cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rescue of ethanol-induced FASD-like phenotypes via prenatal co-administration of choline.

Abstract Maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can generate a multitude of deficits in the offspring. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD, describe a palette of potentially life-long phenotypes that result from exposure to ethanol during human gestation. There is no cure for FASD and cognitive-behavioral therapies typically have low success rates, especially in severe cases. The neocortex, responsible for complex cognitive and behavioral function, is altered by prenatal ethanol exposure (PrEE). Supplementation with choline, an essential nutrient, during the prenatal ethanol insult has been associated with a reduction of negative outcomes associated with PrEE. However, choline's ability to prevent deficits within the developing neocortex, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remain unclear. Here, we exposed pregnant mice to 25% ethanol in addition to a 642 mg/L choline chloride supplement throughout gestation to determine the impact of choline supplementation on neocortical and behavioral development in ethanol-exposed offspring. We found that concurrent choline supplementation prevented gross developmental abnormalities associated with PrEE including reduced body weight, brain weight, and cortical length as well as partially ameliorated PrEE-induced abnormalities in intraneocortical circuitry. Additionally, choline supplementation prevented altered expression of RZRβ and Id2, two genes implicated in postmitotic patterning of neocortex, and global DNA hypomethylation within developing neocortex. Lastly, choline supplementation prevented sensorimotor behavioral dysfunction and partially ameliorated increased anxiety-like behavior observed in PrEE mice, as assessed by the Suok and Ledge tests. Our results suggest that choline supplementation may represent a potent preventative measure for the adverse outcomes associated with PrEE.
Commentary: COVID-19: "There is no education like adversity".

COVID-19 has drastically impacted every part of our world as we once knew it. Cardiothoracic surgery training is no exception, and in fact, has faced distinct challenges during the pandemic. Hands-on experience in the operating room on real patients is fundamental to training in surgery, and yet during this pandemic, the health and safety of the trainee, patient, and staff must be considered and, depending on staff shortages, the broad scope of skill sets of cardiothoracic surgical trainees have been required in capacities outside of our specialty to care for COVID patients. This is not to mention the far-reaching impact COVID has on the entire clinical care team including trainees.
In Vitro Evaluation of Toxicant Influences on the Immune System

Culture of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) still remains a convenient and sensitive method for measurement of a person's immune system health. Basic elements of the process, namely PBMC purification and culture medium formulation, were first reported in the late 1960s, and the utility of the method for clinical application was reported in the 1970s. Clinically, the approach can provide information about the ability of an individual's immune system to fight off attacks by various pathogens. Over the years, the method has undergone many improvements, which have been aided by advancements made in flow cytometry technology and the development of fluorescent reagents. The protocols presented here describe flow cytometry-based techniques for PBMC culture that can be employed to determine the impact of various environmental toxicants on the immune system. A major advantage of these procedures is that they will provide information about a toxicant or drug through in vitro methods. As the relationship between exposures to certain toxicants and an individual's response to vaccinations has been of concern, one of the protocols described shows how to test an environmental toxicant for potential modification of the immune response to vaccine antigen(s). © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Measurement of cell proliferation Support Protocol 1: Blood cell counting Support Protocol 2: Measurement of cell viability after culturing Basic Protocol 2: Identification of affected naive/memory cell subsets.
Distribution and relative abundance of scalloped (Sphyrna lewini) and Carolina (S. gilberti) hammerheads in the western North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and its cryptic congener, Carolina hammerhead (S. gilberti), are sympatrically distributed in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Because the species are indistinguishable based on external morphology, little research focused on Carolina hammerheads exists. In this study, the distribution of Carolina hammerheads in waters of the United States off the east coast (U.S. Atlantic) and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) was examined and their abundance relative to scalloped hammerheads assessed by genetically identifying 1231 individuals using diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms. Both species were found in the U.S. Atlantic, where 27 % of individuals were Carolina hammerheads, but only scalloped hammerheads were identified in the Gulf. In Bulls Bay, SC, a well-known hammerhead nursery, assessment of relative abundance from May to September showed scalloped hammerheads were more abundant May-June and Carolina hammerheads more abundant July-September. Results of this study suggest Carolina hammerheads have a spatially limited distribution in the western North Atlantic and highlight the importance of Bulls Bay as a nursery for the species. In addition, the results suggest Carolina hammerheads may comprise a non-trivial proportion of what is considered the U.S. Atlantic scalloped hammerhead stock and should be considered in future decisions regarding management of the hammerhead complex.
Robust designation of meiotic crossover sites by CDK-2 through phosphorylation of the MutSγ complex

Crossover formation is essential for proper segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis. Here we show that C. elegans Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK-2) forms a complex with cyclin-like protein COSA-1 and supports crossover formation by promoting conversion of meiotic double-strand breaks (DSBs) into crossover-specific recombination intermediates. Further, we identify MutS{gamma} component MSH-5 as a CDK-2 phosphorylation target. MSH-5 has a disordered C-terminal tail that contains 13 potential CDK phosphosites and is required to concentrate crossover-promoting proteins at recombination sites. Phosphorylation of the MSH-5 tail appears dispensable in a wild- type background, but when MutS{gamma} activity is partially compromised, crossover formation and retention of CDK-2/COSA-1 at recombination sites are exquisitely sensitive to phosphosite loss. Our data support a model in which robustness of crossover designation reflects a positive feedback mechanism involving CDK-2-mediated phosphorylation and scaffold-like properties of the MSH-5 C-terminal tail, features that combine to promote full recruitment and activity of crossover-promoting complexes.
Political Stability in Africa: A Cross-National Analysis:

The main objective of this paper is to test the influence of Africa’s founding fathers and the impact of British colonial legacy on the political stability of Africa. We relied on a sample of 50 Af...
Prediction of Matrix Fatigue Crack Initiation from Notches in Titanium Matrix Composites

Fatigue crack initiation from notches in titanium matrix composites (TMCs) is of interest in the design of TMC structures. A model is presented for predicting the fatigue crack initiation life of longitudinal, transverse,and symmetric cross-ply laminates using the strain-life behavior of the matrix material. The effective strain parameter, Δ∈ e f f , proposed by Hillberry and Johnson is used to account for the residual stress state imposed during composite processing. Since the effective strain parameter requires knowledge of the local residual and applied strain in the matrix, methods for calculating these strains are developed. Model predictions were verified with crack initiation tests of [0] 4 , [90] 4 , and [0/90] s SCS-6/ TIMETAL 21S center-hole specimens at room temperature and [0 4 /90] s SCS-6/Ti-15-3 center-hole specimens at 300 and 550°C.
Influence of Temperature of Incubation and Type of Growth Medium on Pigmentation in Serratia marcescens

Maximal amounts of prodigiosin were synthesized in either minimal or complete medium after incubation of cultures at 27 C for 7 days. Biosynthesis of prodigiosin began earlier and the range of temperature for formation was greater in complete medium. No prodigiosin was formed in either medium when cultures were incubated at 38 C; however, after a shift to 27 C, pigmentation ensued, provided the period of incubation at 38 C was not longer than 36 hr for minimal medium or 48 hr for complete medium. Washed, nonpigmented cells grown in either medium at 38 C for 72 hr could synthesize prodigiosin when suspended in saline at 27 C when casein hydrolysate was added. These suspensions produced less prodigiosin at a slower rate than did cultures growing in casein hydrolysate at 27 C without prior incubation at 38 C. Optimal concentration of casein hydrolysate for pigment formation by suspensions was 0.4%; optimal temperature was 27 C. Anaerobic incubation, shift back to 38 C, killing cells by heating, or chloramphenicol (25 mug/ml) inhibited pigmentation. Suspensions of washed cells forming pigment reached pH 8.0 to 8.3 rapidly and maintained this pH throughout incubation for 7 days. Measurements of viable count and of protein, plus other data, indicated that cellular multiplication did not occur in suspensions of washed cells during pigment formation. By this procedure utilizing a shift down in temperature, biosynthesis of prodigiosin by washed cells could be separated from multiplication of bacteria.
Chapter 2 Front tracking method for systems of conservation laws

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a method for constructing approximate solutions to the general Cauchy problem by front tracking. This method was first proposed by Dafermos to study scalar conservation laws and then adapted by DiPerna to the case of 2 × 2 systems. A basic feature of nonlinear hyperbolic systems is the possible loss of regularity; solutions that are initially smooth may become discontinuous within finite time. To construct solutions globally in time, it is, thus, required to work in a space of discontinuous functions and to interpret the conservation equations in a distributional sense. The chapter also discusses the solution to the Riemann problem, consisting of the system of conservation laws.
A radio frequency (RF) barrier effectiveness assessment study

A radio-frequency (RF) barrier provides a means of reducing antenna-to-antenna coupling between an electromagnetic-interference (EMI) source and victim. Unfortunately, there is very limited quantitative knowledge available on the isolation capabilities of RF barriers. The results of a geometrical theory of diffraction analysis of barrier isolation effectiveness are presented that delineate important tradeoffs in RF barrier implementation. >
Determination of six kavalactones in dietary supplements and selected functional foods containing Piper methysticum by isocratic liquid chromatography with internal standard.

Kava (Piper methysticum) dietary products have been sold worldwide for treatment of nervous anxiety, tension, and restlessness. Recent reports showed potential association of kava usage and liver injuries. This study was conducted to develop simple and reliable methodologies for the extraction and determination of 6 major kavalactones: (+)-methysticin, (+)-dihydromethysticin, (+)-kavain, (+)-dihydrokavain, yangonin, and desmethoxyyangonin. Ultrasonic extraction techniques and isocratic reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) were optimized for different types of samples, including capsules containing kava root extract or root powder, raw root material, tea bags, and snack bar. A suitable internal standard, 5,7-dihydroxyflavone, was used for LC calibration. Kavalactones were completely separated in 30 min using a Luna C18-2 column at 60 degrees C with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of 2-propanol-acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (16 + 16 + 68 + 0.1, v/v/v/v). Within-laboratory, intraday, and interday method variation (% relative standard deviation) for most samples extracted by methanol or methanol-water mixture were 84% with RSD values <8%. Methods developed in this study offer a simple and reproducible means for analysis of kavalactones in various matrixes of dietary products.
Fields of Force

The next step in gaining an insight into the character of Newtonian attraction will be to think of the forces at all points of space as a whole, rather than to fix attention on the forces at isolated points. When a force is defined at every point of space, or at every point of a portion of space, we have what is known as a field of force. Thus, an attracting body determines a field of force. Analytically, a force field amounts to three functions (the components of the force) of three variables (the coordinates of the point).
Woodpecker population drills

The proposal that species diversity in an ecosystem makes it more resistant to perturbation is intuitively attractive, yet this is often not supported by either natural or model systems. An example that does support the proposal is now shown in populations of acorn woodpeckers. These birds rely on oak trees for food, and their population density is limited not by the overall density of trees, but by the number of species.
Symmetries, Heteroclinic Cycles and Intermittency in Fluid Flow

I review recent work, in which it is shown that the physical symmetries of certain fluid flows lead to equivariant dynamical systems that possess interesting global dynamics, in particular modulated travelling waves and heteroclinic cycles. The latter correspond to flow regimes in which the fluid remains relatively quiescent for “long” periods, punctuated by short, violent events in which other (higher) wavenumbers become active. These share many features of the bursting phenomenon in fully developed turbulent boundary layers and of intermittent events observed in other flows.
Evidence of the Oncologic Safety of Total Skin-Sparing Mastectomy

Total skin-sparing mastectomy or nipple skin-sparing mastectomy (TSSM/NSSM) techniques preserve the entire breast skin envelope and nipple-areolar complex (NAC) skin with resection of the underlying nipple tissue. In this review, we distinguish TSSM/NSSM techniques from other techniques that preserve the nipple appearance and provide clarity for evaluating and comparing these techniques. With longer follow-up and maturity of data sets, the oncologic safety of TSSM is emerging. The risk of breast cancer after prophylactic TSSM and locoregional recurrence after therapeutic TSSM are similar to those seen with other mastectomy techniques, with extremely low rates of recurrence within the NAC. The superior cosmetic outcome of TSSM/NSSM in conjunction with immediate reconstruction, the reduced complications with greater experience with the technique, and the accumulation of evidence on safety provide support for the inclusion of TSSM/NSSM techniques as standard approaches for mastectomy.
Cross-Modal Interference and Task Integration: Resources or Preemption Switching?

Data are reviewed from experiments that have contrasted intra-modal (visual-visual) information presentation with cross-modal (visual-auditory) presentation. Five different processing mechanisms that are operating in dual stimulus tasks are described, and it is concluded that in studies where visual scanning is not required, cross-modal effects are of two classes. When the visual task is continuous (tracking), a discrete auditory stimulus will preempt tracking performance relative to a discrete visual stimulus, leading to an effective shift in allocation bias. When both tasks are discrete, the data regarding the relative advantages of cross- vs. intra-modal interference are ambivalent.
A membrane capture assay for lipid kinase activity

Phosphoinositide kinases such as PI3-kinase synthesize lipid second messengers that control diverse cellular processes. Recently, these enzymes have emerged as an important class of drug targets, and there is significant interest in discovering new lipid kinase inhibitors. We describe here a procedure for the high-throughput determination of lipid kinase inhibitor IC50 values. This assay exploits the fact that phosphoinositides, but not nucleotides such as ATP, bind irreversibly to nitrocellulose membranes. As a result, the radiolabeled lipids from a kinase assay can be isolated by spotting the crude reaction on a nitrocellulose membrane and then washing. We show that diverse phosphoinositide kinases can be assayed using this approach and outline how to perform the assay in 96-well plates. We also describe a MATLAB script that automates the data analysis. The complete procedure requires 3–4 h.
Biosynthetic direction substrate kinetics and product inhibition studies on the first enzyme of histidine biosynthesis, adenosine triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase.

Abstract Initial velocity steady-state substrate kinetics for the ATP phosphoribosyltransferase reaction in the biosynthetic direction were determined and are consistent with a sequential kinetic mechanism. To hold the fractions of magnesium-complexed substrates and products constant so as to avoid possible distortion of reciprocal velocity plots Mg2+ binding constants to the substrates ATP and phosphoribosylpyrophosphate and the product pyrophosphate were measured under assay conditions. Several conformational states of the phosphoribosyltransferase distinguishable by other criteria gave similar substrate kinetic behavior. Product inhibition studies were conducted to elucidate the binding order. Phosphoribosyl-ATP was competitive with respect to ATP and was non-competitive with respect to phosphoribosylpyrophosphate. Pyrophosphate was non-competitive with respect to both substrates. The data are consistent with the ordered Bi-Bi kinetic mechanism with ATP binding first to free enzyme and phosphoribosyl-ATP dissociating last from enzyme-product complexes.
Simultaneous Bilateral Venous Sampling forAdrenocorticotropin in Pituitary-Dependent Cushing’s Disease: Evidence for Lateralization of Pituitary Venous Drainage

At present it is not established whether lateralization of pituitary venous drainage occurs in humans. To explore this possibility, we performed bilateral simultaneous inferior petrosal sinus sampling for ACTH in three patients with surgically proven ACTH-secreting pituitary microadenomas laterally located in the pituitary gland. In each patient, a gradient for ACTH correctly identified the location of the tumor. This finding suggests that pituitary venous drainage in humans is lateralized. These data also demonstrate that inferior petrosal sinus sampling needs to be bilateral before the pituitary origin of ACTH hypersecretion can be safely excluded in patients with Cushing's syndrome. In at least one and possibly two patients, the pituitary origin of ACTH excess would have been missed had we only sampled one inferior petrosal sinus. Finally, the demonstration of a left to right central gradient for PRL in addition to ACTH in one patient suggests that this technique may be useful in lateralizing functioning pituitary tumors other than ACTH-secreting tumors.
Effects of hydrogen addition on the removal of nitric oxide by cyanuric acid

Selective, non-catalytic techniques for removing nitric oxide (NO) from exhaust gases include the addition of cyanuric acid (CA) to the hot exhaust. This work examines the effects of hydrogen (H 2 ) on the cyanuric acid-NO reduction process. Cyanuric acid was vaporized and mixed with a gas stream composed of N 2 , O 2 , H 2 and NO in an electrically heated quartz flow reactor. The NO reduction and the products of the process were examined as a function of reactor temperature with a chemiluminescent NO x analyzer and a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Addition of H 2 lowered the reactor temperature at which NO reduction occurred and increased both the quantity of NO removed and the temperature range over which NO reduction occurred. The effects of H 2 on the process result from the oxidation of H 2 and the generation of free-radicals that drive the NO reduction mechanism. Species observed in the exhaust stream of the reactor under various conditions included: H 2 O, CO 2 , CO, NO, N 2 O, HNCO, and CA. The quantity of each species depended on the reactor temperature and the input concentrations of H 2 , NO and CA.
SUCCESSFUL COMBINATION OF ANTIFUNGAL AGENTS AND SURGICAL RESECTION FOR PULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS IN A CHILD WITH HODGKIN DISEASE: Review of the Literature

The authors report on a 14-year-old adolescent boy suffering of Hodgkin disease in remission, who developed autoimmune anemia and thrombopenia. He was treated with high-dose steroids and he developed serious invasive lung aspergillosis, which was treated with antifungal agents and surgical intervention. Children suffering from cancer are prone to develop systemic fungal infections secondary to the severe immunosuppression caused by the disease itself and the antineoplastic therapy. Intravenous antifungal medications and, when feasible, surgery are used for treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis. Factors related to better outcome are early diagnosis, remission of underlying disease, aggressive antifungal therapy, and recovery from neutropenia.
Implementation of KrF 0.29 k1 lithography

One of the crucial tasks of semiconductor process is reduction of manufacturing cost by shrinking the design rule with the help of fine patterning technologies. For high density DRAM application, we explored 0.29 k1 lithography with KrF 0.80NA scanner. Well-known lithography technologies such as asymmetric crosspole, dipole illumination and 6% attenuated PSMs were used for this experiment. Illumination source and mask layout optimization were carried out iteratively to meet CD target, and high contrast thin resist was applied to improve pattern fidelity. Some of the biggest challenges were coping with large MEEF and reducing simulation error. Abnormal non-open fail, probably due to large MEEF, was observed at a dense contact hole pattern. To cope with non-open fail, we tested multi-PSM which composed of alternating PSM along the x-axis direction and 6% attenuated PSM along the y-axis direction. Also we pushed sigma offset of illumination pupil more strongly than exposure tool's specification and there was no serious drawbacks of partial coherency extension. Accurate partial coherence measurement was important for obtaining target CDs and reducing OPC error. For some layers, unexpected simulation error was occurred especially at the patterns of peripheral circuit, therefore we had to calibrate simulation parameters of in-house tool and commercial tool (Solid-C) for OPC simulation. Finally we successfully demonstrated 0.29k1 KrF lithography by showing process yield over 58% in 512Mb DRAM having design rule of 90nm. Based on the results we obtained, we can conclude that 0.29k1 lithography is quite feasible for mass production and 60nm design rule DRAM devices can be manufactured with ArF dry 0.93NA. Since dry 0.93NA corresponds to 1.33NA in ArF water immersion with respect to k1, we can expect that it is possible to fabricate 42nm DRAM devices with ArF immersion lithography.
Minocycline Down-regulates MHC II Expression in Microglia and Macrophages through Inhibition of IRF-1 and Protein Kinase C (PKC)α/βII

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, an autoimmune disorder mediated by T cells, results in demyelination, inflammation, and axonal loss in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia play a critical role in major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II)-dependent antigen presentation and in reactivation of CNS-infiltrated encephalitogenic T cells. Minocycline, a tetracycline anti-biotic, has profound anti-inflammatory properties and is experimentally used for treatment of many CNS disorders; however, the mechanisms involved in minocycline effects remain unknown. We show that administration of minocycline for 2 weeks ameliorated clinical severity of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, an effect that partially involves the down-regulation of MHC II proteins in the spinal cord. Therefore, we sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of minocycline inhibitory effects on MHC II expression in microglia. Although complex, the co-activator class II transactivator (CIITA) is a key regulator of MHC II expression. Here we show that minocycline inhibited interferonγ (IFNγ)-induced CIITA and MHC II mRNA. Interestingly, however, it was without effect on STAT1 phosphorylation or IRF-1 expression, transcription factors that are activated by IFNγ and necessary for CIITA expression. Further experiments revealed that MHC II expression is down-regulated in the presence of the PKCα inhibitor Goo6976. Minocycline inhibited IFNγ-induced PKCα/βII phosphorylation and the nuclear translocation of both PKCα/βII and IRF-1 that subsequently inhibits CIITA expression. Our present data delineate a molecular pathway of minocycline action that includes inhibitory effects on PKCα/βII and transcription factors that regulate the expression of critical inflammatory genes such as MHC II. Such a fundamental mechanism may underlie the pleiotropic effects of minocycline in CNS inflammatory disorders.
Fungal bis-Naphthopyrones as Inhibitors of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A

An in silico screen of the NIH Molecular Library Small Molecule Repository (MLSMR) of ∼350000 compounds and confirmatory bioassays led to identification of chaetochromin A (1) as an inhibitor of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT A). Subsequent acquisition and testing of analogues of 1 uncovered two compounds, talaroderxines A (2) and B (3), with improved activity. These are the first fungal metabolites reported to exhibit BoNT/A inhibitory activity.
Gender, class and the construction of masculinity in professional sailing: A case study of the America3 women's team.

Although the America's Cup, sailing's most prestigious international race, is nearly 150 years old, it was not until 1995 that the first women competed in it. Using feminist theory, it is suggested...
Current-density-functional theory of quantum dots in a magnetic field

We present a study of ground-state energies and densities of quantum dots in a magnetic field, which takes into account correlation effects through the current-density-functional theory. The method is first tested against exact results for the energy and density of two- and three-electron quantum dots, and it is found to yield an accuracy better than 3%. Then we extend the study to larger dots and compare the results with available experimental data. The orbital and spin angular momenta of the ground state, and the evolution of the density profile as a function of the magnetic field are calculated. Quantitative evidence of edge reconstruction at high magnetic field is presented.
Design and characterization of nonwoven fabrics for gas diffusion layer in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Nonwoven materials for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) were developed and evaluated. A PEMFC was built to study the membrane electrode assembly’s (MEA) behavior during operation. New gas diffusion layer (GDL) structures were manufactured and characterized. The strength and resistance values of the new materials are comparable to those of the commercial materials tested. It was found that there is no correlation between GDL’s initial thickness and its resistance. To optimize the water uptake in MEA, carbon fibers were impregnated with NaOH, which increased the resistance by 50%. Carbon/cellulose blended carbon paper has higher strength and resistance values than pure carbon fiber paper. For polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated carbon papers, drying temperature has a significant effect on resistance and strength. As the cellulose ratio decreases (PVA fiber amount increases), the resistance and strength of the carbon paper also decreases.
Heteromolecular nucleation theory for multicomponent gas mixtures

This note reviews the heteromolecular nucleation theories which are given in greater detail elsewhere (Kiang et al., 1973 a , b , c ; Stauffer et al., 1973) together with the possible application of heteromolecular nucleation theory for the sulfur and the nitrogen cycle. This nucleation process involves multi-component mixtures of gases condensing together into small liquid droplets out of the gas phase. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1974.tb01981.x
Placental Development in Normal and Compromised Pregnancies— A Review

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a significant cause of infant mortality and morbidity. It is now clear that IUGR infants exhibit higher rates of coronary heart disease, type 2-diabetes, hypertension and stroke as adults. Therefore, fetal growth not only impacts the outcome of the perinatal period, but also impacts adult well-being. The etiologies of IUGR are numerous, but are often associated with abnormalities in placental structure and function. The process of implantation and placentation requires the production of a plethora of growth factors, cell-adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins, hormones and transcription factors. Many of these exhibit altered expression within the placenta of IUGR pregnancies. However, it has been difficult to fully assess their role during the development of placental insufficiency (PI) in the human, underscoring the need for animal models. Using an ovine model of PI-IUGR we have observed changes in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, placental growth factor, their common receptors, as well as angiopoietin 2 and its receptor, Tie 2. We found that changes in these growth factors can be associated with both acute and chronic changes in placental vascular structure and function. These studies and others are providing needed insight into the developmental chronology of placental insufficiency.
Optical Flow Estimation: An Error Analysis of Gradient-Based Methods with Local Optimization

Multiple views of a scene can provide important information about the structure and dynamic behavior of three-dimensional objects. Many of the methods that recover this information require the determination of optical flow-the velocity, on the image, of visible points on object surfaces. An important class of techniques for estimating optical flow depend on the relationship between the gradients of image brightness. While gradient-based methods have been widely studied, little attention has been paid to accuracy and reliability of the approach. Gradient-based methods are sensitive to conditions commonly encountered in real imagery. Highly textured surfaces, large areas of constant brightness, motion boundaries, and depth discontinuities can all be troublesome for gradient-based methods. Fortunately, these problematic areas are usually localized can be identified in the image. In this paper we examine the sources of errors for gradient-based techniques that locally solve for optical flow. These methods assume that optical flow is constant in a small neighborhood. The consequence of violating in this assumption is examined. The causes of measurement errors and the determinants of the conditioning of the solution system are also considered. By understanding how errors arise, we are able to define the inherent limitations of the technique, obtain estimates of the accuracy of computed values, enhance the performance of the technique, and demonstrate the informative value of some types of error.
Compositions of metals implanted to very high fluences

Abstract Surface compositions and microstructures of Fe and steels implanted with Ti+ and N+ ions to high fluences (1016–1018 cm−2) have been examined by a variety of surface analytical techniques, including Auger electron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, nuclear reaction analysis, conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The compositions observed at very high fluences could not have been predicted by simple ion implantation (collection) models based solely on physical processes such as sputtering, lattice dilation or even atomic mixing. For example, Ti+ implantation produced a carburized surface layer following absorption of C from gases in the vacuum chamber; implanted N and bulk C atoms were found to migrate across the implanted layer; and peak implant concentrations of interstitial atoms did not exceed the richest precipitate formed. The metallurgical state of these heavily implanted layers can, in many cases, be predicted from traditional metallurgical behaviour. An approach is suggested for calculating compositions of implanted layers that incorporates both the physical processes now included in many models and the metallurgical phases observed experimentally.
Deep acceptors in undoped GaN

Abstract Broad photoluminescence bands with maxima at 2.2, 2.5 and 2.9 eV in undoped GaN are studied. The bands are related to three deep acceptors, which are characterized by strong electron–phonon coupling. Vibrational properties of the defects are reported.
Electrochemical and A.E.S. studies of FeCr surface alloys formed on AISI 52100 steel by ion beam mixing

Abstract FeCr surface alloys have been formed on AISI 52100 steel by ion beam mixing in order to improve localized corrosion resistance. Three implant species were considered in this work, namely: Cr + , Xe 2+ and Kr 2+ . Ion implanation was carried out on Cr surface layers, of 30 and 50 nm, deposited onto 52100 steel coupons. The resulting surface alloys were chemically characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy. Electrochemical pitting studies were carried out in deaerated 0.01 M NaCl solution buffered to pH 6. Each of the surface alloys formed by the ion beam mixing technique exhibited a significantly higher resistance to localized corrosion compared to 52100 steel. The possbile influence on the localized corrosion resistance of the surface alloys of oxidation, carbide formation and sputtering, resulting from the ion implantation treatments, is discussed.
Development and Evaluation of a Data Dictionary to Standardize Salmonid Habitat Assessments in the Pacific Northwest

ABSTRACT Restoration ecology and conservation biology have increasingly recognized the need for a common language to facilitate the combining of data sets to help identify threats, degraded habitat, and appropriate restoration response. However, to date no tool exists that can standardize language for large quantities of publicly available information relevant to the analysis and management of threatened and endangered Pacific salmonids. Here, I present a simple and transparent method for integrating assessments of degraded salmonid habitat into a database using a data dictionary. The data dictionary is then used to measure similarity between independently created assessments for subbasins within the Columbia-Cascade region. The relationship between the number of restoration projects and the number of assessed ecological concerns is also compared. This initial investigation illustrates the data dictionary's utility in defining a set of salmonid-specific ecological concerns, providing a means to integrate ...
Multi-year prediction model of North Atlantic hurricane activity

An empirical prediction algorithm is developed to assess the potential of useful multi-season forecasts of North Atlantic hurricane activity. The algorithm is based on combining separate univariate autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models for each of three dominant components of hurricane activity. A Bayesian criterion is used to select the order of each model. In a single retroactive hindcast experiment, the algorithm is found to make better hindcasts than an ARMA model of the detrended series. A real-time forecast of hurricane activity for the 1997 North Atlantic hurricane season proves to be more accurate than two competitive single-season forecast models. It is expected that the routine use of the forecast algorithm in an operational setting will result in only marginal skill against climatology; it could however offer considerable forecast value as realized by benefits to decision makers in the reinsurance industry.
Effect of automatic and hand toothbrushing on gingivitis

From the University o f Kansas C ity School of Dentistry. Study aided by a grant from the General Electric Company, clock and tim er division, dental health sec­ tion, Ashland, Mass. Presented as a clinical lecture, one-hundred and sec­ ond annual session, American Dental Association, Phila­ delphia, October 16, 1961. I. American Dental Association. Toothbrushing. Chi­ cago, American Dental Association, 1957. 2. American Dental Association. You can teach toothbrushing. Chicago, American Dental Association, I960. 3. Arnim, S. S., and Sandefl, P. J. How to educate high school students In oral hygiene. J. Health, Phys. Educ. & Recreât. 31:33 Oct. I960. 4. Federer, W . T. Experimental design: theory and application. New York, Macmillan Co., 1955, p. 40. 5. Greene, J. C., and Vermillion, J. R. Oral hygiene index: a method for classifying oral hygiene status. J.A.D.A. 61:172 Aug. I960. 6. Massler, Maury, and others. G ingivitis in young adult males; lack of effectiveness of a permissive program of tooth brushing. J . Periodont. 28:111 A p ril 1957. 7. Robinson, H. B. G. Toothbrushing habits of 405 persons. J.A.D.A. 33:1112 Sept. 1946.
Optic neuropathy and a reversible splenial lesion after gastric bypass: A shared pathophysiology?

A 22-year-old female presented 2 months after a laparascopic gastic bypass with 3 weeks of progressive painless visual loss. Ophthalmologic exam revealed severely reduced visual acuity, central scotomas, and optic nerve edema bilaterally. She was noted to have a mild encephalopathy. MRI of the brain revealed restricted diffusion in the splenium of the corpus callosum. The patient was treated with 3 days of intravenous methylprednisolone, intravenous fluids, and re-institution of vitamin supplementation. Four weeks later, she had significant improvement in her visual acuity and marked reduction in central scotomas. Her encephalopathy resolved and the splenial abnormality disappeared on repeat brain MRI. This is the first reported case of a bilateral optic neuropathy and a reversible splenial lesion syndrome after gastric bypass. The presentation of both conditions in our patient may suggest a shared pathophysiology.
Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) targets both the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and integrin pathways for the inhibition of breast cancer cell motility.

Abstract #402 The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is a relevant therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer. Besides receptor targeted therapies, inhibition of ligand-receptor interactions by IGF-sequestering agents such as IGF binding proteins has also proven efficacious. We have used IGF binding protein (IGFBP-1) to neutralize IGF action. This binding protein both binds IGF-I and binds integrins through a RGD sequence and blocks IGF-I induced proliferation and motility. To examine the functional motifs in IGFBP-1, we studied breast cancer cells and examined IGF-induced signaling and biology after exposure to native recombinant human IGFBP-1 (rhIGFBP-1), reduced rhIGFBP-1, and an RGD mutant (Trp-Gly-Asp, WGD) rhIGFBP-1. Native and WGD IGFBP-1 retained IGF-I binding affinity, whereas reduced IGFBP-1 lost ligand binding as confirmed by western ligand blot. Chronic (>3 hour) 80nM rhIGFBP-1 treatment abrogated paxillin phosphorylation and initiated MAPK activation in an IGF-independent manner, and inhibited basal motility and adhesion to fibronectin. While 80nM native rhIGFBP-1 abolished IGF-induced IRS, PKB/Akt and ERK phosphorylation, 80nM reduced rhIGFBP-1 only inhibited IGF-induced PKB/Akt phosphorylation. rhIGFBP-1 inhibited IGF-induced motility, adhesion to fibronectin and anchorage independent growth at IC50 40-80nM. In contrast, efficacy of reduced IGFBP-1 ranged between 80-160nM. Both the IGF-binding and the integrin-binding mechanisms of action of IGFBP-1 were inhibitory to IGF-induced integrin functions. In contrast, IGF-neutralization (but not integrin effects) was required for the inhibition of biology of breast cancer cells in monolayer. Therefore, this study demonstrates that IGFBP-1 has two distinct functional motifs that contribute to the inhibition of breast cancer basal and IGF-induced functions, and that the integrin and IGF-binding motifs of IGFBP-1 cooperatively inhibit IGF-action. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 402.
Automatic assessment of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in an ischemic rat hindlimb model: an exploratory study of transplanted multipotent progenitor cells.

This study presents computerized automatic image analysis for quantitatively evaluating dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in an ischemic rat hindlimb model. MRI at 7 T was performed on animals in a blinded placebo-controlled experiment comparing multipotent adult progenitor cell-derived progenitor cell (MDPC)-treated, phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-injected, and sham-operated rats. Ischemic and non-ischemic limb regions of interest were automatically segmented from time-series images for detecting changes in perfusion and late enhancement. In correlation analysis of the time–signal intensity histograms, the MDPC-treated limbs correlated well with their corresponding non-ischemic limbs. However, the correlation coefficient of the PBS control group was significantly lower than that of the MDPC-treated and sham-operated groups. In semi-quantitative parametric maps of contrast enhancement, there was no significant difference in hypo-enhanced area between the MDPC and PBS groups at early perfusion-dependent time frames. However, the late-enhancement area was significantly larger in the PBS than the MDPC group. The results of this exploratory study show that MDPC-treated rats could be objectively distinguished from PBS controls. The differences were primarily determined by late contrast enhancement of PBS-treated limbs. These computerized methods appear promising for assessing perfusion and late enhancement in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Published in 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A genre analysis of media objects on E-learning: A survey of six online boating instruction websites

New types of documents are generated by emerging technologies to support various information needs. Researchers have pointed out that genre studies of new documents are needed for information management (Paivarinta, 1999; Beghtol, 2001). In this paper, we survey the genres of media objects used by six Web sites providing boating instruction in the U.S. The purpose of the analysis is to understand the usage of different media objects for e-learning and potential management schemes of the media objects in e-leaning systems. The first step of the analysis is to recognize genres as a starting point and to establish a framework of analysis for a subject domain. The recognition structures and interprets texts, events, ideas, decisions, explanations and every other human activity in that domain (Beghtol, 2001). Furthermore, Toms (2001) emphasized the effectiveness and usefulness of digital documents depends on a person's ability to recognize the structure and purpose of a document. A genre analysis will aid document recognition and facilitate user-document interaction. However, there are many communities on the Web and each community may recognize and interpret genres differently. These differences present research needs and challenges (Kwasnik, Crowston, Nilan, & Roussinov, 2001). Therefore, we selected six U.S. online boating education courses as a community and analyzed the types of media objects used by the Web sites. The goals
Destructive Effect of Aspartame on Ascorbic Acid in Cu‐catalyzed Solutions

The effect of aspartame on the early stage of ascorbic acid oxidation in solutions was studied by measuring ascorbic acid retention in an open system at 30°C and the oxygen uptake in a closed system at 33°C. Comparisons were also made between aspartame (0.06% and 0.12%) and sucrose (10% and 20%) in Cu-catalyzed and noncatalyzed solutions at 30°C. Copper activity in aspartame solution was measured by using a cupric ion selective electrode. Aspartame increased the rate of ascorbic acid oxidation in all tested solutions. In the presence of copper the oxidation rate of ascorbic acid was significantly higher in aspartame solutions than in sucrose solutions despite the fact that aspartame showed Cu-complex capacity in solution.
CHEMFORM: A Formatting Program for Geochemical Data

One of the time-consuming steps in geochemical modeling is data entry. The authors created a program, CHEMFORM, which converts geochemical data files into the proper format to be read by the US Geological Survey (USGS) family of codes: WATEQ4F or NETPATH. Programs exist which prompt users to enter data, then convert to program input format. CHEMFORM reads existing ASCII data files and formats the data correctly for the geochemical codes. This is particularly useful since many monitoring points may be available for a site or many data points at different times and reentering large data sets can lead to errors. In addition, CHEMFORM can translate from one program format to another. For instance, data in PHREEQE format can be translated to WATEQ4F format if a different database is desired. Data in WATEQ4F format can be translated to PHREEQE format when modeling advances to reaction path questions. CHEMFORM also formats geochemical data for NETPATH editing (currently version 1.0 to 1.3) and executes the portion of NETPATH that creates WATEQ input. CHEMFORM creates NETPATH files *.in, *.out and *.pat, and performs the DB function of NETPATH.
Monetary Returns to Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Agricultural Economics

Characteristics of agricultural economics alumni from the University of Georgia were discussed and a general linear model was developed to explain differences in bachelors and masters alumni salaries. Graduate education, work experience, resource mobility, gender, family background, and high school size were found to influence alumni salaries. Returns to a masters degree were computed along with capital recovery periods. Assistantship levels, cost of borrowed and human capital, and nonmonetary benefits were relevant in decisions to attend graduate school. Some costs and benefits of graduate education were found to be subjective, to vary across individuals, and to be influenced by prevailing economic conditions.
Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of developmental sequences

Event pairing has been proposed for the optimization of developmental sequences (event sequences) on a given phylogenetic hypothesis (cladogram) to determine instances of sequence heterochrony. Here, we show that event pairing is faulty, leading to the optimization of impossible hypothetical ancestors, the underestimation of the lengths of the developmental sequences on the tree, and the proposition of synapomorphies that are not supported by the data. When used for phylogenetic analysis, event pairing can even produce cladograms that are inconsistent with the data. These errors are caused by the fact that event pairing treats dependent features as if they were independent. We present a new method for comparative and phylogenetic analysis of developmental sequences that does not exhibit these errors. Our method applies Search-based character optimization and treats the entire developmental sequence as a single character that is then analyzed by using an edit cost function, which specifies the transformation cost between pairs of observed and unobserved character states, and dynamic programming. In other words, the developmental sequence is directly optimized on the tree. We used event pairing as an edit cost function, but others are possible.