cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased radiation dose heterogeneity within the prostate predisposes to urethral strictures in patients receiving moderately hypofractionated prostate radiation therapy.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether radiation dose inhomogeneity within the prostate predisposes to late urinary strictures after moderately hypofractionated definitive external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer. Methods and materials One hundred seventy-three men with clinically localized prostate cancer met the inclusion criteria for this analysis. All patients received 70 Gy to the prostate delivered over 28 fractions, had at least 2 years of clinical follow-up, and had dose-volume histogram information available for review. The endpoint of this study was the development of a urethral stricture that required a procedural intervention such as urethral dilation or suprapubic catheterization. Dosimetric parameters were evaluated for effect on the rate of urethral stricture formation by univariate Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results The median follow-up was 49.5 months (range, 24.6-108 months). At 5 years, the actuarial rate of intervention for urethral strictures across all patients was 4.9%. The maximum point dose within the prostate (P = .034, hazard ratio = 1.006) and the mean prostate dose (P = .039, hazard ratio = 1.004) were the only parameters predictive of urethral stricture formation. All patients who developed a urethral stricture were treated by a plan with a maximum prostate dose of > 75 Gy (median, 77.67 Gy). Conclusions For patients receiving moderately hypofractionated prostate radiation therapy over 28 fractions, a maximum point dose of 75 Gy within the prostate was associated with an increased probability of developing a urethral stricture that required procedural intervention. The hypothesis that hypofractionation increases susceptibility to toxicity from heterogeneity within the prostate should be confirmed by analyzing data from randomized trials with a conventionally fractionated control arm for comparison.
Repassivation Potential of Alloy 22 in Chloride plus Nitrate Solutions using the Potentiodynamic-Galvanostatic-Potentiostatic Method.

In general, the susceptibility of Alloy 22 to suffer crevice corrosion is measured using the Cyclic Potentiodynamic Polarization (CPP) technique. This is a fast technique that gives rather accurate and reproducible values of re-passivation potential (ER1) in most cases. In the fringes of susceptibility, when the environment is not highly aggressive, the values of re-passivation potential using the CPP technique may not be highly reproducible, especially because the technique is fast. To circumvent this, the re-passivation potential of Alloy 22 was measured using a slower method that combines Potentiodynamic-Galvano-static-Potentiostatic steps (called here the Tsujikawa-Hisamatsu Electrochemical or THE method). The THE method applies the charge to the specimen in a more controlled way, which may give more reproducible re-passivation potential values, especially when the environment is not aggressive. The values of re-passivation potential of Alloy 22 in sodium chloride plus potassium nitrate solutions were measured using the THE and CPP methods. Results show that both methods yield similar values of re-passivation potential, especially under aggressive conditions. (authors)
Inhibitory effects of 2‐bromoethanesulfonate and protection by addition of coenzyme M in hydrogen‐oxidizing marine enrichment cultures

Since bromoethanesulfonate (BES) is an inhibitor of methane production (competitive with methyl-coenzyme M), cells able to accumulate large internal pools of methyl-coenzyme M via uptake of its precursor, HS-CoM, should be protected from BES by addition of HS-CoM to the growth medium. Hydrogen-oxidizing marine methanogen enrichments were prepared from anaerobic sediment samples collected at Sippewisset Salt Marsh and Oyster Bay Inlet near Woods Hole, MA. The three enrichments studied were a mixture of cell types with at least 50% of the culture comprised of methanogens. Methane production was found to be sensitive to BES with half maximal inhibition occurring at 5–20 μM BES depending on the enrichment. For each, half maximal protection against 40 μM BES occurred at a HS-CoM: BES molar ratio of 20: 1 to 40: 1. Since the protected enrichments exhibited normal sensitivity toward BES after removal of HS-CoM, it was concluded that methane production in the presence of both BES and HS-CoM resulted from true protection and not growth of BES-resistant mutants. These results suggest that uptake of HS-CoM may be a general property of methanogens occupying anaerobic marine sediments. It is possible that uptake of this coenzyme is an important nutritional feature of methanogens in their natural habitat.
Feedback control of analytic nonlinear systems by extended linearization

For mufti-input, mufti-output, analytic, nonlinear systems, a design method based on the family of linearizations of the system, parameterized by the family of constant operating points, is considered. Using the Cauchy–Kowalewski Theorem it is shown that nonlinear state feedback control laws and output/observer feedback control laws exist such that the eigenvalues of the family of closed-loop linearizations have specified, analytically-scheduled values with respect to the family of closed-loop operating points.
Time-integrated supernova neutrino flux from a nearby cluster

Abstract The rate of gravitational collapse (type II) supernovae in our Galaxy is uncertain by a factor of three or more. One way to determine the Galactic supernova rate is through a radiogeochemical experiment (for example, the molybdenum–technetium experiment) that would integrate the neutrino flux over several million years. While such a measurement is designed to integrate the flux over the entire Galaxy, nearby star-forming regions could skew the results. We model the fluence (integrated flux) from a recently identified such region, the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association, and compare with the fluence from the rest of the Galaxy.
Isolation and initial characterization of a large repeat sequence element specific to mouse chromosome 8

Abstract A clone containing 15.6 kb of mouse genomic DNA was specifically localized to murine chromosome 8 by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The major signal, mapping just below the centromeric heterochromatin, was much too intense for a single-copy probe. Two additional weak hybridization signals were detected in or near distal bands 8B3 and 8D. Six subclones spanning the entire 15.6-kb insert gave strong centromere proximal signals; however, none of these clones crosshybridized with each other, suggesting that the repeat unit was quite large. Sequence data support this interpretation. An analysis of over 4 kb of sequence, including two subclones in their entirety, did not reveal any common sequence motif. Copy number reconstruction and Southern blotting experiments indicate that between 60 and 80 copies of the sequence (∼0.9–1.2 Mb in total) reside on each chromosome 8, most likely organized in a clustered but not tandemly duplicated fashion. Although the probe hybridizes to Mus spretus and Mus castaneus as well as to Mus musculus, it is not detectable in the rat, Chinese hamster, Armenian hamster, or human genomes.
Response to Dietary Dilution in an Omnivorous Freshwater Turtle: Implications for Ontogenetic Dietary Shifts

Abstract Several species of freshwater turtles in the family Emydidae undergo an ontogenetic dietary shift; as juvenile turtles mature, they change from a primarily carnivorous to a primarily herbivorous diet. It has been hypothesized that this shift results from an unfavorable ratio of gut capacity to metabolic rate that prevents small reptiles from processing adequate volumes of plant material to meet their energetic demands. Effects of dietary dilution on intake were evaluated in two size classes of red‐eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) to test whether small reptiles have a lower capacity to compensate for low‐quality diets through increased intake than do larger conspecifics. Artificial diets with an inert diluent were offered to two size classes of turtles, and mass‐specific intakes of dry matter, energy, and nitrogen were calculated. Both small ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \us...
Robustness of Late Lumen Loss in Discriminating Drug-Eluting Stents Across Variable Observational and Randomized Trials

Background— Binary angiographic and clinical restenosis rates can vary widely between clinical studies, even for the same stent, influenced heavily by case-mix covariates that differ among observational and randomized trials intended to assess a given stent system. We hypothesized that mean in-stent late loss might be a more stable estimator of restenosis propensity across such studies. Methods and Results— In 46 trials of drug-eluting and bare-metal stenting, increasing mean late loss was associated with higher target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates (P<0.001). When the class of bare-metal stents was compared with the class of effective drug-eluting stents, late loss was more discriminating than TLR as measured by the high intraclass correlation coefficient (ρ) (late loss, ρ=0.71 versus TLR, ρ=0.22; 95% CI of difference=0.33, 0.65). When the individual drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents were compared, late loss was a better discriminator than TLR (0.68 versus 0.19; 95% CI of difference=0.24, 0...
On the optimal safe allocation and scheduling of a work force in a toxic substance environment

An approach using linear programming to model and to solve the problem of safe allocation and scheduling of a manufacturing work force in a toxic substance environment is presented. The firm's objective is to maximize utilization of the work force, without violating any OSHA (US Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards. The basic assumption is that engineering controls are either not practical or too costly, and that only managerial controls, in this case the reduction of minimization of exposure time, is possible. A variety of operational situation are analyzed to illustrate the use of the modeling approach, the use of a standard user-friendly package, and sample results. The illustrative examples demonstrate the feasibility of modifying standard work scheduling models to include toxic substance control constraints so as to yield optimal safe policies for the given case. >
Automatic refinement of an expressive speech corpus assembling subjective perception and automatic classification

This paper presents an automatic system able to enhance expressiveness in speech corpora recorded from acted or stimulated speech. The system is trained with the results of a subjective evaluation carried out on a reduced set of the original corpus. Once the system has been trained, it is able to check the complete corpus and perform an automatic pruning of the unclear utterances, i.e. with expressive styles which are different from the intended corpus. The content which most closely matches the subjective classification remains in the resulting corpus. An expressive speech corpus in Spanish, designed and recorded for speech synthesis purposes, has been used to test the presented proposal. The automatic refinement has been applied to the whole corpus and the result has been validated with a second subjective test.
Ecology of international business simulation games

Human ecology deals with the interaction of human organizations as open systems and their activities in the environments that surround them. The purpose of this article is to apply an ecologic approach by emphasizing the market as the dominant business environment, excluding such broader ideas of ecological space as our natural environment and sustainable development. It is a case study describing the development of the International Operations Simulations (INTOP and INTOPIA) to illustrate the practice of management games in the past 40 years. It is not a review of the development of and experience with comparative general management games. Special attention is given to relating the design process to such environmental influences as the globalization of business, international economic relations, computer technology, and education. Integrative use of the game in multimedia pedagogy and their potential application in research on the behavioral theory of the firm are subjects briefly discussed.
The “Fetal Origins” Hypothesis: Challenges and Opportunities for Maternal and Child Nutrition

The "fetal origins" hypothesis postulates that conditions, most likely nutritional, "program" the fetus for the development of chronic diseases in adulthood. Associations between the newborn's size at birth and various determinants or consequences of chronic diseases have been identified in many, but not all, of the available studies. It remains to be established whether these associations are causal. Remarkably little information is available on the specific role of maternal nutritional status. The role of birth weight remains difficult to interpret except as a proxy for events in intrauterine life. Unfortunately, birth weight does not make an important contribution to the population attributable risk of cardiovascular disease; lifestyle factors during adulthood make much greater contributions. Data from experimental species suggest possible mechanisms for the origin of chronic disease early in life. It is too soon to use this research as a basis for new interventions directed at pregnant women for the purpose of reducing chronic disease in their offspring.
Performance of the RAD-57 pulse CO-oximeter compared with standard laboratory carboxyhemoglobin measurement.

Study objective We assess agreement between carboxyhemoglobin levels measured by the Rad-57 signal extraction pulse CO-oximeter (RAD), a Food and Drug Administration–approved device for noninvasive bedside measurement, and standard laboratory arterial or venous measurement in a sample of emergency department (ED) patients with suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Methods The study was a cross-sectional cohort design using a convenience sample of adult and pediatric ED patients in a Level I trauma, burn, and hyperbaric oxygen referral center. Measurement of RAD carboxyhemoglobin was performed simultaneously with blood sampling for laboratory determination of carboxyhemoglobin level. The difference between the measures for each patient was calculated as laboratory carboxyhemoglobin minus carboxyhemoglobin from the carbon monoxide oximeter. The limits of agreement from a Bland-Altman analysis are calculated as the mean of the differences between methods ±1.96 SDs above and below the mean. Results Median laboratory percentage carboxyhemoglobin level was 2.3% (interquartile range 1 to 8.5; range 0% to 38%). The mean difference between laboratory carboxyhemoglobin values and RAD values was 1.4% carboxyhemoglobin (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2% to 2.6%). The limits of agreement of differences of measurement made with the 2 devices were −11.6% and 14.4% carboxyhemoglobin. This range exceeded the value of ±5% carboxyhemoglobin defined a priori as clinically acceptable. RAD correctly identified 11 of 23 patients with laboratory values greater than 15% carboxyhemoglobin (sensitivity 48%; 95% CI 27% to 69%). There was one case of a laboratory carboxyhemoglobin level less than 15%, in which the RAD device gave a result greater than 15% (specificity of RAD 96/97=99%; 95% CI 94% to 100%). Conclusion In the range of carboxyhemoglobin values measured in this sample, the level of agreement observed suggests RAD measurement may not be used interchangeably with standard laboratory measurement.
Regulation of a Mammalian Gene Bearing a CpG Island Promoter and a Distal Enhancer

Summary A quantitative nucleosome occupancy assay revealed rules for nucleosome disposition in yeast and showed how disposition affects regulation of the GAL genes. Here, we show how those findings apply to the control of Kit , a mammalian gene. The Kit promoter lies in a CpG island, and its enhancer (active in mast cells) lies some 150 kb upstream. Nucleosomes form with especially high avidities at the Kit promoter, a reaction that, we surmise, ensures extremely low basal expression. In mast cells, transcriptional activators displace nucleosomes that are less tightly formed at the Kit enhancer. In turn, the active enhancer replaces a single Kit promoter nucleosome with the transcriptional machinery, thereby inducing transcription over 1,000-fold. As at the yeast GAL genes, the inhibitory effects of nucleosomes facilitate high factors of induction by mammalian activators working in the absence of specific repressors.
Effect of Nondurable Material on Settlement of Embankments

Sedimentary rock fragments are used to build embankments. The fragments are made of durable and nondurable rocks. Durable rocks are defined as those that do not slake in the presence of water. In embankments, nondurable rock fragments are subjected to (a) compressive contact forces induced by other fragments and (b) slaking when they come into contact with water. These two processes convert the nondurable rock fragments into soil that moves into the space between the durable rock fragments, causing the settlement of the embankment. The goal of the present study was to calculate the amount of settlement experienced by a mixture of nondurable shale and durable limestone fragments when it is subjected to embankment loads. To this end, mixtures of the shale and limestone were placed in a metallic cylinder and subjected to three constant pressures. The settlement of the mixtures was measured at pressures equal to 345, 690, and 1,380 kPa. The settlements were measured first when the mixtures were dry. Then the mixtures were flooded with water, and the new settlements were recorded. The amount of settlement varied with the percentage by weight of the shale in the mixtures. The greatest settlements were recorded in the mixtures made of 100% shale. Small settlements were recorded when the mixtures were dry. Settlement was the result of the crushing and slaking of the shale fragments.
Embedded Seed Technology and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions: A Meta-Analysis

Agriculture’s significant global contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has spurred consumer and retailer interest in GHG mitigation and may lead to incentive programs for producers to lessen GHG emissions. Along those lines, a producer choice is the use of embedded seed technology designed to enhance the marketable portion of yield through improved disease, weed,and pest management withthesame orloweruse ofinputs.This article examines commonalities and differences across three recent studies on rice, sweet corn, and cotton, which addressed the impacts of embedded seed technology on yield, input use, and GHG emissions. Embedded seed technology can be any method of improving the physical or genetic characteristicsofa seed.These seedenhancements canincludephysiological quality,vigor,and synchronicity (consistency across seedlings in time of emergence and size) through traditional breeding, hybrid breeding, or biotechnology.
Aluminum diffusion in ZnTe films grown on GaSb substrates for n‐type doping

ZnTe PN homojunctions are fabricated using thermal diffusion of Al into a ZnTe film grown on lattice-matched GaSb substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Rectifying J-V characteristics and the photovoltaic effect are observed which suggests that n-type ZnTe has been successfully achieved. The reverse bias breakdown voltage is found to be dependent on annealing condition and acceptor concentration, and the trend agrees with PN junction theory. Secondary ion mass spectrometer depth profiles of the Al film show that Zn and Te out-diffuse into the Al film during annealing. This out-diffusion is undesirable because it may result in Zn vacancies which compensate Al donor atoms. Photoluminescence measurements of annealed ZnTe samples without the Al diffusion layer show strong band-edge luminescence at room temperature. Midgap luminescence also appears for annealed samples but the intensity is lower than the band-edge peak. This technique may lead to a better understanding of the n-type doping problem for ZnTe, and could lead to in-situdoping techniques and treatments. Successful n-type doping of ZnTe with low resistivity will enable high-efficiency optoelectronic devices operating at pure-green wavelengths (550 nm) (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Efficient resource sharing scheme based on path duration in transport network

We propose an efficient path accommodation scheme in transport networks by allowing high-priority short-term paths to preempt low-priority long-term paths based on path duration. Evaluation results show the trade-off between capacity and service quality.
Potassium and Phosphorus

Abstract In the Pacific Northwest, certain apple and pear orchards growing in low‐phosphorus soils lack tree vigor and produce low yields. In an attempt to correct this condition, treatments of mono‐ammonium phosphate (MAP) and nitrogen fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, ammonium nitrate, and calcium nitrate) were applied to 15‐year‐old ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Goldspur’ apple trees, (Malus domestica Borkh.) and observed over a 3‐year period. Test trees were growing in a soil containing a pH of 8.3 and 3 ppm available P. Concentrations of leaf and fruit P from MAP‐treated trees were higher by about 50 percent and 100 percent, respectively, than those of control or N‐only fertilized trees. Shoot extension and fruit size was greater in all fertilized trees than in unfertilized control trees. In some instances, fruit quality (finish, firmness, soluble solids, and control of scald and bitterpit) was improved on trees treated with MAP or Ca than with (NH4)2SO4 or NH4NO3.
Macrophage-mediated dorsal root ganglion damage precedes altered nerve conduction in SIV-infected macaques

Peripheral neuropathy is the most common neurological complication of HIV-1 infection, affecting over one-third of infected individuals, including those treated with antiretroviral therapy. To study the pathogenesis of HIV-induced peripheral nervous system disease, we established a model in which SIV-infected macaques developed changes closely resembling alterations reported in components of the sensory pathway in HIV-infected individuals. Significant declines in epidermal nerve fiber density developed in SIV-infected macaques, similar to that of HIV-infected individuals with neuropathy. Changes in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) included macrophage infiltration, SIV replication in macrophages, immune activation of satellite cells, and neuronal loss. To determine whether dorsal root ganglion damage was associated with altered nerve function, we measured unmyelinated C-fiber conduction velocities (CV) in nerves of SIV-infected macaques and compared CV changes with DRG alterations. Twelve weeks postinoculation, SIV-infected macaques had significantly lower C-fiber conduction velocity in sural nerves than uninfected animals and the magnitude of conduction velocity decline correlated strongly with extent of DRG macrophage infiltration. Thus, injury to neurons in the DRG—mediated by activated macrophages—preceded altered conduction of unmyelinated nerve fibers in SIV-infected macaques, suggesting that macrophage-mediated DRG damage may be the initiating event in HIV-induced sensory neuropathy.
Prevalence, stability, and predictors of clinically significant behavior problems in low birth weight children at 3, 5, and 8 years of age.

OBJECTIVES To examine the prevalence, stability, and predictors of clinically significant behavior problems in 869 preterm low birth weight (LBW) infants at 3, 5, and 8 years of age. METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted. Clinically significant behavior problems were assessed using dichotomized total problem Child Behavior Checklist scores in LBW children at ages 3, 5, and 8 years. Baseline sociodemographic and obstetric data were collected. Maternal General Health Questionnaire performed at 40 weeks' gestation was dichotomized at a score of 12 to give a measure of maternal psychological distress. Prevalence and stability of behavior problems at ages 3, 5, and 8 were determined and potential predictors of behavior problems at age 3, 5, and 8 were examined using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS Prevalence of behavior problems remained at approximately 20% at 3, 5, and 8 years. Stability of behavior problems between different ages was approximately 50%. Significant behavior problems at ages 3, 5, and 8 were predicted by maternal psychological distress at 40 weeks (odds ratio [OR]: 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-2.09), maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy (OR: 1.57; 95% CI: 1.20-2.04), Hispanic ethnicity (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.24-3.24), and maternal age (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94-0.99). CONCLUSIONS This sample had double the prevalence of behavior problems expected in the general child population. These problems showed stability over time. Cigarette smoking in pregnancy, maternal psychological distress at 40 weeks' gestation, maternal age, and Hispanic ethnicity all were significant predictors of the development of behavior problems from ages 3 to 8. These findings have implications for health policies on smoking and postnatal depression.
Two-Component Transcriptional Regulation of N-Acyl-Homoserine Lactone Production in Pseudomonas aureofaciens

Production of phenazine antibiotics by the biological control bacterium Pseudomonas aureofaciens 30-84 is regulated in part by the PhzI/PhzR N-acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) response system (L. S. Pierson III, V. D. Keppenne, and D. W. Wood, J. Bacteriol. 176:3966-3974, 1994; D. W. Wood and L. S. Pierson III, Gene 168:49-53, 1996). Two mutants, 30-84W and 30-84.A2, were isolated and were found to be deficient in the production of phenazine, protease, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and the AHL signal N-hexanoyl-homoserine lactone. These mutants were not complemented by phzI, phzR, or the phenazine biosynthetic genes (phzFABCD) (L. S. Pierson III, T. Gaffney, S. Lam, and F. Gong, FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 134:299-307, 1995). A 2.2-kb region of the 30-84 chromosome which fully restored production of all of these compounds in strain 30-84W was identified. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this region revealed a single open reading frame encoding a predicted 213-amino-acid protein which is very similar to the global response regulator GacA. Strain 30-84.A2 was not complemented by gacA or any cosmid from a genomic library of strain 30-84 but was complemented by gacS (formerly lemA) homologs from Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf-5 (N. Corbel and J. E. Loper, J. Bacteriol. 177:6230-6236, 1995) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a (E. M. Hrabek and D. K. Willis, J. Bacteriol. 174:3011-3020, 1992). Transcription of phzR was not altered in either mutant; however, phzI transcription was eliminated in strains 30-84W and 30-84.A2. These results indicated that the GacS/GacA two-component signal transduction system of P. aureofaciens 30-84 controls the production of AHL required for phenazine production by mediating the transcription of phzI. Addition of exogenous AHL did not complement either mutant for phenazine production, indicating that the GacS/GacA global regulatory system controls phenazine production at multiple levels. Our results reveal for the first time a mechanism by which a two-component regulatory system and an AHL-mediated regulatory system interact.
Structured Data Extraction from the Web Based on Partial Tree Alignment

This paper studies the problem of structured data extraction from arbitrary Web pages. The objective of the proposed research is to automatically segment data records in a page, extract data items/fields from these records, and store the extracted data in a database. Existing methods addressing the problem can be classified into three categories. Methods in the first category provide some languages to facilitate the construction of data extraction systems. Methods in the second category use machine learning techniques to learn wrappers (which are data extraction programs) from human labeled examples. Manual labeling is time-consuming and is hard to scale to a large number of sites on the Web. Methods in the third category are based on the idea of automatic pattern discovery. However, multiple pages that conform to a common schema are usually needed as the input. In this paper, we propose a novel and effective technique (called DEPTA) to perform the task of Web data extraction automatically. The method consists of two steps: 1) identifying individual records in a page and 2) aligning and extracting data items from the identified records. For step 1, a method based on visual information and tree matching is used to segment data records. For step 2, a novel partial alignment technique is proposed. This method aligns only those data items in a pair of records that can be aligned with certainty, making no commitment on the rest of the items. Experimental results obtained using a large number of Web pages from diverse domains show that the proposed two-step technique is highly effective
Survival and cause-specific mortality of adult female mottled ducks in east-central florida

Abstract An understanding of survival and underlying causes of mortality is essential to the development of effective management strategies for the mottled duck (Anas fulvigula) in Florida. From radiotelemetry data we estimated season-specific survival rates for the entire annual cycle, cause-specific mortality rates, and annual survival rates. We also tested for variation in survival in relation to year and period of the annual cycle. Our results suggest a strong temporal influence on survival of adult female mottled ducks, both within and among years. We found variation among years in the influence of various mortality agents, with alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), raptors, mammals, and human hunters being the principal mortality factors. Our results also suggest a link between surface water conditions within the Upper St. Johns River Basin (USJRB) and surrounding areas and survival. Agencies managing water and wildlife should be aware of this relationship and consider potential detrimental effec...
Remote Sea Surface Temperature Variations during ENSO: Evidence for a Tropical Atmospheric Bridge

Abstract In an El Nino event, positive SST anomalies usually appear in remote ocean basins such as the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the tropical North Atlantic approximately 3 to 6 months after SST anomalies peak in the tropical Pacific. Ship data from 1952 to 1992 and satellite data from the 1980s both demonstrate that changes in atmospheric circulation accompanying El Nino induce changes in cloud cover and evaporation which, in turn, increase the net heat flux entering these remote oceans. It is postulated that this increased heat flux is responsible for the surface warming of these oceans. Specifically, over the eastern Indian Ocean and South China Sea, enhanced subsidence during El Nino reduces cloud cover and increases the solar radiation absorbed by the ocean, thereby leading to enhanced SSTs. In the tropical North Atlantic, a weakening of the trade winds during El Nino reduces surface evaporation and increases SSTs. These relationships fit the concept of an “atmospheric bridge” that conne...
The Brain as a Target Organ for Allergic and Irritant Sensitivity: A Review and Suggestions for Research

Objective: Clinical descriptions of behavioral and neurological manifestations of allergy and irritant sensitivity are described. Public health implications and mechanisms are discussed, with recommendations for further research. Data sources: MedLine searches of articles combining the terms allergy, asthma, rhinitis, irritant rhinitis, irritant asthma, chemical sensitivity, and multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome were combined with searches on fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Textbooks of allergy and books on irritant sensitivity were reviewed.
Raich and Judicial Conservatism on the Rehnquist Court

This Essay contributes to a symposium on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2005 Commerce Clause decision Gonzales v. Raich. It focuses on the debate between Justice Scalia's separate concurrence and Justice Thomas's dissent. These opinions highlight an important tension among self-styled judicial conservatives - between originalists and judicial minimalists. Thomas's dissent represents originalism; it approaches constitutional interpretation primarily as an exercise in identifying and then applying the original public meaning of the controlling constitutional text. Scalia's concurrence represents minimalism; it presumes that the primary goal of constitutional interpretation is to minimize the policy-making discretion of judges, with such tools as a strong form of precedent, bright-line rules as opposed to standards, and deference to political branches. The Essay confirms the distinction by showing how Thomas and Scalia have been waging a rivalry between these two approaches across the Commerce Clause, the dormant Commerce Clause, the Tenth and Eleventh Amendments, section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment, and the Necessary and Proper Clause. This Essay should useful to scholars for three reasons. First, wholly separate from the Essay's thesis, it provides a concise and useful reference for anyone interested in understanding how original meaning textualism applies to the main constitutional-federalism doctrines. Second, descriptively, this Essay identifies some important limiting conditions in which the Rehnquist Court's New Federalism was possible. The Court's three most conservative Justices could support the New Federalism project only when a particular doctrine satisfied both the requirements of originalism and those of minimalism. Finally, the Essay concludes that judicial conservatism, understood as a political movement to change the course of constitutional interpretation by the federal courts, is simply not a unified or coherent project of constitutional interpretation. To demonstrate, the Essay shows that originalists and minimalists take fundamentally different attitudes to what some critics have called the Constitution in Exile project. Although originalists are sympathetic to this project, minimalists most assuredly are not. Given that Republican judge-pickers either do not understand or do not care about the differences between originalists and minimalists, there is no serious chance that even the most determined effort to pack the Supreme Court with judicial conservatives will restore the so-called Constitution in Exile.
A reply to DeVico, Lewis & Gallo (2015).

We appreciate the thoughtful comments provided by DeVico et al. [1] regarding the section of our opinion piece (Wilson & Karp [2]) that discussed the problem of limited durability of HIV-vaccine-induced antibody responses in humans. They have done important work, and written thoughtfully and provocatively about this topic [3]. We share their view that durability of the vaccine-induced antibody response is a key issue and must be addressed as part of the community-wide effort to discover and develop an HIV vaccine that induces protective antibodies and which is practical and affordable for use globally. In our opinion piece, we stated that three studies cited as examples suggest that ‘the duration of anti-HIV envelope antibody responses has not been unusually brief in all studies’, a statement with which they do not agree.
Extreme Consumption Drinking Gaming and Prepartying Among High School Students

Drinking games and prepartying (i.e., drinking before going to a social gathering/event) have emerged as high-risk drinking behaviors in high school students. The present study examines the current prepartying behaviors of high school students who report current participation in extreme consumption games (e.g., Chugging) with those who do not. High school students (N=182) reporting current drinking games participation completed anonymous surveys. Gamers who prepartied frequently (vs. those who did not) were approximately 1.5 times more likely to play extreme consumption games, even after controlling for demographics, typical consumption, and participation in other types of drinking games. Practitioners should target adolescents who participate in extreme consumption games, particularly those who participate in this high-risk activity as a form of prepartying.
A genetic analysis of phototactic behavior in Drosophila melanogaster . II. Hybridization of divergent populations

Artificial selection has produced populations ofDrosophila melanogaster which show either positive or negative phototactic behavior. Selection was carried out in the presence of various marked multiple inversions used to suppress genetic recombination. Reciprocal hybridizations between photopositive and photonegative populations of flies have revealed the X chromosome ofD. melanogaster to be important in phototactic behavior regardless of conditions which restricted genetic recombination during selection.
An Experimental Study of Mechanical Behavior of Resistance Spot Welded Aluminum 6061-T6 Joints

In this study, the mechanical behavior, joint characterization and process sensitivity of aluminum 6061-T6 alloy Resistance Spot Welded (RSW) joints are investigated. Tensile tests were conducted on single weld lap-shear coupons until failure in order to determine the optimum welding parameters. Welding currents, forces and times have been investigated to establish the correlation between failure loads and nugget sizes. The experimental and preliminary finite element analysis (FEA) results indicate that failure loads and nugget sizes are strongly dependent upon welding parameters and the material anisotropy.© 2010 ASME
DETERMINATIONS OF RHAMNACEAE OF THE TORNER COLLECTION OF SESSÉ AND MOCIÑO BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

In May 1987 I received from the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation ten color photographs of those items in the Torner Collection of Sesse and Mocifio Biological Illustrations thought to represent members of the plant family Rhamnaceae. I am grateful to the director of the Institute, Dr. Robert Kiger, and the Curator of Art, Dr. James J. White, for the opportunity to examine these photographs. The numerical sequence below follows the catalog of illustrations. For each illustration, the initial information incorporates the Hunt catalog entry, and the sequential paragraph conveys my comments.
Nonparametric Detection of Geometric Structures Over Networks

Nonparametric detection of the possible existence of an anomalous structure over a network is investigated. Nodes corresponding to the anomalous structure (if one exists) receive samples generated by a distribution $q$ , which is different from a distribution $p$ generating samples for other nodes. If an anomalous structure does not exist, all nodes receive samples generated by $p$ . It is assumed that the distributions $p$ and $q$ are arbitrary and unknown. The goal is to design statistically consistent tests with probability of errors converging to zero as the network size becomes asymptotically large. Kernel-based tests are proposed based on maximum mean discrepancy, which measures the distance between mean embeddings of distributions into a reproducing kernel Hilbert space. Detection of an anomalous interval over a line network is first studied. Sufficient conditions on minimum and maximum sizes of candidate anomalous intervals are characterized in order to guarantee that the proposed test is consistent. It is also shown that certain necessary conditions must hold in order to guarantee that any test is universally consistent. Comparison of sufficient and necessary conditions yields that the proposed test is order-level optimal and nearly optimal respectively in terms of minimum and maximum sizes of candidate anomalous intervals. Generalization of the results to other networks is further developed. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed tests.
Investigation on health status of workers exposed to gasoline in a petroleum refining company

Objective The health status of employees exposed to gasoline was evaluated to reveal the association between health damage of the workers and the exposed occupational hazards. Methods The data of occupational health examinations of 902 workers exposed to gasoline was compared with that of 1 057 workers without any known occupational exposure in a petroleum refining company. Results The exposed female workers had higher abnormality of white cell counts compared with control workers(χ2 = 4.48,P 0.05),and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the gasoline exposure was a risk factor for the reduced abnormal white cell counts in the female workers(OR = 2.56,95% CI:1.04- 6.29). Hemoglobin(Hb)in female workers exposed to gasoline was obviously lower than that in control workers(t =- 3.18,P 0.01). Conclusion In the current manufacturing condition,gasoline exposure may cause leukocytopenia among the female employees. In order to protect the health of the workers,company should improve working environment and arrange regular occupational health examination for the gasoline-exposed workers.
Retrospective analysis of transcatheter closure of congenital heart disease in 302 cases

Objectives To analyze the effects and complications during and after the transcatheter closure of congenital heart disease in 302 cases.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 302 cases [125 males and 177 females,age from 1 month to 14 years],including 183 cases with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA),69 with atrial septal defect (ASD) and 50 with ventricular septal defect (VSD),underwent the transcatheter closure and were followed-up for 6 months to 3 years after the procedure.We focused on curative effect and treatment of complication.Results The successful rate of transcatheter closure was 99.4%(182 / 183) for PDA,100% (69 / 69) for ASD and 98%(49 / 50) for VSD.The complication morbidity after the procedure in 72 hours was 2.2% (4 / 183,residual shunts in 3 cases,hemolysis in 1 case) in PDA group,4.3%(3 / 69,residual shunts in 2 cases,Ⅱ° atrioventricular block in 1 case) in ASD group and 10%(5 / 50,residual shunts in 1 cases,Ⅲ° atrioventricular block in 1 case,complete left bundle branch block in 3 cases) in VSD group,respectively.During the 6 months to 3 years follow-up,trace residual shunts were found in 1 cases of PDA group.Ⅰ°atrioventricular block presented in 1 case of ASD group.Complete left bundle branch block was persisting in 1 case of VSD group.Conclusions In our study the transcatheter closure of PDA and ASD were safe and effective.The incidence rate of arrhythmia after the procedure in group VSD could be found higer than those of group PDA and ASD.It is important to monitor the patients with electrocardiogram continuously after the VSD procedure.
Flaws in clinical reasoning: a common cause of diagnostic error.

Many medical errors have been identified as systemic and addressed with interventions, such as checklists. However, a substantial number of errors that occur in diagnosis and treatment are attributed to flaws in clinical reasoning.
Role of angiotensin II and α-adrenergic receptors during estrogen-induced vasodilation in ewes

Estradiol-17 beta (E2 beta) produces uterine and systemic vasodilation in nonpregnant ewes without altering mean arterial pressure (MAP). Mechanisms responsible for maintaining MAP and thus uterine blood flow (UBF) may include activation of the renin-angiotensin and/or adrenergic systems. We therefore investigated the effects of systemic blockade of angiotensin II (ANG II) and/or alpha-adrenergic receptors in nonpregnant, castrated ewes, using saralasin (Sar) and/or phentolamine (Phen) in the presence or absence of intravenous E2 beta (1.0 microgram/kg). In nonestrogenized ewes neither antagonist alone had substantial cardiovascular effects; however, Sar + Phen decreased systemic vascular resistance (SVR) 20 +/- 7.4% (SE) and increased heart rate (HR) 50 +/- 19% (P < 0.01); MAP and UBF were unaffected. Following E2 beta treatment SVR fell 17 +/- 2.4% (P < 0.01), UBF increased more than fourfold, and MAP was unchanged. Compared with E2 beta alone, Phen + E2 beta decreased SVR 42 +/- 4.7%, and MAP fell 11 +...
Thapsigargin inhibits Ca2+ uptake, and Ca2+ depletes sarcoplasmic reticulum in intact cardiac myocytes

We examined the effects of thapsigargin on Ca2+ accumulation by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and on electrically stimulated beats in single adult rat ventricular myocytes loaded with indo 1 and ...
Explaining How Political Actors Gain Strategic Positions: Predictors of Centrality in State Reading Policy Issue Networks

Using data from interviews with 111 reading policy actors from California, Connecticut, Michigan, and Utah, this study explains how individuals acquire central positions in issue networks. Regressi...
In vivo study of a PET radiotracer for imaging P2X7 receptors for neuroinflammation in animal model

164 Objectives The purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel type 7 (P2X7-receptor) is expressed in glial cells and modulates neurophysiology via release of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β, a key mediator in neurodegeneration, chronic inflammation, and chronic pain. Activation of P2X7Rs provides an inflammatory stimulus, and P2X7 receptor-deficient mice display a marked attenuation of inflammatory responses, including models of neuropathic and chronic inflammatory pain. Recently, [11C]GSK1482160 was reported as a promising PET tracer (IC50 = 3 nm) for imaging P2X7, but lack of detail in vivo characterization in animal models of neuroinflamation.1,2 To explore the possibility of imaging P2X7 receptor for neuroinflammation, [11C]GSK1482160 was radiosynthesized and performed initial in vivo evaluation in a neuroinflammation mice model and microPET studies were performed in in non-human primates (NHP). Methods [11C]GSK1482160 was synthesized by N-methylation of the corresponding amide with [11C]CH3OTf produced by in house built system. C57BL/6 mice were pre-injected using a single intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at dose of dose of 20 mg/kg body weight. Biodistribution study was performed for the LPS pretreated C57BL/6 (n=4) and sham control C57BL/6 mice n=4). MicroPET studies were performed in male cynomolgus monkeys (4-6 Kg) using a microPET Focus 220 scanner (Concorde/CTI/Siemens Microsystems). Results [11C]GSK1482160 was synthesized with high chemical (>95%) and radiochemical (>99%) purities, and good specific activity (about 1 Ci/mol, EOS) with a yield of 30-45%. Biodistribution studies revealed that [11C]GSK1482160 can penetrate the rodent brain. Compared with sham mice, tracer uptake in the brain of LPS pretreated mice have 2-fold higher than the sham control mice. MicroPET studies in nonhuman primates revealed that this tracer is able to cross blood brain barrier and have good accumulation in the brain with homogeneous distribution. Conclusions [11C]GSK1482160 has high potential to be radiotracer for investigating the expression of P2X7 receptors response to neuorinflammation. Further investigation of this tracer’s in vivo specificity and suitability in different neuroimflamation animal models is undergoing currently. Research support: DOE/NINDS/NIMH: DESC0012737&R01NS075527&MH092797