cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visualizing HIF-1α mRNA in a Subpopulation of Bone Marrow-Derived Cells to Predict Retinal Neovascularization

Bone marrow-derived progenitor cells and macrophages are known to migrate into the retina in response to inflammation and neovascularization. These migratory cells might play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of neovascularization, a common complication observed in diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, and retinal vein occlusion. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of retinal inflammation and neovascularization. However, contributions of monocyte-derived macrophages to neovascularization are largely unknown. We hypothesized that selective visualization of these microglia/macrophages could be a powerful method for predicting the onset of neovascularization and its progression at the molecular level. In this report, we describe the synthesis of a new hybrid nanoparticle to visualize HIF-1α mRNA selectively in microglia/macrophages in a mouse model of neovascularization. HIF-1α expression was confirmed in MRC-1 positive monocytes/macrophages as well as in CD4 positive T-cells and CD19 positive B-cells using single-cell RNA sequencing data analysis. The imaging probes (AS- or NS-shRNA-lipid) were synthesized by conjugating diacyl-lipids to short hairpin RNA with an antisense sequence complementary to HIF-1α mRNA and a fluorophore that is quenched by a black hole quencher. We believe that imaging mRNA selectively in tissue specific microglia/macrophages could be a powerful method for predicting the onset of neovascularization, its progression, and its response to therapy.
Identifying and Categorizing Language Discrimination in the Legal Field

Language discrimination is a less-discussed form of discrimination that threatens the success of speakers of non-standard English in the United States’ legal system. While language discrimination has been discussed as it relates to clients specifically, an attorney’s perspective of this issue is missing. To better understand how much attorneys recognize language discrimination in their work, I conducted and recorded interviews with three practicing attorneys in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Specifically, I asked them questions regarding their backgrounds, practices, and thoughts about the treatment of non-standard English speakers in the legal system. Their responses highlight some of the specific challenges that non-native or non-standard English speakers may experience in the institution of law: challenges related to the legal system as a whole, the availability and quality of translation services, and attorneys’ conscious and unconscious discriminatory behavior toward their clients. A better understanding of language discrimination and how much attorneys understand this issue is important in working towards a more fair and just legal system for all.
Multilevel Small Area Estimation of Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Test in the United States by Age Group: 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Background: In 2018, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended prostate cancer screening for men aged 55 to 69 years who express a preference for being screened after being informed about and understanding prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test benefits and risks. USPSTF recommended against screening men aged ≥70 years. We aim to generate county-level prevalence estimates, masked by national and state estimates, to identify counties with high PSA screening prevalence. Methods: We fitted multilevel logistic regression mixed models for 4 age groups (≥40, 40 to 54, 55 to 69, ≥70 years), using data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (n = 116,654) and other sources. We evaluated consistency between our model-based state and BRFSS direct state estimates with Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: PSA screening prevalence increased with increasing age groups: 7.7% for men aged 40 to 54 years, 27.2% for men aged 55 to 69 years, and 33.7% among men age ≥70 years, and was largely clustered in the South and Appalachia. Many county estimates among men aged ≥70 years exceeded 40%, especially in the South. Correlation coefficients were 0.94 for men aged ≥40, and ≥0.85 for men aged 40 to 54 years, 55 to 69 years, and ≥70 years. Conclusions: PSA screening was highest among men ≥70 years, for whom it is not recommended, and in the South among all age groups. Screening varied substantially within states. Impact: In 2018, on average, more than 1 in 4 men aged 55 to 69 years and 1 in 3 men aged ≥70 years underwent PSA screening in the prior year, suggesting potential overuse among some men.
Towards a Conceptual Model for Consideration of Adverse Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality for Individuals with Autism

Interest in the use of virtual reality (VR) technologies for individuals with autism has been increasing for over two decades. Recently, research interest has been growing in the area of immersive virtual reality (IVR) technologies thanks to increased availability and affordability. Affordances and theorized benefits of IVR for individuals with autism are quite promising, with the majority of research reports overwhelmingly presenting positive outcomes. Notably absent in the dominant research discourse, however, are considerations of how leveraging the affordances of IVR might lead to unintentional, unexpected, and perhaps deleterious outcomes. This is a particular concern in light of documented adverse effects associated with IVR, such as cybersickness, increased anxiety, and sensory disturbances. Given known characteristics of autism, the impact of adverse effects potentially could be even more pronounced for people with autism than for the general population. In the current paper, we present a conceptual process model for minimizing potential adverse effects of IVR for individuals with autism. Specifically, we highlight the notion of gradual acclimation and detail how gradual acclimation unfolds in a stage-wise manner across implementation contexts and technologies. When working with vulnerable populations, researchers have a special ethical obligation and greater responsibility to actively take precautions to help minimize real or potential risks. Correspondingly, we assert that application of the implementation procedures detailed in the current paper can contribute to researchers minimizing and controlling for potential adverse effects of IVR for individuals with autism.
Use of stem cells in equine musculoskeletal disorders

Summary Stem cell therapies for musculoskeletal disorders are becoming commonplace in the horse. In order to decipher the many options available for stem cell therapy and interpret results of accumulating experimental and clinical data, practitioners should have a basic understanding of stem cells.
4 Challenges and Opportunities in Fluid Mechanics and Transport Phenomena

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the current and future state of teaching and research in fluid mechanics and transport phenomena in chemical engineering. The most important element is that fluid mechanics in chemical engineering applications is almost always coupled with heat or mass transfer processes, which are the primary focus of interest. Three distinct motivations can be cited to support the prognostication of a more intensive push toward the study of fluid dynamics and transport phenomena at the microscale. First is the growing interest and critical national need for the development of novel materials; second is the increasing emphasis on new technologies which require materials to be processed and transport processes to be controlled with increasing precision; and the third is the a growing realization that local flow structures are critically important in determining the global behavior of a flow or transport system. The chapter identifies the important and exciting problems remaining to be solved, especially from the standpoint of a chemical engineer.
An output feedback controller for trajectory tracking of RLED robots using an observed backstepping approach

This paper presents an output feedback controller for a rigid-link electrically driven (RLED) robot. The controller is designed in conjunction with a velocity observer and an electrical current observer using an observed integrator backstepping procedure. The overall observer-controller achieves a semiglobal exponential stability result for the link position-velocity tracking error as well as the velocity and current observation errors. Simulation study as well as experimental results of the observer-controller for a RLED robot driven by de motors are also included. >
Prototypical case mining from biomedical literature for bootstrapping a case base

This article addresses the task of mining for cases from biomedical literature to automatically build an initial case base for a case-based reasoning (CBR) system. This research takes place within the Memoire project, which has for goal to provide a framework to facilitate building CBR systems in biology and medicine. By analyzing medical literature, the ProCaseMiner system mines for medical concepts such as diseases, signs and symptoms, laboratory tests, and treatment plans in relationship with one another, and connects them together in a given medical domain. It then organizes these concepts in a higher-level structure called a case. This case mining component provides a definite help to bootstrap the creation of a biomedical CBR system case base, composed of both concrete cases and prototypical cases. Currently, most cases learnt correspond to prototypical cases, given the level of abstraction of their features. This article validates the approach by presenting a comparison between the prototypical cases learnt from stem-cell transplantation domain with those created by a team of experts in the domain.
Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of cerebral blood flow measures obtained using the Brain Acoustic Monitor.

Abstract Background Current assessment of sport-related concussion involves a multifaceted approach including neurocognitive testing, symptom report, and balance assessment. Lacking from this paradigm is a truly objective measure of the physiological changes associated with concussion. New method A device called the Brain Acoustic Monitor (BAM) has been developed to detect cerebral blood flow changes resulting from traumatic brain injury by amplification and comparison of sound waves created by cerebral arteries and a reference artery. The reliability of its measures is unknown, limiting its use in day-to-day assessment of concussion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-rater reliability associated with BAM measures. Twenty healthy participants were assessed on two occasions, separated by at least 24 h. Ten subjects were measured during the initial session by two assessors for inter-rater comparisons. Measures of positive-to-negative signal deflection (ratio) and frequency divergence from a reference arterial signal (divergence) were calculated and analyzed using Intra-class correlations (2,1). Results Inter-rater reliability ranged from poor to excellent, showing greater reliability in right brain vs. left brain measures. Intra-rater reliability was similar with a range of poor to good. Comparison with existing methods These findings are comparable to the reliability of current methods of concussion assessment, specifically neurocognitive testing. Conclusion All BAM values obtained in our healthy subjects were well below scores that would reflect potential head injury. These findings emphasize the potential usefulness of this device in future research concerning serial measurement of cerebral perfusion pressure changes associated with sport concussion.
The influence of static and dynamic training on angular strength performance.

Three groups of subjects were involved in a ten-were training programme designed to increase arm strength. There were 26 subjects in each group: those in the experimental group,static and dynamic, exercised twice weekly in the test range, while the control group remained unexercised. Pre- and post-training static strength scores were obtained at six equidistant points (12° apart) in the middle one-third (60°) of the 180° range of movement of the fully extended right arm in the forward horizontal plane. Reliability coefficients were high. The strength increases for both static and dynamic training wore significant; however, this did not obtain for the control group. The results of an analysis of covariance show that the strength gain associated with static training is significantly, greater than that following dynamic training. The significant strength increases resulting from hath programmes were evenly distributed over the angular range investigated.
Linear predictive transform of monochrome images

Digital monochromatic images are encoded using a novel minimum mean square error (MSE) linear predictive transform (LPT) coding formulation. The new formulation is appealing for two important reasons. First, it leads to simple coder implementation with a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Second, it provides a general theoretical framework from which minimum MSE predictive coding and minimum MSE transform coding arise as special cases. Some specific results of this paper that illustrate the previous ideas are: a simple and generally suboptimum two-dimensional LPT coder operating at 2 bit pixer?1 has approximately one third the complexity of a 4 × 4 Hadamard coder while yielding a better SNR; an optimum 2D LPT coder operating at 2 bit pixer?1 has approximately one sixth the complexity of a 4 × 4 Karhunen-Loeve transform (KLT) coder while yielding a better SNR.
Designing interactive information access technologies for small scale rural indian farmers

More than 60% of the Indian population resides in rural areas with agriculture as the main profession. Although small scale rural Indian farmers possess deep knowledge about traditional agricultural practices, they oftentimes lack immediate, contextual and real time access to vital information such as the current state of the agro-market, making the right choice of pesticides and fungicides for pest management, weather conditions, and knowledge about newly introduced agricultural tools, techniques and practices. In this paper, I report the preliminary findings of an ongoing contextual user research study conducted in three different Indian villages in Maharashtra State. This research is targeted to uncover a deeper understanding of the information needs of Indian rural farmers through field observations and interviews, as well as to guide the human-centered design of potential Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions to cater to the information needs of small scale rural farmers in India.
Pharmaceutical Applications of the Near Infrared Determination of Water

The combination band for water at 1.9 μ has been observed in a series of solvent systems and for selected solid-state samples. Pharmaceutical applications of the measurement of this band are described.
Advances and trends in the development of computational models for tires

Status and some recent developments of computational models for tires are summarized. Discussion focuses on a number of aspects of tire modeling and analysis including: tire materials and their characterization; evolution of tire models; characteristics of effective finite element models for analyzing tires; analysis needs for tires; and impact of the advances made in finite element technology, computational algorithms, and new computing systems on tire modeling and analysis. An initial set of benchmark problems has been proposed in concert with the U.S. tire industry. Extensive sets of experimental data will be collected for these problems and used for evaluating and validating different tire models. Also, the new Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ALDF) at NASA Langley Research Center is described.
Reactions of unsaturated electrophiles with trans-(PMe3)2Pd(Ph)(NHPh)

Abstract The complex trans-(PMe3)2Pd(Ph)(NHPh) (1) reacts with the unsaturated electrophiles CO2, RNCO (R = Ph, tBu, 2,6-iPrC 6H3), Ph2C=C=O and maleic anhydride. The less bulky substrates, CO2 and maleic anhydride, react by net insertion into the Pd N bond, while the bulky electrophiles tBuNCO, (2,6-iPrC6H3) NCO, and Ph2C=C=O react by NH addition. 15N labeling experiments show that the initial product of the reaction of phenylisocyanate with 1 is the PdN insertion product which then tautomerizes to the NH addition product.
Similarity based retrieval from sequence databases using automata as queries

Similarity based retrieval from sequence databases is of importance in many applications such as time-series, video and textual databases. In this paper, automata based formalisms are introduced for specifying queries over such databases. Various measures defining the distance of a database sequence from an automaton are defined. Efficient methods for similarity based retrieval are presented for each of the distance measures. These methods answer nearest neighbor queries (i.e. retrieval of k closest subsequences), or range queries (i.e., retrieval of all sequences with in a given distance).
Technology Adoption into Teaching and Learning by Mainstream University Faculty: A Mixed Methodology Study Revealing the "How, When, Why, and Why Not"

This mixed methodology study was designed to examine the factors and the process by which mainstream university faculty members adopt and implement technology in teaching and learning. Data were collected through a survey administered to faculty from 3 academic colleges (N = 117) and interviews of selected survey respondents (N = 9). Path analysis of survey data resulted in path coefficients indicating relationships between variables and significant direct effects to variables. Interview data were analyzed through constant comparative analyses. Patterns of perceptions and usage among participants emerged, providing rich data that triangulates with survey and path analysis findings. The results suggest that peer interactions and collegiality are significant direct effects in helping faculty members learn new innovations and strategies. The findings have important implications for informing the design of professional development for faculty adoption of technology.
Behavioral phenotyping of Neuropeptide S receptor knockout mice

Central administration of neuropeptide S (NPS) in rodents induces arousal and prolonged wakefulness as well as anxiolytic-like effects. NPS has also been implicated in modulation of cognitive functions and energy homeostasis. Here we present a comprehensive phenotypical analysis of mice carrying a targeted mutation in the NPS receptor (NPSR) gene. NPSR knockout mice were found to exhibit reduced exploratory activity when challenged with a novel environment, which might indicate attenuated arousal. We also observed attenuated late peak wheel running activity in NPSR knockout mice, representing reduced activity during the subjective evening. These mice also displayed increased anxiety-like behaviors when compared to their wildtype littermates, although analysis of anxiety behaviors was limited by genetic background influences. Unexpectedly, NPSR knockout mice showed enhanced motor performance skills. No phenotypical differences were detected in the forced-swim test, startle habituation and pre-pulse inhibition paradigms. Together, these data indicate that the endogenous NPS system might be involved in setting or maintaining behavioral arousal thresholds and that the NPS system might have other yet undiscovered physiological functions.
Rituximab treatment for posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder after small bowel transplantation

POSTTRANSPLANT lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is one of the more serious complications after small bowel transplantation. It is associated with Epstein– Barr virus (EBV). Rituximab is the chimeric, humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. It binds to the B-cell surface antigen CD20. It has been approved for use in relapsed or refractory low-grade follicular lymphoma. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab treatment for PTLD after small bowel transplantation.
A New Milky Way Concordance

We describe a new graphical concordance of catalogs of extended objects in the Milky Way, which is useful for making cross-catalog comparisons and for identifying otherwise unknown objects. The catalogs included cover Galactic H II regions, reflection nebulae, dark clouds, planetary nebulae, supernova remnants, and the NGC 2000. The concordance is interactive and uses the SuperMongo plotting package. Besides source positions, the concordance gives information about source sizes and distances, when they are available. It is thus complementary to other text-based catalog information services. It can easily be extended to treat more catalogs than the 15 currently available.
Parental Abusive Drinking and Sibling Role Differences

Abstract This study examined how parental drinking and family dysfunction are associated with sibling family role differences. Twenty-nine sibling pairs of college freshmen and their younger siblings participated. Differences on family roles of hero and lost child were significantly related to parental drinking and family dysfunction. Differences in codependency were significantly related to family dysfunction. Implications for dealing with children's family roles in families undergoing addictions treatment were discussed.
Analytical techniques for indentation of viscoelastic materials

Indentation of linearly viscoelastic materials is explored using elastic–viscoelastic correspondence analysis for both conical-pyramidal and spherical indentation. Boltzmann hereditary integrals are used to generate displacement–time solutions for loading at constant rate and creep following ramp loading. Experimental data for triangle- and trapezoidal-loading are examined for commercially-available polymers and compared with analytical solutions. Emphasis is given to the use of multiple experiments to test the fidelity and predictive capability of the obtained material creep function. Plastic deformation occurs in sharp indentation of glassy polymers and is found to complicate the viscoelastic analysis. A new method is proposed for estimating a material time-constant from peak displacement or hardness data obtained in pyramidal indentation tests performed at different loading rates.
Integration of through-wafer interconnects with a two-dimensional cantilever array

High-density through-wafer interconnects are incorporated in a two-dimensional (2D) micromachined cantilever array. The design addresses alignment and density issues associated with 2D arrays. Each cantilever has piezoresistive deflection sensors and high-aspect ratio silicon tips. The fabrication process and array operation are described. The integration of cantilevers, tips, and interconnects enables operation of a high-density 2D scanning probe array over large areas.
A language for defining spatial trusses

Abstract This paper describes a computer language enabling its users to define three-dimensional truss structures. The language can be used either as a design tool in specifying the geometrical characteristics of these structures or as an input language to a program that actually performs their structural analysis. The main characteristic of the language is that it is procedural; programs defining a nucleus of a structure can be made into procedures (subroutines) which can be called within programs and other procedures in order to define more complex structures composed of that nucleus or its variants. This characteristic is particularly useful in defining repetitive geometrical patterns which themselves appear within repetitive patterns. The paper also describes a syntax-directed compiler whose input is a sentence in the language and whose output is interpretable code which, when executed, produces drawings and provides listings of the coordinates of the points and the linkages defined by the user in his source program. Several examples of structures defined using this language are included in the paper.
Comparison of visceral adipose tissue mass in adult African Americans and whites

HOFFMAN, DANIEL J., ZIMIAN WANG, DYMPNA GALLAGHER, AND STEVEN B. HEYMSFIELD. Comparison of visceral adipose tissue mass in adult African Americans and whites. Obes Res. 2005;13:66–74. Objective: Previous studies have reported racial differences in the amount of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), a risk factor for metabolic diseases. These results are equivocal and have not controlled for hormonal influences on VAT mass. This study was designed to measure the extent to which race is associated with VAT, controlling for total adipose tissue (TAT) mass and testosterone. Research Methods and Procedures: Using a cross-sectional study design, we measured TAT mass using DXA, VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue mass using magnetic resonance imaging, and sex hormones using radioimmunoassay in 224 African-American and white men and women. Results: White men had increased VAT mass, even when controlling for TAT and age, compared with African-American men. White women also had a higher VAT mass compared with African-American women, but only when controlling for TAT and age. When multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the racial differences in VAT mass in a subset of subjects (n 80), controlling for sex hormones, it was found that white men, but not women, had increased VAT mass compared with their African-American counterparts. Discussion: Based on the results of this study, we conclude that, when controlling for TAT, sex hormone levels, and age, white men, but not women, have more VAT mass than African-American men and women. Additional studies are needed to explore possible environmental and genetic influences on fat distribution relative to race and sex.
Theoretical equations of state and molecular configuration rod-shaped molecules on a metal surface: Alkanes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids on Hg

The orientation and configuration of long-chain alkanes, alcohols, and carboxylic acids on a Hg surface have been studied as a function of surface coverage by measuring the surface tension and surface potential. Very detailed information has been obtained concerning the two-dimensional nature of these rod-shaped molecules on a clean smooth metal surface. At low surface density the molecules exhibit a great deal of lateral interaction even though the molecules lie with the long axis adjacent to the surface. As the partial monolayer is compressed, it forms a two-dimensional liquid. When the molecules are in a close-packed horizontal orientation further compression forces the chains to kink so that part of the chains are erect. The erect portions cluster into nuclei which grow to micelles. The number of molecules in a micelle (β) depends on the length of the chain, e.g., of the chain, e.g., β = (0.019 m2 + 2.1) ± 0.74, where m is the number of carbon atoms in the chain. Further compression forces all the molecules into an erect orientation with the long axis perpendicular to the substrate. Fatty acids with m > 15 orient with the carboxyl head group adjacent to the substrate and the tail pointing outward. Fatty acids with m ≦ 15 orient with carboxyl head group in the outer surface with the tail pointed toward the substrate. Equations of state are derived which accurately predict the experimental data for all the alkanes and fatty acids for the two-dimensional liquid and intermediate phase, except for pentane, which behaves ms a two-dimensional gas. The equations of state are based on the proposed model, have no adjustable parameters, and take into consideration interaction with the substrate, interaction between adsorbate molecules, repulsion between similarly oriented induced dipoles, the number of carbon atoms in the chain, the temperature, and the known dimensions of the molecules. The same model is used to calculate the polarizability of the molecules and predict quantitatively the experimental surface potential for the alkanes as a function of surface density. It was then possible to determine the permanent dipole moment of the carboxyl head group of the fatty acids (≈1.8–2.0 debyes, in good agreement with the literature value of 1.7 debyes).
Synthesis, Structures, and Ethylene Polymerization Behavior of Bis(pyrazolyl)borate Zirconium and Hafnium Benzyl Complexes†

The alkyl hydrido bis(pyrazolyl)borate reagent Tl(MeHB(3-mesitylpyrazolyl)2) (Tl(MeBpMs), 1) has been prepared and used to generate group 4 metal MeBpMs complexes. The reaction of 1 with ZrCl4 affords (MeBpMs*)2ZrCl2 (2, MeBpMs* = MeHB(3-mesitylpyrazolyl)(5-mesitylpyrazolyl)−). The reaction of 1 with M(CH2Ph)4 yields (MeBpMs)M(CH2Ph)3 (M = Zr (3), Hf (4)), bibenzyl, and Tl0, via initial MeBpMs/benzyl exchange to produce 3 or 4 and Tl(CH2Ph), followed by thermal decomposition of Tl(CH2Ph). The reaction of 3 with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] proceeds by one-electron oxidation of a zirconium benzyl bond to yield [(MeBpMs)Zr(CH2Ph)2][B(C6F5)4] (5) and a series of organic products derived from coupling and H atom transfer reactions of trityl and benzyl radicals. The reaction of 4 with [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4] yields [(MeBpMs)Hf(CH2Ph)2][B(C6F5)4] (6) along with Ph3CCH2Ph (86%) as the major organic product. The high yield of Ph3CCH2Ph in this reaction suggests that electrophilic benzyl abstraction competes with oxidative M−CH2Ph b...
Mesoscopic structures resulting from crystal accumulation and melt movement in granites

Several mesosocopic structures are consistent with mechanical accumulation of crystals and movement of melt in granite magmas, as well as compaction and shear of crystal-melt aggregates, concentrations of microgranitoid enclaves indented by megacrysts, and concentrations of crystals of the same mineral with different crystallisation histories. Evidence for crystal and enclave accumulation is shown clearly in mafic and silicic layered intrusions (MASLI-type granite plutons), for example, the Kameruka Granodiorite, Bega Batholith, south-eastern Australia.Crystal accumulations with interstitial liquid may become mobile in a magma chamber, owing to instabilities in the host magma caused by seismic and replenishment events or thermal and buoyancy variations. This remobilised material may intrude other parts of the chamber, as well as earlier-formed cumulates and even wall-rocks, as dykes, tubes, troughs and pipes. Marked concentrations of accessory and mafic minerals may also develop in these structures. Interstitial melt may also be extracted from accumulated aggregates, intruding and disrupting the aggregates. Spectacular examples of these various structures are preserved in the Tuolumne Batholith, California. Detailed mechanisms for the formation of many of the structures are not well understood, though the formation of cumulates in vertical layers suggests that sorting and filter pressing during flow and resulting strain of crystal mushes may play important roles.
Mixed-oxidant attack of high-temperature alloys in carbon- and oxygen-containing environments

The corrosive degradation of high-temperature alloys in environments containing more than one oxidant cannot, in general, be predicted from a knowledge of the response of the materials to the individual oxidants. In the present study, the phenomenological changes associated with the degradation of iron-nickel-chromium base alloys in carbon-oxygen environments have been investigated by examining the microstructural changes in samples exposed to such environments for extended periods of time. The results of these studies have led to the formulation of a model which proposes that the material exposed to the reaction environment experiences five stages of microstructural changes close to the surface before severe degradation sets in. The end of Stage V is the start of severe degradation, which contributes to a complete modification of the microstructure. This, in turn, leads to a rapid deterioration of the mechanical properties of the material.
Using ultrashort optical pulses to couple ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order in an oxide heterostructure

The interaction between ferroelectricity and magnetism is of interest for the use in magnetic information storage devices. Here, the authors achieve the coupling of ferroelectric and ferromagnetic order in an oxide heterostructure by ultrashort optical pulses, offering the optical control of these effects.
Development of an experimental murine pulmonary metastasis model incorporating a viral encoded tumor specific antigen.

A SV40 murine tumor model was developed and characterized involving intravenous inoculation of BALB/c mice with syngeneic SV40-transformed kidney fibroblasts (mKSA cells). Following intravenous inoculation with mKSA cells, viable tumor cells were recovered from primary organ cell culture of the brain, spleen, lungs, and kidneys of tumor bearing mice. The presence of mKSA tumor cells in these tissues was confirmed by morphological identification and by immunoflouresence directed to SV40 large tumor antigen (T-ag). Additionally, a computer assisted method was used to enumerate and quantitate the size of tumor foci. Tumor foci were observed in the lungs and were quantifiable based on both size and number. The number and size of foci observed in the lungs of tumor bearing mice was dependent on the dose of mKSA cells and time post-inoculation. Ultimately, the tumor burden in inoculated mice was found to be lethal. Quantification of tumor foci in the lung, survival data, and detection of metastasis to organs at sites distal to tumor cell inoculation, provides specific reference points for use in examining the mechanism(s) of the immune response to tumors expressing viral antigen and in evaluating immunologic based therapies within this new SV40 murine tumor model. The methods decribed herein can be applied for the development of new animal models of metastasis that express viral encoded tumor-specific antigens.
Variable-oriented and person-oriented perspectives of analysis: the example of alcohol consumption in adolescence.

This article presents person-oriented and variable-oriented approaches to data analysis. To illustrate these two approaches and the types of information they provide the researcher, data from 3558 control group youth from the National Cross-Site Evaluation of High Risk Youth Programs were analysed. The relationship, over time, between parent attitudes and gender as it relates to youth alcohol consumption were examined. Data were analysed and compared using a variable-oriented approach (repeated measures ANOVA) and a person-oriented approach (Configural Frequency Analysis). Data analysis demonstrated that variable- and person-oriented approaches provide the researcher with different information that can be complementary. The ANOVA identified an overall trend that accounted for little variance; the CFA explained why this was the case by identifying groups of respondents whose behaviour was different from the overall trend. The implications of these results and the use of both types of approaches are discussed.
Isolation, characterization, and mapping of the mouse and human Fgd2 genes, faciogenital dysplasia (FGD1; Aarskog syndrome) gene homologues.

FGD1 encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that specifically activates the Rho GTPase Cdc42. FGD1 gene mutations result in faciogenital dysplasia (FGDY, Aarskog syndrome), an X-linked developmental disorder that adversely affects the formation of multiple skeletal structures. Database searches show that the Caenorhabditis elegans genome contains an FGD1 homologue. Since C. elegans genes often have multiple vertebrate homologues, we hypothesized the existence of multiple mammalian FGD1-related sequences. Here we report the use of degenerate PCR to isolate and characterize the mouse and human Fgd2 genes, new members of the FGD1 gene family. Fgd2 cDNA encodes a 727-amino-acid protein with a predicted mass of 82 kDa. Fgd2 and FGD1 share a high degree of sequence identity that spans >560 contiguous amino acid residues. Fgd2, like FGD1, contains adjacent RhoGEF and PH domains, a second carboxy-terminal PH domain, and a distinctive FYVE domain. Genomic PCR studies indicate some degree of conserved gene structure between Fgd2 and FGD1. Fgd2 transcripts are present in several diverse tissues and during mouse embryogenesis, suggesting a role in embryonic development. Genetic linkage and radiation hybrid mapping data show that Fgd2 and the human FGD2 ortholog map to syntenic regions of murine chromosome 17 and human chromosome 6p21.2, respectively. The observation that all FGD1 gene family members contain equivalent signaling domains and a conserved structural organization strongly suggests that these signaling domains form a canonical core structure for members of the FGD1 family of RhoGEF proteins.
Geographical patterns of heart disease in the Northeastern United States.

Abstract A 49-county region surrounding the urban corridor from New York through New Jersey to Philadelphia was the focus of an investigation of the spatial patterns of mortality from four types of heart disease: major cardiovascular, acute ischemic, chronic ischemic and cerebrovascular. The data used were age-adjusted mortality rates for white males and white females for the period 1968–1972. Central to the research was interest in the existence of county clusters with similar rates, high and low risk areas and possible associations of mortality rates with environmental and socioeconomic conditions. The tasks completed in this first phase of a projected multi-phase project led to the identification of four country clusters within the region. High major cardiovascular rates appear to make the Southern New Jersey cluster a high risk zone. In contrast, a Central Corridor cluster has relatively low rates for all the diseases. No clear pattern was in evidence for the Northwestern Periphery cluster. Finally, a stark contrast between acute and chronic ischemic rates appeared in the Urban Spur. The next step in this research will be to search for either consistency or deviation from these patterns in the 1973–1976 period. A risk factor data set will be created to analyze the patterns in greater detail.
Life skill Training: Psychoeducational training as mental health treatment

Fifty-four patients of a Veterans Administration Medical Center were assigned to either a life-skill training program that emphasized psychoeducational instruction and skill building or to a group counseling control condition. Subjects assigned to life-skill training were provided with 28 hours of instruction in interpersonal communication, purpose in life problem solving, and physical fitness/health maintenance. Control subjects received equal time engaged in psychiatric treatment that emphasized the analysis and exploration of personal problems, but with no direct coping skill training. Significant differences between the two groups were found on measures of interpersonal communication and meaningful purpose in life. Both groups received lower staff ratings on psychopathological behavior and demonstrated improvement on ratings of health and physical fitness upon completion of treatment. Twelve- and 24-month follow-up data that include rehospitalization rates are presented for each group.
Rotational viscosity and molecular structure of nematic liquid crystals

An electro‐optical technique was used to measure the rotational viscosity of nematic liquid crystals, whose structures were chosen to investigate the effects of linking groups and lateral groups on rotational viscosity. These results are compared with the theory developed by Osipov and Terentjev. It is shown that the theory is useful in predicting rotational viscosity for specific molecular structures. The agreement between theory and experiment is found to be good for all the liquid crystals studied.
The Significance of Seasonal Changes on a Modern Cobble-Gravel Beach used by Spawning Lake Trout, Lake Ontario

In 1979, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) spawning was observed and confirmed by divers over a modern cobble-gravel beach in eastern Lake Ontario. Seasonal beach surveys determined that areas where egg deposition took place coincided closely with areas of coarse cobble-gravel where sediment accumulation rates were highest. Egg deposition occurred at depths below subsequent winter ice contact. The seasonal transport of cobble-gravel seems to have largely preceded the spawning episode but addition of some finer gravels, in the area of egg deposition, did occur before freeze-over. There was no survival to hatch.
A means of accountability in oral communication performance

The article describes a method of recording precise verbal and nonverbal response as a means of accounting for the student's speech performance.
Transcript Expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae at High Salinity

Transcript expression of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at high salinity was determined by microarray analysis of 6144 open reading frames (ORFs). From cells grown in 1 m NaCl for 10, 30, and 90 min, changes in transcript abundance >2-fold were classified. Salinity-induced ORFs increased over time: 107 (10 min), 243 (30 min), and 354 (90 min). Up-regulated, functionally unknown ORFs increased from 17 to 149 over this period. Expression patterns were similar early, with 67% of up-regulated transcripts after 10 min identical to those at 30 min. The expression profile after 90 min revealed different up-regulated transcripts (identities of 13% and 22%, respectively). Nucleotide and amino acid metabolism exemplified the earliest responses to salinity, followed by ORFs related to intracellular transport, protein synthesis, and destination. Transcripts related to energy production were up-regulated throughout the time course with respiration-associated transcripts strongly induced at 30 min. Highly expressed at 90 min were known salinity stress-induced genes, detoxification-related responses, transporters of the major facilitator superfamily, metabolism of energy reserves, nitrogen and sulfur compounds, and lipid, fatty acid/isoprenoid biosynthesis. We chose severe stress conditions to monitor responses in essential biochemical mechanisms. In the mutant, Deltagpd1/gpd2, lacking glycerol biosynthesis, the stress response was magnified with a partially different set of up-regulated ORFs.
Arkansas fetal diagnosis and management: identifying and coordinating care for anomalous fetuses

AbstractObjective: Describe a novel system of coordinating the identification and management of fetal anomalies in a rural state, where there is a large proportion of impoverished and Medicaid eligible patients, and centralization of the majority of tertiary care resources.Methods: The Arkansas Fetal Diagnosis and Management program was initiated to coordinate the care of anomalous fetuses. Data from the beginning of the program (2009) to 2013 was collected and analyzed. The data is reported in a descriptive fashion, to report the outcomes of this program. The specific type and number of anomalies diagnosed and managed were tabulated and analyzed.Results: From 2009 to 2013, data from 1300 pregnancies was collected. From 2009 to 2013, there were 7.9%, 10.9%, 15.0%, 18.6%, and 22.3% of ultrasound referrals with fetal anomalies. The anomalies were grouped by physiologic system, and despite the total numbers increasing each year, the frequency and distribution of anomalies remained constant.Conclusions: The A...
Brain slice preparation: Hippocampus

Techniques of the brain slice are described. Consideration is given to: the tissue chamber, life support, tissue preparation and common sources of error.
Analysis of severe photoreceptor loss and Morris water-maze performance in aged rats

In a study of aging and memory in 25-27-month-old albino rats, performance on a Morris water maze was found to be dependent on the structural integrity of the retina. Generally, as expected, 'learners' had intact retinas, while 'non-learners' had retinas with severe photoreceptor loss and a non-continuous outer nuclear layer, consisting of scattered cell nuclei. However, contrary to this general correlation between learning ability and photoreceptor presence, some learners had severely degenerated retinas and occasionally, non-learners had photoreceptor populations that apparently were comparable to those of learners. Rat retinas from these unpredictable, borderline response categories were examined histopathologically and morphometrically with the purpose of determining the minimal number of photoreceptors (PRs) necessary for animals to be rated as learners on the Morris water maze. However, among these severely damaged retinas of borderline groups, total number of surviving photoreceptors did not vary significantly among the learner, ambiguous or marginal and non-learner groups. The population of surviving PRs in learners was as low as 0.04% and in non-learners as high as 0.4%, as compared to that of young, adult rats. Therefore, borderline learners and non-learners had overlapping surviving PR numbers and the results did not clarify the response difference between these groups in the Morris water maze. It is suggested that the pattern of surviving PRs over the retinal surface, as well as the ratio of surviving rods to cones and their connectivity with other retinal neurons, may be related to the residual function of degenerated retinas of learner rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dislocation of the pituitary gland by sphenocavernous meningiomas

Background Dislocation of the pituitary gland from the sella turcia by tumor has only very rarely been described. To date, only two cases have appeared in the neurosurgical literature. Methods After intraoperative identification of pituitary dislocation in five patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas, a review of our most recent 20 patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas was performed. A subgroup of sphenocavernous meningiomas was identified, as were the associations between pituitary dislocation and the patient's endocrinologic status. Results Of 20 consecutive patients with cavernous sinus meningiomas, seven tumors could be subclassified as sphenocavernous meningiomas due to the significant amount of tumor extension into the sphenoid sinus. At the time of surgery, dislocation of the pituitary gland from the sella into the suprasellar cistern was observed in five of seven of these patients. Four of the five patients with pituitary dislocation had evidence of hypopituitarism, whereas there was no evidence of this condition in the two patients with sphenocavernous meningiomas without pituitary dislocation. Conclusions Pituitary dislocation in these patients is likely due to the physical dislocation of the pituitary gland from the sella, through an incompetent diaphragma sella, and by the tumorous extension in the sphenoid sinus. The extension of a cavernous sinus meningioma into the sphenoid sinus, and specifically the sella turcica, may be via the intercavernous venous sinuses. The lack of endocrinologic improvement suggests that the hypopituitarism noted in these patients is likely due to disturbance of the pituitary microcirculation with subsequent pituitary ischemia. The possibility of pituitary dislocation in patients with sphenocavernous meningiomas, especially those with panhypopituitarism, should be considered and searched for at the time of surgery.