cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Near Infrared Microfluidic Droplet Control System

We have built a near infrared (NIR) optical system to physically manipulate micron-sized aqueous droplets using only thermal gradients. We have performed a simple, absorption-based biological protein detection assay using this device.
Constructing Identity in 1 Samuel 17

The actual battle between David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 takes a mere three verses to narrate, thereby raising the question of why this chapter is fifty-eight verses long. By drawing on H. White's work on historiography and the mimetic aspects of historical narratives, and informed by M. Foucault's notions of discourses and discursive strategies, this essay considers how issues of identity construction are addressed in 1 Samuel 17. A suggestion is then made as to why the construction of identity would have been an important issue in exilic and postexilic Israel and how 1 Samuel 17 addresses that issue.
FAILURE TO THRIVE AND ZINC DEPLETION IN BREAST-FED INFANTS: COMPLICATIONS OF UNPLANNED PREGNANCY IN NURSING MOTHERS

In a study of failure to thrive, 3 infants with a similar pattern of growth deviation were encountered. Weight gain ceased at 6 months in two and at 8 months in the 3rd. Breast milk was the main source of calories for all infants and refusal of milk supplements and lack of interest in solids was reported. Dietary analysis for a 6 month girl showed an average intake of 580 ml breast milk and 100 kcal daily from solids. The zinc content of breast milk was in the normal range (0.49 - 0.64 mg/l) for the stage of lactation. Total daily zinc intake approximated only 0.9 mg however, or 18% of the RDA. In a 9 month male, dietary intake consisted of frequent short bouts of nursing and 280 kcal from solids. In this infant, anorexia and poor weight gain persisted for 6 additional months until zinc supplements were provided and catch-up growth occurred. Low plasma zinc levels (57 & 67 μg/dl) were found when assayed in two of the infants. Retrospectively it was realized that the mothers became pregnant at the time the growth failure began in the infants. Unexpected pregnancy should be considered if breast-fed infants show an unexplained failure to gain weight. Zinc may furthermore cause anorexia and delay catch-up growth until supplements are provided to correct the depletion.
Amino acid metabolism and the vascular endothelium: regulation and disease implications

Amino acid metabolism by the vascular endothelium is a complex process that often begins with the carrier-mediated uptake of circulating amino acids into the endothelial cytoplasm. Amino acids are essential for maintaining intact endothelial functions, which include cell proliferation, regulation of blood flow and vascular tone, coagulation and fibrinolysis, and metabolism of a variety of macromolecules. The disturbances in endothelial amino acid transport and metabolism that occur during infection and inflammation are due, in part, to changes in substrate availability and to the local and/or systemic elaboration of specific mediators. An improved understanding of endothelial amino acid metabolism will not only provide new knowledge regarding disease mechanisms and regulation, but may also lead to new treatment strategies that may include the clinical use of specific nutritional formulas.
TU-E-218-01: PET/CT QA/QC and Acceptance Testing.

Combined PET/CT imaging has become a routine imaging technique in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine alike. In this regard a thorough understanding of this modality's quality assurance and control procedures including acceptance testing is a necessary pre‐requisite to ensure the optimal performance of this imaging modality. This session is designed to explain the QA and QC procedures for a PET/CT scanner with examples from two different manufacturers. The session will also cover the frequency of these tests and the elements to implement a QA/QC program for PET/CT imaging. Finally the session will cover the NEMA standard for acceptance testing of PETscanners and their meanings as well as additional recommended tests for hybrid (PET/CT) systems. Learning Objectives: 1. Summarize the signal processing steps for coincidence detection 2. Understand the components of a daily QA procedure 3. Identify and trouble shoot possible sources of failure in daily QA 4. List the recommended frequency of QA/QC tests 5. Describe the process of scanner calibration 6. Name the different components of the NEMA test used for PET acceptance testing 7. Understand the meaning of the results of the NEMA tests
Antenna-coupled single-metal thermocouple array for energy harvesting

We study the generation of thermoelectricity by arrays of antenna-coupled nanothermocouples (ACNTCs) in response to long-wave infrared radiation. An ACNTC is constructed from a dipole antenna and a nanoscale thermocouple (NTC). The NTCs are based on a newly discovered thermoelectric effect in single-metal nanostructures with cross-sectional discontinuity. Dependences on antenna array size and polarization are investigated. We show that large arrays of ACNTCs are capable of converting optical energy to measurable electrical signals. This could open the possibility to use such devices for solar energy harvesting in the IR portion of the spectrum, which is inaccessible to photovoltaics.
Determination of cannabinoids in water and human saliva by solid-phase microextraction and quadrupole ion trap gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) is applied to the determination of cannabidiol, Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and cannabinol in pure water and human saliva. The inherent extraction behavior of the cannabinoids in pure water is evaluated along with optimization of the method in human saliva. The commercially available poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) SPME fibers were found to be the best class for the cannabinoid analysis. Partition coefficients were found to be extremely large for all of the cannabinoids (log K > 4.0). Equilibrium times for the 7- and 30-μm PDMS fibers were 50 and 240 min, respectively. A shorter extraction time of 10 min with the 30-μm PDMS fiber may be used for multiple extractions from the same vial, thus conserving the sample necessary for analysis and speeding up the total analysis time. Recoveries for the cannabinoids in saliva, relative to pure water, were dramatically improved by a method developed in our laboratory involving addition of glaci...
Fernando Solanas’ post‐dictatorial journey into the hollows of the image

(2001). Fernando Solanas’ post‐dictatorial journey into the hollows of the image. Quarterly Review of Film and Video: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 413-423.
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the β-amyloid precursor protein cytoplasmic tail promotes interaction with Shc

beta-Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a widely expressed transmembrane protein of unknown function that is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. The cytoplasmic tail of APP interacts with phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain containing proteins (Fe65, X11, mDab-1, and JIP-1) and may modulate gene expression and apoptosis. We now identify Shc A and Shc C, PTB-containing adapter proteins that signal to cellular differentiation and survival pathways, as novel APP-interacting proteins. The APP cytoplasmic tail contains a PTB-binding motif (Y(682)ENPTY(687)) that, when phosphorylated on Tyr(682), precipitated the PTB domain of Shc A and Shc C, as well as endogenous full-length Shc A. APP and Shc C were physically associated in adult mouse brain homogenates. Increase in phosphorylation of APP by overexpression of the nerve growth factor receptor Trk A in 293T cells promoted the interaction of transfected APP and endogenous Shc A. Pervanadate treatment of N2a neuroblastoma cells resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation and association of endogenous APP and Shc A. Thus, APP and Shc proteins interact in vitro, in cells, and in the mouse brain. Tyrosine phosphorylation of APP may promote the interaction with Shc proteins.
Color Stability, Reducing Activity, and Cytochrome c Oxidase Activity of Five Bovine Muscles

The objective was to characterize the beef psoas major (PM), longissimus lumborum (LL), superficial semimembranosus (SSM), deep semimembranosus (DSM), and semitendinosus (ST) muscles for differences in instrumental and visual color, metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), total reducing activity (TRA), and cytochrome c oxidase activity. The LL and ST had the most color stability and MRA (p < 0.05), the DSM and PM had the least (p < 0.05), and values for the SSM were intermediate. Visual color (r = −0.66) and a* and chroma (r = 0.68) were more correlated with MRA than with TRA (r < 0.14 for all measures). This research supports previous reports that color stability among muscles is variable and that MRA is more useful than TRA for explaining the role of reducing activity in muscle-color stability. Keywords: Beef; color; color stability; cytochrome c oxidase; reducing activity
A Simple Constant Strain Energy Release Rate Loading Method for Double Cantilever Beam Specimens

Abstract A simple loading arrangement is proposed to permit nearly constant strain energy release rate testing of double cantilever beam specimens. The inexpensive arrangement may be well suited to long term and environmental exposure testing of these specimens. An added advantage of the technique is that it also provides an attractive method to measure debond length. The geometrically nonlinear loading device provides constant strain energy release rate loading under idealized conditions. Analysis of the technique for realistic conditions reveals the appropriate test window for the device, and allows design guidelines to be developed. Experimental evaluation confirms the analytical predictions.
Visual Display Screen Clutter Metrics

This paper explores the use of conjoint analysis as a measure of the subjective evaluation of clutter on avionics displays. As new systems are added to glass-cockpit aircraft they are overlaid onto...
Numerical Simulation of Residual Stresses in a Spot Welded Joint

An incremental and thermal-electro-mechanical coupled finite element model has been presented in this study for predicting residual stress distribution in a spot welded steel joint. Approximate temperature dependent material properties, including physical and mechanical properties, have been considered. The Spot nugget shape and the residual stress distribution were obtained by simulation. The results obtained have been compared with experimental measurements, and good agreement is observed. The highest tensile residual stress occurs at the center of the nugget and the residual stress decreases towards the edge of the nugget.
Developing Cultural Fluency: The Goal of International Business Communication Instruction in the 21st Century

Abstract Developing cultural fluency, the ability to cross cultural boundaries and function much like a native by regularly matching the receiver's decoded and the sender's encoded message meanings, is the goal of international business communication instruction in the 21st century. Cultural fluency, which is rooted in partially understood but powerful culture-communication relationships, can be developed through a variety of instructional means. Developing cultural fluency will help the business community cope with such important communication-related challenges as growing workforce diversity, increasing globalization, and the need to select appropriate communication technologies.
From efficacy to effectiveness: lessons learned from the Practice-Based Opportunities for Weight Reduction (POWER) trial.

Despite the encouraging results of behavioral weight-loss interventions in effi cacy trials, primary care providers (PCPs) have expressed a lack of confidence that proven weight management models can be implemented in a primary care setting [1]. The Practice-Based Opportunities for Weight Reduction (POWER) trial conducted at Johns Hopkins University (MD, USA) compared the effectiveness of two behavioral weight-loss programs to a self-directed control group over 24 months among obese adults with at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor. In contrast to traditional efficacy studies that often enrolled convenience popula tions, POWER enrolled obese patients from primary care clinics and delivered interventions that could potentially be integrated into routine medical care. As a comparative effectiveness trial, our findings should be directly applicable to rou tine medical care and should inform patients, healthcare providers and delivery systems of effective treatment options [2]. This article highlights lessons learned from the design and implementation of the POWER trial. Details of the study design have been published [3,4]. Participants were obese patients from one of six participating primary care clinics, who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or diabetes), regular internet access and basic computer skills (i.e., the ability to enter data into a website and send/receive email). Participants were randomized to one of three groups: control condition, remote intervention and in-person intervention. The primary outcome was weight loss at 24 months after randomization. The two behavioral interventions were based on previous trials conducted by the Hopkins investigative team that demonstrated the efficacy of lifestyle interventions in achieving and maintaining weight loss and improving cardiovascular disease risk factors [5–8]. The group receiving in-person support was offered group sessions, individual sessions (telephonic and in-person) and web support. The group receiving remote support was provided telephonic sessions and web support with no face-to-face contact. These active intervention groups were compared with the self-directed control group. A summary of the intervention recommendations and contact schedule have been published [3,4]. PCPs provided general encouragement for intervention participation and reviewed a one-page report of the participant’s progress at regularly scheduled clinic visits for those in the active interventions. The main results have been published and a brief review follows [4]. Of the 415 randomized participants, 64% were women and 41% were African–American; mean (standard deviation) age was 54 (10.2) years, and mean (standard deviation) BMI was 36.6 (5.4) kg/m 2 . The median number of completed coaching sessions in the remote support arm was 14 during the first 6 months (15 sessions were offered), 1
Model-based sensor fusion for aviation

We describe a sensor fusion algorithm based on a set of simple assumptions about the relationship among the sensors. Under these assumptions we estimate the common signal in each sensor, and the optimal fusion is then approximated by a weighted sum of the common component in each sensor output at each pixel. We then examine a variety of techniques to map the sensor signals onto perceptual dimensions, such that the human operator can benefit from the enhanced fused image, and simultaneously, be able to identify the source of the information. We examine several color mapping schemes.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Resorcinarene amine stabilized nanodiamond dispersions in organic solvents: applications in diamond film growth

Nanodiamonds of widely differing sizes (4 to >100 nm), shapes, and origin could be extracted from aqueous dispersions into toluene by a multidentate resorcinarene amine surfactant, in the absence of any elaborate covalent functionalization or extreme conditions. Resorcinarene amine encapsulated nanodiamonds displayed excellent dispersion stability in non-polar organic solvents for several months. The IR spectral analysis of these extracted and further precipitated nanodiamonds suggests that the carboxylic acid groups present on the nanodiamond surfaces are electrostatically stabilized by the resorcinarene amine surfactant. Such nanodiamond dispersions can also act as nucleation sources for the fabrication of continuous diamond films by CVD growth. Notably, this process resulted in diamond films with better uniformity, smaller grain size and reduced surface roughness when compared to the films prepared with unmodified nanodiamonds as nucleating agents.
Endings and New Beginnings: Ruins and Heritage

The title of this special issue of Germanic Review is “Endings and New Beginnings: Ruins and Heritage.” Let me begin my introduction with a quotation from The Ruins of Detroit, the disturbing book ...
Considerations on “Organic” Exclusion Criteria for Schizophrenia

Given the variety of "organic" or "toxic" conditions that may produce, precipitate, or exacerbate psychotic disorders, it is important to attempt to clarify existing nosologies and to highlight the need for research strategies that may help to validate relevant distinctions. This review provides a brief discussion of some of those issues.
Synapse Formation in the Absence of Cell Bodies Requires Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis at distal synaptic sites is thought to play a critical role in long-term synaptic plasticity at preexisting connections. We tested whether protein synthesis in distal neuritic processes contributes to the formation of new synaptic connections by Aplysia neurons regenerating in cell culture after removing their cell bodies. Removal of either the sensory neuron (SN) or motor cell L7 cell body did not affect the formation of synaptic connections during the next 48–72 hr period. Increases in synaptic efficacy after removal of the SN cell body was accompanied by neurite growth and an increase in the number of SN varicosities contacting L7. The increases in synaptic efficacy and the number of SN varicosities were blocked by anisomycin, a protein synthesis inhibitor. The initial formation of synaptic connections was not affected by the absence of the L7 cell body. In the absence of cell bodies from both presynaptic and postsynaptic cells, synaptic efficacy increased for 48 hr and was blocked reversibly by anisomycin. These results support the idea that distal neuritic processes contain stable mRNAs and the macromolecular machinery for protein synthesis that are required for the formation of new synaptic connections.
Classification of breast lesions based on quantitative measures of tumor morphology

High resolution digitized mammograms were used in the development of a technique to classify breast lesions based on their boundary characteristics. Two different boundary descriptors were used to classify the tumors as benign or malignant: a measure of tumor circularity (/spl mu//sub R///spl sigma//sub R/), and a measure of surface roughness. The surface roughness measurement was calculated as the percentage of angles with multiple boundary points. The greater the percentage of angles with multiple boundary points the more irregularly shaped the boundary. 94% of the tumors were automatically segmented to produce boundaries consistent with an outline drawn by an expert reviewer. A classification model which includes both descriptors was diagnostic with an estimated area under the ROC curve of 0.94 (se=0.04).
Catheter-related bacteraemia in haemodialysis patients with HIV infection

s Background. Tunnelled catheters are used for dialysis in over 25% of haemodialysis (HD) patients and are a major risk factor for bacteraemia. HIV-positive patients may be at particularly increased risk of catheter-related bacteraemia (CRB) due to their immu- nocompromised state. The present case-controlled study compared catheter-related bacteraemia with HIV-positive and HIV-negative haemodialysis patients. Methods. Using a prospective computerized vascular access database, we identified 33 HIV-positive haemo- dialysis patients who had a tunneled dialysis catheter placed during a 6.5-year period. Their catheter out- comes were compared with those observed in 55 age-, sex- and access date-matched control haemodialysis patients. Results. The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, diabetes, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease, but the HIV patients were more likely to be black (94 vs 76%, P ¼ 0.03). CRB occurred in 52% of the HIV patients and 49% of the controls (P ¼ 0.83). The median infection-free catheter survival was similar in HIV-positive and negative patients (165 vs 119 days, P ¼ 0.12). Among patients with CRB, the likelihood of a Gram-negative infection was similar in both groups (18 vs 30%, P ¼ 0.37). However, polymicrobial CRB was more likely in HIV patients (41 vs 15%, P ¼ 0.049). HIV-positive patients were more likely to be hospital- ized for treatment of CRB than HIV-negative patients (29 vs 7%, P ¼ 0.05). Conclusion. CRB is equally likely in HIV-positive and control haemodialysis patients. However, CRB is likely to be more severe in HIV-positive patients, as judged from the greater likelihood of polymicrobial infection and of hospitalization.
The IGF2 receptor is a USF2-specific target in nontumorigenic mammary epithelial cells but not in breast cancer cells.

The antiproliferative activities of the USF proteins and the frequent loss of USF function in cancer cells suggest a role for these ubiquitous transcription factors in tumor suppression. However, the cellular targets that mediate the effects of USF on cellular proliferation and transformation remain uncharacterized. IGF2R, with multiple functions in both normal growth and cancer, was investigated here as a possible USF target in both nontumorigenic and tumorigenic breast cell lines. The 5′-flanking sequences of the human IGF2R gene contain multiple, highly conserved E boxes almost identical to the consensus USF DNA-binding sequence. These E boxes were found to be essential for IGF2R promoter activity in the nontumorigenic mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A. USF1 and USF2 bound the IGF2R promoter in vitro, and both USF1 and USF2, but not c-Myc, were present within the IGF2R promoter-associated chromatin in vivo. Overexpressed USF2, but not USF1, transactivated the IGF2R promoter, and IGF2R mRNA was markedly decreased by expression of a USF-specific dominant negative mutant, identifying IGF2R as a USF2 target. IGF2R promoter-driven expression was USF-independent in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines, suggesting that a defect in USF function may contribute to down-regulation of IGF2R expression in cancer cells.
Average field map image template for Echo-Planar image analysis

Magnetic resonance field map images are normally used in characterizing the magnetic field inhomogeneity for distortion correction in Echo-Planar Imaging (EPI) and accurate localization in functional MRI (fMRI). In this paper, the computation and applications of an average field map image template is investigated based on real field maps. The introduced methodology and the obtained field map image templates may be used in EPI and fMRI image analysis, distortion correction, registration, and functional localization when high-resolution field map images are not available for individual datasets. The introduced methodology involves three stages of pre-processing, registration, and spatial normalization. The analysis and results presented in this paper show the impact and usefulness of the investigated methodology in several applications.
Photoluminescence up-conversion involving surface states in colloidal CdTe quantum dots

Efficient photoluminescence up-conversion was observed in colloidal CdTe quantum dots with an energy gain of /spl sim/360 meV. We attribute this up-converted signal to the recombination of carriers from conduction band and hole surface states, respectively.
Revision carpal tunnel surgery: a 10-year review of intraoperative findings and outcomes.

Purpose To evaluate intraoperative findings and outcomes of revision carpal tunnel release (CTR) and to identify predictors of pain outcomes. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of all adult patients undergoing revision CTR between 2001 and 2012. Patients were classified according to whether they presented with persistent, recurrent, or new symptoms. We compared study groups by baseline characteristics, intraoperative findings, and outcomes (strength and pain). Within each group, we analyzed changes in postoperative pinch strength, grip strength, and pain from baseline. Predictors of postoperative average pain were examined using both multivariable linear regression analyses and univariable logistic regression to calculate odds ratios of worsened or no change in pain. Results We performed revision CTR in 97 extremities (87 patients). Symptoms were classified as persistent in 42 hands, recurrent in 19, and new in 36. The recurrent group demonstrated more diabetes and a longer interval from primary CTR, and was less likely to present with pain. Incomplete release of the flexor retinaculum and scarring of the median nerve were common intraoperative findings over all. Nerve injury was more common in the new group. Postoperative pinch strength, grip strength, and pain significantly improved from baseline in all groups, apart from strength measures in the recurrent group. Persistent symptoms and more than 1 prior CTR had higher odds of not changing or worsening postoperative pain. Higher preoperative pain, use of pain medication, and workers' compensation were significant predictors of higher postoperative average pain. Conclusions Carpal tunnel release may not always be entirely successful. Most patients improve after revision CTR, but a methodical approach to diagnosis and adherence to safe surgical principles are likely to improve outcomes. Symptom classification, number of prior CTRs, baseline pain, pain medications, and workers' compensation status are important predictors of pain outcomes in this population. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic III.
Bit error rate estimation for channels with memory

A method for deriving key parameters of a bit-error-rate (BER) estimate is presented. The method is based on a bursty channel model proposed by B.D. Fritchman (IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, Vol. IT-13, pp.221-227, Apr. 1967). This model is used to derive the confidence levels and confidence intervals of an error-rate estimate. The theoretical results have been confirmed experimentally by using the data from a helical-scan digital magnetic-tape recorder. The experiments clearly demonstrate the inadequacy of the BER estimates based on an independent-error approach. >
A computational account of children's analogical reasoning: balancing inhibitory control in working memory and relational representation

Theories accounting for the development of analogical reasoning tend to emphasize either the centrality of relational knowledge accretion or changes in information processing capability. Simulations in LISA (Hummel & Holyoak, 1997, 2003), a neurally inspired computer model of analogical reasoning, allow us to explore how these factors may collaboratively contribute to the development of analogy in young children. Simulations explain systematic variations in United States and Hong Kong children’s performance on analogies between familiar scenes (Richland, Morrison & Holyoak, 2006; Richland, Chang, Morrison & Au, 2010). Specifically, changes in inhibition levels in the model’s working-memory system explain the developmental progression in US children’s ability to handle increases in relational complexity and distraction from object similarity during analogical reasoning. In contrast, changes in how relations are represented in the model best capture cross-cultural differences in performance between children of the same ages (3‐4 years) in the United States and Hong Kong. We use these results and simulations to argue that the development of analogical reasoning in children may best be conceptualized as an equilibrium between knowledge accretion and the maturation of information processing capability.
Editors' Introduction: Vaccine Safety Throughout the Product Life Cycle

The development and widespread use, in the United States and globally, of safe and effective vaccines has been one of the greatest achievements in science, medicine, and public health—saving lives, preventing disabilities, contributing to improvements in life expectancy, and reducing health care costs. Serious and once common childhood infections are increasingly joining the ranks of “vaccine-preventable diseases.” The number of childhood and adolescent diseases prevented by vaccines has increased from 10 to 16 in just the last 10 years. Moreover, we now have vaccines that can prevent the infections that can lead to cervical and liver cancer. Ironically, as the threat of disease has been diminished by vaccines, there has been increasing attention on the risks, both real and perceived, from vaccines. When vaccines are used effectively, the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases declines, and over time, the diseases that vaccines have prevented are less common. The result is that there is a subtle shift in the benefit/risk ratio. With the recent addition of new vaccines to the recommended childhood immunization schedule, an increasing number of parents have raised concerns that their children are receiving more vaccines than they need. Changes in information technology, such as the Internet, provide more access to information, both accurate and inaccurate. The safety standards for vaccines are arguably higher than those of any other medical product because vaccines are given to healthy persons to prevent disease, are recommended for near-universal use, and are often required by state laws for school entrance. Nevertheless, no medical product, including vaccines, is risk free. Similar to other infrastructures, the components of the US vaccine-safety system may not be familiar to many people. Because the quality and transparency of this system are critical to maintaining public confidence in our immunization program, this supplement to Pediatrics has been assembled to help … Address correspondence to Daniel Salmon, PhD, MPH, National Vaccine Program Office, Office of Public Health and Science, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave SW, Room 715H, Washington, DC 20201. E-mail: daniel.salmon{at}hhs.gov
Analyses of Synteny Between Arabidopsis thaliana and Species in the Asteraceae Reveal a Complex Network of Small Syntenic Segments and Major Chromosomal Rearrangements

Comparative genomic studies among highly divergent species have been problematic because reduced gene similarities make orthologous gene pairs difficult to identify and because colinearity is expected to be low with greater time since divergence from the last common ancestor. Nevertheless, synteny between divergent taxa in several lineages has been detected over short chromosomal segments. We have examined the level of synteny between the model species Arabidopsis thaliana and species in the Compositae, one of the largest and most diverse plant families. While macrosyntenic patterns covering large segments of the chromosomes are not evident, significant levels of local synteny are detected at a fine scale covering segments of 1-Mb regions of A. thaliana and regions of <5 cM in lettuce and sunflower. These syntenic patches are often not colinear, however, and form a network of regions that have likely evolved by duplications followed by differential gene loss.
Large-strain time-temperature equivalence in high density polyethylene for prediction of extreme deformation and damage

Time-temperature equivalence is a widely recognized property of many time-dependent material systems, where there is a clear predictive link relating the deformation response at a nominal temperature and a high strain-rate to an equivalent response at a depressed temperature and nominal strain-rate. It has been found that high-density polyethylene (HDPE) obeys a linear empirical formulation relating test temperature and strain-rate. This observation was extended to continuous stress-strain curves, such that material response measured in a load frame at large strains and low strain-rates (at depressed temperatures) could be translated into a temperature-dependent response at high strain-rates and validated against Taylor impact results. Time-temperature equivalence was used in conjuction with jump-rate compression tests to investigate isothermal response at high strain-rate while exluding adiabatic heating. The validated constitutive response was then applied to the analysis of Dynamic-Tensile-Extrusion of HDPE, a tensile analog to Taylor impact developed at LANL. The Dyn-Ten-Ext test results and FEA found that HDPE deformed smoothly after exiting the die, and after substantial drawing appeared to undergo a pressure-dependent shear damage mechanism at intermediate velocities, while it fragmented at high velocities. Dynamic-Tensile-Extrusion, properly coupled with a validated constitutive model, can successfully probe extreme tensile deformation and damage of polymers.
Influence of the Interstellar Magnetic Field and Neutrals on the Shape of the Outer Heliosphere

Formed as a result of the solar wind (SW) interaction with the circum-heliospheric interstellar medium (CHISM), the outer heliosphere is generically three-dimensional because of the SW asphericity and the action of the interstellar and interplanetary magnetic fields (ISMF and IMF). In this paper we show that charge exchange between neutral and charged components of the SW–CHISM plasmas plays a dominant role not only in determining the geometrical size of the heliosphere, but also in the modulation of magnetic-field-induced asymmetries. More specifically, charge exchange between SW and CHISM protons and primary neutrals of interstellar origin always acts to decrease the asymmetry of the termination shock and the heliopause, which can otherwise be very large. This is particularly pronounced because the ionization ratio of the CHISM plasma is rather low. To investigate the deflection of the CHISM neutral hydrogen flow in the inner heliosphere from its original orientation in the unperturbed CHISM, we create two-dimensional neutral H velocity distributions in the inner heliosphere within a 45-degree circular conical surface with the apex at the Sun and the axis parallel to the interstellar flow vector. It is shown that the distribution of deflections is very anisotropic, that is, the most probable orientation of the H-atom velocity differs from its average direction. We show that the average deflection of the H-atom flow, for reasonable ISMF strengths, occurs mostly in the plane formed by the ISMF and CHISM velocity vectors at infinity. The possibility that the ISMF orientation may influence the 2–3 kHz radio emission, which is believed to originate in the outer heliosheath, is discussed.
The SynMuv genes of Caenorhabditis elegans in vulval development and beyond

For a nonessential diminutive organ comprised of only 22 nuclei, the Caenorhabditis elegans vulva has done very well for itself. The status of the vulva as an overachiever is in part due to its inherent structural simplicity as well as to the intricate regulation of its induction and development. Studies over the past twenty years have shown the vulva to be a microcosm for organogenesis and a model for the integration of complex signaling pathways. Furthermore, many of these signaling molecules are themselves associated with cancer in mammals. This review focuses on what is perhaps the most intriguing and complex story to emerge from these studies thus far, the role of the Synthetic Multivulval (SynMuv) genes in controlling vulval cell-fate adoption. Recent advances have led to a greater mechanistic understanding of how these genes function during vulval development and have also identified roles for these genes in diverse developmental processes.
Influence of ovarian and non-ovarian estrogens on weight gain in response to disruption of sweet taste — calorie relations in female rats

Abstract Regulation of energy balance in female rats is known to differ along a number of dimensions compared to male rats. Previous work from our lab has demonstrated that in female rats fed dietary supplements containing high-intensity sweeteners that may disrupt a predictive relation between sweet tastes and calories, excess weight gain is demonstrated only when females are also fed a diet high in fat and sugar, and is evidenced primarily in animals already prone to gain excess weight. In contrast, male rats show excess weight gain when fed saccharin-sweetened yogurt supplements when fed both standard chow diets and diets high in fat and sugar, and regardless of their proneness to excess weight gain. The goal of the present experiments was to determine whether ovarian, or other sources of estrogens, contributes to the resistance to excess weight gain in female rats fed standard chow diets along with dietary supplements sweetened with yogurt. Results of the first experiment indicated that when the ovaries were removed surgically in adult female rats, patterns of weight gain were similar in animals fed saccharin-sweetened compared to glucose-sweetened yogurt supplements. In the second experiment, when the ovaries were surgically removed in adult female rats, and local production of estrogens was suppressed with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole, females fed the saccharin-sweetened yogurt consumed more energy and gained more weight than females fed the glucose-sweetened yogurt. However, when the ovaries were surgically removed prior to the onset of puberty (at 24–25 days of age), females given saccharin-sweetened yogurt along with vehicle gained excess weight. In contrast, weight gain was similar in those given saccharin-sweetened and glucose-sweetened yogurt along with anastrozole. The results suggest that behavioral differences between males and females in response to disruption of sweet→calorie relations may result from differences in patterns of local estrogen production. These differences may be established developmentally during the pubertal period in females.
Metal Ion-Dependent DNAzymes and Their Applications as Biosensors

Long considered to serve solely as the genetic information carrier, DNA has been shown in 1994 to be able to act as DNA catalysts capable of catalyzing a trans-esterification reaction similar to the action of ribozymes and protein enzymes. Although not yet found in nature, numerous DNAzymes have been isolated through in vitro selection for catalyzing many different types of reactions in the presence of different metal ions and thus become a new class of metalloenzymes. What remains unclear is how DNA can carry out catalysis with simpler building blocks and fewer functional groups than ribozymes and protein enzymes and how DNA can bind metal ions specifically to perform these functions. In the past two decades, many biochemical and biophysical studies have been carried out on DNAzymes, especially RNA-cleaving DNAzymes. Important insights have been gained regarding their metal-dependent activity, global folding, metal binding sites, and catalytic mechanisms for these DNAzymes. Because of their high metal ion selectivity, one of the most important practical applications for DNAzymes is metal ion detection, resulting in highly sensitive and selective fluorescent, colorimetric, and electrochemical sensors for a wide range of metal ions such as Pb2+, UO2 2 +,\(\rm{Pb}^{2+},\ UO^{2+}_{2},\) including paramagnetic metal ions such as Cu2+. This chapter summarizes recent progresses in in vitro selection of metal ion-selective DNAzymes, their biochemical and biophysical studies and sensing applications.
LINEAR HABITATS AND THE NESTED CLADE ANALYSIS: AN EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF GEOGRAPHIC VERSUS RIVER DISTANCES USING AN OZARK CRAYFISH (DECAPODA: CAMBARIDAE)

The nested clade analysis can be extremely useful in testing for an association between genetic variation and geography and in explaining these observed patterns in terms of historical or contemporary population processes. The strength of this method lies in its ability to test a variety of processes simultaneously under a rigorous statistical framework. Indeed, many recent studies have used the nested analysis in a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic taxa. However, it has been suggested that riverine, riparian, or coastal species may be better examined using river (or coastal) distances rather than the standard geographic (great circle) distances among populations. It is thought that the standard geographic distances may not adequately describe the actual distances involved between populations of species inhabiting these one-dimensional (riverine) habitats. Therefore, we analyzed population data from an Ozark crayfish, Orconectes luteus, to examine the effects on the results of a nested clade analysis using river distances. In most cases, the haplotypes detected in this crayfish were unique to a particular drainage or a group of neighboring drainages, indicating very little movement of individuals among drainages. Five major population groups were detected, corresponding to many of the major river drainages sampled in this study. The two types of distance analyses obtain similar results for higher-level (older) clades, but differ in many of the inferences made for lower-level (younger) clades. However, we suggest that the comparison of both types of analyses for riverine species may enhance the process of elucidating historical and contemporary population processes, especially in cases where the transfer of individuals among different drainages are involved.
Unstructured medical image query using big data - An epilepsy case study

Display Omitted Framework is built/validated for efficient/unlimited querying of unstructured data.Unlimited querying is achieved by importing user-defined modules.Pivotal tool to construct adjacent model for feature extraction modules.Efficiency was achieved by leveraging the distributed architecture of Hadoop.Various Hadoop configurations are compared to sequential processing. Big data technologies are critical to the medical field which requires new frameworks to leverage them. Such frameworks would benefit medical experts to test hypotheses by querying huge volumes of unstructured medical data to provide better patient care. The objective of this work is to implement and examine the feasibility of having such a framework to provide efficient querying of unstructured data in unlimited ways. The feasibility study was conducted specifically in the epilepsy field. The proposed framework evaluates a query in two phases. In phase 1, structured data is used to filter the clinical data warehouse. In phase 2, feature extraction modules are executed on the unstructured data in a distributed manner via Hadoop to complete the query. Three modules have been created, volume comparer, surface to volume conversion and average intensity. The framework allows for user-defined modules to be imported to provide unlimited ways to process the unstructured data hence potentially extending the application of this framework beyond epilepsy field. Two types of criteria were used to validate the feasibility of the proposed framework - the ability/accuracy of fulfilling an advanced medical query and the efficiency that Hadoop provides. For the first criterion, the framework executed an advanced medical query that spanned both structured and unstructured data with accurate results. For the second criterion, different architectures were explored to evaluate the performance of various Hadoop configurations and were compared to a traditional Single Server Architecture (SSA). The surface to volume conversion module performed up to 40 times faster than the SSA (using a 20 node Hadoop cluster) and the average intensity module performed up to 85 times faster than the SSA (using a 40 node Hadoop cluster). Furthermore, the 40 node Hadoop cluster executed the average intensity module on 10,000 models in 3h which was not even practical for the SSA. The current study is limited to epilepsy field and further research and more feature extraction modules are required to show its applicability in other medical domains. The proposed framework advances data-driven medicine by unleashing the content of unstructured medical data in an efficient and unlimited way to be harnessed by medical experts.
Illustrated list of additions to the ichthyofauna of the Caura River, Venezuela

Twenty nine species have been added to the annotated checklists of the ichthyofauna of the Caura River Basin, Guiana Shield, Venezuela. Of these, 18 were found in two floodplain lagoons in the lower Caura, corresponding to the orders Characiformes, Clupeiformes, Gymnotiformes, Siluriformes and Perciformes and one species of Tetraodontiformes in the port of Maripa. The others 11 species were found in the upper Caura, representing the orders Characiformes, Gymnotiformes and Siluriformes. Previous ichthyofaunal surveys in the Caura river Basin recorded a total of 514 species, including 150 species for the upper Caura and 492 for the lower Caura. After our recent survey the total number of fish species in the whole drainage basin increased to 543 species, of which 172 and 510 belong to the upper and lower Caura, respectively.
Evaluating the Prognostic Role of Elevated Preoperative Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels in Colon Cancer Patients: Results from the National Cancer Database

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a reliable tumor marker for the management and surveillance of colon cancer. However, limitations in previous studies have made it difficult to elucidate whether CEA should be established as a prognostic indicator. This study examines the association between elevated preoperative CEA levels and overall survival in colon cancer patients using a national population-based registry. Stage I–III colon cancer patients were identified from the 2004–2006 National Cancer Database. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the association between elevated CEA levels and overall survival after controlling for important patient, hospital, and tumor characteristics. A Monte Carlo Markov Chain was used to impute the large degree of missing CEA data. All models controlled for the propensity score in order to account for selection bias. A total of 137,381 patients met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 34 % of patients had an elevated CEA level and 66 % had a normal CEA level, with a median survival of 70 and 100 months, respectively. Patients with an elevated CEA level had a 62 % increase in the hazard of death (HR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.53–1.74) compared with patients with a normal CEA level. Preoperative CEA was an independent predictor of overall survival across all stages. The results support recommendations to include CEA levels as another high-risk feature that clinicians can use to counsel patients on adjuvant chemotherapy, especially for stage II patients.
Biomechanical analysis of ramming behavior in ovis canadensis

Horns have been hypothesized to help in absorbing shock and protecting the brain during ramming events. I general, horn is made of a a-keratin sheath covering a porous bone. The objective of the present study is to investigate the shock-absorptive role of the keratinous sheath and bony core of horns; particularly in Bighorn Sheep (Ovis Canadensis). A three dimensional complex structure of the bighorn sheep horn was successfully constructed and modeled using a computed tomography (CT) scan and Finite Element (FE) method, respectively. Computed tomography was also used to identify the porosity in the inner core of the horn. The horn was subjected to quasi-static loading of 3400 N (764.35 lbf) simulating the effect of both the composite nature of the horn and the porosity in the inner core. Three different 3-dimensional quasi-static analyses, a part of simplified homogenous horn, simplified composite horn and complex structure of horn were studied. The computed stresses, deflections and strain energy were compared for three different models. It was noticed that strain energy due to elastic deformation of the complex horn structure was more, as compared to simplified horn structure and composite horn structure models; whereas the ability of force transmission was found to be more in composite and complex structures of horn. This phenomenon was elucidated through the stress distribution in structure. This study will help designers in choosing appropriate material combination for successful design of protective structures against a similar impact.