cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of acetaldehyde-glycosaminoglycan mixtures upon Factor IXa and Factor IX-Deficient Plasma

Abstract Earlier studies have shown that acetaldehyde, the primary intermediate in the biological degradation of ethanol, interacts with enzymes and zymogens of the common coagulation pathway, prolonging prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and that acetaldehyde-glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) mixtures synergistically prolong clotting times (Brecher, A. S. (2005). In Comprehensive Handbook of Alcohol Related Pathology . Vol. 3 (93), pp. 1223–1244). In this study, the effect of acetaldehyde and GAGs upon Factor IXa, an intrinsic pathway enzyme, has been investigated. Individually, acetaldehyde, heparins of various molecular weights, dermatan sulfate, and chondroitin sulfates A and C affect Factor IXa, prolonging clotting time as measured by APTT. Pre-incubation of Factor IXa with a mixture of 22.3mM acetaldehyde and heparin 17k , heparin 6k , dermatan sulfate, or chondroitin sulfate A additively prolongs clotting times, reflecting individual, unrelated molecular mechanistic effects. In contrast, a synergistic effect is observed at the 44.7mM acetaldehyde level with heparin 17k , heparin 3k , chondroitin sulfates A and C, and dermatan sulfate, suggesting that acetaldehyde may cross-link with the enzyme and the GAGs, forming tertiary complexes, further influencing coagulopathy. These observations upon Factor IXa present a deeper dimension to the anticoagulation effect of alcohol on the coagulation cascade.
Assuring optimal physiologic craniocervical alignment and avoidance of swallowing-related complications after occipitocervical fusion by preoperative halo vest placement.

Study design A retrospective review. Objective To assess the utility of preoperative halo immobilization in the avoidance of swallowing complications-associated occipitocervical fixation. Summary of background data The craniocervical region is commonly affected by a number of pathologic processes. Fixation of the upper cervical spine to the occiput provides an excellent means of treating these conditions. Occipitocervical fixation, however, is associated with a number of potential complications. One under-reported postoperative complication is the swallowing difficulty that some patients experience. Another is the overall patient dissatisfaction with postoperative head position. One means that the authors have used to avoid these complications is the use of preoperative halo vest fixation. Methods In this article, we report our experience with preoperative halo vest immobilization for occipitocervical fusion in 12 consecutive patients over a 5-month period and its effect on postoperative complications. We also report our experience with the index case of this series in which the patient required operative revision because of severe postoperative dysphagia and stridor after an occipitocervical fusion. Results All patients achieved satisfactory postoperative head position using the preoperative halo immobilization technique. One patient experienced transient dysphagia, which did not require intervention. No patients experienced any complications related to the placement of the halo vest itself. Conclusions Preoperative halo immobilization allows patients, who are going to have their head permanently fixed in a particular position, to determine if they are able to tolerate the new head position. This allows the surgeon to adjust the head position before permanently locking the patient in the position, if necessary. We, therefore, advocate the use of preoperative halo immobilization as a means of assuring physiologic craniocervical neutrality and the avoidance of the resultant complications.
A Met-to-Val mutation in the skeletal muscle Na+ channel alpha-subunit in hyperkalaemic periodic paralysis.

HYPERKALAEMIC periodic paralysis (HYPP)1 is an autosomal dominant disease that results in episodic electrical inexcitability and paralysis of skeletal muscle. Electrophysiological data indicate that tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels from muscle cells of HYPP-affected individuals show abnormal inactivation2,3. Genetic analysis of nine HYPP families has shown tight linkage between the adult skeletal muscle sodium channel α-subunit gene on chromosome 17q and the disease (lod score, z = 24; recombination frequency 0 = 0)4–6, strongly suggesting that mutations of the a-subunit gene cause HYPP. We sequenced the a-subunit coding region isolated from muscle biopsies from affected (familial HYPP) and control individuals by cross-species polymerase chain reaction-mediated complementary DNA cloning. We have identified an A - G substitution in the patient's messenger RNA that causes a Met-Val change in a highly conserved region of the α-subunit, predicted to be in a transmembrane domain. This same change was found in a sporadic case of HYPP as a new mutation. We have therefore discovered a voltage-gated channel mutation responsible for a human genetic disease.
Efficient execution of recursive programs on commodity vector hardware

The pursuit of computational efficiency has led to the proliferation of throughput-oriented hardware, from GPUs to increasingly wide vector units on commodity processors and accelerators. This hardware is designed to efficiently execute data-parallel computations in a vectorized manner. However, many algorithms are more naturally expressed as divide-and-conquer, recursive, task-parallel computations. In the absence of data parallelism, it seems that such algorithms are not well suited to throughput-oriented architectures. This paper presents a set of novel code transformations that expose the data parallelism latent in recursive, task-parallel programs. These transformations facilitate straightforward vectorization of task-parallel programs on commodity hardware. We also present scheduling policies that maintain high utilization of vector resources while limiting space usage. Across several task-parallel benchmarks, we demonstrate both efficient vector resource utilization and substantial speedup on chips using Intel’s SSE4.2 vector units, as well as accelerators using Intel’s AVX512 units.
Rule-based system to reconstruct 3-D tree structure from two views

We propose a fully automatic system that reconstructs a 3-D tree structure based on two images taken from mutually orthogonal directions. The system comprises two major components, the high-level knowledge base and the low-level signal processing algorithms. Computational algorithms are responsible for tracking segments in each image, representing 2- D segments with directed graphs, and reconstructing 3-D segments from matching 2-D segment pairs. Knowledge of epipolar constraint, segments geometry, and connectivity are used to resolve the problem of matching segments between two views. Interaction between segmentation and matching is facilitated by uncertain reasoning. The knowledge base is represented by production rules which are implemented in the CLIPS shell. The computational algorithms are coded in the C language. The performance of the system is evaluated with images of a tree-like model. The total processing time for reconstruction of this tree-like model with 256 3 resolution is 14 seconds on a workstation. The results show that the system is capable of correctly delineating an object's 3-D tree structure. This study demonstrates a non model-based approach to two-view reconstruction of tree-like structures.
Improved Immunosuppression for Cardiac Transplantation: Immune Monitoring and Individualized Modulation of Recipient Immunity by In Vitro Testing

These studies demonstrate that immune monitoring and individualized modulation of recipient immune reactivity using a quality-controlled preparation of rabbit antithymocyte globulin can improve results of cardiac transplantation. The most valuable assay in individualizing drug doses was the serial measurement of T-cell levels using a complete lymphocyte profile technique and monitoring with phytohemagglutinin to rule out false low T-cell levels. Using this system, the incidence and severity of early rejections were markedly reduced and no grafts were lost to rejection in the first month. The recent first-year graft survival has been about 60%, an improvement largely related to a reduction in early rejection and infection. This technique of immunosuppression appears quite promising for improving the results of future cardiac transplantations.
Polypyrrole actuators as valves for controlled drug delivery

A controlled drug delivery system in which drug release is achieved by actuating an array of polymeric valves on a set of drug reservoirs is introduced. The valves are bilayer structures, with one layer a thin film of evaporated gold and the other electrochemically deposited polypyrrole. The valves are made in the shape of flaps fixed on one side to the valve seats. Drug reservoirs are covered by an array of such valves, and release of the drugs stored in the reservoirs is accomplished by bending the bilayer flaps back with a small applied bias. The fabrication procedures and proof-of-principle drug release experiments for this controlled drug delivery device are described. Energy consumption of this reversible valve design is compared with metal corrosion based valves developed earlier by other and our group.
Prototype Sector Magnets for the GeV Electron Microtron (GEM)

Three prototypes of the sector magnets for GeV Electron Microtron accelerators have been designed. One has been built and two are under construction. The first is a full-scale 168-ton prototype for one-half of a 2 GeV Double Sided Microtron sector magnet. The successful fabrication and testing of the pole pieces for this prototype have demonstrated that their required close tolerances for flatness and parallelism can be met. The second magnet is an approximate two-thirds scale model of one step at the low energy end of the hexatron sector magnet designed for the 4 GeV Electron Microtron. The measured fields demonstrate that the field falls off faster than an ''Enge-short-tail'' and that error fields are at low levels and are controllable. A third prototype magnet exactly duplicates the full scale geometry of the first three full orbits of the 4 GeV Electron Microtron sector magnet from entrance to exit points. It will permit high precision measurements and corrections of field errors and verify the 3-dimensional computer program TOSCA.
A transport layer load sharing mechanism for mobile wireless hosts

We introduce a transport layer solution for bandwidth aggregation, based on extending stream control transmission protocol (SCTP). The extended SCTP, which we refer to as load-sharing SCTP (LS-SCTP), is able to aggregate the bandwidth of the transmission paths between the communicating endpoints. In addition, LS-SCTP can dynamically add new paths to the bundle, as they become available. To insure that the transport connection does not stall due to the high loss rate or due to continuous failure of individual paths, LS-SCTP includes path monitoring and packet assignment mechanisms. These mechanisms monitor the paths and stripe the packets according to their condition. Simulation results demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed mechanism in providing throughput and reliability to mobile applications.
A spatial operator algebra for manipulator modeling and control

A recently developed spatial operator algebra for manipu lator modeling, control, and trajectory design is dis cussed. The elements of this algebra are linear operators whose domain and range spaces consist of forces, moments, velocities, and accelerations. The effect of these operators is equivalent to a spatial recursion along the span of a manipulator. Inversion of operators can be efficiently obtained via techniques of recursive filtering and smoothing. The operator algebra provides a high- level framework for describing the dynamic and kinematic behavior of a manipulator and for control and trajectory design algorithms. The interpretation of expressions within the algebraic framework leads to enhanced concep tual and physical understanding of manipulator dynamics and kinematics. Furthermore, implementable recursive algorithms can be immediately derived from the abstract operator expressions by inspection. Thus the transition from an abstract problem formulation and solution to the detailed mechanizat...
Correlation of quantified contrast-enhanced sonography with in vivo tumor response.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to establish in vivo criteria for monitoring tumor treatment response using 3-dimensional (3D) volumetric gray scale, power Doppler, and contrast-enhanced sonography. METHODS Twelve mice were implanted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells on their hind limbs and categorized to 4 groups: control, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and chemoradiation. A high-frequency ultrasound system with a 40-MHz probe was used to image the tumors. Follow-up contrast-enhanced sonography was performed on days 7 and 14 of treatment with two 50-microL boluses of a perflutren microbubble contrast agent injected into the tail vein. The following contrast-enhanced sonographic criteria were quantified: time to peak, peak intensity, alpha (microvessel cross-sectional area), and beta (microbubble velocity). Three-dimensional power Doppler images were also obtained after the acquisition of contrast data. On day 15, the tumors were excised for immunohistochemical analysis with CD31 fluorescent staining. RESULTS The tumor size and 3D power Doppler vascular index showed no statistically significant correlation with microvascular density in all examined groups. Among all of the analyzed contrast-enhanced sonographic parameters, relative alpha showed the strongest correlation with the histologic microvessel density (Pearson r = 0.93; P < .01) and an independent association with the histologic data in a multiple regression model (beta = .93; R(2) = 0.86; P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Of the various examined sonographic parameters, alpha has the strongest correlation with histologic microvessel density and may be the parameter of choice for the noninvasive monitoring of tumor angiogenic response in vivo.
Quantifying ground-state complexation between Ag+ and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in dilute aqueous solution via fluorescence quenching

Interactions of Ag + with naphthalene and pyrene in aqueous solution were investigated using ultraviolet (UV) absorption and steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies. Small red-shifts in the two primary absorption bands of naphthalene and pyrene were observed in the presence of high concentrations of Ag + , indicating that ground-state cation–aromatic electron interactions occurred. Ag + complexation constants (K1 and K2) for naphthalene were determined directly from steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence data, whereas the formation of a pyrene–Ag + exciplex required an additional correction to remove its interference on apparent pyrene complexation constants. The correction utilized ratios of the exciplex and monomer preexponential factors obtained from pyrene fluorescence decay curves measured at several emission wavelengths that were impacted to different degrees by the exciplex emission. The novel approach developed here to quantify ground-state complexes between Ag + and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) offers new opportunities
Random set model for context-based classification

In many scientific fields, data classification may be hindered by population correlated factors or hidden contexts. These factors greatly affect samplespsila values making it difficult for standard classification models to perform well on a consistent basis. A general random set model is presented for context-based classification. An implementation is provided based on Possibility Theory. The result is a robust classifier that can intrinsically identify hidden contexts and classify data accordingly. The random set model is compared to standard kNN and set-based kNN. Results from synthetic data illustrate the random set modelpsilas ability to consistently improve classification through context estimation.
DSM-IV pathological gambling in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

Background Little is known about the prevalence or correlates of DSM-IV pathological gambling (PG).
Discourse synthesis in integrated second language writing assessment

As integrated tasks become more common in assessing writing for academic purposes, it is necessary to investigate how test takers approach these tasks. The present study explores the processes of test takers undertaking reading-to-write tasks developed for a university English placement exam. Think-aloud protocols and interviews of university-level non-native writers of English were collected to capture the writers’ composing processes. These data were analysed to determine if the tasks elicited an academic writing process of discourse synthesis and to identify what language issues were present. The results revealed some writers use discourse synthesis subprocesses in composing responses to the reading-to-write tasks, with apparent d ifferences across writers. Language difficulties that emerged for writers were vocabulary knowledge and use, as well as stylistic concerns. The implications of the study suggest that reading-to-write tasks may elicit a discourse synthesis process that could be used for validi...
Thermo-mechanical analysis of a micro-engineered tungsten-foam armored IFE FW

The high average power laser (HAPL) program goal is to develop a laser inertial fusion reactor using a solid first wall (FW). The FW of the inertial fusion energy (IFE) chamber is exposed to high energy photon, particle, and neutron fluxes at frequency of several Hz. The feasibility of using a micro-engineered refractory metals, such as tungsten foam as a solid FW armor is investigated. Refractory foams are a new class of materials with very limited thermo-mechanical property databases. Elastic properties of tungsten foams are not readily available, particularly at high temperatures. To estimate high-temperature elastic properties of tungsten foams, a three-dimensional finite-element model of tungsten foam was developed. True stress strain curves of tungsten foams at elevated temperatures were developed as a function of characteristic foam properties and compared with measured values. The thermo-mechanical response of the tungsten-foam armored FW was analyzed using a detailed three-dimensional finite element model. The thermo-mechanical response of a tungsten-foam protected first wall to a typical IFE pulse is presented. It is shown that the W foam armor can be tailored to meet the thermo-mechanical stress requirements of an IFE solid wall design.
Parallel Flow Microchannel Heat Exchangers Subjected to Axial Heat Conduction and Internal Heat Generation

This paper studies the effect of axial heat conduction and internal heat generation (viscous dissipation) on the effectiveness of a parallel flow microchannel heat exchanger. The ends of the wall separating the fluids are maintained at constant temperatures. This leads to heat transfer between the heat exchanger and its surroundings. The thermal model developed in this paper consists of three governing equations; one for each of the fluids and one for the wall. This system of coupled equations is solved simultaneously using finite difference method. The effectiveness of the fluids is found to depend on )TU, axial heat conduction parameter, end wall temperatures and internal heat generation parameter. In the presence of just internal heat generation the effectiveness of the hot and cold fluid degrades and improves, respectively. For situations when the temperature of the end wall at the inlet side is greater than that at the outlet side, increase in axial heat conduction parameter of a heat exchanger subjected internal heat generation increases and decreases the effectiveness of the hot and cold fluid, respectively. The effect of internal heat generation in a parallel flow microchannel heat exchanger with axial heat conduction is to always degrade and improve the effectiveness of the hot and cold fluid, respectively.
Phylogeny and biogeography of an uncultured clade of snow chytrids

Summary Numerous studies have shown that snow can contain a diverse array of algae known as 'snow algae'. Some reports also indicate that parasites of algae (e.g. chytrids) are also found in snow, but efforts to phy- logenetically identify 'snow chytrids' have not been successful. We used culture-independent molecular approaches to phylogenetically identify chytrids that are common in long-lived snowpacks of Colorado and Europe. The most remarkable finding of the present study was the discovery of a new clade of chytrids that has representatives in snowpacks of Colorado and Switzerland and cold sites in Nepal and France, but no representatives from warmer ecosystems. This new clade ('Snow Clade 1' or SC1) is as deeply diver- gent as its sister clade, the Lobulomycetales, and phylotypes of SC1 show significant (P < 0.003) genetic-isolation by geographic distance patterns, perhaps indicating a long evolutionary history in the cryosphere. In addition to SC1, other snow chytrids were phylogenetically shown to be in the order Rhizo- phydiales, a group with known algal parasites and saprotrophs. We suggest that these newly discovered snow chytrids are important components of snow ecosystems where they contribute to snow food-web dynamics and the release of nutrients due to their parasitic and saprotrophic activities.
LDPC-like belief propagation algorithm for consensus building in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we apply belief propagation algorithm for consensus building in distributed wireless sensor networks (WSN). The objective is to achieve convergence to a global consensus value at all sensor nodes in the network. In order to implement the proposed belief propagation algorithm in a WSN, we introduce virtual fusion center nodes, which serve as sensors as well as local fusion centers in the sensor network. This paper also investigates the structure of WSNs that achieves convergence asymptotically, and guarantees achieving global consensus at all sensor nodes. Our results suggest that introducing certain range of irregularity in the network structure results in an improvement in the rate of convergence.
Passive Transfer of Pressor Hyperresponsiveness from Renal-Hypertensive to Normotensive Rats

The role of serum factors in the pathogenesis of pressor hyperresponsiveness in hypertension was investigated by the passive transfer of serum from donor rats with chronic one-kidney, one clip hypertension into syngeneic normotensive recipient rats (0.25 ml iv, bid) for 3 weeks. Rats injected twice daily with the serum of normotensive rats served as controls. In rats injected with the serum of hypertensive rats there was a gradual increase in pressor responses to norepinephrine and angiotensin I1 and, at the end of the study, increased water content of the aorta and sodium content of the myocardium. In volume-expanded renal hy- pertension unidentified serum factors contribute to pressor hyperresponsiveness and increased sodium content of cardiovascular tissue. There is evidence for unidentified circulat- ing, slowly acting pressor, vasoconstrictor, and vascular sensitizing agents in the (blood) vol- ume-expanded, non-renin-dependent forms of experimental and human hypertension ( 1 ). Their release is stimulated by high sodium intake. They may act by inhibition of trans- membrane sodium transport (2). Previously, we have reported in vivo and in vitro evidence for a circulating humoral agent in experi- mental renal hypertension that causes the ac- cumulation of excess sodium in the blood ves- sel wall (3-5). The long-term arterial pressor effect in the intact animal of these humoral agents has not been investigated. Their steady- state effect on vascular wall composition is not known. These long-term in vivo effects were investigated in the present study. Methods. For these experiments, syngeneic male F344 rats, supplied by the Mammalian Genetics and Animal Production, Frederick, Maryland 2 170 1, were used to prevent serum sickness during repeated injections of serum from one rat into another. Donor rats. One-kidney, one clip hyperten- sion was induced in 5- to 7-week-old rats ac- cording to techniques that were previously de- scribed (6). Normotensive control rats un-
Complex environmental drivers of immunity and resistance in malaria mosquitoes

Considerable research effort has been directed at understanding the genetic and molecular basis of mosquito innate immune mechanisms. Whether environmental factors interact with these mechanisms to shape overall resistance remains largely unexplored. Here, we examine how changes in mean ambient temperature, diurnal temperature fluctuation and time of day of infection affected the immunity and resistance of Anopheles stephensi to infection with Escherichia coli. We used quantitative PCR to estimate the gene expression of three immune genes in response to challenge with heat-killed E. coli. We also infected mosquitoes with live E. coli and ran bacterial growth assays to quantify host resistance. Both mosquito immune parameters and resistance were directly affected by mean temperature, diurnal temperature fluctuation and time of day of infection. Furthermore, there was a suite of complex two- and three-way interactions yielding idiosyncratic phenotypic variation under different environmental conditions. The results demonstrate mosquito immunity and resistance to be strongly influenced by a complex interplay of environmental variables, challenging the interpretation of the very many mosquito immune studies conducted under standard laboratory conditions.
Gene name ambiguity of eukaryotic nomenclatures

Motivation: With more and more scientific literature published online, the effective management and reuse of this knowledge has become problematic. Natural language processing (NLP) may be a potential solution by extracting, structuring and organizing biomedical information in online literature in a timely manner. One essential task is to recognize and identify genomic entities in text. 'Recognition' can be accomplished using pattern matching and machine learning. But for 'identification' these techniques are not adequate. In order to identify genomic entities, NLP needs a comprehensive resource that specifies and classifies genomic entities as they occur in text and that associates them with normalized terms and also unique identifiers so that the extracted entities are well defined. Online organism databases are an excellent resource to create such a lexical resource. However, gene name ambiguity is a serious problem because it affects the appropriate identification of gene entities. In this paper, we explore the extent of the problem and suggest ways to address it. Results: We obtained gene information from 21 organisms and quantified naming ambiguities within species, across species, with English words and with medical terms. When the case (of letters) was retained, official symbols displayed negligible intra-species ambiguity (0.02%) and modest ambiguities with general English words (0.57%) and medical terms (1.01%). In contrast, the across-species ambiguity was high (14.20%). The inclusion of gene synonyms increased intra-species ambiguity substantially and full names contributed greatly to gene-medical-term ambiguity. A comprehensive lexical resource that covers gene information for the 21 organisms was then created and used to identify gene names by using a straightforward string matching program to process 45 000 abstracts associated with the mouse model organism while ignoring case and gene names that were also English words. We found that 85.1% of correctly retrieved mouse genes were ambiguous with other gene names. When gene names that were also English words were included, 233% additional 'gene' instances were retrieved, most of which were false positives. We also found that authors prefer to use synonyms (74.7%) to official symbols (17.7%) or full names (7.6%) in their publications. Contact: lifeng.chen@dbmi.columbia.edu
Two-layer electromagnetically coupled rectangular patch antenna

The authors report an experimental study of a rectangular electromagnetically coupled patch antenna excited in the TM/sub 01/ mode. The major finding is that, depending on the spacing s, the characteristics of the antenna can be separated into three regions. Region 1 is associated with bandwidths exceeding 10%, region 2 has abnormal radiation patterns, and region 3 is associated with narrow beamwidths. The values of s separating these regions depend on the dielectric material between the two-layers. A high-gain region is found both when the dielectric material separating the two layers is air and when it is teflon. This region begins at s=0.3 lambda for air and at s=0.21 lambda for teflon, with antenna gains of 9 and 11 dB, respectively, for the two cases. It can be utilized in applications where narrow bandwidths is not a disadvantage. >
Canons to the Left of Him: Brevard Childs, his Critics, and the Future of Old Testament Theology

It is well known that the seeds from which the modern discipline of OT theology grew are already found in 17th and 18th century discussion of the relationship between Bible and Church, which tended to drive a wedge between the two, regarding canon in historical rather than theological terms; stressing the difference between what is transient and particular in the Bible and what is universal and of abiding significance; and placing the task of deciding which is which upon the shoulders of the individual reader rather than upon the church. Free investigation of the Bible, unfettered by church tradition and theology, was to be the way ahead. OT theology finds its roots more particularly in the 18th century discussion of the nature of and the relationship between Biblical Theology and Dogmatic Theology, and in particular in Gabler's classic theoretical statement of their nature and relationship. The first book which may strictly be called an OT theology appeared in 1796: an historical discussion of the ideas to be found in the OT, with an emphasis on their probable origin and the stages through which Hebrew religious thought had passed, compared and contrasted with the beliefs of other ancient peoples, and evaluated from the point of view of rationalistic religion. Here we find the unreserved acceptance of Gabler's principle that OT theology must in the first instance be a descriptive and historical discipline, freed from dogmatic constraints and resistant to the premature merging of OT and NT — a principle which in the succeeding century was accepted by writers across the whole theological spectrum, including those of orthodox and conservative inclination.
Genetic diversity assessment of in situ and ex situ Texas wild rice (Zizania texana) populations, an endangered plant

Abstract Texas wild rice (Zizania texana) is an endangered, aquatic perennial plant endemic to the upper section of the San Marcos River, Texas. Ex situ populations of Z. texana are maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the event of a catastrophe event. We analyzed the genetics of in situ and ex situ populations of Z. texana to address the following questions: (1) are in situ populations adequately represented in ex situ population? (2) Is there genetic diversity among the current in situ population? (3) Has the current in situ genetic diversity increased or decreased from historical estimates in 2007. Results indicated that the overall ex situ populations were lower in genetic (allelic) diversity compared to the in situ population, with some in situ populations not present in the refugia. Overall, heterozygosity was moderate and ranged from HO = 0.530 to HO = 0.635 in the wild and HO = 0.549 to HO = 0.727 in the ex situ population. Inbreeding coefficients (FIS) were near zero or negative indicating that inbreeding is not common within the current populations (in situ and ex situ) suggesting that some populations have an excess of heterozygotes (negative FIS). Analysis of current in situ population structure indicated there are three unique genetic clusters in the San Marcos River. Comparison of the in situ population with historical analysis indicates the genetic diversity of the wild population is dynamic both temporally and spatially. The results indicate that Z. texana exhibits a plastic reproductive system utilizing both asexual (vegetative) and sexual (flowering and seed production) reproduction.
Effects of muscimol inactivations of functional domains in motor, premotor, and posterior parietal cortex on complex movements evoked by electrical stimulation

Parietal and frontal cortex are central to controlling forelimb movements. We previously showed that movements such as reach, grasp, and defense can be evoked from primary motor (M1), premotor (PMC), and posterior parietal (PPC) cortex when 500-ms trains of electrical pulses are delivered via microelectrodes. Stimulation sites that evoked a specific movement clustered into domains, which shared a topographic pattern in New World monkeys and prosimian galagos. Matched functional domains in parietal and frontal cortex were preferentially interconnected. We reasoned that matched functional domains form parallel networks involved in specific movements. To test the roles of domains in M1, PMC, and PPC, we systematically inactivated with muscimol domains in one region and determined if functional changes occurred in matching domains in other regions. The most common changes were higher current thresholds for stimulation-evoked movements and shorter, not fully developed, trajectories of movements. Inactivations of an M1 functional domain greatly reduced or abolished movements evoked from the matching domains in PMC or PPC, whereas movements evoked from nonmatching domains remained mostly unaffected. In contrast, inactivating PMC or PPC domains did not consistently abolish the ability to evoke movements from matching M1 domains. However, inactivation of PMC domains suppressed or altered the movements evoked from PPC domains. Thus movement sequences evoked from PMC depend on M1 and movement sequences evoked from PPC depend on both M1 and PMC. Overall, the results support the conclusion that PPC, PMC, and M1 are subdivided into functional domains that are hierarchically related within parallel networks.
A parallel unstructured finite element solver for incompressible flows over microscale devices

A solver for incompressible flows over microscale devices is presented. An edge-based equal-order Galerkin method is used to solve the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured tetrahedral meshes. Temporal discretization is performed via a semi-implicit pressure-stabilized fractional step scheme. The flow solver is fully parallelized for shared memory architectures. Both steady and unsteady sample flow problems are presented.
Photoelastic analysis of a thick plate with an elliptical hole subjected to simple out-of-plane bending

A three-dimensional photoelastic analysis using the stress freezing and slicing techniques was employed to study the stress distribution and the stress-concentration factors around an elliptical hole in a plate of finite thickness. The plate was subjected to simple out-of-plane bending. A special bending device was designed to produce uniform bending moment at the two opposite free edges of the plate. Six plates with various elliptical holes were studied. The stress variation across the plate thickness at the periphery of the elliptical hole was also investigated. The experimental results were correlated with the existing theoretical solutions.
Recent Progress in Ultrasonography of the Bladder and Prostate

AbstractGray scale transrectal ultrasonography has proved to be a valuable adjunct in the evaluation of patients with tumors of the prostate and bladder. Its application in patients with prostatic disease is in the detection of early asymptomatic tumors, in the accurate staging of local disease and in the following of patients after the institution of specific treatment. Although it is not being used for the detection of bladder tumors the procedure is a reliable means to evaluate the degree of tumor invasion so that proper therapy can be instituted.
Taking the leap earlier: the timing of tolerance

Purpose of reviewThe paradigm for the primary prevention of peanut allergy was, until recently, strict avoidance of peanut during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood. However, in countries that had these dietary guidelines, the prevalence of peanut allergy greatly increased in contrast to low pr
Fermi level tunability of a novel 2D crystal: Tin Diselenide (SnSe 2 )

Tin Diselenide (SnSe 2 ) is a two-dimensional layered crystal commonly found in octahedral coordination (1T phase). It has been reported to have a high electron affinity of around 5.1 eV and a bandgap of 1 eV [1-2], which can form staggered band alignment with tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) in Thin-TFETs [3]. However, its lack of gate modulation remains a mystery [4]. In this work, we investigate the Fermi level tunability of SnSe 2 by counter doping using a polymer electrolyte, PEO:CsClO 4 . This counter doping technique increases the on/off ratio of SnSe 2 field effect transistor (FET) from 2 times to 50 times, a record high value. Meanwhile, a device model of SnSe 2 FET with ion doping and subgap density of states (DOS) has been proposed to fit the experimental data. The extracted effective number of acceptor-like subgap states is as high as 4.16 × 1019 cm−3 (in comparison with near 5 × 1017 cm−3 extracted for amorphous thin-film transistors [5]). This can explain the weak Fermi level tunability of SnSe 2 and direct future material development towards TFETs.
Social Security: Protection from Poverty in Old Age and Unemployment

This chapter will look at two New Deal programs that used the tax system to fund unemployment insurance and old-age pensions as part of the SSA of 1935. The focus in the first part of this chapter will be on the views of the supporters of the SSA; the second part will deal with its critics. In both parts, the discussion will revolve around a living wage. It will also describe how unemployment insurance and old-age pensions were part of a consumerist New Deal program to increase purchasing power. Still, the relationship between social security and a living wage will be the main focus of this chapter.
HMSN I: Early Diagnosis

The value of nerve conduction velocities in the detection of hereditary motor sensory neuropathy type I (HMSN I) in children at risk was determined in 36 children under 10 years of age at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Modulation of Deacylation-Reacylation Pathway of Phospholipid Metabolism and Turnover During Reperfusion of Ischemic Myocardium

The exact nature of injury associated with the reperfusion of ischemic myocardium is not yet clear, although current evidence suggests that maintenance of the membrane structural integrity is impaired when coronary blood flow is interrupted during ischemia [10]. The mechanisms of such injury are based on the degradation of phospholipids via phospholipases, which are stimulated by the influx of Ca++ as a consequence of the membrane alteration caused by ischemia [8]. However, short duration of ischemia of 10–30 min results in little or no loss of total membrane phospholipids. Prolonging the duration of ischemia to 3 hrs results in a 15% decrease in phospholipid concentrations [4]. Moreover, a brief period of ischemia followed by reperfusion activates lipases, stimulates accumulation of arachidonic acid, and enhances synthesis of prostaglandins [9]. Prostaglandin release is also observed during early reperfusion following 10 min occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery [12].
The causal relationship between dyslexia and motion perception reconsidered

It is well established that visual sensitivity to motion is correlated with reading skills. Yet, the causal relationship between motion sensitivity and reading skills has been debated for more than thirty years. One hypothesis posits that dyslexia is caused by deficits in the motion processing pathway. An alternative hypothesis explains the motion processing deficit observed in dyslexia as the consequence of a lack, or poor quality, of reading experience. Here we used an intensive reading intervention program to test the causal relationship between learning to read and motion processing in children. Our data show that, while the reading intervention enhanced reading abilities, learning to read did not affect motion sensitivity. Motion sensitivity remained stable over the course of the intervention. Furthermore, the motion sensitivity deficit did not negatively impact the learning process. Children with poor motion sensitivity showed the same improvement in reading skills as children with typical motion sensitivity. Our findings call into question the view that motion processing deficits are due to poor reading experience. We propose that the correlation between the two measures arises from other common mechanisms, or that motion processing deficits are among a collection of correlated risk factors for reading difficulties.
The normal summer-autumn precipitation decline in the north- central United States.

Surface and upper atmospheric data collected for August and October for the period 1969–1979 from the central United States were analyzed for evidence of mechanisms producing the normal decline of ...
Carbon Nanostructure of Kraft Lignin Thermally Treated at 500 to 1000 °C.

Kraft lignin (KL) was thermally treated at 500 to 1000 °C in an inert atmosphere. Carbon nanostructure parameters of thermally treated KL in terms of amorphous carbon fraction, aromaticity, and carbon nanocrystallites lateral size (La), thickness (Lc), and interlayer space (d002) were analyzed quantitatively using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Experimental results indicated that increasing temperature reduced amorphous carbon but increased aromaticity in thermally treated KL materials. The Lc value of thermally treated KL materials averaged 0.85 nm and did not change with temperature. The d002 value decreased from 3.56 A at 500 °C to 3.49 A at 1000 °C. The La value increased from 0.7 to 1.4 nm as temperature increased from 500 to 1000 °C. A nanostructure model was proposed to describe thermally treated KL under 1000 °C. The thermal stability of heat treated KL increased with temperature rising from 500 to 800 °C.
Bridgework: Diversity and Collaboration in an Undergraduate Preengineering Course

ABSTRACTIn this article, we draw on ethnographic findings to examine the meaning of “diversity” and “collaboration” within the context of an undergraduate preengineering course at a large Hispanic-serving institution located on the U.S.–Mexico border. Using bridgework, a new theoretical concept, we analyze interactions and interactivity that occurred within and among jigsaw groups attempting to solve mathematical problems as part of a precalculus review. Our use of bridgework, contributes to cultural-historical activity theory to demonstrate how contradictions and multivoicedness among interacting activity systems can work to change patterns of activity, thus providing a complex view of diversity and collaboration.
On factors impacting subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE)

Subharmonic aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) uses ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) to estimate hydrostatic pressure by transmitting at one frequency, receiving at its subharmonic frequency and then monitoring the subharmonic amplitude variations. The subharmonic response of the UCAs has an inverse linear relationship with the ambient pressure. In order to optimize SHAPE, we studied the impact of varying input acoustic output (IAO), UCA concentration and hematocrit concentrations. The current IAO selection algorithm is prone to noise, due to motion. A modified Logiq 9 ultrasound scanner with a 4C curvi-linear probe (GE, Milwaukee, WI) was used to acquire SHAPE data from Sonazoid (GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway) transmitting at 2.5 MHz and receiving subharmonic signals at 1.25 MHz. The new selection algorithm provided improved or similar correlation between the SHAPE signal and hydrostatic pressure for all setups (r ranging from −0.85 to −0.95 vs −0.39 to −0.98). Also, it is important to study the effect of hematocrit, since the clinical population presents with a wide range of values. Additionally, the effect on SHAPE of varying UCA concentration was studied in vitro. The reduction in subharmonic amplitude as the pressure increased from 10 to 40 mmHg remained almost the same (Δ0.00–0.01 dB, p=0.18) with no significant change as the hematocrit concentration was tripled (from 1.8 to 4.5 ml/l). Likewise, the SHAPE gradient changed only slightly (Δ 0.02–0.05 dB, p=0.75) as the UCA concentration was increased from 0.2 to 1.2 ml/l. In conclusion the relative change in the subharmonic signal is independent of hematocrit and UCA concentration. An improved algorithm for identifying optimum IAO levels correctly should make SHAPE more sensitive and accurate.
Mechanism of ubiquitin transfer promoted by TRAF6

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) plays a vital role in immune signal transduction pathways by acting as a ubiquitin ligase (E3) for Lys63-linked polyubiquitin chain synthesis. However, the detailed mechanism by which the TRAF6 RING dimer promotes ubiquitin transfer was unknown. Through structural modeling and biochemical analysis, we here show that the TRAF6 RING dimer employs a concerted allosteric mechanism using both subunits of the TRAF6 dimer to promote ubiquitin (Ub) transfer. In particular, we reveal the importance of the C-terminal extension of the TRAF6 RING domain that mediates trans-interactions with the donor-Ub. By analyzing structures and models of E3s in complex with Ub-loaded ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s), we further highlight the roles of N-terminal and C-terminal extensions beyond the bona fide RING domains in promoting Ub transfer through engagement with a donor-Ub in cis and in trans, respectively.
Cell cycle-controlled clearance of the CcrM DNA methyltransferase by Lon is dependent on DNA-facilitated proteolysis and substrate polar sequestration

N6-adenine methylation catalyzed by the DNA methyltransferase CcrM is an essential epigenetic event of the Caulobacter cell cycle. Limiting CcrM to a specific time period during the cell cycle relies on temporal control of ccrM transcription and CcrM proteolysis. We investigated how Lon, a protease from AAA+ superfamily conserved from bacteria to humans, temporally degrades CcrM to maintain differential chromosomal methylation state, thereby regulating transcription factor synthesis and enabling cell cycle progression. We demonstrate that CcrM degradation by Lon requires DNA as an adaptor for robust proteolysis. Lon, a DNA-bound protein, is constitutively active throughout the cell cycle, but allows CcrM mediated DNA methylation only when CcrM is transcribed and translated upon completion of DNA replication. An additional mechanism to limit CcrM activity to a narrow window of the cell cycle is its sequestration to the pole of the progeny stalked cell, which prevents physical contact with DNA-bound Lon. Thus, we have provided evidence for a novel mechanism for substrate selection by the Lon protease, providing robust cell cycle control mediated by DNA methylation.