cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
When can efforts to control nuisance and invasive species backfire

Population control through harvest has the potential to reduce the abundance of nuisance and invasive species. However, demographic structure and density-dependent processes can confound removal efforts and lead to undesirable consequences, such as overcompensation (an increase in abundance in response to harvest) and instability (population cycling or chaos). Recent empirical studies have demonstrated the potential for increased mortality (such as that caused by harvest) to lead to overcompensation and instability in plant, insect, and fish populations. We developed a general population model with juvenile and adult stages to help determine the conditions under which control harvest efforts can produce unintended outcomes. Analytical and simulation analyses of the model demonstrated that the potential for overcompensation as a result of harvest was significant for species with high fecundity, even when annual stage-specific survivorship values were fairly low. Population instability as a result of harvest occurred less frequently and was only possible with harvest strategies that targeted adults when both fecundity and adult survivorship were high. We considered these results in conjunction with current literature on nuisance and invasive species to propose general guidelines for assessing the risks associated with control harvest based on life history characteristics of target populations. Our results suggest that species with high per capita fecundity (over discrete breeding periods), short juvenile stages, and fairly constant survivorship rates are most likely to respond undesirably to harvest. It is difficult to determine the extent to which overcompensation and instability could occur during real-world removal efforts, and more empirical removal studies should be undertaken to evaluate population-level responses to control harvests. Nevertheless, our results identify key issues that have been seldom acknowledged and are potentially generic across taxa.
Energy and the u.s. Economy: a biophysical perspective.

A series of hypotheses is presented about the relation of national energy use to national economic activity (both time series and cross-sectional) which offer a different perspective from standard economics for the assessment of historical and current economic events. The analysis incorporates nearly 100 years of time series data and 3 years of cross-sectional data on 87 sectors of the United States economy. Gross national product, labor productivity, and price levels are all correlated closely with various aspects of energy use, and these correlations are improved when corrections are made for energy quality. A large portion of the apparent increase in U.S. energy efficiency has been due to our ability to expand the relative use of high-quality fuels such as petroleum and electricity, and also to relative shifts in fuel use between sectors of the economy. The concept of energy return on investment is introduced as a major driving force in our economy, and data are provided which show a marked decline in energy return on investment for all our principal fuels in recent decades. Future economic growth will depend largely on the net energy yield of alternative fuel sources, and some standard economic models may need to be modified to account for the biophysical constraints on human economic activity.
Effects of meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid on methylmercury-injured human fetal astrocytes in vitro.

Abstract Monolayer cultures of human fetal astrocytes (HFA) were exposed to 0.01 m M methyl-mercuric chloride (MMC) for 30 to 60 min and were then treated with medium containing 1.0 m M meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), a newly synthesized complexing agent for heavy metals. Within 30 to 40 min of DMSA addition, the coagulated membrane of astrocytes injured by MMC recovered to a normal state with return of active filopodial and ruffling activity. Addition of DMSA prior to MMC exposure prevented the occurrence of degenerative changes in astrocytic membranes. Exposures to 1.0 m M DMSA alone for 24 hr did not cause degenerative changes in HFA. Thus DMSA appears to be an extremely effective agent in complexing methylmercury either in the membrane or in the culture medium with no demonstrable toxic actions on HFA in culture. The minute to minute sequential changes of HFA before and after exposures to MMC and DMSA were recorded with time-lapse cinematography and were repeated numerous times with similar results. Electron microscopic study revealed separation of membranes from cell bodies and processes associated with marked edema of the underlying matrix. The cytoskeletal elements associated with membranes became dissociated and disappeared after MMC exposure but promptly returned to normal with addition of DMSA and replacement with normal fresh culture medium.
Kyrieleis plaques in cytomegalovirus retinitis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to report a case of Kyrieleis plaques (segmental retinal periarteritis) associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis.
ACOUSTIC EMISSION IN BONDED ELASTOMER DISCS SUBJECTED TO UNIFORM TENSION. II

The aim of this paper is to evaluate and analyze the growing and tearing mechanisms of existing microvoids within bonded elastomer discs using the acoustic emission (AE) technique. It was shown that the existing microvoids in the deformed disc are responsible for the reduction of the apparent modulus (M) of the elastomer disc, the stress softening, and the hysteresis when the material is subjected to triaxial stress conditions. A series of experiments performed in our laboratory confirmed the existence of microvoids within the deformed bonded unfilled nitrile rubber discs. Valuable information about the size of the deformed voids in the material was obtained using the frequency spectrum of the detected AE signals. More information on the tearing of voids was extracted from the count, event, amplitude, and duration time distribution of the received AE pulses.
Diet‐Induced Ketosis Does Not Cause Cerebral Acidosis

Ketosis is beneficial for seizure control, possibly through induction of cerebral acidosis. However, cerebral intracellular pH has not previously been measured in ketotic humans and the animal data are sparse. We describe a high-fat diet, avidly consumed by rats, that induced consistent and moderate ketosis. Adult male rats were fed either the high-fat ketogenic diet, a high-carbohydrate diet with the same protein content as the ketogenic diet, or regular laboratory chow. Five to 6 weeks later, the rats were anesthetized, paralyzed, and injected with neutral red; their brains were frozen in situ. Intracellular pH of the cerebral cortex and cerebral glucose, lactate, ATP, phosphocreatine, and gama-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels were measured. Rats fed the ketogenic diet had > 10-fold increase in their plasma ketones, but we noted no significant differences in cerebral pH or in cerebral metabolites and GABA levels among the three groups. Therefore, the antiepileptic effect of the ketogenic diet probably is not mediated by cerebral acidosis or changes in total cerebral GABA levels.
Empathy, social psychology, and global helping traits

The central virtue at issue in recent philosophical discussions of the empirical adequacy of virtue ethics has been the virtue of compassion. Opponents of virtue ethics such as Gilbert Harman and John Doris argue that experimental results from social psychology concerning helping behavior are best explained not by appealing to so-called ‘global’ character traits like compassion, but rather by appealing to external situational forces or, at best, to highly individualized ‘local’ character traits. In response, a number of philosophers have argued that virtue ethics can accommodate the empirical results in question. My own view is that neither side of this debate is looking in the right direction. For there is an impressive array of evidence from the social psychology literature which suggests that many people do possess one or more robust global character traits pertaining to helping others in need. But at the same time, such traits are noticeably different from a traditional virtue like compassion.
Gas-phase reactions of hydrated alkaline earth metal ions, M2+ (H2O)n (M = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and n = 4-7), with benzene.

Gas-phase reactions of hydrated divalent alkaline earth metal ions and benzene were investigated by electrospray ionization Fourier-transform mass spectrometry. Rate constants for solvent-exchange reactions were determined as a function of hydration extent for Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+ clusters containing four to seven water molecules each. All of the strontium and barium clusters react quickly with benzene. Barium reacts slightly faster than the corresponding strontium cluster with the same number of water molecules attached. For calcium, clusters with four and five water molecules react quickly, whereas those with six and seven water molecules do not. Magnesium with four water molecules reacts quickly, but not when five through seven water molecules are attached. The slow reactivity observed for some of these clusters indicates that the cation—π interaction between the metal ion and benzene is partially screened by the surrounding water molecules. The reactivity of magnesium with seven water molecules is intermediate that of the hexa- and pentahydrate and the tetrahydrate. This result is consistent with the seventh water molecule being in the outer shell and much more weakly bound. The unusual trend in reactivity observed for magnesium may be due to the presence of mixed shell structures observed previously. These results are the first to provide information about the relative importance of cation—π interactions in divalent metal ions as a function of metal hydration extent. Such studies should also provide a model and some insight into the relative binding affinities of divalent metal ions to aromatic residues on peptides and proteins.
Bone mineral-osteon analysis of Yupik-inupiaq skeletons

Living adult Eskimos from St. Lawrence Island, North Alaska, and Canada undergo an earlier and more rapid rate of age-related bone mineral loss compared to U.S. whites. Further, it has been shown that Eskimos and Indians differ in patterns of osteon remodeling at the Haversian envelope. Femoral bone cores from adult Eskimos skeletons from St. Lawrence Island (n = 53), Kodiak Island (n = 92), Baffin Island (n = 44), and Southampton Island (n = 69) were analyzed and the results compared with those obtained from cores from U.S. whites (n = 144). Cortical thickness, bone mineral content of cores, cortical bone density, secondary osteon and Haversian canal number and area were quantified for each core. Ages at death were estimated by histological methods and compared with the ages at death estimated by morphological methods for the Eskimo skeletons. Known ages at death were compared with histologically estimated ages at death for the U.S. white series. St. Lawrence Island and Kodiak Island (Yupik speakers) Eskimo cortical thickness values were significantly (P less than .05) greater than Baffin Island and Southampton Island (Inupiaq speakers) Eskimos cortical thickness values but less than the cortical thickness values for U.S. whites. The bone mineral content of the Southampton Eskimos femoral cores was the lowest found in this study. Histological analysis of the femoral bone sections showed that Eskimos contain more osteons per unit area than U.S. whites. No differences in osteon size were noted between the two populations. Differences in patterns of osteon remodeling between Eskimos and whites were inferred. Age at death estimation by histological methods in Eskimos using U.S. white regression equations yielded age estimates in poor agreement with those obtained by morphological methods.
Ownership structure and top executive turnover

Abstract We report that ownership structure significantly affects the likelihood of a change in top executive. Controlling for stock price performance, the probability of top executive turnover is negatively related to the ownership stake of officers and directors and positively related to the presence of an outside blockholder. In addition, the likehood of a change in top executive is significantly less sensitive to stock price performance in firms with higher managerial ownership. Finally, we document an unusually high rate of corporate control activity in the twelve months preceding top executive turnover. We conclude that ownership structure has an important influence on internal monitoring efforts and that this influence stems in part from the effect of ownership structure on external control threats.
Site of Resilience A Reconceptualization of Resiliency and Resilience in Street Life–Oriented Black Men

The following argument calls for the radical reconceptualization of the concept of resiliency and resilience for street life–oriented Black men. This theoretical analysis critiques assumptions embe...
Changing practice to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy

Based on updated evidence, a radiology nurse systematically engaged a multidisciplinary staff in testing a protocol to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy related to computed tomography. In a quality improvement project, the protocol combined preprocedure oral hydration with postprocedure intravenous saline. This protocol safely improved kidney function, reduced postprocedure time, and decreased annual cost. By applying theory, being persistent, presenting sound evidence, and unifying the team, one concerned staff nurse profoundly affected patient care and policy in an entire medical center.
Continuous Choquet integrals with respect to random sets

An interpretation of continuous Choquet integrals with respect to random sets is given in the context of image filtering and shape detection. In this context, random sets represent random shapes defined on the plane. Random sets are characterized by their capacity functionals. Capacity functionals are fuzzy measures. Thus, input images can be integrated with respect to random sets. In this paper, input images are represented as fuzzy sets. The integration is interpreted in the context of mathematical morphology as the average a generalization morphological dilation or erosion. Specifically, the integrals represent the average probability that sets either intersect or are contained in the random sets, the average being over the alpha cuts of the input image. This interpretation has the potential for deriving new learning algorithms for using Choquet integrals in shape detection.
Mathematical aspects of outer-product asynchronous content-addressable memories

We have given evidence by mathematical analysis and by example that the construction of CAM's as quasineural networks based on the twin principles of an outer-product weight matrix and a random asynchronous single-neuron dynamics encounters two obstacles to good performance which appear to be inherent. It is desirable to have the stored memory vectors of a CAM as mutually far apart as possible in order to have unambiguous retrieval with as large a fraction of initial errors (minrad) as possible. For a given number,m, of memory vectors to be stored this requires that their dimension,n, be larger thanm and that the memory vectors be nearly mutually orthogonal (except for complementary pairs). In HOCAM's, it does not seem possible to have both a large minrad and an efficient ratiom/n. Attempts to increasem/n are likely to introduce extraneous fixed-points which reduce minrad appreciably. We have demonstrated this phenomenon in several cases for a particular mode of constructing CAM's of arbitrary size which have a desirable spacing between memory vectors. We conjecture that it is present also in HOCAM's having a random selection of memory vectors. (A mathematical proof of this conjecture now seems possible.) This may account for the rather pessimistic results on capacity obtained by mathematical analysis here and in Cottrell (1988), by a probabilistic analysis in Posner (1987) and by simulation in Hopfield (1982). Further, in Cottrell (1988) there is evidence that outer-product weights are near optimal with respect to minrad, so that otherW may not improve matters. We have left to another paper a study of other approaches to content-addressable memories of which we are aware, but which are not focused on asynchronous dynamics; e.g. computer CAM's as in Kohonen (1977) and biological memory models as in Little (1974); Palm (1980) and Little and Shaw (1978). We have not considered the learning, or adaptive, aspects of CAM's. However, insofar as learning is Hebbian and leads to outer-product weights, our analysis has implications for the effectiveness of learned weights, as may be inferred from our results on ambiguous retrieval.
Postoperative hip irradiation in prevention of heterotopic ossification: causes of treatment failure.

Over 4 years, 33 patients (mean age, 52 years) underwent hip surgery followed by single-fraction 700-cGy radiation therapy (RT). Records, port films, and plain radiographs were reviewed to assign Brooker classification levels for severity of heterotopic ossification (HO) and assess the amount of new HO developing after surgery. Nineteen patients (58%) developed radiographic evidence of new HO after surgery. All five patients with three or more risk factors and none of 12 with postoperative Brooker level 0 (no radiographic HO) developed new HO. Ten of 16 treated on postoperative day 1, six of 10 on postoperative day 2, none of three on day 3, two of three on day 4, and one of one on day 5 developed new HO. New HO developed outside the irradiated volume in 11 patients. Surgeons should remove all heterotopic bone whenever possible; RT should be administered within 3 days after surgery; portals should cover all potentially involved soft tissue; and future studies should evaluate larger single fractions (900-1...
Bilateral iliopsoas muscle contracture and spinous process impingement in a German Shepherd dog.

Objective— To report diagnosis and treatment of bilateral iliopsoas muscle contracture in a dog with spinous process impingement. Study design— Case report. Animals— German Shepherd dog. Methods— A dog with chronic progressive lameness, flexion contracture of the coxofemoral joints, severe pain, and decreased femoral reflexes had severe spondylosis bridging the vertebral bodies from L1 to L4 and enlarged dorsal spinous processes from T8 to L6 with impingement and bony proliferation. Ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were consistent with fibrosis, mineralization, and atrophy of the iliopsoas muscles bilaterally which was treated by staged tenectomy of the insertions of the iliopsoas muscles. Results— Because of severe perivascular fibrosis, the femoral vessels required ligation. Bilateral iliopsoas muscle tenectomy improved gait and provided pain relief. Histologic findings were consistent with fibrotic myopathy. Conclusions— Slow progression of severe clinical signs observed bilaterally in this dog differs from previous reports of iliopsoas myopathy. Findings were similar to the fibrotic myopathy of the gracilis or semitendinosus muscles described in dogs. Clinical Relevance— Iliopsoas muscle abnormalities should be considered in dogs with limited hip extension and pain. MRI is useful for diagnosing muscle fibrosis. Iliopsoas tenectomy may improve clinical function in dogs with fibrotic myopathy.
A medium‐speed tensile testing machine and some dynamic data produced thereby

A pneumatic tensile tester, recently designed and built at Watertown Arsenal Laboratories, has a load capacity of 15,000 lb. and an idling speed of about 300 in./sec. over a 3-in. stroke, at 500 psi nitrogen or one-third the allowable maximum pressure. Loads and strains may be recorded by oscillographs or oscilloscopes. The scope can be triggered through an electric circuit by an internal, automatic poppet valve in the main gasport. External, auxiliary diaphragm valves are actuated by solenoids. Excess energy of piston assembly, after a tensile rupture, is absorbed through rapidly damped oscillations between two air cushions at opposite ends of the cylinder. The machine is mounted on a carriage resting on springs and Barrymounts so that operation at full load transmits negligible vibrations to the floor. Weight of machine and carriage is 700 lb.; base, 600 lb.; and steel safety cabinet, 400 lb. Short descriptions and a number of illustrations are presented which show typical actions of the machine and results of various tests recently performed on structural materials.
Developing Humanities Collections in the Digital Age: Exploring Humanities Faculty Engagement with Electronic and Print Resources

This article is based on quantitative and qualitative research examining humanities scholars’ understandings of the advantages and disadvantages of print versus electronic information resources. It explores how humanities’ faculty members at Florida State University (FSU) use print and electronic resources, as well as how they perceive these different formats. It was carried out with the goal of assisting the authors and other librarians in choosing between electronic and print formats when performing collection development responsibilities.
AraPath: a knowledgebase for pathway analysis in Arabidopsis

Summary: Studying plants using high-throughput genomics technologies is becoming routine, but interpretation of genome-wide expression data in terms of biological pathways remains a challenge, partly due to the lack of pathway databases. To create a knowledgebase for plant pathway analysis, we collected 1683 lists of differentially expressed genes from 397 gene-expression studies, which constitute a molecular signature database of various genetic and environmental perturbations of Arabidopsis. In addition, we extracted 1909 gene sets from various sources such as Gene Ontology, KEGG, AraCyc, Plant Ontology, predicted target genes of microRNAs and transcription factors, and computational gene clusters defined by meta-analysis. With this knowledgebase, we applied Gene Set Enrichment Analysis to an expression profile of cold acclimation and identified expected functional categories and pathways. Our results suggest that the AraPath database can be used to generate specific, testable hypotheses regarding plant molecular pathways from gene expression data. Availability: http://bioinformatics.sdstate.edu/arapath/ Contact: moc.liamg@nijixeg Supplementary Information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Friend or Foe? Self-Expansion, Stigmatized Groups, and the Researcher-Participant Relationship

A recurring methodological dilemma for ethnographers studying organizations, interest groups, and social movements is how to gain access and gather data from their members, especially if these orga...
Inland Desalination: Challenges and Research Needs

Drought and population growth have both contributed to water scarcity in many inland areas of the United States, especially the Southwest. This has focused attention on inland desalination of subsurface brackish waters and wastewaters. Inland desalination will differ from seawater desalination because the byproduct brine (concentrate) produced during reverse osmosis treatment cannot be disposed of in the ocean. Moreover, inland brackish waters and wastewaters differ in composition from seawater, the former being dominated by calcium, carbonate and sulfate rather than sodium and chloride. Concentrate management for inland desalination will have to address basic salinity and sustainability issues, while smaller plant size and water pumping costs may lead to increased expenses for inland desalination plants. Background
Manometric Measures of Head Rotation and Chin Tuck in Healthy Participants

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of partial versus complete head rotation and chin tuck on pharyngeal swallowing pressures and durations in the pharynx and UES of normal, healthy adults. Ten individuals (3 men and 7 women; age range 54–76 years) served as participants. Solid-state intraluminal manometry was performed with the participants in the upright position while performing swallows with the head in the normal position, head rotated (partial and complete), chin tucked, and chin down. A cervical range of motion (CROM) inclinometer was used to accurately measure the degree of head rotation and chin tuck. The CROM inclinometer has not been used before so this is the first study to our knowledge to quantify degree of head rotation and chin tuck. Manometric data derived from these healthy participants indicate both partial and complete head rotations can increase the duration of UES relaxation and decrease UES residual pressure. Chin tuck may be effective in increasing durations in the upper pharynx. Partial chin tuck (chin down) decreases UES residual pressure. Complete head rotation and chin tuck provide more overall benefit than partial maneuvers. However, for patients with limited head and neck mobility, partial posture changes impact the pharynx in similar ways and may provide clinically meaningful benefits. Additional research on patient populations is warranted.
The Cabinet Member as Policy Entrepreneur

The role of cabinet member as policy entrepreneur has received little attention in the literature of political science and public administration. Cabinet members have no formal authority or constitutional mandate. Additionally, their identification with particular agency missions has subjected cabinet secretaries to the suspicion of "going native," thus further diminishing their capacity for policy initiation. Presidential concern with controlling the executive branch perhaps reached its peak during the Reagan administration, when virtually all political appointments and policy decisions were controlled within the office of the president. This research examines the role of Cabinet Secretary Otis R. Bowen, MD in the evolution of Medicare catastrophic coverage within the Reagan administration. It demonstrates the potential of the cabinet member as policy entrepreneur, identifying weaknesses in the ability of even an ideologically cohesive administration to control fully its legislative agenda.
How video informs cognitive systems engineering: making experience count

Cognitive systems engineering (CSE) requires perspectives that demand users and teams be understood in relation to the context they act in. Situated problems that emerge in the context of use are frequently distributed across people, information and artefacts (distributed cognition) that characterise the temporal emergence of activities. Current tools and capabilities within the digital video revolution make it possible to actively capture, record, explore and analyse video streams to assist in understanding distributed cognition and the implications it has for envisioned designs. Yet, there are research issues and questions to address. The Living Laboratory Framework is described and posited as one way to systematically integrate video into CSE to enhance the reliability and validity of design artefacts in practice. Case examples (Jasper and NeoCITIES simulations) are explored to provide specific ways of understanding different kinds of video representation and analysis within CSE.
Determining conditional shortest paths in an unknown 3-D environment using framed-octrees

A conditional shortest path is a collision-free path of shortest distance which is computed from environmental information which is known at a given time. Based on the techniques of computational geometry, this paper proposes a novel cell decomposition approach for finding conditional shortest paths, in either the L/sub 1/ or L/sub /spl infin// metric, through an unknown 3D environment. The proposed based on a new data structure called the framed-octree, compute a distance transform using a spherical path planning wave. The proposed methods combine together the accuracy of 3D grid-based path planning techniques with the efficiency of octree-based techniques, hence having the advantages of both kinds of techniques and avoiding their disadvantages.
Generation and Acculturation Status Are Associated with Dietary Intake and Body Weight in Mexican American Adolescents

Mexican American children are disproportionately affected by obesity. Data on how the acculturation process influences diet and body weight among adolescents are limited. We used the data from the 1999‐2004 NHANES, restricting to 2286 Mexican American children between 12 and 19 y old. Acculturation was measured by generation status and language preference. Diet was assessed using 24-h diet recall. Multiple linear, Tobit, logistic, and quantile regression models were used. We found, after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, health, dietary intake, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors compared to the first generation, second and third generations had greater odds of overweight and obesity. Adolescents in the second generation had higher BMI Z-scores than adolescents in the first and third generations. Both second and third generation adolescents consumed less fruit, whole fruit, vegetables, grains, and meats but more sweetened beverages, whole grains, saturated fat, sodium, oil, and energy from discretionary foods. Higher language acculturation was associated with poorer diet and greater body weight. Our findings suggest that Mexican American adolescents face challenges in terms of poorer diet and excessive weight gain associated with their immigration experience. J. Nutr. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.145516.
Identification of Legionella pneumophila mutants that have aberrant intracellular fates

After uptake by macrophages, Legionella pneumiophila evades phagosome-lysosome fusion and replicates in a compartment associated with the endoplasmic reticulum. A collection of bacterial mutants defective for growth in macrophages were isolated, and the intracellular fate of each mutant strain was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. To measure intracellular replication, bacteria inside macrophages were stained with the DNA dye 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Evasion of the endocytic pathway was quantified by immunofluorescence localization of lp120 [correction of IgpI20] (LAMP-1), a membrane protein of late endosomes and lysosomes, or by measuring colocalization of bacteria with a fluorescent tracer, Texas red-ovalbumin, preloaded into lysosomes. Replication vacuoles were quantified by immunofluorescence localization of BiP, an endoplasmic reticulum protein. By these approaches, four phenotypic groups of mutants were classified. One class formed replication vacuoles less efficiently than the wild type did; another formed replication vacuoles, but replication was abortive; in another class, most phagosomes containing bacteria acquired markers of the endocytic pathway but a minority formed replication vacuoles and the bacteria replicated; finally, a fourth class, the one most defective for intracellular growth, occupied vacuoles that acquired markers of the endocytic pathway.
Highlighting the R in CRT

Treatment of congestive heart failure by artificial pacing first attracted attention in the early 1990s when reports showed that standard right ventricular apical pacing with a shortened atrioventricular delay improved heart function in a subgroup of patients.1 However, few seemed to benefit from this approach,2 whereas by altering the pacing site to the left ventricle and using biventricular stimulation in patients with intramyocardial conduction delay, one achieved more consistent functional improvement.3,4 The short-term response was greater in patients with a wider QRS complex, typically a left bundle branch pattern,5 and subsequent clinical trials that showed biventricular pacing improved morbidity6,7 and mortality8 principally selected only those patients with a prolonged QRS duration. Article p 1440 However, the story was never that straightforward, as investigators found that the correlation between basal QRS duration and immediate mechanical responses to biventricular pacing was poor5 and not predictive of long-term outcome.9 QRS narrowing after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) was not useful either.10,11 Furthermore, patients with a narrow QRS but mechanical dyssynchrony also benefited from CRT. This situation posed a problem because it was clear from the outset that identification of the right patients was important given the invasive nature and expense of CRT. In an early attempt to predict short-term response, we found mechanical dyssynchrony (assessed with magnetic resonance imaging) or the combination of QRS duration with functional data (basal dP/dtmax) better predicted short-term responders.5 Shortly after, echo-Doppler imaging methods were developed to assess dyssynchrony, and multiple groups found that these methods better predicted long-term CRT response.9,12–14 Just what constituted a CRT response had to be defined and varied from an end-systolic volume (ESV)13 reduction or increased ejection fraction12 to clinical improvement.14 One might think the plot would end here; …
Dynamics of wide and snake-like pulses in coupled Schrödinger equations with full-modulated nonlinearities

Abstract We investigate the existence of various solitary wave solutions in coupled Schrodinger equations with specific cubic and quintic nonlinearities. This system arises in wave propagation in fiber optics with focusing and defocusing with modulated nonlinearities. We obtain front–front, bright–bright, dark–dark, and dark–bright like solitons using a direct approach, and then, by reducing the system of equations to a single auxiliary equation of a Duffing-type ordinary differential equation, we provide a large class of Jacobi-elliptic solutions. These solutions are presented in the exact form and analyzed. We find a class of wide localized and snake-like (in both space and time) vector solitons. One of the novel aspects of this study is that we have shown that the qualitative behavior of the solutions is independent of the choice of similarity variables. Numerical results show that the solutions of the above system are stable with up to 10% white noises.
Regulation and function of absent in melanoma 2 in human CD4 T cells (IRM7P.710)

Recognition of dsDNA by absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) leads to inflammasome formation, activation and secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 in innate cells. While AIM2 inflammasome function has been well characterized in macrophages, it has not been explored in adaptive cells. Recently, we have shown that human CD4 T cells robustly upregulate expression of AIM2 following T cell activation. Interestingly, memory CD4 T cells have a higher resting level of expression of AIM2 and more rapid upregulation of AIM2 mRNA following activation. High-throughput targeted bisulfite sequencing and ChIPseq show that AIM2 expression in CD4 T cells is epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation and histone modifications. The AIM2 promoter exhibits both hypomethylated CpGs and increased H3K4me3 and H3K4me2 in memory CD4 T cells compared to naive. Such epigenetic marks allow for both a higher basal level of AIM2 expression and stronger induction of AIM2 expression following T cell activation. Robust protein expression of AIM2 is also found following stimulation of these cells. While AIM2 is known to form inflammasomes and drive IL-1β and IL-18 expression in macrophages, CD4 T cells do not express either of these cytokines, suggesting a non-canonical role for AIM2 function in T cells. Our current studies are focused on determining the function of AIM2 in CD4 T cells, and preliminary work suggests that AIM2 plays a role in the regulation of apoptosis following T cell receptor crosslinking
Application of derived optical models for CIGS to an optical monitoring system

Optical models were developed for each of the stages of CIGS 3-stage deposition process using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The optical functions thus derived were used in an optical monitoring system installed in the pilot line at the PVMC's Halfmoon facility. This system consists of two fiber optic-based spectroscopic reflectometry units, set up in the sputtering line and the CIGS evaporation chamber. The use of regular fiber optics, instead of polarization-maintaining fiber optics, is sufficient for the purpose of process monitoring. In addition, the technique does not need to be used “in-situ”, but the measurements can be taken in-line, and are applicable to a variety of CIGS deposition techniques.
Things I Wish I'd Known: Cancer Caregivers Speak Out by Deborah J. Cornwall

When a person is propelled into the role of caregiver for a loved one with cancer, life is forever changed. Normalcy disappears. Professionally through her work with the American Cancer Society and...
Osteotomy-Bunionectomy for Hallux Valgus

Over 400 operations have been done for hallux valgus with metatarsus primus varus in which a distal first metatarsal osteotomy with lateral displacement and angulation of the head was used. This operation was not done in patients who had simple hallux valgus without metatarsus primus varus.Fifty-nin
Studies in Local Immunization of the Lungs of Rabbits with Pneumococcus Type I

Accumulating evidence indicates that an enhanced resistance to bacterial infection may be produced locally as well as generally. To gain further information as to the mechanism of this local immunity we have immunized rabbits intrapulmonically, subcutaneously and intravenously with a pneumococcal vaccine (Type I) and at a later period have tested the resistance of these animals to living pneumococci introduced intratracheally. We have also attempted to determine the fate of the pneumococci, both as to their retention within the lungs and their rates of appearance and disappearance in the blood stream.Adult male rabbits weighing from approximately 3000 to 4000 gm. were immunized daily for from 4 to 6 days by injections of one cc. of a formolized vaccine of pneumococci. The vaccine was prepared by growing the pneumococci in Kolle flasks and adding 0.2 cc. of formalin to each 100 cc. of the bacterial growth suspended in 0.85% solution of sodium chloride. The intratracheally treated animals were immunized by ...
Steady, Fully Developed Two-Phase Flow: A New Experimental Approach for Low-g Multiphase Flow Investigations

*† An experimental approach is presented that focuses on a class of uniquely low-g multiphase flows that can be investigated effectively and affordably using low-g aircraft. The new, uncomplicated technique allows for the detailed study of slug flows that are fully developed and steady–a rarity among low-g two-phase flow experiments. The experimental approach has many advantages when applied in low-g: It is simple, easily automated, low cost, lightweight, can be sized to accommodate a variety of experiment envelope requirements, and uses a low liquid inventory. A recent demonstration of the method via NASA’s Reduced Gravity Flight Opportunities Program is reviewed. Results from such tests can guide analyses to characterize the unique phenomena observed and be used in turn to establish semi-analytic correlations of greatest value to designers in the field of low-g fluids systems. A low-g aircraft experiment program is proposed in summary.
INTERACTIVE 3D SOUND GENERATION

Real-time 3D sound generation provides an opportunity to create directional sounds in game applications. In addition, they could also be useful for headset based mobile applications for the blind and visually impaired (B/VI) community providing us our primary motivation. This paper describes an implementation towards real-time 3D sound generation. HRTF functions are used to create a 3D experience using headsets. Existing HRTF database is used to composite 3D sound in real-time using TI’s DSP hardware implementing the Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters. Ear location is estimated using existing facial tracking system. Algorithms implementing parallax correction are explained and future research directions are identified.
Stress: A Core Lifestyle Issue

Stress is a core issue to be addressed in lifestyle medicine. Not only does it influence disease directly (eg, cardiovascular disease), it also indirectly affects health by having a negative influence on other behaviors such as sleep and physical activity. The importance of stress is further highlighted by the fact that it is one of the most highly ranked health risks for employees globally. Practitioners are encouraged to attend to both significant life stressors and those that are encountered daily. Stress reduction strategies are further discussed.
Insect damage to wind-thrown and standing live black cherry resulting from delayed salvage after a major abiotic disturbance

Severe windstorms that swept through three counties in northwestern Pennsylvania on July 21 and 22, 2003, caused extensive blowdown in many northern hardwood stands containing an extensive component of black cherry, Prunus serotina Ehrh. Although many species were affected by the storm, black cherry is the most valuable timber species in the region. A number of factors prevented salvage until 3 years after the storm. The purposes of this study were to identify the wood-boring insects that attacked damaged cherry and to estimate the value lost due to delayed salvage. The long-horned beetle Saperda imitans Felt and Joutel (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and the ambrosia beetle Xyleborinus saxeseni (Ratz.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) were the most abundant wood borers reared from wind-thrown cherry. We also monitored both changes in the population of the bark beetle Phoeotribus liminaris (Ratz.) and the damage it caused to live residual cherry. Based on the average depth of S. imitans galleries and associated stain, the estimated grade loss of a 25-cm (10 in.) cherry log (large end) after slab removal was approximately 27% and for a 102-cm (40 in.) log it was 3.6%. Wood borer galleries occurred throughout the first 5.2 m (17 ft) of the butt log as well as in the upper bole and larger branches. The density of ambrosia beetle galleries on wind-thrown trees was highest on trees with dying and dead epicormics than on trees with live epicormics and higher on trees suspended off the ground. Catches of X. saxeseni in ethanol-baited, Lindgren funnel traps increased significantly from 2005 to 2006 as did numbers of P. liminaris and the gum spot damage these insects did to residual live cherry in 2005 compared with that in 2004. Results of this study indicate that the extent of insect damage after this abiotic disturbance was influenced by the time of year the damage occurred relative to the temporal activity of the insects involved and emphasizes the importance of swift salvage.
444 DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DRUGS FOR CHAGAS DISEASE.

Chagas disease results from infection with the protozoan pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi ( T. cruzi ). The disease is endemic in South and Central America with > 16 million people chronically infected and ≈14,000 deaths per year. Current treatment options are inadequate to cure this infection; thus, research is needed to discover better chemotherapeutics. We have an ongoing project making inhibitors to a key enzyme involved in sterol biosynthesis of T. cruzi , sterol 14-demethylase (Tc14DM). This enzyme, the target of azole antifungal drugs, is a well established antimicrobial target. We hypothesize that new compounds can be synthesized with optimal anti- T. cruzi activity, and these will be sufficiently active to cure animals (and humans) with chronic T. cruzi infection. We have discovered two new chemical classes that bind the Tc14DM and that have potent activity against T. cruzi cultures with ED 50 values in the 1-10 nM range. The active compounds are a series of disubstituted imidazoles and another series derived from the cancer drug tipifarnib. We have shown the disubstituted imidazoles dramatically suppress T. cruzi parasitemia in the mouse model of Chagas disease. Working in collaboration with chemists at Yale University and University of Washington, we are working to optimize these lead compounds for pharmacological properties and efficacy against T. cruzi .
OpenACC to FPGA: A Framework for Directive-Based High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing

This paper presents a directive-based, high-level programming framework for high-performance reconfigurable computing. It takes a standard, portable OpenACC C program as input and generates a hardware configuration file for execution on FPGAs. We implemented this prototype system using our open-source OpenARC compiler, it performs source-to-source translation and optimization of the input OpenACC program into an OpenCL code, which is further compiled into a FPGA program by the backend Altera Offline OpenCL compiler. Internally, the design of OpenARC uses a high-level intermediate representation that separates concerns of program representation from underlying architectures, which facilitates portability of OpenARC. In fact, this design allowed us to create the OpenACC-to-FPGA translation framework with minimal extensions to our existing system. In addition, we show that our proposed FPGA-specific compiler optimizations and novel OpenACC pragma extensions assist the compiler in generating more efficient FPGA hardware configuration files. Our empirical evaluation on an Altera Stratix V FPGA with eight OpenACC benchmarks demonstrate the benefits of our strategy. To demonstrate the portability of OpenARC, we show results for the same benchmarks executing on other heterogeneous platforms, including NVIDIA GPUs, AMD GPUs, and Intel Xeon Phis. This initial evidence helps support the goal of using a directive-based, high-level programming strategy for performance portability across heterogeneous HPC architectures.
Agriculture, transportation, and communication

The agricultural revolution During the long nineteenth century, most European countries duplicated in varying degrees the earlier social and agricultural transformations of the Northwest. In the early nineteenth century, Dutch and British yields of the four main types of grain were twice as high as they were in continental Western Europe. As had happened in the Northwest, revolutionary reforms replaced feudal institutions with modern ones on the continent. Serf labor was supplanted by free farmers or/and mobile wage labor. In the southern Low Countries (later Belgium), all seigniorial claims and obligations were abolished without payment in 1793. When the region became part of France in 1795, the government confiscated church lands and sold them to private farmers. Indeed, the Revolution created an owner-entrepreneur farmer economy in France: of the country's 3.8 million peasants, 68 percent had become independent farmers by 1851. The French reclaimed previously uncultivated land such as marshes, and built drainage systems that made cultivable vast swaths of river valleys and coastal regions. The French occupation of northern Italy during the Napoleonic era abolished the last remnants of feudal rights; the sale of communal and church land increased the number of peasant proprietors, in some regions by 20 percent. Uniquely, Lombardy inherited from earlier periods (as had Belgium and the Netherlands) a highly developed capitalistic agriculture with an efficient irrigation system and specialized agricultural production.