cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Freeze-Drying to Preserve Birds for Teaching Collections

Collections of bird specimens are an important resource for teaching bird identification, but acquiring suitable specimens can be problematic. Older collections tend to be preserved with a variety of potentially harmful chemicals; additionally, traditional methods for preparing specimens typically require extensive training. Freeze-drying is a method that involves removing water from specimens via sublimation, and may be an acceptable alternative to conventional taxidermy techniques for teaching collections. We freeze-dried 63 birds and 12 bird parts (i.e., talons and wings) of 44 species salvaged from throughout Pennsylvania since January 2008 using a Taxi-Dry Freeze-Dryer (Freeze-dry Specialties, Inc.). To determine the extent of water lost during the freeze-drying process, we measured the masses of birds and parts before and after preservation. Whole birds that were successfully freeze-dried lost 59.4% ± 0.9% (mean ± SE) of their initial mass, and unsuccessfully dried birds lost 46.9% ± 3.5% of their initial mass. Generally, birds with an initial mass >160 g did not lose enough water in the freeze-drying process to be effectively preserved. We conclude that if proper storage and maintenance conditions are met, freeze-drying can be an effective method for preserving small bird specimens for teaching collections.
Landscape topography and the distribution of Lahontan cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi ) in a high desert stream

Lahontan cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi, are currently limited in their distribution to a patchwork of small isolated populations, the result of habitat degradation and natural variation in landscape and in-stream conditions. The objectives of this study were to determine if landscape topography influences trout distribution, and if water temperatures control this response. The work was carried out in a sub-basin of the Quinn River system, McDermitt Creek, which drains the sagebrush desert of southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada. Headwater tributaries of this creek consist of alternating canyon-confined and valley bounded reaches. Trout within these systems are challenged by low discharge and high temperatures during the summer, and anchor ice during the winter. Contiguous whole stream surveys were used to look at trout distribution during the summer of 2003 and spring and fall of 2004. Our results suggested that topography can affect trout distribution. Trout numbers were highest in areas with greater numbers of nick-points (the transition zones between less confined and more confined valley segments) and greater valley confinement. Additionally, in the downstream portion of our headwater reaches, more trout were found in nick-points than expected based on the availability of this habitat type. Our data suggest that hyporheic inputs may be high in such areas, thus providing trout with shelter from warm water in the summer, anchor ice in the winter, and shallow stream depths during all seasons. Spatial occurrence of these areas of refugia can be taken into consideration when planning land use activities and restoration efforts. Further research is required to confirm that topography can affect the distribution of Lahontan cutthroat trout in other systems, and to better understand the mechanisms behind these patterns.
The Income Gap

Political divisions based on class would seem to be central to contemporary American politics. Inequalities in the distribution of income and wealth have grown steadily over the last 30 years, creating greater differences in opportunity and challenging the longstanding American belief in equality of opportunity (Hochschild 1995). The two major parties differ sharply in their concern for class issues, making class political divisions all the more likely.
27 THE HISTONE DEACETYLASE INHIBITOR 4-IODO-SUBEROYLANILIDE HYDROXAMIC ACID IMPROVES TOTAL CELL NUMBER IN PIG NUCLEAR TRANSFER BLASTOCYSTS

Treatment of reconstructed pig clones with the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) Scriptaid immediately after nuclear transfer (NT) and activation results in increased cloning efficiency. Aberrant gene expression examined in NT blastocyst stage embryos is only partially corrected by Scriptaid use; therefore, 2 other HDACi were examined in this study including the class I and II HDACi, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and its hydrophobic derivative 4-iodo-SAHA (I-SAHA). Blastocyst rates and total cell numbers were examined across 6 treatment groups (1 μM SAHA, 10 μM SAHA, 1 μM I-SAHA, 10 μM I-SAHA, 0.5 μM Scriptaid and no HDACi treatment). Nuclear transfer was performed on enucleated MII oocytes using 3 different cell lines. Clones were electrically fused and activated, treated with HDACi for 14 to 16 h and cultured to the blastocyst stage in PZM3 under low oxygen tension for 7 days. Blastocyst number was calculated from the total number of fused oocytes. Blastocysts were then fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and total cell number was determined by Hoechst staining of nuclei. The results from all 3 cell lines were pooled and 782 embryos were examined for blastocyst development from 7 replicates. All statistical analysis was performed by SAS 9.1 and means were separated by least significant difference (P 0.45). Total cell number was significantly higher in blastocysts from the 1 μM I-SAHA (37.9, n = 20) treatment group when compared with Scriptaid (29.9, n = 50) and no HDACi treatment (29.4, n = 42; P 0.05). Additionally, there was also a significant interaction between cell line used for nuclear transfer and the total cell number (P < 0.002). Two treatments were selected to determine if 10 μM SAHA and 1 μM I-SAHA treatment postnuclear transfer was compatible with term development. Six embryo transfers were performed and 5 recipient pigs became pregnant and developed to term. The results of this study show that treatment with the HDACi, SAHA and I-SAHA postnuclear transfer has the same blastocyst rates as the commonly used HDACi, Scriptaid. Additionally, treatment with 1 μM I-SAHA improves total cell number when compared with Scriptaid or no HDACi treatment. Funding was provided by Food for the 21st Century.
Forebrain and Brainstem Mechanisms Governing Kindled Seizure Development: A Hypothesis

What is the nature of the kindling process? “Kindling” was coined by Goddard and his colleagues [20] to describe an observed phenomenon — the progressively increasing seizure generalization seen with repeated, temporally spaced stimulations of certain brain structures. From this phenomenological point of view, kindling is well named, since it appears to be a self-perpetuating process which once started continues inexorably to completion.
Lateral resolution in elastography

The factors that control the lateral resolution in elastography were investigated using a simulation study. The lateral resolution was estimated from the simulated axial strain elastograms as the smallest measur- able distance between two equally stiff lesions embedded in a homogeneously softer background. The lesions were symmetrically positioned lateral to the center of the target, at the focus of the transducer. Ultrasound (US) systems with different transducer frequencies, bandwidths and f-numbers were simulated. The effects of the ultrasonic parameters, the lateral spacing between adjacent echo signals, the cross-correlation window length, the lesion/background elastic contrast and the lateral motion of scatterers on the estimated lateral resolution were investigated. The results show that the lateral resolution in elastography is proportional to the beamwidth of the US system used to acquire the data, and is on the same order as the sonographic lateral resolution. (E-mail: Jonathan.Ophir@uth.tmc.edu) © 2003 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology.
The Origin of Long-Range Attraction between Hydrophobes in Water

When water-coated hydrophobic surfaces meet, direct contacts form between the surfaces, driving water out. However, long-range attractive forces first bring those surfaces close. This analysis reveals the source and strength of the long-range attraction between water-coated hydrophobic surfaces. The origin is in the polarization field produced by the strong correlation and coupling of the dipoles of the water molecules at the surfaces. We show that this polarization field gives rise to dipoles on the surface of the hydrophobic solutes that generate long-range hydrophobic attractions. Thus, hydrophobic aggregation begins with a step in which water-coated nonpolar solutes approach one another due to long-range electrostatic forces. This precursor regime occurs before the entropy increase of releasing the water layers and the short-range van der Waals attraction provide the driving force to “dry out” the contact surface. The effective force of attraction is derived from basic molecular principles, without assumptions of the structure of the hydrophobe-water interaction. The strength of this force can be measured directly from atomic force microscopy images of a hydrophobic molecule tethered to a surface but extending into water, and another hydrophobe attached to an atomic force probe. The phenomenon can be observed in the transverse relaxation rates in water proton magnetic resonance as well. The results shed light on the way water mediates chemical and biological self-assembly, a long outstanding problem.
Evaluating the Total Costs of Chemotherapy-Induced Toxicity: Results from a Pilot Study with Ovarian Cancer Patients

Purpose. While chemotherapy-related toxicities affect cancer patients’ activities of daily living and result in large expenditures of medical care for treatment, few studies have assessed the out-of-pocket and indirect costs incurred by patients who experience toxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of obtaining detailed and comprehensive cost information from patients who experienced neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or neurotoxicity during treatment. Methods. Ovarian cancer patients who experienced chemotherapy-associated hematologic or neurologic toxicities were asked to record detailed information about hospitalization, laboratories, physician visits, phone calls, home visits, medication, medical devices, lost productivity, and caregivers. Resource estimates were converted into cost units, with direct medical cost estimates based on hospital cost-accounting data and indirect costs (i.e., productivity loss) on modified labor force, employment, and earnings data. Results. Direct medical costs were highest for neutropenia (mean of $7,546/episode), intermediate for thrombocytopenia (mean of $3,268/episode), and lowest for neurotoxicity (mean of $688/episode). Indirect costs relating to patient and caregiver work loss and payments for caregiver support were substantial, accounting for $4,220, $3,834, and $4,282 for patients who developed neurotoxicity, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia, respectively. The total costs of chemotherapy-related neurotoxicity, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were $4,908, $11,830, and $7,550. Conclusion. Our study has shown that, with the assistance of patients who are experiencing toxicity, estimation of the total costs of cancer-related toxicities is feasible. Indirect costs, while not included in prior estimates of the costs of toxicity studies, accounted for 34% to 86% of the total costs of cancer supportive care. The Oncologist 2001;6:441-445
Supervised switched control based on output prediction errors

Deals with a switched feedback control system for an unknown plant, which belongs to a set of known models. The switching logic selects an appropriate controller from a given set of controllers, according to an error based decision rule. The authors provide a simple proof of the successful performance of the scheme.
Stages of Change Across Ten Health Risk Behaviors for Older Adults

Owing to the recent success of the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change and the possible relationships between health behaviors, this study investigated the stage distribution of 10 healthy behaviors (seatbelt use, avoidance of high fat food, eating a high-fiber diet, attempting to lose weight, exercising regularly, avoiding sun exposure, sunscreen use, attempting to reduce stress, stopping smoking, and conducting cancer self-exams) and their interrelationships in a representative sample of health maintenance organization (HMO) members. The majority of older adults were found to be in either precontemplation or maintenance, illustrating the need to target interventions to precontemplation. Most older individuals were in precontemplation for losing weight and/ or sunscreen use and exercise, making these behaviors a priority for intervention research. Possible gateway behaviors to general health could be identified; however, these results are preliminary and require longitudinal follow-up.
Managers and analysts: An examination of mutual influence

Securities analysts’ predictions of firms’ earnings per share constitute important performance targets for those firms. Firm managers attempt to both influence analysts’ targets and achieve the targets. We draw on the impression management literature to offer hypotheses regarding how a firm’s performance relative to prior targets influences the impression management activities of issuing forecast guidance, having conference calls with analysts, and issuing press releases. We also consider the influence of these impression management activities on subsequent analysts’ targets. We test this dyadic representation of impression management activities using a longitudinal panel of large firms. Findings suggest managers take a variety of actions that vary with firm performance, and that some of those actions influence subsequent analyst targets under some conditions.
Upper airway obstruction in the syndromal craniosynostoses

Abstract This series of consecutive cases details the prevalence and management of upper airway obstruction in the syndromal craniosynostoses (Crouzon, Apert and Pfeiffer syndromes). Upper airway obstruction presents more frequently in Crouzon and Pfeiffer syndrome when presenting early and during the intermediate years. Those patients with Apert syndrome appear relatively free of this problem. Management has been directed toward increasing the size of the nasopharyngeal space by soft tissue alterations (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, soft palatal split and adenotonsillectomy) with success. Le Fort III advancement osteotomy has been reserved for those more extreme cases, again with objective airway improvement. These techniques have removed the necessity for the progression to tracheostomy in these cases.
Contribution to the Concrete Strength versus Water-Cement Ratio Relationship

The first rarely mentioned fundamental assumptions for the strength versus water-cement ratio relationship are discussed, namely, that: (a) the strength of structural concrete is controlled by the strength of the cement paste in it; (b) the strength of a cement paste depends strongly on the porosity in it; and (c) the porosity (capillary) is a function of the water-cement ratio. This is the foundation of the relationship between concrete strength and water-cement ratio. Numerous empirical formulas, so-called strength formulas, have been developed for this relationship; the Abrams' formula for instance. These formulas estimate the concrete strength from the water-cement ratio only, and they are usually simple but have restricted limits of validity. For improvement, a new type of strength formulas is offered in this paper, formulas that have a second independent variable beside the water-cement ratio, such as the cement content, or water content, or paste content, etc. Such augmentation (a) improves the accuracy of the strength estimation; (b) shows that if two comparable concretes have the same water-cement ratio, the concrete having the higher cement content has the lower strength; and (c) shows that the magnitude of the changes in concrete strength depends on how the water-cement ratio is changed, by changing the cement content or the water content. Experimental data support these expectations. A formula is also presented for the effect of the other kind of porosity, the air content on the concrete strength. The combination of this with any good strength formula gives good fit with experimental results both of air-entrained and nonair-entrained concretes.
Rationale and Treatment of Multiple-Ligament Injured Knees: The Seattle Perspective

The senior author (CJW) is the primary surgeon for the management of multiple-ligament knee injuries at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington. These injuries are usually the result of high-energy mechanisms, and the patients often have multiple other injuries and difficult social situations. The workup of these patients is very important and involves coordination of multiple services, including the orthopedic traumatologists, general surgeons, and vascular specialists. Surgical management revolves around a few basic principles including early motion of the knee, early surgical reconstruction if possible, and reconstruction of the central pivot as well as the medial and lateral structures during a single procedure. The detailed steps of the workup and surgical management are detailed in this article. We also discuss surgical consideration as related to concomitant injuries and our rehabilitation protocol.
Biophysics/ Engineering of Cortical Electrodes

This chapter provides a description of how microelectrodes are used to form an artificial interface to the cortex. Microelectrodes inserted into the cortex are called “intracortical electrodes” and are anticipated for use in cortical visual prostheses. Owing to the nature of the cortical environment, the design and use of these electrodes pose challenges for the clinical deployment of cortical prostheses. The combined effects of electrode charge injection and effects of the in vivo environment are discussed.
Supersoft SUSY models and the 750 GeV diphoton excess, beyond effective operators

We propose that the sbino, the scalar partner of a Dirac bino, can explain the 750 GeV diphoton excess observed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations. We first argue for the existence of couplings between sbino to pairs of Standard Model gauge bosons using effective operator analysis. We then analyze the minimal completion of the effective operator model in which the sbino couples to pairs of gauge bosons through loops of heavy sfermions, with the sfermion-bino coupling originating from scalar potential D-terms. We find that the sbino model may be fit the 750 GeV excess by considering gluon fusion processes with decay to diphotons.
Reimagining textbooks through the data lens

Textbooks are the primary vehicles for delivering subject knowledge to the students and are known to be the educational input most consistently associated with improvements in student learning. With the emergence of abundant online content, cloud computing, and electronic reading devices, textbooks are poised for transformative changes. Inspired by the emergence of the electronic medium for "printing" and "distributing" textbooks, we present our early explorations into developing a data mining based approach for enhancing the quality of electronic textbooks. Specifically, we first describe a diagnostic tool for authors and educators to algorithmically identify deficiencies in textbooks. We then discuss techniques for algorithmically augmenting different sections of a book with links to selective content mined from the Web.Our tool for diagnosing deficiencies consists of two components. Abstracting from the education literature, we identify the following properties of good textbooks: (1) Focus: Each section explains few concepts, (2) Unity: For every concept, there is a unique section that best explains the concept, and (3) Sequentiality: Concepts are discussed in a sequential fashion so that a concept is explained prior to occurrences of this concept or any related concept. Further, the tie for precedence in presentation between two mutually related concepts is broken in favor of the more significant of the two. The first component provides an assessment of the extent to which these properties are followed in a textbook and quantifies the comprehension load that a textbook imposes on the reader due to non-sequential presentation of concepts [1]. The second component identifies sections that are not written well and can benefit from further exposition. We propose a probabilistic decision model for this purpose, which is based on the syntactic complexity of writing and the notion of the dispersion of key concepts mentioned in the section [3].For augmenting a section of a textbook, we first identify the set of key concept phrases contained in a section. Using these phrases, we find web articles that represent the central concepts presented in the section and endow the section with links to them [4]. We also describe techniques for finding images that are most relevant to a section of the textbook, while respecting the constraint that the same image is not repeated in different sections of the same chapter. We pose this problem of matching images to sections in a textbook chapter as an optimization problem and present an efficient algorithm for solving it [2].We finally provide the results of applying the proposed techniques to a corpus of widely-used, high school textbooks published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, India. We consider books from grades IX--XII, covering four broad subject areas, namely, Sciences, Social Sciences, Commerce, and Mathematics. The preliminary results are encouraging and indicate that developing technological approaches to embellishing textbooks could be a promising direction for research.
Calculation of the inplane Green's functions for a layered viscoelastic solid

Abstract A method is presented for the accurate and efficient calculation of the dynamic Green9s functions for a layered viscoelastic solid under plane strain conditions. The method is based on the classical wavenumber integral representation and a delta matrix formulation of the elastodynamic field. The high efficiency is achieved through the introduction of a new quadrature scheme in which the kernels of the wavenumber integrals are represented by means of polynomials in finite and semi-infinite panels, and the resulting oscillatory integrals are evaluated analytically. The accuracy of the results are controlled through the use of an adaptive procedure whereby the number of panels are increased successively until the desired accuracy is reached, with no previous function evaluations wasted. The computer program currently runs on IBM PCs for all multi-layered structures at all finite frequencies.
Elastic and inelastic scattering of 291-MeV pions by Be 9 , Si, Ni 58 , and Pb 208

Angular distributions for the elastic and inelastic scattering of 291-MeV ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ by $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$, Si, $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, and $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}$ have been measured. The characteristics of two first-order optical potentials have been investigated, and reasonable agreement with the elastic scattering data has been obtained. Macroscopic distorted-wave impulse approximation calculations of the inelastic scattering with Kisslinger potentials are reasonably successful in reproducing the experimental data. The inelastic scattering results for $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ provide evidence for the importance of radial localization effects in pion inelastic scattering.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{9}\mathrm{Be}(\ensuremath{\pi},{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, $\mathrm{Si}(\ensuremath{\pi},{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}(\ensuremath{\pi},{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, $^{208}\mathrm{Pb}(\ensuremath{\pi},{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{'}})$, ${E}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}=291$ MeV, measured $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{d\ensuremath{\Omega}}$; optical potential and DWIA collective analyses.
Teaching energy geographies via videography

AbstractIn our digital age of information acquisition, multimedia information streams are constant, constantly changing and often contain multiple messages about topics important to everyday life, such as energy geographies. Recognizing that college students are prime consumers of digital information, it seems that crafting of academic engagement for and with students that is in touch with the knowledge networks they utilize and will continue to be part of today and into the future is important. Engaging students in the production of videos about important topics, such as energy geographies, aids them in becoming critical producers of knowledge.
Street children, in Nairobi, Kenya: gender differences and mental health

The commonly used term ""street 'child"" glosses over the differences between the genders. Ethnographic information and psychological case studies (consisting of a structured interview and standard psychological tests) of 51 male and 26 female street children, and 15 of their siblings who were not street children were collected in Nairobi, Kenya. The first hypothesis, that the mental health of male street children would be better than the mental health of female street children was confirmed. The second hypothesis, that the male siblings who stayed at-home, would have poorer mental health than their brothers who were on the streets, was also confirmed. Finally, the third hypothesis that the female siblings who stayed at home would have poorer mental health than their siblings who went into the street was also confirmed (albeit with less statistical significance). The above hypotheses were based on the idea that poor male children were in part reared to adopt street life, whereas poor female street children were reared to stay home. Ethnographic data is also used to explain the results. Mitigating methodological consideration are discussed.
Renal failure and death after multiple stings in Papua New Guinea. Ecology, prevention and management of attacks by vespid wasps.

Abstract Although most species of wasps are solitary and no hazard to humans, attacks by colonies of large social wasps of the family Vespidae, which commonly are known as hornets, can result in envenomation with severe toxicity. The effects of such envenomation on six persons from Papua New Guinea are described and discussed in the light of other published reports from Melanesia, Asia, Europe and America. Four deaths and at least four cases of acute renal failure occurred. Vespa affinis (L.), 1764 was responsible for at least two deaths and Vespa tropica (L.), 1764 for one death. The ecology of vespids in Asia and the Pacific is reviewed and guide-lines for the prevention of wasp attacks are outlined, including appropriate clothing, and the recognition, avoidance and selective destruction of nests. A description is helpful in the identification of the species of insect that was responsible for clinical cases. Management includes hospitalization for victims of multiple stings, with careful monitoring for early and late damage to kidneys, blood, liver and muscle.
Active oxygen intermediates--beneficial or deleterious? An introduction.

Breathing oxygen is, it seems, hazardous to your health. Although life cannot go on without this element, many of the biochemical reactions in which oxygen participates generate oxygen-containing free radicals as byproducts. A free radical is any reactive molecule that contains one or more unpaired electrons (i.e., electrons present singly in atomic or molecular orbitals. An unpaired electron can be associated with almost any atom, and this review concentrates on oxygen-centered inorganic radicals, namely superoxide (O2-) and the hydroxyl radical (HO·), that are important agents in oxidative stress. The formation of highly reactive oxygen-containing molecular species is a normal consequence of a variety of essential biochemical reactions. The oxygen free radicals (i.e., superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, and hydrogen peroxide) are capable of extensive tissue and endothelial damage. Superoxide anion is the best studied free radical species (1). This free radical may act as a reducing agent...
Application of Radical Cation Spin Density Maps toward the Prediction of Photochemical Reactivity between N-Methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione and Substituted Benzenes

Visible light irradiation of N-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione in the presence of substituted benzenes is capable of inducing substitution reactions where no reaction takes place thermally. In addition to the formation of 1-arylurazole products resulting from ring substitution, side-chain substitution occurs in some cases where benzylic hydrogens are accessible to form benzylic urazole products. Formation of both types of products is most consistent with the involvement of a common intermediate, a radical ion pair, generated from photoexcitation of an initially formed charge-transfer complex. The charge-transfer complexes have been observed spectroscopically. Additionally, application of a modified Rehm–Weller model suggests that the electron-transfer processes are feasible for all of the substrates examined. In most cases, the spin density maps of the aromatic radical cation intermediates calculated at the DFT UB3LYP/6-31G* level are excellent predictors of the observed product distributions.
Leisure, work, and family: How IronMEN balance the demands of three resource-intensive roles

ABSTRACTBuilding on the work of Hambrick, Simmons, and Mahoney (2013), the purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of leisure-work-family conflict among male Ironman participants, as well as the strategies and support mechanisms used to help manage their various role demands. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 males who successfully completed at least one Ironman event. For these males, perceptions of inter-role conflict were minimal, despite the presence of similar demands reported in the Hambrick et al. study. Participants still emphasized the need for family and work role support, as well as specific role management strategies, namely scheduling, sacrifice, and role prioritization, to make their Ironman aspirations a reality. The impact of gender roles on perceptions of leisure-work-family conflict is also discussed.
Prediction of Renal Stone Development and Size Distribution in Microgravity Using Population Balance Equation

In this paper, a combined transport-kinetics model for growth of calcium oxalate crystals cast in the framework of the Population Balance Equation is presented whereupon the nephron is treated as a continuous crystallizer. The model is used to investigate the growth rates and size distributions of renal calculi in the nephron based on parametric simulation case studies for normal and stone-forming subjects in 1G and microgravity. Simulation results seem to suggest that as a result of the shift in renal biochemistry upon exposure to microgravity, a normal subject in space can exhibit stone growth rates and size distributions that are comparable to a stone-former on earth. Thus, the adverse effects of microgravity conditions may be relatively as consequential for a normal subject than an inherent stone former a finding that may prove important to the astronaut screening protocols. Numerical results also suggest that while a typical stone former on Earth or in Space may form a considerably larger number of renal stones in the range of 2-8 microns, the normal subject in microgravity tends to make significantly more stones below the 2 microns range. This may lead to an undesirable possibility for future long-duration missions, where the modified renal biochemistry of the astronauts in microgravity during space travel can instigate the formation of a large number of smaller stones that may become problematic upon reentry into a partial gravitational field.
Calculations of BOLD signals by use of NIRS photon migration hitting density functions

We present a comparison of NIRS data and BOLD signals concurrently acquired during motor area activation. The BOLD signals are calculated by applying a weighted average according to the photon migration hitting density function.
Effect of insect damage on the growth, yield, and quality of sericea lespedeza forage

Variations in the seasonal abundance of phytophagous foliage-inhabiting insects were examined in sericea lespedeza ( Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont) G. Don) during the second growth cycle in 1986 and 1987 and during the first and second growth cycles in 1988. Predominant insect defoliators were grasshoppers and lepidopterous caterpillars, primarily Plathypena scabra (F.) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Predominant sap-feeding taxa were the membracid Spissistilus festinus (Say); plant bugs, primarily Lygus lineolam (Palisot de Beauvois); aphids, primarily Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris); and a number of species of cicadellid leafhoppers and pentatomid stink bugs. Grasshoppers, aphids, and plant bugs were most abundant during the first cutting, whereas S. festinus , leafhoppers, and all Lepidoptera were most abundant during the second cutting. Grasshoppers, P. scabra , and total Lepidoptera typically were more abundant in low-tannin than in high-tannin cultivars, but population densities of sap-feeding insects were not associated with the tannin concentrations in sericea lespedeza cultivars. Comparison of insecticide-treated and untreated plots revealed that P. scabra caused extensive defoliation in August and September before the second cutting. No other taxa of herbivorous insects caused significant damage to sericea lespedeza. Defoliation by P. scabra reduced stem height, leaf number per stem, and leaf and stem dry weight but had little effect on forage crude protein and acid detergent fiber content. Yield loss was significant when peak densities of P. scabra were ≥2 larvae per sweep. Peak densities of about four larvae per sweep in 1986 reduced leaf dry weight by 75% and total forage yield by about 40%. However, substantial yield losses were avoided by harvesting early.
Application of a Method to Estimate Heating for Three-Dimensional Hypersonic Aeroshells

In the early stages of aeroshell shape design it is important to strike the appropriate balance between analysis fidelity and computational effort. Since the prediction of aerodynamic heating in axisymmetric flows is significantly faster than three-dimensional flows, it is desirable to employ an axisymmetric analogue method. The current work couples an equivalent axisymmetric body technique with different axisymmetric heating approaches to approximate three-dimensional heating. Multiple levels of fidelity are investigated in order to gauge the computational effort as a function of analysis fidelity. The three levels of fidelity include: 1) a Newtonian inviscid solution coupled with an axisymmetric integral boundary layer approach, 2) an Euler solution coupled with an axisymmetric integral boundary layer approach, and 3) a Navier-Stokes solution applied to each equivalent axisymmetric body. Heating analyses are presented for two sphere-cones in perfect air and a cylinder in thermochemical nonequilibrium. Results are also presented for a 15 sphere-cone at an angle of attack in perfect air and for an elliptic paraboloid in chemically reacting air. Solutions are compared with high fidelity computational and experimental data.
Optical Imaging of Oxygen Delivery and Consumption : Guiding Interpretation of BOLD fMRI

I will discuss novel optical imaging methods that we developed to better understand oxygen delivery and consumption during brain activity to guide us in more quantitative interpretation of human functional brain imaging by BOLD fMRI.
Between Home and Abroad: The Guinean Fulbe Community in Dakar, 1958-1984

From 1958 to 1984, hundreds of thousands of Guinean Fulbe left their country of origin to seek fortune abroad and, for a few, to escape political repression at home. This paper examines the history of the Guinean Fulbe community in Dakar, the most popular destination for migrants and exiles from the Futa Jallon. While many considered Guinea under Sekou Toure a “closed country,” government attempts to control the flow of information, goods, and people were incomplete at best. Migrants maintained connections with home, and exiles sought out potential allies within Guinea. As both economic malaise and political repression deepened during the 1960s, connections abroad became increasingly important as both coping mechanisms for daily material pressures and a means to affect political change. The large number of migrants, exiles, and students in Dakar also shifted debates about the meaning of belonging, the nation, and political community in an independent Guinea. This paper places explicitly national debates during the First Republic – about citizenship, the economy, and foreign policy - within the trans-national contexts that informed them, while pointing to the importance of regional geographies in political histories of post-colonial Africa.
Abstract SS03-01: Cut melanoma deaths in half with screening? Current status

Melanoma kills almost 10,000 Americans each year, and early detection has the potential to cut that number in half within a decade. However, our ability to do so will depend on the evidence that screening for melanoma saves lives and that the benefits outweigh the harms. The past 5 years have seen a profound change in the published findings on this issue. Both short, free, online videos regarding skin self-examination http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/ToolsandCalculators/Videos/keep-my-skin-healthy-video and the INFORMED program for clinician skin examination http://www.skinsight.com/info/for_professionals/skin-cancer-detection-informed/skin-cancer-education , have been used to produce key evidence that will help us move forward to substantially reduce the burden of this disease. Citation Format: Martin A. Weinstock. Cut melanoma deaths in half with screening? Current status. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr SS03-01.
Emerging Targets for the Management of Osteoarthritis Pain

Worldwide, osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of chronic pain, for which adequate relief is not available. Ongoing peripheral input from the affected joint is a major factor in OA-associated pain. Therefore, this review focuses predominantly on peripheral targets emerging in the preclinical and clinical arena. Nerve growth factor is the most advanced of these targets, and its blockade has shown tremendous promise in clinical trials in knee OA. A number of different types of ion channels, including voltage-gated sodium channels and calcium channels, transient receptor potential channels, and acid-sensing ion channels, are important for neuronal excitability and play a role in pain genesis. Few channel blockers have been tested in preclinical models of OA, with varying results. Finally, we discuss some examples of G-protein coupled receptors, which may offer attractive therapeutic strategies for OA pain, including receptors for bradykinin, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and chemokines. Since many of the pathways described above can be selectively and potently targeted, they offer an exciting opportunity for pain management in OA, either systemically or locally.
CD8+/TCR− Graft Facilitating Cells Enhance HSC Engraftment and Survival Via TNF-α Mediated Prevention of Apoptosis.

The use of accessory cells to enhance hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) engraftment could have a significant therapeutic impact, especially when stem cell numbers are limited. The bone marrow (BM) microenvironment is involved in regulation of HSC, allowing production of mature blood cells while maintaining HSC self renewal. To date, the precise identity of specific cells in the microenvironment that exert this regulatory effect on HSC has not been defined. We recently reported that CD8 + /TCR − facilitating cells (FC), a subpopulation of BM cells containing predominantly B220 + /CD11c + /CD11b − tolerogenic precursor-plasmacytoid dendritic cells, enhance HSC engraftment in allogeneic recipients. Additionally, FC significantly enhance engraftment of limiting numbers of HSC in syngeneic recipients. In the present studies, we investigated the mechanism of FC-mediated enhancement of HSC engraftment. We show for the first time that FC significantly increase HSC survival in vitro and exert an anti-apoptotic effect on HSC via TNF-α. Co-culture of FC with HSC induces production of physiologically relevant low levels of TNF-α by FC. FC from TNF-α −/− mice are impaired in function in vitro and in facilitating HSC engraftment in vivo . Furthermore, neutralization of TNF-α on FC using anti-TNF antibody results in loss of FC function in vitro , confirming a major role for TNF-α in FC function. Notably, co-culture of FC with HSC prevents HSC apoptosis and is associated with significant upregulation of the anti-apoptotic I-κB family member Bcl-3 in HSC. Blocking of TNF-α on FC abrogates the anti-apoptotic effect of FC on HSC and prevents upregulation of Bc1-3 in HSC. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that TNF-α-induced in FC affects highly primitive HSC and identify Bcl-3 as a possible pathway for TNF-α in regulating HSC survival.
Fludarabine (Flu) Based Cytoreductive Regimen and T-Cell Depleted Grafts from Unrelated or Mismatched Related Donors for the Treatment of High Risk Patients with Fanconi Anemia (FA).

Between 05/98 and 06/04, 15 consecutive patients with FA received hematopoietic stem cell transplants (SCT) from alternative donors at our Center. There were 7 males and 8 females aged 5 to 24 years (median 11.5). Hematologic diagnoses included aplastic anemia (AA) (N=5), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in RAEB (N=4), RAEBT (N=1) or acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) (N=5). High risk features included: Age > 20 years (n=4), prior multiple transfusions (n=11), prior androgen treatment (n=12), prior infections (n=10), or advanced MDS or AML (n=9). Eight pts had related mismatched donors transplants with respective matching at 3/6 (6/10), 4/6 (6/10), 4/6 (7/10) (n=2)), 5/6 (8/10) (n=3) and 5/6 (9/10) HLA-antigens. Seven pts had unrelated donors transplants with respective matching at 5/6 (7/10), 5/6 (8/10) (n=2), 5/6 (9/10) and 6/6 (10/10) (n=3) HLA-antigens. Cytoreduction included single dose total body irradiation (SDTBI) (450 cGy), fludarabine (Flu) (30 mg/m 2 x 5) and cyclophosphamide (Cy) (10 mg/Kg x 4). Immunosuppression included rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (Thymoglobulin) and tacrolimus for all patients. Grafts were G-CSF mobilized CD34+ and E-rosette negative (E-) peripheral blood stem cell transplants for 12 pts and soybean agglutinin negative (SBA-) and E-rosette negative marrow transplants for 3 pts. Cell doses of the grafts were 1.5 – 29.6 x 10 6 CD34 cells/Kg and 0 – 26 x 10 3 CD3 cells/Kg. As evidenced by RFLP or FISH, all 15 evaluable pts were fully engrafted and complete chimeras. Fourteen pts were evaluable for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). GvHD of the skin and of the gut was suspected in two pts but resolved completely prior to immunosuppressive treatment. With a median follow-up of 2.5 years (range 0.2–6), 13 of 15 pts are alive and 11 of 15 are alive disease-free. There were two deaths: one pt died from sepsis/ARDS at 2 months post SCT and one pt from pneumonitis/ARDS and EBV-infection 6 months post SCT. Three pts relapsed (MDS-RAEB x 1 – AML x 2): One pt relapsed 7 months post transplant, received a 2 nd transplant from the same donor following busulfan and Flu and is alive, disease-free 18 months post SCT, while the other two pts are awaiting a second SCT. In summary, this cytoreductive regimen used with T-cell depleted stem cell transplants from unrelated or HLA-mismatched related donors for the treatment of high risk patients with Fanconi anemia, results in rapid hematopoietic engraftment and lymphohematopoietic reconstitution with minimal GVHD and a high disease-free survival.
Expression of NTB-A in Normal Tissue, Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas and Investigation of Its Potential Therapeutic Impact for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Introduction: Expressed on T, B, NK cells and neutrophils, NTB-A belongs to the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) family of immune receptors. It was reported recently that cross-linking of NTB-A induces T cell activation and Ly108 (the presumed mouse orthologue of NTB-A) controls the production of reactive oxygen species in neutrophils. To date, little is known about its expression at the protein level in normal tissues, or in hematologic malignancies. Methods: We have generated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to NTB-A and used tissue microarrays (TMAs) to screen normal tissues and lymphomas. Western blotting and flow cytometry were used for confirmation of selected entities. Complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) assays were performed using the CellTiter-Glo Luminescent Cell Viability Assay kit (Promega). Results: NTB-A was not detected in normal tissues including heart, liver, breast, kidney, brain, lung, uterus, small intestine, skin, prostate, pancreas, ovary, bladder, testis and stomach (5/5 negative cases for all above tissues) by IHC. Expression was observed in lymphocytes of normal tonsil and spleen. In lymphomas, we found NTB-A expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL), follicular lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), mantle cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. Western blotting and flow cytometry of B-cell lymphoma cell lines DOHH2 (DLBL) and Raji (Burkitt) confirmed NTB-A expression in these lines. Myeloma cell lines were negative for expression. Flow cytometry of normal blood cells showed expression of NTB-A in B-cells, T-cells and NK cells (95.5 ± 6.7%, 62.6 ± 29.5% and 72.7 ± 26.5%, respectively) but not in CD66+ granulocytes. Furthermore, CD34+ progenitor cells from bone marrow were negative. Because of the expression in SLL, we focused on chronic lymphocytic leykemia (CLL) cells. All (15/15) patient samples were confirmed positive by flow cytometry. No significant differences in expression levels were observed comparing CLL B-cells vs normal B-cells (n = 10). However, anti-NTB-A antibodies were capable of inducing CDC in white blood cells from CLL patients (n=5) but not in normal white blood cells (n=5), in addition to CDC activity against Raji cells. Preliminary data also suggests that the CDC effect is greater in purified CLL B-cells than purified normal B-cells. Conclusions: These results show that NTB-A is expressed in normal lymphocytes but not in other solid tissues or in CD34+ progenitor cells. B cell malignancies, including Non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells appear to express NTB-A. In particular CLL patient cells express NTB-A, and an anti-NTB-A mouse mAb is capable of inducing CDC, suggesting NTB-A may be a potential immunotherapeutic target. Further studies examining the expression patterns in hematologic malignancies are ongoing.
Education for Medicine

The goal of medical education is to produce physicians who are prepared to serve the fundamental purposes of medicine and who have a profound sense of service and commitment to their patients. Medical schools and graduate medical-education programs focus on professionalism, team-based learning and patient-care experiences in ambulatory and hospital-based settings. Physician education and competency assessment in the twenty-first century faces numerous challenges in response to increases in scientific knowledge; changing societal expectations; and the appropriate application of technology and simulations while maintaining a balance with patient care and safety.