cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do copper tolerant fathead minnows produce copper tolerant adult offspring

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if the relative Cu tolerance of fathead minnow parents determines the relative Cu tolerance of their adult offspring. It was hypothesized that the adult offspring of Cu-tolerant minnows would inherit Cu tolerance from their parents. The relative Cu tolerance of 96 adult fish was determined based upon their reduction in swim performance following a sublethal exposure to 150 μg Cu/l. Control, Cu-tolerant and Cu-susceptible lines of fish were produced and fish within each line were allowed to breed. The offspring were raised to adults, then exposed to one of two sublethal Cu concentrations (150 or 225 μg Cu/l) for 8 days. There were no significant differences in relative Cu tolerance, as measured by reduction in swim performance, among the three lines of fish at either dose. However, significant differences in whole body Na + occurred among the fish lines after exposure to 150 μg Cu/l, but not after exposure to 225 μg Cu/l. Significant differences in whole body Cu occurred between Cu-tolerant and Cu-susceptible fish lines after exposure to either Cu dose. The offspring did not inherit the relative Cu tolerance of their parents, however, the selection lines had diverged from each other, particularly with respect to their whole body Cu concentrations after exposure.
Development of a population pharmacokinetic model and optimal sampling strategies for intravenous ciprofloxacin.

Data obtained from 74 acutely ill patients treated in two clinical efficacy trials were used to develop a population model of the pharmacokinetics of intravenous (i.v.) ciprofloxacin. Dosage regimens ranged between 200 mg every 12 h and 400 mg every 8 h. Plasma samples (2 to 19 per patient; mean +/- standard deviation = 7 +/- 5) were obtained and assayed (by high-performance liquid chromatography) for ciprofloxacin. These data and patient covariates were modelled by iterative two-stage analysis, an approach which generates pharmacokinetic parameter values for both the population and each individual patient. The final model was used to implement a maximum a posteriori-Bayesian pharmacokinetic parameter value estimator. Optimal sampling theory was used to determine the best (maximally informative) two-, three-, four-, five-, and six-sample study designs (e.g., optimal sampling strategy 2 [OSS2] was the two-sample strategy) for identifying a patient's pharmacokinetic parameter values. These OSSs and the population model were evaluated by selecting the relatively rich data sets, those with 7 to 10 samples obtained in a single dose interval (n = 29), and comparing the parameter estimates (obtained by the maximum a posteriori-Bayesian estimator) based on each of the OSSs with those obtained by fitting all of the available data from each patient. Distributional clearance and apparent volumes were significantly related to body size (e.g., weight in kilograms or body surface area in meters squared); plasma clearance (CLT in liters per hour) was related to body size and renal function (creatinine clearance [CLCR] in milliliters per minute per 1.73 m2) by the equation CLT = (0.00145.CLCR + 0.167).weight. However, only 30% of the variance in CLT was explained by this relationship, and no other patient covariates were significant. Compared with previously published data, this target population had smaller distribution volumes (by 30%; P 0.99) and concentration-time profiles were accurately reconstructed. These results will be used to model the pharmacodynamic relationships between ciprofloxacin exposure and response and to aid in developing algorithms for individual optimization of ciprofloxacin dosage regimens.
Transforms and JPEG

The concept of a transform is familiar to mathematicians. A transform is a standard mathematical tool that is employed to solve problems in many areas. The idea is to transform a mathematical quantity (a number, a vector, a function, or anything else) to another form, where it may look unfamiliar but may have useful properties.
Determination of the wave-front aberration function from measured values of the point-spread function: a two-dimensional phase retrieval problem

We outline a method for the determination of the unknown wave-front aberration function of an optical system from noisy measurements of the corresponding point-spread function. The problem is cast as a nonlinear unconstrained minimization problem, and trust region techniques are employed for its solution in conjunction with analytic evaluations of the Jacobian and Hessian matrices governing slope and curvature information. Some illustrative numerical results are presented and discussed.
Crossed beam measurements of differential elastic scattering of Ar by N2: rainbow effect and intermolecular potential well depth

Differential elastic scattering cross section of Ar nozzle beam in nitrogen considered with rainbow effect in determining intermolecular potential well depth
The geochemistry and provenance of Apollo 16 mafic glasses

The regolith of the Apollo 16 lunar landing site is composed mainly of feldspathic lithologies but mafic lithologies are also present. A large proportion of the mafic material occurs as glass. We determined the major element composition of 280 mafic glasses (>10 wt% FeO) from six different Apollo 16 soil samples. A small proportion (∼5%) of the glasses are of volcanic origin with picritic compositions. Most, however, are of impact origin. Approximately half of the mafic impact glasses are of basaltic composition and half are of noritic composition with high concentrations of incompatible elements. A small fraction have compositions consistent with impact mixtures of mare material and material of the feldspathic highlands. On the basis of major-element chemistry, we identified six mafic glass groups: VLT picritic glass, low-Ti basaltic glass, high-Ti basaltic glass, high-Al basaltic glass, KREEPy glass, and basaltic-andesite glass. These glass groups encompass ∼60% of the total mafic glasses studied. Trace-element analyses by secondary ion mass spectroscopy for representative examples of each glass group (31 total analyses) support the major-element classifications and groupings. The lack of basaltic glass in Apollo 16 ancient regolith breccias, which provide snapshots of the Apollo 16 soil just after the infall of Imbrium ejecta, leads us to infer that most (if not all) of the basaltic glass was emplaced as ejecta from small- or moderate-sized impacts into the maria surrounding the Apollo 16 site after the Imbrium impact. The high-Ti basaltic glasses likely represent a new type of basalt from Mare Tranquillitatis, whereas the low-Ti and high-Al basaltic glasses possibly represent the composition of the basalts in Mare Nectaris. Both the low-Ti and high-Al basaltic glasses are enriched in light-REEs, which hints at the presence of a KREEP-bearing source region beneath Mare Nectaris. The basaltic andesite glasses have compositions that are siliceous, ferroan, alkali-rich, and moderately titaniferous; they are unlike any previously recognized lunar lithology or glass group. Their likely provenance is within the Procellarum KREEP Terrane, but they are not found within the Apollo 16 ancient regolith breccias and therefore were likely deposited at the Apollo 16 site post-Imbrium. The basaltic-andesite glasses are the most ferroan variety of KREEP yet discovered.
Detection of DNA Breaks in Apoptotic Cells Utilizing the DNA Binding Domain of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase with Fluorescence Microscopy

The DNA binding domain (DBD) of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) has proved to be a novel, highly sensitive probe for detecting DNA breaks in intact cells undergoing apoptosis. A recombinant peptide spanning the DNA binding domain of PARP was expressed, purified and used to detect DNA strand breaks in fixed cells. Fluorescence microscopy with this probe followed by detection with anti-PARP antisera initially revealed an increased binding following treatment of cells with DNA strand-breaking agents (such as N-methyl-N4-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) and, subsequently, using biotinylated PARP DBD, during the later stages of apoptosis in several cell systems, when internucleosomal strand breaks became evident. This procedure was found to be at least as sensitive and required fewer steps to detect DNA strand breaks than those utilizing Klenow incorporation of biotinylated nucleotides.
ULYSSES PLASMA PARAMETERS : LATITUDINAL, RADIAL, AND TEMPORAL VARIATIONS

Observations by the Ulysses SWOOPS plasma ex- periment are used to investigate spatial and temporal gradients during the mission, with emphasis on more recent high lati- tude observations including the recent South Pole to North Pole passage during solar minimum. Compared to lower latitudes, the high latitude solar wind had higher average speed, proton temperature, and momentum flux, and lower number flux den- sity. As the average momentum flux observed in the high speed windwas21%greaterthanattheequator,duringsolarminimum the distance to the heliopause will be comparatively less in the solar equatorial plane than over the poles. The long term tem- poral gradients of momentum flux over the life of the mission are considerably larger than the latitudinal gradient observed by Ulysses during solar minimum. A modest North-South high latitude asymmetry is observed in the plasma parameters; the velocity is on the average 13 km/s to 24 km/s greater at North- ern latitudes than at Southern, and temperature is also higher. The North-South temperature asymmetry is greater than can be explained by the North-South velocity difference and the de- pendence of solar wind temperature upon speed. The power law dependence of temperature on heliocentric distance, r, at high latitudes is in range r 0:81to 1:03 , where r 0:81 is the Southern latitude result and r 1:03 the Northern. The parameter T=n 1=2 , where T is temperature and n is proton number density, can be better predicted from speed than can temperature alone. Com- parison with calculations based on source models and magneto- graphdataindicatethattheexpansionofopencoronaleldlines close to the Sun was greater in the Southern hemisphere than in the Northern; this anticorrelation with the expansion factor is consistent with previous observational and theoretical work.
Non-contact thermal conductivity measurements of p-doped and n-doped gold covered natural and isotopically-pure silicon and their oxides

The laser-based, non-contact, non-destructive transient thermo-reflectance (TTR) method was used to measure: (i) the thermal conductivity of natural silicon and isotopically-pure silicon-28 layers that are epitaxially grown on natural silicon substrates; (ii) the thermal conductivity of the oxide of natural and isotopically-pure silicon; and (iii) the influence of doping type and level on the thermal conductivity at room temperature (300 K). The third study was carried out for low and higher levels of both phosphorous (p-type) and boron (n-type) doping. The results reveal that the thermal conductivity of silicon-28 oxide is equal to 1.43 W/m-K and is similar to the thermal conductivity reported for the oxide of natural silicon, i.e., 1.4 W/m-K. The data also shows consistent differences (/spl sim/55%) in the thermal conductivity between natural and isotopically-pure Si, independently of the level of doping. Both the p and n-doping produce a decrease (/spl sim/18%) in the thermal conductivity for both natural and isotopically-pure silicon. The thermal interface resistance between the top gold layer and the underlying epitaxial layer has also been measured and found to vary slightly from sample to sample.
Near‐Field Enhanced Plasmonic‐Magnetic Bifunctional Nanotubes for Single Cell Bioanalysis

Near-fi eld enhanced bifunctional plasmonic-magnetic (PM) nanostructures consisting of silica nanotubes with embedded solid nanomagnets and uniformly dual-surface-coated plasmonic Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are rationally synthesized. The solid embedded sections of nanotubes provide single-molecule sensitivity with an enhancement factor up to 7.2 × 10 9 for surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS). More than 2 × SERS enhancement is observed from the hollow section compared to the solid section of the same nanotube. The substantial SERS enhancement on the hollow section is attributed to the dual-sided coating of Ag NPs as well as the near-fi eld optical coupling of Ag NPs across the nanotube walls. Experimentation and modeling are carried out to understand the dependence of SERS enhancement on the NP sizes, junctions, and the near fi eld effects. By tuning the aspect ratio of the embedded nanomagnets, the magnetic anisotropy of nanotubes can be readily controlled to be parallel or vertical to the long directions for nano-manipulation. Leveraging the bifunctionality, a nanotube is magnetically maneuvered to a single living mammalian cell amidst many and its membrane composition is analyzed via SERS spectroscopy.
Project Management for Complex Transportation Projects

The management of complex transportation projects requires a fundamental change in how they are approached. The traditional methodology for managing transportation projects is not adequate for complex projects. The project begins by discussing the transition of project management towards a five-dimensional model that incorporates context and financing dimensions that have previously been regarded merely as risks. The five dimensional model and an extensive literature search pertaining to the management of complex transportation projects assist in mapping the complexity of real-world projects. The main purpose of this research is to present results found on real-world projects that illustrate a new type of management approach for project managers. A total of five case studies are selected for this project that have definitive sources of complexity found that create management challenges. The literature review serves as a starting point in developing a questionnaire that focuses on complexity issues found in the studied transportation projects. Participants familiar with each project are interviewed to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. This information can be used in several ways. First, examining a number of complex projects allows similarities to arise between them relating to common sources of complexity. Second, the mapping of each project allows the user to compare both the studied projects and upcoming agency projects in order to make resource allocation decisions based on commonalities. Lastly, the resource allocation recommendations also discuss potential skill sets that would be the most adept at effectively managing specific portions of a project.
Effect of animal welfare audits of slaughter plants by a major fast food company on cattle handling and stunning practices

Objective—To determine the percentages of cattle that are stunned correctly and that vocalize (moo or bellow) when a major meat-buying customer conducts slaughter plant audits. Design—Survey of existing practices. Sample Population—22 federally inspected slaughter plants. Procedure—The 3 variables evaluated in each slaughter plant were stunning efficacy, insensibility on the bleed rail, and vocalization. Results—Of the 22 slaughter plants, 17 (77%) rendered ≥ 95% of the cattle insensible with a single shot from a captive bolt stunner. Twenty slaughter plants (91%) rendered 100% of the cattle completely insensible before hanging them on the bleed rail. Eighteen of 21 (86%) slaughter plants achieved cattle vocalization scores of ≤ 3%. The mean vocalization score for all slaughter plants was 3.08%. Vocalization ranged from 0.66 to 17%. Conclusions—Results of this study indicate that audits of slaughter plants by major meat-buying customers may motivate the meat industry to improve handling and stunning pract...
Formation of Elastic Whey Protein Gels at Low pH by Acid Equilibration

Whey protein gels have a weak/brittle texture when formed at pH <or= 4.5, yet this pH is required to produce a high-protein, shelf-stable product. We investigated if gels could be made under conditions that produced strong/elastic textural properties then adjusted to pH <or= 4.5 and maintain textural properties. Gels were initially formed at 15% w/w protein (pH 7.5). Equilibration in acid solutions caused gel swelling and lowered pH because of the diffusion of water and H(+) into the gels. The type and concentration of acid, and presence of other ions, in the equilibrating solutions influenced pH, swelling ratio, and fracture properties of the gels. Swelling of gels decreased fracture stress (because of decreased protein network density) but caused little change to fracture strain, thus maintaining a desirable strong/elastic fracture pattern. We have shown that whey protein isolate gels can be made at pH <or= 4.5 with a strong/elastic fracture pattern and the magnitude of this pattern can be altered by varying the acid type, acid concentration, pH of equilibrating solution, and equilibrating time.
Infant eyes: optics and accommodation

Infant eyes grow rapidly in the first year of life. They exhibit considerable amounts of astigmatism, most frequently in the horizontal/vertical meridians with the horizontal meridian focused myopically relative to the vertical (i.e. “against-the-rule”). By photokeratometry it is shown that most of this astigmatism in young infants is corneal in nature. The ability to accurately focus a visual target at varying distances exists to some extent from birth, but impoves rapidly in the first 4 to 6 months of life until the net spherical error of focus is less than 0.5 diopters for targets 1.5 meters distant. At this stage, the astigmatism of the eye accounts for more than half of the defocus of the worst focused meridian. The persistence of astigmatism beyond the development of accurate focusing raises questions as to its conceivable functional significance. Because the mechanism of accommodation in adults may involve one or more of several methods for detecting the sign of defocus, including astigmatic blur, ...
Path preserving scale down for validation of internet inter-domain routing protocols

New solutions have been proposed to address problems with the Internet's interdomain routing protocol, BGP. Before their deployment, validation of incremental performance gains and backwards compatibility is necessary. For this task, the Internet's large size and complexity make all techniques but simulation infeasible. When performing large-scale network simulations, memory requirements for routing table storage can become a limiting factor. This work uses model reduction to mitigate this problem, with reduction defined in terms of the number of routers. Our framework uses path properties specific to interdomain routing to define the conditions of a path-preserving scale-down transformation. For implementation, vertex contraction and deletion were used to remove routers from a preliminary nominal network model. Vertex contraction was seen to violate the conditions of the transformation. A small subgraph from a measured topology is used for experimental validation. Routing tables are compared to show equivalence under the model reduction.
Risks of coronary artery bypass surgery in dialysis-dependent patients—analysis of the 2001 National Inpatient Sample

Background. Dialysis patients have a high risk of cardiovascular death but may under-use coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) because of the risk of peri-operative death. Whether operative mortality in dialysis patients has declined with contemporary techniques is uncertain. We undertook this study in order to compare peri-operative mortality in chronic dialysis (CD) and non-dialysis patients following CABG and to determine whether high levels of comorbidity in CD patients account for identified differences in operative risk. Methods. This study is a retrospective analysis of the 2001 National Inpatient Sample, a stratified probability sample of over seven million admissions in 33 states. Administrative data and ICD-9CM codes were used to identify dialysis patients, comorbidities, procedures and operative outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding. Results. In this study, 77 323 non-dialysis patients and 635 dialysis patients underwent CABG. In-hospital death occurred in 11.1% of dialysis patients compared to 3.4% of non-dialysis patients. Rates of stroke, sepsis and pneumonia were also increased in dialysis patients. After adjustment for other surgical risk factors, the odds of in-hospital death were 3.38 (2.54–4.50, P < 0.001) times higher in dialysis than non-dialysis patients. Conclusions. Operative mortality in dialysis patients remains high despite recent advances in CABG surgery and is not explained by the high rates of comorbidity in dialysis patients. Because there is a very high risk of cardiovascular death without intervention, CABG may nevertheless be a life-saving therapy in CD patients. Randomized trials are needed to better define the optimal role of CABG in dialysis patients.
A solid sate power converter with sinusoidal currents in high frequency transformer for power system applications

This paper proposes a power electronic converter, with sinusoidal currents in high frequency transformer. High frequency power transformers are capable of replacing the bulky power transformers in power systems.
Becoming an Ex-Priest: The Process of Leaving a High Commitment Status

This is an analysis of the process of leaving a high commitment status. Data on former priests identify two conditions under which predisposing factors became translated into resignation from the priesthood: forming new primary relationships and constructing legitimations of these relationships to support moving out of the status. These conditions underpin a resocialization process which helps establish a new reality for the individual.
Progress in overcoming barriers to influenza immunization of pregnant women.

2012. (continued ) We are pleased to bring you this special issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology entitled Progress in Overcoming Barriers to Influenza Immunization f Pregnant Women.” All of the manuscripts included in this pecial issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecolgy are based on presentations made and discussions held at a -day meeting on October 27-28, 2011, in Rockville, MD. The onference was sponsored by the National Vaccine Program ffice, and cosponsored by the American College of Obstetriians and Gynecologists, the Centers for Disease Control and revention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Naional Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Representaion at the conference is shown in the Table. The objectives of he meeting were to assess progress in overcoming barriers to regnant women receiving influenza immunization, and to rioritize the next research and programmatic steps toward the oal of all pregnant women in the United States receiving inuenza vaccine annually, as been recommended by the Adviory Committee on Immunization Practices and other groups or years. As reviewed by Rasmussen and colleagues, both pregnant omen and young infants are at increased risk for morbidity nd mortality with influenza illness. Influenza immunization ates among pregnant women in the United States have inreased substantially over the past decade, yet the most recent ata indicate half of all pregnant women in the United States emain unvaccinated. Current data support the immunogenicity and effectiveness of inactivated influenza vaccine among pregnant women. In addition, the available evidence indiates influenza immunization during pregnancy conveys fetal nd infant protection. Additional immunogenicity and effiacy studies of influenza immunization during pregnancy are nderway, both in the United States and in other countries.
Evaluation of calibration procedures for optical see-through head-mounted displays

Optical see-through head-mounted displays (HMDs) are less commonly used because they are difficult to accurately calibrate. In this article, we report a user study to compare the accuracy of 4 variants of the SPAAM calibration method. Among the 4 variants, Stylus-marker calibration, where the user aligns a crosshair projected in the HMD with a tracked stylus tip, achieved the most accurate result. A decomposition and analysis of the calibration matrices from the trials is performed and the characteristics of the computed calibration matrices are examined. A physiological engineering point of view is also discussed to explain why calibrating optical see-through HMD is so difficult for users.
Fast high-resolution prediction of multi-phase flow in fractured formations

The success of a thermal water flood for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) depends on a detailed representation of the geometrical and hydraulic properties of the fracture network, which induces discrete, channelized flow behavior. The resulting high-resolution model is typically computationally very demanding. Here, we use the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Mapping Method to reconstruct high-resolution solutions based on efficient low-resolution solutions. The method requires training a reduced order model (ROM) using high- and low-resolution solutions determined for a relatively short simulation time. For a cyclic EOR operation, the oil production rate and the heterogeneous structure of the oil saturation are accurately reproduced even after 105 cycles, reducing the computational cost by at least 85%. The method described is general and can be potentially utilized with any multiphase flow model.
Optimal Critical-Mode Control of Building under Seismic Load

An analysis of optimal open-loop critical-mode control for tall buildings excited by earthquakes is presented. It is shown that both the active mass damper and the active tendon system are effective in reducing the building response. Furthermore, the optimal critical-mode control is likely to be as effective as the optimal global control, since the building response under earthquake excitations is usually dominated by a few lowest modes.
Surgical Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Contemporary Viewpoint on Place of Ovarian Surgery in PCOS Management

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of ovulatory dysfunction and resultant infertility. Although the mainstay in management is predominantly medical therapy directed at overcoming diverse symptomatology, surgical management of PCOS was one of the earliest therapeutic options available to treat the disease. Soon after their original description of the disorder, Stein and Leventhal serendipitously discovered that ovarian wedge resection resulted in symptomatic improvement and correction of ovulatory defect of PCOS. The initial enthusiasm soon dampened and ovarian wedge resection subsequently fell into disfavor secondary to sequelae of ovarian cortical trauma that included pelvic adhesions and detriment to ovarian reserve. Recent innovations in the surgical approach, however, offer a potential for benefit for patients unresponsive to conventional medical therapy; focal targeted theca cell destruction utilizing laparoscopic ovarian drilling (LOD) or ultrasound-guided ovarian follicle aspiration, can correct the endocrine milieu of PCOS, albeit transiently, while mitigating serious adverse effects that were common with the conventional wedge resection approach. These beneficial endocrine effects usually result in amelioration of ovulatory dysfunction and infertility. Minimally invasive surgical management of PCOS in the appropriately selected patient is a cost-effective therapeutic option that has comparable success rates to ovulation induction in the management of infertility without incurring any additional treatment related risk of multiple pregnancy. Alongside thecal decompression, interventions such as LOD, bariatric surgical procedures are increasingly being utilized to address obesity and accompanying co morbidities that are highly prevalent in populations of women with PCOS. This chapter focuses on ovarian surgical interventions that can be of relevance to the management of PCOS in a subgroup of patients, whereas Chapter 16 addresses the relevance of bariatric surgical interventions in PCOS.
SPL by Electric-Field- Enhanced Oxidation

SPL by electric-field-enhanced oxidation was introduced by Dagata [5] in his pioneering study of patterning hydrogen passivated single crystal silicon with the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The lithography begins by removing the native oxide and hydrogen passivating the silicon surface in hydroflouric acid (HF). Then the tip of a scanning probe with a voltage bias (typically a few volts) is brought to the vicinity of the surface creating an intense electric field. The magnitude of this electric field can be in excess of 1 V/nm. A schematic diagram of the experimental set up is shown in Fig. 2.1.
A meta-analytic review of authentic and transformational leadership: A test for redundancy

While authentic leadership (AL) has seen a dramatic increase in scholarly attention over the last decade, its contribution relative to more established leadership constructs merits investigation. We employ meta-analytic techniques to compare AL and transformational leadership theories using 100 independent samples and 25,452 individuals. The findings reveal that (1) the relationship between authentic and transformational leadership is large in magnitude, suggesting construct redundancy (ρ = .72); (2) neither AL nor transformational leadership add noticeable incremental validity beyond the other construct; (3) AL has a lower relative weight than transformational leadership for the outcomes of follower satisfaction, follower satisfaction with the leader, task performance, and leader effectiveness; and (4) AL demonstrates dominance over transformational leadership when predicting group or organization performance and organizational citizenship behaviors. We recommend future research examine AL at the component level and its relationships with related ethical constructs to potentially differentiate it from transformational leadership.
Employer Characteristics Associated With Discrimination Charges Under the Americans With Disabilities Act

Using two administrative data sets from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), this study examines the relationship between employer and environmental characteristics and Americans Wit...
MDM2 inhibition rescues neurogenic and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, is caused by loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). However, the mechanism remains unclear, and effective treatment is lacking. We show that loss of FMRP leads to activation of adult mouse neural stem cells (NSCs) and a subsequent reduction in the production of neurons. We identified the ubiquitin ligase mouse double minute 2 homolog (MDM2) as a target of FMRP. FMRP regulates Mdm2 mRNA stability, and loss of FMRP resulted in elevated MDM2 mRNA and protein. Further, we found that increased MDM2 expression led to reduced P53 expression in adult mouse NSCs, leading to alterations in NSC proliferation and differentiation. Treatment with Nutlin-3, a small molecule undergoing clinical trials for treating cancer, specifically inhibited the interaction of MDM2 with P53, and rescued neurogenic and cognitive deficits in FMRP-deficient mice. Our data reveal a potential regulatory role for FMRP in the balance between adult NSC activation and quiescence, and identify a potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome.
Bridging the Performance-Programmability Gap for FPGAs via OpenCL: A Case Study with OpenDwarfs

For decades, the streaming architecture of FPGAs has delivered accelerated performance across many application domains, such as option pricing solvers in finance, computational fluid dynamics in oil and gas, and packet processing in network routers and firewalls. However, this performance has come at the significant expense of programmability, i.e., the performance-programmability gap. In particular, FPGA developers use a hardware design language (HDL) to implement the application data path and to design hardware modules for computation pipelines, memory management, synchronization, and communication. This process requires extensive low-level knowledge of the target FPGA architecture and consumes significant development time and effort. To address this lack of programmability of FPGAs, OpenCL provides an easy-to-use and portable programming model for CPUs, GPUs, APUs, and now, FPGAs. However, this significantly improved programmability can come at the expense of performance, that is, there still remains a performance-programmability gap. To improve the performance of OpenCL kernels on FPGAs, and thus, bridge the performance-programmability gap, we apply and evaluate the effect of various optimization techniques on GEM, an N-body method from the OpenDwarfs benchmark suite.
Ecological Efficiency of Iron and Steel Industry in China Based on Bulk Material Flow Analysis

Steel outputs have grown rapidly in China in recent years,and it is necessary to research the ecological efficiency of the iron and steel industry at a large scale. Bulk material flow analysis for the iron and steel system in China was carried out,and the indicators for the iron and steel system were obtained. The ecological efficiency including resource efficiency,energy efficiency and decoupling indicators for the iron and steel industry in China from 1995-2011 were determined. The results show that the resource efficiency and resource economic efficiency reached their peak values in 2004: 0. 54 t steel/t ore and 827. 66 yuan/t ore respectively. The energy efficiency and energy economic efficiency reached their peak values in 2011: 1. 53 t steel/tce and 2976. 65 yuan/tce,respectively. Based on the results of bulk material flow analysis for the iron and steel system of China,decoupling analysis was further carried out according to the decoupling indicators. The results suggest that the value of decoupling indicator for domestic extraction was 0. 189,which is larger than those of direct materials input( 0. 115),total materials requirement( 0. 084) and domestic processed output( 0. 061). The decoupling indicator of domestic extraction showed a higher value during the period due to the shortage of domestic iron ore output and the dependence on imported resources. In conclusion,it is recommended to improve the comprehensive utilization rate of mineral resources and enhance the utilization of scrap steel.
Ultrasound Diagnosis of Mesenteric Cyst in Children

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evalute the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of mesenteric cyst in children.Materials and Methods:The sonographic features of mesenteric cyst confirmed surgically and pathologically were analyzed retrospectively in 43 cases.Results:The correct diagnosis was obtained in 38 cases with ultrasound.Mesenteric cyst had typical sonographic appearances,such as irregular shaped,5cm in diameter,thin wall with perfusion-less septum and so on.Conclusion:Ultrasound can be the preferential procedure for the diagnosis of this disease.
TH-AB-207A-03: Skin Dose to Patients Receiving Multiple CTA and CT Exams of the Head

Purpose: To measure patient skin dose from CT angiography (CTA) and CT exams of the head, and determine if patients having multiple exams could receive cumulative doses that approach or exceed deterministic thresholds. Methods: This study was HIPAA compliant and conducted with IRB approval. Patient skin doses were measured over a 4 month period using nanoDot OSL dosimeters placed on the head of 52 patients for two CT scanners. On each scanner, 26 patients received CT exams (scanner 1: 10 females, 16 males, mean age 64.2 years; scanner 2: 18 females, 8 males, mean age 61.2 years). CT exam dose metrics, CTDIvol and dose-length product (DLP) were recorded for each exam. Additionally, skin dose was measured on an acrylic skull phantom in each scanner and on a neuro-interventional imaging system using clinical protocols. Measured dose data was used to estimate peak skin dose (PSD) for 4 patients receiving multiple exams including CTA, head CT, and cerebral angiography. Results: For scanner 1, the mean PSD for CTA exams (98.9 ± 5.3 mGy) and for routine head CT exams (39.2 ± 3.7 mGy) agreed reasonably well with the PSD measured on the phantom, 105.4 mGy and 40.0 mGy, respectively. Similarly for scanner 2, the mean PSD for CTA exams (98.8 ± 7.4 mGy) and for routine head CT exams (42.9 ± 9.4 mGy) compared well with phantom measurements, 95.2 mGy and 37.6 mGy, respectively. In addition, the mean PSD was comparable between scanners for corresponding patient exams, CTA and routine head CT respectively. PSD estimates ranged from 1.9 – 4.5 Gy among 4 patients receiving multiple exams. Conclusion: Patients having several exams including both CTA and routine head CT may receive cumulative doses approaching or exceeding the threshold for single dose deterministic effects.
Cultivating Intramural Sports Officials for Success beyond the Basics

The beginning point for officials’ training is generally with basic elements such as rules, mechanics, and positioning. However, it is a variety of other skills that separate the outstanding officials, from the average ones. These skills do not appear in traditional rule books and officials’ manuals. While the intramural sports administrator can typically have most of his/her training time consumed with the basics, it is important to incorporate other aspects of teaching so that officials can achieve success beyond the elementary stages, then serve as mentors to incoming officials. Some of these factors include how to slow the game, court/field awareness, positioning and angles, call selection, proportionality, managing the game, and dead-ball officiating. Implementation of these artistic components of officiating can be accomplished throughout the educational process. These include: practice in active sessions and discussion in the teaching environment during preseason clinics; periodic performance asses...
Aberrant Crypt Foci in Colon Cancer Epidemiology

Colonic carcinogenesis is characterized by progressive accumulations of genetic and epigenetic derangements. These molecular events are accompanied by histological changes that progress from mild cryptal architectural abnormalities in small adenomas to eventual invasive cancers. The transition steps from normal colonic epithelium to small adenomas are little understood. In experimental models of colonic carcinogenesis aberrant crypt foci (ACF), collections of abnormal appearing colonic crypts, are the earliest detectable abnormality and precede adenomas. Whether in fact ACF are precursors of colon cancer, however, remains controversial. Recent advances in magnification chromoendoscopy now allow these lesions to be identified in vivo and their natural history ascertained. While increasing lines of evidence suggest that dysplastic ACF harbor a malignant potential, there are few prospective studies to confirm causal relationships and supporting epidemiological studies are scarce. It would be very useful, for example, to clarify the relationship of ACF incidence to established risks for colon cancer, including age, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and Western diets. In experimental animal models, carcinogens dose-dependently increase ACF, whereas most chemopreventive agents reduce ACF incidence or growth. In humans, however, few agents have been validated to be chemopreventive of colon cancer. It remains unproven, therefore, whether human ACF could be used as reliable surrogate markers of efficacy of chemopreventive agents. If these lesions could be used as reliable biomarkers of colon cancer risk and their reductions as predictors of effective chemopreventive agents, metrics to quantify ACF could greatly facilitate the study of colonic carcinogenesis and chemoprevention.
Multi-component diffusion characterization of radiation-induced white matter damage

Author(s): Karunamuni, Roshan A; White, Nathan S; McDonald, Carrie R; Connor, Michael; Pettersson, Niclas; Seibert, Tyler M; Kuperman, Joshua; Farid, Nikdokht; Moiseenko, Vitali; Dale, Anders M; Hattangadi-Gluth, Jona A | Abstract: PurposeWe used multi-b-value diffusion models to characterize microstructural white matter changes after brain radiation into fast and slow components, in order to better understand the pathophysiology of radiation-induced tissue damage.MethodsFourteen patients were included in this retrospective analysis with imaging prior to, and at 1, 4-5, and 9-10 months after radiotherapy (RT). Diffusion signal decay within brain white matter was fit to a biexponential model to separate changes within the slow and fast components. Linear mixed-effects models were used to obtain estimates of the effect of radiation dose and time on the model parameters.ResultsWe found an increase of 0.11 × 10-4 and 0.14 × 10-4 mm2 /s in the fast diffusion coefficient per unit dose-time (Gy-month) in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. By contrast, the longitudinal slow diffusion coefficient decreased independently of dose, by 0.18 × 10-4 , 0.16 × 10-4 , and 0.098 × 10-4 mm2 /s at 1, 4, and 9 months post-RT, respectively.ConclusionsRadiation-induced white matter changes in the first year following RT are driven by dose-dependent increases in the fast component and dose-independent decreases in the slow component.
INTERACTION OF DISSOLVED MOLECULAR HYDROGEN WITH A VITREOUS SILICA HOST

ABSTRACT Measurements of the solubility of molecular hydrogen in vitreous silica and the observation of Raman and induced IR spectra of dissolved H2 and D2 molecules have been used to evolve a simple picture of the gas-glass interaction, This model successfully predicts the isotope and temperature dependence of the shift in the stretching frequency of the dissolved molecule from that of the isolated molecule. A more fundamental approach describes the H2, D2-SiO2 interaction in terms of measured Lennard-Jones parameters. Calculated values of the solubility parameters and the hydrogen matrix shift depend markedly on the assumed host structure, suggesting that experimental determination of these parameters constitutes a sensitive probe of the local atomic structure in amorphous materials.
Interventions to Reduce Perceived Stress Among Graduate Students: A Systematic Review With Implications for Evidence-Based Practice.

Background Stress is a part of daily life for graduate students, including graduate nursing students. Contemporary graduate nursing students are facing unprecedented challenges to meet rigorous academic standards as they prepare for their advanced professional role to meet the demands of the nation's complex and ever-changing healthcare system. Empowering graduate nursing students to ease their perceived stress and minimize undesirable health effects may benefit their capacity to adapt and successfully manage perceived stress in their future healthcare role. Aims To conduct a systematic review to evaluate the existing evidence with the aim of identifying evidence-based self-care interventions for coping with perceived stress. Methods We conducted a systematic review, searching CINAHL Plus with Full Text, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE. Inclusion criteria included self-care, graduate students, perceived stress as measured by Perceived Stress Scale, quantitative analysis, conducted within the United States, English language, and peer reviewed. Two authors completed an asynchronous review of the articles, and one expert evidence-based practice mentor and one wellness expert conducted rigorous appraisal of the eight identified studies. Evidence was evaluated and synthesized, and recommendations for practice were determined. Results Eight studies meeting the criteria for this systematic review were critically appraised. The interventions varied from a stress management course to mind-body-stress-reduction (MBSR) techniques, such as yoga, breath work, meditation, and mindfulness. All studies measured the outcome of stress with the Perceived Stress Scale. Each study demonstrated a reduction in perceived stress postintervention. Linking Evidence to Action Most effective self-care MBSR interventions include (a) a didactic component, (b) a guided MBSR practice session, and (c) homework. Consideration should be given to a trained or certified MBSR instructor to teach the intervention.
“Sorry, I Can’t Do That”: Developing Mechanisms to Appropriately Reject Directives in Human-Robot Interactions

Future robots will need mechanisms to determine whenand how it is best to reject directives that it receives fromhuman interlocutors. In this paper, we briefly presentinitial work that has been done in the DIARC/ADE cognitive robotic architecture to enable a directive rejectionand explanation mechanism, showing its operation in asimple HRI scenario.
Bevacizumab in extensive-disease small cell lung cancer: the search continues

The outcomes of extended stage small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC) have remained unchanged over the past two decades, with a median survival of 10 months and a 2-year survival of 10%, despite addition of radiation therapy to certain subsets of patients (1). The combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide has remained unchanged since the late 1990’s (2), despite testing multiple different agents, both cytotoxic and targeted agents.
Characterising HIV transmission risk among US patients with HIV in care: a cross-sectional study of sexual risk behaviour among individuals with viral load above 1500 copies/mL.

Objectives Viral load and sexual risk behaviour contribute to HIV transmission risk. High HIV viral loads present greater transmission risk than transient viral ‘blips’ above an undetectable level. This paper therefore characterises sexual risk behaviour among patients with HIV in care with viral loads>1500 copies/mL and associated demographic characteristics. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at six HIV outpatient clinics in USA. The study sample comprises 1315 patients with HIV with a recent viral load >1500 copies/mL. This study sample was drawn from a larger sample of individuals with a recent viral load >1000 copies/mL who completed a computer-assisted self-interview (CASI) regarding sexual risk practices in the last 2 months. The study sample was 32% heterosexual men, 38% men who have sex with men (MSM) and 30% women. Results Ninety per cent of the sample had their viral load assay within 60 days of the CASI. Thirty-seven per cent reported being sexually active (vaginal or anal intercourse) in the last 2 months. Most of the sexually active participants reported always using condoms (56.9%) or limiting condomless sex to seroconcordant partners (serosorting; 29.2% overall and 42.9% among MSM). Among sexually active participants who reported condomless anal or vaginal sex with an at-risk partner (14%), most had viral loads>10 000 copies/mL (62%). Conclusions A relatively small number of patients with HIV in care with viral loads above 1500 copies/mL reported concurrent sexual transmission risk behaviours. Most of the individuals in this small group had markedly elevated viral loads, increasing the probability of transmission. Directing interventions to patients in care with high viral loads and concurrent risk behaviour could strengthen HIV prevention and reduce HIV infections. Trial registration number NCT02044484, completed.