cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and anovulation increase serum inhibin and affect follicular function during administration of gonadotropins

To test the hypothesis that testosterone (T) derived from circulating dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) or produced in excess within the anovulatory ovary is a follicular regulator capable of stimulating inhibin secretion. DS and inhibin were determined by RIA in residual serum samples from in vitro fertilization cycles and analyzed along with other parameters using analysis of variance and stepwise multiple linear regression after log transformation of the RIA data. It was predicted that the serum concentration of inhibin would be higher in women with anovulation than in normal subjects and that the serum inhibin concentration would have a positive regression coefficient on the serum DS concentration. The serum concentrations of inhibin (P 0.2). Regression analysis showed that serum inhibin was positively related to the number of oocytes (P < 0.001) and serum DS (P = 0.05), with an increase in anovulatory subjects (P < 0.025). The duration of treatment with gonadotropins was related positively to the patient's age (P < 0.001) and negatively to serum DS (P < 0.025), with a decrease in anovulatory subjects (P < 0.025). The number of oocytes obtained was negatively related to age (P < 0.001) and positively to serum DS (P < 0.005). These data are consistent with a stimulatory effect of follicular T derived from either circulating DS or the anovulatory ovary, which affects the secretion of inhibin, the duration of gonadotropin treatment, and the number of oocytes retrieved.
How Unique was Hurricane Sandy? Sedimentary Reconstructions of Extreme Flooding from New York Harbor

The magnitude of flooding in New York City by Hurricane Sandy is commonly believed to be extremely rare, with estimated return periods near or greater than 1000 years. However, the brevity of tide gauge records result in significant uncertainties when estimating the uniqueness of such an event. Here we compare resultant deposition by Hurricane Sandy to earlier storm-induced flood layers in order to extend records of flooding to the city beyond the instrumental dataset. Inversely modeled storm conditions from grain size trends show that a more compact yet more intense hurricane in 1821 CE probably resulted in a similar storm tide and a significantly larger storm surge. Our results indicate the occurrence of additional flood events like Hurricane Sandy in recent centuries, and highlight the inadequacies of the instrumental record in estimating current flood risk by such extreme events.
Retinoid regulation of crabp-II mRNA in an organotypic keratinocyte culture system

AbstractCRABP-II is selectively and markedly induced by retinoic acid (RA) in adult human skin. However, in submerged, serum-free keratinocyte cultures grown in MCDB 153 medium modified for high-density growth, CRABP-II mRNA could not be induced by RA. Instead, CRABP-II expression was markedly suppressed after prolonged (48 hr) exposure to pharmacologic dosages (3 × 10−6 M) of RA. The inability of such cultures to induce CRABP-II was not due to the presence of corticosteroids or a lack of extracellular calcium, because CRABP-II responsiveness was not restored by growth of keratinocytes for one passage (about three doublings) in hydrocortisone-free medium, or addition of 2 mM CaCl2 for 24 hr before RA challenge. Comparisons of intact human skin, submerged keratinocyte cultures, and skin equivalent cultures suggest that induction of CRABP-II by RA requires epidermal stratification, dermal-epidermal interactions, or both. However, the presence of melanocytes, Langerhans cells, mast cells, or endothelial cell...
Prophylactic antigen-matched donor blood for patients with warm autoantibodies: an algorithm for transfusion management

Background Patients with warm autoantibodies are at high risk for delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions due to the presence of alloantibodies. To provide blood safe for transfusion and to avoid adsorption studies in some cases, the provision of prophylactic antigen-matched donor blood where feasible for patients with warm autoantibodies is advocated. Study design and methods Twenty consecutive adult patients with warm autoantibodies (January 1999 to February 2000) received chronic RBC transfusions by use of this protocol: the serology consistent with warm autoantibodies was confirmed; the alloantibodies were identified; the complete phenotype was determined (i.e., C, E, c, e, K, Jk(a), Jk(b), Fy(a), Fy(b), S, and s); and prophylactic antigen-matched (i.e., donor RBCs matched with the patient's phenotype), WBC-reduced donor RBCs were provided for transfusion. On subsequent admissions, samples were evaluated by panel studies and DATs. If the serology remained consistent with previous findings, prophylactic antigen-matched, WBC-reduced RBCs were transfused without further testing. Results Eight of 20 (40%) patients had existing, clinically significant alloantibodies. In 12 of 20 (60%) patients, a phenotype was determined and the patients received transfusion of a total of 149 prophylactic antigen-matched RBC units (mean, 15 units per patient) precluding adsorption studies on 51 pretransfusion samples. In 8 of 20 (40%) cases (2 with alloantibodies), phenotypes were indeterminant, necessitating differential allogeneic adsorption studies on 39 samples before transfusion of 144 RBC units (mean, 18 units per patient). Conclusions Determining complete phenotypes should be a routine component of the serologic evaluation of patients with warm autoantibodies. Our algorithm for providing prophylactic antigen-matched RBCs to these patients when a complete phenotype can be determined provides flexibility in their transfusion management while maintaining safety and circumvents or simplifies pretransfusion adsorption studies.
The high road or the low road.

n this wonderful article, which combines cadaver dissection with case illustrations, a group of pioneering endonasal I surgeons describe their decision-making strategy in choosing between the endonasal “farmedial” approach and the transcranial “far lateral” approach to the cervicomedullary junction. Articles such as these, of which there are several, represent a healthy fourth stage in theevolutionof theendonasal approaches. This first stage, which can be called Introduction, was the presentation of the endonasal approaches involving cadaver dissection and case reports. This first stage was met with skepticism among the neurosurgical community, leading to the second stage, which can becalled Justification. In this stagesurgeonspresented larger case series showing safety and efficacy. This stage was met with curiosity and early adoption, as well as harsh criticism of complications, which required a third stage, namely Modification. In this stage the endonasal approaches and instrumentationwere altered to further reduce complications and increase efficacy.We are now entering a new stage, in which the endonasal approaches are considered safe and effective in experienced hands and the main issue becomes appropriate selection of the proper approach. This stage involves decision-making algorithms, direct comparisons between endonasal and transcranial approaches (2-8), and frank discussions of the benefits and limitations of the endonasal versus the transcranial approaches. These last set of articles, ofwhich the current article represents an excellent example, include comparisons of the pterional, supracilliary versus endonasal transplanum approaches, or the transpetrosal, subtemporal versus endonasal transpterygoidal approaches, or extended transbasal versus endonasal transcribriform approaches. The purpose is not to show that one approach is better than another, but rather to indicate in what situations one approach might be preferable and when the
Telomeres: protecting chromosomes against genome instability

The natural ends of linear chromosomes require unique genetic and structural adaptations to facilitate the protection of genetic material. This is achieved by the sequestration of the telomeric sequence into a protective nucleoprotein cap that masks the ends from constitutive exposure to the DNA damage response machinery. When telomeres are unmasked, genome instability arises. Balancing capping requirements with telomere replication and the enzymatic processing steps that are obligatory for telomere function is a complex problem. Telomeric proteins and their interacting factors create an environment at chromosome ends that inhibits DNA repair; however, the repair machinery is essential for proper telomere function.
Liquefaction Potential Index: Field Assessment

Cone penetration test (CPT) soundings at historic liquefaction sites in California were used to evaluate the predictive capability of the liquefaction potential index (LPI), which was defined by Iwasaki et al. in 1978. LPI combines depth, thickness, and factor of safety of liquefiable material inferred from a CPT sounding into a single parameter. LPI data from the Monterey Bay region indicate that the probability of surface manifestations of liquefaction is 58 and 93%, respectively, when LPI equals or exceeds 5 and 15. LPI values also generally correlate with surface effects of liquefaction: Decreasing from a median of 12 for soundings in lateral spreads to 0 for soundings where no surface effects were reported. The index is particularly promising for probabilistic liquefaction hazard mapping where it may be a useful parameter for characterizing the liquefaction potential of geologic units.
A Public Forum: “Scholarly Controversy: Whiteness and the Historians' Imagination”

Since the publication of David Roediger's The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class (New York, 1991), the study of “whiteness” has become a dominant organizing principle in US labor history as well as other fields. In the last eleven years, historians have churned out an innumerable number of articles and books using the concept of whiteness to reshape the way the field. On November 30, 2001, a couple hundred graduate students, academics, and activists packed a New York University hall to hear seven prominent scholars, who have written on both labor and race, debate the impact of whiteness studies on US labor history. The evening began with Eric Arnesen (University of Illinois at Chicago) offering his assessment. Arnesen was followed by the six other scholars who responded to him and offered their own views on whiteness studies. The editors of International Labor and Working-Class History (ILWCH) organized this public forum because of the interest generated by the symposium on the same issue that appeared in the fall 2001 issue of their journal. Along with ILWCH, the event was sponsored by the New York University History Department and the Committee on Historical Studies at the New School for Social Research. The forum was quite a success as the panelists and the audience engaged in lively and occasionally heated discussion on the relative strengths and political ramifications of whiteness studies.
The British in the Atacama Desert: The Cultural Bases of Economic Imperialism

In the nineteenth century, the British were popular throughout the west coast of South America as the cultural and economic allies of the ruling elites. The criollos of Peru and Chile, who had inherited the colonial social order, looked to France in matters of art and fashion but viewed the British as the providers of commerce and economic progress. They welcomed Irish, Welsh, and English immigrants as merchants, artisans, and prospective grooms. In Peru, the British played a key role in developing the market for guano (the fertilizer composed of bird excrement and the precursor of the nitrate, salitre, trade), and British ships took Chile's copper and wheat to England from the 1840's through the early 1870's. By 1870, the development of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and the London Bank of Mexico and South America assured the British dominance of the commerce along the west coast.
Pediatric Bilateral Facial Paralysis

Bilateral facial paralysis is an unusual clinical entity that occurs in less than 1% of patients with facial paralysis. In children bilateral facial paralysis is even more rare, and establishing its etiology can be challenging. Four pediatric patients ranging in age from 3 to 17 years are presented who developed bilateral facial paralysis as a result of acute otitis media, Lyme disease, recurrent central nervous system leukemia, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The diagnosis and treatment of pediatric bilateral facial paralysis are reviewed, as well as the pertinent literature.
Knowledge, Technology, and Economic Growth During the Industrial Revolution

This paper takes a look at the events leading to the British Industrial Revolution and renews the argument that a theory of useful knowledge is required to fully understand the timing of the event as well as the reasons why it did not peter out after a few decades the way previous waves of technological progress had done. It develops such a theory in some detail, distinguishing between Useful Knowledge and Techniques. It is argued that in the century before 1760, fundamental developments associated with the enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution took place that made the Industrial Revolution possible.
Chat reference service in medical libraries: part 1--An introduction.

Abstract Chat reference services offer the opportunity to provide immediate access to quality information to meet the medical information needs of students, faculty, staff, physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals. Part 1 of this two-part article on chat reference service in medical libraries is an introduction to the management of chat reference services and to features available for chat reference. The management of chat reference services raises issues of planning, staffing, selecting, and marketing. Planning issues focus on the identification of the users, the users' medical information needs, and the users' information-seeking behavior. Staffing issues relate to the selection of chat hours, the location of the chat service, and participation in collaborative agreements. Selecting chat software weighs the sophistication of the chat features against the related cost. Marketing uses techniques similar to traditional reference services and often begins slowly as chat expertise develops. P...
Insertions, Deletions, and Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms at Rare Restriction Enzyme Sites Enhance Discriminatory Power of Polymorphic Amplified Typing Sequences, a Novel Strain Typing System for Escherichia coli O157:H7

Polymorphic amplified typing sequences (PATS) for Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157) was previously based on indels containing XbaI restriction enzyme sites occurring in O-island sequences of the O157 genome. This strain-typing system, referred to as XbaI-based PATS, typed every O157 isolate tested in a reproducible, rapid, straightforward, and easy-to-interpret manner and had technical advantages over pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). However, the system was less discriminatory than PFGE and was unable to differentiate fully between unrelated isolates. To overcome this drawback, we enhanced PATS by using another infrequently cutting restriction enzyme, AvrII (also known as BlnI), to identify additional polymorphic regions that could increase the discriminatory ability of PATS typing. Referred to as AvrII-based PATS, the system identified seven new polymorphic regions in the O157 genome. Unlike XbaI, polymorphisms involving AvrII sites were caused by both indels and single-nucleotide polymorphisms occurring in O-island and backbone sequences of the O157 genome. AvrII-based PATS by itself provided poor discrimination of the O157 isolates tested. However, when primer pairs amplifying the seven polymorphic AvrII sites were combined with those amplifying the eight polymorphic XbaI sites (combined PATS), the discriminatory power of PATS was enhanced. Combined PATS matched related O157 isolates better than PFGE while differentiating between unrelated isolates. PATS typed every O157 isolate tested and directly targeted polymorphic sequences responsible for differences in the restriction digest patterns of O157 genomic DNA, utilizing PCR rather than relying on gel electrophoresis. This enabled PATS to resolve the ambiguity in PFGE typing, including that arising from the “more distantly related” and “untypeable” profiles.
Alternative medical school curriculum design: the independent study program.

The University of Wisconsin Medical School established an alternative Independent Study Program (ISP) in the basic medical sciences in 1972. This program enabled class size to be increased without increasing laboratory teaching space, provided better education for students with diverse educational backgrounds, permitted individual progress, and promoted independent study. When compared to the most receptive oriented regular cuniculum students (RCR) and those most discovery oriented (RCD), the preferred learning style of self-selected ISP students was more discovery or self-directed. They retained that style after graduation, while RCD students frequently became less discovery oriented. The ISP group was older, had more females, and had more advanced degrees. Although they had lower undergraduate grade point averages, they did well on the Verbal, General Information, Problem-Solving, and Quantitative sections of the MCAT. They also did well scholastically in Medical School, scored well on the National Boar...
Complex Population Dynamics and the Coalescent Under Neutrality

Estimates of the coalescent effective population size Ne can be poorly correlated with the true population size. The relationship between Ne and the population size is sensitive to the way in which birth and death rates vary over time. The problem of inference is exacerbated when the mechanisms underlying population dynamics are complex and depend on many parameters. In instances where nonparametric estimators of Ne such as the skyline struggle to reproduce the correct demographic history, model-based estimators that can draw on prior information about population size and growth rates may be more efficient. A coalescent model is developed for a large class of populations such that the demographic history is described by a deterministic nonlinear dynamical system of arbitrary dimension. This class of demographic model differs from those typically used in population genetics. Birth and death rates are not fixed, and no assumptions are made regarding the fraction of the population sampled. Furthermore, the population may be structured in such a way that gene copies reproduce both within and across demes. For this large class of models, it is shown how to derive the rate of coalescence, as well as the likelihood of a gene genealogy with heterochronous sampling and labeled taxa, and how to simulate a coalescent tree conditional on a complex demographic history. This theoretical framework encapsulates many of the models used by ecologists and epidemiologists and should facilitate the integration of population genetics with the study of mathematical population dynamics.
Spouses’ Gender Role Attitudes, Wives’ Employment Status, and Mexican-Origin Husbands’ Marital Satisfaction

Informed by Peplau’s theory of roles, this study examined the complex interplay between spouses’ gender role attitudes and wives’ employment status as a predictor of Mexican-origin husbands’ marital satisfaction. Dissonance between spouses’ gender role attitudes toward marital roles and wives’ employment status within couples was hypothesized to be inversely related to husbands’ marital satisfaction. Data were gathered during in-home interviews with 120 Mexican-origin couples living in North Carolina. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses identified a three-way interaction between wives’ employment and spouses’ gender role attitudes, indicating that in couples with nonemployed wives, wives’ more sex-typed gender role attitudes were more negatively associated with the marital satisfaction of husbands with more sex-typed attitudes than husbands with less sex-typed attitudes. Specifically, the three-way interaction showed that for couples with nonemployed wives, husbands’ marital satisfaction was lowest ...
Modular and numerically stable multichannel FTF algorithms

The authors present scalar implementations of multichannel fast recursive least squares algorithms in transversal filter form (so-called FTF). By processing the different channels sequentially, i.e one at a time, the processing of any channel reduces to that of the single-channel algorithm. This sequential processing decomposes the multichannel algorithm into a set of intertwined single-channel algorithms. Geometrically, this corresponds to a modified Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization of multichannel error vectors. Algebraically, this technique corresponds to matrix triangularization of multichannel error covariance matrices and converts matrix operations into a regular set of scalar operations. Algorithm structures that are amenable to VLSI implementation on arrays of parallel processors follow naturally from this approach. Numerically, the resulting algorithm benefits from the advantages of triangularization techniques in block processing. Stabilization techniques for control of numerical error propagation in the update recursions are incorporated. >
Embedding active force control within the compliant hybrid zero dynamics to achieve stable, fast running on MABEL

A mathematical formalism for designing running gaits in bipedal robots with compliance is introduced and subsequently validated experimentally on MABEL, a planar biped that contains springs in its drivetrain. The methods of virtual constraints and hybrid zero dynamics are used to design a time-invariant feedback controller that respects the natural compliance of the open-loop system. In addition, it also enables active force control within the compliant hybrid zero dynamics allowing within-stride adjustments of the effective stance leg stiffness. The proposed control strategy was implemented on and resulted in a kneed-biped running record of 3.06 m/s (10.9 kph or 6.8 mph).
Toward shared responsibility: the Teacher Education Council, Ontario

In 1989 the Ontario Government established the Teacher Education Council, Ontario, with the dual mandate of promoting collaboration in the area of teacher education and advising two Ministers on all aspects of teacher certification and teacher education. The Council was composed of four members from each of the major stakeholder groups ‐ school boards, teachers’ federations, universities, and government. During its first 3 years the Council addressed such topics as the teacher education continuum (admissions, pre‐service, induction, and in‐service), the review and approval of teacher education programmes, requirements for teachers of the future, and integrating teachers from all over the world into the Ontario system. This article provides an overview of the Council's activities and focuses on the collaborative decision‐making process used to address policy issues in teacher education in Ontario.
Elevated Cadmium Exposure may be Associated with Periodontal Bone Loss.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Association of environmental cadmium exposure with periodontal disease in US adults. Arora M, Weuve J, Schwartz J, Wright RO. Environ Health Perspect 2009;117:739-44. Reviewers Bruce A. Dye, DDS, MPH, Charles F. Dillon, MD, PhD Purpose/Question Is environmental cadmium associated with periodontal disease? Source of Funding Information not available Type of Study/Design Cross-sectional study Level of Evidence Level 3: Other evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Reference intervals for reticulocyte parameters of infants during their first 90 days after birth

The automated reticulocyte parameters (absolute reticulocyte count, immature reticulocyte fraction (IRF) and reticulocyte hemoglobin content (RET-He)) are of value in managing adults and older children with a variety of hematological disorders. However, the lack of reference intervals for these parameters in neonates and young infants has limited their application to that population. During a span of 12 months (29 May 2014 to 5 May 2015), a convenience sample of reticulocyte parameters were run from clinically ordered complete blood counts (CBCs) of infants within the first 90 days after birth. Measuring the reticulocyte parameters as a research-only adjunct to the CBC did not require any additional blood or generate a patient charge, and the reticulocyte results were not reported to the provided and did not appear in the clinical records. Values from neonates who had a transfusion or a diagnosis of anemia were subsequently excluded from the reference data set. Nine Intermountain Healthcare clinical laboratories contributed 8438 CBCs to the initial reticulocyte parameter database. From these, 1806 were excluded because of a transfusion or a diagnosis of anemia, leaving 6632 in the reference interval database. The parameters charted over the first 90 days after birth were: (1) blood hemoglobin concentration (g dl−1), (2) mean corpuscular volume (fL), (3) reticulocyte count (x103 per μl), (4) IRF (%) and (5) RET-He (pg). The new reference interval charts can help clinicians identify abnormalities in the reticulocyte parameters. This information could be of value in identifying and following neonates with various hematological problems including hemolytic disorders, occult hemorrhage, or iron deficiency or other limitations of erythrocyte production.
Radiculopathy and Motor Neuron Disorders

Although radiculopathies and motor neuron disorders have vastly different underlying mechanisms and clinical presentations, the electrodiagnostic examination for these disorders demonstrate remarkable similarities. In all of these conditions, the electrophysiological examination reflects motor neuron injury with virtually no involvement of sensory neurons, even in the face of substantial sensory symptoms, as may occur in radiculopathy. The needle examination is a critical part of electrophysiological testing, helping to define the extent and severity of the abnormality, often more effectively than is possible with nerve conduction studies alone. Late responses, including F-waves and the H-reflexes, can also assist in the diagnosis of radiculopathy to some extent. The electrodiagnostic evaluation of motor neuron disease requires special consideration and care.
Clozapine-Induced Myocarditis: Prevention and Considerations in Rechallenge

The incidence of clozapine-induced myocarditis is 0.2%–3%, and it can be life threatening, with a mortality rate as high as 50%. It can be subtle in its presentation, with the most common symptoms including flulike symptoms, fever, fatigue, and dyspnea. Approximately 80% of cases of clozapineinduced myocarditis occur within 4 weeks of drug initiation, and 90% occur within 8 weeks. The diagnosis is typically guided by a preponderance of clinical evidence, as even the diagnostic gold standard of endomyocardial biopsy has limited sensitivity and specificity. We present the case of a 44-year-old woman who developed clinical signs and symptoms of clozapineinduced myocarditis, approximately 2 weeks following the initiation of clozapine treatment for psychosis.
Reflex cardiovascular responses originating in exercising muscles of mice.

The cardiovascular responses induced by exercise are initiated by two primary mechanisms: central command and reflexes originating in exercising muscles. Although our understanding of cardiovascula...
A milli-volt triggered MEMS paddle switch

This paper presents an implementation of an electrostatic MEMS switch which can be triggered by a very low input voltage in the range of ∼50mV. This device can thus be used as a zero-DC power signal threshold detector suitable for waking up larger battery powered systems. The device consists of an electrically conductive torsional see-saw paddle with four balanced electrodes. The device is symmetrically biased by applying the same voltage at its inner electrodes leading to bistable behavior at flat or collapsed equilibrium positions. The use of elevated symmetric bias softens the springs such that the transition of the paddle state from flat to collapsed can be triggered when a few mV are applied to one of its outer electrode thus causing device snapping in and switch closure.
Presurgical Serum Immunoglobulin Concentrations and the Prognosis of Operable Breast Cancer in Women

Serum concentrations of IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, and allergen-specific IgE were measured in presurgical serum samples from 400 women admitted to a multidisciplinary study of primary breast cancer. The relationships between the serum immunoglobulins and patient survival were analyzed with the use of a Cox proportional hazards linear model. After adjustment for TNM stage, tumor histopathologic grade, and estrogen receptor (E2R) status, lower IgM concentrations were associated with longer survival. Lower IgE concentrations were also associated with longer survival, but only in patients whose tumors were E2R positive. IgG and IgA were not related to survival. Serum IgM and IgE concentrations, allergen-specific IgE scores, and the tumor E2R status were combined to construct a three-level risk classification that was more prognostic than any of the individual components. Cox model analysis demonstrated that this combination of immunologic and hormonal variables provided significant new information beyond that obtained from TNM staging and histopathologic grading of the tumors (P = .01). This new information may be useful to physicians in advising patients with primary, operable breast cancer about the relative risks and benefits of adjuvant therapy and in designing clinical trials of adjuvant therapy.
On the Feasibility of Characterizing Soil Properties From AVIRIS Data

We evaluate the feasibility of quantifying surface soil properties over large areas and at a fine spatial resolution using high-resolution airborne imaging spectroscopy. Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration immediately after the large 2011 Mississippi River flood at the Birds Point New Madrid (BPNM, $\approx 700\ \mathrm{km}^{2} $ ) floodway in Missouri, USA, was used in a data mining lasso framework for mapping of soil textural properties such as percentages of sand, silt, clay, soil-organic matter, and many other soil chemicals constituents. The modeling results show that the approach is feasible and provide insights in the accuracy and uncertainty of the approach for both soil textural properties and chemical constituents. These models were further used for a pixel-by-pixel prediction of each the soil constituent, resulting in high-resolution (7.6 m) quantitative spatial maps in the entire floodway. These maps reveal coherent spatial correlations with historical meander patterns of Mississippi River and fine-scale features such as erosional gullies, represented by difference in constituent concentration, e.g., low soil organic matter, with the underlying topography immediately disturbed by the large flooding event. Further, we have argued and established that the independent validation results are better represented as a probability density function as compared with a single calibration–validation set. It is also found that modeled soil constituents are sensitive to NDVI and the calibration sample sizes, and the results improve with stricter (lower) NDVI thresholds and larger calibration sets.
Beyond Dyads: Regional Democratic Strength’s Influence on Dyadic Conflict

ABSTRACTOver the history of modern international relations research, we have moved from systemic and regional studies to empirical explorations of dyadic interactions. However, our statistical models have put the details of dyadic interactions under a microscope at the expense of ignoring the relevant regional context that these dyads interact in. This development has been in part due to computational limitations, but do we really believe that decision makers interact with one another while ignoring the regional power balance and the wishes of regional powers? In this article, I take a look at the well-researched relationship between democracy and peace by using a multilevel approach to dyadic interactions and the regions they are embedded in. The findings suggest that when the regional power balance favors democracies, it influences conflict between dyads, especially mixed dyads, by increasing the costs of aggression by autocracies and establishing regional norms of cooperation and compromise.
Cooling techniques for laser diode arrays

High-power laser diodes are desired in the consumer, medical and defense sectors. The performance and reliability of these lasers can degrade severely because of the difficulty in removing the waste heat generated within the laser diode. Higher operating temperatures also reduce the lifetime of the laser diodes. This paper investigates various cooling techniques for thermally managing laser diode arrays. Two ideal candidates for high heat flux removal are microchannel cooling and spray cooling. MicroChannel cooling requires large fluid velocities and large pressure gradients to remove waste heat. In addition, the fluid absorbs thermal energy as it flows through the channel introducing a temperature gradient along the surface. When using laser diode arrays to pump a solid state laser gain media it is essential to maintain a consistent wavelength throughout the array. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a uniform temperature for all emitters in the array. Spray cooling allows maintenance of precise laser wavelength, higher output efficiency and lower thermally induced stresses. Nomenclature A Area (m) AC Cross-Sectional Area (m) Cp Specific Heat (J/kgK) f Darcy friction factor g Gravitational Constant (m/s) h Convection heat-transfer coefficient (W/mK) hfg Latent Heat of Vaporization (kJ/kg) k Thermal conductivity (W/mK) 18 Mass Flow Rate (kg/s) p Pressure (N/m) q" Heat Flux (W/cm) Q Heat(W) ReD Hydraulic Diameter Reynolds Number T Temperature (°C or K) p Fluid Density (kg/m) p_l Liquid Density (kg/m) p_v Vapor Density (kg/m) /j. Fluid Viscosity (Ns/m) a Surface Tension (N/m) /I Wavelength (nm)
ABCG2 AND MDR PROMOTE BRAINSTEM GLIOMAGENESIS AND LIMIT THE EFFICACY OF DASATINIB IN A DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA (DIPG) MOUSE MODEL.

BACKGROUND: DIPG is an incurable tumor that arises in the brainstem of children. Our laboratory generates murine DIPGs by expressing PDGF-B and deleting p53 in nestin progenitors of the neonatal brainstem using the RCAS/tv-a system. Dasatinib, an inhibitor of PDGFR-A and SRC activation, has been evaluated in clinical trials for children with DIPG but with disappointing results. As dasatinib is a substrate of the ABC transporters ABCG2 and MDR, we hypothesized that ABCG2 and MDR may limit the efficacy of dasatinib in DIPG. METHODS: We generated murine DIPGs driven by PDGF-B and p53 loss in ABC WT (ABCG2+/+; MDRa+/+; MDRb+/+) and ABC KO (ABCG2-/-; MDRa-/-; MDRb-/-) mice. Next, we investigated whether dasatinib is efficacious in ABC KO and ABC WT DIPG-bearing mice. We treated ABC WT DIPG-bearing mice with dasatinib alone, elacridar (a dual ABCG2/MDR inhibitor) alone, and dasatinib in combination with elacridar. We also measured dasatinib levels in the tumor and plasma of all of the different tumor cohorts. Lastly, we evaluated the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) of our DIPG mouse model with Dextran Texas Red. RESULTS: Surprisingly, we observed a significant difference in tumor latency between untreated ABC KO and untreated ABC WT mice in this PDGF-B; p53 deficient DIPG model. Median survival of DIPG-bearing ABC KO was longer than DIPG-bearing ABC WT: 43 days vs. 34 days respectively (p = 0.02). We observed that dasatinib almost doubled the survival of DIPG-bearing mice in the ABC KO model: 44 days vs. 80 days (p = 0.0004). Dasatinib modestly prolonged survival in ABC WT mice: 33 days vs. 42 days (p < 0.0001). Co-treatment with elacridar significantly increased the efficacy of dasatinib in the ABC WT model 42 days vs. 59 days (p < 0.0001). However, elacridar alone did not significantly prolong survival in the ABC WT mice 33 days vs. 34 days (p = 0.38). Pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that genetic ablation of the ABC transporters or inhibition of ABC transporters with elacridar significantly increased dasatinib delivery into normal brain but not into tumor. Dextran Texas Red studies demonstrated a disrupted BBB in DIPG models independent of ABC transporters. CONCLUSIONS: 1. ABC transporters promote brainstem gliomagenesis 2. ABC transporters regulate dasatinib delivery into normal brain but not into the tumor as BBB is disrupted in our DIPG mouse model 3. ABC transporter activity limits the efficacy of dasatinib in vivo. Our results suggest that ABCG2 and MDR inhibitors may have a therapeutic role in the treatment of DIPG. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Preclinical Experimental Therapeutics.
A MÖssbauer Study of Nanophase iron Produced by Mechanical Alloying

Ball milling has been used to mechanically induce the displacement reaction 3 Fe3O4 + 8 Al → 9 Fe + 4 Al2O3, in which fine magnetite particles (Fe3O4) are reduced to nanophase iron particles. The presence of initial, intermediate, and final phases are easily identified by Mossbauer spectroscopy on samples taken at various stages of the milling process. Our measurements confirm the gradual progress of the above reaction and also verify the presence of FeAl2O4 at intermediate milling times. The concentration of this phase reaches a maximum of 42% at a milling time of 100 minutes. After five hours, the sample is fully reduced and contains ferromagnetic bcc-iron and superparamagnetic iron particles. Further milling reduces the amount of ferromagnetic iron and increases the proportion of the superparamagnetic phase.
Animal Bones from Caves to Cities: Reverse Utility Curves as Methodological Artifacts

Utility-based studies are attractive to zooarchaeologists because they afford the opportunity of investigating economic decisions relative to particular contexts. While a positive relationship between utility and skeletal element abundance is anticipated at residential sites, a reverse utility curve is most common. A popular mechanistic explanation argues that reverse utility curves result from density-mediated destruction of bone, suggesting that utility-based studies will rarely be successful as density-mediated destruction will overwhelm any skeletal element patterning created by differential transport. We show with archaeological and experimental/naturalistic taphonomic data that the mechanistic explanation is overstated. Fauna from Kobeh cave (a Mousterian site) and "Ain Dara (an Iron Age site) both show a reverse utility pattern when estimates of long bone abundance are based just on ends (the procedure followed at all sites that have shown a reverse utility pattern), and all bones are plotted together. When long bone abundance is estimated from the middle shaft portion, the reverse utility pattern collapses and a positive relationship arises. The ubiquity of the reverse utility curve derives in many cases from basing long bone abundance estimates on ends and scatter-plotting the abundance of long bones with non-long bones, thus restricting the analysis to the least dense most spongy bone portions. Long bone abundance estimates must include the middle shaft portion to attain accurate estimates of element abundance. Long bone abundance, when based on shaft portions, can be usefully compared to utility to investigate utility-based models of human behavior.
The cytomorphological features of low‐grade urothelial neoplasms vary by specimen type

BACKGROUND Urinary tract (UT) cytology has been used successfully to diagnose high-grade urothelial carcinoma but is reported to have poor sensitivity for low-grade urothelial neoplasms (LGUNs). However, the literature has shown that LGUN may be associated with atypical findings in UT specimens. The authors determined which features were most commonly observed, and whether the method of specimen procurement had an effect. METHODS A total of 326 specimens were identified over an 8-year period. One hundred fifty-three specimens were reviewed and graded for cellularity, number of tissue fragments (TFs), degeneration, inflammation, hyperchromasia, nuclear pleomorphism, nuclear border irregularity, nuclear size, cytoplasmic tails, nuclear eccentricity, and high-grade features. RESULTS Of the 153 specimens, 86 specimens (56.2%) demonstrated cellular atypia; of those, 51.2% were voided urine (VU) and 31.4% were UT washing (UW) specimens. The majority of specimens had many cells (46.5%), many single cells (44.2%), few to moderate TFs (46.5% and 27.9%, respectively), mild hyperchromasia (52.3%), mild nuclear pleomorphism (51.2%), mild nuclear border irregularity (60.5%), cytoplasmic tails (51.2%), and few to moderate eccentric nuclei (37.2% and 36.1%, respectively). The presence of TFs, cytoplasmic tails, and eccentric and enlarged nuclei were significantly more common in UW versus VU specimens (P = .036, .012, .014, and .027, respectively) and in UW versus benign UW controls (P = .001, .002, .002, and .003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Approximately 50% of UT specimens with LGUN on follow-up demonstrated atypical features. Based on comparison with benign UW controls, TFs, cytoplasmic tails, nuclear eccentricity, and enlarged nuclei were more pronounced in neoplastic UW than VU specimens, suggesting that the method of urine specimen procurement affects the presence of certain low-grade features. Cancer Cytopathol 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Reply to "Letter to the editor: Angiotensin quantification by mass spectrometry".

reply: Although I appreciate the comments from Poglitsch and colleagues in their letter ([5][1]), their assertion that my review concluded that liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) lacks the sensitivity to quantify endogenous angiotensins and requires exogenous renin for peptide detection
Limited Supersaturation versus Phase Equilibration in Predicting the Occurrence of Decompression Sickness

1. Three experiments have been designed to test the following assumptions underlying the conventional methods for calculating decompression schedules: (a) that there is a critical limit to the supersaturation of a tissue by a gas, and (b) that no gas is formed in the tissues of a subject who does not develop symptoms of decompression sickness. 2. When decompression time was titrated by cutting back upon the time spent at various last stops, it was found that a last stop at a depth of 30 ft was more effective than one at 20 ft which was, in turn, more effective than one at the conventional last stop of 10 ft for each of five schedules. These trials involved fourteen goats and 486 exposures. 3. In a second method, an exposure was selected for each animal from which the ‘titrated’ stop was now the only one required; but the results were inconclusive since the interval of uncertain diagnosis was now of comparable order of magnitude to the total decompression time. 4. In a third method, symptoms could not be induced in three goats, which had just completed marginally safe decompressions, by exposure to high-intensity ultrasound whose energy would be expected to cause the tissue to exceed any hypothetical metastable limit to supersaturation. 5. It was concluded that it is far more likely that the quantity of gas separating from solution determines the imminence of decompression sickness rather than its mere presence as determined by a critical limit to supersaturation. 6. This is discussed in relation to modifying the diving tables, and the serious implication that conventional schedules are really treating a gas phase in the tissues which does not give rise to symptoms due to the remaining compression afforded by the stopping pressures, rather than preventing the separation of gas from solution in tissue.
231 CHRONIC ETHANOL INGESTION CAUSES ALVEOLAR MACROPHAGE DYSFUNCTION: THE ROLE OF PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR-ACTIVATED RECEPTOR GAMMA.

Rationale Chronic ethanol (ETOH) ingestion increases the incidence of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe form of lung injury with a high mortality rate. Recent studies have clarified numerous alcohol-induced derangements in lung cell function. The current study focuses on the impact of chronic ETOH ingestion on alveolar macrophage function and explores the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARg) as a potential therapeutic target in an in vivo rat model of chronic EtOH ingestion. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed liquid diets containing ETOH (36% of calories) or an isocaloric diet substituting maltose-dextrin for ETOH (control) for 6 weeks. After sacrifice, alveolar macrophages were isolated and their ability to phagocytose and internalize fluorescent microorganisms was evaluated using confocal microscopy with and without ex vivo treatment with the PPARg agonist rosiglitazone. In addition, expression of PPARg was examined in isolated macrophages and lung homogenates. Results Chronic ETOH ingestion in the rat decreased the capacity of alveolar macrophages to bind and internalize infectious particles. In contrast, ex vivo treatment with rosiglitazone restored the phagocytic capacity of the macrophages. Chronic EtOH ingestion also significantly reduced PPARg expression in lung homogenates. Conclusions These results indicate that chronic EtOH ingestion disrupts macrophage function and reduces PPARg expression in the lung. PPARg agonists such as rosiglitazone may improve the capacity of the alcoholic lung to clear infectious particles and decrease the risk or severity of respiratory infections.
Determination of sulfate radical in boric acid by photoelectric turbidimetry

In the acid medium,through using the stability of the BaSO4 colloid suspension,a turbidimetric method was established for the determination of trace sulfate radical in boric acid.The stabilizer was glycerol-ethanol mixed reagent (1∶4,V/V),and the precipitant was BaCl2 acidic solution.With oscillating manually and heating,the order of adding reagents didn't have effect to the results.The effects of type and dose of stabilizer,dose of BaCl2 solution,preheating temperature and measurement time on the determination were discussed,and the optimum measurement conditions were found.In this method the detection limit was 0.01 mg/L for sulfate radical,the relative standard deviation was less than 0.03%,and the recovery was 95%-110.3%.When the concentration of the sulfate radical was in range of 0.33-0.83 mg/L,it had a linear relationship with the turbidity.And the measuring time could be hold over 40 min.The method has been applied to the determination of sulfate radical in boric acd and the results were consistent with those obtained by spectrophotometry.
Identification of Tropical Cyclone Storm Types Using Crowdsourcing

AbstractThe Cyclone Center project maintains a website that allows visitors to answer questions based on tropical cyclone satellite imagery. The goal is to provide a reanalysis of satellite-derived tropical cyclone characteristics from a homogeneous historical database composed of satellite imagery with a common spatial resolution for use in long-term, global analyses. The determination of the cyclone “type” (curved band, eye, shear, etc.) is a starting point for this process. This analysis shows how multiple classifications of a single image are combined to provide probabilities of a particular image’s type using an expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm. Analysis suggests that the project needs about 10 classifications of an image to adequately determine the storm type. The algorithm is capable of characterizing classifiers with varying levels of expertise, though the project needs about 200 classifications to quantify an individual’s precision. The EM classifications are compared with an objective alg...