cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An analysis task comparison of uncorrected vs. geo-registered airborne hyperspectral imagery

Geo-registration is the task of assigning geospatial coordinates to the pixels of an image and placing them in a geographic coordinate system. However, the process of geo-registration can impair the quality of the image. This paper studies this topic by applying a comparison methodology to uncorrected and geo-registered airborne hyperspectral images obtained from the RIT SHARE 2012 data set. The uncorrected image was analyzed directly as collected by the sensor without being treated, while the geo-registered image was corrected using the nearest neighbor resampling approach. A comparison of performance was done for the analysis tasks of spectral unmixing and subpixel target detection, which can represent a measure of utility. The comparison demonstrates that the geo-registration process can affect the utility of hyperspectral imagery to a limited extent.
Bully by Proxy: Using Subordinates as Henchmen to Facilitate Workplace Bullying (Presentation Slides)

This study is based on a meta- analysis of existing data sets pertaining to workplace bullying in American higher education. Potential respondents at 317 four-year colleges and universities, as well as two-year community colleges, received a 35- question instrument. Using an ethical leadership theoretical frame, this study confirmed through a chi-square analysis that women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community are more likely to be targets of vicarious bullying.
The high stakes of head and neck surgery following radiation and chemotherapy – An assessment of complications and survival

Abstract Objectives To investigate variables that predict medical and surgical complications in patients undergoing salvage surgery after primary organ-preserving therapy for head and neck cancer and to investigate the effect of complications on 5-year overall survival. Materials and methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients undergoing salvage surgery after primary organ-preserving therapy for head and neck cancer at a tertiary institution from 2006 to 2011. Multivariable regression analysis was used to assess association between independent variables and medical and surgical complications. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted to assess effect of surgical and medical complications on 5-year overall survival. Results One hundred thirty-six patients undergoing salvage surgery after primary organ-preservation surgery met inclusion criteria. Surgical complications occurred in 68/136 (50.0%) of patients. After adjusting for confounders, young age and history of hypothyroidism were significant predictors of surgical complications (p Conclusion Risk factors for medical and surgical complications include history of hypothyroidism, liver disease, and age. Survival outcomes are not affected by surgical complications but are significantly affected by medical complications highlighting the importance of personalized patient care and medical co-management.
Synthesis of SiOC using solvent-modified polymer precursors

Abstract Silicon oxycarbide ceramics are an important class of materials that can be modified to cover a wide range of microstructures and compositions during processing. This study focuses on a polysiloxane precursor to SiOC conversion when crosslinked in the presence of 0, 50, 100, and 200 vol% of 3-pentanone, n-heptane, or isobutylbenzene, relative to the volume of the polysiloxane. The solvent modified samples show a decrease in bulk density and an increase in open porosity. The addition of the solvents facilitates the formation of crystalline SiC, especially for 3-pentanone. The ability of the solvents to encourage SiC formation is directly related to the solvent molecular size, with smaller solvents being more likely to increase polymer chain entanglement and remain trapped within the polymer after drying and subsequently creating more C-C and Si-C bonds after pyrolysis. This work shows the unique function of solvents in modifying the SiOC microstructures and properties.
Contradiction Is Not Disappointing: An Interview with Michael Hardt

Michael Hardt is a theorist whose work examines philosophical and material forms of domination and forces of liberation. In the internationally acclaimed Empire books – Empire (2000), Multitude (20...
Initial Evaluation of a Novel Modulated Radiofrequency-based Bladder Denervation Device.

Abstract Objectives To determine if targeted and modulated radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the urinary bladder using our novel ablation device (Denerblate) reduces bladder nerve density, potentially leading to a novel strategy for the management of overactive bladder. Methods Fifteen pigs were divided into four groups: control (n=3), 1-week (n=4), 4-week (n=4) and 12-week (n=4) survival times. Denerblate was deployed on the trigone area of the bladder. Three 240-second cycles of modulated RFA were applied with 30 seconds between cycles. At the end of each survival term, urinary bladders were harvested for histopathological evaluation. Nerve count and density were manually calculated. Results All procedures were successfully completed, and all animals survived to the desired time points. Mean nerve density (nerves/mm2) was highest in the control and 1-week survival group compared to the 4-week and 12-week groups, both of which demonstrated significant diminishment. Nerve density in the bladder neck at control, 1 week, 4 weeks and 12 weeks were 1.8, 1.35, 0.87 and 0.12, respectively (p Conclusions In the porcine model, modulated RFA delivered by our novel device reduced nerve density in the bladder neck and trigone by 88.6% and 88.9% at 12 weeks without evidence of lasting epithelial injury.
DateLife: Leveraging databases and analytical tools to reveal the dated Tree of Life

abstract The combination of new analytical techniques, availability of more fossil and molecular data, and better practices in data sharing has resulted in a steady accumulation of chronograms in public and open databases such as TreeBASE, Dryad, and Open Tree of Life for a large quantity and diversity of organisms in the last few decades. However, getting a tree with branch lengths proportional to time remains difficult for many biologists and the non-academic community, despite its importance in many areas of research, education, and science communication. datelife is a service implemented via an R package and a web site (http://www.datelife.org/) for efficient reuse, summary and reanalysis of published data on lineage divergence times. The main workflow starts with at least two taxon names as input, either as tip labels on a tree, or as a simple comma separated character string. A name search is then performed across the chronogram database and positively identified source trees are pruned to maintain queried taxa only and stored as a named list of patristic distance matrices. Source chronogram data can be summarised using branch length summary statistics or variance minimizing approaches to generate a single summary chronogram. Source chronogram data can also be used as calibration points to date a tree containing some or all names from the initial query. If there is no information available for any queried taxa, data can be simulated. All source and summary chronograms can be saved in formats that permit easy reuse and reanalysis. Summary and newly generated trees are potentially useful to evaluate evolutionary hypothesis in different areas of research in biology. How well this trees work for this purpose still needs to be tested. datelife will be useful to increase awereness on the existing variation in expert time of divergence data, and might foster exploration of the effect of alternative divergence time hypothesis on the results of analyses, nurturing a culture of more cautious interpretation of evolutionary results.
PERK Limits Drosophila Lifespan by Promoting Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation in Response to ER Stress

Intestinal homeostasis requires precise control of intestinal stem cell (ISC) proliferation. In Drosophila, this control declines with age largely due to chronic activation of stress signaling and associated chronic inflammatory conditions. An important contributor to this condition is the age-associated increase in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Here we show that the PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) integrates both cell-autonomous and non-autonomous ER stress stimuli to induce ISC proliferation. In addition to responding to cell-intrinsic ER stress, PERK is also specifically activated in ISCs by JAK/Stat signaling in response to ER stress in neighboring cells. The activation of PERK is required for homeostatic regeneration, as well as for acute regenerative responses, yet the chronic engagement of this response becomes deleterious in aging flies. Accordingly, knocking down PERK in ISCs is sufficient to promote intestinal homeostasis and extend lifespan. Our studies highlight the significance of the PERK branch of the unfolded protein response of the ER (UPRER) in intestinal homeostasis and provide a viable strategy to improve organismal health- and lifespan.
Impaired Exercise Tolerance Early After Heart Transplantation Is Associated With Development of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy.

Background Exercise performance remains limited in some patients after heart transplantation (HTx). The goal of this study was to assess for association between cardiopulmonary exercise test performance at 1 year after HTx and future development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). Methods Overall 243 HTx recipients performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing at 1 year after HTx. During the median follow-up period of 31 (interquartile range 19;61) months, 76 (32%) patients were diagnosed with CAV (CAV group). Results The CAV group patients had lower exercise capacity (5.2 ± 1.9 versus 6.5 ± 2.2 metabolic equivalents; P = 0.001) and duration (9.6 ± 3.5 versus 11.4 ± 4.8 min; P = 0.008), lower peak oxygen consumption (VO2) (18.4 ± 5.4 versus 21.4 ± 6.1 mL/kg/min; P = 0.0005), lower normalized peak VO2 (63% ± 18% versus 71% ± 19%; P = 0.007), and higher minute ventilation (VE)/carbon dioxide production (VCO2) (34 ± 5 versus 32 ± 5, P = 0.04). On Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, normalized peak VO2 ≤60%, and VE/VCO2 ≥34 were associated with a high hazard for CAV (HR = 1.8 [95% CI 1.10-4.53, P = 0.03] and 2.5 [95% CI 1.01-8.81, P = 0.04], respectively). The subgroup of patients with both normalized peak VO2 ≤60% and VE/VCO2 ≥34 was at highest risk for development of CAV (HR = 5.2, 95% CI 2.27-15.17, P = 0.001). Conclusions Normalized peak VO2 ≤60% and VE/VCO2 ≥34 at 1 year after HTx are associated with the development of CAV.
Innovative Sustainable Apparel Design: Application of CAD and Redesign Process

This chapter aims to provide insights for designers, researchers, and educators seeking innovative ways to practice redesign activities within sustainable apparel design methods. The authors of the chapter present theoretical concepts for upcycling and applications of redesigning practices using innovative technologies, including laser etching and cutting, digital textile printing, and pattern digitizing through virtual computer-aided design (CAD) methods. The researchers further discuss a sustainable redesign framework that highlights the use of CAD and sequentially presents three design examples using (a) post-consumer textile waste (leather and silk) by an engineering laser cutting technique, (b) post-industrial waste (denim) by an engineering laser etching technique, and (c) post-consumer textile waste (denim) by pattern digitizing and engineering digital textile printing techniques. The presented redesign methods are sustainable as they reduce waste and increase efficiency for surface design and garment construction processes. The chapter concludes with some challenges of the redesigning process and suggested solutions suggestions for redesigning at micro and macro levels of the apparel industry.
Craniofacial features of 3q29 deletion syndrome: application of next generation phenotyping technology

Abstract Introduction 3q29 deletion syndrome (3q29del) is a recurrent deletion syndrome associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and congenital anomalies. Dysmorphic facial features have been described but not systematically characterized. This study aims to detail the 3q29del craniofacial phenotype and use a machine learning approach to categorize individuals with 3q29del through analysis of 2D photos. Methods Detailed dysmorphology exam and 2D facial photos were ascertained from 31 individuals with 3q29del. Photos were used to train the next generation phenotyping platform Face2Gene (FDNA, Inc, Boston, MA) to distinguish 3q29del cases from controls, using a proprietary algorithm. Area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC-ROC) were used to determine the capacity of Face2Gene to identify 3q29del cases against controls. Results In this cohort, the most common observed craniofacial features were prominent forehead (48.4%), prominent nose tip (35.5%), and thin upper lip vermillion (25.8%). The FDNA technology showed an ability to distinguish cases from controls with an AUC-ROC value of 0.873 (p = 0.006). Conclusion This study found a recognizable facial pattern in 3q29del, as observed by trained clinical geneticists and next generation phenotyping technology. These results expand the potential application of automated technology such as FDNA in identifying rare genetic syndromes, even when facial dysmorphology is subtle.
An exploratory full-text analysis of Science Careers in a changing academic job market

Science is one of the top interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journals with a very wide audience, and since 1996 it has dedicated a section of its website, Science Careers, to career news and advice. As Science Careers has been active, the academic job market has been transforming, most notably by a decrease in the availability of tenure-track academic positions. Using a dataset of 6111 full-text Science Careers articles we perform an exploratory text analysis to characterize the changes in framing, topics, and scope of career content. We analyzed tag frequency and word frequency to examine topics over time. We tracked the relative prominence of articles that explicitly present advice to the reader, as opposed to more descriptive articles about workforce dynamics or personal experiences of career scientists. We find that although the number of articles tagged Advice had remained consistently high from the inception of the Science Careers section, 2015 marked the beginning of a significant decrease in the number of explicitly tagged Advice articles. The apparent disinclination for strongly prescriptive advice may indicate a growing sense, even within an academic-oriented venue, that career-pathways for researchers have become less predictable, making dispensing broadly applicable advice more challenging.
Numerical solutions for point-source high frequency Helmholtz equation through efficient time propagators for Schrödinger equation

Abstract For high frequency Helmholtz equations with point-source conditions, geometrical optics provides an efficient way to compute the solutions without ‘pollution effect’ that is usually unavoidable in finite difference and finite element methods. However, geometrical optics generally can only provide locally valid approximations for the wavefield near the primary source. In order to obtain globally valid wavefield, we will propagate the wavefield with efficient time propagators for an appropriate time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The geometrical optics is first applied to compute locally valid approximations for the wavefield, then the wavefield is propagated through the time-dependent Schrodinger equation until its change is small enough in the domain of interest, which results in the globally valid approximation for the solution to the Helmholtz equation in the domain of interest. The adapted time propagator for the time-dependent Schrodinger equation is a Strang operator splitting based pseudospectral approach, which assures the overall efficiency of the method since the pseudospectral approach is unconditionally stable such that large time step sizes are allowed to propagate the wavefield efficiently, and the number of points per wavelength is independent of the frequency. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the method.
Life in the Diaspora: Christian interpretation of Esther in dialogue with Judaism:

Christian interpretation of Esther has historically been limited by Christian bias against Judaism and by the teaching of Christian supersessionism. Reconsideration of this history in the aftermath...
Chapter 3 Complexity in Zeolite Catalysts: Aspects of the Manipulation, Characterization and Evaluation of Zeolite Promoters for FCC

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some of the controllable characteristics of the zeolite components, possible zeolite problems, and the methods for understanding them. In a process—such as Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC), in which the feed contains a wide range of molecular sizes and types—some reactions will take place on the surface and others inside the zeolite crystal. Promoter morphology may then be an important variable in controlling activity and selectivity, in addition to the physical properties of a catalyst. Significant attention has been given to increasing the surface to volume ratio of faujasite by reducing crystal sizes by the manipulation of synthesis conditions, and to directing the shape to forms, which reduce diffusion path-lengths and improve the packing efficiency of crystals within the catalyst agglomerates. The mixtures of crystal sizes and shapes improve the packing properties of the catalyst components and therefore enhance the physical properties. Controlling the morphology of a co-promoter—not always a controllable variable in zeolite systems—is an additional feature that may contributes to catalyst optimization. One of the possible zeolite problems is whether a zeolite is single phase or contains levels of impurities below the level of detection by routine analytical methods (usually 5 to 10%). Another possible zeolite problem is whether it is possible to control the epitaxial overgrowth of one structure on another (not to be confused with intergrown materials) and to obtain reactivity advantages by doing so.
Collective Killings in Rural China During the Cultural Revolution: Community and Culture

This chapter describes traditional social divisions in the rural communities – traditional because they were shaped by a history of human interactions long before the 1949 communist revolution. As in communities elsewhere, repeated patterns of human conflict generated primary-group boundaries that underpinned the conception of “us versus them,” or in-group and out-group identities. The human imagination must take a “quantum leap” to perceive other people as killable; antagonism toward out-groups is the starting point. These divisions were not sufficient to cause collective killings, but they provided a local impetus for embracing violence when other conditions were in place. The main unit of organization in the villages of South China was surname lineage. Despite the fact that the 1967–1968 victims were killed under the label “class enemies,” clan identities seemed to be at work. In his report on the 1967 Daoxian massacre, Zhang Cheng describes a scene that implicates clan affiliation in collective killings. Before a killing event, village leaders held a meeting to compile a list of targets. Without exception, villagers nominated and then voted for landlords or rich peasants from their rival clans. My own interviews encountered a similar pattern. In one event, militia members from three main surname lineages called one another's clan members to the stage, where hardwood hoe handles were ready in hand for killing.
Exploiting Temporal Redundancy of Visual Structures for Video Compression

We present a video coding system that partitions the scene into "visual structures" and a residual "background" layer. The system exploits the temporal redundancy of visual structures to compress video sequences. We construct a dictionary of track-templates, which correspond to a representation of visual structures. We subsequently choose a subset of the dictionary's elements to encode video frames using a Markov Random Field (MRF) formulation that places the track-templates in "depth" layers. Our video coding system offers an improvement over H.265/H.264 and other methods in a rate-distortion comparison.
Posttranslational modification of a vanadium nitrogenase

In microbes that fix nitrogen, nitrogenase catalyzes the conversion of N2 to ammonia in an ATP-demanding reaction. To help conserve energy some bacteria inhibit nitrogenase activity upon exposure to ammonium. The purple nonsulfur phototrophic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain CGA009 can synthesize three functional nitrogenase isoenzymes: a molybdenum nitrogenase, a vanadium nitrogenase, and an iron nitrogenase. Previous studies showed that in some alphaproteobacteria, including R. palustris, molybdenum nitrogenase activity is inhibited by ADP-ribosylation when cells are exposed to ammonium. Some iron nitrogenases are also posttranslationally modified. However, the posttranslational modification of vanadium nitrogenase has not been reported. Here, we investigated the regulation of the alternative nitrogenases of R. palustris and determined that both its vanadium nitrogenase and its iron nitrogenase activities were inhibited and posttranslationally modified when cells are exposed to ammonium. Vanadium nitrogenase is not found in all strains of R. palustris, suggesting that it may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer. Also, phylogenetic analyses of the three nitrogenases suggest that VnfH, the target of ADP-ribosylation, may be the product of a gene duplication of nifH, the molybdenum nitrogenase homolog.
A study of the demand relationship between fixed-weight and random-weight citrus

Using Rotterdam demand system this study examines the demand relationships among four random-weight (FW) and fixed-weight citrus (RW). Results indicated that FW and RW grapefruit (and FW and RW oranges) are not substitutes; however, RW tangerine is a substitute of FW tangerines. In addition, promoting FW grapefruit would not influence the demand for RW grapefruit and vice versa. Promoting FW oranges (or FW tangerines) would decrease the demand for RW oranges (or RW tangerines) and vice versa.
FcγRIIa Genotype Predicts Progression of HIV Infection

Polymorphisms in FcgammaR genes are associated with susceptibility to or severity of a number of autoimmune and infectious diseases. We found that HIV-infected men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study with the FcgammaRIIa RR genotype progressed to a CD4(+) cell count of <200/mm(3) at a faster rate than individuals with the RH or HH genotypes (relative hazard = 1.6; p = 0.0001). However, progression to AIDS (using the broad definition of either a CD4(+) cell count <200/mm(3) or development of an AIDS-defining illness) was less impacted by FcgammaRIIa genotype, largely because HH homozygotes had an increased risk of Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia as an AIDS-defining illness. We also showed that chronically infected subjects develop a substantial anti-gp120-specific IgG2 response. Moreover, HIV-1 immune complexes are more efficiently internalized by monocytes from HH subjects compared with RR subjects, likely because of the presence of IgG2 in the complexes. Finally, the FcgammaRIIIa F/V gene polymorphism was not associated with progression of HIV infection, but, as demonstrated previously, did predict the risk of Kaposi's sarcoma. These results demonstrate the importance of FcgammaRs in AIDS pathogenesis and point toward a critical role for interactions between FcgammaRs and immune complexes in disease progression.
Detection of human cytomegalovirus in clinical specimens by centrifugation culture with a nonhuman cell line.

The sensitivities of MRC-5 and mink lung (ML) cells in centrifugation culture were compared simultaneously for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) IE antigen (immediate-early antigen) from clinical specimens. Of 413 samples assayed, 51 (12%) were positive for CMV by both centrifugation and standard cell culture. At 20 h postinoculation (p.i.), 46 of 51 (90.2%) CMV-positive specimens were detected in ML cells. At 40 h p.i., 50 of 51 (98.0%) CMV-positive specimens were detected in ML cells, compared with 48 of 51 (94.0%) in MRC-5 cells. There was no significant difference in the detection of CMV in either cell line by centrifugation culture. However, in 19 of 23 positive samples that had countable foci at 20 h p.i., there was a 25% increase in the number of positive foci observed for ML cells compared with MRC-5 cells. Less toxicity was also noted for ML cells than for MRC cells, particularly in viral blood specimens. These data suggest that ML cells are comparable to MRC-5 cells for the rapid detection of CMV by centrifugation culture.
Application of the inner solar system cratering record to the Earth

The cratering records on the Moon, Mercury, and Mars are studied to provide constraints on: (1) terrestrial conditions prior to about 3.8 Ga, (2) why biology was not extensively established prior to 3.5 Ga, (3) whether impact-induced volcanism can explain some feature of the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary event, and (4) how common large single-impact events are in the inner solar system. Earth underwent a period of high impact rates and large basin-forming events early in its history, based on the cratering record retained in the Lunar, Mercurian, and Martian highlands. The widespread occurrence of life around 3.5 Ga is linked to the cessation of high impact rates. Impact of a 10-km-diam object into terrestrial oceans could excavate through crustal material and into mantle reservoirs, creating extended basaltic volcanic activity. Scaling laws, coupled with the record retained on Lunar and Martian plains, indicate that between one and seven craters of 90 km diam or greater could have formed on Earth in the past 65 million years.
Reduction of nonstationary acoustic noise in speech using LMS adaptive noise cancelling

Nonstationary acoustic noise with energy possibly equal to or greater than the speech is suppressed using a two microphone implementation of adaptive noise cancellation. The primary noise added to the speech is reduced by subtracting a filtered version of the second microphone reference noise. The reference noise filter is adaptively up dated using the Widrow-Hoff LMS algorithm [1]. The effectiveness of noise suppression depends directly on the ability of the filter to estimate the transfer function relating the primary and reference noise channels. A study of the filter length required to achieve a desired noise reduction level in a hard-walled room is presented. Results demonstrating noise reduction in excess 10dB in an environment with 0dB signal noise ratio are presented.
Impact of Mental Health on Perceptions of Relationship Satisfaction and Quality Among Female Same-Sex Couples.

Using data from both partners in female same-sex couples, individual and dyadic (individual/actor-partner) level analyses were conducted to determine the associations between couple members' global mental health, internalized homophobia, and perceptions of relationship qualities and satisfaction (N = 90). Findings at the dyadic level indicated that an individual's global mental health was uniquely associated with her partner's assessment of relationship satisfaction and qualities, beyond the effects of the individual's own mental health and internalized homophobia. Implications for further research on the strengths and challenges within female same-sex couple relationships are discussed.
Endocrine influences on the development of the rudimentary gonad of fowl.

THE right gonad of the female domestic fowl ceases to grow at about the ninth day of incubation, when sex differentiation is about completed, and regresses subsequently until, at the time of hatching, only a small rudiment remains. In the mature domestic hen only the left gonad is fully developed and functioning as an ovary, but Brode (1928) was able to show conclusively that the right, rudimentary gonad is present as well. Whenever the normal left ovary is removed surgically or is destroyed by disease, the right rudiment hypertrophies into an endocrinologically functional compensatory gonad which is always located in an area extending from the right adrenal caudad for a varying distance along the posterior vena cava. Rudiments may develop into testes, ovaries, or ovotestes. Domm (1927, 1939), working with Brown Leghorns reported that of 102 ovariectomies, 98% developed testis-like compensatory gonads, while the remaining 2% had ovotestes and ovaries.
Jumping on the Human Rights Bandwagon: How Rights-based Linkages Can Refocus Climate Politics

This paper makes a normative argument for the greater strategic utilization of human rights institutions, practices, and discourses by those seeking a robust response to climate change. Bandwagoning between these two regimes is hardly a new thing. The environmental movement has long looked to the human rights movement for ideas and support, and vice versa. Here, we argue that there is potential for even more explicit bandwagoning in ways that will most directly benefit those who are suffering, and will continue to suffer, from climate change's greatest impacts. The human rights framework offers a guide to more effective climate action via two interconnected arenas: a legal arena that provides an established set of tools for climate activists, and a political arena that provides a normative underpinning for a range of judicial and non-judicial actions in support of ‘climate justice.’ Ultimately, moral and strategic guidance from the human rights movement points the way to a more equitable and enduring clim...
Performance and function of a desktop viewer at mayo clinic scottsdale

A clinical viewing system was integrated with the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale picture archiving and communication system (PACS) for providing images and the report as part of the electronic medical record (EMR). Key attributes of the viewer include a single user log-on, an integrated patient centric EMR image access for all ordered examinations, prefetching of the most recent prior examination of the same modality, and the ability to provide comparison of current and past exams at the same time on the display. Other functions included preset windows, measurement tools, and multiformat display. Images for the prior 12 months are stored on the clinical server and are viewable in less than a second. Images available on the desktop include all computed radiography (CR), chest, magnetic resonance images (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (U/S), nuclear, angiographic, gastrointestinal (GI) digital spots, and portable C-arm digital spots. Ad hoc queries of examinations from PACS are possible for those patients whose image may not be on the clinical server, but whose images reside on the PACS archive (10TB). Clinician satisfaction was reported to be high, especially for those staff heavily dependent on timely access to images, as well as those having heavy film usage. The desktop viewer is used for resident access to images. It is also useful for teaching conferences with large-screen projection without film. We report on the measurements of functionality, reliability, and speed of image display with this application.
A dual tyrosine-leucine motif mediates myelin protein P0 targeting in MDCK cells

Differential targeting of myelin proteins to multiple, biochemically and functionally distinct Schwann cell plasma membrane domains is essential for myelin formation. In this study, we investigated whether the myelin protein P0 contains targeting signals using Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. By confocal microscopy, P0 was localized to MDCK cell basolateral membranes. C-terminal deletion resulted in apical accumulation, and stepwise deletions defined a 15-mer region that was required for basolateral targeting. Alanine substitutions within this region identified the YAML sequence as a functional tyrosine-based targeting signal, with the ML sequence serving as a secondary leucine-based signal. Replacement of the P0 ectodomain with green fluorescent protein altered the distribution of constructs lacking the YAML signal. Coexpression of the myelin-associated glycoprotein did not alter P0 distribution in MDCK cells. The results indicate that P0 contains a hierarchy of targeting signals, which may contribute to P0 localization in myelinating Schwann cells and the pathogenesis in human disease. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Interpretation of Computed Tomographic Images

This article discusses the production of optimal CT images in small animal patients as well as principles of radiographic interpretation. Technical factors affecting image quality and aiding image interpretation are included. Specific considerations for scanning various anatomic areas are given, including indications and potential pitfalls. Principles of radiographic interpretation are discussed. Selected patient images are illustrated.
Dysgammaglobulinemia associated with malabsorption and tetany.

A patient is reported with a malabsorption syndrome associated with nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the small intestine and dysgammaglobulinemia characterized by virtual absence of IgA and IgM, with a reduced concentration of IgG. Prominent clinical features were severe steatorrhea and tetany. The low serum calcium and transient mild hyperphosphatemia suggested parathyroid hypofunction, but studies of calcium metabolism did not substantiate this diagnosis. The degree of hypocalcemia seemed dependent upon the severity of the steatorrhea. Evidence of early osteomalacia probably reflected an associated Vitamin-D deficiency. Investigation failed to reveal the cause for steatorrhea, and the pathogenesis of malabsorption seen in patients with dysgammaglobulinemia remains undefined.
High Permeability Silicone-Based Magnetic Microspheres for Microscale Force Spectroscopy

A wide variety of magnetic microspheres are currently available for applications such as cell sorting, chemical separations, or microscale force spectroscopy. The smallest spheres (10 nm - 500 nm) generally consist of solid iron-oxide nanoparticles synthesized via the coprecipitation of iron salts, while many larger products (2 μm - 100 μm) consist of polymer microspheres which are subsequently saturated with magnetic nanoparticles. However, the latter process may result in incomplete saturation and therefore diminishing magnetic concentration as sphere diameter increases. In addition, a lack of confluence between these two methods of production has resulted in a dearth of products in the 0.5 - 2 μm range. We present here a bottom-up approach to magnetic microsphere fabrication which allows us to scale the diameter of our microspheres between 0.2 - 100 microns while maintaining a constant magnetic content throughout. In this approach, we use a novel magnetic silicone consisting of magnetite nanoparticles complexed with a monolayer of poly(dimethyl siloxane-co-aminopropylmethyl siloxane). The magnetic content of the composite may be tuned from 0 - 50% wt. without nanoparticle aggregation, resulting in a highly magnetic silicone fluid which is homogenous at scales below 100 nm. We demonstrate the production of microspheres of this material by an emulsion process in which microsphere diameter may be tuned by careful selection of surfactant type and concentration. Finally, we show that the resulting spheres compare favorably with leading commercial competitors in terms of magnetic force application.
Synthesis and biological activity of 2-aminothiazoles as novel inhibitors of PGE2 production in cells.

Abstract This Letter presents the synthesis and biological evaluation of a collection of 2-aminothiazoles as a novel class of compounds with the capability to reduce the production of PGE 2 in HCA-7 human adenocarcinoma cells. A total of 36 analogs were synthesized and assayed for PGE 2 reduction, and those with potent cellular activity were counter screened for inhibitory activity against COX-2 in a cell free assay. In general, analogs bearing a 4-phenoxyphenyl substituent in the R 2 position were highly active in cells while maintaining negligible COX-2 inhibition. Specifically, compound 5l (R 1 = Me, R 2 = 4-OPh-Ph, R 3 = CH(OH)Me) exhibited the most potent cellular PGE 2 reducing activity of the entire series (EC 50 = 90 nM) with an IC 50 value for COX-2 inhibition of >5 μM in vitro. Furthermore, the anti-tumor activity of analog 1a was analyzed in xenograft mouse models exhibiting promising anti-cancer activity.
Drift rhodophyte blooms emerge in Lee County, Florida, USA : Evidence of escalating coastal eutrophication

Abstract Macroalgal blooms have increased globally in recent decades as a result of increased nutrient enrichment and eutrophication of coastal waters. In Lee County, Florida, this problem reached a critical stage in 2003/2004 when massive rhodophyte blooms washed ashore, making beaches unsuitable for recreation and requiring an expensive removal program. To better understand the ecology of these blooms, water quality and macroalgae sampling was conducted in August 2004, prior to hurricane Charley, and again in late October following several months of large freshwater discharges from the Caloosahatchee River. During both samplings, water and macroalgae were collected along a gradient extending from the Caloosahatchee River to natural and artificial reefs up to 26 km from shore. Dissolved nutrient concentrations were generally high throughout the study area, with significantly higher concentrations in the Caloosahatchee River. Mean dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations in the Caloosahatchee River increased from Ortona Lock ( 15 N values increased from Ortona Lock (+8 to 9‰) to Franklin Lock (+12 to 15‰) during both samplings, were within the sewage nitrogen range, and decreased with increasing distance from shore to ∼+3.0‰ at the most offshore reef. Macroalgae ( Gracilaria , Hypnea , Botryocladia , Eucheuma , Sargassum ) collected in July 2004 from Lee County beaches had mean δ 15 N values >+6.0‰, similar to values for macroalgae on inshore reefs and within the sewage nitrogen range. However, mean δ 15 N values of reef macroalgae decreased from August (+5.84‰) to October (+3.89‰) as Caloosahatchee River discharges increased, suggesting relatively larger contributions from nitrogen sources with low δ 15 N values (
Genetic transactivation of Dissociation elements in transgenic tomato plants

We have previously reported on the behaviour of the maize transposable elements Activator (Ac) and Dissociation (Ds) in transgenic tomato plants. To continue our study of the Ac-Ds family in tomato, we have constructed two Ds elements and a stable Ac derivative designated Transposase (Ts101). The two constructed Ds elements each contain a bacterial β-galactosidase gene to facilitate cloning the elements from the tomato genome by marker rescue. In Ds202, the central 1.6 kb HindIII fragment of Ac was replaced by a chimaeric bacterial β-galactosidase gene. Ds204 contains the β-galactosidase fragment from pUC19 flanked by 185 bp and 131 pb of the 5′ and 3′ termini (relative to the direction of transcription) of Ac. The Ts101 element was constructed by deleting about 50 nucleotides, including the inverted repeat, from the 3′ end of Ac. Ts101 and the two Ds elements were stable in transformed tomato plants. Transgenic plants containing either one of the two constructed Ds elements of Ds1, an element previously cloned from the maize Adh1 locus, were crossed to transgenic plants containing either Ts101 or an intact Ac element. Southern hybridization analysis showed that Ds1 and Ds202 excised from their resident T-DNA locations in all progeny which contained either Ts101 or Ac, but were stable in siblings which had not inherited a transposase. While Southern analysis did not identify transposed Ds elements in the F1 progeny, analysis of an F2 population indicated that the Ds elements had reintegrated in the tomato genome. In contrast to these results, no Ac-catalyzed excision of Ds204 was detected, even though the element contained the terminal regions of Ac capable of forming secondary structure. We have shown that Ds elements can be transactivated in transgenic tomato plants by crossing to plants containing an Ac or Ts element.
Structural basis for sirtuin activity and inhibition.

Sir2 proteins, or sirtuins, are a family of enzymes that catalyze NAD+-dependent deacetylation reactions and can also process ribosyltransferase, demalonylase, and desuccinylase activities. More than 40 crystal structures of sirtuins have been determined, alone or in various liganded forms. These high-resolution architectural details lay the foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms of catalysis, regulation, substrate specificity, and inhibition of sirtuins. In this minireview, we summarize these structural features and discuss their implications for understanding sirtuin function.
Solution of Two-Point Boundary-Value Problems with Jacobian Matrix Characterized by Large Positive Eigenvalues

Abstract This paper treats the nonlinear, two-point boundary-value problem formulated by Troesch (Ref. 3) and studied by Roberts and Shipman (Ref. 4). Computationally speaking, this is a difficult problem, owing to the fact that the Jacobian matrix is characterized by large positive eigenvalues. The resulting numerical difficulties are reduced by treating the two-point boundary-value problem as a multipoint boundary-value problem. The modified quasilinearization algorithm of Refs. 5–6 is employed. This approach bypasses the integration of the nonlinear equations, which characterizes shooting methods. Computational results are also presented for another difficult nonlinear, two-point boundary-value problem, namely, the problem formulated by Holt (Ref. 7).
Fingertip loading and carpal tunnel pressure: Differences between a pinching and a pressing task

Carpal tunnel syndrome may be caused by repeated or sustained elevated carpal tunnel pressure. This study examined the relationship between carpal tunnel pressure, posture, and fingertip load. In 20 healthy individuals, carpal tunnel pressure was measured with a catheter inserted into the carpal tunnel of the dominant hand and connected to a pressure transducer. With the wrist in a pressure-neutral position, the subjects pressed on a force transducer with the index finger to levels of 0, 5, 10, and 15 N. They then pinched the transducer at the same levels of force. For both fingertip-loading postures, the carpal tunnel pressure increased with increasing fingertip load. Carpal tunnel pressures were significantly greater (p < 0.015) for the pinching task (14.2, 29.9, 41.9, and 49.7 mm Hg [1.89, 3.99, 5.59, and 6.63 kPa] for 0, 5, 10, and 15 N force levels, respectively) than for simple finger pressing (7.8, 14.1, 20.0, and 33.8 mm Hg [1.04, 1.88, 2.67, and 4.51 kPa]). This study indicates that although the external load on the finger remained constant between the two tasks, the internal loading, as measured by carpal tunnel pressure, experienced a near 2-fold increase by using a pinch grip. These findings should be given consideration in designing work tasks and tools because relatively low fingertip forces, especially in a pinch grip, elevate carpal tunnel pressures to levels that, if prolonged, may lead to the development or exacerbation of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Effects of Different Resource Additions of Species Diversity in an Annual Plant Community

A commonly observed phenomenon in plant communities is that the ad- dition of a limiting resource leads to an increase in productivity and a decrease in species diversity. We tested the hypothesis that the mechanism underlying this pattern is a dis- proportionate increase in mortality of smaller or shade-intolerant species in more produc- tive sites caused by reduction of light levels. We added water and/or one of three nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) to a 1 st-yr old-field community dominated by weedy annuals and measured effects on productivity, species composition, diversity, and light levels after one growing season. Diversity was not clearly related to productivity in this experiment. Watering increased productivity, but, contrary to expectations, had no effect on density of surviving plants, species diversity, or abundance of low-growing species. Almost all the increase in biomass with watering was due to a positive response by Ambrosia artemisiifolia, an upright annual that was the most common species in the canopy in all treatments. The addition of nitrogen had only a small positive effect on productivity, but strongly decreased density of surviving plants, species diversity, and abundance of most low-growing species. Only Ambrosia increased in abundance with nitrogen addition. The phosphorus and potassium additions had little effect on the community. We suggest that the high mortality and low diversity in the nitrogen addition plots, but not in the more productive watered plots, was due to limitation by nitrogen earlier than limitation by water during the growing season. The consequence was earlier canopy closure and greater mortality due to light limitation.
Effects of Whole-Lake Base Addition on the Optical Properties of Three Clearwater Acidic Lakes

Data describing changes in the attenuation, absorption, and scattering of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were collected over a 5-yr period from three limed lakes and an untreated reference site. Light attenuation rose significantly after liming. Short-term changes in light attenuation were attributed to increased scattering by suspended calcite particles; such changes persisted for fewer than 15 d due to the rapid dissolution of the calcite. Long-term increases in light attenuation corresponded to increases in light absorption, which were attributed to higher concentrations of light-absorbing substances (gelbstoff) as indicated by higher lake dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Changes in chlorophyll did not play an important role in regulating light attenuation except during the first summer following liming. Reacidification of one of the three limed lakes was accompanied by a decrease in lake DOC concentrations, followed by a gradual decrease in light attenuation and absorption. Wi...
Tryptophan hydroxylase activity in hypothalamus and brainstem of neonatal and adult rats treated with hydrocortisone or parachlorophenylalanine

Abstract The present study has been undertaken to determine whether glucocorticoid, and parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA, a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor) affects tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) levels in brainstem and hypothalamus of neonatal and adult rats. Our results show that: (1) administration of hydrocortisone causes small but significant increases in TPH activity of neonatal brainstem; (2) treatment with PCPA plus gluco-corticoid results in a marked decrease of TPH activity in brainstem and hypothalamus of both neonatal and adult rats.
Answering the Call of the Court: How Justices and Litigants Set the Supreme Court Agenda; Strategic Selection: Presidential Nomination of Supreme Court Justices from Herbert Hoover Through George W. Bush; and Running for Judge: The Rising Political, Financial, and Legal Stakes of Judicial Elections

Answering the Call of the Court: How Justices and Litigants Set the Supreme Court Agenda. By Vanessa A. Baird. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2006. 240p. $45.00. Strategic Selection: Presidential Nomination of Supreme Court Justices from Herbert Hoover Through George W. Bush. By Christine L. Nemacheck. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2007. 192p. $35.00. Running for Judge: The Rising Political, Financial, and Legal Stakes of Judicial Elections. Edited by Matthew J. Streb. New York: New York University Press, 2007. 272p. $45.00. These three books on the judicial system address how the law evolves. While there is little direct overlap in the coverage of the books, they all discuss the development of the law from different perspectives. They amply illustrate how political considerations become incorporated in the legal decisions of courts.