cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of bosentan on endothelial function in patients with congestive heart failure

Background Increased endothelin concentrations are one mechanism underlying endothelial dysfunction. Congestive heart failure (CHF) is characterized by increased levels of endothelin and endothelial dysfunction. Bosentan (BOS), a dual endothelin receptor blocker, have beneficial hemodynamic effects in patients with heart failure, but its effects on endothelial function are not known. Methods In a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study we examined the effects of escalating doses of BOS (from 8mg to 240mg) on endothelial function in 22 patients with CHF (6 placebo, 16 BOS, 15 men, age: 71±2 years, ejection fraction: 29±1%). All patients were also treated with diuretics, beta-blockers and either ACE-inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers. Endothelial function was assessed non-invasively at baseline and the last visit by measurement of central blood pressure and augmentation index using a semi-automated pulse wave analysis system. Results BOS resulted in a significant decrease in central systolic (−12±5 mmHg, p=0.03) and diastolic pressure (−12±3 mmHg, p=0.003) but augmentation index remained unchanged (from 27±3% at baseline to 24±3% after BOS, P=0.3). Time to reflection (a measure of pulse wave velocity) was unaffected by BOS treatment (from 141±3 msec to 144±4 msec, P=0.5). Placebo had no significant effect on any parameter. Conclusions BOS, added to standard therapy for CHF, decreased blood pressure but had no effect on endothelial function. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P12–P12; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.11.047
Student-level numerical simulation of conditions inside an exploding fission-bomb core

This paper describes a freely-available spread-sheet that has been developed to simulate the conditions of reaction rate, core acceleration and velocity, energy generation, and pressure within a detonating fission-bomb core. When applied to a model of the Hiroshima Little Boy bomb, the spreadsheet predicts a yield of 12.7 kilotons, a figure in reasonable agreement with published values.
USE OF RADIOCHROMIC DOSIMETRY FILM FOR HDR BRACHYTHERAPY QUALITY ASSURANCE

An important quality assurance (QA) procedure in high dose rate (HDR) remote afterloading brachytherapy is the verification of the system's control of the source by a direct test with dosimetry medium prior to the patient's first treatment. In this test radiochromic film is placed in direct contact with the applicator and the patient's proposed treatment is then run with their EPROM card. Examination of the film allows a quick appraisal of step size, number of steps, and offset. Advantages of this film include self-development so the image may be viewed immediately, insensitivity to normal room light, and archivability. The cost is about U.S. $2 per clinical case.
US Satellite Navigation Program Status

This paper provides an update of the development and implementation of the United States of America Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and Local Area Augmentation Systems (LAAs). It also addresses FAA efforts to implement these satellite navigation technologies into the US National Airspace System (SBAS) between the FAA and other worldwide Civil Aviation Authorities.
Information and inference in the wireless physical layer

Wireless networking applications continue to motivate challenging problems in information theory, signal processing, and other fields. This article explores briefly four research areas, primarily involving information theoretic or inferential problems, each of which is motivated by a wireless application-layer issue. In particular, the four applications of secure file transfer, inference, real-time multimedia transmission, and social networking, are used to motivate consideration of four respective research problems involving the wireless physical layer: physical layer security in data networks, distributed inference in sensor networks, finite-blocklength capacity in multimedia networks, and connectivity in small-world networks.
In utero ethanol exposure causes mitochondrial dysfunction, which can result in apoptotic cell death in fetal brain: a potential role for 4-hydroxynonenal.

Background: In utero ethanol exposure causes abnormal fetal brain development that may partly be due to enhanced cell death. The mechanisms underlying this remain to be defined, but ethanol-induced oxidative stress may play a role. The following studies investigated the effects of short-term in utero ethanol exposure on fetal brain mitochondrial events that are known to elicit apoptotic cell death. Evidence is presented suggesting that 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE), a toxic product of lipid oxidation, is a causal factor in the observed mitochondrial damage. Methods: Mitochondria were isolated from control and ethanol-exposed fetal brains (days 17 and 18 of gestation). Permeability transition was determined spectrophotometrically, and cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) release were assessed by Western blotting. Caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation were determined both as markers for mitochondrially mediated apoptosis and as consequences of cytochrome c and AIF release. Results: Maternal ethanol intake caused an increase in mitochondrial permeability transition, and this was accompanied by cytochrome c and AIF release from fetal brain mitochondria that exceeded control values by 62 and 25%, respectively (p < 0.05). In utero ethanol exposure resulted in a 30% increase in caspase-3 activity and a 25% increase in DNA fragmentation (p < 0.05) in the fetal brain. HNE levels were increased by 23% (p < 0.05) in mitochondria by in vivo ethanol exposure. In vitro treatment of fetal brain mitochondria with HNE (25–100 μM) also caused increases in mitochondrial permeability transition, as well as dose-dependent releases of cytochrome c and AIF. Conclusions: These studies illustrate that in utero ethanol exposure can elicit a cascade of events in the fetal brain that are consistent with mitochondrially mediated apoptotic cell death. Additionally, the increase in mitochondrial content of HNE after ethanol intake and the ability of HNE added to fetal brain mitochondria to mimic these effects of in vivo ethanol exposure support a potential role for HNE in the proapoptotic responses to ethanol.
GUD WIP: Gait-Understanding-Driven Walking-In-Place

Many Virtual Environments require walking interfaces to explore virtual worlds much larger than available real-world tracked space. We present a model for generating virtual locomotion speeds from Walking-In-Place (WIP) inputs based on walking biomechanics. By employing gait principles, our model — called Gait-Understanding-Driven Walking-In-Place (GUD WIP) — creates output speeds which better match those evident in Real Walking, and which better respond to variations in step frequency, including realistic starting and stopping. The speeds output by our implementation demonstrate considerably less within-step fluctuation than a good current WIP system — Low-Latency, Continuous-Motion (LLCM) WIP — while still remaining responsive to changes in user input. We compared resulting speeds from Real Walking, GUD WIP, and LLCM-WIP via user study: The average output speeds for Real Walking and GUD WIP respond consistently with changing step frequency — LLCM-WIP is far less consistent. GUD WIP produces output speeds that are more locally consistent (smooth) and step-frequency-to-walk-speed consistent than LLCM-WIP.
Soil organic carbon fractions differ in two contrasting tall fescue systems

The value of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for C sequestration in addition to forage production and soil conservation is of current interest. However, studies relating to the impacts of endophyte infected (E+) and endophyte free (E−) tall fescue on soil organic matter fractions are few. This study examined how E+ and E− growth affected soil C fractions 4 years after establishment. The study site was at the University of Kentucky research farm, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. From soil cores in replicated fields we measured total C, particulate organic matter C (POM C), microbial biomass C (MBC), mineralizable C (Min C), C in aggregates, and aggregate distribution at depths of 0 to 15 and 15 to 30 cm. Significant effects between E+ and E- fescue were sometimes observed for MBC, Min C, C in micro-aggregates, and aggregate distribution, but not for total C, and POM C. At 0–15 cm MBC (E+ 26% greater than E−), Min C (E+ 43% lower than E−), C associated with micro-aggregates (E+ 15% lower than E−), and micro-aggregates (46% more micro-aggregates in E+ than E−), were affected by endophyte infection, confirming hypotheses that early changes in soil properties were reflected in labile C fractions and soil structure. Endophyte infection status in tall fescue has quantifiable effects on C sequestration and soil structure, achievable in a relatively short period that can be used to monitor conservation efforts and the consequences of pasture renovation strategies.
The Effects of Integrating Advertising and Product Publicity on Web Usability

ABSTRACT This study empirically tests and examines the effectiveness of integrating advertising and product publicity in a website based on a proposed communication processes to the communication consequences model. This study first investigates the effects of attitude towards the information usability of advertising and product publicity on attitude toward the web content. As the effect of attitude toward the web content is manifested in its ability to predict attitude towards the website, attitude towards the website affects purchase intention and other communication behaviors such as communication sharing and future web use. The results provide supports for the predictions. Implications and future research directions are presented.
On silicon-based speed path identification

Speed path identification is an indispensable step for pushing the design timing wall and for developing the final speed binning strategy in production test. For complex high-performance designs, pre-silicon timing tools have so far not been able to deliver satisfactory results in predicting the actual speed limiting paths on the silicon. The actual speed paths are mostly uncovered through test and silicon debug, where tremendous manual effort is involved. This paper presents a novel approach as the first step for automating the speed path identification process. Our approach is silicon-based, meaning that timing information is extracted through testing of silicon sample chips. We call this step silicon learning. Based on silicon learning, we present an iterative flow for speed path identification. Experimental results are presented to explain the new methodologies and to demonstrate the effectiveness of our techniques.
Proper Moving Average Representations and Outer Functions in Two Variables

In this work, we consider the problem of moving average repre- sentations for random fields. As in the Kolmogorov-Wiener case, such repre- sentations lead to interesting questions in harmonic analysis in the polydisc. In particular, we study outer functions with respect to half-space, semigroup and quarterplane and their interrelations. Professor N. Vakhania has been interested in the area of Prediction Theory and Analysis for infinite dimensional stationary processes, (1). In this work we study the moving average (MA) representations for weakly stationary random fields under half-spaces, semigroups and quarter-planes. We relate the proper- ness of the MA representation to the analytic properties of the factor of the spectral density. We interpret the results of Helson and Lowdenslager, (3), in this context, and relate them to the H-outer property. Using a result in (3), one can show the equivalence of the outer property of the factor, and the properness of the semigroup induced MA representation. We use this result to relate ‚- outer functions (in one variable, with the other variable acting as a parameter), and half-space MA representations. Finally, we take up the quarter-plane MA representation and relate its proper- ness to H-outer property of the factor. This can be exploited to obtain a prob- abilistic result of Soltani, (9). Connection between outer functions in the sense of (3) and outer functions in H 2 (T 2 ) is used to obtain the analytic results of Izuchi and Matsugu, (5), with very simple proofs. Throughout the paper, we use the standard terminology of the book (2).
Effects of Repeat Dosing and Multiple Blood Drawing Separately and Together on Carbon Tetrachloride–Induced Hepatotoxicity

A series of experiments was conducted to assess the effects of prior dosing and/or multiple modest blood withdrawal on subsequent carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-induced hepatotoxicity. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to the following treatments: oil-CCl 4 , oil-bleed-CCl 4 , CCl 4 -CCl 4 , and CCl 4 -bleed-CCl 4 , with bleed groups having 1 ml of blood removed at baseline (time 0), 24, 48, 72, and 120 h. At these times the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were determined. The serum enzyme levels of the CCl 4 (0.9 ml/kg, vol/vol in corn oil, per os) treated rats (treated at time 0) had returned to untreated levels prior to the administration of the second dose (120 h). Serum enzyme (AST/ ALT) levels were measured again 24 and 48 h after the second CCl 4 (0.9 ml/kg, 1:1 vol/vol in corn oil, per os) treatment. The results indicated that the prior dose of CCl 4 (0.9 ml/kg, 1:1 vol/vol in corn oil, per os) enhanced the hepatotoxicity of a subsequent identical dose of CCl 4 three- to six-fold when the two doses were separated by 2-14 days, although the prior dose was protective when administered 24 h before the second dose. Prior multiple blood drawing also enhanced the hepatotoxicity of a subsequent dose of CCl 4 (0.9 ml/kg, 1:1 vol/vol in corn oil, per os) three-fold. The effect of blood drawing has been demonstrated to cross sex and strain when tested on male and female Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats. The combination of the two procedures (with the two CCl 4 doses separated by 5 days) enhanced the hepatotoxicity of a subsequent identical dose of CCl 4 (0.9 ml/kg, 1:1 vol/vol in corn oil, per os) ∼10-fold. Subsequent sham bleed experiments indicated that the increase in serum enzyme levels previously associated with blood withdrawal is substantially associated with the handling (i.e. stress) involved in blood withdrawal rather than the removal of modest amounts of blood per se.
Simulation-based augmented reality for sensor network development

Software development for sensor network is made difficult by resource constrained sensor devices, distributed system complexity, communication unreliability, and high labor cost. Simulation, as a useful tool, provides an affordable way to study algorithmic problems with flexibility and controllability. However, in exchange for speed simulation often trades detail that ultimately limits its utility. In this paper, we propose a new development paradigm, simulation-based augmented reality, in which simulation is used to enhance development on physical hardware by seamlessly integrating a running simulated network with a physical deployment in a way that is transparent to each. The advantages of such an augmented network include the ability to study a large sensor network with limited hardware and the convenience of studying a part of the physical network with simulation's debugging, profiling and tracing capabilities. We implement the augmented reality system based on a sensor network simulator with high fidelity and high scalability. Key to the design are "super" sensor nodes which are half virtual and half physical that interconnect simulation and physical network with fine-grained traffic forwarding and accurate time synchronization. Our results detail the overhead associated with integrating live and simulated networks and the timing accuracy between virtual and physical parts of the network. We also discuss various application scenarios for our system.
Clinical and molecular progress in hereditary paraganglioma

Hereditary paraganglioma (PGL) is characterised by genetic predisposition to the development of highly vascular tumours of the paraganglionic tissues and caused by germ line inactivating mutations in the SDHB, SDHC and SDHD subunits of mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase enzyme complex (SDH; mitochondrial complex II). Recent studies have demonstrated that SDH gene mutations in germ line occur in at least 11% of non-familial head and neck paragangliomas, 8% of non-familial pheochromocytomas, 28% of malignant pheochromocytomas and 33% of extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas. An increasing amount of data suggest that PGL mutations lead to constitutive activation of hypoxia signalling pathways. Genetic and structural models suggest that SDH mutations cause an accumulation of succinate and reactive oxygen species (ROS) which might act as downstream signalling molecules that activate hypoxia inducible pathways. However, many fundamental aspects of PGL pathogenesis, including the mechanism of ROS accumulation, the imprinted transmission pattern of SDHD mutations, and the precise role of SDH in regulation of oxygen homeostasis, remain poorly understood.
Optimal Tapering Factor for Maximum Bandwidth RF Cascaded Amplifiers

Designing wide-band amplifiers has become one of the important issues in wireless and optical high performance System-on-Chip applications. In this paper, we present a newly developed analytical tapering factor that determines the optimal size of each stage of the cascaded amplifier. The utilization of our developed tapering factor can lead to a significant improvement in the amplifier bandwidth as compared with the standard cascaded amplifier unity tapering factor.
Effect of Fecal Contamination on Diarrheal Illness Rates in Day-Care Centers

Contact spread of enteropathogens in day-care centers is supported by the recovery (presence vs. absence) of fecal coliforms from hands and day-care center fomites. This prospective study was conducted to determine what, if any, quantitative measures of fecal coliforms predict the risk of diarrhea among day-care center attendees. Diarrheal illness without concomitant respiratory symptoms was monitored among 221 children aged < 3 years in 37 classrooms (24 day-care centers) through biweekly parental telephone interviews from October 1988 to May 1989 in Cumberland County, North Carolina. The risk of diarrhea was expressed as new episodes/classroom-fortnight. Contamination was expressed as the log10 fecal coliform count per unit of surface area, per toy, and per child and staff hands. Significant predictors of diarrheal risk were any hand contamination (p = 0.003) and the number of contaminated moist sites (hands, faucets, and sinks) (p = 0.006). After adjusting for the child/staff ratio using weighted multiple regression, the authors found that classrooms with either any hand contamination (p = 0.0015) or contamination on all moist sites (p = 0.015) had a significant twofold increased rate of diarrhea compared with classrooms without contamination. This was the first study to demonstrate an increased risk of diarrhea associated with fecal contamination and the frequent sink contamination in day-care centers.
Joint latent topic models for text and citations

In this work, we address the problem of joint modeling of text and citations in the topic modeling framework. We present two different models called the Pairwise-Link-LDA and the Link-PLSA-LDA models.The Pairwise-Link-LDA model combines the ideas of LDA [4] and Mixed Membership Block Stochastic Models [1] and allows modeling arbitrary link structure. However, the model is computationally expensive, since it involves modeling the presence or absence of a citation (link) between every pair of documents. The second model solves this problem by assuming that the link structure is a bipartite graph. As the name indicates, Link-PLSA-LDA model combines the LDA and PLSA models into a single graphical model.Our experiments on a subset of Citeseer data show that both these models are able to predict unseen data better than the baseline model of Erosheva and Lafferty [8], by capturing the notion of topical similarity between the contents of the cited and citing documents. Our experiments on two different data sets on the link prediction task show that the Link-PLSA-LDA model performs the best on the citation prediction task, while also remaining highly scalable. In addition, we also present some interesting visualizations generated by each of the models.
Solar wind electron precipitation into the dayside Martian upper atmosphere through the cusps of strong crustal fields

Measurements made by the magnetometer/electron reflectometer on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft have shown spatially localized enhancements in electron fluxes over the strong crustal fields on both the dayside and night, which are used to identify the cusps in between the closed magnetic fields. This paper provides a comprehensive statistical study on the occurrence rate of dayside solar wind/magnetosheath precipitation over the strong crustal fields. Also, the occurrence rate's dependence on the magnetic elevation angles and the solar zenith angle is presented. A seasonal variation of the precipitation is also expected and found, due to both the tilt and the orbital eccentricity of Mars. The maximum occurrence rate is 40%, when the solar zenith angles are small and the magnetic fields are nearly vertical. Finally, the energy flux deposition of the solar wind electrons is calculated as well, which is 0.1%–2% of solar EUV flux input.
Srcasm overexpression in psoriasis-insights into pathogenesis.

Background: Psoriasis is a prevalent, chronic cutaneous disorder associated with a T-cell lymphocytic infiltrate and altered keratinocyte growth. Some of the molecular features of enhanced keratinocyte growth include increased growth factor receptor activation leading to enhanced cellular tyrosine kinase activity. Receptor tyrosine kinases, including the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, are important regulators of keratinocyte growth, and increased activity of this receptor has been detected in psoriasis. A recently discovered, novel regulator of Src tyrosine kinases, termed Src-activating and signaling molecule (Srcasm), has been shown to modulate EGF signaling and promote differentiation in human keratinocytes. Given the properties of Srcasm, it would be of interest to characterize its expression in psoriasis. In this study, the levels of Srcasm mRNA and protein are characterized, and the relationship of these experimental observations to the psoriasis pathogenesis is discussed. Methods: The levels of Srcasm mRNA were determined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT– PCR) on RNA isolated from unremarkable and lesional patient tissue. These data were supplemented by performing radioactive in situ hybridization on formalin-fixed biopsy specimens of psoriatic lesions and unremarkable epidermis. Expression of Srcasm protein was evaluated by protein immunohistochemistry and Western blotting of protein lysates derived from patient samples. Results: All experimental modalities show that levels of Srcasm mRNA and protein were elevated in psoriatic lesions compared to unremarkable epidermis. Conclusions: Increased levels of Srcasm mRNA and protein are seen in psoriasis. Given what is known regarding Srcasm function, increased levels of this molecule in keratinocytes may represent a cell
EPIZOOTIOLOGY AND EFFECT OF AVIAN POX ON HAWAIIAN FOREST BIRDS

Abstract We determined prevalence and altitudinal distribution of forest birds infected with avian pox at 16 locations on Hawaii, from sea level to tree line in mesic and xeric habitats, during 1977–1980. Isolates from lesions were cultured in the laboratory for positive identification of Poxvirus avium. Infected birds from the wild were brought into the laboratory to assess differences in the course of infection in native versus introduced species. We also documented distributions and activity cycles of potential avian pox vectors.>Native forest birds were (1) more susceptible to avian pox infection than were introduced species, (2) most likely to be infected during the wet season, and (3) found to have a higher prevalence in mesic when compared to xeric forests. Avian pox occurred in forest birds at all elevations, but highest levels were in the mid-elevational ranges (∼1,200 m) where vectors and native birds had the greatest overlap. Temporal and elevational differences in prevalence were apparent thro...
The role of interbasin groundwater transfers in geologically complex terranes, demonstrated by the Great Basin in the western United States

In the Great Basin, USA, bedrock interbasin flow is conceptualized as the mechanism by which large groundwater fluxes flow through multiple basins and intervening mountains. Interbasin flow is propounded based on: (1) water budget imbalances, (2) potential differences between basins, (3) stable isotope evidence, and (4) modeling studies. However, water budgets are too imprecise to discern interbasin transfers and potential differences may exist with or without interbasin fluxes. Potentiometric maps are dependent on conceptual underpinnings, leading to possible false inferences regarding interbasin transfers. Isotopic evidence is prone to non-unique interpretation and may be confounded by the effects of climate change. Structural and stratigraphic considerations in a geologically complex region like the Great Basin should produce compartmentalization, where increasing aquifer size increases the odds of segmentation along a given flow path. Initial conceptual hypotheses should explain flow with local recharge and short flow paths. Where bedrock interbasin flow is suspected, it is most likely controlled by diversion of water into the damage zones of normal faults, where fault cores act as barriers. Large-scale bedrock interbasin flow where fluxes must transect multiple basins, ranges, and faults at high angles should be the conceptual model of last resort.
Models of Service Delivery

In order for an account of models of service delivery in rural areas to have meaning, it is necessary to know something of the rural context and the issues involved that have given rise to those particular models. Rural people, and those professionals authorized to serve them, have of necessity invented a number of ingenious methods for providing the services that have been needed. It has not always been easy, and problems remain, but there have been some innovative models developed especially for rural mental health services. Because psychologists have been extensively involved in mental health services (in contrast to the other human services) and because much experience has been amassed by federal, state, and local government officials in attempting to meet rural mental health needs, this chapter will proceed from the perspective of mental health services. This is not to say, however, that many, if not most, of the same issues and problems would not also apply to the provision of other human services in rural areas.
Dietary Stone Prevention: Opinion – High/Low Calcium Intake

The role of dietary calcium in calcium stone formation is controversial. Historically, dietary calcium has been advocated because hypercalciuria is the most common metabolic abnormality identified in 24-h urine collections obtained from stone formers (Levy et al. 1995). Furthermore, medications that reduce urinary calcium have been showed in randomized trials to reduce the rate of recurrent stone formation (Pearle et al. 1999). However, recent studies have suggested that not only might dietary calcium restriction be ineffective in preventing recurrent calcium stones, but this measure has the potential to result in loss of bone mineral density.
Spectral Distribution of Scattered Light in a Simple Fluid

The spectral distribution of light scattered by density fluctuations in a dense, monatomic, one-component fluid is calculated from the time dependence of the density fluctuations predicted by the linearized hydrodynamic equations of irreversible thermodynamics. The results of Landau and Placzek are verified and a procedure for deriving correction terms is discussed with the dispersion in the velocity of thermal sound waves obtained as an illustration. Particular attention is paid to the critical region. The properties of carbon dioxide are used to estimate the spectral distribution of critical opalescence. A comparison is made between light-scattering and sound-propagation experiments. Space dispersion near the critical point in the pressure and the thermal conductivity is examined briefly. Finally, some of the experimental problems involved in measuring the spectral distribution of the scattered light are discussed.
Qualities of Internationally Educated Teachers in the U.S. Public Schools

The purpose of this study is to examine the qualities of internationally educated teachers in the United States. Their qualities are explored through the examination of the lived experiences of three multilingual and multicultural teachers working as certified teachers in the U.S. public schools. The research question is “What are the qualities of internationally educated teachers working in the U.S. public schools?” In a phenomenological research methodology, interviews were carried out with three multicultural and multilingual teachers who had been teaching in the United States and overseas. The whole-part-whole analysis was used to highlight the interview scripts as data analysis. The findings discuss the internationally educated teachers’ qualities in two broad strands: (1) being a role model for colleagues as they demonstrate tenacity and passion for teaching, extraordinary work ethic, and leadership; and (2) providing culturally responsive teaching. In the conclusion, this study summarizes the qualities of the participants and suggests implications for the U.S. school administrators, parents and students.
Genetic control of amylase levels of mouse submaxillary glands.

SummaryUnder uniform conditions of age, sex and environment, the concentration of the specific enzyme, amylase, present in mouse submaxillary-sublingual glands varies with the strain, the amounts being (amylase activity expressed as mg of reducing sugar/mg wet tissue) CFW, .15 mg; C3H, .19 mg; C57BL/6, .14 mg; and DBA/1, .10 mg. The characteristic amylase level is probably not the result of genetic differences in amount of connective tissue or number of ducts and acini in glands of the several strains as histological examination of representative tissues of each mouse strain shows no significant differences. Thus, the submaxillary gland amylase level for each strain is genetically determined.
Highlights of recent results from the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory

VERITAS is a major ground-based gamma-ray observatory comprising an array of four 12 meter air Cherenkov telescopes operating at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. Data taking has continued from 2007 with a major camera upgrade completed in 2012 resulting in the current sensitivity to very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays between 85 GeV and 30 TeV. VERITAS has detected 54 sources (half of which have been discoveries) leading to many significant contributions to the field of VHE astronomy. These proceedings highlight some of the more recent VERITAS results from the blazar and galactic observing programs as well as measurements of the cosmic-ray electron spectrum, constraints on dark matter and a follow-up program for astrophysical neutrinos.
Effects of ghrelin receptor agonist, relamorelin, on gastric motor functions and satiation in healthy volunteers.

Background Synthetic human ghrelin accelerates gastric emptying, reduces gastric accommodation, and results in numerical increases in postprandial symptom scores. The ghrelin receptor agonist, relamorelin, accelerates gastric emptying in patients with diabetic gastroparesis. Aim To measure pharmacological effects of relamorelin on gastric accommodation, distal antral motility, and satiation in healthy volunteers. Methods In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study of 16 healthy volunteers, we compared effects of 30 μg subcutaneous (s.c.) relamorelin to placebo on: (i) gastric volumes measured by single photon emission computed tomography, (ii) 1-h postprandial distal antral motility index (MI) by 15-lumen perfusion gastroduodenal manometry, and (iii) satiation tested by Ensure nutrient drink test. Primary endpoints were: fasting and postprandial gastric volumes, distal antral phasic pressure activity (number of contractions, mean amplitude, and MI), and maximum tolerated volume. Results were normally distributed and the two treatment groups were compared using t-test. Key Results Relamorelin, 30 μg s.c., significantly increased the number of contractions in the distal antrum during 0–60 min postmeal when compared to placebo (p = 0.022); this was also observed in the first two 15-min periods (p = 0.005 and 0.015 for number of contractions 0–15 and 16–30). There was borderline increase in MI0-15 (p = 0.055) and numerically increased MI0-60 (p = 0.139) and MI16-30 (p = 0.116). The amplitude of contractions was not significantly increased. Relamorelin did not significantly alter fasting or postprandial gastric volumes, gastric accommodation, or satiation volumes and symptoms. Conclusions & Inferences Relamorelin increases frequency of distal antral motility contractions without significant effects on amplitude of contractions. The lack of inhibition of accommodation and absence of increase in satiation symptoms support relamorelin for the treatment of symptomatic gastroparesis (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02466711).
Effect of bone loss in anterior shoulder instability

Anterior shoulder instability with bone loss can be a difficult problem to treat. It usually involves a component of either glenoid deficiency or a Hill-Sachs lesion. Recent data shows that soft tissue procedures alone are typically not adequate to provide stability to the shoulder. As such, numerous surgical procedures have been described to directly address these bony deficits. For glenoid defects, coracoid transfer and iliac crest bone block procedures are popular and effective. For humeral head defects, both remplissage and osteochondral allografts have decreased the rates of recurrent instability. Our review provides an overview of current literature addressing these treatment options and others for addressing bone loss complicating anterior glenohumeral instability.
Antinuclear Antibody Testing: Methods, Indications, and Interpretation

© Laboratory tests to assist in diagnosis and to guide therapy in autoimmune diseases have been in use for decades. One of the best-established autoimmunity tests is the assay for ANA. Although the ANA is a commonly ordered study, it is a notoriously misunderstood test. In a recent study, clinical house staff at a major teaching hospital ranged in their estimations of the sensitivity and specificity of ANA positivity in the diagnosis of lupus all the way between 0% and 100%.1 To make matters worse, new methods have been introduced within the past decade for determining ANA results, so the test performed when a clinician orders an ANA may differ entirely from laboratory to laboratory. To help reduce confusion, this article will describe the methods available to measure ANA, review the indications for ANA testing, and guide the interpretation of ANA results. Methods of ANA Testing The traditional method for performing an ANA test is immunofluorescence. This remains the gold standard technique. At some centers, the immunofluorescent test for antinuclear antibodies is known as the FANA. Immunofluorescence testing involves incubating dilutions of patient sera with a monolayer of fixed, permeabilized cells [F1]. Antibodies adherent to the cell monolayer are visualized with an anti-human immunoglobulin reagent that has been conjugated to a fluorescent tag. Trained technicians identify the presence or absence of nuclear staining and the pattern of nuclear staining by fluorescence microscopy. When performed in a proficient laboratory, immunofluorescence is a highly sensitive assay for the presence of antinuclear CE update [chemistry | immunology] Antinuclear Antibody Testing: Methods, Indications, and Interpretation Eric L. Greidinger, MD, FACR,1 Robert W. Hoffman, DO, FACP, FACR2 1Internal Medicine and Pathology, University of Missouri, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, 2Internal Medicine and Pathology, Antinuclear Antibody Laboratory, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
PLASMA-FIELD COUPLING AT SMALL LENGTH SCALES IN SOLAR WIND NEAR 1 au

In collisionless plasmas such as the solar wind, the coupling between plasma constituents and the embedded magnetic field occurs on various temporal and spatial scales, and is primarily responsible for the transfer of energy between waves and particles. Recently, it was shown that the transfer of energy between solar wind plasma particles and waves is governed by a new and unique relationship: the ratio between the magnetosonic energy and the plasma frequency is constant, E ms/ω pl ~ *. This paper examines the variability and substantial departure of this ratio from * observed at ~1 au, which is caused by a dispersion of fast magnetosonic (FMS) waves. In contrast to the efficiently transferred energy in the fast solar wind, the lower efficiency of the slow solar wind can be caused by this dispersion, whose relation and characteristics are derived and studied. In summary, we show that (i) the ratio E ms/ω pl transitions continuously from the slow to the fast solar wind, tending toward the constant *; (ii) the transition is more efficient for larger thermal, Alfven, or FMS speeds; (iii) the fast solar wind is almost dispersionless, characterized by quasi-constant values of the FMS speed, while the slow wind is subject to dispersion that is less effective for larger wind or magnetosonic speeds; and (iv) the constant * is estimated with the best known precision, * ≈ (1.160 ± 0.083) × 10−22 Js.
Connecting the backwater hydraulics of coastal rivers to fluvio-deltaic sedimentology and stratigraphy

Fluvial channels encounter a backwater reach when they approach a standing body of water, and recent studies have shown that the transition from normal flow to backwater-influenced flow is associated with sediment mass extraction through deposition. Here we test the hypothesis that systematic changes in the geometry of channel-belt deposits and sedimentary architecture occur across this transition, using data from the late Holocene Mississippi (southern USA) and Rhine (The Netherlands) fluvio-deltaic systems. We use the estimated backwater length and average channel width as characteristic length scales to non-dimensionalize the downstream trends in channel-belt width for these systems. The collapsed data follow similar trends, suggesting that the observed variations in channel-belt geometry and fluvio-deltaic stratigraphy are tied to the location of the backwater transition zone. These findings suggest a unifying hydraulic control on fluvio-deltaic channel belts and provide a new framework for predicting and understanding the properties of ancient rivers in the coastal zone.
The Cost of a GMO-Free Market Basket of Food in the US

While there seems to be little lingering doubt about the yield increases brought about by GM crops, much less is known about the extent to which consumer concern about GMOs translate into price and food expenditure effects. This chapter presents an analysis of the relative prices of food items and expenditures on food products with and without GM ingredients at the consumer level.
From Hematopoietic Stem Cell to Erythroblast: Regulation of Red Cell Production At Multiple Levels

Abstract SCI-1 Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) undergo self-renewal and also generate all types of blood cells, including red cells, myeloid cells, and all immune system cells. Formation of red cells from HSC involves multiple cellular stages, including early erythroid-specific progenitors (burst-forming unit-erythroid [BFU-E]) that respond to several growth factors and an erythropoietin (Epo)-responsive progenitor, and the colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) that in 3 days generates ∼30 reticulocytes. In adult animals most CFU-E cells undergo apoptosis. A short-term need for red cells is met by increased Epo production by the kidney, which rescues increasing numbers of CFU-Es from apoptosis and increases red cell production over a few days. Chronic stress, such as in certain types of anemias and inflammatory diseases, leads to a marked increase in numbers of HSC and many types of progenitor cells. I will focus most of my talk on stress-triggered BFU-E proliferation and formation of CFU-Es, since our very recent work showed how glucocorticoids – an important class of stress hormones – as well as HIF-1α stimulate red cell production. Acting synergistically these allow ∼300 times more CFU-Es and erythroblasts to be formed from each BFU-E. More specifically, these molecules stimulate limited self-renewal of BFU-Es during cell division, thus maintaining progenitor immaturity and allowing over time increased numbers of CFU-E cells and thus mature red cells to be formed. This explains why certain corticosteroids are useful in treating some non-Epo responsive anemias, and I will present a molecular dissection of glucocorticoid and HIF-1α action on BFU-E progenitors that has led to the identification of genes critical for self-renewal and that suggest other possible avenues for treatment of chronic anemias. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Overlapping Target Event and Story Line Detection of Online Newspaper Articles

Event detection from text data is an active area of research. While the emphasis has been on event identification and labeling using a single data source, this work considers event and story line detection when using a large number of data sources. In this setting, it is natural for different events in the same domain, e.g. violence, sports, politics, to occur at the same time and for different story lines about the same event to emerge. To capture events in this setting, we propose an algorithm that detects events and story lines about events for a target domain. Our algorithm leverages a multi-relational sentence level semantic graph and well known graph properties to identify overlapping events and story lines within the events. We evaluate our approach on two large data sets containing millions of news articles from a large number of sources. Our empirical analysis shows that our approach improves the detection precision and recall by 10% to 25%, while providing complete event summaries.
Stroke: Basic and Clinical.

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was first approved in the USA 25 years ago for those who had experienced a recent occlusion (<3 h) of a cerebral vessel. Now, advances in clot retrieval (stentriever), in concert with tPA, heralds new optimism for ischemic stroke victims, but adds more pressure to identify therapies that will minimize hypoxic damage, protect compromised cells, and promote rehabilitation. In the past preclinical investigations have been poor at predicting potential clinical therapy, but they have contributed enormously to understanding post-stroke pathology. Current clinical trials (www.strokecenter.org/trials) anticipate a broad range of approaches: from hypothermia, to cell therapy, to neuroprotection.
lakemorpho : Calculating lake morphometry metrics in R

Metrics describing the shape and size of lakes, known as lake morphometry metrics, are important for any limnological study. In cases where a lake has long been the subject of study these data are often already collected and are openly available. Many other lakes have these data collected, but access is challenging as it is often stored on individual computers (or worse, in filing cabinets) and is available only to the primary investigators. The vast majority of lakes fall into a third category in which the data are not available. This makes broad scale modelling of lake ecology a challenge as some of the key information about in-lake processes are unavailable. While this valuable in situ information may be difficult to obtain, several national datasets exist that may be used to model and estimate lake morphometry. In particular, digital elevation models and hydrography have been shown to be predictive of several lake morphometry metrics. The R package lakemorpho has been developed to utilize these data and estimate the following morphometry metrics: surface area, shoreline length, major axis length, minor axis length, major and minor axis length ratio, shoreline development, maximum depth, mean depth, volume, maximum lake length, mean lake width, maximum lake width, and fetch. In this software tool article we describe the motivation behind developing lakemorpho , discuss the implementation in R, and describe the use of lakemorpho with an example of a typical use case.
Utilization of conditional alleles to study the role of the primary cilium in obesity.

Ciliopathies are a group of human diseases that involve dysfunction of the cilium. Human patients with mutations in ciliary proteins can exhibit a wide range of phenotypes, one of which is obesity. This is seen in patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and Alstrom syndrome (ALMS). Both of these disorders are caused by mutations in proteins that localize to the cilium or the basal body at the base of the cilium. These rare human disorders and their corresponding mouse models together with genetic approaches to disrupt cilia on specific cell types are beginning to uncover the connection between the cilium and energy homeostasis. Here we will review the current data on how cilia are thought to be involved in energy homeostatic pathways and discuss several key factors to consider when utilizing conditional approaches to evaluate ciliary function and their link to obesity.
Herbal Supplements in Patients with Kidney Disease

The impact of herbal supplements on kidney function as well as the interaction between herbal supplements and commonly used treatments for patients with kidney disease will be reviewed in this chapter. Publications describing herbal effects on acute kidney function, specifically the negative effects of aristolochic acid are described in addition to herbal use in the dialysis population. Finally, the five herbal products with some evidence of efficacy are reviewed, especially as they relate to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Herbal use is probably high in patients with CKD; unfortunately there are few studies using herbs as the primary intervention in these patients. However, there are a few studies which demonstrate both reasonable safety and some effectiveness. As the number of patients with kidney disease continues to grow, it is important for clinicians to be aware of herbal use and the potential for negative or positive effects in this progressive and often fatal disease.
Influence of prostaglandins on adrenergic transmission to vascular smooth muscle.

Prostaglandins are released into the circulation from several organs when the sympathetic nerves are stimulated, or vasoconstrictors are infused (Bergstrom et al, 1968; Davies et al, 1968; Gilmore et al, 1968; McGiff et al, 1970; Sweet et al, 1971; Dunham and Zimmerman, 1970). Prostaglandins of the E and A series are potent vasodilators in most vascular beds and the vasodilator action is not blocked by classical pharmacological blocking agents such as atropine, propranolol, or antihistamines (Nakano and McCurdy, 1967; Dougherty, 1971; Strong and Bohr, 1967; Nakano, 1968). PGE(1) has been reported to decrease vasoconstrictor responses to catecholamines in several vascular beds in the dog (Kadowitz et al, 1971a; Kadowitz et al, in press; Hedwall et al, 1971), the cat (Holmes et al, 1963), and the rat (Weiner and Kaley, 1969; Viguera and Sunahara, 1969). PGE(2) has been reported to inhibit constrictor responses to nerve stimulation and norepinephrine in the isolated cat spleen (Hedqvist, 197 0) but in high concentrations enhances the response to nerve stimulation in the cutaneous vascular bed of the dog (Kadowitz et al, 1971a).