cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Behavioral Genetic Approaches to Understand the Etiology of Comorbidity

Comorbidity, the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in the same individual, is the rule rather than the exception for most developmental psychopathologies. However, the etiology of this ubiquitous phenomenon is not well understood. This chapter provides an overview of behavioral genetic methods that can be used to test the primary competing explanations for comorbidity between complex disorders, illustrating each approach with examples from studies of reading disability (RD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Family studies indicate that RD and ADHD are both significantly familial and suggest that shared familial risk factors contribute to comorbidity between RD and ADHD. Twin analyses can then be used to disentangle these shared familial influences to assess the extent to which genetic and shared environmental influences contribute to each disorder and their co-occurrence. Shared genetic influences accounted for nearly all of the phenotypic covariance between RD and ADHD and also contributed to comorbidity between both RD and ADHD and a range of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, genetic influences on RD were only associated with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder if the selected proband also met criteria for ADHD. Promising future directions for behavioral genetic research on comorbidity include longitudinal twin studies of the development of comorbidity, analyses that incorporate neuropsychological and neuroimaging phenotypes, and studies that integrate molecular genetic methods.
Mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerol composition of dinoflagellates. VIII. Temperature effects and a perspective on the curious case of Karenia mikimotoi as a producer of the unusual, ‘green algal’ fatty acid hexadecatetraenoic acid [16:4(n-3)]

Previous studies have shown that dinoflagellates with different plastid ancestries have distinct differences in the fatty acid compositions and regiochemistries of their chloroplast-associated gala...
Exploring the Generality of a Java-based Loop Action Model for the Quorum Programming Language.

Many algorithmic steps require more than one statement to implement, but not big enough to be a method (e.g., add element, find the maximum, determine a value, etc.). These steps are generally implemented by loops. Internal comments for the loops often describe these intermediary steps, however, unfortunately a very small percentage of code is well documented to help new users/coders. As a result, information at levels of abstraction between the individual statement and the whole method is not leveraged by current source code analyses, as that information is not easily available beyond any internal comments describing the code blocks. Hence, this project explores the generality of an approach to automatically determine the high level actions of loop constructs. The approach is to mine loop characteristics of a given loop structure over the repository of the Quorum language source code, map it to an (already developed for Java) action identification model, and thus identify the action performed by the specified loop. The results are promising enough to conclude that this approach could be applied to other programming languages too.
Microstructure insensitive twinning: A statistical analysis of incipient twins in high-purity titanium

Abstract Apart from some statistical variation, deformation twins are known to be strongly sensitive to microstructure, particularly grain size and lattice orientation. Here we employ a large-scale statistical analysis of several thousands of preliminary twins in lightly deformed titanium. We show that for the set of preliminary twins, their formation, twin type, response to strain and strain rate, and thickness, have little sensitivity to grain size and grain orientation. We rationalize that these findings reveal that preliminary twin formation is not dictated by the same grain level stress states or grain properties. The early stages of twinning, instead, are heterogeneous stress driven, governed by largely fluctuating stresses, spanning positive and negative stresses, generated by over volumes at least two orders of magnitude smaller than the grain size. These findings can benefit understanding of the behavior of materials that twin even under small strain deformation states, such as fatigue, where structural materials are not intended to deform much beyond yield.
The Embryological development and cytodifferentiation of the pars distalis of the golden hamster ( Mesocricetus auratus )

The embryological development and cytodifferentiation of the hamster pars distalis was investigated using light and electron microscope techniques in order to obtain basic information for comparison with pituitary development in other mammalian species. The normal chronological events in the development of the hamster pars distalis closely paralleled the pituitary organogenesis of other laboratory rodents. Rathke's pouch formed and touched the infundibulum at 8 1/2 days of gestation and separated from the stomodeum 3 days later. Penetration of vascular elements from the developing hypophysial portal system into the pars distalis occurred at 12 1/2 days gestation. This was also the first day that small secretory granules were seen in any of the parenchymal cells. Further cytodifferentiation during the following prenatal, and first few postnatal days of life revealed granulated cells which, in most cases, could not be identified using morphological criteria or granule size as may be done in the adult. An orderly sequence of inductive and morphological events appears to take place in the developing hamster adenohypophysis paralleling similar events observed in other animals.
A Bird's Eye View: Hesperornithiforms as Environmental Indicators in the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway

Seabirds are considered indicators of ecological hotspots in modern ecosystems because their biogeographic distribution is correlated with physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic factors. Pursuit diving seabirds – those that actively pursue prey underwater – are generally more limited in distribution and more closely tied to oceanographic factors, as diving ability is often gained at the expense of flight capabilities. Today, wing propelled pursuit diving seabirds are restricted to colder waters; foot propelled divers have a broader latitudinal distribution, but do not forage far from shore in marine environments. In comparison, Late Cretaceous Northern Hemisphere seas were host to foot propelled pursuit diving seabirds called hesperornithiforms. Their Western Interior Seaway fossil record, in particular, reflects the broad latitudinal distribution of modern foot propelled divers, but with occurrences of offshore foraging more typical of modern wing propelled divers. The presence of hesperornithiforms in such a wide variety of environments (Boreal, Tethyan, coastal, nearshore, and offshore) suggests different ecological and oceanographic conditions affected biogeographic patterns of Late Cretaceous divers. The purpose of this study is to explore Late Cretaceous hesperornithiform paleobiogeography in light of what is known about how biotic and environmental factors affect modern pursuit diving seabirds to better understand WIS paleoecology.The Late Cretaceous was characterized by greenhouse climate, high sea levels, and epicontinental seas that provided marine paleoenvironments with no modern analogs. Two notable ecological differences between the Late Cretaceous and today are the presence of marine reptiles (and absence of marine mammals) as apex predators and the lack of acanthomorph fish diversity. Spatio-temporal overlap among hesperornithiforms, marine reptiles, and large predatory fishes implies different competition and predator-prey relationships among marine carnivores than today. Differences in swimming capabilities between marine reptiles and marine mammals may partially account for the presence of hesperornithiforms in warm, offshore waters. Additionally, environmental factors relating to the unique paleoceanography of the WIS would have also influenced hesperornithiform populations. Ample shoreline, abundant shallow water habitats, and high primary production made epicontinental seas hotspots for pursuit diving seabirds, despite warmer temperatures. Together, ecosystem structure and the unique oceanographic factors characterizing epicontinental seas both contribute to differences in seabird biogeography between the Late Cretaceous and today.
Party systems and ideological cleavages in the Middle East and North Africa

Previous studies have contrasted the political party systems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) with those in more democratic countries, raising three important points: (1) the religious–se...
Pumping the brakes on RAS - negative regulators and death effectors of RAS.

ABSTRACT Mutations that activate the RAS oncoproteins are common in cancer. However, aberrant upregulation of RAS activity often occurs in the absence of activating mutations in the RAS genes due to defects in RAS regulators. It is now clear that loss of function of Ras GTPase-activating proteins (RasGAPs) is common in tumors, and germline mutations in certain RasGAP genes are responsible for some clinical syndromes. Although regulation of RAS is central to their activity, RasGAPs exhibit great diversity in their binding partners and therefore affect signaling by multiple mechanisms that are independent of RAS. The RASSF family of tumor suppressors are essential to RAS-induced apoptosis and senescence, and constitute a barrier to RAS-mediated transformation. Suppression of RASSF protein expression can also promote the development of excessive RAS signaling by uncoupling RAS from growth inhibitory pathways. Here, we will examine how these effectors of RAS contribute to tumor suppression, through both RAS-dependent and RAS-independent mechanisms.
Relative Contributions of Anatomical and Quantum Noise in Signal Detection and Perception of Tomographic Digital Breast Images

Anatomical and quantum noise inhibits detection of malignancies in clinical images such as in digital mammography (DM), digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) and breast CT (bCT). In this work, we examine the relative influence and interactions of these two types of noise on the task of low contrast mass detectability in DBT. We show how the changing levels of quantum noise contributes to the estimated power-law slope $\beta $ by changing DBT acquisition parameters as well as with spatial filtering like an adaptive Weiner filtering. Finally, we examine via human observer LROC studies whether power spectral parameters obtained from DBT images correlate with mass detectability in those images. Our results show that lower values of power-law slope $\beta $ can result from heightened quantum noise or image artifacts and do not necessarily imply reduced anatomical noise or improved signal detectability for the given imaging system. These results strengthen the argument that when power-law magnitude K is varying, $\beta $ is less relevant to lesion detectability. Our preliminary results also point to K values having strong correlation to human observer performance, at least for the task shown in this paper. As a byproduct of these main results, we also show that while changes in acquisition geometry can improve mass detectability, the use of efficient filters like an adaptive Weiner filtering can significantly improve the detection of low contrast masses in DBT.
Effect of stroboscopic vision on depth jump performance in female NCAA Division I volleyball athletes.

Anticipation of ground reaction force (GRF) in depth jumping requires multisensory integration of exteroceptive, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs. Vision contributes to the anticipation of GRF...
Sex-related patterns of intrinsic functional connectivity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders:

Although a growing literature highlights sex differences in autism spectrum disorder clinical presentation, less is known about female variants at the neural level. We investigated sex-related patt...
IASCC of neutron irradiated 316 stainless steel to 125 dpa

Abstract The irradiated microstructure and irradiation-assisted stress corrosion cracking (IASCC) susceptibility were determined for neutron-irradiated cold-worked (CW) 316 stainless steel tested in 320 °C simulated PWR primary water with various damage levels of 46.9, 67.4, and 125.4 dpa. The size and density of dislocation loops and precipitates were found to vary little over the dose range 46.9–125.4 dpa and dislocation loops were found to control the irradiation hardening. The %IG in constant extension rate tensile (CERT) tests and the stress to initiate a crack in four-point bend tests were consistent in establishing that the IASCC susceptibility was essentially unchanged across the dpa range. GB oxidization was observed prior to crack initiation, and localized deformation and triple junctions where local stresses were high were preferred crack initiation sites. IASCC cracks initiated preferentially on grain boundaries oriented nearly normal to the applied stress. An apparent threshold stress threshold for IASCC was determined to be ~45% of the irradiated yield strength for neutron-irradiated CW 316 SS between 46.9 and 125.4 dpa.
Biomechanics of Scleral Buckling and Effects on Eye Geometry

Scleral buckling is a method of reattaching the neurosensory retina to the retinal pigment epithelium when retinal detachment occurs. While the buckle procedure has high success rates in terms of reattaching the retina, the forces created by encircling and segmental buckles can alter the biomechanical properties of the eye and many of its structures, including axial length, corneal power, astigmatism, corneal hysteresis, corneal resistance factor, anterior chamber depth, ocular volume, ocular rigidity, and ocular blood flow. This chapter delves into the biomechanical changes induced by scleral buckling.
Designing environmental storylines to achieve the complementary aims of environmental and science education through science and engineering practices

Environmental education is implemented in formal curricula in multiple ways, including K-12 science. In the United States, the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) has provided ...
Experimental Neurovascular Uncoupling Promotes Cognitive Impairment in Mice: Implications for Brain and Cerebromicrovascular Aging

There is increasing evidence that vascular risk factors, including aging, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity, promote cognitive impairment, however, the underlying mechanisms remain obscur...
Lichen planus of the esophagus mimicking peptic stricture

This report describes an elderly woman referred to our institution for evaluation of refractory peptic stricture and consideration of anti-reflux surgery. A 66-year-old white woman presented with recurrent esophageal dysphagia to solids for four years. She denied weight loss, reflux-type symptoms, and odynophagia. There was no history of lye ingestion or use of medication causing esophagitis. Her gastroenterologist treated her for acid reflux with sucralfate, omeprazole, and cisapride, and performed multiple esophageal dilatations. A 24-hour pH monitoring off omeprazole showed normal acid exposure. Esophageal motility was normal except for hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter. Upper endoscopy revealed desquamating esophagitis involving most of the esophagus. No obvious stricture was noted. Biopsies of the esophagus revealed severe inflammation with squamous mucosa separation from the submucosa consistent with LP. Cultures and stains for viruses and fungi were negative. Following the above testing, the patient admitted to a history of recurrent gingival LP. She suffered from dyspareunia and recurrent vaginitis for two years. Examination of the oral cavity revealed mildly erythematous lesions in the periodontal areas. Pelvic exam showed narrowed vagina with fusion of anterior and posterior walls suggestive of LP. A skin biopsy of a raised erythematous patch on the trunk confirmed diagnosis of LP. Endiscopic follow-up two months later revealed multiple ring-type esophageal strictures, which were succesfully dilated. Treatment with oral steroids was initiated. At the six-month follow-up, the patient noticed significant improvement in her dysphagia.
On the Shores of Lake Victoria: Africa and the Review Conference for the International Criminal Court

This paper addresses the interesting questions surrounding the ICC Review Conference in Kampala, Uganda, from May 31-June 11, 2010. Written in the weeks prior to the conference, it represents an effort to place the Kampala Conference in historical and political perspective, as well as offer some reflections on the International Criminal Court’s first seven years.
An Approach Using Formal Concept Analysis to Object Extraction in Legacy Code

Formal concept analysis is a well-known technique for identifying groups of objects in software with common sets of attributes. The objects can be procedures, functions, and modules. In this paper, we are proposing an approach using formal concept analysis to extract objects in a non-object oriented programs. We define an object as a set of data and its associated methods encapsulated in a class. Thus, we start with a data structure and apply a program slicing technique to extract the code from the legacy code corresponding to the data. The data and statements are then collected into an object. This research is a collaborative work in which we are trying to draw the benefit by using formal concept analysis and apply the analysis results to the field of software maintenance.
Relationship of chronic pelvic pain to psychiatric diagnoses and childhood sexual abuse

Structured psychiatric and sexual abuse interviews were administered to 25 women with chronic pelvic pain and a comparison group of 30 women with specific gynecological conditions. All 55 patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy, and the results of the fiberoptic pelvic examination were objectively classified by the study gynecologist, who was blind to the psychiatric diagnoses. The patients with chronic pelvic pain showed a significantly higher prevalence of major depression, substance abuse, adult sexual dysfunction, somatization, and history of childhood and adult sexual abuse than the comparison group. There were no significant differences between the groups in severity or type of pelvic pathology. Language: en
Moving Beyond The Crossroads: Strengthening the Atrocity Prevention Board

This Review Essay is brought to you for free and open access by the Tampa Library at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact scholarcommons@usf.edu. Recommended Citation Finkel, James P. (2015) "Moving Beyond The Crossroads: Strengthening the Atrocity Prevention Board," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 9: Iss. 2: 138-147. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.9.2.1361
Physical access and utilization of health services in rural Guatemala

Abstract It is frequently stated—and more frequently assumed—that the dispersed settlement of a rural population results in isolation and a substantial physical separation from modern-sector health services. This study shows that for three large departments in western Guatemala—Solola, Tolonicapan, and San Marcos—the vast majority of persons have reasonably good physical access to health services, even taking bad roads and slow travel times into account. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has strategically located its facilities in congruence with rural market centers, and virtually the entire population visits these market centers with great regularity. Analysis of 1800 actual patient visits, however, shows that Ministry facilities have minuscule geographic drawing power, that is, the vast majority of patients come only very short distances. The question is raised: Why? Although no definitive answer is provided here, the most plausible explanation is simply that the health posts—which are understaffed by poorly trained personnel and badly under-equipped—do not cure very well, and thus people are not highly motivated to use them. Improving levels of utilization depends on improving the quality of delivered services, not building more health posts or overcoming supposed ‘cultural barriers’.
Availability and fractionation of phosphorus in sewage sludge-amended soils

A laboratory incubation study was conducted with the objective of determining the effects of time, temperature, and soil properties on availability and chemical fractions of phosphorus (P) in sewage sludge-amended soils. Anaerobically digested sewage sludge was mixed with three soils (Crofton silty clay loam, Moody silty clay loam, and Thurman sandy loam) at a rate equivalent to 80 Mg sludge ha−1. The mixtures were incubated at 25 and 37°C for up to 120 days. Phosphorus in sewage sludge-treated soils was extracted with iron-oxide impregnated filter paper strips (strip-P). Phosphorus also was fractionated chemically into four components by sequential extraction. Phosphorus concentration in all fractions increased with sludge application. Strip-P concentration was higher at 25°C in all soils than at 37°C over the entire period of incubation. Soluble-P was greatest in sandy Thurman soil at both temperatures over all incubation times. A sharp increase in non-occluded P (NOC-P) concentration occurred in all so...
A method for shift, rotation, and scale invariant pattern recognition using the form and arrangement of pattern-specific features

Abstract A new computer based method for visual pattern recognition is described. The process extracts shape features from binary edge images represented in either real-valued or discrete coordinates. Both separate and overlapping features are extracted, maximizing their completeness and continuity, without using templates or mathematical feature descriptions. These features and their arrangement are encoded in a shift, rotation, and scale invariant manner and used to recognize incoming patterns from a set of previously encoded patterns stored in memory. New patterns may be automatically classified and stored in memory, allowing the system to learn and generalize without operator intervention. Testing shows the system to be completely shift, rotation, and scale invariant, and insensitive to local image distortion.
Fluorescence of Diseased Yellow Mealworm

While we were rearing the yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L., at the Beltsville laboratory for use as an indicator insect in studies of juvenile hormones, we noted that about 10% of the prepupae were dying. When these presumably diseased insects were examined under 365-nm radiation in a dark room, about 30% were found to fluoresce a strong greenish-yellow. A similar fluorescence was observed when extracts of the diseased fluorescent insects were plated on Trypticase™ Soy Agar plates. Pfeiffer and Stammer (1930) observed a similar phenomenon in yellow mealworms and named the causative bacterium Bacterium hemophosphoreum (since reclassified as Brucella hemophosphoreum (Pribram 1933). Seleen and Stark (1943) reported some type characteristics of over 199 green-fluorescent pigment-producing bacteria, one of which, Pseudomonas fiuorescens Migula, was characterized in detail by Rhodes (1959). We have attempted to isolate the strongly fluorescent product produced in the yellow mealworm, without proof that we in fact had the same organism as earlier reported. Brucella hemophosphoreum is not available through the American Type Culture Collection.
Rhetorical Recipes: Women's Literacies In and Out of the Kitchen

Drawing on interview data regarding literacy practices done in tandem with housework, this article presents an array of recipe uses among retirement-age women. Given their backgrounds as professionals who came of age during second-wave feminism, the women see little value in “domestic” practices such as cooking literacies (Barton & Hamilton). However, the women’s uses of recipes for a variety of rhetorical purposes, in and out of the kitchen, are valuable material and social reflections of the women’s success in acquiring traditional literacies in school and at work.
A Description of the Annual Cycle in Sea Surface Temperature and Upper Ocean Heat in the Equatorial Atlantic

Abstract Temperature and velocity time series, obtained by surface moorings during the Seasonal Response of the Equatorial Atlantic Experiment, are used to investigate the role of ocean dynamics upon the annual cycle of equatorial sea surface temperature (SST) and upper ocean heat. The annual cycle in SST is explained by different mechanisms, each operant at different phases of the cycle. The boreal springtime decrease in SST results from upwelling in response to the seasonal intensification of easterly wind stress. This upwelling causes the seasonal formation of the cold tongue along the equator in the central and eastern portions of the basin. An early summer increase in SST is attributed to the meridional convergence of Reynolds' heat flux associated with surface current instability-generated waves. After the instability waves abate, SST and mixed layer depth remain relatively steady from late summer through fall when the advective terms are small and cancelling, suggesting that surface heating is then...
Heavy path based super-sequence frequent pattern mining on web log dataset

Mining web log datasets has been extensively studied using Frequent Pattern Mining (FPM) and its various other forms. Identifyingfrequent patterns in different sequences can help in analyzing the most common sub-sequences (e.g., the pages visitedtogether). However, this approach would not be able to identify general structures spanning over multiple sequences. In responseto understanding general structures, we introduce a new form of sequential pattern mining called super-sequence frequent patternmining (SS-FPM). In contrast to sub-sequences determined by FPM, SS-FPM determines the super-sequences that can containthe common parts from different sequences. This can be useful in understanding the general behavior/flow of users in web usagemining, classifying web pages and users, making predictions etc. In essence, finding frequent super-sequence patterns turnsout to be related to the well-known heaviest (longest) path problem in graphs, which is known to be NP-hard. Accordingly,we transform a given sequential dataset into a sequence graph and formulate the problem as k-hop heaviest path problem. Wethen propose an efficient heuristic called sequence matrix method using dynamic programming techniques. We compared ourmethod to the existing Heavypath method. The results show that our method is more efficient especially on large datasets.
Concomitants of multivariate order statistics with application to judgment poststratification

We generalize the definition of a concomitant of an order statistic in the multivariate case, develop general expressions for its density, and establish related properties. We study the concomitant of a normal random vector in detail and discuss methods for calculating its moments. Furthermore, we apply the theory to develop new estimators of the mean from a judgment poststratified sample, where poststrata are formed by rank classes of auxiliary variables. Our estimators are shown to be more efficient than existing ones and robust against violations of the normality assumption. They are also well suited to applications requiring cost efficiency.
Avoidance behavior in rats selectively bred for differential alcohol sensitivity.

“Most affected” (MA) and “least affected” (LA) rats, bred for extremes in motor impairment following an alcohol challenge, differed in their performance on two active avoidance tasks. In two-way shuttle avoidance, the MA line performed significantly better than the LA group, both in terms of response latencies and percent avoidances. The inferior performance of the LA line persisted across the 15 days of testing, and appeared to reflect an difference in asymptotic performance levels. In one-way avoidance, the MA line showed significantly better acquisition than the LA group; however, this difference dissipated across the 3 days of training. When tested following alcohol administration in either the one-or two-way avoidance paradigm, the MA rats showed a greater performance deficit than LA animals. These data were interpreted as indicating the generality of alcoholrelated line differences to a situation motivated by aversive consequences. Moreover, the line difference in avoidance acquisition represents one of the few non-drug-related phenotypic differences that have been found in these lines. In previous generations, disparate base rates of wheel running have been reported, and the data presented here confirm and extend this finding.
Upgrade of MacCHESS facility for X-ray scattering of biological macromolecules in solution.

X-ray scattering of biological macromolecules in solution is an increasingly popular tool for structural biology and benefits greatly from modern high-brightness synchrotron sources. The upgraded MacCHESS BioSAXS station is now located at the 49-pole wiggler beamline G1. The 20-fold improved flux over the previous beamline F2 provides higher sample throughput and autonomous X-ray scattering data collection using a unique SAXS/WAXS dual detectors configuration. This setup achieves a combined q-range from 0.007 to 0.7 A−1, enabling better characterization of smaller molecules, while opening opportunities for emerging wide-angle scattering methods. In addition, a facility upgrade of the positron storage ring to continuous top-up mode has improved beam stability and eliminated beam drift over the course of typical BioSAXS experiments. Single exposure times have been reduced to 2 s for 3.560 mg ml−1 lysozyme with an average quality factor I/σ of 20 in the Guinier region. A novel disposable plastic sample cell design that incorporates lower background X-ray window material provides users with a more pristine sample environment than previously available. Systematic comparisons of common X-ray window materials bonded to the cell have also been extended to the wide-angle regime, offering new insight into best choices for various q-space ranges. In addition, a quantitative assessment of signal-to-noise levels has been performed on the station to allow users to estimate necessary exposure times for obtaining usable signals in the Guinier regime. Users also have access to a new BioSAXS sample preparation laboratory which houses essential wet-chemistry equipment and biophysical instrumentation. User experiments at the upgraded BioSAXS station have been on-going since commissioning of the beamline in Summer 2013. A planned upgrade of the G1 insertion device to an undulator for the Winter 2014 cycle is expected to further improve flux by an order of magnitude.
Synthesis and evaluation of ultra-pure rare-earth-doped glass for laser refrigeration

Significant progress has been made in synthesizing and characterizing ultra-pure, rare-earth-doped ZIBLAN (ZrF 4 -InF 3 -BaF 2 -LaF 3 -AlF 3 -NaF) glass capable of laser refrigeration. Yb 3+ -doped ZIBLAN glass was produced from fluoride precursors which were individually purified by solvent extraction and subsequently treated with hydrofluoric gas at elevated temperatures to remove oxygen impurities. We have developed two-band differential luminescence thermometry (TBDLT) as a new non-invasive, spectroscopic technique to evaluate the intrinsic quality of Yb 3+ doped laser-cooling samples. TBDLT measures changes in the local temperature upon laser excitation via the small changes in the 2 F 5/2 → 2 F 7/2 fluorescence spectrum. Two commercial band pass filters in combination with a balanced dual InGaAs photodetector are used to select and integrate regions of interest in the fluorescence spectrum with sub-millisecond resolution. The TBDLT technique successfully finds the zero-crossing temperature (ZCT), which is the minimum temperature to which a Yb 3+ doped sample can cool, independent of surface heating. ZCT is a useful measure for the presence of impurities and the overall quality of the laser-cooling material. Favorable laser cooling results were obtained for several 1% Yb 3+ -doped glasses with varying degrees of purity.
Synthesis and properties of a pressure- and temperature-induced phase of indium selenide

Abstract A phase of InSe has been synthesized at high pressure at moderate temperature, having principal d-spacings at 3. 10A and 2. 76A. The new phase is quenchable to ambient conditions and has been studied by induced electron emission and electron paramagnetic resonance.
The role of proteomics in understanding biological mechanisms of sepsis

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory state caused by infection. Complications of this infection with multiple organ failure lead to more lethal conditions, such as severe sepsis and septic shock. Sepsis is one of the leading causes of US deaths. Novel biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity may be helpful for early diagnosis of sepsis and for improvement of patient outcomes through the development of new therapies. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics offers powerful tools to identify such biomarkers and furthermore to give insight to fundamental mechanisms of this clinical condition. In this review, we summarize findings from proteomics studies of sepsis and how their applications have provided more understanding into the pathogenesis of septic infection. Literatures related to "proteomics", "sepsis", "systemic inflammatory response syndrome", "severe sepsis", "septic infection", and "multiple organ dysfunction syndrome" were searched using PubMed. Findings about neonatal and adult sepsis are discussed separately. Within the adult sepsis studies, results are grouped based on the models (e.g., human or animal). Across investigations in clinical populations and in rodent and mammalian animal models, biological pathways, such as inflammatory and acute phase response, coagulation, complement, mitochondrial energy metabolism, chaperones, and oxidative stress, are altered at the protein level. These proteomics studies have discovered many novel biomarker candidates of septic infection. Validation the clinical use of these biomarker candidates may significantly impact the diagnosis and prognosis of sepsis. In addition, the molecular mechanisms revealed by these studies may also guide the development of more effective treatments.
Locomotor behavior of four marine teleosts in response to sublethal copper exposure

Abstract In order to examine the effects of sublethal Cu2+ (0.1 mg · l −1) exposure on pinfish, (Lagodon rhomboides), Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undulatus), sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) and sea catfish (Arius felis) locomotor behavior, the movements of individual fish were electronically monitored in 16-choice circular tanks, before and after 72 h of exposure. Confinement in exposure tanks without the addition of Cu2+ did not affect the behavior of a separate control group of sea catfish. Behavioral variables (general activity, swimming speeds and angular orientation of movements), previously shown to be statistically autonomous and presumed to be controlled by separate (neuro-) physiological mechanisms, were affected by Cu2+ exposure in different ways in each species. Immediately after exposure sheepshead and sea catfish were hyperactive while the pinfish and 33% of the croaker became hypoactive. The orientation angles of movements through the tanks increased in the croaker and sea catfish and decreased in the sheepshead, while pinfish showed intermediate changes. Two weeks after exposure the sheepshead resumed normal (pre-exposure) activity, swimming speed and decreased the initial angular orientation. Sea catfish on the other hand became extremely hypoactive, decreasing their swimming speed and increasing their angular orientation. More than 60% of the sea catfish died between 1 and 3 wk after exposure, suggesting a latent effect from the Cu2+ exposure. No mortality occurred in the other species. Several possible physiological reactions due to Cu2+ exposure are discussed, which may account for different susceptibilities and behavioral changes between the species.
Assessing marine ecosystem model properties from ensemble calculations

Abstract Ensemble calculations with a coupled physical–biological model for the coastal Gulf of Alaska are used to characterize the impact of parameter selection on lower trophic level (LTL) ecosystem predictions for different physical and biological regimes. The ocean circulation component is an implementation of the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) and the LTL ecosystem component is a six-compartment Nutrient-Phytoplankton-Zooplankton-Detritus (NPZD) model with iron limitation. Ensemble statistics (mean, spread) are useful to relate uncertainty in simulated chlorophyll concentrations with expected error in observed chlorophyll concentrations. Information from individual ensemble members can also help identify sets of parameters that minimize model-data error for different sub-regions of the CGOA (e.g., shelf, basin) and over the entire domain. Furthermore, ensemble calculations based on parameter uncertainty are valuable for determining which biological processes fundamentally impact the spatial and temporal variability in LTL ecosystem model solutions, which represents a first step toward being able to specify spatially and temporally dependent distributions for model parameters. Overall, the ensemble approach provides useful insight on how spatial and temporal variability in model solutions relates to uncertainty in the parameterization of key biological processes, a well-known factor limiting the use of LTL ecosystem models to predict observed biological variability in the ocean.
Pure α-subunit producing tumor derived from a thyrotropic tumor: Impaired regulation of a-subunit and its mRNA by thyroid hormone

Abstract We have recently described a mouse pituitary tumor line which produces only the α-subunit of the glycoprotein hormones. This tumor line may be a useful animal model to study autonomous pituitary tumors which secrete only α-subunit. Our pure α-subunit producing tumor was derived from a thyrotropic tumor which secreted intact TSH as well as free α-subunit. Our current studies compare the regulation of α-subunit biosynthesis in a conventional thyrotropic tumor and the α-subunit producing tumor. Thyroxine or triiodothyronine administration to mice bearing the a-subunit producing tumor resulted in no change in plasma α-subunit concentration, and a 10–19% reduction in tumor α-subunit mRNA concentration that was not statistically significant. In contrast, thyroxine administration to mice bearing the thyrotropic tumor resulted in an 81% reduction in plasma α-subunit concentration, and a 75% reduction in tumor α-subunit mRNA concentration (P
Method to determine cutoff frequencies for acoustic waves propagating in nonisothermal media

A method to determine cutoff frequencies for linear acoustic waves propagating in nonisothermal media is introduced. The developed method is based on wave variable transformations that lead to Klein-Gordon equations, and the oscillation theorem is applied to obtain the turning point frequencies. Physical arguments are used to justify the choice of the largest turning point frequency as the cutoff frequency. The method is used to derive the cutoff frequencies in nonisothermal media modeled by exponential and power law temperature gradients, for which the cutoffs cannot be obtained based on known analytical solutions. An interesting result is that the acoustic cutoff frequencies calculated by the method are local quantities that vary in the media, and that their specific values at a given height determine the frequency that acoustic waves must have in order to be propagating at this height. To extend this physical interpretation of the acoustic cutoff frequency to nonisothermal media of arbitrary temperature gradients, a generalized version of the method applicable to these media is also presented.
Pharmacokinetics of the new progestogens and influence of gestodene and desogestrel on ethinylestradiol metabolism

The purpose of the present report is to summarize the most important pharmacokinetic features of the new progestogens. In addition, the question of whether or not gestodene, in comparison to desogestrel, has an influence on the pharmacokinetics of ethinylestradiol (EE2) will be addressed.
Analyzing the effect of information format and task on cutoff search strategies

An analytical framework is presented that specifies optimal search strategies when consumers use cutoff decision rules when information is formatted by brand or attribute and when the task is either screening alternatives or choosing the first acceptable alternative. The results show that formatting effects determine optimal processing strategies for screening but not for satisficing choice tasks. A laboratory experiment was conducted to test the validity of the analytical results. Most results were validated. However, under certain conditions, consumers use brand processing in choice tasks even when the analytical model predicts attribute processing. Results from a follow-up study suggest that this deviation occurs because brand processors have different subjective search costs than attribute processors.
SU-GG-J-48: An Online Replanning Method for Independently Moving Structures

Purpose: The current IGRT repositioning, based on rigid‐bady registration, fails to align organs with independent dislocation and deformation such as those in the abdomen. This work aims to extend a previously developed online replanning method to handle independent multiple organ movement. Methods and Materials: Daily CTs acquired during pancreatic cancer treatments using a respiratory gated CT‐on‐Rails (CTVision, Siemens) were used to test the method. Contours of the target and organs at risk (OAR) were generated on the daily CTs based on deformable registration with manual editing if necessary. A replanning method composed of a segment aperture morphing (SAM) and segment weight optimization (SWO) were applied. The SAM was applied separately on each structure (target and OARs), and the final aperture shape was formed by prioritizing individual aperture shapes. Each structure imposes specific penalties on leaf position deviations from their SAM values which mainly depends on the importance of the particular structure., Penalties for leaf opening vs. closing are different for target vs OAR. Conflict apertures are also detected automatically by SWO, which employs segment splitting along with an objective function scheme that updates the power of individual goals to prevent multiple trial and error runs. Plans for the current patient repositioning were generated for comparison. Results: The mean doses of stomach and duodenum for repositioning plans are increased by 66% and 10% from their planning values, which are reduced to 5% and 1% for the adaptive plans based on modified by SAM without compromising the target coverage. SWO further improved the plan quality resulting in the final plans that are comparable to the original plan. The SAM and SWO algorithms for multiple structures can be executed within 10 min. Conclusion: The modified SAM+SWO algorithms that can handle multiple independent organ motion and deformation can be implemented for online adaptive replanning.
Destabilization of tracts of simple repetitive DNA in yeast by mutations affecting DNA mismatch repair

The genomes of all eukaryotes contain tracts of DNA in which a single base or a small number of bases is repeated. Expansions of such tracts have been associated with several human disorders including the fragile X syndrome. In addition, simple repeats are unstable in certain forms of colorectal cancer, suggesting a defect in DNA replication or repair. We show here that mutations in any three yeast genes involved in DNA mismatch repair (PMS1, MLH1 and MSH2) lead to 100- to 700-fold increases in tract instability, whereas mutations that eliminate the proof-reading function of DNA polymerases have little effect. The meiotic stability of the tracts is similar to the mitotic stability. These results suggest that tract instability is associated with DNA polymerases slipping during replication, and that some types of colorectal cancer may reflect mutations in genes involved in DNA mismatch repair.
Free Amino Acid Ratios in Rumen Fluid, Blood Plasma, Milk, and Feces during Methionine and Methionine Hydroxy Analog Supplementary Feeding

Abstract Free amino acid ratios in rumen fluid, blood plasma, milk, and feces of lactating dairy cows were studied following the feeding of four experimental concentrates: A, basal; B. basal plus .11% DL methionine; C. basal plus .11% methionine hydroxy analog (M-analog); and D. basal plus .22% M-analog. Free threonine was increased in rumen fluid by supplementation with the higher M-analog. No significant changes were detected in the proportions of any of the free amino acids of blood plasma. Methionine and lower M-analog supplementation increased aspartic acid and valine in free amino acids of milk. There was a close similarity between proportions of free lysine, glutamic acid, arginine, proline, tyrosine, and phenylalanine in rumen fluid and in milk. The proportions of other free amino acids in rumen fluid and milk were not similar. There was no similarity between proportions of free amino acids in blood with those in rumen fluid or in milk. Experimental concentrates had no effect on the free amino acid content of feces. There was no significant relationship between free fecal amino acids and the free amino acid content of rumen fluid, blood plasma, or milk. Milk yield, body weights, or the digestibility of feed did not change significantly.
Understanding fluid mud in a dynamic environment

The generation, transportability and dewatering of fluid mud under current- and wave-induced forcing is a multi-variate problem that requires knowledge not only of mud density and composition, but also of rheology, which ultimately characterizes mud dissipative properties. It is, therefore, self-evident that the predictive accuracy of mathematical modeling, a powerful tool for simulating mud dynamics, will depend strongly on the reliability of rheological description. Defining the state of mud solely in terms of density, as done commonly, only leads to ambiguities in quantifying the rates of transport of fluid mud.
A novel design of RF MEMS shunt switch with dimples and meanders

The paper presents the design of an RF MEMS capacitive shunt switch with the use of dimples and meanders. With optimized meander structure and the use of two dimples below the bridge, the switch presents excellent RF performance. The EM modeling and results are achieved in HFSS and the mechanical modeling and stress analysis is done in ANSYS. The bridge structure with dimples and meanders shows the insertion loss to be less than 0.09 dB up to 35GHz and the isolation as high as 29 dB up to 40GHz. The calculated actuation voltage is 59V.
Geochemical controls on 99Tc transport and retention

Abstract Measurements of the isotopic abundance of 99 Ru in rocks containing fossils of natural nuclear fission reactors show that 99 Tc was geochemically active during nuclear criticality 2 Gyr. ago. The element is deficient in the reactor zones and enriched in the rocks peripheral to the zones of criticality. Theoretical consideration suggests that changes in the chemical environment produced by increased temperatures and/or high fluxes of radioactive emanations may have increased the element's solubility in a coexisting aqueous phase. The increased solubility allowed portions of the fission product to be transported away from the reactor zones by the mobile fluid.