cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An effective assessment protocol for continuous geospatial datasets of forest characteristics using USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data

Geospatial datasets of forest characteristics are modeled representations of real populations on the ground. The continuous spatial character of such datasets provides an incredible source of information at the landscape level for ecosystem research, policy analysis, and planning applications, all of which are critical for addressing current challenges related to climate change, urbanization pressures, and data requirements for monitoring carbon sequestration. However, the effectiveness of these applications is dependent upon the accuracy of the geospatial input datasets. A comprehensive set of robust measures is necessary to provide sufficient information to effectively assess the accuracy of these modeled geospatial datasets being produced. Yet challenges in the availability of reference data, in the appropriateness of assessment methods to dataset use, and in the completeness of assessment methods available have continued to hamper the timely and consistent application of map assessments. In this study we present a suite of assessments that can be used to characterize the accuracy of geospatial datasets of modeled continuous variables—an increasingly common format for modeling such attributes as proportion or probability of forestland as well as more traditionally continuous attributes such as leaf area index and forest biomass. It is a comparative accuracy assessment, in which each modeled dataset is compared to a set of reference data, recognizing both the potential for error in reference data, and probable differences in spatial support between the datasets. When used together, this proposed suite of assessments provides essential information on the type, magnitude, frequency and location of errors in each dataset. The assessments presented depend upon reference data with large sample sizes. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) database is introduced as an available reference dataset of sufficient sampling intensity to take full advantage of these assessments and facilitate their prompt application after modeled datasets are developed. We illustrate the application of this suite of assessments with two modeled datasets of forest biomass, in Minnesota and New York. The information provided by this suite of assessments substantially improves a user's ability to apply modeled geospatial datasets effectively and to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of multiple datasets depicting the same forest characteristic.
Peripheral inflammation increases Scya2 expression in sensory ganglia and cytokine and endothelial related gene expression in inflamed tissue

The sensation of pain (nociception) is a critical factor in host defense during tissue injury and inflammation and is initiated at the site of injury by activation of primary afferent C-fiber and A-∂ nerve endings. Inflammation induces tissue alterations that sensitize these nociceptive nerve terminals, contributing to persistent pain. To understand this ‘algesic tissue environment’ and peripheral nervous signaling to the CNS and immune system, we examined cytokine and endothelial-related gene expression profiles in inflamed rat tissues and corresponding dorsal root ganglia (DRG) by microarray and RT-PCR following hind paw injection of carrageenan. In inflamed tissue, forty-two cytokine and endothelial-related genes exhibited elevated expression. In contrast, in DRG, only Scya2 (chemokine C-C motif ligand 2) mRNA was up-regulated, leading to an increase in its gene product monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Scya2 mRNA was localized by in situ hybridization-immunocytochemical double-labeling to a subpopulation of vanilloid receptor-1 (transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1) containing neurons, and its expression was increased by direct transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 stimulation with the vanilloid agonist resiniferatoxin, indicating sensitivity to nociceptive afferent activity. Our results are consistent with the idea that monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 at the site of peripheral injury and/or in DRG is involved in inflammatory hyperalgesia.
New approach to high energy scattering

Abstract A possible interpretation of the Serpukhov data of total cross sections is described. We associate the break in the trend of the data with an “ionization point” for baryon resonances. Both conventional Regge expansions and Pomeranchuk's theorem are assumed to fail from there on. Implications of these ideas and their experimental tests are discussed.
Joint Kinematics After Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Reconstruction: An In Vitro Comparison of Various Constructs

Purpose Osteoarthritis (OA) of the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint causes pain and limits thumb motion. Different surgical procedures exist to treat thumb CMC OA; however, kinematic analyses of thumb reconstructions are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate kinematic changes of the thumb CMC joint as the result of different thumb reconstruction procedures. Methods Fifteen cadaveric forearms were prepared and instrumented with an electromagnetic tracking device to measure the motion of the thumb metacarpal with respect to the trapezium (thumb trapeziometacarpal joint). Kinematics of the intact thumb and the thumb after trapeziectomy under passive motion were recorded. Specimens then had joint reconstruction consisting of either a ligament reconstruction with tendon interposition (LRTI), Weilby arthroplasty, or Thompson arthroplasty. The kinematic data collection analysis was repeated. The radius of joint motion and 3-dimensional (3D) work area were calculated for each surgery and were used for statistical analysis. Results The type of surgical treatment significantly affected the joint radius of motion and the 3D work area. The Thompson and LRTI techniques produced a larger joint radius of motion than the other techniques (Weilby technique and total trapezial resection) and was similar to that of the intact joint. The Weilby and LRTI techniques produced a 3D work area similar to those of the intact joint and trapeziectomy and was also larger than that of the Thompson reconstruction. Conclusions Kinematic analysis of the thumb CMC joint is effective in differentiating surgical treatments used for end-stage of OA. Only the LRTI reconstruction produced a joint radius of motion and a 3D work area similar to the those of an intact thumb. Additional research is needed to define the optimal surgical techniques to treat the end-stage OA thumb CMC joint.
Influence of the bombarding ion energy and surface composition on the ground‐state atom fraction in solids analysis using multiphoton resonance ionization

Multiphoton resonance ionization (MPRI) is used to probe the desorption characteristics of ion-bombarded surfaces of Fe, In and Ni. The effects of primary ion kinetic energy and surface chemistry on the sensitivity and accuracy of MPRI detection are examined. The relative Ni*/Ni° and In2°/In° ratios are found to increase as the energy of the incident Ar+ ion is varied from 300 eV to 1000 eV. A reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer is employed to collect efficiently the photoions as well as secondary ions, permitting accurate determination of the ground-state atom fraction and thereby completing a detailed fundamental analysis of the analytical capabilities of the MPRI approach. The ground-state atom fractions are found to parallel changes in surface composition and represent 30–90% of the material desorbed from ion beam-cleaned and air-exposed Fe and In matrices. In contrast, the corresponding secondary ion fractions vary over several orders of magnitude and are difficult to correlate with surface chemistry.
The peak width of a first or second order desorption transient for an arbitrary temperature sweep function

Peak widths of elementary first and second order desorption transients are explicitly determined as a series in EkTp for an arbitrary temperature sweep function T(t). The inversion of the series has allowed the activation energy of a desorption process of known order to be determined from the peak width ΔW and peak temperature Tp of a single desorption transient for any T(t). This has the feature of making all temperature sweep functions equivalent as far as extracting kinetic information from a desorption transient.
Are you exposed?: conveying information exposure

We explore the design space of interfaces for conveying and managing 'exposure' - the actual access to information by parties authorized to access it. Our goal is to convey the resulting disclosure in a quickly interpretable form and to enable lightweight interactions to manage exposure, if needed. Toward this end, we propose mapping levels of exposure to levels of concepts familiar in everyday practice, e.g., the appearance and physiology of an avatar. We hope that our ideas will spur further expansion and exploration of the design space around these issues.
733 EFFECT OF PASSIVE IMMUNITY ON THE HUMORAL IMMUNE RESPONSE TO INGESTED MILK PROTEIN

Mucosal immunization to environmental antigens results in circulating and secretory antibodies (Ab). Newborns who are passively immunized are thought to have a suppressed active immune response to these antigens. One day before starting ingestion of 0.1% bovine serum albumin (BSA), rabbits were passively immunized with hyperimmune anti-BSA sera (exp. group). Passive, oral, and parenteral control groups also were studied. The 1/2-life of the passive Ab was 6-7 days. Suppression or enhancement of the immune response to parenteral BSA injections was observed following passive immunization. During the first 25 days, passively administered anti-BSA in the exp. group decreased with a 1/2-life of 6 days. After this, the Ab concentration increased, approximating that of the oral-only controls. The Ab affinity in the exp. group gradually decreased and by day 63 was less than that of the oral-only controls. Following i.v. challenge of both groups, an 8-fold increase in Ab concentration occurred, but a greater increase in Ab affinity in the exp. group resulted in both groups having comparable Ab affinities. Antibodies produced by active immunization, with or without prior passive immunity, cross-reacted with various albumins to the same degree. These animal studies show that passive immunity does not alter the specific humoral Ab responses of gut lymphoid tissues, and suggest that passively acquired maternal Ab does not suppress the mucosal immune responses of infants. (USPHS AI-07854)
Very-low-temperature record of the subduction process: A review of worldwide lawsonite eclogites

Abstract Lawsonite eclogites preserve a record of very-low-temperature conditions in subduction zones. All occur at active margin settings, typically characterized by accretionary complexes lithologies and as tectonic blocks within serpentinite-matrix melange. Peak lawsonite-eclogite facies mineral assemblages (garnet + omphacite + lawsonite + rutile) typically occur in prograde-zoned garnet porphyroblasts. Their matrix is commonly overprinted by higher-temperature epidote-bearing assemblages; greenschist- or amphibolite-facies conditions erase former lawsonite-eclogite relics. Various pseudomorphs after lawsonite occur, particularly in some blueschist/eclogite transitional facies rocks. Coesite-bearing lawsonite-eclogite xenoliths in kimberlitic pipes and lawsonite pseudomorphs in some relatively low-temperature ultrahigh-pressure eclogites are known. Using inclusion assemblages in garnet, lawsonite eclogites can be classified into two types: L-type, such as those from Guatemala and British Columbia, contain garnet porphyroblasts that grew only within the lawsonite stability field and E-type, such as from the Dominican Republic, record maximum temperature in the epidote-stability field. Formation and preservation of lawsonite eclogites requires cold subduction to mantle depths and rapid exhumation. The earliest occurrences of lawsonite-eclogite facies mineral assemblages are Early Paleozoic in Spitsbergen and the New England fold belt of Australia; this suggests that since the Phanerozoic, secular cooling of Earth and subduction-zone thermal structures evolved the necessary high pressure/temperature conditions. Buoyancy of serpentinite and oblique convergence with a major strike-slip component may facilitate the exhumation of lawsonite eclogites from mantle depths.
Dentin Bonding Systems: A Review of Current Products and Techniques

Many dentists are facing decisions regarding selection and use of dentin bonding systems. This article presents information on existing products and provides guidance on their use based on laboratory and clinical evidence.
Discrete probability distributions for probabilistic fracture mechanics

Recently, discrete probability distributions (DPDs) have been suggested for use in risk analysis calculations to simplify the numerical computations which must be performed to determine failure probabilities. Specifically, DPDs have been developed to investigate probabilistic functions, that is, functions whose exact form is uncertain. The analysis of defect growth in materials by probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) models provides an example in which probabilistic functions play an important role. This paper compares and contrasts Monte Carlo simulation and DPDs as tools for calculating material failure due to fatigue crack growth. For the problem studied, the DPD method takes approximately one third the computation time of the Monte Carlo approach for comparable accuracy. It is concluded that the DPD method has considerable promise in low-failure-probability calculations of importance in risk assessment. In contrast to Monte Carlo, the computation time for the DPD approach is relatively insensitive to the magnitude of the probability being estimated.
A Floating Gate Preamplifier Design For Reticon TM Diode Arrays

A simple, low-cost, low-noise preamplifier has been developed for use with Reticon self-scanning diode arrays or similar devices. This design lends itself naturally to quasi-CDS (correlated double sampling) signal processing, allowing system bandwidth and noise to be effectively limited without resort to pulse shaping networks. The preamplifier seems potentially capable of approaching the fundamental noise level imposed by the detector itself. With minor modification, it can be operated from several kHz up to about 1 MHz pixel frequencies.© (1979) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Diets of Siscowet Lake Trout from the Apostle Islands Region of Lake Superior, 1993

Stomach contents of 384 siscowet lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush siscowet) from the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior were examined to determine if diets exhibited seasonal trends or shifted with predator size. The information was also used to qualitatively compare siscowet and lean lake trout (S. namaycush) diets. Stomachs from siscowet less than 500-mm total length (TL) contained primarily macroinvertebrates (clams, Mysis relicta, and insects), sculpins (Cottidae; mean TL = 45 mm), and coregonines (Coregonus spp.; mean TL = 120 mm). Stomachs from siscowet between 500- and 699-mm TL contained items similar to smaller siscowet, but burbot (Lota lota; mean TL = 162 mm and a 254-mm siscowet were also present. Stomachs from siscowet longer than 699-mm TL contained fishes such as burbot (mean TL = 246 mm) and coregonines (mean TL = 240 mm). Dietary proportions of coregonines increased significantly with increasing siscowet length groups. The proportion of the total number of identified taxa and frequency of occurrence of terrestrial insects and sculpins declined significantly across all length groups between June and December. Siscowet and lean lake trout diets were not found to be substantially different and a potential for competition exists.
Single-exposure optical sectioning by color structured illumination microscopy

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is a wide-field technique that rivals confocal microscopy in optical sectioning ability at a small fraction of the acquisition time. For standard detectors such as a CCD camera, SIM requires a minimum of three sequential frame captures, limiting its usefulness to static objects. By using a color grid and camera, we surpass this limit and achieve optical sectioning with just a single image acquisition. The extended method is now applicable to moving objects and improves the speed of three-dimensional imaging of static objects by at least a factor of three.
Relation of Age-0 Largemouth Bass Abundance to Hydrilla Coverage and Water Level at Lochloosa and Orange Lakes, Florida

Abstract Changes in electrofishing catch per hour (CPH) of age-0 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides were examined in relation to aquatic macrophytes and seasonal water elevation at Lochloosa and Orange lakes, Florida, during the 1990s. At Lochloosa Lake, stepwise multiple regression revealed a significant positive relationship between the mean CPH of age-0 largemouth bass and the percentage of areal coverage by hydrilla Hydrilla verticallata. At Orange Lake, mean CPH was directly associated with the percentage of areal coverage by hydrilla and inversely related to summer water levels. Thus, the influence of vegetation on age-0 largemouth bass abundance was similar at both lakes, but the effects of water levels were not. Further investigations into the effects of fluctuations in water levels on age-0 largemouth bass in natural lakes are needed.
A Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism of Human Neuropeptide S Gene Originated from Europe Shows Decreased Bioactivity

Using accumulating SNP (Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism) data, we performed a genome-wide search for polypeptide hormone ligands showing changes in the mature regions to elucidate genotype/phenotype diversity among various human populations. Neuropeptide S (NPS), a brain peptide hormone highly conserved in vertebrates, has diverse physiological effects on anxiety, fear, hyperactivity, food intake, and sleeping time through its cognate receptor-NPSR. Here, we report a SNP rs4751440 (L6-NPS) causing non-synonymous substitution on the 6th position (V to L) of the NPS mature peptide region. L6-NPS has a higher allele frequency in Europeans than other populations and probably originated from European ancestors ∼25,000 yrs ago based on haplotype analysis and Approximate Bayesian Computation. Functional analyses indicate that L6-NPS exhibits a significant lower bioactivity than the wild type NPS, with ∼20-fold higher EC50 values in the stimulation of NPSR. Additional evolutionary and mutagenesis studies further demonstrate the importance of the valine residue in the 6th position for NPS functions. Given the known physiological roles of NPS receptor in inflammatory bowel diseases, asthma pathogenesis, macrophage immune responses, and brain functions, our study provides the basis to elucidate NPS evolution and signaling diversity among human populations.
Effect of Choline on Production of Experimental Atherosclerosis in Rabbits

Summary and Conclusions1. The oral administration of 0.5 gm. of choline daily to 19 rabbits fed 1 gm. of cholesterol 3 times weekly did not prevent the development of a hypercholesterolemia comparable to that produced in 19 control animals fed cholesterol alone. 2. Ten of the choline-fed rabbits killed at intervals between the 40th and 80th days failed to show macroscopic atheromata in the aorta. Ten of the 11 control rabbits fed the same amounts of cholesterol and sacrificed at similar periods showed gross atherosclerosis. 3. After 80 days the macroscopic lesions of the aorta were similar in both groups. 4. It is concluded that choline delays but does not prevent atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits.
Experimental results on deuterium NMR in the solid state by magic angle sample spinning

Abstract Magic angle sample spinning has been applied to remove the first order quadrupole broadening in NMR spectra of deuterium in the solid state. The free induction decay of the rotating sample consists of a series of spatially induced echoes which were sampled in synchronism with the rotation to produce an isotropic decay. A minute adjustment of the axis of rotation with respect to the laboratory field direction was necessary since the spectra were narrowed by about three orders of magnitude. The resulting spectra exhibit resolved, isotropic, chemically shifted lines and indicate the feasibility of high resolution deuterium NMR in solids.
Optical carrier suppression and balanced coherent heterodyne detection for improved performance in wideband microwave photonic links

We demonstrate a wide-band microwave photonic link with high gain and dynamic range, low noise figure, and dispersion-free propagation using double sideband suppressed carrier modulation, optical amplification and balanced coherent heterodyne detection.
Photoclick chemistry: a fluorogenic light-triggered in vivo ligation reaction

The ability to use chemical reactivity to monitor and control biomolecular processes with a spatial and temporal precision motivated the development of light-triggered in vivo chemistries. To this end, the photoinduced tetrazole-alkene cycloaddition, also termed ‘photoclick chemistry’ offers a very rapid chemical ligation platform for the manipulation of biomolecules and matrices in vivo. Here we outline the recent developments in the optimization of this chemistry, ranging from the search for substrates that offer two-photon photoactivatability, superior reaction kinetics, and/or genetic encodability, to the study of the reaction mechanism. The applications of the photoclick chemistry in protein labeling in vitro and in vivo as well as in preparing ‘smart’ hydrogels for 3D cell culture are highlighted.
Ovarian cancer: changes in patterns at diagnosis and relative survival over the last three decades.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of diagnosis and relative survival in women who had a diagnosis of primary invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) from 1973 to 1997, with follow-up through the end of 1999. Study design From the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program, 32,845 women diagnosed between 1973 and 1997 were used for analysis. The study population was divided in three cohorts based on year of diagnosis and the cohorts were compared with respect to variables of interest by using χ 2 tests and relative survival analysis by the life table method. Results There was an increase in the proportions of minorities diagnosed with EOC, of women 60 years or older at diagnosis, and of women undergoing surgery over time. Survival continuously improved over time, although older patients (60 years or older) and African Americans continued to have the poorest survival. Conclusion Over time, relative survival of women who had primary invasive EOC diagnosed improved.
The finite elastic plane strain deformation of a mooney-rivlin body

The problem of developing a general systematic method for obtaining solutions to boundary value problems in finite elasticity is still unsolved, although of paramount importance in many applications where geometrical nonlinearity cannot be neglected. This paper does not present such a method, but nevertheless, calls attention to the nature of the compatibility equation, for plane-strain deformation, which is cast in terms of a stress function. Some special solutions are recorded, at which time some interesting comments about the existence of singular stress fields are made. It is hoped that this paper may stimulate further investigations which might lead to more general solutions of the compatibility equation than are presented below.
HISTOPHYSIOLOGIC CHANGES IN THE KIDNEY AND ADRENAL CORTEX IN RATS ON A LOW-SODIUM DIET.

Rats given a low-sodium, highpotassium diet showed progressive kidney and adrenal changes over an 11-week period. The juxtaglomerular granulation index increased with time. After 2 weeks the size of the lumen in the proximal segment of the renal tubules decreased. By 4 weeks, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the macula densa increased. Histologic and histochemical changes of the adrenal cortex indicated increasing steroid production by the zona glomerulosa throughout the experimental period, and decreasing steroid production by the inner 2 zones after 2 weeks. The latter change may indicate reduced ACTH production. When rats on the deficient diet for 4 weeks were then given adequate saline for 12 days, all the changes listed subsided and the parameters studied returned toward normal.
Traversing the "top-down/bottom-up" divide: molecular-scale lithography of self-assembled ribbons.

Use of graphitic (hexabenzocoronene-derived) molecules produces cholesteric ribbons which serve as molecular resists in a fluorine plasma. This procedure allows the shape of the molecular assemblies to be etched into the underlying silicon, validating the concept of “molecular resists”.
Effects of ethanol on cigarette smoking by volunteers without histories of alcoholism.

The effects of ethanol on cigarette smoking were assessed in volunteer research subjects who had histories of light to moderate social drinking. Five subjects participated individually in daily 90-min sessions that were conducted in rooms equipped to permit automatic monitoring of cigarette smoking behavior. Each subject was tested at four dose levels of ethanol and placebo, which were given orally on a double-blind basis, 30 min prior to sessions. Dose order was according to a random block sequence in which each dose was given in each of five blocks of five sessions. Data from five alcoholic subjects who were similarly tested at only one ethanol dose level were used for comparison. For the nonalcoholic group, ethanol doses that produced reliable changes in group scores on various psychometric instruments produced no significant change in smoking behavior. there were differences among the nonalcoholic subjects, however, in that smoking was significantly decreased by ethanol in two subjects, was increased by ethanol in two subjects, and was unchanged in the fifth subject. For the alcoholic group, ethanol produced reliable changes in psychometric measures and significant increases in cigarette smoking. Within- and between-group analyses of results suggest that the effect of ethanol on cigarette smoking may be related to prior history of alcoholic beverage consumption.
Development and Evaluation of Potato Breeding Lines with Introgressed Resistance to Columbia Root-Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne chitwoodi )

Columbia root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne chitwoodi) (CRN) is a serious pest of potato in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Because this nematode can reproduce rapidly within a single growing season, small initial populations are capable of causing crop loss in the Columbia Basin of Washington or Oregon. Presently, soil fumigation is the main treatment for controlling CRN on potato. Developing potato varieties with resistance to CRN is highly desirable to reduce the cost of control and to alleviate concerns about the effects of fumigants on the environment. Resistance to CRN race 1 was found in two wildSolanum species. Resistance fromS. bulbocastanum was introduced via protoplast fusion and fromS. hougasii via sexual hybridization. Subsequent breeding consisted of repeated backcrossing and selection. The dominant monogenic inheritance was expressed in undiminished fashion across several backcross generations. When tested in replicated trials in three locations, selected resistant clones from the BC4 and BC5 of theS. bulbocastanum introgression populations had total marketable yields and yields of >113-g (4 oz) tubers as good or better than standard potato varieties tested in replicated yield trials in three locations. Percentage of tubers weighing more than 113 g in the highest yielding clones was not significantly different from commercial standards. The resistance phenotype, typified by failure of the nematode to reproduce on the root systems, was sufficiently effective to prevent economic damage in a field exposure. All CRN-resistant clones are pollen sterile. Germplasm listed is available upon request.
An energy principle for high‐latitude electrodynamics

A theoretical model for mid- and high-latitude electric fields and currents is constructed using Fourier analysis methods. A two-dimensional planar ionosphere with an enhanced conductivity auroral belt and field-aligned currents at the edges is employed. The postulate that the electric field and currents adjust self-consistently to minimize the global Joule dissipation rate defines a theoretical relation between the primary and secondary field-aligned currents. This so-called minimal dissipation configuration is examined using several input field-aligned current models, and graphical solutions for the electric field and ionospheric current are shown. A detailed discussion and interpretation of the solutions with relation to diverse observations and high-latitude phenomenology are included.
Acute effects of ivabradine on dynamic obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract in cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background Ivabradine is a negative chronotropic drug with minimal effects on central hemodynamics. Its effect on dynamic obstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains unknown. Hypothesis/Objectives Ivabradine reduces dynamic obstruction of the LVOT in cats with HCM. Animals Twenty-eight client-owned cats with preclinical HCM and dynamic LVOT obstruction. Methods Randomized, double-blind, active-control single dose study. Cats received a single dose of either ivabradine (0.3 mg/kg PO) or atenolol (2 mg/kg PO). Heart rate, echocardiographic variables, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were recorded before and 3 hours after drug administration. Statistical comparisons were made using ANCOVA. Results Peak velocity in the LVOT was significantly decreased compared to baseline for both drugs; however, the effect was more prominent with atenolol (mean reduction 2.53 m/s; 95% CI 2.07–3.13 m/s) compared to ivabradine (mean reduction 0.32 m/s; 95% CI −0.04 to 0.71 m/s; P < .0001). Echocardiographic indices of systolic function were largely unchanged by ivabradine, but significantly reduced by atenolol. Conclusions and Clinical Importance A single dose of ivabradine decreases dynamic LVOT obstruction in cats with HCM, but the clinical effect is negligible and inferior compared to that achieved by atenolol.
Imaging Local Trap Formation in Conjugated Polymer Solar Cells: A Comparison of Time-Resolved Electrostatic Force Microscopy and Scanning Kelvin Probe Imaging†

We study local photooxidation and trap formation in all-polymer bulk-heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPVs) using both time-resolved electrostatic force microscopy (trEFM) and conventional scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM). We create electron-trapping defects at known locations by locally photooxidizing blends of poly[(9,9′-dioctylfluorene-alt-(bis(N,N′-(4-butylphenyl))-bis(N,N′-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine)] and poly[9,9′-dioctylfluorene-alt-1,4-benzothiadiazole]. We then compare the local surface photovoltage shifts measured via SKPM and the changes in local photoinduced charging rates measured via trEFM with changes in the performance of macroscopic photodiodes that have been exposed to similar photooxidation. We find that the trEFM charging rate images can identify local photooxidation and trap formation with much better sensitivity than conventional SKPM images. In addition, the changes in the trEFM charging rates correlate well with the external quantum efficiencies of the macroscopic phot...
Molecular characterization of the rat insulin enhancer-binding complex 3b2. Cloning of a binding factor with putative helicase motifs.

Cell-specific expression of the rat insulin II gene is in part mediated through an element located in the 5′-flanking region. The element, termed RIPE3b (−126 to −101), confers β-cell-specific expression in conjunction with an adjacent element RIPE3a (−110 to −86). Here we report the characterization of one of the RIPE3b-binding complexes, 3b2. UV cross-linking analysis demonstrated that it is composed of at least three polypeptides: p58, p62, and p110. Furthermore, a cDNA was isolated via expression screening for binding to RIPE3b. Sequence analysis reveals that the encoded protein, designated Rip-1, possessed putative helicase motifs and a potential transcription activation domain. Overexpression of Rip-1 in cells greatly enhances the 3b2 binding complex, suggesting that Rip-1 is involved in the binding of 3b2.
Parent reinforcement of spontaneous requests may reduce problem behavior within the same response class

Robertson. R. E., Wehby, J. H., & King, S. M. (2013). Increased parent reinforcement of spontaneous requests in children with autism spectrum disorder: Effect on problem behavior. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 34, 1069–1082. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: Funded in part by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs Leadership Training Grants; the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and no conflicts of interest reported by the original authors of this research report.
Elution of fibronectin from collagen with chaotrophic agents.

Abstract Several compounds have been described which elute fibronectin from a gelatin-Sepharose affinity support. In the present study, it has been found that the potent chaotrophic agent, lithium di-iodosalicylic acid, is 20-fold more effective in eluting fibronectin from collagen than any other presently described fibronectin elution agent. Lithium di-iodosalicylic acid and certain other fibronectin elution agents have been characterized in regard to several parameters involved in the elution of fibronectin from collagen and plastic substrata. By assaying for retention of the cell adhesive activity of fibronectin, it has been demonstrated that 8 M urea + 0.1 M citric acid, pH 4.7, is the most effective condition for preservation of biological activity following elution of fibronectin from the gelatin-Sepharose affinity support.
Children affected by HIV/AIDS: SAFE, a model for promoting their security, health, and development

A human security framework posits that individuals are the focus of strategies that protect the safety and integrity of people by proactively promoting children's well being, placing particular emphasis on prevention efforts and health promotion. This article applies this framework to a rights-based approach in order to examine the health and human rights of children affected by HIV/AIDS. The SAFE model describes sources of insecurity faced by children across four fundamental dimensions of child well-being and the survival strategies that children and families may employ in response. The SAFE model includes: Safety/protection; Access to health care and basic physiological needs; Family/connection to others; and Education/livelihoods. We argue that it is critical to examine the situation of children through an integrated lens that effectively looks at human security and children's rights through a holistic approach to treatment and care rather than artificially limiting our scope of work to survival-orient...
Gene structure and enzymatic activity of mouse eosinophil-associated ribonuclease 2.

Abstract Mouse eosinophil-associated ribonuclease-2 (mEAR-2) is one of a cluster of genes identified in the genome of the mouse Mus musculus that are highly divergent orthologs of the primate ribonucleases, eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN) and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP). Northern analysis revealed expression of genes hybridizing to mEAR-2 in mouse lung, liver and spleen tissues. We obtained full-length cDNA by hybridization screening of mouse eosinophil and lung cDNA libraries and by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) from liver, spleen and lung RNA. Using these methods we have isolated the 195 base pair (bp) 3′ untranslated region (UTR) that includes a typical polyadenylation signal preceding a poly A tail and the 5′ UTR which includes 63–71 bp and three distinct transcriptional start sites. Using unidirectional PCR we isolated a 361-bp 5′ promoter region and delineated the intronic / exonic boundaries which include a non-coding exon 1, a single intron, and a coding exon 2, a structure that is typical of genes of the RNase A superfamily. Consensus sites for PU.1 and EoTF, both active as intronic enhancer elements of the gene encoding EDN, are also present in the intron of the gene encoding mEAR-2. The catalytic activity of recombinant baculovirus-derived mEAR-2 is similar to that of rhEDN from this source, with catalytic constants kcat/Km=5.6×106 M−1 s−1 and 10.5×106 M−1 s−1, respectively, against a standard yeast tRNA substrate. Sequence analysis of the non-coding regions and enzymatic characterization of the gene product provide further evidence indicating that mEAR-2 is a structural and functional ortholog of primate EDNs and ECPs.
Uplink Arrays for the Deep Space Network

Deep-space communication and navigation is faced with two challenges in the future: (1) the potential retirement of the largest antennas of NASA's Deep Space Network and (2) an anticipated need for increasing ground system capacity so as to support higher data rates to and from missions operating at remote locations in the solar system, as well as in anticipation of a larger number of simultaneously flying missions. In the transmitting, or uplink, direction, one approach to increasing the effective transmitted power is to array multiple antennas. This is attractive mainly because it promises a lower construction cost than equivalent (large) single antenna systems. In addition, it has the potential for increasing the reliability of the uplink and reducing maintenance costs. This paper introduces the concept of uplink arraying by examining technological challenges and possible solutions to them. Arraying principles are presented and error sources described. The main challenge is to maintain carrier phase alignment among the antennas, and this must be done by periodic calibration. Presently, two calibration methods are being developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as part of an uplink arraying demonstration effort. These methods are briefly discussed.
Emergence Threshold with Validations for Forecasting the Spring Emergence of Cotton Fleahoppers

The emergence threshold for the population of overwintered cotton fleahopper eggs at College Station, TX is 14.65°C. This threshold can be used in a thermal accretion model to forecast the spring emergence of nymphs from overwintering eggs. The model has been validated with field cage and laboratory emergence data. Probit analysis calculations of the emergence time required for 50% of the population to emerge (ET50) is a useful technique for comparing field-collected cohorts. The ET50 is also useful as a reference point for comparison of heat units required for cohorts collected at various calendar dates or held at various temperatures.
Energy migration in a nearly one-dimensional compound, tetramethyl ammonium manganese chloride (TMMC)

Abstract The luminescence efficiency and lifetime of the “one-dimensional” solid, tetramethyl ammonium manganese chloride (TMMC), containing known impurities, have been measured as a function of temperature and concentration. The results are strikingly different from those for MnF2 and RbMnF3 as there is no apparent energy migration below 50 K. The hopping time of excitons at 300 K is 10−12 s, in the same range as for organic crystals. There is evidence that Co2+ and Ni2+ are inefficient traps for Mn2+ excitons, while Cu2+ may trap on every encounter.
Antioxidative fullerol promotes osteogenesis of human adipose-derived stem cells

Antioxidants were implicated as potential reagents to enhance osteogenesis, and nano-fullerenes have been demonstrated to have a great antioxidative capacity by both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In this study, we assessed the impact of a polyhydroxylated fullerene, fullerol, on the osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Fullerol was not toxic against human ADSCs at concentrations up to 10 μM. At a concentration of 1 μM, fullerol reduced cellular reactive oxygen species after a 5-day incubation either in the presence or in the absence of osteogenic media. Pretreatment of fullerol for 7 days increased the osteogenic potential of human ADSCs. Furthermore, when incubated together with osteogenic medium, fullerol promoted osteogenic differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, fullerol proved to promote expression of FoxO1, a major functional isoform of forkhead box O transcription factors that defend against reactive oxygen species in bone. Although further clarification of related mechanisms is required, the findings may help further development of a novel approach for bone repair, using combined treatment of nano-fullerol with ADSCs.
MO-E-M100F-07: Measurement of Delays Between Gating Signals and Beam-On for Imaging, Static and Dynamic Treatments

Purpose: To determine the delays between gating signals and delivery of kV imaging and MV treatment beams for static, enhanced dynamic wedge, and IMRT treatments. Method and Materials: All measurements were taken on a linear accelerator (Trilogy, Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA), equipped with kV imaging and respiratory gating. A phantom simulating regular motion was used to trigger the gating system. Delivery of both kV imaging and MV treatment beams were monitored using a diode connected to an analog electrometer operating in current mode. The electrometer's voltage output and the gating signal were both monitored by a multichannel oscilloscope. Traces were recorded comparing the diode output to the gate signal. The MV beam was monitored during delivery of static, enhanced dynamic wedge and IMRT fields. For the IMRT field the diode received only scattered radiation resulting in poor signal‐to‐noise but the results were still sufficient for this work. Results: The delay between the gating signal and beam on signal was found to be unmeasurable for the static MV beam, and 30 and 50 msec respectively for the wedged and IMRT beams. The delay for the kV beam was 300 msec. Because tumors can move up to 2 cm in a 5 sec breathing cycle, a 300 msec delay can result in up to a 4 mm position error; however, because gating is generally done at expiration or inspiration where the velocity is at a minimum, the uncertainty should be much lower. Conclusion: There is no appreciable delay between gating signals and MV irradiation. There is a delay between kV imaging and gating signals but the clinical consequences can be minimized by gating where tumor velocity is minimal.
An extended Reynolds analogy for excited wavy instabilities of developing streamwise vortices with applications to scalar mixing intensification

Studies are presented to elucidate the role of steady streamwise vortex structures, initiated upstream from weak Gortler vortices in the absence of explicit vortex generators, and their excited nonlinear wavy instabilities in the intensification of scalar mixing in a spatially developing mixing region. While steady streamwise vortex flow gives rise to significant mixing enhancement, the excited nonlinear wavy instabilities, which in turn modify the basic three-dimensional streamwise vortices, give rise to further mixing intensification which is quantitatively assessed by a mixedness parameter. Possibility of similarity between the dimensionless streamwise momentum and scalar transport problems leading to an extended Reynolds analogy is sought. This similarity is shown earlier to hold for the steady streamwise vortex flow in the absence of nonlinear wavy instabilities (Liu & Sabry 1991 Proc. R. Soc. A 432 , 1–12). In this paper, the momentum conservation equations for the nonlinear wavy or secondary instabilities together with the advected fluctuation scalar problems are examined in detail. The presence of the streamwise fluctuation pressure gradient, which prevents the similarity, is estimated in terms of the fluctuation dynamical pressure and its relative importance to advective transport. It is found from scaling that the fluctuating streamwise pressure gradient, though not completely negligible, is sufficiently unimportant so as to render similarity between fluctuation streamwise velocity and fluctuation temperature and concentration a distinct possibility. The scalar fluctuations are then inferable from the fluctuation streamwise velocity and that the Reynolds stresses of the nonlinear fluctuations and the scalar fluxes are also similar. The nonlinear instability-modified mean streamwise momentum and the modified mean heat and mass transport problems are also similar, thus providing a complete ‘Reynolds analogy’, rendering possible the interpretation of the scalar mixedness for a gaseous medium for which the Prandtl and Schmidt numbers are near unity. It is found that the nonlinearity of the wavy instability, which induces scalar fluxes modifying the mean scalar transport, further intensifies scalar mixedness over a significant streamwise region which is well above that achieved by the steady, unmodified streamwise vortices alone for the numerical example corresponding to the most amplified wavy-sinuous mode.
Calcium-induced contraction and contractile protein content of gallbladder smooth muscle after high-cholesterol feeding of prairie dogs*

Feeding a high-cholesterol diet to prairie dogs causes a reduction in contractile responses of gallbladder smooth muscle from these animals. In this study, the influence of cholesterol feeding on the contractile response to calcium and on the concentration of the contractile proteins actin and myosin was determined. Strips of gallbladder smooth muscle, at their optimal length for tension development, were stimulated maximally with carbachol. Then the muscle cell membranes were made permeable and strips were exposed to a maximally effective concentration of calcium. Strips from cholesterol fed animals developed less stress than those from control animals under all conditions. The concentration of actin and myosin was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. There were no differences in the concentrations of either protein between the cholesterol-fed and control animals. Our results indicate that the decreased contractile response seen in muscle from cholesterol-fed animals is not due to alterations in membrane excitation, excitation-contraction coupling, or in total contractile proteins.