cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Basis of Plant Gene Expression During Aphid Invasion: Wheat Pto- and Pti-Like Sequences Are Involved in Interactions Between Wheat and Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) (Homoptera: Aphididae), is a major pest of bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L. (em Thell), in most wheat-growing areas worldwide. Aphid-resistant cultivars are used to combat this pest, but very little is known about the molecular basis of resistance. In this study, differential gene expression in D. noxia biotype 1-resistant wheat plants containing the Dnx gene and D. noxia biotype 1 feeding on Dnx plants was investigated using suppressive subtraction hybridization. The derived subtracted cDNA library includes sequences similar to Pto and Pti1, genes involved in gene-for-gene recognition of and resistance to bacterial speck disease in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum (L.). Pto- and Pti1-like sequences contain an activation domain with conserved amino acid residues crucial for avr protein recognition and binding by Pto, and avr-Pto phosphorylation of Pti1. Wheat defense signaling is represented by sequences putatively involved in producing sterols, jasmonates, Ca2+, and abscisic and gibberellic acids. We suggest that reductions in populations of D. noxia fed Dnx plants are related to the expression of sequences involved in defensive chemical production, cellular transport, and exocytosis. Dnx plant tolerance of D. noxia feeding is proposed to be based on the expression of sequences putatively involved in self-defense against reactive oxygen species and toxins, and proteolysis; DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis; chloroplast and mitochondrial function; carbohydrate metabolism; and maintenance of cell homeostasis. D. noxia unsuccessfully counter Dnx by expressing sequences putatively involved in detoxification; proteolysis; DNA, RNA, protein, and lipid synthesis; carbohydrate metabolism; and mitochondrial function.
Instagram: Motives for its use and relationship to narcissism and contextual age

Abstract Instagram is the fastest growing social network site globally. This study investigates motives for its use, and its relationship to contextual age and narcissism. A survey of 239 college students revealed that the main reasons for Instagram use are “Surveillance/Knowledge about others,” “Documentation,” “Coolness,” and “Creativity.” The next significant finding was a positive relationship between those who scored high in interpersonal interaction and using Instagram for coolness, creative purposes, and surveillance. Another interesting finding shows that there is a positive relationship between high levels of social activity (traveling, going to sporting events, visiting friends, etc.) and being motivated to use Instagram as a means of documentation. In reference to narcissism, there was a positive relationship between using Instagram to be cool and for surveillance. Theoretical contributions of this study relate to our understanding of uses and gratifications theory. This study uncovers new motives for social media use not identified in previous literature.
\text{High-P}^2_\bot spin dependent measurements

The reason for studying the violent collisions of protons is to obtain information about the inner structure of the proton. To study the inner structure of the proton and to see what its constituents look like, one must observe large values of P ┴ which is the canonically conjugate variable to the impact parameter.
Biomechanical competence of microstructural bone in the progress of adaptive bone remodeling

The mechanical behavior of trabecular bone depends on the internal bone structure as well as the load applied. Mechanical stresses and strains influence the modeling process and subsequently the structure and strength of the bone. Although the basic concepts of adaptive bone remodeling are generally accepted, the mathematical laws relating bone remodeling to the stress/strain relations are still under investigation. The aim of this project was to develop an algorithm which allows simulation of the response of the trabecular bone is age-related bone loss and to determine the biomechanical consequences of such a response based on realistic 3D models of the trabecular microstructure. Today, such models can be generated directly using micro-computed tomography ((mu) CT). For the purpose of the study, a compact fan-beam type tomograph was used, also referred to as desktop (mu) CT, providing a nominal isotropic resolution of 14 micrometers . Two groups of seven trabecular bone specimens were measured including specimens from pre- menopausal and post-menopausal women respectively. In order to control bone loss over age, a novel algorithm to simulate bone resorption and adaptive process was developed. The algorithm, also referred to as simulated bone atrophy, generates a set of microstructural models, iteratively derived from the original 3D structure. Simulated bone atrophy was used to 'age-match' the first and the second group incorporating an underlying realistic time-frame for the simulation. Using quantitative bone morphometry and 3D animation tools, the changes in bone density and bone architecture could be monitored in the progress of age- related bone loss over a total observation time of 28 years. The structures at the end-point of the simulations were then compared qualitatively and quantitatively to the structures of the post-menopausal group directly assessed by (mu) CT. The results suggest the possibility of transforming 'normal' to osteopenic' bone on a microstructural level resulting in realistic bone models similar in appearance and structural properties when compared to the post-menopausal group. In the future, the assessment of the biomechanical competence of microstructural bone in the progress of adaptive bone remodeling might result in an improved prospective prediction of individual bone strength as an indicator for fracture risk in patients predisposed to osteoporosis.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Studies on the pathogenesis of splenic anemia.

IN A variety of disorders, the presence of a large spleen is associated with an anemia which cannot be shown to be due to an intrinsic cell defect or an immunologic mechanism. The effect of the spleen in decreasing the formed elements of the blood has been attributed to red cell destruction or to an inhibition of marrow activity. The purpose of the present work was to produce experimental “hypersplenism” in a laboratory animal and to study the manner in which the large spleen causes anemia. Splenic anemia in animals has formerly been described following the injection of substances toxic to the reticulo-endothelial system, such as hydroxylamine 1 , 2 and anti-bone marrow serum; 3 by injecting macromolecular inert polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol 4 and methylcellulose; 5 and surgical ligation of the splenic and gastric coronary veins. 6 , 7 Of the three methods, the injection of inert polymers has the most predictable results and causes the greatest increase in splenic size. Thus, the method chosen for the present study was that of Palmer et al. 8 who gave repeated intraperitoneal injections of methylcellulose to rats over a 15 week period. They reported a resultant splenomegaly associated with anemia, hyperplastic bone marrow, reticulocytosis, leukopenia, and mild thrombocytopenia. The spleen, liver, and kidneys were infiltrated with macrophages presumably filled with methylcellulose. These experiments, repeated in our laboratory, yielded essentially similar results, although attempts to produce the same condition in rabbits were entirely unsuccessful. Normal, splenectomized, and methylcellulose-treated rats were then studied to delineate the role of the large spleen in the production of anemia.
Parthenogenesis, homozygosity, and cloning in mammals

The numerous strategies for reproduction, sexual and asexual, that have evolved, suggest experimental designs for altering the reproduction of any particular species. The ability to culture and manipulate mammalian eggs and embryos in vitro provides the technological basis for experimentally altering the reproduction of mammals and can lead to the generation of new and useful genotypes. All of these advances, however, are restricted by our lack of understanding of the chromosomal mechanisms by which genes are regulated during the course of cell differentiation. An attractive hypothesis postulates that programs of gene regulation during development are based upon topographic interactions among chromosomes in the interphase nucleus and that these interactions in turn require an appropriate positioning of regulatory DNA throughout the genome.
Design and manufacture of composite cylinders

Composite materials are being used to solve an ever increasing variety of engineering problems. One application is to use a$lament woundjber composite to strengthen cylindrical structures. Research continues today in an attempt to utilize these composite structures in various areas. Depending on lay-up and cure cycle, large localized stresses can be generated during processing which could cause defects such as longitudinal winkles, layer separation, and microcracking. Tools for understanding the thermomechanical behavior need to be available to both the design and manufacturing engineer. This paper describes techniques for calculating the elastic stresses and strains that would be encountered as a result of manufacture and utilization as well as some ojthe associated problems. Certain assumptions are suggested about the material behavior of the resin during cure. Numerical results are obtained for several cases that show the effects of these assumptions and their relationship to processing defects. The residual stress state due to processing is predicted. The influences of temperature gradient and3ber architecture on the stress jelds are examined.
Periodic Rectal Motor Activity: The Intrinsic Colonic Gatekeeper?

Background : Rectal motor activity is incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the patterns of rectal motor activity and to examine their diurnal variation and their relationships to proximal colonic activity and to meals. Methods : We performed a 30-h ambulatory motility study by recording pressure activity at multiple sites in the colon in 18 normal subjects. Results : During 288 h of recording, discrete bursts of tonic and phasic activity were seen in the rectum of all subjects at night and during the day lasting ≥3 min, with a predominant frequency of 3 waves/min : periodic rectal motor activity (PRMA). Nocturnally, the number of cycles and the proportion of time occupied by this activity were greater (p < 0.001) and the inter-cycle interval was shorter (p < 0.008) compared with daytime, but the cycle duration was similar. Only 4 versus 5% (nocturnal vs daytime) of cycles propagated aborad, whereas 36 versus 14% (p < 0.01) propagated retrogradely, 16 versus 47% (p < 0.01) occurred simultaneously, and 44 versus 34% were confined to the rectum. There was considerable intra- and intersubject variability. PRMA was not related to meals or to anal motor activity, but 81% of nocturnal and 94% of daytime cycles occurred within 5 min of a motor event in the more proximal colon. Conclusions : PRMA is a characteristic feature of the normal rectum and is more frequent at night. The temporal association with motor events in the proximal colon suggests that PRMA is triggered by the arrival of stool or gas in the rectum. Because most cycles are either segmental or are propagated retrogradely, PRMA may serve as an intrinsic braking mechanism that prevents untimely flow of colonic contents, particularly during sleep.
Pediatric Epileptic Encephalopathies: Pathophysiology and Animal Models.

Epileptic encephalopathies are syndromes in which seizures or interictal epileptiform activity contribute to or exacerbate brain function, beyond that caused by the underlying pathology. These severe epilepsies begin early in life, are associated with poor lifelong outcome, and are resistant to most treatments. Therefore, they represent an immense challenge for families and the medical care system. Furthermore, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the epileptic encephalopathies are poorly understood, hampering attempts to devise novel treatments. This article reviews animal models of the three classic epileptic encephalopathies—West syndrome (infantile spasms), Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and continuous spike waves during sleep or Landau-Kleffner syndrome—with discussion of how animal models are revealing underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that might be amenable to targeted therapy.
Croup and laryngeal inflammation.

Croup is a syndrome that is most commonly caused by acute epiglottitis and acute laryngotracheobronchitis. The site of inflammation determines the characteristic symptoms and may influence the choice of therapy. When medical therapy fails, an alternative airway must be established by intubation or tracheostomy. In acute laryngotracheobronchitis, intubation is preferred, but after several days this should be replaced by tracheostomy. In acute epiglottitis, tracheostomy is the preferred method of maintaining an airway.
The Impact of Chinese Exchange Rate Policy on Global Stock Markets: Evidence from Firm-Level Data

This paper examines the impact of renminbi revaluation on foreign firm valuation and, by implication, firm prospects. To deal with the potential endogeneity of exchange rate movements, we consider not just official announcements of exchange rate policy but also 27 instances of market-perceived changes in China’s currency policy driven by domestic or foreign political pressure. Using information on 12,300 firms in 44 countries, we find that stock returns increased with renminbi revaluation expectations. This reaction was related as much to improved market sentiment as to specific trade channels, however. In terms of trade channels, we find that expectations of renminbi appreciation reduce the relative stock returns of firms providing components and raw materials to China as inputs for the country’s exports. There is also some evidence that expectations of renminbi appreciation reduce the stock prices of financially-constrained firms.
GenIc: A Single-Pass Generalized Incremental Algorithm for Clustering.

In this paper we introduce a new single pass clustering algorithm called GenIc designed with the objective of having low overall cost. We examine some of the properties of GenIc and compare it to windowed k-means. We also study its performance using experimental data sets obtained from network monitoring.
Advances in Information Technology and the Redistribution of Power

Abstract The advances in both hardware and software related to information technology over the past 25 years have been truly significant. The latest impact of technology is the ubiquitous personal computer connected through distributed systems architecture to access the world. With this move to the age of information has come a redistribution of power. Specifically, in the industrial world the presence of the PC on the desk of virtually everyone has given an enormous power in relationship to information, and in an age of information this implies real power in areas where very little was intended. This paper covers developments in information technology as these impact the availability and transfer of information and the implications to stability of nations.
Actor–partner interdependence of humility and relationship quality among couples transitioning to parenthood

AbstractThe transition to parenthood is a challenging experience that often strains relationships, but perceiving one’s partner as humble (actor relational humility) and being perceived by one’s partner as humble (partner relational humility) were hypothesized to benefit couples during this transition. Married couples (N = 69) were tracked from the third trimester of pregnancy through 21 months postpartum. Husbands and wives provided ratings of relational humility and dyadic adjustment. Actor–partner interdependence models tested actor and partner effects of relational humility on dyadic adjustment across the transition. Although couples declined in dyadic adjustment over the transition at the same rate regardless of relational humility (counter to Hypothesis 2), those higher in relational humility reported greater dyadic adjustment at each time point during the transition (consistent with Hypothesis 1). These findings support the benefits of relational humility to relationship quality, and we call for fu...
Susan Butler: Roosevelt and Stalin: Portrait of a Partnership

Susan Butler has authored several books. The first was a biography of Amelia Earhart. The second was a collection of wartime correspondence between US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Soviet...
First-year medical students' perceptions of physicians' responsibilities toward the underserved: an analysis of reflective essays.

Objective To explore medical students’ perceptions of their future role as physicians as it relates to personal and professional responsibilities toward the underserved. Methods The authors conducted a qualitative content analysis of 53 first-year medical students’ reflective essays focusing on the question: “Access to health care is a societal problem. Do physicians have a professional obligation to help by participating in free clinics, or otherwise doing some service-type activity? What are your personal feelings about how you might balance service to other people with personal issues like income, family, and career choice?” Results The student essays revealed students’ awareness of the distinct expertise that enables physicians to offset limited access to health care. Although the majority of respondents supported physicians’ responsibility to provide uncompen-sated care, a minority believed that there was no such responsibility attached to being a physician. Students also recognized the competing demands physicians often encounter that conflict with personal desires for service. Conclusion The use of reflective essays in medical school curricula seems promising, in that they elicited students’ beliefs on a complex topic with direct implications for professional identity and career decisions.
Angioembolization is necessary with any volume of contrast extravasation in blunt trauma

Introduction: Reduction of nonessential angiogram and embolization for patients sustaining blunt abdominal and pelvic trauma would allow improved utilization and decreased morbidity related to nontherapeutic embolization. We hypothesized that the nature of intravenous contrast extravasation (IVCE) on computed tomography (CT) would be directly related to the finding of extravasation on angiogram and need for embolization. Methods: A 5-year retrospective evaluation of trauma patients with IVCE on CT. Demographics, hemodynamics, and IVCE location and maximal dimension/volume were examined for relationship to IVCE on angiography and need for embolization. Primary complications were defined as nephropathy and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Results: A total of 128 patients were identified with IVCE on CT. Ninety-seven (75.8%) also had IVCE identified on angiography requiring some form of embolization. The size of IVCE on CT was not related to IVCE on angiogram (P = 0.69). Location of IVCE was related to need for embolization, with spleen embolization (85.4%) being much more frequent than liver (51.5%, P = 0.006). Complication rate was 8.7% in all patients, and was not different between patients undergoing embolization and those who did not (P = 0.40). Conclusion: IVCE volume was not predictive of continued bleeding and need for embolization. However, splenic injuries with IVCE required embolization more frequently. In contrast, liver injuries were found to have infrequent on-going IVCE on angiography. Complications associated with angiogram with or without embolization are infrequent, and CT findings may not be predictive of ongoing bleeding. We do not recommend selective exclusion of patients from angiographic evaluation when a blush is present.
Applications of Lieb-Robinson Bounds

In Chap. 4 we already discussed some applications of Lieb-Robinson bounds. Here we will discuss two more recent developments: scattering theory for quantum spin systems and automorphic equivalence of gapped ground states. The first topic is again a confirmation that the Lieb-Robinson velocity is to quantum spin systems what the speed of light is to relativistic systems. Indeed, we will outline how one can build up a scattering theory for quantum spin systems along the lines of Haag-Ruelle theory in algebraic quantum field theory. The Lieb-Robinson bound here is key to construct incoming and outgoing particle states: it allows us to localise the operators that create single-particle states from the ground state. We can then choose such creation operators for particles with different velocities. If | t | then becomes large, the excitations will be far apart from each other, which can be made precise using the localisation of the creation operators. This implies that the single-particles do not interact at large times, so that they will behave as free particles. Besides providing yet another application of Lieb-Robinson bounds, it also nicely illustrates how the SNAG theorem, discussed in Sect. 5.1, can be used in quantum spin systems.
Abstract 233: Isoproterenol-induced Cardiac Hypertrophy And Failure In Mice: Gene Network Modeling

Heart failure is highly heterogeneous and as a result, relatively few insights into the pathways and drivers of heart failure have been identified using system-wide methods such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We have developed a resource, the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel (HMDP) for high resolution GWAS and systems genetics in mice. Eight week old female mice from 93 unique inbred strains of the HMDP were given 20 μg/g/day of isoproterenol through an abdominally implanted Alzet micropump. Three weeks post-implantation, all mice were sacrificed, along with age-matched controls. The mice exhibited widely varying degrees of hypertrophy and heart functioning. A portion of the left ventricle was processed and arrayed on an Illumina Mouse Ref 8.0 platform. We used Maximal Information Component Analysis, a novel method of network construction which allows for non-linear relationships between genes as well as non-binary partitioning of genes into sub-networks to subdivide the expression data into a series of modules. In order to identify modules which may contribute to Isoproterenol-induced hypertrophy and failure, we examined the correlation of each module to clinically relevant cardiac traits traits such as organ weights and echocardiographic parameters. We identified several modules with strong correlations to multiple heart failure-related clinical traits, including one module of 41 genes which contained several genes of interest, including Lgals3, a diagnostic marker for heart failure. Utilizing eQTL hotspot analysis, we have identified a locus which is involved in the regulation of this module. A gene within this locus, Magi2, regulates the turnover of the β-adrenergic receptor and represents a likely candidate for the response to isoproterenol.
General Introduction to the Special Issue: Odorous Episodes and Episodic Odors

There are more odors in heaven and earth, Horatio, than you can find listed in any standard work on the subject or in all the advertising and catalogues of the perfumery trade. The woods are full of odors, especially in dewy mornings of spring and in the moist twilight after sundown. The woods are also full of wild creatures with noses automatically tuned to catch odor meanings and ready to flee, or chase, or mate, or fight to the death as one or another may appraise the significance for him of the communication. The great major themes of life and death and love burden the airborne odor molecules, crisscrossing and tangling with one another as well as with many minor themes all in apparent anarchy until each sender’s plea, or threat, or pleasant welcome finds an appropriate receptor, when order is restored, much as the confused babble of a telephone exchange becomes rational as calls are properly plugged in. (Bedichek, 1960, pp. 131–132)
The Shifting Moralities of Mobile Phones in Lau Communicative Ecologies (Solomon Islands)

In the past decade, digital technologies and especially mobile phones have spread rapidly across the Solomon Islands. This process has been surprising not only in how quickly many Solomon Islanders have become digitally savvy, but also in rapidly emerging moral debates that pit the ability to stay in touch with family and friends against the dangers of immoral behaviour, especially sexual promiscuity, and of malevolent sorcery. Based on a communicative ecology approach, this paper identifies the proliferation of mobile phones as a critical juncture with temporal and spatial ramifications in its double bind. That is, mobile phones are increasingly recognized as needed to maintain social networks, but they are also seen to harbour the potential for accelerating immoral sociality by increasing the potential for privacy.
Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures

Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (aka rib plating) is underutilized, partly due to a perceived lack of evidence of benefit and unfamiliarity with the operation. The goal of this review is to identify and summarize the evidence surrounding surgical stabilization of chest wall injury in flail and non-flail injury patterns and highlight the limitations of our current knowledge. Recent meta-analyses and prior trials have provided evidence that rib fixation in flail chest injuries decreases the need for mechanical ventilation, decreases risk of pneumonia, and decreases mortality. Additionally, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and the Rib Fracture Colloquium have provided statements supporting rib fixation in flail injuries. The role of rib plating for patients with non-flail rib fractures remains controversial and requires further study. Surgical stabilization of rib fractures in flail injuries is supported by the evidence and should be utilized in these select patients. More evidence is needed in non-flail injuries before recommendations can be made for rib fixation.
Differential privacy for dynamical sensitive data

We introduce the problem of protecting the privacy of time-varying sensitive data using differential privacy. Contrary to prior work that considers fixed private data, we wish to design a privacy-preserving mechanism that, at each time and given the observations so far, keeps the current state of a dynamical system private. Our work protects dynamical systems from being tracked by an adversary by providing differentially private guarantees. Specifically, we propose a mechanism which adds artificial noise to (i) the input of the system and (ii) the measurements which are then published. In particular, two scenarios are considered: for a scalar dynamical system under e-differential privacy, we derive a mechanism that, at each time, publishes the most accurate approximation of the current state while preserving privacy. Next, for a general linear system under (e, δ)-differential privacy, we propose a Gaussian-based privacy-preserving mechanism with a quadratic cost.
Endovascular Treatment of Pulsatile Tinnitus by Sigmoid Sinus Aneurysm: Technical Note and Review of the Literature.

Background Pulse-synchronous tinnitus is rare, and it almost always points toward a vascular pathology. Case Description We encountered a 56-year-old patient presenting with a 3-month history of right-side tinnitus who was found to have a sigmoid sinus aneurysm after initial imaging. The patient was managed successfully with dual endovascular access and stent placement across the aneurysm, with a subsequent complete symptomatic relief. Conclusions Description of the endovascular management of sigmoid sinus aneurysm is not infrequent in the literature. This report provides a brief review of the available literature specifically addressing the management strategies.
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Exosomes in Lipopolysaccharide-induced Septic Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) represent a heterogeneous group of lung diseases which continues to have a high morbidity and mortality. The molecular pathogenesis of ALI is being better defined; however, because of the complex nature of the disease molecular therapies have yet to be developed. Here we use a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced mouse model of acute septic lung injury to delineate the role of exosomes in the inflammatory response. Using this model, we were able to show that mice that are exposed to intraperitoneal LPS secrete exosomes in Broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from the lungs that are packaged with miRNA and cytokines which regulate inflammatory response. Further using a co-culture model system, we show that exosomes released from macrophages disrupt expression of tight junction proteins in bronchial epithelial cells. These results suggest that 1) cross talk between innate immune and structural cells through the exosomal shuttling contribute to the inflammatory response and disruption of the structural barrier and 2) targeting these miRNAs may provide a novel platform to treat ALI and ARDS.
The MTOR inhibitor, rapamycin, inhibits growth of Ewing’s sarcoma in vitro and in vivo

4714 While conventional therapies have lead to significant improvement in overall survival for patients with Ewing’s sarcoma, patients with metastatic disease and relapsed disease remain largely incurable with even the most intensive therapy. There is an ongoing need for new agents with activity in Ewing’s sarcoma (ES). Maintenance of a neoplastic phenotype in tumor cells often requires signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin (MTOR), which functions as a sensor of mitogen, energy and nutrient levels, and a gatekeeper for cell cycle progression from G 1 to S. A recent report by Mateo-Lozano, et. al. (Oncogene. 2003;22:9282-7) demonstrates that rapamycin leads to decreased proliferation of ES cells, down-regulation of EWS-FLI-1 levels, and a restoration of TGF-β type-2 receptor, which is repressed by EWS-FLI-1. Inhibition of MTOR may be an effective anti-neoplastic strategy in the treatment Ewing’s sarcoma. The cytotoxicity of rapamycin in ES was evaluated in a panel of Ewing’s sarcoma cell lines. Cells were incubated in the presence of drug at various concentrations for 3 to 7 days. The IC50 in all lines tested is in the range of 1-10ng/ml. In vivo response was determined in SCID xenograft models of ES implanted heterotopically. Treatment groups consisted of 5 to 8 mice. Each animal received either rapamycin (7mg/kg) or normal saline orally for 2 weeks starting when tumors reached a volume of 1cm 3 . There was complete inhibition of tumor growth in the rapamycin-treated mice with no tumor re-growth for the duration of therapy. At day 14 of treatment the mean tumor volume for the rapamycin treated group was 115mm 3 and for the control group 3155 mm 3 (p
Performance verification of elastomer materials in corrosive gas and liquid conditions

Abstract Elastomer seals are essential for zonal isolation in vertical and deviated wells. They are often used either as O-rings (static seals) or as energized seals (packers). For elastomers to perform their functions effectively over an extended period, it is essential that the elastomer withstand the deleterious effects of pressure, prolonged loading effects, severe temperature, corrosive fluids, and acidic gases. As such it is imperative to understand the various elastomer degradation mechanisms and develop methods to reduce the degradation. The objectives of this study are: to investigate if elastomers are “fit for service” for well construction applications and to evaluate elastomer performances under downhole corrosive conditions. To achieve this goal, some dynamic wellbore conditions which close-to-real field conditions are were simulated in a controlled laboratory setup. The following properties were investigated: elastomer hardness, elastomer compression, and elastomer volumetric swelling. In the experimental setup, four frequently used elastomers in the oil and gas industry were studied: Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), Fluoroelastomer (FKM) commonly known as Viton, and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The results indicate that NBR exhibited the most significant deterioration. Viton showed the least amount of deterioration but has poor decompression resistance. The aging condition that proved to be the most damaging is CO2. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was also performed on the data from the samples as a statistical analysis indicator. Some other observations and conclusions are that the degree of chain growth and chain rupture depends on the temperature and the degree of chemical exposure.
Decolonizing indigenous education: an indigenous pluriversity within a university in Cauca, Colombia

Indigenous movements in southwestern Colombia have shifted their focus from their original goals of asserting indigenous identities, reclaiming land, and uniting the country’s diverse indigenous co...
Mechanisms for Evaluating Others’ Reliability When Learning Novel Words

Word learning is a social act. Because there is an arbitrary relation between words and their meaning, children must learn words from other people. Other people, however, are not always reliable sources of knowledge. People can be ignorant, hold false beliefs, or simply be deceptive. How do children evaluate the reliability of sources of knowledge for word learning? This chapter investigates the possibility that children possess multiple mechanisms for evaluating such reliability and possess such mechanisms very early in development. We suggest that infants not only track the accuracy of others using statistical learning mechanisms but also incorporate their existing knowledge of the world into judgments of reliability to make judicious inferences about the knowledge of a speaker and the pragmatics of a communicative act. Moreover, we suggest that as children get older, both low-level associative mechanisms and higher-level cognitive processes influence the way in which children track and use others’ reliability as sources of knowledge.
Anomalous Transport in Sketched Nanostructures at the LaAlO 3 / SrTiO 3 Interface

The LaAlO${}_{3}$/SrTiO${}_{3}$ interface is already known to have interesting properties such as superconductivity and magnetism. Now nanoscale charge-transport networks created at the interface show extraordinary evidences of violation of Ohm's law.
Built Environment and Self-Rated Health: Comparing Young, Middle-Aged, and Older People in Chengdu, China.

Objectives:This article explores how the building-scale built environment is associated with self-rated health, examining differences in this association among younger, middle-aged, and older age g...
Effect of acute intermittent hypoxia on cortico-diaphragmatic conduction in healthy humans.

Abstract Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) is a strategy to improve motor output in humans with neuromotor impairment. A single AIH session increases the amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEP) in a finger muscle (first dorsal interosseous), demonstrating enhanced corticospinal neurotransmission. Since AIH elicits phrenic/diaphragm long-term facilitation (LTF) in rodent models, we tested the hypothesis that AIH augments diaphragm MEPs in humans. Eleven healthy adults (7 males, age = 29 ± 6 years) were tested. Transcranial and cervical magnetic stimulation were used to induce diaphragm MEPs and compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) recorded by surface EMG, respectively. Stimulus-response curves were generated prior to and 30–60 min after AIH. Diaphragm LTF was assessed by measurement of integrated EMG burst amplitude and frequency during eupnoeic breathing before and after AIH. Following baseline measurements, AIH was delivered from an oxygen generator connected to a facemask under poikilocapnic conditions (15 one minute episodes of 9% inspired oxygen with one minute room air intervals). There were no detectable changes in MEP (−1.5 ± 12.1%, p = 0.96) or CMAP (+0.1 ± 7.8%, p = 0.97) amplitudes across the stimulus-response curve. At stimulation intensities approximating 50% of the difference between minimum and maximum baseline amplitudes, MEP and CMAP amplitudes were also unchanged (p > 0.05). Further, no AIH effect was observed on diaphragm EMG activity during eupnoea post-AIH (p > 0.05). We conclude that unlike hand muscles, poikilocapnic AIH does not enhance diaphragm MEPs or produce diaphragm LTF in healthy humans.
Interactions of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, herbicides and crops

Experiments were conducted to detemnine the influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus on root uptake of herbicides. Absorption of atrazine by excised roots of com and soybean colonized with and without the VAM fungus, Glomus epigaeus (Daniels & Trappe) from herbicide solutions was compared. Similarly, trifluralin uptake by excised VAM and non-VAM soybean roots was studied. Herbicide uptake was consistently greater by VAM roots. Atrazine and trifluralin uptake from herbicide solutions were also studied by using whole-root systems of soybean and com, respectively, with and without VAM fungus. Atrazine and trifluralin uptake by intact root systems were enhanced by VAM association, however increase in uptake by mycorrhizal roots was more evident in herbicide absorption by excised roots. The direct role of VAM hyphae on atrazine uptake was studied by using a two-chamber system where only the fungal hyphae had access to the "I^C-atrazine-treated soil. Hyphal systems of the fungus were able to remove and transfer ''^C-atrazine residues from soil to corn plants. Our results suggest that the VAM association enhances the uptake of atrazine by com and soybean roots as influenced by the direct uptake of the herbicide by the fungal hyphae. Nomenclature: atrazine, 6-chloro/V-ethyl-A/'-(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine): trifluralin, 2,6-dinitro-A/,/\/-dipropyl-4(trifluoromethyl) benzamine; corn, Zea mays L.; soybean. Glycine max{L) Merr. Additional index words: VAM fungi, Glomus epigaeus, excised roots, external hyphae, atrazine, trifluralin. ^Received for publication and in revised form . Joint contribution of USD AAgric. Res. Serv. and Iowa State Univ. Journal Paper No. of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames. IA50011. ^Grad. Res. Asst., Dep. Agron. Iowa State Univ., Ames, lA 50011. ^Microbiologist, USDA, Agric. Res. Serv. ^Soil Microbiologist, Dep. Agron. Iowa State Univ., Ames, lA 50011.
1.8L Sierra-Mondeo turbo-diesel valvetrain friction reduction using a solid film lubricant

A 1.8L turbocharged diesel engine valvetrain friction was investigated, and the effectiveness of using a solid film lubricant (SFL) coating in reducing friction was determined throughout the operable speed range. This valvetrain design features direct acting mechanical bucket valve lifters. Camshaft journal bearing surfaces and all camshaft rubbing surfaces except lobe tips were coated. The direct acting bucket shims were etched with a cross hatch pattern to a depth sufficient to sustain a SFL film coating on the shim rubbing surfaces subjected to high surface loads. The SFL coated valvetrain torque was evaluated and compared with uncoated baseline torque. Coating the can bearing journal surfaces alone with II-25D SFL reduced valvetrain friction losses 8 to 17% for 250 to 2000 rpm cam speed range (i.e. 500 - 4000 rpm engine speed). When bucket tappet and shims were also coated with the SFL, further significant reductions in coated valvetrain friction were observed. These reductions in friction ranged from 14.4% to 35% for camshaft speeds of 250 to 2000 rpm. Limited durability tests showed that the II-25D SFL impregnated to a depth of 20 microns will provide 3000 hours or more of service life. 11 refs., 15 figs., 2 tabs.
A modular structured approach to conditional decision-theoretic planning

A realistic system for planning with uncertain information in partially observable domains must be able to reason about sensing actions and to condition its further actions on the sensed information. Among implemented planning systems, we can distinguish two approaches to contingent decision-theoretic planning. The first is characterized by a highly unconstrained plan space, while the second is characterized by a constrained and inflexible specification of plan space. In this paper, we take a middle ground between these two approaches that we consider to be more practical. We permit the user to specify the structure of the space of possible plans to be considered but to do so in a flexible manner. This flexibility is obtained through the use of a modular representation. We separate the representation of actions from the representation of domain relations and we separate those from the representation of the plan space. Actions and domain relations are represented with schematic Bayes net fragments and plan space is represented using programming language constructs. We present a planning system that can find optimal plans given this representation.
The White Racial Frame: Centuries of Racial Framing and Counter-Framing

In this book sociologist Joe Feagin extends the systemic racism framework in previous Routledge books by developing an innovative concept, the white racial frame. Now more than four centuries old, this white racial frame encompasses not only the stereotyping, bigotry, and racist ideology emphasized in other theories of “race,” but also the visual images, array of emotions, sounds of accented language, interlinking interpretations and narratives, and inclinations to discriminate that are central to the frame’s everyday operations. Deeply imbedded in American minds and institutions, this white racial frame has for centuries functioned as a broad worldview, one essential to the routine legitimation, scripting, and maintenance of systemic racism in the United States. Here Feagin examines how and why this white racial frame emerged in North America, how and why it has evolved socially over time, which racial groups are framed within it, how it has operated in the past and present for both white Americans and Americans of color, and how the latter have long responded with strategies of resistance that include enduring counter-frames. In this third edition, Feagin has included much new data from many recent research studies on framing issues related to white, black, Native, Latino/a, and Asian Americans, and on society generally. The book also includes a more extensive discussion of the impact of the white frame on popular culture, including on video games, movies, and television programs, as well as a discussion of the white racial frame’s significant impacts on public policymaking on immigration, the environment, health care, and crime and imprisonment issues.
Sample accountability quality assurance for the "Integrated Air Cancer Project" research program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A sample accountability quality assurance (QA) program is described for a field and laboratory research effort which resulted in collection of approximately 2000 samples for analysis by several EPA and contractor laboratories. A QA program was specifically developed for this research program to include sample transfer from collection site to storage maintenance, record development, transfer to researchers, and sample tracking at all stages. A sample identification system and sample custody records are described for field and laboratory application. The functions of a sample coordinator are also described as relating to sample custody, coordination of sample analysis with researchers, and development of computer record files to facilitate research and sample tracking.
Factors influencing milk fat depression on rations high in concentrates.

Abstract Three continuous feeding trials involving a total of 36 cows were used to study milk fat depression on high-concentrate diets composed primarily of pelleted corn. Physiological changes that consistently accompanied a depression in milk fat percentage included: 1) a reduction in rumen acetic acid; 2) increases in rumen propionic and valeric acids; 3) a decrease in blood lipids; 4) a decrease in blood ketone bodies; 5) an increase in blood glucose levels; 6) increased body weight gains; 7) reduced milk production; 8) decreases in the short-chain as well as the palmitic and stearic acid components of the milk fat; 9) increases in the unsaturated fatty acid components of the milk fat. The following alterations in the pelleted corn ration resulted in some degree of improvement in milk fat percentage: 1) substitution of pelleted oats or herd mix; 2) feeding thyroprotein; 3) adding 3% urea; 4) administration of butyric acid. Unsuccessful alterations included: 1) addition of 25% soybean oil meal; 2) feeding five times daily; 3) addition of 5% lard; 4) administration of sodium acetate. The results support the concept that the major factors depressing milk fat test on high-concentrate diets involve a high level of glucogenic metabolites that reduce blood ketone and lipid levels and tend to stimulate a fattening type of metabolism at the expense of milk fat synthesis.
Pulmonary Hyperinflation and Left Ventricular Mass The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis COPD Study

Background—Left ventricular (LV) mass is an important predictor of heart failure and cardiovascular mortality, yet determinants of LV mass are incompletely understood. Pulmonary hyperinflation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may contribute to changes in intrathoracic pressure that increase LV wall stress. We therefore hypothesized that residual lung volume in COPD would be associated with greater LV mass. Methods and Results—The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) COPD Study recruited smokers 50 to 79 years of age who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease. LV mass was measured by cardiac magnetic resonance. Pulmonary function testing was performed according to guidelines. Regression models were used to adjust for age, sex, body size, blood pressure, and other cardiac risk factors. Among 119 MESA COPD Study participants, the mean age was 69±6 years, 55% were male, and 65% had COPD, mostly of mild or moderate severity. Mean LV mass was 128±34 g. Residual lung volume was indep...
Comparison of standardized uptake values in normal structures between PET/CT and PET/MRI in a tertiary pediatric hospital: A prospective study

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare standardized uptake values (SUVs) of normal tissues using MR attenuation-corrected versus CT attenuation-corrected 18F-FDG PET in a pediatric population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Thirty-five patients (21 boys; mean age, 13.3 years) referred for 47 PET/CT scans were recruited to undergo PET/MRI. MR attenuation correction was performed using an automated three-segment model. ROIs were drawn over nine normal structures to estimate SUVmin, SUVmean, and SUVmax. Pearson rank correlation coefficients were calculated to compare SUVs obtained from MR and CT attenuation correction. In nine patients who underwent multiple PET/MRI studies, coefficients of variance and intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate intrapatient SUVmax variation. RESULTS. Mean (± SD) time to imaging after FDG injection was 108 ± 17 minutes for PET/CT and 61 ± 6 minutes for PET/MRI. PET/MRI SUVs in all tissues were lower than those for PET/CT (mean difference, –28.9% ± 31...