cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of the seasonal asymmetry in ionospheric Pedersen conductance on the appearance of discrete aurora

[1] A two-dimensional numerical two-fluid MHD model of the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system has been used to examine the effects of seasonal asymmetry in ionospheric conductance on the development of feedback instability and associated energetic electron precipitation. Effects of finite electron inertia and anomalous resistivity in the magnetospheric MHD model lead to the formation of parallel electric fields above the ionosphere as the feedback instability develops. The Fridman-Lemaire model of energetic electron precipitation has been used to calculate the energy flux carried into the auroral ionosphere by accelerated electrons. The electron energy flux into the lower conductivity winter ionosphere is significantly greater than that into the summer ionosphere due to the asymmetry in ionospheric conductance. The higher energy flux into the winter ionosphere may increase the occurrence of discrete aurora in the winter hemisphere as detected by satellite auroral imaging.
Skin examinations and skin cancer prevention counseling by US physicians: a long way to go.

Abstract Background: Nonmelanoma skin cancer and actinic keratoses may be partially preventable by physician counseling. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of counseling for skin cancer prevention. Methods: Data on skin cancer counseling and skin examinations were obtained from representative visits to outpatient physicians in the United States from the 1997 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. A limitation of the skin examination data is that the extent of the skin examination was not reported. Results: Skin examinations occurred in 60 million (8.6%) of 703 million office visits, and skin cancer prevention counseling or education occurred in 12 million visits (1.5%). For patients younger than 20 years, such prevention counseling occurred in only 1.0% of 169 million visits. For those patients with a current or previous history of nonmelanoma or melanoma skin cancer or actinic keratosis (high-risk patients) identified by the treating physician, 2.8 million (35%) of 7.9 million patients received such counseling. In high-risk patients, dermatologists provided such counseling at 41% of visits, compared with 24% for general and family practice, 9.3% for otolaryngology, 13% for general surgery, and 7.7% for internal medicine. In such high-risk patients, skin examinations were performed at 78% of dermatology visits, 69% of otolarynogolgy visits, 36% of general surgery visits, and 27% of family physician visits. Capitation did not lead to greater primary preventive practices; skin cancer prevention counseling occurred in 4% of high-risk capitated patients compared with 38% of noncapitated patients. Conclusion: Physicians provide skin cancer prevention counseling or education at fewer than half of visits for high-risk patients. High-risk patients are likely to receive skin cancer prevention messages depending on the specialty of physician that they visit in roughly the following scheme: dermatologists>family physicians>all other specialties. Economic restraints within managed care systems may affect their "health maintenance" function. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2000;43:234-7.)
How Autistic Children May Use Narrative Discourse to Scaffold Coherent Interpretations of Events: A Case Study:

High-functioning autistic children often behave as if they fail to integrate information or seek out coherence. In this article we present a social-pragmatic account of this impairment, in which we propose that social and linguistic deficits tend to isolate autistic children from the experiences that promote the integration of information by other children. This hypothesis is based on the view that, in typical human development, language plays a central role in creating coherence, including the ability to infer the intentions of others. The proposal is supported by a case study of an autistic adolescent who, when provided with adult scaffolding as he repeatedly retells a story, shows the same kinds of changes shown by unimpaired, although younger, children. An implication is that the difficulty that autistic children have in pulling information together arises, in part, from problems with the narrative mode of discourse. We infer that, provided with the right kinds of language-use experiences, high-functi...
Development of a Multipoint Quantitation Method to Simultaneously Measure Enzymatic and Structural Components of the Clostridium thermocellum Cellulosome Protein Complex

Clostridium thermocellum has emerged as a leading bioenergy-relevant microbe due to its ability to solubilize cellulose into carbohydrates, mediated by multicomponent membrane-attached complexes termed cellulosomes. To probe microbial cellulose utilization rates, it is desirable to be able to measure the concentrations of saccharolytic enzymes and estimate the total amount of cellulosome present on a mass basis. Current cellulase determination methodologies involve labor-intensive purification procedures and only allow for indirect determination of abundance. We have developed a method using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM-MS) to simultaneously quantitate both enzymatic and structural components of the cellulosome protein complex in samples ranging in complexity from purified cellulosomes to whole cell lysates, as an alternative to a previously developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method of cellulosome quantitation. The precision of the cellulosome mass concentration in technical replicates is better than 5% relative standard deviation for all samples, indicating high precision for determination of the mass concentration of cellulosome components.
Anisotropy in the Shallow Crust Observed around the San Andreas Fault Before and After the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield Earthquake

Local seismic arrays were deployed at two locations along the San An- dreas fault (SAF) near Parkfield, California, before and after the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake. Using local earthquakes we determine the anisotropic field within 1- 2 km of the main trace of the SAF at the two array locations separated by 12 km. The initial array, near the SAFOD site, was deployed for six weeks in October and November 2003, and the second array, located near the town of Parkfield, was de- ployed for 3 months following the 28 September 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake. We find the fast shear-wave polarization direction nearly fault-parallel (N40W) for stations on the main fault trace and within 100 m to the southwest of the SAF at both array locations. These fault-parallel measurements span the 100- to 150-m-wide zone of pervasive cracking and damage interpreted from fault-zone-trapped waves associated with the main fault core (Li et al., 2004, 2006). Outside of this zone, the fast orientations are scattered with some preference for orientations near N10E, roughly parallel to the regional maximum horizontal compressive stress direction (rh). In addition, fast directions are preferentially oriented parallel to a northern branch of the SAF recorded on stations in the 2004 Parkfield deployment. The measured anisotropy is likely due to a combination of stress-aligned micro- cracks away from the fault and shear fabric within the highly evolved fault core. The majority of our measurements are taken outside of the main fault core, and we es- timate the density of microcracks from the measured delay times. Apparent crack densities are approximately 3%, with large scatter. The data suggest weak depth dependence to the measured delay times for source depths between 2 and 7 km. Below 7-km source depth, the delay times do not correlate with depth suggesting higher confining pressure is forcing the microcracks to close. No coseismic variation in the anisotropic parameters is observed, suggesting little to no influence on measured splitting due to the 2004 M 6.0 Parkfield earthquake. However, the premainshock and postmainshock data presented here are from arrays separated by 12 km, limiting our sensitivity to small temporal changes in anisotropy.
The rubber pencil illusion

When a straight, rigid line segment is put into certain types of motion, it appears to an observer to lose its rigidity and become rubbery, as in the well-known “rubber pencil illusion.“ The factors controlling this illusion were examined, including the nature of the motion employed (harmonic or linear oscillation), the amplitudes of the translational and rotational components of the motion, and the phase relationship between these two components. The effect is shown to be due to visual persistence. The status of the illusion as a potential counterexample to the rigidity principle (that moving, two-dimensional arrays will be perceived as rigid) is discussed.
Thermal Contact Conductance of Flat-Plate Solar Collector Materials

This paper describes an experimental program in which the thermal contact conductance of aluminum/copper interfaces in vacuo was determined for contact pressures of 0.07-9.1 MN/m2 and for junction temperatures of 50-175°C. Tests have been conducted both for bare metal contacts and for contacts in which silicone grease of high thermal conductivity was applied to the interface to improve the heat transfer at the junction. The experimental results indicate that the thermal contact conductance between the aluminum and copper is increased significantly when the grease is used. The introduction of grease between the fin and tubing of a flat-plate solar collector may improve the heat-transfer efficiency of the collector substantially. The data will enable designers to estimate the increase in collector efficiency that results when silicone grease is used at the fin-tube bond and to determine if the use of interstitial greases in aluminum/copper collector assemblies is economically desirable.
Micromechanics-based determination of effective elastic properties of polymer bonded explosives

Polymer bonded explosives are particulate composites containing a high volume fraction of stiff elastic explosive particles in a compliant viscoelastic binder. Since the volume fraction of particles can be greater than 0.9 and the modulus contrast greater than 20 000, rigorous bounds on the elastic moduli of the composite are an order of magnitude different from experimentally determined values. Analytical solutions are also observed to provide inaccurate estimates of effective elastic properties. Direct finite element approximations of effective properties require large computational resources because of the complexity of the microstructure of these composites. An alternative approach, the recursive cells method (RCM) is also explored in this work. Results show that the degree of discretization and the microstructures used in finite element models of PBXs can significantly affect the estimated Young’s moduli.
Maturity effects on chemical composition, silage fermentation and digestibility of whole plant grain sorghum and soya-bean silages fed to beef cattle

Abstract The present study was conducted to compare chemical composition, fermentation characteristics, and nutritive value of whole plant grain sorghum and soya-bean silages harvested at the late-bloom, milk, and late-dough stages of sorghum maturity. Diets containing 87.6% of the interseeded silages were fed to growing beef cattle, and grain sorghum silage harvested at the late-dough stage was fed as a control. Maturity stages affected chemical composition and fermentation of the interseeded silages. Dry matter intakes of the interseeded silages were not significantly different for the three maturity stages, but all were lower than that of the control. Digestibilities of most of the nutrients were, however, similar for the four silage diets.
Fatigue fracture of tibial arthroplasty implant masked by contralateral knee arthritis

INTRODUCTION The wear of polyethylene components is a well-recognised long-term complication of total knee arthroplasty.
Velocity and turbulence measurements in a supersonic base flow with mass bleed

Two-component laser Doppler velocimetry was used to obtain detailed mean velocity and turbulence measurements in the near wake of a cylindrical afterbody with base bleed in a Mach 2.5 flow. The bleed flow provides at least some of the fluid required for shear layer entrainment and shields the base annulus from the outer shear layer and the primary recirculation region, leading to an increase in base pressure. There is an overall reduction in turbulence levels throughout the base bleed flowfields relative to the near-wake flowfields of blunt-based and boattailed afterbodies. With increasing bleed, the formation of a strong bleed jet shear layer and secondary recirculation region near the base annulus offsets the benefits of base bleed, leading to a drop in the base pressure. The net benefits of base bleed are maximized at the optimum bleed condition, which corresponds to the highest base pressure, the disappearance of the primary recirculation region, and the lowest turbulence levels in the near-wake flowfleld. Increased benefits from base bleed could be achieved by injecting the bleed fluid at the lowest possible velocity through the use of larger bleed orifices, porous bases, or bleed orifices located along the outer base annulus.
Divide-and-Conquer Matrix Factorization

This work introduces Divide-Factor-Combine (DFC), a parallel divide-and-conquer framework for noisy matrix factorization. DFC divides a large-scale matrix factorization task into smaller subproblems, solves each subproblem in parallel using an arbitrary base matrix factorization algorithm, and combines the sub-problem solutions using techniques from randomized matrix approximation. Our experiments with collaborative filtering, video background modeling, and simulated data demonstrate the near-linear to super-linear speed-ups attainable with this approach. Moreover, our analysis shows that DFC enjoys high-probability recovery guarantees comparable to those of its base algorithm.
Characterization of a Eukaryotic-Like Tyrosine Protein Kinase Expressed by the Shiga Toxin-Encoding Bacteriophage 933W

The Shiga toxin (Stx)-encoding bacteriophage 933W contains an open reading frame, stk, with amino acid sequence similarity to the catalytic domain of eukaryotic serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases (PKs). Eukaryotic PKs are related by a common catalytic domain, consisting of invariant and nearly invariant residues necessary for ATP binding and phosphotransfer. We demonstrate that rather than a Ser/Thr kinase, stk encodes a eukaryotic-like tyrosine (Tyr) kinase. An affinity-purified recombinant Stk (rStk) autophosphorylates and catalyzes the phosphorylation of an artificial substrate on Tyr residues and not on Ser or Thr residues. A change of an invariant lysine within the putative catalytic domain abolishes this kinase activity, indicating that Stk uses a phosphotransfer mechanism similar to the mechanism used by eukaryotic PKs. We provide evidence suggesting that stk is cotranscribed with cI from the phage promoter responsible for maintaining CI expression during lysogeny. The stk gene was identified in prophages obtained from independently isolated Stx-producing Escherichia coli clinical isolates, suggesting that selective pressure has maintained the stk gene in these pathogenic bacteria.
A bit planes predictive-transform source coder illustrated with SAR imagery

The memory space compression of a predictive-transform (PT) source coder is found to remain outstanding when the quantized coefficient errors emanating from its ‘lossy’ PT source encoder section are encoded using a novel, fast, and simple bit planes methodology. The advanced technique outperforms wavelets based JPEG2000 by more than 5 dBs when it compresses by a factor of 8,192 a test 4 megabytes (MB) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image used in knowledge-aided airborne moving target indicator (AMTI) radar.
Foot Care Assessment in Patients with Diabetes: A Screening Algorithm for Patient Education and Referral:

The foot care behaviors of patients with diabetes were assessed by medical history, and their feet were examined for peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, foot ulcers, and deformities. The sample consisted of 136 patients (14 with insulin-dependent diabetes and 122 with non-insulin-dependent diabetes). Mean age was 61 years and mean duration of diabetes was 13 years. Peripheral vascular disease was found in 25% of the patients, peripheral neuropathy in 33%, and 13% had both peripheral vascular disease and peripheral neuropathy. Potentially unsafe nail and foot care practices were identified, suggesting that routine diabetes care may not provide sufficient foot care education and follow-up for all patients. A screening algorithm was developed to provide guidelines for individualizing foot care education and referral of patients with diabetic foot disease. The recommendations included annual diabetes foot care assessments and education for those at low risk for foot amputation, intensive foot care education and more frequent follow-up for individuals with peripheral neuropathy or peripheral vascular disease, and referral to a foot care specialty clinic for individuals with peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease, or foot ulcers.
Follow-up of aortic coarctation repair in neonates.

Abstract Objectives The purposes of this study were to assess the growth of left heart (LH) structures, to evaluate midterm outcomes, and to define echocardiographic parameters predictive of increased risk of re-intervention in patients born with aortic coarctation and hypoplasia of LH structures that underwent neonatal coarctation repair. Background Neonatal coarctation is often associated with hypoplasia of LH structures. Although previous studies have shown that coarctation repair can be performed with good results in these neonates, there are little data regarding growth of the LH structures or outcomes in these patients. Methods Patients with isolated coarctation and at least one hypoplastic LH valve (mitral or aortic Z-score Results All 55 patients were alive and well, and no patient had clinical evidence of mitral stenosis. Three patients (5%) required re-intervention. Thirty-eight patients had echocardiograms that demonstrated normal left ventricular (LV) size and function with a follow-up duration of 73 ± 19 months (range 3 to 9 years). Both mitral and aortic annulus Z-scores increased significantly: −3.1 ± 1.5 to −0.5 ± 1.6 (p Conclusions After neonatal coarctation repair with associated LH hypoplasia, LH structures increase substantially in size, and clinical outcomes are excellent at midterm follow-up. Despite initial annular hypoplasia, the need for intervention for mitral or aortic/subaortic stenosis is uncommon.
The Classification of Behavior Settings in Social System Accounts

Chapters 4 through 7 deal with problems of classification in social system accounts. We maintain, with Barker, that all human behavior occurs in behavior settings and (hence) that all the living-time of all members of a given society is spent in them.
Ethnicity and the 1893 Wisconsin Assembly

IN recent years historians have reexamined patterns of popular voting from the Jacksonian era through the New Deal. While the interplay of factors that governed the behavior of voters in the American past have not yet been fully explained, studies show that partisan preferences varied significantly among ethnic groups during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.' Social issues frequently aroused voters' sensitivities, partisan loyalties of particular ethnic groups persisted over long periods of time, and patronage rewards were strategically distributed to members of ethnic groups, which composed each party's electoral coalition. Although historians now know that ethnic diversity had an impact on electoral patterns in the nineteenth century, they know less about ethnic influences on other parts of the political system, such as the legislative process. Some conflicts over public policy-making in legislatures, one can postulate, derived from differences in legislators' ethnic background. Studies of legislative roll call voting indicate that among the factors which analysts have examined, party affiliation is the most frequent basis of voting divisions when two-party situations exist.2 A hypothesis on the influence of ethnicity on legislative behavior, therefore, should provide for the possible
Hyperglycemia induced by certain insulin preparations.

SummaryIntravenous injection into cats of certain preparations of amorphous and crystalline insulin was found to provoke a transitory increase in blood glucose level. Kith one preparation, NOVO, no...
Traumatic open globe injury in young pediatric patients: characterization of a novel prognostic score

Background Open globe injury is a common cause of monocular blindness in children. Current formulas to predict outcomes of open globe injury often rely heavily on visual acuity and presence of an afferent pupillary defect, examination elements that are difficult to assess in young children. We aimed to analyze the features of open globe injuries in children aged 0-6 years to facilitate development of a novel algorithm for predicting visual outcomes in this age group. Methods The medical records of patients 0-6 years of age presenting at a single institution with open globe injury from 2000 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Epidemiology, physical examination, and intervention data were used to develop a prognostic algorithm. Results A total of 28 patients were included. Mean age at presentation was 4.2 years (range, 1.9-6.7). Glass was the most common mechanism of injury. Associated findings included uveal prolapse (93%), choroidal detachment (39%), hyphema (32%), and retinal detachment (11%). In addition to primary repair, 43% patients required a lensectomy, and 7% underwent surgery to repair retinal detachment. Complicating cataract ( P 6 mm ( P Conclusions Patients 0-6 years of age with open globe injuries present unique risk factors for poor outcome. The trauma score generated by our algorithm is not reliant on presenting visual acuity and may be useful in predicting prognosis in very young children.
GM Food: a Study of Chinese Public's Recognition and Attitude

These years,genetically modified( GM) food has become one of the most sensitive words in China,and people's attitude towards GM food has a great influence on the development of transgenic technology in China. In order to better understand about how much people know about GM food and their attitude towards GM food,we carried out a survey among people in China using both internet-based questionnaire and paper-based questionnaire. From this survey,we found that the public has limited access to information about transgenic technology,so people don't really understand transgenic technology. What the public worries most about GM food is its influence on human body and the environment. Also,most people in the survey expressed their willingness to learn more about transgenic technology,and to believe the experts.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Soil Fertility Based on Improved Grey Relation Model

By adopting GPS technique,381 sampling sites were installed in the Anyang city,Henan province,with 0-20 cm soil samples collected to determine their main nutrients contents.Soil characteristics were firstly initialized using membership function,and then the weight of soil index was calculated using correlation coefficient method.Soil fertility suitability was evaluated using gray relation grade analysis,and the grade map of soil fertility was finally established.The result showed that soil fertility distribution had obviously regional characteristics,and the integrated fertility index descended from east area to west area.The results were consistent with local conditions according to field survey.The approach was feasible and effective in soil fertility evaluation.
Effects of Sodium Bentonite, Buffer Salts, Cement Kiln Dust and Clinoptilolite on Rumen Characteristics of Beef Steers Fed a High Roughage Diet

Five ruminally cannulated Hereford steers (average weight 340 kg) were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square design experiment to examine the influences of dietary sodium bentonite (SB), McDougall's buffer salts (MB), cement kiln dust (KD) and clinoptilolite (CLN) on rumen liquid dilution rate, fermentation patterns and roughage intake. Treatments were administered as 350-g additions to a basal protein/energy supplement of 2.62 kilograms. The basal diet of cottonseed hulls was offered ad libitum. Mineral analyses of the four treatment substances revealed fairly high levels of potentially toxic trace minerals (e.g., Pb, Cd and F) in the KD. Intake of cottonseed hulls was not significantly affected by treatment but tended to be higher for MB-supplemented steers (7.19 kg) than for those given the control or other treatments (average 6.72 kg). Some rejection of supplements containing MB and KD was noted. At e hr after supplement feeding rumen pH of MB-treated steers (6.68) was higher (P less than .05) than that of steers fed KD (6.50) and CLN (6.44) but was not different from that od control or SB-treated steers (6.56). Seven hours after supplement was offered rumen pH of MB steers (6.74 was higher (P less than .05) for steers fed MB, KD and CLN than for SB-an control-fed steers. Volatile fatty acids, rumen ammonia, osmolality and protein and ash contents of a crude bacterial fraction were not significantly influenced by mineral compounds, nor was rumen liquid volume. Values for rumen liquid volume were as follows: MB (60.27 liters), SB (50.43 liters), CLN (45.53 liters), control (43.14 liters) and KD (41.81 liters). Liquid dilution rate (percentage per hour) was high for steers on all treatments (average of 9.11) and was not significantly altered by mineral supplementation.
Extended Total Excision of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma

Cases of locally advanced prostatic adenocarcinoma (stages B and C) managed by exenteration or prostatocystectomy were reviewed. Local control and survival rates seem to justify this approach in selected cases, especially when conservative measures, such as hormonal therapy and irradiation, have been exhausted.
Confronting unsuccessful practices: repositioning teacher identities in English education

Teacher education programs attempt to prepare preservice teachers for the various challenges faced in the classroom. One particular challenge new teachers face is how to handle unsuccessful practices. This paper argues that confronting ineffective practices require that teachers respond to complex and dynamic challenges, making change difficult when solutions are not readily available. Presenting data from case-study research, the paper uses an identity framework and positioning theory to explore how two novice teachers navigate moments of unsuccessful practice. Findings suggest that when teachers confronted ineffective practices they repositioned their teacher identities in ways that depended on the ideologies of their school. The paper concludes with implications about the importance of extending typical reflective practices of teacher education with video analysis that challenges students to examine how they enact teacher identities over time within the figured world of their school.
Anesthetic Care of the Patient with Preeclampsia

Summary Preeclampsia is a disease of unknown etiology and a major contributor to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. In severe preeclampsia, intravascular volume depletion and susceptibility of developing pulmonary edema complicate the anesthetic management. Invasive monitors are often required for optimal patient management, with central venous or pulmonary artery pressure measurements being particularly useful for guiding volume resuscitation. In our practice, lumbar epidural blockade is the preferred method for providing analgesia and anesthesia; however, the block must be induced slowly in order to minimize sudden hemodynamic changes and to permit optimal fluid management.
Analysing Efficient Military Spending

A nation’s interests consist primarily of the sum of the individual citizens’ interests. As economists since Adam Smith and Alfred Marshall have noted, people’s interests involve mainly the growth of wealth and personal welfare in the ordinary business of life. During the Cold War, US national leaders said instead that a ‘national security’ interest took precedence; this required converting much wealth into weaponry, in order to ‘defeat communism’.
Computer Tools for Public-Sector Management

Almost any public-sector task employing a computer can be accomplished more efficiently with a variety of tools rather than any single one. Basic tools include word processing, spreadsheet, statistics, and database-management programs. Beyond these, Web authoring software, presentation software, graphics, project-planning and -management software, decision analysis, and geographic information systems can be helpful depending upon the job at hand.
The complement and contact activation systems: partnership in pathogenesis beyond angioedema.

Summary The blood plasma contains four biologically important proteolytic cascades, which probably evolved from the same ancestral gene. This in part may explain why each cascade has very similar “initiating trigger” followed by sequential and cascade-like downstream enzymatic activation pattern. The four cascades are: the complement system, the blood clotting cascade, the fibrinolytic system, and the kallikrein-kinin system. Although much has been written about the interplay between all these enzymatic cascades, the cross-talk between the complement and the kinin generating systems has become particularly relevant as this interaction results in the generation of nascent molecules that have significant impact in various inflammatory diseases including angioedema and cancer. In this review, we will focus on the consequences of the interplay between the two systems by highlighting the role of a novel molecular link called gC1qR. Although this protein was first identified as a receptor for C1q, it is now recognized as a multiligand binding cellular protein, which serves not only as C1q receptor, but also as high affinity (KD ≤ 0.8 nM) binding site for both high molecular weight kininogen (HK) and factor XII (FXII). At inflammatory sites, where atherogenic factors such as immune complexes and/or pathogens can activate the endothelial cell into a procoagulant and proinflammatory surface, the two pathways are activated to generate vasoactive peptides that contribute in various ways to the inflammatory processes associated with numerous diseases. More importantly, since recent observations strongly suggest an important role for both pathways in cancer, we will focus on how a growing tumor cluster can employ the byproducts derived from the two activation systems to ensure not only its survival and growth, but also its escape into distal sites of colonization.
Review of Patient-Specific Vascular Modeling: Template-Based Isogeometric Framework and the Case for CAD

We review the literature on patient-specific vascular modeling, with particular attention paid to three-dimensional arterial networks. Patient-specific vascular modeling typically involves three main steps: image processing, analysis suitable model generation, and computational analysis. Analysis suitable model generation techniques that are currently utilized suffer from several difficulties and complications, which often necessitate manual intervention and crude approximations. Because the modeling pipeline spans multiple disciplines, the benefits of integrating a computer-aided design (CAD) component for the geometric modeling tasks has been largely overlooked. Upon completion of our review, we adopt this philosophy and present a CAD-integrated template-based modeling framework that streamlines the construction of solid non-uniform rational B-spline vascular models for performing isogeometric finite element analysis. Examples of arterial models for mouse and human circles of Willis and a porcine coronary tree are presented.
The Road to the Chaco War: Bolivia’s Modernisation in the 1920s

When Bolivian and Paraguayan leaders entered into war over the contested Chaco Boreal in 1932, they unleashed powerful, violent forces that would dramatically alter history. Understanding the Chaco...
62-OR: POSITIVITY IN THE C1q ASSAY DEPENDS ON THE HLA ANTIBODY STRENGTH

Aim The presence of C1q antibodies may be important for assessing the risk of antibody mediated rejection (AMR) in solid organ transplants. We studied the correlation between the C1q-single antigen bead assay (C1q-SAB) with the long-incubation complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity assay (CDC) and the IgG-single antigen bead assay (IgG-SAB). Methods 60 reference sera (38 Class I and 22 Class II) from the UCLA serum exchange program were characterized using the CDC, Luminex PRA (Gen-probe Inc.) and IgG-SAB (One Lambda Inc.) assays. We also tested pre- and post-transplant sera from 16 renal allograft recipients. All patients had persistent posttransplant DSA as demonstrated by the IgG-SAB assay. Results The C1q-SAB assay showed 85% concordance with the CDC assay as 15% of the CDC positive antibodies were negative in the C1q test. Correlation between the SAB MFI and C1q positivity showed that 90% of sera with the MFI of >18,000 in the IgG-SAB assay were C1q binding. A retrospective study of 16 renal transplant recipients developing post-transplant donor specific antibodies (DSA) showed 5 of 9 patients diagnosed as C4d+ AMR displayed C1q positive DSA (P = 0.145). One out of 7 patients without AMR displayed C1q binding DSA. Conclusions Our data indicate that antibody strength correlates with the capacity to bind C1q (Fig. 1). However we identified a subset of antibodies that displayed high MFI values and CDC positivity, that failed to bind C1q. The development of C1q positive DSA was not significantly associated with positive C4d staining on the graft. Additional studies are required using a larger cohort of patients to verify these findings [Fig. 1]. Download : Download full-size image
Genetics and Cardiovascular Disease: Are We Getting to the Heart of the Matter?

Human genetics has provided important insights to the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD). Elucidation of genetic defects causing Mendelian disorders associated w...
History of supercontinuum discovery: 50 years ago (Conference Presentation)

Light is one of the most important and versatile phenomena in nature with salient properties . Like a courier, it can transfer information from one point to another, like an alchemist, it can alter matter by initiating and moderating key processes in chemistry, biology and condensed matter. And of course, without it one could not see. Light possess color , fastest speed , coherence , polarization and wave fronts . The Short pulses of light allow expose the riot of activity hidden in molecular world . A major discovery occur in 1969, made by Robert Alfano and Stanley L. Shapiro members of GTE Labs (now Verizon) together when they made a startling observation of a new kind of laser light that spanned a large part of the visible spectrum over 10,000 cm-1 under excitation of 532 nm green ps pulses. This light now is called Supercontinuum (SC), It was published in three seminal paper in same volume of Phys Rev Letters :PRL 24, 584, 592, and 1217, (1970). Today researchers produce SC light that spans an entire octave or more using optical fibers from uv to NIR . The visible spectrum is approximately an octave, and thus the SC realizes the dream of white laser light source. The basic technique that Shapiro and I used to produce the SC involved sending very high intensity picosecond pulses of green laser light through crystals and glasses. The mechanism to explain the observed white light was self phase modulation. The SC is now 50 years old.
Pigment epithelium-derived factor and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in paraffin-embeded choroidal melanoma tissues

Objective To investigate the expression of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in choroidal melanoma. Methods The expression of VEGF and PEDF protein in fifty-eight cases of paraffin-embeded choroidal melanoma samples was measured by immunohistochemistry, the expression of PEDF mRNA in thirty-nine ehoroidal melanoma samples was assayed by in situ hybridization. Results PEDF protein was detected in 13/58 cases (22.4%) of choroidal melanoma, the positive rate in non-sclera-invasion group (12/38, 31.6%) was higher (P<0.05) than that in sclera-invasion group (1/20,5%). VEGF protein was detected in 43/58 cases (64%) of choroidal melanoma, the positive rate in non-sclera-invasion group (25/38, 65.8%) was lower (P<0.05) than that in sclera-invasion group (18/20,90%). The expression of PEDF mRNA was detected in 18/39 (46.2) cases, the positive rate in non-sclera-invasion group was higher (P<0.05) than that in sclera-invasion group. Conclusions Imbalanced expression of VEGF and PEDF in ehoroidal melanoma may play a key role in the angiogenesis, tumor progression and metastasis. Key words: Choroid neoplasms/pathophysiology; Melanoma/etiology; Vascular endothelial growth factors
The Relationship Between Surgeon Faculty Emotional Intelligence and Medical Student Evaluations

Objective We sought to measure the emotional intelligence (EI) of surgical faculty and the relationship between faculty EI and medical student (MS) evaluations of faculty. Design Faculty completed the Emotional Intelligence Appraisal. Aggregate, anonymous MS evaluations were collected from the Program Director's office. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used for analysis. Setting This study was first performed in a single surgical division at 1 center which informed an expanded study including the entire General Surgery Department at a single academic institution. Participants A pilot study was conducted in 1 surgical division which was then expanded to all clinical faculty in the Department of Surgery. All clinical faculty in the Department of Surgery were eligible for enrollment. Results Pilot study faculty EI scores were positively correlated with MS evaluations (r = 0.92, p Conclusions MS evaluations of surgeon faculty were not related to EI in the larger sample. However, EI did correlate to MS evaluations in 2 surgical specialties. Further exploration into the utility of EI training in surgical departments should be conducted to determine the true value of such endeavors.
What is normal, healthy growth? Global health, human biology, and parental perspectives

OBJECTIVES The widespread variation seen in human growth globally stands at odds with the global health perspective that young child growth should not vary across populations if nutritional, environmental and care needs are met. This paper: (1) evaluates the idea that a single standard of "healthy" growth characterizes children under age 5, (2) discusses how variation from this standard is viewed in global health, in human biology and by parents, and (3) explores how views of "normal" growth shape biomedical and parental responses. METHODS This paper reviews the anthropological, public health and clinical literature on the nature of child growth and the applicability of World Health Organization Multicenter Growth Reference Study growth standards across contexts. RESULTS The considerable variability in child growth across contexts makes it unlikely that any one framework, with issues of sample selection and representativeness, can serve as the model of healthy growth. Global health, human biology and parents differ in the emphasis they place on heredity versus environmental context in understanding this variability, but human biologists and parents tend to view a wider range of growth as "normal." Since both biomedicine and parents base their care decisions on their perceptions of normal, healthy growth, the comparative framework used has important implications for medical treatment and feeding practices. CONCLUSIONS A more nuanced approach that incorporates the biology of growth and its association with health outcomes across contexts is critical to identify patterns of healthy growth and to avoid over-reliance on a single standard that may pathologize variability.
Role of Neuroinflammation in the Establishment of the Neurogenic Microenvironment in Brain Diseases

In many neurological disorders, neuroinflammation contributes not only to the neuropathogenic process but also regulates hippocampal neurogenesis, which plays a critical role in cognitive and emotional functions. A major challenge is to understand how inflammation establishes the neurogenic niche microenvironment to affect the behavior of neural stem cells (NSCs) and/or neural progenitor cells (NPCs). The present review discusses recent advances of research that address such a critical question. During the past few years, several human postmortem studies have demonstrated that adult neurogenesis declines significantly during aging and neurological disorders, and that infiltration/activation of T cells and activation of microglia in the neurogenic niche may play a critical role in such decline. Neuroinflammation is believed to play a detrimental role in neurodegenerative and regenerative processes. However, the effect of neuroinflammation on neurogenesis appears to be complex, since it depends not only on the various components of inflammatory responses (immune cells and cytokines) present in the microenvironment of neurogenic niches but also on the physiological and differentiation status of NSCs.
Co-existence of ESC-RCC, EVT, and LOT as synchronous and metachronous tumors in six patients with multifocal neoplasia but without clinical features of tuberous sclerosis complex.

Summary Renal cell tumors with oncocytic phenotypes represent a daily challenge, with several novel, emerging, and provisional entities enriching the diagnostic repertoire. Eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma (ESC-RCC), low-grade oncocytic tumor (LOT), and eosinophilic vacuolated tumor (EVT) have been recognized as unique entities, although their distinctive nature remains controversial. Although most of these tumors are sporadic, rare reports of similar tumors in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) have been published. We describe multifocal, often bilateral, tumors in six patients without personal or family history of syndromic diseases. More than 60 tumors in various combinations were identified in 10 nephrectomies and one biopsy encompassing ESC-RCC (n = 6), LOT (n = 14), EVT (n = 1), clear cell RCC with fibromyomatous stroma (n = 12), clear cell RCC (n = 2), angiomyolipomas (AMLs; n > 20), unclassified renal cell tumors (n = 2), papillary adenomas (n = 4), and renomedullary interstitial cell tumor (n = 1). TSC1 germline pathogenic mutations were confirmed in two patients. A tumor without germline testing in a third patient revealed TSC1 biallelic inactivation. Two additional patients had molecular testing, which excluded common renal mutations and syndromes. We provide the first evidence of co-existence in the same organ and unequivocal relatedness of ESC-RCC, EVT, and LOT. End-stage renal disease was present in three of six patients with precursor lesions to all above tumors within adjacent renal parenchyma. In conclusion, identification of multifocal tumors with TSC-like morphology, especially in association with AMLs, could be the first manifestation of clinically silent TSC guiding clinical recommendations for further genetic testing and/or treatment recommendations.
Bovine Tuberculosis in the United States

During fiscal year 1975 there were 47 tuberculous herds disclosed in the United States. Figure 1 shows the distribution of these 47 herds in 16 different states and Puerto Rico. You will note that 42 of these 47 herds happen to be located east of the Mississippi River, with Georgia and Illinois accounting for 20 of these herds. This statement is not intended to downgrade either of these states but rather to praise them for their excellence in conducting their tuberculosis epidemiologic investigations.
Wideband Analysis of Imaging of Dielectric-Covered Curved Surfaces for Millimeter-Wave Security Scanning

We develop a model for a dielectric-coated perfectly conducting cylinder, as imaged by a wideband millimeter-wave radar security scanning system. This model images concealed dielectric objects, when attached to realistically curved body parts, including the human arm or leg. The model is compared to that of a planar dielectric slab on a perfectly conducting plane, and it is proven to be nearly identical for dielectrics with thickness of less than half the cylinder radius.
The Power Control System for the Ford-Philips Stirling Engine

A reliable power control system was developed for the Stirling engine. This control system provides a stable engine speed and an engine speed-accelerator pedal position relationship similar to a spark ignition engine, allowing a driver to operate a Stirling-powered vehicle in a conventional manner.
Optical leaky wave antenna experiment demonstration and electronic modulation investigation

Fabrication and characterization of optical leaky wave antennas with dielectric waveguides and semiconductor perturbations is presented. Directive radiation at 1550nm is measured. Detailed study on electrical modulation capability with bandwidth exceeding 75GHz is presented.
Paragon XP/S - The Road to TeraFLOPS

The solutions to today’s foremost scientific challenges require order-of-magnitude increases in computing power. The route to TeraFLOP computing lies in parallel multi-computers that exploit advances in microprocessor technology.
A Review of “Wheat Antioxidants”

Wheat Antioxidants contains valuable and comprehensive information on many aspects of the antioxidant properties in what is claimed to be the world's most popular food crop, wheat. Editor and also ...
Assessing Helping and Hurting Behaviors Through the Tangram Help/Hurt Task:

Across six studies, we validated a new measure of helpful and hurtful behaviors, the Tangram Help/Hurt Task. Studies 1 to 3 provided cross-sectional correlational convergent and discriminant validity evidence for the Tangram Task using college-based and adult online samples. Study 4 revealed that previously validated empathy primes increase helpful behaviors on the Tangram Task. Studies 5 and 6 revealed that previously validated provocation manipulations increase hurtful behaviors on the Tangram Task. The effects of various experimental manipulations on the Tangram Task were similar to or larger than on other established indices of helpful and hurtful behaviors. In addition, motivation items in all studies indicate that tangram choices are indeed associated with the intent of helping and hurting. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the Tangram Help/Hurt Task relative to established measures of helpful and hurtful behaviors.
In vitro culture of rat testicular cells.

Abstract Testicular cells from sexually mature and immature rats were grown in culture under various conditions and were examined by several methods including phase contrast microscopy. The germinal elements did not attach to glass surface and survived for varying periods of time; young spermatids for several days, spermatocytes and possibly spermatogonia for three to four weeks. Mature spermatids were present in the cultures for longer periods. There was no evidence that spermatogenesis. continued in cell cultures. Monolayers formed by non-germinal elements were maintained with subcultures up to seven months. The cells in the monolayers were fibroblast-like and remained euploid. Their origin is under investigation.
A long wavelength solution for a microorganism swimming in a channel

The hydrodynamics of a microorganism swimming in a channel is investigated. The microorganism is modeled as a two-dimensional sheet swimming at low Reynolds numbers between two rigid walls. The wavelengths of the propulsive waves passing down the sheet are assumed to be very large compared to the channel spacing, but the amplitude of the propulsive waves is arbitrary. Explicit analytical solutions for the propulsive velocity and the rate of energy dissipated in terms of the wave amplitude, channel spacing, wave number, and wave speeds are given.