cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pre-eclampsia part 2: prediction, prevention and management

An antiangiogenic state might constitute a terminal pathway for the multiple aetiologies of pre-eclampsia, especially those resulting from placental abnormalities. The levels of angiogenic and antiangiogenic proteins in maternal blood change prior to a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia, correlate with disease severity and have prognostic value in identifying women who will develop maternal and/or perinatal complications. Potential interventions exist to ameliorate the imbalance of angiogenesis and, hence, might provide opportunities to improve maternal and/or perinatal outcomes in pre-eclampsia. Current strategies for managing pre-eclampsia consist of controlling hypertension, preventing seizures and timely delivery of the fetus. Prediction of pre-eclampsia in the first trimester is of great interest, as early administration of aspirin might reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia, albeit modestly. Combinations of biomarkers typically predict pre-eclampsia better than single biomarkers; however, the encouraging initial results of biomarker studies require external validation in other populations before they can be used to facilitate intervention in patients identified as at increased risk. Angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors might also be useful in triage of symptomatic patients with suspected pre-eclampsia, differentiating pre-eclampsia from exacerbations of pre-existing medical conditions and performing risk assessment in asymptomatic women. This Review article discusses the performance of predictive and prognostic biomarkers for pre-eclampsia, current strategies for preventing and managing the condition and its long-term consequences.
Abstract 346: Integrative genomic analysis of sporadic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Sporadic clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common type of adult kidney cancer. Using high-density copy-number profiling and gene expression profiles, we performed an integrated genomic analysis of 54 sporadic tumor samples. We took a two pronged approach, focusing on 1) all samples and 2) comparing ccRCCs that express both HIF1α and HIF2α (H1H2) and those that express only HIF2α (H2), sub-types of ccRCC that we previously described. For all samples at a frequency over 10%, we identified regions of amplification on 1q, 5q, 7q, 8q, 12p, and 20q, and regions of deletion on 1p, 3p, 6q, 8p, 9p, and 14q, as previously described. We used our integrative analysis to identify target genes that had consistent copy-number and gene expression changes (e.g. amplified and upregulated or deleted and downregulated) within regions on chromosomes 5 and 7. Combining our data with an independent dataset (Beroukhim et al., 2009) and including a literature based analysis, we were able to narrow down to three target genes, which we subsequently validated using a renal cancer cell line. We then compared genomic changes in H1H2 and H2 ccRCCs. Prior data suggested that H2 ccRCCs have increased expression of genes involved in double strand break repair, thus potentially greater genomic stability. Using high-density copy-number data, we have confirmed that H2 tumors have significantly fewer genomic aberrations compared to H1H2 tumors (for amplifications p=0.032 and for deletions p=0.003). In addition, using GISTIC, we found that deletion of chromosome 6 is significantly more common in H1H2 tumors (p<0.001), whereas deletion of chromosome 9 is significantly more common in H2 tumors (p<0.001). Of note, deletion of chromosome 9 previously has been associated with poor prognosis. Thus, correlations between the copy-number data and gene expression profiles indicate that the H1H2 and H2 classes of ccRCC tumors may each have a distinct set of drivers of tumorigenesis; target gene validation for these groups is underway. These experiments provide novel insights into the biology of clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma (ccRCC). Beroukhim et al. Patterns of Gene Expression and Copy-Number Alternations in von-Hippel Lindau Disease-Associated and Sporadic Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Kidney. Can Res 2009; 69: (11):4674-81. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 346. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-346
Components of analogical reasoning in a mildly head injured population

This study sought to investigate the effects of mild head injury on a particular type of cognitive ability, verbal analogical reasoning. The performance of 19 individuals with head injuries was compared to a group of 30 control subjects matched for age, education, and gender on 100 verbal analogies. Solution times and error rates were modeled. Unstandardized regression weights for individual subjects were correlated with subjects’ performance on a number of standardized ability tests. Results showed that compared to the control subjects, the head injured subjects: (a) were significantly slower to solve the analogies, and were particularly slow to perform certain processes: encoding/inference and comparison; (b) tended to show greater variability in performance; and (c) had data that had a poorer componential model fit. The data suggest that analogical reasoning is affected by a head injury, and that certain information processes may be responsible for performance deficits.
Infiltration vs. thermal overprinting of epidote blueschists, Ile de Groix, France

Epidote blueschists on Ile de Groix, France, were selectively over-printed by chloritic greenschist assemblages on a millimetre to metre scale along foliation planes, in fold hinges, and along shear zones. Reactions balanced between the blueschist and greenschist assemblages show that overprinting of epidote blueschists can only be accomplished by the addition of H 2 O ± CO 2 Conversion of epidote blueschists to chloritic greenschist assemblages thus depends on fluid-infiltration processes as the rocks pass through the greenschist facies, and does not necessarily reflect rapid rates of unroofing of a subduction complex. Epidote blueschists are therefore preferentially preserved in fluid-absent or impermeable rocks regardless of exhumation rates, in contrast to other blueschist types that require rapid unroofing to avoid a greenschist overprint.
Cavitation Damage During Flexural Creep of SiAlON–YAG Ceramics

Cavitation damage in flexure bars crept at 1170°C was studied by a density measurement technique. The cavity density within the flexure beams could be approximated by a linear function of position from the tensile surface. A threshold stress for cavitation damage is suggested from the results of this study. Below the threshold tensile stress, cavitation ceases, whereas above the threshold, cavitation damage is in the form of wedge-shaped cracks at grain-boundary triple junctions. Cavitation is not observed in compression for the conditions used in this study. From a stress analysis of the flexure bars, a cavitation threshold of 55 MPa is estimated
Informal caregiving in patients with brain tumors.

Purpose/objectives To explore the experience of informal caregivers of patients with a primary brain tumor by identifying themes of the caregiving experience specific to this population. Research approach Qualitative study employing Parse's descriptive exploratory method. Setting National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in a major city in the southern United States. Participants 20 patients with primary brain tumors and their caregivers. Methodologic approach Data collection involved a tape-recorded dialogue with caregivers using Story Theory. Patient and caregiver demographic information was collected. Main research variables Concepts of commitment, expectation management, role negotiation, self-care, new insight, and role support. Findings Caregivers of patients with primary brain tumors used the energy sources identified by the Model of Informal Caregiving Dynamics. Commitment is sustained through enduring patient cognitive and behavioral decline. Expectations are based on a realistic understanding of the disease trajectory and known mortality, and allow caregivers to hope for the ability to manage declining patients. Caregivers express difficulty in gauging the behavior of cognitively impaired patients. Healthcare providers support caregivers by supplying information and listening to caregivers' stories. In contrast to a similar study involving caregivers of bone marrow transplantation recipients, these caregivers reported negative perceptions. Conclusions Commitment, expectation management, role negotiation, self-care, new insight, and role support motivate informal caregivers of patients with primary brain tumors in a unique way. Interpretation Healthcare providers can support the caregiving experience by validating efforts, providing information, and listening to frustrations. Additional research should explore interventions aimed at assisting caregivers.
Detection of extrahepatic cancer by alterations in hepatic functions.

Abstract Signs of the biochemical undifferentiation of the liver of rats carrying various subcutaneous neoplasms include progressive decreases in cytochrome c reductase which were paralleled by increases in the duration of hexobarbital hypnosis. The sleeping time, proportional to the size of the mammary carcinomas or fibrosarcomas, reverted to normal within 10 days after the complete resection of these tumors, but not if regrowth occurred. Decreases in the histologically normal liver of hepatic ornithine aminotransferase, glucokinase. alanine aminotransferase, and cytochrome c reductase, and increases in hexokinase, were also reversible, and reflected sensitively upon the success or incompleteness of tumor eradication. Enzymic and consequent functional alterations in the uninvolved liver in response to the systemic action of neoplasms thus offer new approaches to the detection and prognosis of cancer.
An energy-efficiency-enhanced switched reluctance motor [From Mind To Market]

The invention presented in this article is an energy-efficiency enhanced switched reluctance motor. The conventional one has flux reversals which means higher hysteresis and eddy current losses resulting in higher core losses and, hence, in lower efficiency. The invention described here overcomes this disadvantage with flux distribution for phase A and B excitations. The present invention also has the distinct advantage in that only two-thirds of the stator iron is utilized for any operating condition at any time compared to the full stator iron in conventional machines and thus increases efficiency. Since it is inherently a variable-speed motor drive, it will improve the efficiency as much as 20-25% in many applications, resulting in less energy consumption and thus making a positive impact on the environment.
On the derivation of linkage equations for Laguerre function coefficients

Abstract The representation of the three functions in the convolution integral as sums of Laguerre functions involves three sets of coefficients. The three sets of coefficients are related to each other by linkage equations that enable the solution for one set when the other two are known. The derivation of the linkage equations can be greatly simplified if it is done with the aid of Laplace transforms. Complete derivation of the linkage equation is presented.
Hyperexcitability in the dentate gyrus of the epileptic Mongolian gerbil

There are anatomical differences in the hippocampi of seizure-resistant (SR) vs. seizure-sensitive (SS) Mongolian gerbils. SS gerbils have more GABAergic neurons and more GABAergic axon terminals contacting inhibitory basket cells in the dentate gyrus. Hence, it has been hypothesized that inhibition of basket cells causes disinhibition of granule cells and results in hyperexcitability in SS gerbils. To test this hypothesis we measured the level of excitability in the dentate gyrus of anesthetized adult SS and SR gerbils, using a paired-pulse stimulus paradigm to evoke population spikes. Population spikes of SS and SR gerbils both showed strong paired-pulse inhibition at short interstimulus intervals and paired-pulse facilitation at intermediate interstimulus intervals. However, compared to SR gerbils, SS gerbils had significantly stronger paired-pulse facilitation which persisted at longer interstimulus intervals. These results show that SS gerbils have hyperexcitable dentate gyri and support the view that less effective inhibition is an underlying basis for this hyperexcitability.
Changing and Diverse Roles of Women in American Indian Cultures.

This article explores traditional and contemporary sex roles of Indian women. It emphasizes the renewing power of the feminine—a creative, healing balance that arises as traditional and contemporary strengths are brought together. The survival of the extended family throughout two hundred years of governmental policy attests to Indian women's resilience despite continuous role readjustment, value conflict, and economic pressure. Tribal diversity and predominantly egalitarian structural similarities are affirmed in this work through reviews of ethnographic studies addressing the roles of Indian women prior to European contact. The conventional and alternative roles of Indian women in traditional times are examined with an eye toward the spiritual source of Indian women's strength. Studies outlining the emotional and spiritual costs of contemporary Indian women living bicultural lifestyles, especially those pursuing advanced educational training, highlight the continued use of traditional Indian coping mechanisms. Finally, the current movement toward retraditionalization of roles of Indian women as caretakers and transmitters of cultural knowledge is posited as an effective means of overcoming problems and achieving Indian self-determination.
Peripherin- and CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers in rat molars have different locations and developmental timing.

Summary Developing rat molars gain mature sensitivity to electric stimulation at 4–5 weeks after eruption, but the related mechanisms are incompletely understood. Preliminary studies showed weak co-localization of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity (IR) with peripherin (PER) or neurofilament protein (NF) in rat molar nerve fibers, while the latter two co-localized extensively. Objective Our goal was to compare timing and location of PER-IR and CGRP-IR innervation in rat first molars during tooth maturation. Methods We used single and double immunocytochemistry to study molars of rats aged 10 days to 1 year. Neural patterns were compared with odontoblast maturation stages, dentinogenesis, formation of cell-free and cell-rich zones, and root closure. Results Spatial and temporal patterns showed that most CGRP-IR and PER-IR have different terminal domains in teeth. PER-IR fibers were well established among immature odontoblasts prior to tooth eruption, but CGRP-IR fibers were absent. Two weeks after eruption of first molars, many CGRP-IR beaded fibers entered dentin, the larger PER-IR fibers began shifting away from odontoblasts towards the pulp, and the symmetrical PER-IR pulpal pattern was being established. The CGRP-IR fibers continued to increase their asymmetric dentinal innervation until root growth was completed, during which time odontoblasts matured, the cell-free and cell-rich zones appeared, and roots closed. Conclusions Sensory maturation of rat molars coincides with closed root apices, extensive innervation of dentin by CGRP-IR nerve fibers, and the appearance of the mature avascular odontoblast layer next to cell-free and cell-rich zones in the pulp horns.
Effect of sample storage conditions on Er:YAG laser ablation of enamel, dentin, and bone

Samples of bone, dentin and enamel were stored in distilled water, 10% neutral buffered formalin, 70% ethyl alcohol or 6% sodium hypochlorite solutions for fifteen days. Other samples were stored in the same solutions for 36 hours and then transferred to distilled water for the remainder of the fifteen day period. Finally, samples than had been stored dry for up to 5 years were rehydrated and ablated. All enamel specimens appeared unaffected by the storage conditions. Dentin samples were very significantly affected by all storage methods. Bone samples were affected by most storage conditions. Samples stored in sodium hypochlorite had as much as a 100 percent increase in ablation rate. Surprisingly, dry stored samples that were reconstituted for 36 hours ablated at virtually the same rate as those stored in distilled water. None of the storage conditions studied produced ablation rates that mirrored in vivo ablation. Sterilization by autoclave is the only reliable and safe method studied but cannot be used on teeth with amalgam fillings for safety reasons. Teeth with fillings should be stored in 10% neutral bufferred formalin for a minimum of one week.
Marginal copper deficiency in rats aortal morphology of elastin and cholesterol values in first-generation adult males☆

A marginal, 2 parts per million (ppm) copper diet (experimental) was fed to female rats for 4 months prior to breeding, through gestation/lactation, and to the weaned offspring to determine the consequences in adult, male offspring on cholesterol values and aortal morphology. Liver copper concentrations of the dams and pups at day 21 of lactation and of the 117-day-old offspring who consumed the experimental diet were lower (P less than 0.0001) than corresponding rats fed a 10 ppm copper diet (control). However, statistically significant differences due to dietary treatments were not evident in pre- or post-weaning gain in body weight, litter size, cannibalism of pups, or total cholesterol concentrations of the serum and aorta. Ultrastructural examination of experimental offspring aortas revealed focally abnormal features of endothelial cells, the subendothelial space, collagen fibers, smooth muscle cells, and particularly elastin. The ultrastructural irregularities of elastin included discontinuous regions of the internal elastic lamina comprised of stained clumps of elastin of irregular size and shape. The results of this study suggest that a marginal copper nutriture begun in utero will elicit morphologic abnormalities of the aorta in rats that are otherwise without overt signs of copper deficiency.
Deuteron magnetic resonance studies on the microdynamical behavior of partially deuterated oxytocin with neurophysin.

Abstract With the use of specifically deuteron-labeled oxytocin and related molecules, deamino oxytocin and prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide, some of the intramolecular micro-mica of the free molecules and their interactions with their biological carriers, the neurophysins, have been studied. The work involves contemporary synthetic and isolation chemical techniques and computer processed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results show that there is considerable intramolecular motion in the “tail” of oxytocin with respect to the remainder of the molecule and that there is a rapid dynamical equilibrium between neurophysin-bound and free hormone in solution. The implications of this work on the biological action of the hormone-protein complex are discussed as well as the interpretation of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance data in the light of these results.
Toward a new outlook on primate learning and behavior: complex learning and emergent processes in comparative perspective.

Primate research of the 20th century has established the validity of Darwin's postulation of psychological as well as biological continuity between humans and other primates, notably the great apes. Its data make clear that Descartes' view of animals as unfeeling 'beast-machines' is invalid and should be discarded. Traditional behavioristic frameworks, that emphasize the concepts of stimulus, response, and reinforcement and an 'empty-organism' psychology, are in need of major revisions. Revised frameworks should incorporate the fact that, in contrast to the lifeless databases of the 'hard' sciences, the database of psychology entails properties novel to life and its attendant phenomena. The contributions of research this century, achieved by field and laboratory researchers from around the world, have been substantial, indeed revolutionary. It is time to celebrate the progress of our field, to anticipate its significance, and to emphasize conservation of primates in their natural habitats.
Uncertainties associated with digital elevation models for hydrologic applications: a review

Abstract. Digital elevation models (DEMs) represent the topography that drives surface flow and are arguably one of the more important data sources for deriving variables used by numerous hydrologic models. A considerable amount of research has been conducted to address uncertainty associated with error in digital elevation models (DEMs) and the propagation of error to derived terrain parameters. This review brings together a discussion of research in fundamental topical areas related to DEM uncertainty that affect the use of DEMs for hydrologic applications. These areas include: (a) DEM error; (b) topographic parameters frequently derived from DEMs and the associated algorithms used to derive these parameters; (c) the influence of DEM scale as imposed by grid cell resolution; (d) DEM interpolation; and (e) terrain surface modification used to generate hydrologically-viable DEM surfaces. Each of these topical areas contributes to DEM uncertainty and may potentially influence results of distributed parameter hydrologic models that rely on DEMs for the derivation of input parameters. The current state of research on methods developed to quantify DEM uncertainty is reviewed. Based on this review, implications of DEM uncertainty and suggestions for the GIS research and user communities are offered.
Pulse coupled neural networks (PCNN) and wavelets: biosensor applications

This paper focuses on the novel approaches to chemosensor signal analysis: (1) forming image patterns from the time sequences, (2) PCNN factor formation, and (3) factor classification using wavelets.
Damage-function analysis of neutron-induced embrittlement in A302-B steel at 550 F (288 C)

A damage function was derived for neutron-induced increases in the brittle to ductile transition temperature (ΔTT) of ASTM A302-B steel, for temperatures of 550 to 585 F (288 to 307 C). The damage function is a series of weighting factors for the damaging capacity of neutrons of all energy groups in a reactor spectrum that indicate the relative importance of specific energy-group neutrons to the damaging process. The damage function showed that neutrons of energies greater than 1 MeV would account for about 75 percent of the ΔTT, but that neutrons of energies greater than 0.1 MeV would account for over 94 percent for virtually every spectrum evaluated. Furthermore, thermal neutrons were seen to contribute less than 5 percent of the ΔTT, and this only if the thermal population were an order of magnitude greater than the fast neutron population. A method was then developed for plotting neutron fluence (>0.1 MeV) weighted by the damage function that provides excellent correlation of the experimental 550 to 585 F (288 to 307 C) irradiation data for diverse reactor environments. Adequate correlations of data can also be achieved (using only fluences > 0.1 MeV) if conditions preclude inclusion of the damage function. This is a totally rational approach for correlating experimental radiation damage results that has the advantage of being least susceptible to errors in flux spectrum and neutron dosimetry measurements.
Elementary Matrix-Based Vector Optical Network Analysis

An alternative formulation of the elementary matrices, which was originally defined by Jones, is proposed. The matrix formulation is based on frequency derivatives instead of the originally considered spatial derivatives. It is demonstrated that the modified elementary matrices are well suited for the analysis of optical systems with multiple optical waves created by modulation. We illustrate this new approach by applying it to a novel interferometric measurement system capable of complete characterization of optical devices. Exemplary measurements of optical power, polarization state, and both chromatic and polarization mode dispersions are given for an optical device composed of a molecular gas absorption cell and birefringent optical elements
Experimental validation of a hybrid mobile robot mechanism with interchangeable locomotion and manipulation

This video submission presents the experimental validation and testing of a novel Hybrid Mobile Robot (HMR) system design using a complete physical prototype. The HMR consists of a combination of parallel and serially connected links resulting in a hybrid mechanism that consists of a locomotion platform and a manipulator arm for manipulation, both interchangeable functionally. The new design has the ability to interchangeably provide locomotion and manipulation capability, both simultaneously. This was accomplished by integrating the locomotion mechanism and the manipulator arm mechanism as one entity rather than two separate and attached mechanisms. The manipulator arm can be used as part of the locomotion platform and vice versa. The video demonstrates how this paradigm significantly enhances mobile robot functionality for locomotion and manipulation tasks.
BRAF Inhibition Alleviates Immune Suppression in Murine Autochthonous Melanoma

A growing body of evidence suggests that BRAF inhibitors, in addition to their acute tumor growth-inhibitory effects, can also promote immune responses to melanoma. The present study aimed to define the immunologic basis of BRAF-inhibitor therapy using the Braf/Pten model of inducible, autochthonous melanoma on a pure C57BL/6 background. In the tumor microenvironment, BRAF inhibitor PLX4720 functioned by on-target mechanisms to selectively decrease both the proportions and absolute numbers of CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) and CD11b(+)Gr1(+) myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), while preserving numbers of CD8(+) effector T cells. In PLX4720-treated mice, the intratumoral Treg populations decreased significantly, demonstrating enhanced apopotosis. CD11b(+) myeloid cells from PLX4720-treated tumors also exhibited decreased immunosuppressive function on a per-cell basis. In accordance with a reversion of tumor immune suppression, tumors that had been treated with PLX4720 grew with reduced kinetics after treatment was discontinued, and this growth delay was dependent on CD8 T cells. These findings demonstrate that BRAF inhibition selectively reverses two major mechanisms of immunosuppression in melanoma and liberates host-adaptive antitumor immunity.
Cortical neurons arise in symmetric and asymmetric division zones and migrate through specific phases

Precise patterns of cell division and migration are crucial to transform the neuroepithelium of the embryonic forebrain into the adult cerebral cortex. Using time-lapse imaging of clonal cells in rat cortex over several generations, we show here that neurons are generated in two proliferative zones by distinct patterns of division. Neurons arise directly from radial glial cells in the ventricular zone (VZ) and indirectly from intermediate progenitor cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ). Furthermore, newborn neurons do not migrate directly to the cortex; instead, most exhibit four distinct phases of migration, including a phase of retrograde movement toward the ventricle before migration to the cortical plate. These findings provide a comprehensive and new view of the dynamics of cortical neurogenesis and migration.
Study of the Ranger Pictures of the Moon

The Ranger VII, VIII, and IX pictures of the moon show certain features quite unequivocally about the lunar surface. 1. It appears that a very considerable amount of erosion and fragmentation of the surface by micro- and macrometeorite bombardment and probably other processes has taken place. It would seem that the evidence indicates that this layer is some 10 or 20 m deep as a minimum. 2. There is considerable evidence for slump features on the moon. This probably includes the dimple craters as well as certain crevasses that are seen in all these pictures but particularly in the Alphonsus pictures. The volcanic activity indicated in the Ranger IX pictures is of a very mild type and the craters do not resemble any terrestrial volcanic features at all. They are very broad and apparently have been produced by the escape of gases from the lunar interior. It would appear that they might have been produced initially by collisions which were then modified by gas escaping, though one of these craters has an elliptical shape, arguing against this interpretation. 3. Various lines of evidence indicate that the material of the maria floors and especially of the Alphonsus floor consist of fragmented material to a very considerable depth, with substantial crevasses below the surface. It is not possible to decide whether such crevasses are the result of lava flows or the evaporation of massive amounts of water from beneath the surface. It is, however, the author’s opinion that the water interpretation is the more likely of the two. 4. The mountainous areas in the neighbourhood of Alphonsus are remarkably smooth as compared with the crater floor. This indicates that the crater rim consists of different material from the crater floor. 5. Secondaries are a prominent feature of all these Ranger pictures. Objects of more than a million tons have been thrown from Tycho to Mare Cognitum, a distance of 1000 km . It appears probable that the curious rays of Tycho which missed the craters may indeed be due to particles that have travelled completely around the Moon, and it seems likely that objects of meteoritic size have been thrown off the Moon and have arrived at the Earth. It seems to me that it would be well to be rather conservative in regard to the interpretation of these pictures. The maria of the Moon may consist of lava flows. They may be fragmented material. They may have been subjected to water at some time in their history. But the evidence of pictures alone is not sufficient to make a firm decision in regard to these conclusions.
Costs and utility of tests in the evaluation of the pediatric patients with syncope

New diagnostic tests have markedly improved the ability to establish a cause of syncope in pediatric patients, but at a substantial cost. The goal of syncope evaluation should be to diagnose treatable causes and identify patients at high risk for sudden death. The diagnostic utility of commonly used tests is reviewed. Although there are limited data on the application of specific diagnostic tests in the child with syncope, most tests have a low yield in unselected patients. A more directed approach to testing, based on the results of history, physical examination and the electrocardiogram is likely to result in significant cost reduction while still identifying patients with life threatening disorders. Validation of such an approach awaits prospective evaluation.
Shroom3 contributes to the maintenance of the glomerular filtration barrier integrity

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identify regions of the genome correlated with disease risk but are restricted in their ability to identify the underlying causative mechanism(s). Thus, GWAS are useful "roadmaps" that require functional analysis to establish the genetic and mechanistic structure of a particular locus. Unfortunately, direct functional testing in humans is limited, demonstrating the need for complementary approaches. Here we used an integrated approach combining zebrafish, rat, and human data to interrogate the function of an established GWAS locus (SHROOM3) lacking prior functional support for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Congenic mapping and sequence analysis in rats suggested Shroom3 was a strong positional candidate gene. Transferring a 6.1-Mb region containing the wild-type Shroom3 gene significantly improved the kidney glomerular function in FHH (fawn-hooded hypertensive) rat. The wild-type Shroom3 allele, but not the FHH Shroom3 allele, rescued glomerular defects induced by knockdown of endogenous shroom3 in zebrafish, suggesting that the FHH Shroom3 allele is defective and likely contributes to renal injury in the FHH rat. We also show for the first time that variants disrupting the actin-binding domain of SHROOM3 may cause podocyte effacement and impairment of the glomerular filtration barrier.
A filtered mass density function approach for modeling separated two-phase flows for LES I: Mathematical formulation

Abstract The overall objective of this study is to develop a full velocity-scalar filtered mass density function (FMDF) formulation for large eddy simulation (LES) of a separated two-phase flow. Required in the development of the two-phase FMDF transport equation are the local instantaneous equations of motion for a two-phase flow previously derived by Kataoka. In Kataoka’s development, phase interaction terms are cast in terms of a Dirac delta distribution on the phase interface. For this reason, it is difficult to close these coupling terms in the instantaneous formulation and this difficulty is propagated into the phase-coupling terms in the FMDF transport equation. To address this point a new derivation of the local instantaneous equations for a separated two-phase flow is given. The equations are shown to be consistent with the formulation given by Kataoka, and in the development, a direct link between the conditionally surface-filtered coupling terms, arising in the FMDF formulation, and LES phase-coupling terms is established. Clarification of conditions under which conditionally filtered interphase conversion terms in the marginal FMDF transport equations may be disregarded in a separated continuum-dispersed phase flow is discussed. Modeling approaches and solutions procedures to solve the two-phase FMDF transport equation via Monte-Carlo methods are outlined.
A ring oven method for the determination of sulfate at nanogram levels

A ring oven method for the determination of sulfate at ng levels is described. Sulfate is bound as 2-perimidinyl ammonium sulfate by spotting the sample solution on a glass fiber filter impregnated with 2-perimidinyl ammonium bromide. The excess reagent is removed by frontal elution chromatography with methanol and the sample spot cut out and then exposed to nitric acid vapor where upon the organic amine, bound as sulfate, is converted to the highly colored 2-amino 4,6,9-trinitro perimidine. The excess acid is neutralized by exposure to ammonia vapor. The sample spot is finally placed on a filter paper positioned on a ring oven and the color is eluted to the ring zone by successive aliquots of acetone. The sensitivity of the method is 5 ng sulfate and the working range is 20 ng to 1 μg. The method is free of significant interferences.
Sources of Spring and Fall Hop Aphid, Phorodon humuli (Schrank), (Homoptera: Aphididae) Migrants in South Central Washington

The hop aphid, Phorodon humuli (Schrank), flies from hop, Humulus lupulus L., to its overwintering Prunus spp. hosts in the fall. The sources of these aphids were not known because much of the aphid flight occurs after hop plants are removed from fields during harvest. We found that the bottoms of hop plants remaining alive in harvested hop yards averaged 1.7 to 5.8 hop aphids per leaf in three years of sampling. Unharvested hop plants remaining after harvest averaged 32.8 to 127.1 aphids per leaf in two years. Feral hops were also infested with hop aphids in late summer and early fall. Sources for the spring aphid flight from Prunus spp. to hop included Prunus cerasifera Ehrhart, which averaged 44.0 to 105.1 aphids per shoot in two years of sampling. Fruit-type Prunus spp. trees growing on residential properties averaged 0.9 and 11.3 aphids per shoot in the same years but few of these trees were found. Plum and prune orchards averaged 0 to 5.5 aphids per shoot in two years and estimates indicate that orchard trees are much more numerous than other hop aphid host trees. Potential alternative management strategies for hop aphid control are discussed.
An approach to predictive detection for service management

Service providers typically define quality of service problems using threshold tests, such as "are HTTP operations greater than 12 per second on server XYZ?" This paper explores the feasibility of predicting violations of threshold tests. Such a capability would allow providers to take corrective actions in advance of service disruptions. Our approach estimates the probability of threshold violations for specific times in the future. We modeled the threshold metric (e.g., HTTP operations per second) at two levels: (1) nonstationary behavior (as is done in workload forecasting for capacity planning) and (2) stationary, time-serial dependencies. Using these models, we compute the probability of threshold violations. We asses our approach using measurements of HTTP operations per second collected from a production Web server. These assessments suggest that our approach works well if: (a) the actual values of predicted metrics are sufficiently distant from their thresholds; and/or (b) the prediction horizon is not too far into the future.
THERMAL EXPANSION IN AIR OF CERAMIC OXIDES TO 2200 C

Thermal expansion measurements were made in an air atmosphere to 2200 deg C on polycrystalline single-phase ceramic oxides. Specimens were fabricated by hotpressing, slip-casting, and isostatic pressing. Magnesium oxide was tested in both air and argon; calcium oxide, as well as magnesium aluminate, and aluminum oxide specimens were tested in air. Specimens were characterized as to purity, thermal history, apparent density, grain size, and lattice parameter. It was determined that the coefficient of thermal expansion was not affected by changes in grain size or fabrication techniques. All of the specimens tested in an air atmosphere showed weight and lattice parameter stability, whereas the magnesium oxide tested in argon did not. When tested in an air atmosphere, magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, and magnesium aluminate spinel showed a permanent expansion with a decrease in density at temperatures well below their melting points. (auth)
A Farm Safety Surcharge on Food

Even though agriculture is one of the nation's most dangerous occupations, it is relatively ignored by federal occupational safety efforts. The federal budget deficit makes adequate funding of new federal agricultural safety programs unlikely. This paper proposes that a new federal agricultural safety program should be developed, with funding coming from a value adds surcharge on the farm value of food. The costs to consumers would be negligible (only $1.88 per year per family.) but such a surcharge would be equitable and would generate over $48 million annually for agricultural safety programs. Several key elements for any new federal agricultural safety program are then discussed
Compressive sensing

This paper overviews the recent work on compressive sensing, a new approach to data acquisition in which analog signals are digitized for processing not via uniform sampling but via measurements using more general, even random, test functions. In stark contrast with conventional wisdom, the new theory asserts that one can combine "low-rate sampling" with digital computational power for efficient and accurate signal acquisition. Compressive sensing systems directly translate analog data into a compressed digital form; all we need to do is "decompress" the measured data through an optimization on a digital computer. The implications of compressive sensing are promising for many applications and enable the design of new kinds of analog-to-digital converters, cameras, and imaging systems.
Recognizing the New: The Emergence and Dissolution of Social Realities

How do novel or aberrant social arrangements become new realities? What are the processes by which new kinds of organizations, products, and phenomena become “real” enough to be recognized as eleme...
Oil Shale as an Energy Resource in a CO2 Constrained World: The Concept of Electricity Production with in Situ Carbon Capture

Oil shale contains large amounts of stored chemical energy: over 1 trillion barrels of oil equivalent is present in the Green River formation of the United States alone. Unfortunately, extraction of energy from oil shale generally releases significant quantities of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Liquid hydrocarbon (HC) fuels derived from oil shale have 1.2−1.75 times the fuel cycle GHG emissions of HC fuels produced from conventional oil. This paper proposes a concept that could provide transportation services from oil shale with significantly reduced carbon emissions, called electricity production with in situ carbon capture (EPICC). EPICC reduces CO2 emissions by (1) utilizing waste heat to retort shale; (2) retorting shale beyond the point of liquid hydrocarbon production, converting much of the organic carbon in oil shale to char which is left in the subsurface; and (3) using the produced HC gas to generate electricity, which provides transportation services with no tailpipe emissions. The resulting life cy...
Highly Pathogenic Virus Recovered from Chickens Infected with Mildly Pathogenic 1986 Isolates of H5N2 Avian Influenza Virus

SUMMARY. A combination of in vitro and in vivo selection procedures was used to examine the possibility that certain mildly pathogenic field isolates of avian influenza (AI) virus may contain minority subpopulations of highly pathogenic virus. Two mildly pathogenic H5N2 isolates, A/chicken/New Jersey/ 12508/86 (NJ 12508) and A/chicken/Florida/27716/86 (FL27716), recovered from chickens epidemiologically associated with urban live-bird markets, were cloned in trypsin-free chicken embryo fibroblast cultures. Selected clones were inoculated intranasally and intratracheally (IN/IT) into specific-pathogen-free laying hens, and virus reisolated from the hens that died was serially passed in hens by IN/IT inoculation. Several highly pathogenic reisolates were recovered from hens infected with the cloned NJ 12508 or FL27716 virus. A highly pathogenic NJ12508 reisolate killed 19 of 24 IN/IT-inoculated hens, and a FL27716 reisolate killed all 24 inoculated hens; signs and lesions were typical of fowl plague. In contrast, uncloned NJ 12508 stock virus killed 1 of 24 hens and FL27716 stock virus killed 4 of 24 hens, and neither produced the complete spectrum of lesions associated with fowl plague. Recovery of highly pathogenic viruses from these isolates demonstrates the coexistence of pathogenically distinct subpopulations of virus. Competition for dominance among such subpopulations could explain the variable pathogenicity of some AI viruses.
The Golden Girls Live: residual television texts, participatory culture, and queering TV heritage through drag

AbstractThe SF Golden Girls have been producing live performances of The Golden Girls episodes in drag since 2005, creating an iterative form of fan productivity that consistently resonates with San Francisco audiences. This essay considers the cultural significance of the SF Golden Girls’ live performances as a case study in how queer participatory culture can change the meanings of a residual media object. I argue that the participatory engagement between the audience members and the drag queen performers make The Golden Girls a collective and visible site of queer television heritage, and that producing The Golden Girls Live in drag also offers different logics of representation and engagement than television. These live performances are significant because The Golden Girls has become a symbol of television heritage, and performing episodes in drag explicitly queers a television program that has become a site of cultural memory and historical meaning. Additionally, these performances are staged in Dece...
Misperceptions as Political Conflict: Using Schattschneider’s Conflict Theory to Understand Rumor Dynamics

Publicly confronting political misperceptions enacts political conflict, generating communicative forms of public resistance as well as psychological resistance. Applying Schattschneider’s classic model of interest group political conflict to communication by those who publicly resisted messages debunking the misperception that vaccinations can cause autism offers insight into how misperceptions evolve and survive in public discourse. It also extends the model, establishing its relevance for contemporary forms of political conflict. Faced with debunking, believers socialize conflict, inviting audiences to join the struggle on their side, and alter the debate’s terms such that discussion escapes control by authorities. The resulting political debate is a moving target with changing standards of evidence. Consequently, confronting political misperceptions may generate activism that encourages misperceptions to evolve and spread.
Effects of Funding Fluctuations on Software Development: A System Dynamics Analysis

AbstractWhat happens when software project funding is temporarily cut off and then restored at a later date? Although project funding gaps clearly result in software delivery delays, it is difficult to understand the causes and estimate the relative magnitude of the impact. This article uses System Dynamics modeling to examine how gaps in funding affect software development productivity and product delivery delay. Results provide software engineering managers with an improved sense of the negative effect of budget fluctuations. Two key insights for practicing engineering managers include a Ramp Up Tax that slows development and a Gap Tax due to the loss of project-related skill and familiarity when developers are transferred off a project and then return. Model experiments presented allow managers to compare the impact of temporarily stopping a project versus stretching out a project by temporarily reducing the funding level. Both the model and the patterns of results can provide project managers with a s...
The Varied Radiographic Manifestations of Retroperitoneal Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma Revealed through 27 Cases

AbstractMalignant fibrous histiocytoma, a pleomorphic sarcoma, represents the most common soft tissue sarcoma of late adult life. Approximately 15 per cent of the cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma arise within the abdominal cavity or retroperitoneum. Although tumors in this series arose in many different sites, their proximity to the kidney necessitated a nephrectomy in 44 per cent of the cases (12 of 27). In 3 cases calcification was noted, which varied from a few small speckled areas to extensive large, coarse densities. The masses tended to compress or displace adjacent structures and vessels radiographically. Renal, duodenal and cecal invasion occasionally occurred. Ultrasonically, most tumors were hypoechoic (9 cases), with a few having a mixed pattern (2). On computerized tomography the masses were well circumscribed, with computerized tomography numbers in the range of solid tissue except for a few small areas of decreased density. The vascularity was variable, with 8 tumors being hypovascula...