cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-target impacts of fungicide disturbance on phyllosphere yeasts in different crop species and management systems

O_LIFungicides reduce fungal pathogen populations and are essential to food security. Fungicide disturbance of plant microbiomes has received limited attention. Understanding the impacts of fungicides on crop microbiomes in different cropping systems is vital to minimizing unintended consequences while maintaining their use for plant protection. C_LIO_LIWe used amplicon sequencing of fungi and prokaryotes in maize and soybean microbiomes before and after foliar fungicide application in leaves and roots from plots under long-term no-till and conventional tillage managements. We examine fungicide disturbance and microbiome resilience across these treatments. C_LIO_LIFoliar fungicides directly affected phyllosphere fungal communities, but not root fungal communities or prokaryote communities. Impacts on fungal phyllosphere composition and resiliency were management-dependent and lasted more than thirty days. Fungicides lowered pathogen abundance in maize and soybean and decreased the abundance of Tremellomycetes yeasts, especially the Bulleribacidiaceae, including core microbiome members. C_LIO_LIFungicide application reduced network complexity in the soybean phyllosphere. Bulleribacidiaceae often co-occurred with Sphingomonas and Hymenobacter in control plots, but co-occurrences were altered in fungicide plots. Results indicate that foliar fungicides lower pathogen and non-target fungal abundance and may impact prokaryotes indirectly. No-till management was more resilient following fungicide disturbance and recovery. C_LI
Barriers and opportunities for the mental health of LGBT older adults and older people living with HIV: a systematic literature review.

Objective LGBT older adults and older people living with HIV (PLWH) experience a disproportionate burden of behavioral health conditions compared to their heterosexual, cisgender, and HIV-negative peers. This study intends to systematically review the literature regarding accessing mental health care among LGBT older adults and older PLWH. Methods This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement framework. Three databases were searched using Boolean search strings, and inclusion/exclusion criteria were developed and applied to the search outcomes to appropriately narrow results. Article quality and evidence of bias were evaluated using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) quality-assessment tool, and the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) assessment tool, two instruments used to help reviewers in assessing for internal validity of studies. Two independent researchers coded the articles for themes, and consensus was reached on theme grouping through an iterative process. Results Out of 2,031 articles initially screened, 28 met all inclusion criteria and advanced to final analysis. Several key themes emerged, including a lack of provider competency in caring for LGBT patients, lower rates of insurance coverage, greater mental health burden, social and structural determinants of health, policy solutions, and technology and health literacy. Conclusion There were several domains identified in the literature as barriers to accessing mental healthcare, as well as opportunities to better attend to the mental health needs of these populations. Provider training, implementing health technology solutions, and enacting public policy changes could improve mental health outcomes.
Pre‐training perceived social self‐efficacy accentuates the effects of a cross‐cultural coping orientation program: Evidence from a longitudinal field experiment

Summary Analyzing additional data from a longitudinal field experiment, the present research investigate whether pre-training perceived social self-efficacy (PSSE) may moderate cross-cultural training effectiveness. On the basis of the interactionist perspective, we hypothesized that sojourners with high pre-training PSSE would benefit more from a cross-cultural coping orientation program, called “Realistic Orientation Program for Entry Stress” (ROPES), than sojourners with low pre-training PSSE. As a result, the treatment effects (the ROPES program over the control program—a traditional cross-cultural orientation program) would be more positive for high-PSSE sojourners than for low-PSSE sojourners. Seventy-two incoming graduate students from East Asia entering a large US public university were randomly assigned to either a ROPES program or a control program, and were assessed pre-entry and multiple times post-entry. The results strongly supported our predictions, as the hypothesized PSSE × Treatment interactions were observed on a comprehensive set of training outcomes based on multisource data. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Weight of Trash: Teaching Sustainability and Ecofeminism by Asking Undergraduates to Carry Around Their Own Garbage

This essay outlines a recent assignment I designed for an upper-division cross-listed women and gender studies/social justice and human rights course I teach called, “Trash, Freaks, and SCUM.” In the context of the students reading Edward Humes’ (2012) Garbology, the trash bag assignment asked that students carry around their trash for two 48-hour periods and that they present it to the class. While the first two day period assesses their actual trash output, students are asked to produce as little trash as possible for the second two day period. This assignment aims to make trash visible and to help students learn about climate change, sustainability, conspicuous consumption, and how their individual carbon footprint contributes to the “big picture” of environmental strain. I describe this assignment and its goals in this essay, followed by an assessment of its role in teaching about social justice, in order to underscore the importance of experiential learning with trash and to highlight how this assignment fits the mission of my courses on feminism and social justice.
Radiation-Induced Optical Absorption Spectra of Fiber Optic Waveguides in the 0.4–1.7 μ Region

Spectral measurements of the permanent and transient radiation-induced optical absorption in state-of-the-art low loss step and graded index optical fiber waveguides have revealed radiation-induced increases in the OH overtone and combination bands which limit the transmission at long wavelengths. The induced damage in Ge-doped silica core fibers codoped with B has been observed to increase at wavelengths longer than 1.05 μ, and P has been identified as a dopant which suppresses the intense uv Ge-related transient absorption in Ge-doped silica fibers but results in greater permanent damage in the visible and near ir.
Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge of Algebra Teachers on Certain Mathematical Axioms

The editorial board announced that this article has been retracted on August 20, 2012. If you have any further question, please contact us at: ies@ccsenet.org
Visual interface for textual information retrieval systems

A prototype user interface implementation for text information retrieval system is described. Using a visualization scheme, the interface provides visual feedback to the user about how the query words influence the ranking of retrieved documents. The interface also helps the user in constructing complex structured queries by simple drag-and-drop operations. An intuitive model where the user classifies the information provided to him/her as being positive and negative aids him/her in supplying rich relevance feedback information to the system. Our prototype interface has been built on top of INQUERY [Callan et al., 1992]. Preliminary experience with the interface shows it to be a valuable tool in aiding the interactive search process between the user and the system. To test the effectiveness of the interface, we plan to conduct studies on users with real information need searching a large corpus of articles.
Sidewall functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes with organic peroxides

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their fluorinated derivatives (F-SWNTs) were reacted with organic peroxides including benzoyl and lauroyl peroxide to produce phenyl and undecyl sidewall functionalized SWNTs, respectively, which were characterized by Raman, FTIR, and UV-Vis-NIR spectra as well as TGA/MS, TGA/FTIR, and TEM data.
The use of cultural algorithms with evolutionary programming to guide decision tree induction in large databases

In this paper, we use an evolutionary computational approach based upon cultural algorithms to guide the incremental learning decision trees by ITI. The results are compared to those produced by ITI itself for a complex real-world database. The results suggest that ITI can indeed produce optimal trees in some cases, and can produce optimal trees using an evolutionary approach in others.
Rubella infection after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Rubella is usually a mild disease of childhood characterized by rash, lymphadenopathy, low grade fever and leukopenia. The major morbidity associated with rubella is the development of congenital infection when disease occurs in susceptible pregnant women1. The prevalence and outcome of rubella in susceptible solid organ transplant recipients are unknown. This case report describes a 13-year-old liver transplant recipient who underwent evaluation for fever and adenopathy and was found to have rubella.
Mechanisms, Detection, and Potential Management of Microcirculatory Disturbances in Sepsis

Despite improvements in resuscitation and treatment of sepsis, the morbidity and mortality remain unacceptably high. Microvascular dysfunction has been shown to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of sepsis and is a potential new target in the management of sepsis. Clinical studies, aided by new techniques that allow for real-time assessment of the microcirculation, have shown that disturbances in microcirculatory flow are common in sepsis and correlate with worse outcomes. Bedside measurement of microcirculatory perfusion has become simpler and more accessible, and may provide key insights into prognosis in sepsis and guide future therapeutics, much like mean arterial pressure (MAP), lactate, and mixed central oxygen saturation (SvO(2)) do now. The authors review here the role of microcirculatory dysfunction in sepsis and its potential role as a therapeutic target in sepsis.
System development methodology implementation: perceived aspects of importance

The implementation of a systems development methodology SDM is one of the more difficult paths that many organizational managers have been traversing without benefit of guidance. This research project contains the results of a survey of participants on actual SDM implementation projects using an instrument based on interviews of experts in SDM implementation. The data collected was analyzed, using factor analysis, which identified five factors to consider during SDM implementation: Understanding Methodology Specifics and Benefits, System Personnel Manager Involvement and Responsibility with Organizational SDM Transition, Use of Models, Functional Manager Involvement/Support, and External Support. By paying close attention to aspects of these five factors, organizational managers can help their organization through the major change management phases of' readiness, adoption, and institutionlization of the changes caused by SDM implementation.
Effect of soil phosphorus fertility level on the uptake of cadmium by maize

Abstract The effect of soil P fertility on the accumulation of cadmium from soil by four week old maize shoots was investigated. The addition of phosphate to a P-deficient soil stimulated plant growth more than it increased total plant Cd content, thereby reducing the concentration of Cd in the maize shoots. The failure of increased soil P to reduce the total amount of Cd in the plants suggests that P fertilisation is not a generally effective method of reducing Cd contamination of maize products, although desirable reductions in Cd concentration may be achieved when fertilisation markedly stimulates plant growth.
A modified procedure for mixture-model clustering of regional geochemical data

Abstract A modified procedure is proposed for mixture-model clustering of regional-scale geochemical data. The key modification is the robust principal component transformation of the isometric log-ratio transforms of the element concentrations. This principal component transformation and the associated dimension reduction are applied before the data are clustered. The principal advantage of this modification is that it significantly improves the stability of the clustering. The principal disadvantage is that it requires subjective selection of the number of clusters and the number of principal components. To evaluate the efficacy of this modified procedure, it is applied to soil geochemical data that comprise 959 samples from the state of Colorado (USA) for which the concentrations of 44 elements are measured. The distributions of element concentrations that are derived from the mixture model and from the field samples are similar, indicating that the mixture model is a suitable representation of the transformed geochemical data. Each cluster and the associated distributions of the element concentrations are related to specific geologic and anthropogenic features. In this way, mixture model clustering facilitates interpretation of the regional geochemical data.
A new strategy for defining critical functional groups on heparan sulfate

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a sulfated polysaccharide present on cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix. Accumulating evidence shows that HS plays key roles in many biological systems by interacting with various proteins in a structural-specific manner. Due to technical difficulties, however, the understanding of critical functional groups on HS for protein interaction is vague. We report a rapid, convenient, sensitive, and inexpensive strategy using in vitro modification with pure enzymes and gel mobility shift assay to study the subject. We demonstrated the requirements of 3-O, 6-O sulfates and the minimal length of oligosaccharide for antithrombin III (AT-III) binding. We regenerated the binding sites for AT-III on completely desulfated N-resulfated heparin and revealed the critical modification enzymes. This new strategy could be used to identify critical functional groups on HS and to generate HS library and biologically active HS, providing information applicable to the design of HS drugs, such as anticoagulant reagents and viral infection blockers. The binding assay with fibroblast growth factors and receptors confirmed the general usefulness of this approach.
Past and contemporary contributions to cancer therapy by fellows of the Southern Surgical Association.

F f t is a great personal honor to serve as the 119 president of he Association, which is inclusive of the 118 Annual eeting. You have honored me in greater context than I eserve, because there are many Fellows in this audience oday who are equally deserving and have made major conributions to care of the surgical patient. I am particularly indebted to multiple mentors in my areer, and I will acknowledge these individuals later. I ant to begin by thanking Lynn, my wife of 4 decades, who s the mother of my children, my best friend, and has proided inspiration and support throughout my career. If one reflects on progress and success in one’s life, the enesis is always the parents, and I wish to thank Hazel and oward Bland, my late parents, who ensured a loving ome, encouragement, and support throughout my career. urther, I am deeply indebted to all of my colleagues in the epartment of Surgery at the University of Alabama at irmingham (UAB) for their diligence in patient care, stuent and resident education, and research. I am particularly ndebted to Arnold G Diethelm, elected in 1974, and John Kirklin, elected in 1967, of UAB, each of whom inpired a generation of students to enter and succeed in urgical careers; Gill Diethelm was my mentor as a tudent—a role he continues to serve while I am chair at AB. In addition, Edward R Woodward, elected in 1969, ester R Dragstedt, elected in 1960, and William W Pfaff, lected in 1977, were extraordinary mentors, teachers, and ubsequent colleagues when I was a resident and faculty ember at the University of Florida. Having spanned a areer at the University of Louisville, University of Florida, niversity of Texas MD Anderson, Brown University, and urrently UAB, I have always been surrounded by extraorinary mentors, friends, and dedicated physicians, with
Vietnamese Amerasians: Predictors of Distress and Self‐Destructive Behavior

There have been few empirical studies of Vietnamese Amerasians, children fathered by United States servicemen and civilians during the Vietnam War. In this study, the authors investigated pre- and postmigration variables that predict psychological distress and self-destructive behavior. The sample (N = 169) was selected from 10 cities throughout the United States. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of distress. Results revealed that observing traumatic events rather than actually experiencing trauma was a significant predictor of psychological distress. Participants with frequent cognitions about loss of significant people, places, or both were more likely to report psychological distress and self-destructive behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed in relationship to cross-cultural counseling with at-risk populations, including individuals from inner cities and war-stricken environments.
Prostaglandin Synthesis, Metabolism, and Signaling Potential in the Rhesus Macaque Corpus Luteum throughout the Luteal Phase of the Menstrual Cycle

Prostaglandins in the corpus luteum (CL) reportedly serve as luteotropic and luteolytic agents. Based mainly on studies conducted in domesticated animals and rodents, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is generally considered a luteotropic factor, whereas uterine-derived prostaglandin F2 (PGF2) initiates luteolysis. However, the role of prostaglandins in regulating primate luteal structure-function is poorly understood. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of individual mRNA or proteins that are involved in PGE2 and PGF2 biosynthesis, metabolism, and signaling was performed using CL obtained at distinct stages of the luteal life span during the menstrual cycle in rhesus monkeys. Peak levels of proteins involved in PGE2 synthesis (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, microsomal PGE2 synthase-1) and signaling (PGE2 receptor 3) occurred during periods corresponding to development and maintenance of the primate CL. Immunohistochemistry studies indicated that large luteal cells express PGE2 synthesizing and signaling proteins. Expression of PGE2 synthesizing and signaling proteins significantly decreased preceding the period of functional regression of the CL, which also coincided with increasing levels of PGF2 receptor protein expression within the large luteal cells. Moreover, significant levels of mRNA expression for several aldoketo reductase family members that synthesize PGF2 from other prostaglandins were observed throughout the rhesus macaque luteal phase, thus supporting the possibility of intraluteal PGF2 production. Collectively, our results indicate that there may be intraluteal synthesis and signaling of PGE2 during development and maintenance of the primate CL, followed by a shift to intraluteal PGF2 synthesis and signaling as the CL nears the time of luteolysis. (Endocrinology 149: 5861–5871, 2008)
Assessing Qualitative Dimensions of Emotional Responsiveness in Infants: Separation Reactions in the Strange Situation*

Time-sampled ratings of infant facial expressions, vocalirotions, and play activity were used to assess the quality of seporotian reactions in the Strange Situation ond to relate individual differences therein to the security of attachment. Forty- three infants were observed at 12% and 19% months. From these ratings, sum- mary measures were calculated for: peak distress and lability for the entire assessment. At each age, distress intensity was nega- tively correlated with latency to onset, positively correlated with duration ot recovery, and unassociated with rise time. These findings were interpreted in terms of the functioning of cognitive appraisol processes and the energy require- ments of distress reactions. Relations to the security of attachment revealed two clusters, with A and BIB, infants exhibiting lower distress intensity and longer onset latency during separations and quicker recovery during reunions than C and BIB, babies. Analyses of interactive measures revealed that the intensity of separation distress was strongly associated with a contact-maintaining versus distance interaction dimension of reunion behaviors. Individual differences in separation reactions were stable between 12% and 19% months only when there was stability in attachment status.
Selenium and selenomethionine levels in prostate cancer patients

Abstract Objective : Selenium (Se) and selenomethionine (Se-Met) have been identified as potential chemopreventive agents of prostate cancer. Using an assay for the speciation (separation and identification) and quantification of selenoamino acids, Se-Met was profiled in serum and prostate tissue from prostate cancer patients. Total Se was measured also. Methods : Serum and prostate tissue samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography ion channel plasma–mass spectrometry (HPLC ICP–MS). Samples were provided by 25 subjects undergoing radical prostatectomy for the treatment of prostate cancer. Results : The mean serum Se-Met concentration was 59.4±19.5ng/ml. Mean total serum Se levels were 133.8±29.2ng/ml. Total Se levels in paired samples from the transitional and peripheral zones of the prostate were also compared. Total mean Se levels in peripheral zone tissue was higher than in transitional zone tissue (0.432±0.212μg/g versus 0.293±0.172μg/g, P =0.01). Se-Met was detected in the majority of prostate tissues. Conclusion : This group of prostate cancer patients had total Se levels in serum and in prostate tissue in a range expected for normal Se intake. There was a significantly higher total Se level found in peripheral versus transitional zone tissues. This is the first time that Se-Met has been detected in prostate tissue.
Microwave sintering of sulphoaluminate cement with utility wastes

Abstract Class C flyash, baghouse dust and scrubber sludge have been successfully used for sulphoaluminate belite (SAB) cement preparation by microwave sintering. For proper raw mix proportioning, the modulus of gehlenite (C2AS) 1 formation (MG) and modulus of calcium sulphosilicate (2C2S·CS) formation (MS) were put forward. The results indicated that, when MG and MS were 0.90–1.10, C2AS and 2C2S·CS could be chemically eliminated when microwave-sintered at low temperature; with the 1150°C/10 min sintering condition, microwave-prepared sample had developed into SAB cement clinker with the main phases of C4A3S and β-C2S, while a conventionally fired one had not; with proper gypsum addition, microwave-prepared SAB cement developed strength similar to Type-I cement in 28-day hydration.
Far-field generation of localized light fields using absorbance modulation.

In this Letter, we report the confinement of a uniform beam of light (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{1}=400\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$) at the nodes of a standing wave (${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{2}=532\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{nm}$) via absorbance modulation. In the present implementation of absorbance modulation, a thin polymer film containing a photochromic azobenzene side chain is exposed to a standing wave at ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{2}$ and a uniform beam at ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{1}$, resulting in alternate regions of high and low absorbance. Light at ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{1}$ is localized around the low-absorbance regions. Using photoresist exposures, we mapped out the localized light intensity distribution, which agrees well with our theoretical model. Since the width of this distribution is primarily determined by the ratio of the intensities at the two wavelengths, this technique opens up the possibility of localizing light fields below the diffraction limit using far-field optics.
Efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy with TNP-470 in superficial and invasive bladder cancer models in mice☆

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of antiangiogenic therapy with O-(chloracetyl-carbamoyl) fumagillol (TNP-470) in a superficial and an invasive bladder cancer model in mice. The control of recurrent superficial and metastatic bladder cancer constitutes a major problem in urologic practice. Although the established therapies for these cases (immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy) have improved during the previous decades, further improvement and the reduction of existing side effects are needed. The inhibition of angiogenesis represents a new concept in cancer therapy. Methods. We evaluated the in vitro effect of TNP-470 on the proliferation of bovine capillary endothelial cells (BCE), the superficial transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) cell line (KK-47), and the invasive TCC cell line (MGH-U1). To evaluate the in vivo effect of TNP-470 on the growth of advanced TCCs, both cell lines were injected subcutaneously into SCID mice. When tumors grew to a size of 100 to 200 mm 3 , therapy either with TNP-470 or phosphate-buffered saline was initiated. Results. TNP-470 strongly inhibited endothelial cell proliferation in vitro. The in vitro proliferation of both bladder carcinoma cell lines was also inhibited by TNP-470. However, the doses inhibitory to bladder carcinoma cells were 100-fold higher than the doses that were effective in the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation. In vivo, TNP-470 significantly inhibited the growth of advanced KK-47 (67%) and MGH-U1 (68%) tumors in SCID mice. Conclusions. Our results indicate that antiangiogenic therapy with TNP-470 is equally effective in advanced superficial and invasive bladder carcinoma models in mice. When our results are taken together with the reports of other laboratories, TNP-470 appears to be a promising candidate as a tumor suppressor in superficial and invasive bladder cancer.
Differential regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses in viral encephalitis

Viral encephalitis is a global health concern. The ability of a virus to modulate the immune response can have a pivotal effect on the course of disease and the fate of the infected host. In this study, we sought to understand the immunological basis for the fatal encephalitis following infection with the murine coronavirus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV)-JHM, in contrast with the more attenuated MHV-A59. Distinct glial cell cytokine and chemokine response patterns were observed within 3 days after infection, became progressively more polarized during the course of infection and with the infiltration of leukocytes. In the brain, MHV-JHM infection induced strong accumulation of IFNbeta mRNA relative to IFNgamma mRNA. This trend was reversed in MHV-A59 infection and was accompanied by increased CD8 T cell infiltration into brain compared to MHV-JHM infection. Increased apoptosis appeared to contribute to the diminished presence of CD8 T cells in MHV-JHM-infected brain with the consequence of a lower potential for IFNgamma production and antiviral activity. MHV-JHM infection also induced sustained mRNA accumulation of the innate immune response products interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1. Furthermore, high levels of macrophage-inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and MIP-2 mRNA were observed at the onset of MHV-JHM infection and correlated with a marked elevation in the number of macrophages in the brain on day 7 compared to MHV-A59 infection. These observations indicate that differences in the severity of viral encephalitis may reflect the differential ability of viruses to stimulate innate immune responses within the CNS and subsequently the character of infiltrating leukocyte populations.
The lipolytic effects of mouse placental lactogen II, mouse prolactin, and mouse growth hormone on adipose tissue from virgin and pregnant mice.

The lipolytic activities of three structurally related mouse hormones, placental lactogen II (mPL-II), GH (mGH), and PRL (mPRL), and human PL (hPL) were investigated. Adipose tissue was obtained from virgin and day 12 and day 16 pregnant mice. Lipolytic activity was assessed by the ability of the hormones to stimulate glycerol release from fat explants in the presence of dexamethasone and by the ability of the hormones to sensitize adipose tissue to the lipolytic stimulus theophylline. In the first experiment, adipose tissue explants were incubated in Krebs-Ringer buffer with 0.0, 0.1, 0.5,1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 μg/val hormone for 4 h. mGH was lipolytic at a concentration of 0.5 μg/ml or greater in adipose tissue from both virgin and pregnant mice. mPRL was lipolytic at a concentration of 5.0 μg/ml or greater in adipose tissue from virgin mice. In adipose tissue from pregnant mice mPRL was not lipolytic in day 12 tissue, but it was lipolytic at a concentration of 5.0 μg/ ml in day 16 tissue. mPL-II and hPL di...
Utility of Electrocardiogram in the Assessment and Monitoring of Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension

Purpose Adult studies have shown utility of ECGs in disease stratification and monitoring in pulmonary hypertension (PH). We sought to identify the ECG findings that are present in pediatric PH and correlate with disease severity and change over time. Methods and Materials We retrospectively identified all patients ≤21 years old with PH (Dana Point 1.1 and 3.7) confirmed by catheterization (cath) and had an ECG within 60 days of cath. ECG and cath findings included: right axis deviation (RAD); right atrial enlargement (RAE); right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and strain; pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and capillary wedge pressure; right atrial pressure; cardiac index; and indexed pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). A change in PVR of ≥20% was deemed significant between caths. Results We identified 48 patients (46% group 1.1), yielding 107 cath-ECG pairs. Median age at cath was 49 months (IQR: 4-202). Median PVR was 7.2 WU/m2 (2.2-27.9). Of the 107 pairs, 94% had ECG abnormalities: 54% with RAD; 80% with RVH; 57% with a rSR’/qR in V1/V4R; 19% with RAE; and 3% with bundle branch block. Individual ECG parameters weakly correlated with PVR and the transpulmonary gradient (TPG). Combination of RAD and RVH significantly correlated with PVR (β=3.9), PAP (β=14.8), and TPG (β=15.1), (p Conclusions ECG abnormalities are common in pediatric PH. RAD and RVH on ECG was associated with worse hemodynamics, while their absence predicted a lack of disease progression.
Structure and evolution of human alpha-fetoprotein deduced from partial sequence of cloned cDNA.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of a recombinant DNA clone, containing a partial mRNA sequence for human α-fetoprotein (AFP) in the plasmid vector pBR322, has been determined. Two regions of the cloned nucleotide sequence were found to agree with published amino acid sequences of two cyanogen bromide peptides derived from human AFP. Examination of the amino acid sequence, deduced from the cloned portion of the mRNA coding region, reveals extensive homology with the third domain of the human serum albumin molecule. A total of 44% ( case56 128 ) amino acids and 54% ( case207 384 ) nucleotides are identical in the two structures. The landmark cysteine residues are found in the same positions in both polypeptide chains, presumably forming the same disulfide bridges in AFP as those found in the albumin. The sequence homology reinforces the evidence that human AFP and albumin constitute a gene family, in analogy to the same family found in rodents. A comparison of the human and rodent sequence data suggests that the rate of molecular evolution has been faster for AFP than for albumin.
Causality Between Built Environment and Travel Behavior: Structural Equations Model Applied to Southern California

The goal of this study was to explore the causality between the built environment and three transportation modes (private vehicles, mass transit, and nonmotorized modes such as bicycling and walking) while accounting for sociodemographic characteristics for an understanding of what factors may foster transit and nonmotor use. Data from the 2009 National Household Transportation Survey combined with Los Angeles County, California, land use data were used to estimate a recursive structural equations model for an examination of causality direction and for a quantification of the built environment effect and residential self-selection effect. Results suggest that urban planning strategies that promote high population and employment density, land use mix, high four-way intersection density, and road density as well as good transit service can either significantly encourage transit use, bicycling, and walking or reduce vehicle miles traveled. However, the relatively small effect of the size of the built environ...
Effect of Syntactic Order on Serial-Recall Performance of Hearing-Impaired and Normal-Hearing Subjects.

Previous research on the effect of syntactic order on the memory performance of hearing-impaired subjects has indicated that in contrast to normal-hearing subjects the deaf do not make use of the s...
SPYDER: a serial/parallel goal-directed router

Abstract We have developed an approach to channel routing that is more general than previous ones. Our router can handle a variety of problems such as switchboxes, critical nets, rip-up-and-reroute, variable width channels, and variable width tracks. It should also be able to handle routing the Multiple-layer, Multiple-terminal (M&M) problem posed by the 3-D chips being proposed for the next generation. Finally, we have demonstrated a coarse-grained parallel version of the router. The concept of the approach is explained along with details of the algorithm.
Stem mortality following fire in Kalahari sand vegetation: effects of frost, prior damage, and tree neighbourhoods

Fire is a key factor affecting the survivorship and dynamics of woody plants in savannas, but few empirical studies in savanna vegetation have investigated correlates of mortality following fire at the level of individual stems. A study of stem mortality as a function of size, neighbourhood effects, and prior damage (mainly caused by elephants) was undertaken in an area of Kalahari sand vegetation in western Zimbabwe. Stem and whole-plant mortality were quantified for the dominant stems of 557 trees in 4 plots following dry season unplanned fires in 2001. Two plots were located in areas that had been affected by frost earlier in the season, and 2 in areas that had not. Mortality was also recorded for 1762 trees in 20 unburned reference plots, also classified according to the presence of frost damage. Mortality estimators were constructed with a maximum likelihood regression method. Whole-plant mortality was low (on the order of 1–2%) compared with stem mortality, which in burned plots approximated 100% for the smallest size classes and declined as a function of stem diameter. Fire-driven mortality was lower in stems protected by the crowns of larger trees than in stems that were in the open. There was also evidence to suggest that the effects of fire are exacerbated by the prior action of frost and elephant herbivory.
Direct observation of the behavior of grain boundaries during continuous dynamic recrystallization in an Al–4Mg–0.3Sc alloy

The micromechanisms operating during dynamic continuous recrystallization of an Al-4Mg-0.3Sc alloy have been studied in real time by reloading pre-deformed samples at temperature in situ in the transmission electron microscope. The processes responsible for the evolution of the microstructure include the migration and breakup of subgrain boundaries, the destruction of triple junctions, and large-scale volume rotations. These observations are considered in terms of the micromechanisms proposed previously to account for dynamic continuous recrystallization.
A Phase-Shifting DIC Technique for Measuring 3D Phase Objects: Experimental Verification

Experimental verification of our previously proposed linear phase imaging technique for differential inference contrast microscopy (DIC) microscopy is presented. This technique first applies phase-shifting methods to DIC to acquire linear phase gradient images in two orthogonal directions. A special Fourier integration algorithm is then applied to the combined phase gradient images to create a single linear phase image in which intensity is proportional to phase. This overcomes the limitations of traditional DIC, which cannot accurately measure the phase (i.e. refractive index or thickness) of embedded 3D phase objects. The linear phase imaging technique is implemented using a standard DIC microscope altered to allow controlled phase shifting, a low noise CCD camera, and post-processing in Matlab. The results presented confirm the linear proportionality of intensity to phase in these images.
Models of baryogenesis via spontaneous Lorentz violation

In the presence of background fields that spontaneously violate Lorentz invariance, a matter-antimatter asymmetry can be generated even in thermal equilibrium. In this paper we systematically investigate models of this type, showing that either high-energy or electroweak versions of baryogenesis are possible, depending on the dynamics of the Lorentz-violating fields. In addition to the previously studied models of spontaneous baryogenesis and quintessential baryogenesis, we identify two scenarios of interest: baryogenesis from a weak-scale pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson with intermediate-scale baryon-number violation, and sphaleron-induced baryogenesis driven by a constant-magnitude vector with a late-time phase transition.
Soymilk supplementation does not alter plasma markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women.

Aging is associated with increasing levels of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to the progression of cardiovascular disease. Attenuation of such processes via dietary intervention has significant public health implications. Soyfoods, as a source of high-quality protein and isoflavones, may improve such indices, although such effects in healthy aging women are not well delineated. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that 4 weeks of daily soymilk consumption would improve systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in postmenopausal women when compared with a dairy control. In September 2009, a single-blind, randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 31 postmenopausal women at Baylor University, Waco, Tex. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume 3 servings of vanilla soy (n = 16) or reduced fat dairy (n = 15) milk per day for 4 weeks. Plasma markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6) and oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2]) were obtained before and after supplementation. No significant differences were observed for any of the plasma inflammatory (TNF-α, P = .08; IL-1β, P = .14; IL-6, P = .26) or oxidative stress (SOD, P = .68; GPx, P = .58; COX-2, P = .99) variables by dietary treatment group. Despite good dietary compliance, our study failed to show a significant effect of soymilk consumption on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in this postmenopausal female population. Potential reasons for this nonsignificant finding are discussed, and future research directions are presented.
The black nightshades (Solanum section Solanum) of the Indian subcontinent

Material of Solanum section Solanum from India and Pakistan is assignable to three species: a diploid, S. americanum; a tetraploid, S. villosum; and a hexaploid, S. nigrum. These species are distinguished by slight but consistent differences and a key is included to facilitate their identification. None of the members of section Solanum appears to be a weed of significant agronomic importance in this area, except in a few localized areas.
Use of allopurinol and deferoxamine in cellular protection during ischemia.

Abstract During cellular ischemia and death, many changes occur in the cell. These include the build-up of purines and lipid peroxidation. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of allopurinol, which blocks purine breakdown, and defer-oxamine, which inhibits lipid peroxidation, as cytoprotective agents. Rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and were treated with high or low doses of allopurinol or high or low doses of deferoxamine, with normal saline used as a control. Treatments were given 1 hour before, 1 hour after, or 5 hours after occlusion. The outcome was based on neurological status and infarct size. Both infarct size and neurological status were found to be improved in all treatment groups when compared to controls. This study suggests that the use of these agents prevents cellular damage during ischemia.
Self-concept in children with Down syndrome

Self-concept is a critical indicator of quality of life but few studies have examined this subject in children with Down syndrome (DS). In this study, we propose a novel methodology to assess the self-concept of children with DS by analyzing their responses towards two dolls, one with a "typically developing" (TD) appearance and one with the phenotypic features of DS. Fifty-four children with DS participated in play sessions with both dolls and were then interviewed to assess doll preference, resemblance, and attribution of positive qualities. We observed that children with DS: (i) exhibited a preference for the TD doll regardless of age, gender, IQ or self-awareness; (ii) attributed more positive qualities to the TD doll than the DS doll; and (iii) believed that they resembled the TD doll, rather than the more phenotypically accurate representation of themselves. Older participants were more likely to exhibit self-recognition by this technique. These findings contribute to current understandings of how people with DS view themselves and their disability.
Using Science Camps to Develop Understandings about Scientific Inquiry--Taiwanese Students in a U.S. Summer Science Camp.

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic rise in the number of middle and high school students from Asian countries participating in U.S.-based summer experiences (Perlez & Gao, 2013). Although summer science camps have been shown to improve students’ attitudes and interests related to science and science learning (Bhattacharyya, Mead & Nathaniel, School Science and Mathematics 111:345–353, 2011; Fields, International Journal of Science Education 31:151–171, 2009; Gibson & Chase, Science Education 86:693–705, 2002; Luehmann, International Journal of Science Education 31:1831–1855, 2009), whether there are cognitive gains for visiting students in these short-term experiences is not well understood (Liu & Lederman, School Science and Mathematics 102:114–123, 2002; Williams, Ma, Prejean, Ford & Lai, Journal of Research on Technology in Education 40:201–216, 2007). This study explored the efficacy of a U.S. summer science camp to engender improved understandings about scientific inquiry (SI) among a group of gifted Taiwanese students (n = 19) in grades 8 and 9. Participants were completing an 80-h summer science camp at a Midwestern U.S. university. The Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) questionnaire (Lederman, Lederman, Bartos, Bartels, Antink Meyer & Schwartz, Journal of Research in Science Teaching 51:65–83, 2014) was used to capture students’ views before and after camp participation, with modest gains evident for five of the eight aspects of scientific inquiry assessed. These gains were related to scientific investigations beginning with a question, the multiple methods of science, the role of the question in guiding procedures, the distinction between data and evidence, and the combination of data and what is already known in the development of explanations. Implications for the structure of science camps for supporting the development of SI understandings among students from Asian classrooms, and in general, are discussed.
The U.S. DOEs High Temperature Membrane Effort

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring research and development (R&D) efforts emphasising fuel cell membrane materials that can operate at temperatures up to 120 °C with no inlet humidification and at total pressures of <2.5 atm. Several different strategies are being investigated and will be discussed. Recent results have demonstrated improved conductivity at lower relative humidity (RH) compared to standard perfluorosulphonic acid membranes. At 120 °C, conductivity approaching 0.1 S cm–1 has been achieved at 50% RH, an improvement over Nafion 112 by more than a factor of three. Detailed results of DOE sponsored research will be discussed, as well as incorporation of membranes into membrane electrode assemblies. Finally, the impact of the different strategies on durability will be discussed.
Spreading behavior and surface characteristics of young and senescent WI38 fibroblasts revealed by scanning electron microscopy

Abstract Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed quantitative differences in both surface characteristics and spreading behavior of young and senescent WI38 human diploid fibroblasts. Measurement of spreading behavior involved the determination of the rate of cell elongation beyond an axial ratio of 1.5 after time intervals of 1.5, 3, 6, 9, and 12 h following subculture. Early passage cells exhibited a 44–52% increased spreading rate compared with later passage cells, both obeying zero-order kinetics. Surface microvilli and blebs were also found to vary in number and size after those same time intervals following subculture. In young cells, microvilli density was found initially to be very low but then increased steadily with time. Later passage cells exhibited an initial high density of microvilli, followed by a gradual disappearance with time. The density of cellular blebs did not, however, vary significantly with time following subculture. After approx. 24 h, both early and late passage cells resembled each other. These studies do show that physical membrane characteristics of young and senescent cells differ under certain conditions, and suggest the importance of that structure in the phenomena of senescence.
Development of sex differences in the rabbit masseter muscle is not restricted to a critical period

The proportions of muscle fibers of different phenotype in the adult rabbit masseter differ greatly in different sexes. These sex differences are not apparent in young adults, but arise under the i...
Limits for Lepton-Conserving and Lepton-Nonconserving Double Beta Decay in Ca 48

A search has been made for double beta decay in ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{48}$ using a new technique which involves the use of ${\mathrm{CaF}}_{2}$ crystals as scintillation detectors. These crystals, enriched in either ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{48}$ or ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{40}$, were used to detect ionizing particles originating within the crystals. The advantages of this technique are (1) a $4\ensuremath{\pi}$ geometry for a source without self-absorption and (2) good resolution which is independent of the relative angular and energy distribution of the two electrons. A lower limit of ${2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10}^{20}$ yr is placed on the lepton-nonconserving double beta decay without neutrinos. The determination of a lower limit for the Dirac-type double beta decay (with emission of two neutrinos) is complicated by impurities in the ${\mathrm{Ca}}^{48}$ used. By resorting to the usual coincidence type of search for double beta decay, which makes the effect of the impurities negligible, we established a lower limit of ${5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}10}^{18}$ yr for this process. This is comparable with the lower limit of the theoretical estimates.