aquaculture species will be healthier, production will be more efficient, environmental impacts less, and product quality better in culture systems with “good” water quality than in those with “poor” water quality. Knowledge of water quality principles will help aquaculturists determine the potential of a body of water to produce aquaculture species, to maintain or to improve water quality in the culture system, to minimize problems of fish stress and fish health, to produce higher-quality aquacultural products, to reduce environmental impacts of effluents, and to realize more efficient production and greater profits.
The role of osmotic stress and surface energy in freezing injury of sea urchin eggs

Abstract 1. 1. As sea urchin eggs shrink under progressive osmotic stress, the contact angle they form against polyethylene decreases, indicating a progressive decrease in membrane surface tension. 2. 2. Cell lysis occurs when the contact angle reaches 90°, the condition at which the interfacial free energy is zero.
Calcium Oxide Doped Sorbents for CO2 Uptake in the Presence of SO2 at High Temperatures

There is an urgent need to understand sorbent tolerance for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) in the presence of sulfur dioxide (SO2). Sulfur oxide is emitted together with CO2 from various combustion systems and can cause severe air pollution. In this study, the behavior of different dopants on the performance of calcium oxide (CaO) sorbent for capturing CO2 in the presence of SO2 was investigated. Three main sets of experiments were carried out to study carbonation and sulfation both separately and simultaneously using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results show that SO2 reduced the capability of the sorbents for capturing CO2 because of the competition between carbonation and sulfation reactions. Formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and calcium sulfate (CaSO4) took place upon carbonation and sulfation, respectively. Our TGA and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicate that the carbonation is totally reversible, while this is not the case with the sulfation. The permanent residual...
Protoanthropoidea (Primates, Simiiformes): A New Primate Higher Taxon and a Solution to the Rooneyia Problem

As a derivative of the hypothesis that anthropoids evolved from omomyid-like primates, the enigmatic North American fossil Rooneyia viejaensis, from the latest Eocene of Texas, is placed in a new higher taxon, Protoanthropoidea, which is proposed as the sister-group of Anthropoidea. Rooneyia and anthropoids share synapomorphically a pattern of character states relating to the unique orbital morphology of higher primates, including; highly convergent and frontated orbits roofed above by an extended frontal bone; funnel-shaped orbital fossae; orbital apices that are recessed beneath the forebrain; a deep, large lateral process of the frontal bone (upper portion of the postorbital bar) that may presage closure of the orbit by an enlarged ascending process of the zygomatic. If the sister-group of anthropoids occupied North America as part of a Laurasian geographic distribution during the Paleogene, as some primate genera did, ancestral anthropoids may likewise have occurred across Laurasia, prestaging them to enter Africa and Central/South America in two independent episodes of dispersal—without having the ancestral platyrrhines crossing the daunting Atlantic Ocean.
An Embodied Inquiry: Listening, Healing and “Supporting our Troops”

Countless vulnerable moments compose a life—defining moments. The birth of my firstborn was one such moment. Nearly 30 years ago this “moment” launched me into unanticipated realms of growing with ...
Model which Generates Red Tides

DINOFLAGELLATES and Trichodesmium are the algae most commonly responsible for the discolorations of the sea known as red tides. These blooms are rarely observed until their development is complete, so that the events which lead to red tides remain enigmatic. Dinoflagellates are distinguished by their relatively large size compared with other flagellated algae, and by their greater swimming speeds. Many of them produce substances which when released into the water are toxic to animals. Usually any toxin released is probably either destroyed or diffused as rapidly as it is produced, and the species remains harmless, but in special circumstances, not yet adequately identified, the dinoflagellate and its toxin become very abundant and a red tide occurs, which, if prolonged, may be followed by mass mortality of fish and other organisms. Trichodesmium is also motile in the sense that it can produce gas vacuoles which cause it to rise in the water column.
Circadian disruption and biomarkers of tumor progression in breast cancer patients awaiting surgery

Psychological distress, which can begin with cancer diagnosis and continue with treatment, is linked with circadian and endocrine disruption. In turn, circadian/endocrine factors are potent modulators of cancer progression. We hypothesized that circadian rest-activity rhythm disruption, distress, and diurnal cortisol rhythms would be associated with biomarkers of tumor progression in the peripheral blood of women awaiting breast cancer surgery. Breast cancer patients (n=43) provided actigraphic data on rest-activity rhythm, cancer-specific distress (IES, POMS), saliva samples for assessment of diurnal cortisol rhythm, cortisol awakening response (CAR), and diurnal mean. Ten potential markers of tumor progression were quantified in serum samples and grouped by exploratory factor analysis. Analyses yielded three factors, which appear to include biomarkers reflecting different aspects of tumor progression. Elevated factor scores indicate both high levels and strong clustering among serum signals. Factor 1 included VEGF, MMP-9, and TGF-β; suggesting tumor invasion/immunosuppression. Factor 2 included IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6R, MCP-1; suggesting inflammation/chemotaxis. Factor 3 included IL-6, IL-12, IFN-γ; suggesting inflammation/TH1-type immunity. Hierarchical regressions adjusting age, stage and socioeconomic status examined associations of circadian, distress, and endocrine variables with these three factor scores. Patients with poor circadian coordination as measured by rest-activity rhythms had higher Factor 1 scores (R(2)=.160, p=.038). Patients with elevated CAR also had higher Factor 1 scores (R(2)=.293, p=.020). These relationships appeared to be driven largely by VEGF concentrations. Distress was not related to tumor-relevant biomarkers, and no other significant relationships emerged. Women with strong circadian activity rhythms showed less evidence of tumor promotion and/or progression as indicated by peripheral blood biomarkers. The study was not equipped to discern the cause of these associations. Circadian/endocrine aberrations may be a manifestation of systemic effects of aggressive tumors. Alternatively, these results raise the possibility that, among patients with active breast tumors, disruption of circadian activity rhythms and elevated CAR may facilitate tumor promotion and progression.
Raman spectrum of Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6

The Raman spectra of a single crystal of strontium barium niobate were recorded in the temperature range–193 to 140°C. The configurations studied were X(ZZ)Y, X(YZ)Y, X(YX)Y, Z(XX)Y, Z(YZ)Y and Z(XZ)Y. The behavior of integrated reduced intensities, band widths and band centers with temperature indicated that the ferro-electric transition temperature was near 65°C. The Raman data were not consistent with a classical Landau transition. Disorder-induced first-order spectra were observed and attributed to the disordered nature of the crystal Evidence was found for a possible phase transition near 120°C.
Culture-generated suppressor cells: Evidence for an adherent cell component☆

Abstract Cells which suppress mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) generation can be demonstrated after culture for 3 to 5 days in the absence of added antigen. Such precultured suppressors are resistant to the cytotoxic effects of commercial rabbit anti-mouse brain serum, congenic anti-Thy-1.2 serum, and monoclonal anti-Thy-1.2 reagent. In addition, these cells, which adhere to both nylon wool and Sephadex G-10, ingest carbonyl iron. These properties suggest that precultured suppressors may not be thymus-processed. Precultured suppressor cells, when irradiated, are able to suppress only the MLR, and not the generation of allo-CTL. This finding, taken with our previously published work on the differential ontogeny of cells which suppress the MLR or CTL generation in culture, suggests that at least two kinds of suppressors are generated. One suppressor acts on CTL generation, is radiosensitive, and develops late in ontogeny; the other suppressor acts on proliferative cells in the MLR, is radioresistant, and develops early in ontogeny. Both kinds of suppressors, however, are adherent to nylon wool and Sephadex G-10, ingest carbonyl iron, and are resistant to anti-T-cell sera.
Domain Nucleation in Uniaxial Ferromagnets

We use linearized micromagnetic theory to calculate the nucleation field and the form of the nucleation mode for finite-thickness platelets of uniaxial ferromagnets in arbitrarily oriented uniform external magnetic fields. To carry out this calculation, we use the results of the theory in the limit of very thick platelets, a generalization of the switching theory of Stoner and Wohlfarth. The nucleation field and mode for smaller specimens are then found as first-order deviations from the corresponding quantities of thick platelets. The nucleation mode has the form of incipient strip domains parallel to the field component in the platelet plane.
Bridge Model Updating Using Response Surface Method and Genetic Algorithm

A finite-element (FE) model of a structure is a highly idealized engineering model that may or may not truly reflect the physical structure. The purpose of model updating is to modify the FE model of a structure in order to obtain better agreement between the numerical and field-measured structure responses. In this paper, a new practical and user-friendly FE model updating method is presented. The new method utilizes the response surface method for the best experimental design of the parameters to be updated based on which numerical analysis can be performed in order to obtain explicit relationships between the structural responses and parameters from the simulation results. The parameters are then be updated using the genetic algorithm (GA) by minimizing an objective function. A numerical example of a simply supported beam has been used to demonstrate the concept. This method has also been applied to the model updating of an existing bridge. Results show that this method works well and achieves reasonab...
The versatility of automatic mesh generators based on tree structures and advanced geometric constructs

The ability of the finite octree and finite quadtree automatic mesh generators to satisfy effectively a wide variety of meshing capabilities is demonstrated. Areas considered include the ability to integrate easily with geometric modelling systems, versatile interactive mesh control functions, the ability to reorder unknowns directly from the finite element data structure and the ability to support automated finite element modelling.
The Relation of Anticonvulsant Drug Levels to Complete Seizure Control

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship of serum ACD levels to dosage in a group of patients who had been seizure free for at least two years. It demonstrated that some patients remain completely seizure free with DPH and/or phenobarbital serum concentrations which are well below the reported "optimal" therapeutic ranges. In addition, medicating patients with anti-convulsant drugs solely on the basis of mg/kg of body weight does not assure optimal ACD levels in any given patient. Certain patients can be maintained completely seizure free controlled with DPH and/or Pb levels of less than 10 micrograms/ml. There are several explanations for the medication concentrations observed in these patients: (1) patient noncompliance in ingestion of prescribed medication; (2) altered drug utilization; (3) a mild focus which is maintained under control with lower DPH levels than those necessary to control a more active focus; or (4) epilepsy in remission. Our observations emphasize the importance of individual regulation of medications for seizure control.
LARREA PLANT COMMUNITIES ON BAJADA AND MOISTURE GRADIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ARGENTINA

This research is part of a comparative study by the International Biological Program, of warm desert ecosystems in the State of Ari zona, USA and in the province of Catamarca, Argentina. Descrip tions of the vegetation (Shreve & Wiggins, 1963; Morello, 1958) coupled with our own observations indicate striking parallelisms in physiognomy, flora, dominant genera, and plant xeromorphies in the two regions. These similarities prevail despite an 8000 km dis junction which has existed for tens of millions of years (Axelrod, 1958) and despite some differences in geology, topography, and climate. The basic question asked by the IBP study is: Given similar but disjunct environments, and given some floristic similarities, has the process of evolution channelled the two ecosystems to a similar end point? Are the niches, and the organisms which fill them, similar? Our own part of this question is to determine whether the two dominants ? Larrea divaricata Cav. in Arizona and L. cuneifolia Cav. in Catamarca ? make similar contributions to community struc ture. In a plant community sense, are their niches similar? Two elevational transects, along gentle slopes called bajadas, serve as focal points for all participants of the IBP study. One is approximately 30 km northwest of Tucson, Arizona near the town of Silver Bell (Fig. 1 ) ; the other is in the northwest part of Argentina, about 50 km south of Andalgala, Catamarca near the small railway town of Colpes (Fig. 2). The objective of our research was to compare the structure of Ztfrraz-dominated plant communities along the bajada transects and along moisture gradients radiating from the transect locations. Com munity attributes to be measured were: ground cover and presence of all perennial plants, density of Larrea shrubs, pattern of Larrea shrub distribution, and frequency distribution of Larrea shrub heights. It was hoped that these measures would summarize com munity structure and Larrea population vitality in a way suitable
Evolution of carbon surfaces under simulated bombardment by deuterium

The bombardment of both graphite and deuterated amorphous carbon surfaces with 20 eV D atoms has been performed using molecular dynamics simulation. The primary purpose of these simulations is to determine whether the eventual state of the surface, once it has reached a steady state, is independent of the starting structure. It is found that while independently realized amorphous carbon structures give rise to similar impact-modified surfaces, the graphitic surface evolves towards a somewhat different structure. Including or neglecting a realistic treatment of the nonbonded interactions in the graphite bombardment does not result in large differences in the impact-modified structure, although the penetration depth is considerably less when nonbonded interactions are included.
Thermal equilibrium concentrations and effects of negatively charged Ga vacancies in n-type GaAs

We have calculated the thermal equilibrium concentrations of the various negatively charged Ga vacancy species in GaAs. The triply-negatively-charged Ga vacancy, V Ga 3− , has been emphasized, since it dominates Ga self-diffusion and Ga-Al interdiffusion under intrinsic and n-doping conditions, as well as the diffusion of Si donor atoms occupying Ga sites. Under strong n-doping conditions, the thermal equilibrium V Ga 3− concentration, $$C_{V_{_{Ga} }^{3 - } }^{eq} (n)$$ , has been found to exhibit a temperature independence or a negative temperature dependence, i.e., the $$C_{V_{_{Ga} }^{3 - } }^{eq} (n)$$ value is either unchanged or increases as the temperature is lowered. This is quite contrary to the normal point defect behavior for which the point defect thermal equilibrium concentration decreases as the temperature is lowered. This $$C_{V_{_{Ga} }^{3 - } }^{eq} (n)$$ property provides explanations to a number of outstanding experimental results, either requiring the interpretation that V Ga 3− has attained its thermal equilibrium concentration at the onset of each experiment, or requiring mechanisms involving point defect non-equilibrium phenomena.
Considerations of Countervailing Power

The 2010 Horizontal Merger Guidelines set forth the current antitrust enforcement practices but do not address mergers that result in bilateral monopoly. We show that, given the presence of lawful, enduring market power, such mergers may improve social welfare. As a result, these mergers deserve careful scrutiny before condemning them as anticompetitive. In this paper, we address this issue and suggest an economically sound enforcement policy.
Robustness of the half-space median

Abstract In this note, we extend Donoho and Gasko's ( Ann. Statist. 20 (1992) 1803–1827) results on finite sample breakdown point for the half-space median to any given data set and, as a consequence, we obtain bounds for the limiting breakdown point for general (in particular, nonsymmetric) distributions. Lower and upper bounds for the breakdown point of the half-space median with respect to the half-space metric are also established; in two-dimensional space, they yield the exact breakdown point. The exact ‘gross error neighborhood’ breakdown point for symmetric distributions is also given.
Formation of harzburgite by pervasive melt/rock reaction in the upper mantle

Many mantle peridotite samples are too rich in Si02 (in the form of orthopyroxene) and have ratios of light to heavy rare earth elements that are too high to be consistent with an origin as the residuum of partial melting of the primitive mantle. Trace element studies of melt/rock reaction zones in the Trinity peridotite provide evidence for reaction of the mantle lithosphere with ascending melts, which dissolved calcium-pyroxene and precipitated orthopyroxene as magma mass decreased. This process can account for the observed major and trace element compositions of lithospheric mantle samples, and may accordingly be prevalent in the upper mantle.
On the meaning and measurement of nestedness of species assemblages.

Nestedness of species assemblages occurs when thebiotas of sites with lower numbers of species tend to be subsets of the biotas at richer sites. We develop new quantitative and statistical techniques for measuring, testing, and comparing nestedness, and apply these methods to data from the literature. Significantly nonrandom nestedness was present in all 27 assemblages examined, and tended to be stronger in systems dominated by extinction, such as landbridge islands. Sets of assemblages that were very strongly nested were more likely to have greater species richness on one or a few large sites than on several smaller sites of equivalent total area — that is, to fall toward the “single large” side of the “Single Large Or Several Small” (SLOSS) continuum. Our analysis indicates that nestedness, when quantified as a single number for a presence-absence matrix, measures community-wide differences in incidence (the frequency of occurrence or “distribution” of species). Factors that lead to consistent differences among species in immigration or extinction rates cause strong patterns of nestedness of species assemblages. Nestedness is negatively related to beta diversity: nestedness is low when beta diversity is high, and vice versa. Conservation managers will thus seek to minimize nestedness and the development of nested structure in systems of nature reserves.
Asymptotic stability of two classes of second-order integro-differential equations of Volterra type

We study the asymptotic stability of linear homogeneous second-order integrodifferential equations of Volterra type on a half-line for the case in which the corresponding linear homogeneous differential equation is asymptotically unstable. The exponential stability of these equations in the same setting is considered as well. Illustrative examples are given.
Submillimeter-wave measurements on liquid dielectrics

Recent advances in submillimeter-wave complex relative permittivity measurements on liquids are described. The developments include direct measurements of both real and imaginary parts of the complex relative permittivity both at spot frequencies using submillimeter-wave laser spectrometry and in the broad band using dispersive Fourier transform spectrometry.
A/C Educator: Undergraduate research: A capstone learning experience.

Undergraduate research: An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate that makes an original, intellectual, or creative contribution to the discipline.1
Clip art or no clip art : a lesson from cognitive science for social work educators

The effect of electronic slides on student learning in the classroom and the impact of adding clip art to these slides were evaluated. One hundred forty-two college students were randomly assigned ...
Using qualitative evaluation in a feasibility study to improve and refine a complementary therapy intervention prior to subsequent research

Feasibility studies of complementary therapies are useful and important not only to test and evaluate the potential effectiveness of an intervention but also to refine and improve it prior to a subsequent study. A series of guided interviews were conducted with patients (n=19) undergoing stem cell/autologous bone marrow transplant (SC/ABMT) who were participating in a feasibility study of a mindfulness meditation (MM) intervention. Audiotapes of these interview sessions were transcribed and then used to create a project in the QRS NVivo software program to manage the data from the interview questions. Responses about what the participants liked and disliked and their suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the MM intervention were identified and grouped. Subsequently, the MM intervention has been refined based on this information, and additional testing in a randomized, controlled trial is planned. The cost is high to implement complementary therapies and to rigorously test them. Preliminary work using qualitative evaluation methods can provide rich and detailed information that will save time and money in the long run.
CNS innervation of airway-related parasympathetic preganglionic neurons: a transneuronal labeling study using pseudorabies virus

The CNS cell groups that innervate the tracheal parasympathetic preganglionic neurons were identified by the viral retrograde transneuronal labeling method. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) was injected into the tracheal wall of C8 spinal rats and after 4 days survival, brain tissue sections from these animals were processed for immunohistochemical detection of PRV. Retrogradely labeled parasympathetic preganglionic neurons were seen in three sites in the medulla: the compact portion of the nucleus ambiguus, the area ventral to the nucleus ambiguus, and the rostralmost portion of the medial nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS); this labeling pattern correlated well with the retrograde cell body labeling seen following cholera toxin beta-subunit injections in the tracheal wall. PRV transneuronally labeled neurons were found throughout the CNS with the most abundant labeling concentrated in the ventral medulla oblongata. Labeled neurons were identified along the ventral medullary surface, and in nearby areas including the parapyramidal, retrotrapezoid, gigantocellular and lateral paragigantocellular reticular nuclei as well as the caudal raphe nuclei (raphe pallidus, obscurus, and magnus). Serotonin (5-HT) neurons of the caudal raphe complex (B1-B3 cell groups) and ventromedial medulla were labeled as well as a few C1 adrenergic neurons. The A5 cell group was the major noradrenergic area labeled although a small number of locus coeruleus neurons were also labeled. Several NTS regions contained labeled cells including the commissural, intermediate, medial, central, ventral, and ventrolateral subnuclei. PRV infected neurons were present in the Kolliker-Fuse and Barrington's nuclei. In the rostral mesencephalon, the precommissural nucleus of the dorsal periventricular gray matter was labeled. Labeling was present in the dorsal, lateral and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei. In summary, the airway parasympathetic preganglionic neurons are innervated predominantly by a network of lower brainstem neurons that lie in the same regions known to be involved in respiratory and cardiovascular regulation. These findings are discussed in relationship to some of the potential CNS mechanisms that may be operative in airway disorders as well as potentially involved in certain fatal respiratory conditions such as Ondine's curse and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Self-assembly of colloidal silica into opals with large ordered single crystals

Abstract Colloidal silica spheres were self-assembled along the [1 0 0] direction of the FCC lattice templating the growth of vertical crystallites and large elongated crystallites were obtained by controlling the geometry of sedimenting dispersions.
LiDAR-Derived Surface Roughness Texture Mapping: Application to Mount St. Helens Pumice Plain Deposit Analysis

Statistical measures of patterns (textures) in surface roughness are used to quantitatively differentiate volcanic deposit facies on the Pumice Plain, on the northern flank of Mount St. Helens (MSH). Surface roughness values are derived from a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point cloud collected in 2004 from a fixed-wing airborne platform. Patterns in surface roughness are characterized using co-occurrence texture statistics. Pristine-pyroclastic, reworked-pyroclastic, mudflow, boulder beds, eroded lava flows, braided streams, and other units within the Pumice Plain are all found to have significantly distinct roughness textures. The MSH deposits are reasonably accessible, and the textural variations have been verified in the field. Results of this work indicate that by affecting the distribution of large clasts and tens-of-meter scale landforms, modification of pyroclastic deposits by lahars alters the morphology of the surface in detectable quantifiable ways. When a lahar erodes a pyroclastic deposit, surface roughness increases, as does the randomness in the deposit surface. Conversely, when a lahar deposits material, the resulting landforms are less rough but more random than pristine pumice-rich pyroclastic deposits. By mapping these relationships and others, volcanic deposit facies can be differentiated. This new method of mapping, based on roughness texture, has the potential to aid mapping efforts in more remote regions, both on this planet and elsewhere in the solar system.
A physical mechanism for establishing algal populations in frazil ice

In polar regions ice algal communities are not only conspicuous but may also be important production sites and sources of seed populations for pelagic communities1–3. Except for some studies near land-based stations1,4–7, there are few long-term observations of ice algal populations, and few studies have considered how they form and develop. Most researchers suggest that ice algae are derived from sparse water column assemblages that become trapped during ice formation; ice algal populations then develop through in situ growth1. Some previous observations have suggested that ice crystals forming in the water column concentrate algal cells6–8. Dense algal populations in young sea ice may have been recognized as early as the mid-nineteenth century, since Hooker (cited by Alexander2) described discoloured brash and pancake ice (“ …a pale ochreous colour”). But until now, neither the mechanism for this harvesting nor the effects on the composition of the ice community has been clearly demonstrated. In the Weddell Sea, we have sampled young sea ice discoloured by algae, and we present evidence that the algae were concentrated by a physical mechanism. We explain how such a process may accumulate planktonic forms in ice communities.
Clinical evidence for different narcotic receptors and relevance for the clinician.

Analgesics such as morphine are toxic drugs that kill by producing respiratory depression. Further morphine-like drugs produce a high level of physical dependence and are highly reinforcing in some subjects. A systematic search, conducted over the last 50 years, for safer and less addicting analgesics has revealed that opioid analgesics act on different types of opioid receptors (μ, κ, and σ), and that they may function as mixed agonist-antagonists or as partial agonists. Thus some mixed agonists function as competitive antagonists at the μ receptor and as partial or strong agonists at the κ or σ receptor. When mixed agonists produce the same pharmacologic effects (eg, analgesia) by acting on different receptors, they invoke the principle of receptor dualisms. Drugs that produce agonist (analgesic) effects by acting on the κ receptors are an order of magnitude safer than the μ agonists and produce a lesser degree of physical dependence than strong μ agonists. Thus safer, less addicting analgesics have been produced that act either as agonist-antagonists or by being partial agonists.
On the breakdown of Hele-Shaw solutions with nonzero surface tension

In this note, we consider the nonzero surface tension Hele—Shaw problem in the presence of a sink when the initial fluid domain is bounded. We show that if the geometric center of the initial domain is not at the sink, either the solution will break down before all the fluid is sucked out or the fluid domain will eventually become unbounded with a zero area. We do not determine the mechanism of the breakdown. It could be caused by topological changes of the fluid domain, by the interface reaching the sink, or perhaps by some other means.
Body images and obesity risk among Black females: A review of the literature

The prevalence of obesity among Black women has reached epidemic proportions. Some researchers have suggested that the body images of Black females may contribute to their high risk for obesity by inhibiting motivation for weight control. While a number of empirical studies have examined the body images of Black females, findings are complex and at times, inconsistent. For example, some studies show that Black females consider overweight bodies more attractive, while other studies show that Black females prefer normal-weight bodies. Divergent findings may be due, in part, to the multidimensional nature of body image. Inconsistencies may also be due to differences between the Black females sampled. Methodological problems, including the use of measures that have been validated among Black females, the use of various weight-for-height standards, and the inconsistent analyses of or lack of physiological data, also may contribute to conflicting results. This review addresses the complexity of body image findings among a heterogeneous Black female population and the relationship between their body images and obesity risk. Implications for effective obesity treatment programs and suggestions for improvements in future body image studies are also discussed.
Effects of Tin Addition to the Tl-Based 1223 Superconducting System

Polycrystalline samples of Tl-based-1223 superconducting system were prepared with tin-addition to form (Tl0.5Pb0.5) SnxSr1.6Ca2.4Cu3Oy, for x=0–0.3. X-ray diffraction data showed the presence of a minor 1212 phase and impurities which increased with increasing x while the samples without addition of tin, x=0, were nearly single phase of Tl,Pb-1223. The effects of tin addition to Tl,Pb-1223 on the magnetic properties were studied by dc susceptibility and hysteresis magnetization measurements. The magnetic results revealed a significant enlargement of hysteresis magnetization in tin-added samples with an onset transition temperature drop of only 1–4 K. According to recent measurements, the intragrain Jc reflects the transport critical current density in high field region. The critical current density in Tl,Pb-1223 was enhanced by as much as ten-times by tin-addition. An electron micro-probe technique was employed to locate the added tin in the samples, but Sn incorporated into the superconducting phase was...
Medial temporal lobe structures and hippocampal subfields in psychotic disorders: findings from the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) study.

Importance Structural alterations in the hippocampus and other medial temporal lobe regions have been observed in schizophrenia. How these alterations and hippocampal subfields might differ across the psychosis spectrum remains unclear. Objectives To characterize medial temporal lobe structures, including hippocampal subfields, using magnetic resonance imaging and to examine their relation to psychosis and cognitive function across the psychosis spectrum. Design, Setting, and Participants Case-control, cross-sectional neuroimaging study in a large series of probands with psychotic disorders and healthy volunteers as part of the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP). Patients with psychotic disorders (schizophrenia, n = 219; schizoaffective disorder, n = 142; and psychotic bipolar disorder, n = 188) and healthy controls (n = 337) were recruited across ambulatory clinics at university health centers in the B-SNIP consortium. Main Outcomes and Measures Medial temporal lobe and hippocampal subfields were quantified with an automated parcellation approach using FreeSurfer software. Memory and other cognitive parameters were assessed using standardized neuropsychological tests. Results Hippocampal volume reductions were seen in all 3 diagnostic groups when compared with healthy controls; alterations in the entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal regions were limited to schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders ( P P P Conclusions and Relevance Alterations in the hippocampus were evident across psychotic disorders. Hippocampal subfields that participate in memory-related processes supporting pattern separation and pattern completion might be abnormal and may underlie the pathophysiology of psychosis.
Internet's impact on publishing

In 1990, the first monochrome print-on-demand (POD) systems wee successfully brought to market. Subsequent color versions have been less successful, in my view mostly because they require a different workflow than traditional systems and the highly skilled specialists have not been trained. This hypothesis is based on the observation that direct-to-plate systems for short run printing, which do not require a new workflow, are quite successful in the market place. The internet and the World Wide Web are the enabling technologies that are fostering a new print model that is very likely to replace color POD before the latter can establish itself. In this model the consumers locate the material they desire from a contents provider, pay through a digital cash clearinghouse, and print the material at their own cost on their local printer. All the basic technologies for this model are in place; the main challenge is to make the workflow sufficiently robust for individual use.
Photodynamic action of erythrosin B as a toxic mechanism for infective larvae of bovine gastrointestinal nematodes.

Abstract The effect of erythrosin B on adults and 3rd stage larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle was studied by treating calves per os with 20 mg kg−1, 40 mg kg−1, and 60 mg kg−1 of the dye daily for 21 days and monitoring its effect. Erythrosin B had no detectable effect on adult nematode fecundity or viability. Data collected did indicate, however, that erythrosin B produced a consistent toxic effect on 3rd stage larvae after exposure to fluorescent light. This toxic effect was dependent upon dosage of erythrosin B administered, time of light exposure and, to a much lesser extent, the length of time the larvae were left in culture in the presence of the dye.
Size-Controlled Synthesis of Quasi-Monodisperse Transition-Metal Ferrite Nanocrystals in Fatty Alcohol Solutions

Quasi-monodisperse hydrophobic transition-metal ferrite MFe2O4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn) nanocrystals were synthesized by the thermolysis of transition-metal acetates in oleyl alcohol solutions under aerobic conditions. The proposed reaction protocol is simple, rapid, and highly versatile because it takes advantage of the multiple roles of the oleyl alcohol molecules, namely, solvent for the precursors, reaction medium, and capping ligand for the metal oxide nanoparticles. A systematic FT-IR spectroscopy study has indicated that the transition-metal ferrite nanoparticles are precipitated in oleyl alcohol solutions via a thermal decomposition process with no evidence about a potential esterification reaction, involving the long-chain alcohol and the metal acetate salt. A detailed characterization of the oleyl alcohol capped ferrite nanoparticles was performed by XRD, TEM, SAED, EXAFS, FT-IR, and SQUID measurements. The as-prepared transition-metal ferrite nanocrystals are spherically shaped, and their avera...