cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 1293: ABO blood type and cancer risk: preliminary findings from a phenome analysis

Introduction: ABO blood type has long been implicated in disease susceptibility, including cancer. However, evidence for associations with many malignancies is mixed. We applied a novel phenome approach to test to cancer codes from electronic medical records (EMR) in relation to ABO blood type in a large predominantly Caucasian study population. Approach: Among adults aged 18-100, cancer case and control status were assigned using 58 general neoplasm related phenome codes to de-identified EMR at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Blood type from serologic assays was ascertained from EMR-linked laboratory reports. Associations between blood type and cancer phenomes were quantified with Odds Ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) from logistic regression in models adjusted for sex and stratified by race/ethnicity. Only analyses with at least 100 cases per strata were conducted. Results: Among 221,015 Non-Hispanic Caucasians, 37,841 Blacks, 7,714 Hispanic Caucasians, and 3,616 Asian subjects with ABO blood type available in linked EMR, we evaluated 56, 37, 4, and 3 general cancer phenome codes, respectively. After employing Bonferroni corrections, ABO blood type was significantly associated with cancers of the pancreas, ovary, cervix, skin, and hematopoietic system. Caucasians with blood type O were less likely to have ovarian cancer (OR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.73-0.91) and pancreatic cancer (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.74-0.92), and more likely to have squamous cell or other skin cancer (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.13) and myeloid leukemia (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.25) than those with other blood types (A, B, or AB). Hispanic Caucasians with blood type O were less likely to have cervical cancer (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38-0.82) than those with other blood types. No associations surpassed correction for multiple comparisons among Blacks or Asians. Conclusions: Our phenome approach confirmed known associations between blood type and risk of pancreatic and ovarian cancer, and adds to accumulating evidence supporting associations with skin cancer and leukemia. Our novel cervical cancer association among Hispanic Caucasians and other nominally significant findings, especially in understudied non-Caucasians, should be further evaluated in large and diverse populations. In addition, research to determine how ABO blood type may influence cancer development and progression, and if such associations can be exploited for risk prediction or cancer prevention is warranted. Citation Format: Alicia Beeghly-Fadiel, Ayush Giri, Lisa Bastarache, Jill Pulley, Jeremy Warner, Josh Denny. ABO blood type and cancer risk: preliminary findings from a phenome analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1293. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1293
Approximate memory compression for energy-efficiency

Memory subsystems are a major energy bottleneck in computing platforms due to frequent transfers between processors and off-chip memory. We propose approximate memory compression, a technique that leverages the intrinsic resilience of emerging workloads such as machine learning and data analytics to reduce off-chip memory traffic and energy. To realize approximate memory compression, we enhance the memory controller to be aware of memory regions that contain approximation-resilient data, and to transparently compress/decompress the data written to/read from these regions. To provide control over approximations, the quality-aware memory controller conforms to a specified error constraint for each approximate memory region. We design a software interface that programmers can use to identify data structures that are resilient to approximations. We also propose a runtime quality control framework that automatically determines the error constraints for the identified data structures such that a given target application-level quality is maintained. We evaluate our proposal by implementing a hardware prototype using the Intel UniPHY-DDR3 memory controller and NIOS-II processor, a Hynix DDR3 DRAM module, and a Stratix-IV FPGA development board. Across a suite of 8 machine learning benchmarks, approximate memory compression obtains a 1.28× benefit in DRAM energy and a simultaneous 11.5% improvement in execution time for a small (< 1.5%) loss in output quality.
Strain-specific survival and growth of juvenile Atlantic salmon in Central New York tributaries

Abstract Reintroduction of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the Lake Ontario watershed represents a historical challenge for fisheries managers dating to the late 1800s. To assess the feasibility for reintroduction, strain-specific differences in survival and growth was evaluated in central New York tributaries in 2014 and 2015. Fry of Lake Memphremagog and Sebago Lake strains were stocked at target densities of 100 fry/100 m 2 in tributaries within the Ontario Drumlins and Fish Creek regions. Salmon abundance, density, and survival was estimated at each stocking location. Standardized mass-specific growth rate ( G s ) and absolute growth in length ( G L ) of age-0 parr and age-1 pre-smolts was evaluated with two-way analysis of variance. For both strains, survival was largely site-dependent in the Drumlins region and stream-dependent in the Fish Creek region. The Lake Memphremagog strain exhibited faster growth, suggesting that physiological adaptations of this strain make it a more suitable candidate for reintroduction in the region when the source is available. However, limited availability of the Lake Memphremagog strain may direct future efforts to employ the more widely-evaluated and available Sebago Lake strain.
Geographic Disparity in Kidney Transplantation under KAS

The Kidney Allocation System fundamentally altered kidney allocation, causing a substantial increase in regional and national sharing that we hypothesized might impact geographic disparities. We measured geographic disparity in deceased donor kidney transplant (DDKT) rate under KAS (6/1/2015-12/1/2016), and compared that with pre-KAS (6/1/2013-12/3/2014). We modeled DSA-level DDKT rates with multilevel Poisson regression, adjusting for allocation factors under KAS. Using the model we calculated a novel, improved metric of geographic disparity: the median incidence rate ratio (MIRR) of transplant rate, a measure of DSA-level variation that accounts for patient casemix and is robust to outlier values. Under KAS, MIRR was 1.75 1.811.86 for adults, meaning that similar candidates across different DSAs have a median 1.81-fold difference in DDKT rate. The impact of geography was greater than the impact of factors emphasized by KAS: having an EPTS score ≤20% was associated with a 1.40-fold increase (IRR = 1.35 1.401.45 , P < .01) and a three-year dialysis vintage was associated with a 1.57-fold increase (IRR = 1.56 1.571.59 , P < .001) in transplant rate. For pediatric candidates, MIRR was even more pronounced, at 1.66 1.922.27 . There was no change in geographic disparities with KAS (P = .3). Despite extensive changes to kidney allocation under KAS, geography remains a primary determinant of access to DDKT.
Nicotinamide Inhibits Ethanol-Induced Caspase-3 and PARP-1 Over-activation and Subsequent Neurodegeneration in the Developing Mouse Cerebellum

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the principal preventable cause of mental retardation in the western countries resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Ethanol-induced massive neuronal cell death occurs mainly in immature neurons during the brain growth spurt period. The cerebellum is one of the brain areas that are most sensitive to ethanol neurotoxicity. Currently, there is no effective treatment that targets the causes of these disorders and efficient treatments to counteract or reverse FASD are desirable. In this study, we investigated the effects of nicotinamide on ethanol-induced neuronal cell death in the developing cerebellum. Subcutaneous administration of ethanol in postnatal 4-day-old mice induced an over-activation of caspase-3 and PARP-1 followed by a massive neurodegeneration in the developing cerebellum. Interestingly, treatment with nicotinamide, immediately or 2 h after ethanol exposure, diminished caspase-3 and PARP-1 over-activation and reduced ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. Conversely, treatment with 3-aminobenzadine, a specific PARP-1 inhibitor, was able to completely block PARP-1 activation, but not caspase-3 activation or ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in the developing cerebellum. Our results showed that nicotinamide reduces ethanol-induced neuronal cell death and inhibits both caspase-3 and PARP-1 alcohol-induced activation in the developing cerebellum, suggesting that nicotinamide might be a promising and safe neuroprotective agent for treating FASD and other neurodegenerative disorders in the developing brain that shares similar cell death pathways.
Odor Identification Ability Predicts PET Amyloid Status and Memory Decline in Older Adults

BACKGROUND Odor identification deficits occur in Alzheimer's disease (AD), as measured by the 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). OBJECTIVE To determine if UPSIT scores predict amyloid-β (Aβ) status, determined by 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B PET. We also compared UPSIT scores to Aβ status in predicting future memory decline. METHODS Subjects were recruited into a longitudinal clinical prediction study. We analyzed data from those who had UPSIT, cognitive testing, PIB PET, and at least 12 months' clinical follow-up. Forty-six amnestic mild cognitive impairment patients and 25 cognitively normal controls were included. Amyloid-positivity was defined as composite PIB standardized uptake value ratio >1.5. Logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve analyses tested the predictive utility of impaired olfaction (defined as UPSIT score <35) and amyloid-positivity for memory decline. RESULTS High UPSIT scores predicted absence of amyloidosis on PET, with negative predictive value of 100%. Positive predictive value of low UPSIT scores on positive Aβ status was only 41%. Both low UPSIT score (OR = 4.301, 95% CI = 1.248, 14.821, p = 0.021) and positive PET scan (OR = 20.898, 95% CI = 2.222, 196.581, p = 0.008) predicted memory decline. CONCLUSION Individuals with high UPSIT scores are less likely to have cerebral amyloidosis or experience memory decline. Therefore, UPSIT has potential as a screening tool to determine utility of Aβ PET in clinical practice or enrollment in clinical trials. Low UPSIT score is a non-specific marker of neurodegeneration that could indicate further workup in patients with memory complaints.
Use of diphenhydramine as an adjunctive sedative for colonoscopy in patients on chronic opioid therapy: a randomized controlled trial.

Background and Aims Chronic opioid use increases tolerance to sedatives. Diphenhydramine is recommended for difficult-to-sedate patients during endoscopic procedures. We hypothesized that the addition of diphenhydramine to midazolam and fentanyl would improve objective and subjective measures of procedural sedation. Methods This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included patients on chronic opioids undergoing colonoscopy. Patients were randomized to receive 50 mg of diphenhydramine intravenously (n = 61) or placebo (n = 58), in addition to fentanyl and midazolam. Baseline characteristics, amount of fentanyl and midazolam, procedure times, and adverse events were recorded. Quality of sedation was assessed by the physician and nurse. Patients rated pain and amnesia on a 10-point scale. Results There was no difference in amounts of fentanyl (125.4 ± 56.2 μg vs 126.9 ± 53.5 μg, P = .88) and midazolam (4.9 ± 2.1 mg vs 5 ± 1.9 mg, P = .79) used. The mean sedation scores from the physician (6.2 ± 1.1 vs 5.3 ± 1.2, P =.0002) and nurses (5.6 ± 1.5 vs 5.1 ± 1.4, P =.04) were statistically significant in favor of the diphenhydramine arm. Patient scores for pain (2.05 ± 2.17 vs 3.09 ± 3.95, P =.047) and amnesia (7.8 ± 3.4 vs 6.5 ± 3.8, P =.047) favored the group that received diphenhydramine. Qualitative assessment showed no significant difference between the groups. There was no difference in induction time (P = .86), procedure duration (P = .98), or recovery time (P = .16). Hypotensive episodes were more common in the placebo group (P = .027). Conclusions In patients on chronic opioid therapy, administration of diphenhydramine does not allow for lower doses of procedural sedatives but improves quality of sedation without increasing the number of adverse events. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT T01967433.)
Autologous Cranioplasty is Associated with Increased Reoperation Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective Consensus regarding selection of synthetic versus autologous flap reimplantation for cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy has not been reached and the multiple factors considered for each patient make comparative analysis challenging. This study examines the association between choice of material and related complications. Methods A systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed using PubMed for articles reporting delayed cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy using a cohort design comparing autologous bone and synthetic implants. Extracted data included implant material and incidence of infection, reoperations related to implant, wound complications, and resorption. Results One randomized controlled trial and 11 cohort studies were included for a total of 1586 implants (950 bone, 636 synthetic). Autologous implants had significantly more reoperations than did synthetic implants (n = 1586 implants; odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40–2.61). Reoperations were most often because of resorption (54%, n = 159/295) followed by infection (41%, n = 121/295). The pooled incidence of resorption in autologous implants was 20% (n = 159/791). Among the other outcomes, there was no significant difference for infections (n = 1586; OR, 1.24; CI, 0.82–1.88) or wound complications (n = 678; OR, 0.56; CI, 0.22–1.45). For the trauma subpopulation, there was no significant difference in infection rate with either material (n = 197; OR, 1.89; CI; 0.59–6.09). Conclusions Autologous implants had significantly more reoperations primarily because if the intrinsic risk of resorption (level of evidence 3b).
Stem Cells, Nonproliferating Cells, and Their Kinetics in Normal and Neoplastic Tissues

At this time of increased efforts and promising results in the therapy of malignant neoplasias, it seems appropriate to review critically some principal aspects of Cell. and tissue kinetics as they relate to stem cells, to nonproliferating cells, and to Cell. recruitment into the mitotic cycle. Considering effective therapy, relatively slowly growing tumors possessing a large fraction of “nonproliferating” cells are of substantial concern. Such tumor cells, either “resting” or slowly cycling, may have an increased resistance to therapeutic agents, and some of them are probably potential stem cells. The contribution of Cell. kinetic data to planning and management of therapy of these types of cancer has not been fully adequate. Among the most likely reasons for this are the following: (1) most animal tumor systems used in cytokinetic investigations are not comparable to prevailing types of human cancer; (2) applied methods have conceptual and technical limitations; and (3) experimental approaches have usually neither allowed for any correlation between the structure of neoplastic tissues and therapeutic responses nor revealed the kinetic status of various Cell. subpopulations during the course of treatment.
The Future Costs of Health Care in Ageing Societies: Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

There is great concern that modern rich nations will not be able to afford the future health care costs of ageing societies. Cohort change-based estimates of population ageing alone suggest some increases in future costs, even without differentially higher growth in underlying, residual ‘technology related’ costs. Accounting for these costs pushes the future costs much higher. However, these estimates of cost ignore both the increased willingness and ability of the current and future elderly to pay these costs and the likely future benefits of these expenses in terms of increased health status, improved quality of life and increased longevity from new and better medical treatments, pharmaceuticals and the like. Drawing on recent examples of the net benefits of pharmaceuticals from the United States and other nations, we argue that these benefits also need to be taken into account. We also suggest that once a socially determined level of health care benefits are provided by the public sector, the elderly should be able to privately pay for additional treatments which might also have high health benefits. The primary public policy issues are two. First, avoid the unnecessary and inefficient costs of excessive technological medicine (where waste is rampant; costs are below benefits and, therefore, the marginal value of treatment is low). Second, directly address the question of the distribution of the costs of new medical advances and existing cost-effective treatments for the elderly by determining how much of these costs should be borne by public programmes (financed by workers or from general revenues) vs. how much the low income elderly themselves can and should pay for. In this light, plans to subsidize the cost of treatments based on ability to pay are important policy considerations for future cohorts of older persons.
The Value of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Otolaryngology

To assess the value of clinical practice guidelines in otolaryngology. The value of a clinical practice guideline can best be assessed by comparing the value of care delivered as a result of following guideline recommendations vs. standard care. A limited number of studies show improved patients outcomes and cost reduction as a result of adherence to clinical practice guidelines. However, existing studies that evaluate awareness and adherence to clinical practice guidelines tend to demonstrate a lack of adherence to and dissemination of practice guidelines. Quantifying the value of clinical practice guidelines in otolaryngology is a challenging task. There are strong arguments to support the value of clinical practice guidelines in terms of optimizing patients outcomes and reducing costs, but the evidence is currently limited. While clinical practice guidelines alone cannot resolve the challenges in our health care system, they can serve as a valuable tool to help achieve this goal.
Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Represses GnRH Gene Expression via cFOS during Inflammation in Male Mice

Author(s): Lainez, Nancy M; Coss, Djurdjica | Abstract: BackgroundThe mechanisms whereby neuroinflammation negatively affects neuronal function in the hypothalamus are not clear. Our previous study determined that obesity-mediated chronic inflammation elicits sex-specific impairment in reproductive function via reduction in spine density in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Neuroinflammation and subsequent decrease in GnRH neuron spine density was specific for male mice, while protection in females was independent of ovarian estrogens.MethodsTo examine if neuroinflammation-induced cytokines can directly regulate GnRH gene expression, herein we examined signaling pathways and mechanisms in males in vivo and in GnRH-expressing cell line, GT1-7.ResultsGnRH neurons express cytokine receptors, and chronic or acute neuroinflammation represses GnRH gene expression in vivo. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in particular represses GnRH expression in GT1-7 cells, while other cytokines do not. STAT3 and MAPK pathways are activated following LIF treatment, but only MAPK pathway, specifically p38α, is sufficient to repress the GnRH gene. LIF induces cFOS that represses the GnRH gene via the -1,793 site in the enhancer region. In vivo, following high-fat diet, cFOS is induced in GnRH neurons and neurons juxtaposed to the leaky blood brain barrier of the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, but not in the neurons further away.ConclusionOur results indicate that the increase in LIF due to neuroinflammation induces cFOS and represses the GnRH gene. Therefore, in addition to synaptic changes in GnRH neurons, neuroinflammatory cytokines directly regulate gene expression and reproductive function, and the specificity for neuronal targets may stem from the proximity to the fenestrated capillaries.
An Analysis of Several Machine Learning Algorithms for Imbalanced Classes

Imbalanced data typically refers to classification problems when classes are not represented equally. In real world applications, most classification datasets do not have exactly equal number of instances and the problem arises where the class is imbalanced. Most Machine learning algorithm works best when the number of instances of each class are roughly equal but there are only specific algorithms to deal with the imbalanced classes. This survey research is mainly used to assess the thoughts and opinions of several authors regarding the imbalanced class in data mining. This survey focuses on information from multiple datasets and it aims to obtain several perspectives about imbalanced class. The survey is implemented by analysing detailed reports on several datasets from the UCI-Machine Learning Repository which is the centre for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems. This study includes 20 datasets and their methodologies from 26 articles to do a comparative study on imbalanced class problems from fuzzy classification, decision trees, association mining, and ensemble methods. Class imbalance problem is extremely common in practice and is observed in various disciplines including medical diagnosis, fraud detection, anomaly detection, oil spillage detection, facial recognition, etc. However, this problem affects machine learning due to having disproportionate number of class instances in practice and due to its prevalence, several approaches are studied to deal with this problem. This study aims to exhibit one such approach for handling different datasets.
Magnesium Infusion Therapy

Magnesium is a naturally occurring element and essential to human physiology and homeostasis at the cellular level. In the past few decades it has been suggested that it has uses not only in the potentiation of certain anesthetics, but as a modality for pain management. Magnesium has the ability to augment receptors in the central nervous system that alter pain perception and pain signal propagation and amplification.
Measuring Worldwide Traffic Differentiation Policies

Despite significant attention on the topic of net neutrality principles and policies that violate them, there is a paucity of data regarding deployed practices and their implications. Most prior work focuses on a handful of case studies from a small number of vantage points. In this paper, we describe our empirical findings regarding deployed traffic differentiation policies measured from more than 100,000 users across 157 countries over the course of several months. We gathered this data via DiffDetector (note: app name is anonymized for double-blind review), a mobile application that we developed to let users test whether their ISPs implement application-specific policies. By using traffic recorded from real, popular applications, DiffDetector can effectively generate traffic that looks as if it is coming from those applications. Thus, if an ISP has an application-specific policy (e.g., throttle YouTube traffic) implemented via deep packet inspection (DPI) middlebox, DiffDetector-generated traffic would see the same policy as traffic generated by the targeted application (e.g., the YouTube app). DiffDetector then sends the same traffic, but with the payload being replaced with random bytes, to prevent classification by a DPI device. DiffDetector can detect differentiation by comparing the network performance for tests using the original traffic and those using randomized traffic. The paper presents evidence of differentiation policies across the globe. We find that almost all the major cellular ISPs in the US implement application-specific differentiation policies, including AT&T, T-Mobile US, Verizon, MetroPCS, cricket, Boost Mobile. Outside of the US, we find evidence that several ISPs in the UK and Germany also have similar policies deployed. The most commonly implemented practice is bandwidth throttling for video streaming applications. For example, most of the ISPs listed above limit the bandwidth of Youtube to 1.5 Mbps over cellular. We also report on how DiffDetector has been used to identify application-specific blocking policies (e.g., Skype being blocked in UAE). We find that the differentiation policies can be harmful to content providers and end users. The observed differential policies can be potentially discriminatory to content providers, for example, AT&T throttles Youtube and Netflix but not Amazon Prime Video. Thus, for subscribers of AT&T, the Quality of Experience (QoE) between Netflix and Amazon Prime Video might be significantly different because of the disparity in available bandwidth. Application-specific network policies are often poorly disclosed to subscribers, and often described in ways that do not match their implementation. By exposing such policies and potential implications of them using data collected from DiffDetector, we hope to help users make more informed choices, help regulators enforce rules protecting subscribers from such policies, understand the implications of such policies on content providers, and inform future discussions about net neutrality.
Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Fauna of the Marine Port of Savannah, Garden City, Georgia (USA)

Seaports act as a critical interface between land and sea for the international transportation of goods and have played an important role in the introduction of exotic ant species worldwide. The objective of our survey was to catalog the ant species residing on and immediately adjacent to the Port of Savannah in Garden City, Georgia, USA. We assessed the ant fauna with pitfall traps, baits, active searching on trees, extraction from leaf litter, and destruction of coarse woody debris (rotting logs) along nine transects in wooded areas. We also collected ants along roadside habitat on and adjacent to Port of Savannah property. In total, we collected 1,300 samples in 2015 and 2016. Forty-five ant species representing 20 genera were cataloged, including 13 exotic species from 10 genera; 65,424 ants were collected during the study. The most diverse genera were Strumigenys (six species); Crematogaster and Pheidole (five species each); and Camponotus and Solenopsis (four species each). The tawny crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva Mayr, which was the most common ant collected (76% of all ants collected along nine transects in wooded areas), is reported here for the first time in Chatham County, Georgia and is the northernmost location from which it has been reported. Owing to the ubiquitous nature of the Formicidae, one or more ant species were present in 97.7% of the study's 1,300 samples.
Jointly modeling prevalence, sensitivity and specificity for optimal sample allocation

The design and interpretation of prevalence studies rely on point estimates of the performance characteristics of the diagnostic test used. When the test characteristics are not well defined and a limited number of tests are available, such as during an outbreak of a novel pathogen, tests can be used either for the field study itself or for additional validation to reduce uncertainty in the test characteristics. Because field data and validation data are based on finite samples, inferences drawn from these data carry uncertainty. In the absence of a framework to balance those uncertainties during study design, it is unclear how best to distribute tests to improve study estimates. Here, we address this gap by introducing a joint Bayesian model to simultaneously analyze lab validation and field survey data. In many scenarios, prevalence estimates can be most improved by apportioning additional effort towards validation rather than to the field. We show that a joint model provides superior estimation of prevalence, as well as sensitivity and specificity, compared with typical analyses that model lab and field data separately.
Rethinking maximum stand basal area and maximum SDI from the aspect of stand dynamics

Abstract The maximum stand basal area (BA) and maximum stand density index (SDI) are often used to express stand carrying capacity in forestry. But their definitions are inconsistent in the literature. The maximum stand BA in most previous studies is associated with an upper boundary for a population of stands and is commonly derived from maximum size-density relationships (MSDRs). The maximum stand BA implied by MSDRs, under the assumption that stands attain maximum BA while attaining maximum SDI, is non-decreasing and divergent. We defined the maximum stand BA and maximum SDI for individual stands based on their BA and SDI development behaviors. Based on the mathematical relationships among stand BA, SDI, thinning, and quadratic mean diameter trajectories and their observed full trajectories in 551 unthinned plots selected from six long-term loblolly pine experimental studies, we theoretically and empirically proved that stands would achieve their maximum BA only after reaching their maximum SDI. The general mean maximum stand BA and maximum SDI for loblolly pine in the southern US were 46.2 m2 ha−1 and 1002 trees ha−1, respectively, and both showed significant variation (30.2–61.7 m2 ha−1 and 600–1410 trees ha−1, respectively). With the information of site quality, initial density and silvicultural treatments, our developed models could estimate the magnitude and timing of maximum stand BA for loblolly pine stands. Insights into individual stand BA and SDI trajectories provide more information for developing site specific silvicultural prescriptions.
Role of epidermal growth factor and epidermal growth factor receptor on hemidesmosome complex formation and integrin subunit β4

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates integrin beta4 expression and synthesis in corneal epithelium through ligand binding to the EGF receptor, receptor dimerization and activation of the intracellular domain. We hypothesized that inhibition of EGF receptor messenger RNA (mRNA) would block integrin beta4 expression, which is induced by EGF. We also tested the hypothesis that EGF would cause the degradation of hemidesmosomes in control and injured corneal organ cultures. Primary rabbit corneal epithelial cell cultures or corneas were cultured in keratinocyte medium in the presence or absence of an antisense 20-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide complementary to the initiation codon region of EGF receptor mRNA. Cells were also cultured in the presence or absence of EGF. Sense and scrambled oligonucleotides similarly modified were used as controls. The concentration of EGF receptor mRNA was semiquantitatively determined by reverse transcriptase/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We found that transfection did inhibit EGFR expression and migration of epithelial cells and also demonstrated that EGFR mediated expression of integrin beta4 mRNA. Injury induced a decrease in hemidesmosomes that was enhanced with EGF but was not caused by the presence of growth factor in unwounded tissue. These results indicate that injury causes the activation of EGFR but that EGF alone is not responsible for the degradation of hemidesmosomes and that other growth factors play a role in the complex repair of wounds in an avascular tissue.
Post-Fabrication Trimming of Silicon Photonic Ring Resonators at Wafer-Scale

Silicon ring resonator-based devices, such as modulators, detectors, filters, and switches, play important roles in integrated photonic circuits for optical communication, high-performance computing, and sensing applications. However, the high sensitivity to fabrication variations has limited their volume manufacturability and commercial adoption. Here, we report a low-cost post-fabrication trimming method to tune the resonance wavelength of a silicon ring resonator and correct for fabrication variations at wafer-scale. We use Ge implant to create an index trimmable section in the ring resonator and an on-chip heater to apply a precise and localized thermal annealing to tune and set its resonance to a desired wavelength. We demonstrate resonance wavelength trimming of ring resonators fabricated across a 300 mm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer to within p32 pm of a target wavelength of 1310 nm, providing a viable path to high-volume manufacturing and opening up new practical applications for these devices.
Receptor-Dependent Regulation of Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Responses to Leukotrienes

The potential for precise regulation of polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocyte functions by leukotrienes (LTs), that are derived from the endogenous 5-lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid, is apparent from the inducible capacities of PMN leukocytes to rapidly generate and metabolize LTB4, LTC4, and LTD4 (1,2). Each of the separate enzymatic systems required to produce and metabolically inactivate an LT is distinct biochemically, as well as in relation to the cellular prerequisites for expression and the susceptibility to pharmacological inhibition. The differences in the profiles of PMN leukocyte functional responses to each type of LT predicted the existence of multiple subsets of receptors. LTB4 stimulates chemotaxis, increased adherence to surfaces, a greater rate of oxidative metabolism, and the release of lysosomal enzymes by human PMN leukocytes (2,3), while LTC4 and LTD4 selectively evoke only increased adherence (4,5). Thus it was anticipated that a unique set of LT receptors would be committed in binding affinity, specificity, and cellular properties to the recognition and transduction of signals from each type of LT. The availability of radiolabeled synthetic LTs and techniques for quantification of binding of LTs to leukocytes, the establishment of stable lines of cultured leukocytes expressing LT receptors, and the development of affinity-labeling reagents and anti-receptor antibodies have permitted recently the definition of some of the structural and cellular characteristics of PMN leukocyte receptors for LTs (6–9).
Two Historic Indian Burials From an Open Site, 23Ad95, Adair County, Missouri

Two historic Indian burials from Adair County, Missouri, are discussed. A summary of the site and description of the find are given; ethnohistoric inferences are made on the basis of the available ...
Laparoscopic visual field Voice vs foot pedal interfaces for control of the AESOP robot

Background: In order for robotic devices to be introduced successfully into surgical practice, the development of transparent surgeon/machine interfaces is critical. Methods: This study evaluated the standard foot pedal for the AESOP robot compared to a voice control interface. Speed, accuracy, learning curves, durability of learning at 2 weeks, and operator-interface failures were analyzed in an ex vivo model. Results: Foot control was faster and had less operator-interface failures. Voice control was more accurate as measured by ``pass points.'' The foot control learning curve reached a plateau at the third trial, while the voice control did not fully plateau. Durability of learning favored the foot control but was not significantly different. Conclusions: Currently, the voice control is more accurate and has the advantage of not requiring the surgeon to look away from the operative field. However, it is slower and may require more attention as an interface. As voice recognition software continues to advance, speed and transparency are anticipated to improve.
Aryl-l-Aminoacylamidase Activities in Extracts of Streptococcus durans

Two distinct enzymes with aryl-l-aminoacylamidase activity were found in cellular extracts of Streptococcus durans . One of these enzymes was strictly an arylamidase lacking any observable N-terminal exopeptidase activity. The other enzyme functioned as an aminopeptidase capable of catalyzing the hydrolysis of a variety of l-peptide and arylamide substrates. The arylamidase (molecular weight, 80,000) purified 425-fold to homogeneity preferred arylamides containing large hydrophobic side chains, whereas the partially purified aminopeptidase (molecular weight, 300,000) preferred substrates with small nonpolar or basic side chains. Neither enzyme contained any endopeptidase or carboxypeptidase activity. The purified arylamidase was unaffected by metal chelators, but Mn 2+ and Mg 2+ did act as nonessential activators exclusively affecting the maximal velocity. The arylamidase-catalyzed hydrolysis of l-leucyl- p -nitroanilide exhibited a bell-shaped pH dependence for log V max / K m (pK 1 of 7.2; pK 2 of 8.5), whereas the log V max -versus-pH profile showed only an acid limb (pK of 6.8). The ionizable group responsible for the basic limb of the log V max / K m -versus-pH profile corresponded to the α-amino group of the substrate l-leucyl- p -nitroanilide (pK a = 8.5). Diazoacetyl-dl-norleucine methyl ester (2 mM) in the presence of 100 mM Cu 2+ caused a rapid inactivation of the enzyme ( t ½ of 24 min). Neither parachloromercuribenzoate (0.5 mM) nor N -ethylmaleimide (50 mM) had any effect on the arylamidase activity. Reversible noncompetitive inhibition was observed for iodoacetate ( K i of 30 mM), N -acetylimidazole ( K i of 4.0 mM), and ethyl acetimidate ( K i of 45 mM), although time-dependent irreversible inactivation was not observed with these reagents. Images
Minimum System Entropy Production for the Figure of Merit of High Temperature Heat Transfer Fluid Properties

A high temperature heat transfer fluid in a solar thermal power plant is used to receive and take the heat from the solar concentrator and then give to another fluid (such as water or air) in a thermal power cycle. With regard to their thermal and transport properties, high temperature heat transfer fluids such as synthetic oil, various molten salts, and liquid metals are different. Therefore, a general criterion is needed for evaluation of the merit of fluids regarding their transport properties. The present work considers the system entropy production as the criterion to define figure of merit (FOM). For the required amount of heat transfer rate in a heat transfer system, the fluid with properties that make the system entropy production the minimum is considered to be a winner. The system entropy production includes two parts, due to heat transfer (addition and removal) and pressure loss in the heat exchangers and fluid circulation pipes. Analysis and relevant equations are presented in this work. Several heat transfer fluids known well-known in solar thermal industry including synthetic oils, molten nitrate salts, and halide salts are compared using this standard.
Lytic Activity of Vibrio Phages on Strains of Vibrio fetus Isolated from Man and Animals

Abstract Five phages isolated from lysogenic strains of Vibrio fetus var. venerealis and two from V. fetus var. intestinalis were tested for lytic activity on 95 V. fetus strains from various animal and human hosts. In addition, virion and plaque morphology of the seven phages were compared. Electron micrographs showed that all were the kite-tailed variety with minor variations in head and tail dimensions. Plaques of V45 and V2 were small, clear and irregular; those of V3, V8, and V19 were large, clear and regular at the edge; the plaques of V16 and V20 were intermediate in size, clear, and very irregular at the edge with satellite plaques. The number of strains lysed by one or more phages were as follows: 29 of 30 from cattle; 7 of 11 from sheep; 1 of 5 from pigs; 1 of 1 from a monkey; and 33 of 42 from human hosts. Four natural groups of phages were derived by statistical measures of percentage of similarity in lytic activity. Group III lysed more strains (46 of 95) than any of the others. Twenty-five strains were lysed by group IV, 23 strains by group I, and 19 strains by group II. Results of this study indicate that phage typing should be a practical supplement to other differential tests for V. fetus.
Ambiguity in language learning: computational and cognitive models

This dissertation is concerned with how ambiguity and ambiguity resolution are learned, that is, with the acquisition of the different representations of ambiguous linguistic forms and the knowledge necessary for selecting among them in context. Despite much separate research on acquisition and ambiguity, there is little work on how successful acquisition is possible for ambiguous forms. The dissertation presents three models of ambiguity acquisition. In TAGSPACE, a model of syntactic categorization, unsupervised classification groups tokens into syntactic categories according to distributional similarity. An evaluation on the Brown corpus demonstrates successful acquisition of the major syntactic categories of English. In WORDSPACE, a model of semantic categorization, semantic categories are induced by unsupervised classification of associational representations of contexts. The model achieves high accuracy when evaluated on a set of ambiguous words in a New York Times corpus. The third acquisition problem addressed is subcategorization. A connectionist model predicts subcategorization frames from lexicosemantic representations. The model learns to form internal verb representations depending on context (i.e. disambiguate) and to generalize the subcategorization behavior of 178 English verbs in the Dative Alternation class. Ambiguity is important for theories of linguistic representation. Disambiguation is difficult with symbolic representations since all-or-none criteria like grammaticality or soundness eliminate few readings. In contrast, disambiguation in both TAGSPACE and WORDSPACE relies crucially on proximity relations that can only be modeled by gradient representations. In subcategorization learning, gradience solves the transition problem, the question of how the child makes the gradual transition from a state with little knowledge to adult performance. Ambiguity is also relevant for linguistic innateness. Innate categories do not explain learnability without an account of how they are grounded in perception. The grounding problem is hard for ambiguous forms with their many possible groundings. It is shown here that--contrary to much skepticism in contemporary linguistic theories--analogy, induction, distribution and association are powerful sources of information and can, in concert with general cognitive innate knowledge, but without language-specific innate knowledge, learn important properties of language that are thought to be innate by many.
A PDF Method for Turbulent Recirculating Flows

A novel approach for the application of probability density function (PDF) methods to multidimensional turbulent recirculating flows is presented. The method is applicable to turbulent recirculating and reacting flows such as in gas turbine combustors. The method is based on a judicious combination of the conventional finite-volume technique for the solution of the Reynolds-averaged equations and the Monte Carlo technique for the solution of the transport equation for the veloCity-scalar joint PDF. An important aspect of the approach is that the use of conventional turbulence closure models is avoided. The method is applied to the flow over a backward-facing step investigated experimentally by Pronchick and Kline [1]. The results predicted using the present approach are in good agreement with data.
Software development support for next-generation distributed embedded systems

Current trends in distributed computing systems indicate that they are expanding from enterprise computing to sensor-rich smart spaces and ubiquitous computing environments. These environments may consist of various types of context-aware embedded and handheld devices, possibly integrated with physical environments and transparently connected to each other through mobile ad hoc networks. Such environments pose new challenges related to the end-toend aspects of software development and execution. These challenges require a new way of looking at the software development issues, especially how to develop software systems that can take advantage of the increased intelligence from the surrounding environments. In this talk we will explore emerging technologies, which can be used to effectively address the software development issues related to next-generation distributed embedded systems. In particular, we will discuss the increasingly important roles of middleware technologies, application frameworks, and model-based software development methodologies in this aspect. We will also describe how the respective strengths of these technologies can possibly facilitate the development and execution of high-quality distributed software systems in sensor-rich, distributed embedded environments.
Lysosomal enzyme levels and tumor growth in steroid-treated rat model.

Abstract Elevations in lysosomal enzyme levels have been shown to correlate with tumor progression or metastasis. Furthermore, evidence suggests that liberation of lysosomal enzymes may affect tumor growth patterns, immunologic responses, and development of cachexia in the host. As glucocorticoids are known to stabilize lysosomal membranes, as well as to produce significant effects in overall cellular metabolism and growth, effects of methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) on lysosomal enzymes and tumor growth were studied using a nonmetastasizing mammary carcinoma model. Fischer 344 rats ( N = 41) were randomly divided into six groups: control (C), tumor (T), rats steroid-treated for 2 weeks prior to sacrifice (MP 2 ), or those given a single steroid dose 2 days before sacrifice (MP), and animals with tumor given steroids in a single dose (TMP), or for 2 weeks (TMP 2 ). At the time of sacrifice, carcass, liver, and tumor weights were calculated: samples of plasma, muscle, liver, and tumor were assayed for cathepsin D, a proteolytic lysosomal enzyme. With prolonged MPA treatment (TMP 2 ), as compared to groups T and TMP, significant reduction in tumor size was noted. Lysosomal enzymes in liver and muscle were increased with either MPA therapy or tumor, except in group TMP 2 , where liver and muscle cathepsin D was markedly decreased. While elevation in cathepsin levels resulted from steroid treatment in nontumor rats, reduction in tumor size and concomitant decline in cathepsin D levels in rats with tumor implicate lysosomes as indicators of tumor regression, and suggest a role of lysosomal enzymes in host-tumor interaction.
The Mechanical Properties of Drosophila Jump Muscle Expressing Wild-Type and Embryonic Myosin Isoforms

Transgenic Drosophila are highly useful for structure-function studies of muscle proteins. However, our ability to mechanically analyze transgenically expressed mutant proteins in Drosophila muscles has been limited to the skinned indirect flight muscle preparation. We have developed a new muscle preparation using the Drosophila tergal depressor of the trochanter (TDT or jump) muscle that increases our experimental repertoire to include maximum shortening velocity (Vslack), force-velocity curves and steady-state power generation; experiments not possible using indirect flight muscle fibers. When transgenically expressing its wild-type myosin isoform (Tr-WT) the TDT is equivalent to a very fast vertebrate muscle. TDT has a Vslack equal to 6.1 ± 0.3 ML/s at 15°C, a steep tension-pCa curve, isometric tension of 37 ± 3 mN/mm2, and maximum power production at 26% of isometric tension. Transgenically expressing an embryonic myosin isoform in the TDT muscle increased isometric tension 1.4-fold, but decreased Vslack 50% resulting in no significant difference in maximum power production compared to Tr-WT. Drosophila expressing embryonic myosin jumped <50% as far as Tr-WT that, along with comparisons to frog jump muscle studies, suggests fast muscle shortening velocity is relatively more important than high tension generation for Drosophila jumping.