cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A tubo-ovarian cyst, paraovarian cysts and lesions of the oviduct in the mare.

Abstract A tubo-ovarian cyst caused unilateral obstruction of ovum transport in a young Thoroughbred mare. Its effect was a reduction in reproductive efficiency since ovulations from the affected ovary were unproductive. No occluded oviducts were found among 24 pairs of oviducts examined at post mortem. Occlusion of the oviducts in mares is apparently extremely rare. The most common types of cysts found in association with the ovaries in mares are small paraovarian cysts. They are usually found in the fimbriated portion of the oviduct and do not interfere with fertility.
Health care reform: Will the subject fall out of the topic?

... the problem of designing institutions that do justice to the equal importance of all persons, without making unacceptable demands on individuals, has not been solved (Nagel, 1991).
Acute phase gene expression in mice exposed to the marine neurotoxin domoic acid

Domoic acid is a rigid analog of the neurotransmitter glutamate and a potent agonist of kainate subtype glutamate receptors. Persistent activation of these receptor subtypes results in rapid excitotoxicity, calcium dependent cell death and neuronal lesions in areas of the brain where kainate pathways are concentrated. To better understand responses to domoic acid induced excitotoxicity, microarrays were used to profile gene expression in mouse brain following domoic acid exposure. Adult female mice were subjected intraperitoneally to domoic acid at the lethal dose 50, killed and dissected at 30, 60 and 240 min post-injection. Total brain RNA from treated mice was compared with time-matched controls on Agilent 22K feature microarrays. Real-time PCR was performed on selected genes. For the 30, 60 and 240 min time points, 3.96%, 3.94% and 4.36% of the genes interrogated were differentially expressed (P-value < or = 0.01), respectively. Rigorous filtering of the data resulted in a set of 56 genes used for trending analysis and K-medians and agglomerative clustering. The earliest genes induced consisted primarily of early response gene families (Jun, Fos, Ier, Egr, growth arrest and DNA damage 45) and the inflammatory response element cyclooxygenase 2. Some later responding genes involved glucocorticoid responses (Gilz, Sgk), cold inducible proteins (Cirbp, Rbm3), Map kinases (Map3k6) and NF-kappaB inhibition. Real-time PCR in male mice from an additional study confirmed the expression of several of these genes across gender. The transcriptional profile induced by domoic acid shared similarity with expression profiles of brain ischemia and other excitotoxins, suggesting a common transcriptional response.
Visual Motion Interferes with Tactile Motion Perception

Previous studies have demonstrated that visual apparent motion can alter the judgment of auditory apparent motion. We investigated the effect of visual apparent motion on judgments of the direction of tactile apparent motion. When visual motion was presented at the same time as, but in a direction opposite to, tactile motion, accuracy in judging the direction of tactile apparent motion was substantially reduced. This reduction in performance is referred to as ‘the congruency effect’. Similar effects were observed when the visual display was placed either near to the tactile display or at some distance from the tactile display (experiment 1). In experiment 2, the relative alignment between the visual and tactile directions of motion was varied. The size of the congruency effect was similar at 0° and 45° alignments but much reduced at a 90° alignment. In experiment 3, subjects made confidence ratings of their judgments of the direction of the tactile motion. The results indicated that the congruency effect ...
Acute and sublethal toxicity of tributyltin oxide (tbto) and its putative environmental product, tributyltin sulfide (tbts) to zoeal mud crabs, rhithropanopeus harrisii

Mud crab larvae, Rhithropanopeus harrisii were exposed to tributyltin oxide, (TBTO) (0.5, 1, 5, 10, 15, or 25 μg l−1) or tributyltin sulfide (TBTS) (0.5, 1, 5, 20, 30, or 50 μg l−1). Differential survival was observed in TBTO concentrations equal to or greater than 10 gg l−1 and in TBTS concentrations equal to or greater than 20 μg l−1 Growth and development rate were assessed as sublethal indices of stress. Of the two, development rate was more sensitive. All groups exposed to either compound had slower development rates than controls. Growth of the larvae, as shown by weight gain, was slightly increased in low exposures (a hormetic response) and decreased significantly in higher concentrations. The mean weight of the 50 μg l−1 TBTS group showed the largest decrease, to 57% of the control. The hormesis response was further examined by measuring daily growth of the zoeae. All groups exposed to tributyltin compounds showed an initial growth lag. The hormesis response occurred in the fourth zoeal stage or megalops. While R. harrisii is relatively tolerant to the acute toxicity of tributyltin compounds compared to other marine crustaceans tested, sublethal responses occur in very low concentrations. This points to the need for analyses to characterize tributyltin environmental concentrations.
Electron-impact excitation of lithium

The results of R-matrix with pseudostates (RMPS) and time-dependent close-coupling (TDCC) calculations of electron-impact excitation in Li are presented. We included 55 terms in the RMPS close-coupling expansion, of which nine are spectroscopic and 46 are pseudostates. The two-electron radial wave functions generated from earlier TDCC calculations for ionization from the ground state of Li by Colgan et al. [Phys. Rev. A 63, 062709 (2001)] are employed to determine the TDCC excitation cross sections. The RMPS and TDCC cross sections for transitions from ${1s}^{2}2s$ to ${1s}^{2}2p,$ ${1s}^{2}3l,$ and ${1s}^{2}4l$ are compared to each other and to cross sections determined from our R-matrix calculation without pseudostates, the convergent close-coupling calculations presented by Schweinzer et al. [At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 72, 239 (1999)], the coupled-channel optical calculations of Bray et al. [Phys. Rev. A 47, 1101 (1993)], and experimental measurements. These results indicate that coupling to the target continuum has a significant effect on electron-impact excitation in this atom; this increases with the principal quantum number of the excited term, and is large for transitions to ${1s}^{2}4l.$
"Abnormal" electrocardiograms in patients with cocaine-associated chest pain are due to "normal" variants

Abstract “Abnormal” electrocardiograms are found in 56% to 84% of patients with cocaine-associated chest pain. This study was designed to assess whether these findings can be explained by “normal” variations in young patients' electrocardiograms. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a municipal hospital emergency department and walk-in clinic. History and results of an electrocardiogram for consecutive patients with cocaine-associated chest pain, aged 18 to 35 years, were compared to normal controls matched for age, race, and gender. Electrocardiograms underwent detailed analysis by two physicians blinded to both the study protocol and the hypothesis. Interphysician concordance for electrocardiographic diagnosis was substantial. There were 112 patients enrolled, 56 in each group. There was no significant difference found in the mean frequency of electrocardiographic diagnoses between the cocaine-associated chest pain patients and controls. The early repolarization variant was common. In conclusion, “normal” variations (J point and ST segment elevations) account for many of the “abnormal” electrocardiograms observed in young patients with cocaine-associated chest pain. Father study is needed to define the prevalence of these “normal” variations, and to determine if standard electrocardiographic criteria for thrombolysis apply to young patients.
Intrauterine growth-retarded rat pups show increased susceptibility to pulmonary O2 toxicity.

Intrauterine Growth-Retarded Rat Pups Show Increased Susceptibility to Pulmonary O 2 Toxicity
RNA-Directed Therapy: The Next Step in the miRNA Revolution.

RNA, once regarded as merely a messenger molecule in the process of gene expression, has recently emerged as a promising target for cancer therapy (reviewed in [1]). A major role for RNA in eukaryotes is carrying a DNA message from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it provides a template for protein synthesis. However, the recent discovery of small RNAs or microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate the function and stability of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) has provided new roles for RNA regulating cell processes. Additionally, small RNAs are being exploited as a tool in systems biology to understand gene regulatory networks. We have just returned from a Forbeck Foundation Forum (http://www.wgfrf.org), held annually in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, at which 16 leaders in the miRNA field talked about their latest work. Theirs is a message that deserves the widest circulation, for it portends a major change in our concepts of the origins, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. These small RNAs may prove “imperial” like the diminutive Napoleon Bonaparte who was also short . . . but mighty. Instructions for about 20,000 protein-coding genes are contained in the DNA sequence of the human genome. mRNAs are strands of hundreds to thousands of nucleotides that serve as templates for synthesis of proteins by ribosomes found in the cytoplasm. Translation into proteins may be affected by several factors, including amino acid availability, the levels of specific proteins involved in translation, and feedback effects of the coded proteins. Regulation of translation has mainly been ascribed to interactions between proteins and the noncoding portions of the mRNA itself. It has generally been thought that these proteins were solely responsible for control of translation. Now, evidence is mounting that miRNAs bind to these noncoding regions of mRNA and exert profound effects on protein synthesis and consequently cell functions. The implications for cancer are astonishing. First discovered 14 years ago in Caenorhabditis elegans [2, 3], a primitive worm, miRNAs may target at least one third of all mRNAs. On average, each of the approximately 600 miRNAs found in mammalian cells contains partial sequence homology to 100–200 mRNAs. miRNAs have been implicated in the regulation of a diversity of processes, such as Band T-cell development, antigen response, immune surveillance and tolerance, and other basic functions such as cell proliferation and death. In distinction to artificially synthesized small interfering RNAs, which target a single mRNA and cause its digestion by endonucleases, miRNAs target multiple mRNAs through partial sequence complementarity and function primarily by inhibiting protein translation (Fig. 1). However, new work by a Yale team has added a new dimension, suggesting that, in synchronously replicating cells, miRNAs may reverse course and become stimulatory to RNA translation [4]. Recent work from several laboratories has revealed that, in the development of lymphoid cells from undifferentiated precursors to mature antigen responders, specific miRNAs
Usefulness of the peak velocity difference by tissue Doppler imaging technique as an effective predictor of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves symptoms and functional status in heart failure patients; however, current selection criteria need improvement. A novel tissue Doppler imaging parameter, the peak velocity difference (PVD), defined as the greatest difference in time to peak velocity between any of 6 left ventricular regions, may better select responders to CRT. Subjects were divided into 2 groups based on the PVD. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters significantly improved in subjects with dyssynchrony by the baseline PVD and had a better overall response to CRT.
Interactive manipulation of quadric surfaces in stereo

A stereoscopic drawing program is described which permits the user to display and manipulate quadric surfaces. The quadric surfaces are the 3-dimensional relatives of the ellipse, parabola and hyperbola and include ellipsoids, hyperboloids of one sheet, hyperboloids of two sheets, elliptic cones, elliptic paraboloids, and hyperbolic paraboloids. These surfaces have both implicit and parametric representations. A 3-button mouse is used to create and manipulate the surfaces. Rubber-banding can be used to define the surface and three dimensional transformations of the surface including scaling, rotation and translation are defined by mouse movement. A goal is to maintain a consistent and intuitive method of control for these surfaces, using techniques similar to those used in 2-dimensional drawing systems. The tessellation, color and shading characteristics of a surface can be determined interactively by the user.
The phenomenology of the pre-sleep state: The development of the pre-sleep arousal scale

Abstract The goal of the research reported in this paper was to develop an instrument which individuals can use to describe their state of arousal as they fall asleep. The instrument devised, the Pre-sleep Arousal Scale (PSAS). is a 16-item self-report questionnaire comprising both cognitive and somatic manifestations of arousal. In order to assess its psychometric properties, the PSAS was administered to 147 college students, 30 adult normal sleepers and 30 insomniacs along with measures of anxiety, depression and self-report indices of sleep disturbance. In addition, 31 college students monitored their sleep behavior and pre-sleep arousal over 10 consecutive nights in their own bedrooms. As evidence of the scale's validity, Cognitive and Somatic subscales were significantly correlated with anxiety, depression and general indices of sleeping difficulty. Moreover, both scales successfully discriminated insomniacs from normal sleepers and correlated significantly with nightly reports of sleep-onset latency. The Cognitive subscale, however, was more strongly associated with general as well as nightly sleep-onset latency measures than the Somatic subscale. The results suggest that the PSAS may be a useful tool for future studies of the pre-sleep state and a helpful screening measure for individuals with sleep disturbance.
Is prostate-specific antigen density more useful than prostate-specific antigen levels in the diagnosis of prostate cancer?

Objectives To compare the performance of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels with the performance of PSA density (PSAD), the ratio of the serum to the size of the prostate, as predictors of the presence of prostate cancer. Methods We analyzed the results of digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), serum PSA levels, and PSAD in 244 patients who had a needle biopsy of the prostate. Results Cancer was detected in 110 patients (45%). Compared with DRE, TRUS and serum PSA levels 4.0 ng/mL or higher, PSAD at a cutoff point of 0.15 ng/mL/cm 3 was significantly more specific and had a higher positive predictive value than each of the other tests but was significantly less sensitive than TRUS and PSA ( P P Conclusions Overall, PSAD was significantly more accurate than PSA for predicting the results of needle biopsy of the prostate, but in practice PSAD proved useful in only a small subset of patients. If the serum PSA level was high but the PSAD was low, cancer was rarely detected. These patients may be suitable candidates for careful follow-up rather than early repeat biopsy.
Effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on macrophage phospholipid classes and subclasses.

This study examined the effects of n−3 and n−6 polyunsaturated fatty acid alimentation on murine peritoneal macrophage phospholipids. Mice were fed complete diets supplemented with either corn oil predominantly containing 18∶2n−6, borage oil containing 18∶2n−6 and 18∶3n−6, fish/corn oil mixture containing 18∶2n−6, 20∶5n−3 and 22∶6n−3, or fish/borage oil mixture containing 18∶2n−6, 18∶3n−6, 20∶5n−3 and 22∶6n−3. After two weeks, the fatty acid levels of glycerophosphoserines (GPS), glycerophosphoinositols (GPI), sphingomyelin (SPH), and of the glycerophosphocholine (GPC) and glycerophosphoethanolamine (GPE) phospholipid subclasses were determined. We found that mouse peritoneal macrophage GPC contain primarily 1-0-alkyl-2-acyl (range for the dietary groups, 24.6–30.5 mol %) and 1,2-diacyl (63.2–67.2 mol %), and that GPE contains 1-O-alk-1-enyl-2-acyl (40.9–47.4 mol. %) and 1,2-diacyl (44.2–51.2 mol %) subclasses. In general, fish oil feeding increased macrophage 20∶5n−3, 22∶5n−3 and 22∶6n−3 levels while simultaneously reducing 20∶4n−6 in GPS, GPI, GPE and GPC subclasses except for 1-O-alk-1′-enyl-2-acyl GPC. Administration of 18∶3n−6 rich diets (borage and fish/borage mixture) resulted in the accumulation of 20∶3n−6 (2-carbon elongation product of 18∶3n−6) in most phospholipids. In general, the novel combination of dietary 18∶3n−6 and n−3 PUFA produced the highest 20∶3n−6/20∶4n−6 phospholipid fatty acid ratios. This study demonstrates that marked differences in the responses of macrophage phospholipid classes and subclasses exist following dietary manipulation. The reduction of 20∶4n−6, while simultaneously increasing 30∶3n−6 and n−3 PUFA levels, may be important in relation to the putative beneficial effects of 20∶3n−6 and fish oil on macrophage eicosanoid and platelet activating factor (PAF) biosynthesis.
Rollins B, Perri M. Pharmaceutical Marketing. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2013, 282 pp, $69.95 (softcover), ISBN 9781449697990.

Pharmaceutical Marketing serves as an eventual answer to the long-lasting dearth in pharmacy-specific pharmaceutical marketing texts. This book has made a remarkable step toward the understanding of pharmaceutical marketing and its practical applications in the industry. Several authors from different disciplines and backgrounds, including academia, industry, and health care contributed to writing this book. Pharmaceutical Marketing would make a great addition for different types of readers interested in getting acquainted with the field of pharmaceutical marketing. This text succeeds in explaining not only the theoretical principles of pharmaceutical marketing that are crucial to know, but also in presenting it to the reader in a way that pertains to the current actual practice of marketing of pharmaceutical products. As a result, combining theoretical knowledge with examples from actual practice enables beginning learners in the pharmaceutical marketing field, such as students, to easily comprehend different details as they relate to both clinical and industrial practice. Moreover, the authors provide a quick yet sufficient introduction about different topics the reader needs to be aware of before going through the bulk of relevant details.
Dynamic calibration of current-steering DAC

High accuracy digital to analog converters (DACs) are becoming increasingly important as the common used building block in communication systems. With the increasing of the update rate, dynamic performance of such DACs at high frequencies is of particular interest. The dynamic performance is often characterized by the spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) and the SFDR is limited by the spectral harmonics which are attributed by system nonlinearities. In this paper, the dynamic nonlinearity is analyzed and its effect on the output waveform is discussed. An approach is presented to calibrate the dynamic errors. The validity of this approach is demonstrated with a 15-bit current steering DAC. Simulation results show that the approach is robust and the SFDR can be correspondingly significantly improved by using this calibration scheme.
Identification of artistic styles using a local statistical metric

An algorithm for identifying the artist who created a picture is described. The algorithm relies upon computing the distribution of long and short lines in the image and comparing this distribution. The algorithm is one example of algorithms which can be designed to answer questions about global characteristics. This particular example computes the averages against a precomputed set from model samples. The distribution of line lengths is a statistical characterization which can be used to distinguish between artists. The current implementation is limited to black-and-white binary images. The results of testing the implementation on the daily comics is presented. Some of the related work in both computer science and art history which provides a conceptual background for the algorithm is also discussed. >
An Atopy-Associated Polymorphism in the Ectodomain of the IL-4Rα Chain (V50) Regulates the Persistence of STAT6 Phosphorylation

Several commonly occurring polymorphisms in the IL-4R(alpha) have been associated with atopy in humans; the Q576R and the S503P polymorphisms reside in the cytoplasmic domain, whereas the I50 to V50 polymorphism resides in the extracellular domain of the IL-4R(alpha). The effects of these polymorphisms on signaling remain controversial. To determine the effect of the polymorphisms on IL-4 signaling in human cells, we stably transfected the human monocytic cell line U937 with murine IL-4R(alpha) cDNA bearing the I or V at position 50 and the P503/R576 double mutant. Each form of the murine IL-4R(alpha) mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT6 in response to murine IL-4 treatment similar to the induction of tyrosine phosphorylation by human IL-4 signaling through the endogenous human IL-4R(alpha). After IL-4 removal, tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT6 rapidly decayed in cells expressing I50 or P503R576 murine IL-4Ralpha. In contrast, STAT6 remained significantly phosphorylated for several hours after murine IL-4 withdrawal in cells expressing the V50 polymorphism. This persistence in tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT6 was associated with persistence in CIS mRNA expression. Blocking IL-4 signaling during the decay phase using the JAK inhibitor AG490 or the anti-IL-4R(alpha) Ab M1 abrogated the persistence of phosphorylated STAT6 observed in the V50-IL-4R(alpha)-expressing cells. These results indicate that the V50 polymorphism promotes sustained STAT6 phosphorylation and that this process is mediated by continued engagement of IL-4R(alpha), suggesting enhanced responses of V50 IL-4R when IL-4 is limiting.
Writing Portable Applications that Dynamically Bind at Run Time to Reconfigurable Hardware

Powerful multicomputer platforms that combine FPGAs and programmable processors promise tremendous performance benefits for applications that take advantage of these rapidly emerging architectures. Portable applications are desirable because they can be easily adapted to take advantage of different reconfigurable computing platforms. raditional practices, however, intertwine application code with hardware specific code such that porting entails a significant rewrite of the application and reuse is difficult. Vforce, based on the VSIPL++ standard, is an exten sible framework we created that allows the same application code to run on different reconfigurable computing platforms. Vforce offers application-level portability, framework-level extensibility to new hardware, and system-level run time resource management. In particular, Vforce supports very late binding of the application to a specific hardware platform such that binding does not occur until run time. This paper describes Vforce with a focus on late run time binding to a specific hardware platform. Results using Vforce to implement an FFT and a time domain adaptive beam- former are presented.
A convergent version of Max SINR for the MIMO interference channel

We consider the problem of designing signals to transmit over the MIMO interference channel by extending the Max SINR algorithm. The Max SINR algorithm starts with arbitrary beamformers and then designs optimal receivers to maximize the SINR at each receiver. The Max SINR algorithm then alternates the direction of communication and repeats this process. This algorithm is known to perform well but there is no proof that it converges. We propose a modification to Max SINR using a power control step to make a metric similar to the sum rate converge. If we also use successive interference cancellation(SIC), then our metric is exactly the sum rate. We show via simulations that performance of the modified Max SINR algorithm, unlike the other convergent alternatives, is nearly identical to that of the original Max SINR algorithm.
Teaching Social Studies to High School Students with Learning Problems

Because of recent legislation, students with mild disabilities frequently receive social studies instruction in the general education classroom. Therefore, middle school teachers have the challenge of teaching social studies to students with a wide range of abilities. Emphasis in the general education social studies curriculum is on high-level cognitive skills; this is challenging for students with learning problems. The author reviews characteristics of students with learning problems and presents modifications for instruction, textbook use, and assignments to help these students and their teachers have a positive class experience.
A survey of analysis software for array-comparative genomic hybridisation studies to detect copy number variation

Copy number variants (CNVs) create a major source of variation among individuals and populations. Array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) is a powerful method used to detect and compare the copy numbers of DNA sequences at high resolution along the genome. In recent years, several informatics tools for accurate and efficient CNV detection and assessment have been developed. In this paper, most of the well known algorithms, analysis software and the limitations of that software will be briefly reviewed.
Synthetic peptides and domains of metallothionein for structure function studies: rabbit liver peptide MT-IIA 49–61 and lobster MT βN βC and βC→N domains

Mammalian and crustacean metallothioneins are complex proteins which form two independent domains with 3 or 4 metal ions (Cd+2 or Zn+2) in the native domains. Synthesis of the individual domains and even smaller fragments allows investigation of specific structure-function questions that can not be addressed easily with site-directed mutagenesis of the entire two-domain structure. Residues 49–61 of mammalian MTs, which include the only sequential four cysteines bound to the same metal ion (CdI), are a putative nucleation site. We have synthesized rabbit liver MT-II49–61 (Ac-Ile-Cys-Lys-Gly-Ala-Ser-Asp-Lys-Cys-Ser-Cys-Cys-Ala-COOH) and examined its binding to Cd+2 and other metal ions. Physiochemical studies (113Cd NMR, UV-vis, CD, ES-MS, LSIMS and chemical reactions) of Cd-Pep49–61 demonstrate that it exhibits properties consistent with a role in Cd-induced MT folding. To examine the possible influence of (1) the position of the cysteine residues and (2) the steric and electrostatic effects of neighboring amino acids on the folding and stability of MT clusters, the stable lob-ster βC and βN domains (each having 9 cysteines and binding 3 M+2 ions) and a modified domain βC→N (in which the cysteines of the C-terminal domain are relocated so they are spaced as in the N-terminal domain) have been synthesized and characterized. The synthetic native domains (Cd3-βC and Cd3-βN) show metal binding properties and reactivity similar to the holo-protein, but the modified Cd3-βC→N domain is unusually reactive and in the presence of Chelex aggregates to a Cd5(βC→N)2 dimer. These differences in structure and reactivity demonstrate that the requirements for formation of a stable beta cluster are more stringent than simply the sequential positions of the cysteines along the peptide chain and include specific interactions with neighboring amino acids.
Varying congruence of hygienic responses to Varroa destructor and freeze-killed brood among different types of honeybees

Honeybees, Apis mellifera, selected for the hygienic removal of freeze-killed brood (FKB), resist several microbial diseases and have some resistance to Varroa destructor. Bees with Varroa-sensitive hygiene (VSH) have good resistance to V. destructor. We determined whether the response to FKB could be used to select for VSH by measuring the responses of different bees (VSH, FKB-selected, F1 VSH, and unselected control) to combs with FKB and combs with mite-infested brood. All bee types completely removed much FKB (77–88 %) within 24 h. The removal of mite-infested brood after 1 week was much more variable among bee types (VSH, 66 %; F1 VSH, 51 %; FKB hygienic, 14 %; control, 3 %). There was some relationship between 24-h manipulation of FKB cells (i.e., cell contents at least partially removed) and the removal of mite-infested brood, but this appears to have little practical relevance because of a large inherent variation.
Value learning and the willingness to accept - willingness to pay disparity

The assumption that individual preferences are rational and consistent with standard economic theory is often appropriate, but may be optimistic if consumers are uncertain about either their preferences or how the market operates. Both sources of uncertainty may present themselves in lab experiments exploring the well-known disparity between individuals’ willingness to accept and willingness to pay. This paper explores the role of value uncertainty in the observed disparity, and finds that providing subjects with a value learning opportunity can reduce the value disparity to insignificance.
Historical phytogeography of the Greater Antilles

An understanding of the phytogeographic history of a region depends upon an adequate fossil record to reveal migrational histories and the timing and directions(s) of introductions and extinctions, and to augment or circumvent undue reliance on molecular clocks. It further depends upon an accurate phylogeny of the taxa to establish real patterns of geographic affinities (phylogeography), and a relatively detailed geologic history to assess the relative roles of dispersal and vicariance in populating the islands. For the Greater Antilles new information is slowly emerging on the plant fossil record through study of new floras such as the Eocene Saramaguacan palynoflora from Cuba, and more is potentially available from the middle Oligocene San Sebastian megafossil flora of Puerto Rico that has not been revised since the early 1900s. Phylogeographic studies and area cladograms are still meager for plants, but data from various animal groups are providing a context for the general biotic history of the Antilles. Perhaps the area of greatest advance is being made in achieving an adequate plate tectonic model for the Caribbean region. There is now some convergence toward a mobilist model that depicts a Cretaceous volcanic island arc that extended from the Mexico/Chortis block in the north to Ecuador in the south, and gradually moved through the developing portal between North and South America to collide with the Bahamas Platform in the middle Eocene. Throughout this 70-million-year history there was an immensely complex pattern of collision/separation and submergence/emergence that provided opportunity both for vicariance and dispersal in the migration, evolution, and speciation of the flora of the Greater Antilles.
External cause-specific summaries of occupational fatal injuries. Part II: an analysis of years of potential life lost.

BACKGROUND: Fatal injury surveillance data provide an opportunity to assess the impact of occupational injuries and may indicate which industries or occupations are appreciably more hazardous than others, and thus should be given priority in public health intervention. METHODS: Fatalities from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality surveillance system served as the basis for examining external cause (E-code) specific impact summaries. Years of potential life lost (YPLL) were calculated for fatal injuries in the years 1983-1994. Industries and occupations were compared with respect to frequency of fatal injuries. In addition, injuries in categories of external causes are examined across all industries and occupations. RESULTS: Machinery, electric current, homicide, falls, and transportation-related are the external cause groups highlighted by high frequency/rate of occurrence. Electric current event groups are also characterized by high average YPLL. Poisoning, conflagration, and lightning were also identified in several occupations as having high associated average YPLL. CONCLUSIONS: The external-cause-specific analysis of average YPLL identified industries and occupations where, on average, younger workers were dying in fatal injuries. Noteworthy in this assessment were homicides and falls. The YPLL measure coupled with more commonly employed indices (e.g., rates) may provide a fuller description of the impact of occupational fatal injuries. Language: en
Nanocrystalline Co30Fe70 alloy synthesized by alkalide reduction

Co30Fe70 nanocrystallites have been synthesized by alkalide co-reduction of Co2+ and Fe3+. As produced, the material consists of highly pyrophoric 4.0 nm nanocrystals with a narrow ( of ∼20 K prior to removal of the by-products in which they are embedded. Removal of the by-products allows magnetic interactions between the particles with a consequent increase in the transition temperature to greater than 300 K. Annealing at temperatures higher than 300 °C under vacuum resulted in agglomeration and particle growth; annealing above 500 °C resulted in a change in the shape of the particles to largely rectangular prisms with little further growth above 700 °C. Ms increased with increasing annealing temperature reaching values as large as ∼89% of the bulk value (245 emu/g) after annealing at 700 °C while retaining low Mr and Hc. While rapid exposure of the Co30Fe70 nanocrystallites to air resulted in spontaneous combustion, gradual, slow exposure over a period of one week resulted in the formation of a thin surface coating of CoFe2O4, or air stable “core-shell” alloy–oxide nanocrystallites.
Self-Confidence Assessment During Computer-Assisted Testing in Histology

A computer-assisted self-testing system has been developed allowing students to evaluate their own knowledge and their ability for identifying unknown histological structures. It consists of an image digitizing-editing system, an image database shared through a local area network, and teacher’s and student’s environments.
Metabolic Syndrome Pathophysiology and Implications for Management of Cardiovascular Disease

Case Presentation: E.C. is a 53-year-old postmenopausal female, referred for treatment of hypertension, with a family history of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease (CHD). Until learning that her blood pressure was “too high” during a routine physical examination, she felt well, and her postmenopausal symptoms had responded to hormone replacement therapy. She was not overweight (her body mass index [BMI] was 23.7 kg/m2), and the only abnormality on physical examination was a blood pressure of 145/95 RAR. Laboratory results revealed a normal blood count and urinalysis, with the following fasting plasma concentrations of relevant metabolic variables (in mg/dL): glucose 102, triglycerides (TG) 238, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 147, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) 52. E.C. is hypertensive and hypertriglyceridemic and at increased risk for CHD. Less obvious is that these metabolic abnormalities are highly likely to be the manifestations of a more fundamental defect—resistance to insulin-mediated glucose disposal and compensatory hyperinsulinemia, changes that greatly increase CHD risk.1,2⇓ The importance of insulin resistance as a CHD risk factor was first explicated in 1998, and the cluster of abnormalities likely to appear as manifestations of the defect in insulin action designated as syndrome X.1 Support for this notion has grown almost as fast as the names used to describe the phenomenon. The Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) has recently3 recognized the importance as CHD risk factors of a “constellation of lipid and nonlipid risk factors of metabolic origin,” designated this cluster of abnormalities as “the metabolic syndrome,” and indicated that “this syndrome is closely linked to insulin resistance.” Table 1 lists the criteria the ATP III stipulated be used to diagnose the metabolic syndrome, and a recent report4 has applied these criteria to the database of the Third National Health and Nutrition …
Imprinting evolution and the price of silence.

In contrast to the biallelic expression of most genes, expression of genes subject to genomic imprinting is monoallelic and based on the sex of the transmitting parent. Possession of only a single active allele can lead to deleterious health consequences in humans. Aberrant expression of imprinted genes, through either genetic or epigenetic alterations, can result in developmental failures, neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders and cancer. The evolutionary emergence of imprinting occurred in a common ancestor to viviparous mammals after divergence from the egg-laying monotremes. Current evidence indicates that imprinting regulation in metatherian mammals differs from that in eutherian mammals. This suggests that imprinting mechanisms are evolving from those that were established 150 million years ago. Therefore, comparing genomic sequence of imprinted domains from marsupials and eutherians with those of orthologous regions in monotremes offers a potentially powerful bioinformatics approach for identifying novel imprinted genes and their regulatory elements. Such comparative studies will also further our understanding of the molecular evolution and phylogenetic distribution of imprinted genes.
Understanding Robocup-Soccer Narratives

We present an approach to map Robocup-soccer narratives (in natural language) to a sequence of meaningful events. Our approach takes advantage of an action-centered framework, an inference subroutine, and an iterative learning algorithm. Our framework represents the narrative as a sequence of sentences and each sentence as a probability distribution over deterministic events. Our learning algorithm maps sentences to meaningful events without any annotated labeled data. Instead, it uses a prior knowledge about event descriptions and an inference subroutine to estimate initial training labels. The algorithm further improves the training labels at next iterations. In our experiments we demonstrate that with no labeled data our algorithm achieves higher accuracy compared to the state of the art that uses labeled data.
In the Flow: Evolving from Utility Based Social Medium to Community Peer

In a broad sense, a social medium is an online interaction space. Most commonly known online interaction spaces are infrastructures that allow members to interact around one or more nexuses of interaction using one or more modes of interaction. Success or failure of an online interaction space depends on how effectively the nexuses and modes meet the needs of the intended community of users. nanoHUB.org is described as an online interaction space that was designed largely by considering how members of the intended community could satisfy the “needs of the one” through chosen nexuses and modes. Based on satisfying several acute needs of individuals, the nanoHUB online interaction space grew into a large community that is beginning to behave more as a social unit than as a group of individuals. The primary nexus of interaction, a simulation tool, was chosen as an active rather than passive nexus (i.e. consuming from the nexus creates new information in the process). The active nexus more easily facilitates the design of features where the social medium itself can consume from the nexus and produce novel information useful to its community of users. In effect, it can become more than an infrastructural platform. It can become a member of its own community.
Methods Questioned in Sure-Gait® Study

To the Editor: I would like to point out two flaws in the measurement of one of the primary dependent variables in an article by Annesley et al recently published in Physical Therapy (1990;70:18–23). The first problem lies in the failure to remove water vapor from the expired gas samples prior to reaching the oxygen analyzer, which will artificially lower the expired oxygen fraction.1 Although I realize the relative humidity in Flagstaff, Ariz, is usually low and the absolute error introduced is probably relatively small, removing the water vapor from the expired gas sample is essential if day-to-day variations in humidity are to be accounted for in oxygen uptake calculations. A more serious methodological error was made by using an incorrect formula to calculate oxygen uptake.… [ ARTICLE][1] [1]: /lookup/volpage/70/18?iss=1
Synthesizing skyrmion bound pairs in Fe-Gd thin films

We show that properly engineered amorphous Fe-Gd alloy thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy exhibit bound pairs of like-polarity, opposite helicity skyrmions at room temperature. Magnetic mirror symmetry planes present in the stripe phase, instead of chiral exchange, determine the internal skyrmion structure and the net achirality of the skyrmion phase. Our study shows that stripe domain engineering in amorphous alloy thin films may enable the creation of skyrmion phases with technologically desirable properties.
DEVELOPMENT OF A MIXING ANALOGY FOR INVESTIGATION OF INJECTANT MIXING IN SUPERSONIC FLOW

1-4 in the last few years. The method was attractive since it allowed finding the injectant concentration distribution within turbulent mixing jets using a simple measuring technique. However, the comparison of the mixing analogy results with the data from direct injectant concentration measurements 3 showed a significant discrepancy. Thorough analysis of the mixing analogy method brings one to the conclusion that mixing analogy improvement may be achieved by accounting for the injectant and co- flow stagnation temperature losses with turbulent mixing. It is known 5 that experimental values of the velocity in cross-sections of jets interacting with an external stream are in good agreement with the curves computed according to the Schlichting equation 6 for the main jet region. Also in the cross section of jet main region, a similar equation for the stagnation temperature was verified by numerous tests for "turbulent" Prandtl number Prt which is usually in the range 0.3 < Prt <1. These equations were employed with Prt = 0.5 for prediction of the injectant concentration (mass fraction) within the framework of the mixing analogy. The problem for mixing of an axisymmetric injectant jet with supersonic co- flow was considered with supposition that the above-mentioned dependencies for the velocity and the stagnation temperature are true for each mixture component. An estimation of two fitting coefficients for the injectant and air were conducted based on physical considerations and a calibration test. A method for determination of the fitting parameters based on the routine for mixing analogy measurement was also worked out. As a result, an explicit function for injectant mass fraction distribution in a cross flow was obtained. As it turned out, according to the calculation conducted based on this novel approach, the distribution of the injectant mass fraction in the jet symmetry plane is close to available test data obtained by direct measurement of the injectant mass fraction. A decrease in injectant and air stagnation temperatures in the turbulent mixing zone is noted.
Abstract 184: Breed-associated differential microRNA expression in canine osteosarcoma

Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. miRNAs are dysregulated in cancer, suggesting they play a role in tumorigenesis. Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumor in dogs, however, little is known regarding mechanisms underlying malignant transformation in these tumors. Breeds such as Rottweilers and Greyhounds are at higher risk for developing OSA, suggesting that heritable factors play a role in this disease. We hypothesize that dysregulation of miRNAs in canine OSA is associated with specific breeds. Methods: RNA was isolated by the Trizol (Invitrogen) method from a panel of seven normal canine tissues and 48 primary canine OSA tumors from Greyhound, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, and mixed breed dogs. miRNA expression was analyzed using the NanoString nCounter human microRNA Expression Assay, interrogating the expression of 752 human miRNAs; 168 of whose mature sequences are 100% conserved between human and dog (Sanger miRBase V15). Samples were hybridized to reporter CodeSets, processed on the nCounter prep station, and scanned with the nCounter Digital Analyzer. Nanominer software was used to perform data normalization. Real time PCR was performed using Applied Biosystems Taqman miRNA assays. Normalization was performed with U6 snRNA and miRNA expression was calculated utilizing the comparative Ct method. P-values of Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 184. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-184
Integrated doses calculation in evacuation scenarios of the neutron generator facility at Missouri S&T

Abstract Any source of ionizing radiations could lead to considerable dose acquisition to individuals in a nuclear facility. Evacuation may be required when elevated levels of radiation is detected within a facility. In this situation, individuals are more likely to take the closest exit. This may not be the most expedient decision as it may lead to higher dose acquisition. The strategy followed in preventing large dose acquisitions should be predicated on the path that offers least dose acquisition. In this work, the neutron generator facility at Missouri University of Science and Technology was analyzed. The Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) radiation transport code was used to model the entire floor of the generator's building. The simulated dose rates in the hallways were used to estimate the integrated doses for different paths leading to exits. It was shown that shortest path did not always lead to minimum dose acquisition and the approach was successful in predicting the expedient path as opposed to the approach of taking the nearest exit.
Effects of three pro-nuclei (3PN) proportion incidence on clinical outcomes of patients with lower retrieved oocytes in the fresh cleavage-stage embryo transfer (ET) cycles

AbstractPurpose: To analyze the three pro-nuclei (3PN) incidence on clinical outcomes of patients with lower retrieved oocytes in the fresh cleavage-stage embryo transfer (ET) cycles.Methods: This study included 1200 fresh cleavage-stage ET cycles from January 2013 to June 2015. The patients were divided into 3PN = 0% (773 cycles) and 3PN > 0% (427 cycles) group. Main outcomes compared were fertilization, cleavage, normal fertilization, good quality embryo, implantation, clinical pregnancy, and early abortion rate.Results: We observed that there was no significant difference in female's age, the number of retrieved oocytes, the number of transferred embryos, the number of good quality embryos, endometrial thickness, infertile time, basal serum follicle-stimulating hormone, and E2 value between two groups (p > 0.05). The fertilization (89.43 versus 83.90%, p 0% than 3PN = 0% group. However, the normal fertilizat...