cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (sdf-1) response to exercise and joint injury in horses

s / Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 20 (2012) S54–S296 S82 between OA patients and healthy controls, and then between the progressors and non-progressors of OA patients, in various combinations. Results: In our analyses, the concentrations of cartilage oligomeric protein (COMP), pyridinoline (PYD), keratin sulfate (KS), hyaluronic acid (HA) in serum, and type II collagen neo-epitope (CIINE) and KS in urine differed significantly between the knee OA patients and healthy controls. For these markers, diagnostic capacity was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in every possible combination. The result of ROC analysis revealed that the combination of 3 markers, PYD and HA in serum, and CIINE in urine, was the best in discriminating OA patients from healthy volunteers (AUC 1⁄4 0.946). Next, to determine the best combination of the markers that could predict disease progression, biomarkers whose concentration differed significantly between the progressors and non-progressors were determined. In this analysis, PYD, KS, HA, sCPII in serumwere found to havepotentials asprognosticmarkers, andROCanalysiswas carried outwith these markers. The result of ROC analysis revealed that the value of AUC did not exceed 0.7 in any possible combination of these markers. Conclusions:From the result of our analysis, combination of biomarkers was know to be useful for discrimination of knee OA subjects from those without. However, discrimination of knee OA patients undergoing disease progression from those in a stable conditionmay not be possible by known biomarkers, even if two or more markers were used together.
“Classical” Superplasticity of SiAlON Ceramics

Classical superplasticity of SiAlON ceramics with the nominal composition (Y x Li y ) 0.6/(3x+y) Si 8.9 Al 3.1 O 2.5 N 13.5 is reported in this study. During deformation, these materials exhibit little microstructural evolution, with negligible growth of elongated β'-phase grains and minimal texture formation. Excellent formabilities are obtained in the temperature range of 1500°-1600°C in compression, where a strain rate of 10 -2 s -1 has been achieved, and in punch stretching, where a strain rate of 1.2 x 10 -3 s -1 has been used successfully. Flow stresses are found to be dramatically affected by the viscosity of the grain-boundary phase and decrease as the amount of lithium addition increases. Fracture stress also is compositionally dependent and decreases as the lithium content increases. As the overall formability is determined by the competition between fracture and deformation, maximum formability coincides with a maximum ratio of fracture stress to forming stress at an intermediate lithium composition. Finally, all materials exhibit higher room-temperature bend strength after postforming annealing. Thus, transient superplastic deformation does not impair the ultimate mechanical properties of the materials.
Segmentation Of SAR Images

The statistical characteristics of image speckle are reviewed. Existing segmentation techniques that have been used for speckle filtering, edge detection, and texture extraction are sumamrized. The relative effectiveness of each technique is briefly discussed.
Detection of O antigens in Escherichia coli

Lipopolysaccharide on the surface of Escherichia coli constitutes the O antigens which are important virulence factors that are targets of both the innate and adaptive immune systems and play a major role in host–pathogen interactions. O antigens are responsible for antigenic specificity of the strain and determine the O serogroup. The designation of O serogroups is important for classifying E. coli strains, for epidemiological studies, in tracing the source of outbreaks of gastrointestinal or other illness, and for linking the source to the infection. For conventional serogroup identification, serotyping by agglutination reactions against antisera developed for each of the O serogroups has been used. In the last decade, many O-antigen gene clusters that encode for the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of the variable oligosaccharide region on the surface of the bacteria have been sequenced and characterized. Unique gene sequences within the O-antigen gene clusters have been targeted for identification and detection of many O groups using the polymerase chain reaction and microarrays. This review summarizes current knowledge on the DNA sequences of the O-antigen gene clusters, genetic-based methods for O-group determination and detection of pathogenic E. coli based on O-antigen and virulence gene detection, and provides perspectives on future developments in the field.
Detection of left ventricular hypertrophy in rats administered a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/γ dual agonist using natriuretic peptides and imaging

Chronic treatment with suprapharmacologic doses of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists has a known potential for causing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). The mechanism by which LVH develops is not well understood nor are biomarkers of it well characterized. Natriuretic peptides are important regulators of cardiac growth, blood volume, and arterial pressure and may be useful biomarkers of LVH and hemodynamic changes that precede it. We measured amino-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (NTproANP), amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations in serum and plasma, as well as transcripts in left ventricular heart tissue for atrial natriuretic peptide precursor (Nppa), brain natriuretic peptide precursor (Nppb), and myosin heavy chain-beta (Myh7) as potential biomarkers of LVH induced by a PPARalpha/gamma dual agonist in Sprague-Dawley rats. We used magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, and hemodynamics to identify structural and functional cardiovascular changes related to the biomarkers. Heart-to-brain weight ratios (HW:BrW) were correlated with NTproANP, NTproBNP, and cTnI concentrations in serum as well as fold change in expression of Nppa and Nppb. LVH was characterized by increased left ventricular wall thickness and inner diameter, increased cardiac output, decreased arterial blood pressure, and increased heart rate. In these studies, each end point contributed to the early detection of LVH, the ability to monitor its progression, and demonstrated the ability of NTproANP concentration in serum to predict LVH and hemodynamic changes.
Lipid standardization of serum fat-soluble antioxidant concentrations: the YALTA study

Background: Blood lipids can influence fat-soluble antioxidant concentrations and confound their interpretation as indicators of antioxidant intake status and disease risk. Objectives: The objectives were to identify lipoproteins that can confound the interpretation of serum fat-soluble antioxidants, to evaluate the amount of the confounding, and to recommend a method for standardizing blood concentrations of fat-soluble antioxidants. Design: Several methods of lipid standardization of fat-soluble antioxidants were evaluated in a large cohort of young adults with the use of both cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysis. Results: Tocopherol and carotenoid concentrations were associated with plasma total cholesterol and its components, LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol (estimated as plasma total triacylglycerols/ 5), some of which were independent predictors for all of the fatsoluble antioxidants. Among supplement nonusers, the most amphipathic (polar) of the antioxidants (� -tocopherol, � -tocopherol, and zeaxanthin plus lutein) and lycopene were associated strongly with these lipid fractions (R 2 = 0.09, 0.40). Consistent with a causal association in which blood antioxidant concentrations change as blood lipid concentrations change, similar relations were found for changes in blood antioxidant and lipid concentrations over a 7-y period. Concentrations of the remaining carotenoids (� -cryptoxanthin, � -carotene, and � -carotene) had a weaker association with plasma lipoproteins (R 2 < 0.06). Similar relations were found for supplement users. Conclusions: The simultaneous adjustment of the concentrations of tocopherols, zeaxanthin plus lutein, and lycopene for VLDL, HDL, and LDL cholesterol is recommended. This method is practical and can provide a basis for the standardization of carotenoid and tocopherol concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:458‐66.
Mechatronic Development of Self-Actuating In-Flight Deicing Structures

A proof of the concept of utilizing smart structures for in-flight deicing with minimal power requirements is proposed. Lightweight piezoelectric actuators with positive feedback control are utilized to excite the underlying structures to their natural frequencies. This induces shear stresses on the surface of the structures with a low power requirement. The shear stresses generated are sufficient to break the adhesive bond between the ice layer and the wing surface, which is weak in shear. A laminated composite cantilever plate and a prototype leading-edge wing structure are investigated. Analytical studies are performed to determine the critical modes in which high amount of shear stresses can be generated on the surface of the structures and to evaluate the debonding requirement of the ice patches from the surface. Experimental verification of the proposed inexpensive deicing method is carried out by forming ice patches on both the composite plate and the curved leading-edge wing structures, then actuating the structures to the targeted natural frequencies. Testing is conducted at five different cold temperatures ranging from 258.15 to 269.26 K. The implementation proves that the proposed smart structural deicing method is effective and energy- and weight-efficient, which is most desirable for aircraft applications. The method is superior in that there is a reduction in power consumption by two orders of magnitude for aircraft deicing setups over the existing ones
Sorption of Trace Elements on Mineral Surfaces: Modern Perspectives from Spectroscopic Studies, and Comments on Sorption in the Marine Environment

The partitioning (or sorption) of trace elements from aqueous solutions onto mineral surfaces and natural organic matter (NOM) has played a major role in determining the trace element content of natural waters. This review examines sorption processes on mineral surfaces for nine trace elements (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Hg, Pb), focusing on the results of modern x-ray spectroscopic studies. Such studies provide unique information on the structure and composition of sorption products, including their mode of attachment to mineral surfaces or functional groups in NOM under in situ conditions (i.e., with aqueous solution present at 25°C). The types of chemical reactions (acid-base, ligand exchange, redox, dissolution/reprecipitation) that can occur at mineral-aqueous solution interfaces are also reviewed, and some of the factors that affect the reactivity of mineral surfaces are discussed, including changes in the geometric and electronic structures of mineral surfaces when they first react with aqueous so...
Distributions of synaptic vesicle proteins and GAD65 in deprived and nondeprived ocular dominance columns in layer IV of kitten primary visual cortex are unaffected by monocular deprivation

Two days of monocular deprivation (MD) of kittens during a critical period of development is known to produce a loss of visual responses in the primary visual cortex to stimulation of the nondeprived eye, and 7 days of deprivation results in retraction of axon branches and loss of presynaptic sites from deprived-eye geniculocortical arbors. The rapid loss of responsiveness to deprived-eye visual stimulation could be due to a decrease in intracortical excitatory input to deprived-eye ocular dominance columns (ODCs) relative to nondeprived-eye columns. Alternatively, deprived-eye visual responses could be suppressed by an increase in intracortical inhibition in deprived columns relative to nondeprived columns. We tested these hypotheses in critical period kittens by labeling ODCs in layer IV of primary visual cortex with injections of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) into lamina A of the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). After either 2 or 7 days of MD, densities of intracortical excitatory presynaptic sites within deprived relative to nondeprived ODCs were estimated by measuring synaptic vesicle protein (SVP) immunoreactivity (IR). Because most of the synapses within layer IV of primary visual cortex are excitatory inputs from other cortical neurons, levels of SVP-IR provide an estimate of the amount of intracortical excitatory input. We also measured levels of immunoreactivity of the inhibitory presynaptic terminal marker glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 in deprived relative to nondeprived ODCs. Monocular deprivation (either 2 or 7 days) had no effect on the distributions of either SVP- or GAD65-IR in deprived and nondeprived columns. Therefore, the rapid loss of deprived-eye visual responsiveness following MD is due neither to a decrease in intracortical excitatory presynaptic sites nor to an increase in intracortical inhibitory presynaptic sites in layer IV of deprived-eye ODCs relative to nondeprived columns.
Long cycle theory and international relations

Ever since Polybius, scholars have dreamed of discovering a regular cyclical pattern in the interactions of politics, both domestic and international. Despite the recent revival of such views in the study of international relations, however, the dominant patterns have always been static or secular in character.' Many, perhaps even most, theorists have observed (or claimed to observe) static tendencies in the overarching continuity of the international system, which has little cyclical variation. On this point, writers as disparate as Hedley Bull and Kenneth Waltz agree; this links them with a tradition which includes Niccolo Machiavelli, E. H. Carr, Hans Morgenthau, writers on the balance of power, Ludwig Dehio, and F. H. Hinsley.2 Another
Mechanical properties from instrumented indentation: Uncertainties due to tip-shape correction

The quality of hardness H and indentation modulus E* measurements from instrumented indentation is investigated. Load-displacement data from glass and sapphire are obtained by Vickers indentation and converted to H and E* through a series of equations, including those for tip-shape correction. The quality of H and E* is determined by calculating the statistical uncertainty at each step and propagating the uncertainty to the next step. Conventional tip-shape corrections, assuming either constant hardness or constant modulus, introduce significant errors in H and E* when single, continuous correction functions are used. Piecewise correction functions are shown to improve the quality of H and E*. This investigation demonstrates the importance of calculating and propagating uncertainty at each step when converting instrumented indentation load-displacement data to mechanical properties.
Erythropoietin in anemia of prematurity

The erythropoietin (Epo) gene is located on chromosome 7 (7q11-22) in humans and is highly conserved across mammalian species. Epo is a highly glycosylated, negatively charged 165 amino acid peptid...
Why Tennessee Doesn't Have an Income Tax

The author looks at the politics involved in the Tennessee General Assembly's failure to approve an income tax. Tennessee would be better off with an income tax but without a lottery, the author says.
Tumor microenvironment derived exosomes pleiotropically modulate cancer cell metabolism

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major cellular component of tumor microenvironment in most solid cancers. Altered cellular metabolism is a hallmark of cancer, and much of the published literature has focused on neoplastic cell-autonomous processes for these adaptations. We demonstrate that exosomes secreted by patient-derived CAFs can strikingly reprogram the metabolic machinery following their uptake by cancer cells. We find that CAF-derived exosomes (CDEs) inhibit mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, thereby increasing glycolysis and glutamine-dependent reductive carboxylation in cancer cells. Through 13C-labeled isotope labeling experiments we elucidate that exosomes supply amino acids to nutrient-deprived cancer cells in a mechanism similar to macropinocytosis, albeit without the previously described dependence on oncogenic-Kras signaling. Using intra-exosomal metabolomics, we provide compelling evidence that CDEs contain intact metabolites, including amino acids, lipids, and TCA-cycle intermediates that are avidly utilized by cancer cells for central carbon metabolism and promoting tumor growth under nutrient deprivation or nutrient stressed conditions.
Recent Progress in the Field of Cellulose Synthesis

セルロースの合成を触媒するβ-グルコシルトランスフェラーゼと推定されるCel A遺伝子が、1996年に綿から単離された。最近、アラビドプシスの細胞壁突然変異体の研究から、相同遺伝子のRSW1が同定された。これら2つの独立した研究は、Cel A遺伝子が植物でのセルロース合成に関係していることを強く示唆している。CelAマルチジーンファミリーに加えて、他の2つの関連したβ-グリコシルトランスフェラーゼと推定される遺伝子ファミリーが、アラビドプシスのゲノム解読から同定された。Cel A-like スーパーファミリーの全てのタンパク質は、基質との結合または触媒に関係すると考えられる保存されたモチーフを共有する。In vitro でのセルロース合成の最近の進歩は、その過程のいくつかの点を明らかにしたが、植物体ではそれらに加えて細胞膜をはさんでグルカン産物を細胞壁に移す過程や、セルロースミクロフィブリルを細胞壁に蓄積する過程がある。セルロースが細胞壁に蓄積する際に、セルロース合成酵素複合体が原形質膜を移動するという、一般に受け入れられているモデルについても再考したい。さらに、β-トランスグルコシダーゼ活性が植物に存在するならば、この酵素によってセルロース合成が起こりうる可能性についても述べる。
Preparing and Sustaining Your Career in Academic Global Surgery

Academic Global Surgery (AGS) comes with a set of unique challenges for those wishing to enter it. As a person coming into this new field, it is up to you to view these challenges as opportunities rather than barriers (Box 4.1). The most important factor in achieving a positive perspective is to figure out what truly ignites your thoughts and emotions. What research project makes you want to stay up all night writing a grant? What clinical or educational idea has you teleconferencing at all hours with colleagues around the globe? When you struggle with the slow pace of progress, when your boss does not understand your path or perhaps most importantly when you are successful in AGS, the answer to these questions will help you remember why you chose to pursue this career.
[Analysis of CT-occult lung cancer diagnosed by bronchoscopy]

Objective To explore the clinicopathological and bronchoscopic characteristics of CT-occult lung cancer.Methods Clinical data of 11 patients who were diagnosed with CT-occult lung cancer by bronchoscopy were analyzed retrospectively.Results Seven out of eleven patients had bloody sputum.The median disease course was 3 months.Nine patients were in stage Ⅰ or Ⅱ,among them 5 cases underwent surgery,with a 5-year survival rate of 80.0％.The upper lobes were predilection areas,and all of the 11 patients had direct sign by bronchoscopy.The most common histopathology was squamous cell carcinoma,which had proliferative changes.Conclusions Patients with symptoms of persistent bloody sputum should undergo a bronchoscopy to make sure whether there is an occult lung cancer or not,even if the chest CT scan is negative at first visit. Key words: Lung neoplasms ; Tomography, X-ray computed ; Bronchoscopes ; Early diagnosis
Medical Abortions in Adolescents: Should Pediatricians Perform Them?

This chapter discusses medical abortion as an alternative to surgical abortion, as well as its safety, efficacy, and availability to adolescent patients. Medical abortion is viewed by many patients as a less traumatic and more private way to achieve pregnancy termination, and the issues of privacy and confidentiality are even more emphasized with adolescents. The author presents medical abortion methods currently approved in the U.S., discusses the attitudes and preferences of adolescent vs. adult patients, and argues that, assuming proper training and patient selection, this method of abortion can be safely and effectively administered by pediatricians caring for their adolescent patients.
A Multimodal Data Analysis Approach for Targeted Drug Discovery Involving Topological Data Analysis (TDA)

In silico drug discovery refers to a combination of computational techniques that augment our ability to discover drug compounds from compound libraries. Many such techniques exist, including virtual high-throughput screening (vHTS), high-throughput screening (HTS), and mechanisms for data storage and querying. However, presently these tools are often used independent of one another. In this chapter, we describe a new multimodal in silico technique for the hit identification and lead generation phases of traditional drug discovery. Our technique leverages the benefits of three independent methods-virtual high-throughput screening, high-throughput screening, and structural fingerprint analysis-by using a fourth technique called topological data analysis (TDA). We describe how a compound library can be independently tested with vHTS, HTS, and fingerprint analysis, and how the results can be transformed into a topological data analysis network to identify compounds from a diverse group of structural families. This process of using TDA or similar clustering methods to identify drug leads is advantageous because it provides a mechanism for choosing structurally diverse compounds while maintaining the unique advantages of already established techniques such as vHTS and HTS.
Interference in Atomic Fluorescence Excited by Photodissociation of Homonuclear Diatomic Molecules

Photodissociation of a homonuclear diatomic molecule gives two identical atomic fragments, which, as a consequence of momentum conservation, are constrained to follow identical but oppositely directed trajectories with respect to their center of mass. For exciting radiation within a certain wavelength range only one of the atoms will be electronically excited. A photodetector viewing the subsequent atomic fluorescence sees a photon whose wavefunction is a superposition of two states corresponding to emission from either of the two oppositely directed atomic recoil trajectories. In a molecular beam experiment arranged to eliminate the Doppler effect, square law detection of the photon gives rise to beats in the detector signal at a frequency determined by the atomic velo­city and the angle the recoil trajectory makes with the detection axis. Since photofragmentation takes place over a distribution of recoil directions the beats (which add incoherently) are found over a range of frequencies that mirrors the angular distribution of the atomic fragments. The power spectral density of the detec­tor noise is found to depend upon the asymmetry parameter for the photofragment angular distribution, the atomic recoil velocity and the frequency of the fluorescence photon.
Personalization in user profiling: Privacy and security issues

Due to the sheer volume of data available on the internet, the problem of information overload is an ever increasing one. Personalization systems based on user profiles tend to assist the user in his day-to-day tasks by recommending ‘relevant’ content to the user based on his previous web usage and navigation patterns. These user profiles hold more and more information about the user, his likes, dislikes as it learns about the user over time. Privacy and security issues of the ‘user profiles’ becomes far the more important as the user profiles actually reflect the user itself albeit in a pseudo form.
Physical and psychological health in rare cancer survivors

Registries provide a unique tool for tracking quality of life in rare cancer survivors, whose survivorship experience is less known than for common cancers. This paper reports on these outcomes in 321 patients enrolled in the Rare Cancer Genetics Registry diagnosed with rare gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic, sarcoma, head/neck, or hematologic cancers. Four outcomes were assessed, reflecting registrants’ self-reported physical and mental health, psychological distress, and loneliness. Combining all patients into a single analysis, regression was used to evaluate the association between outcomes and socio-demographic and clinical factors. Median time since diagnosis was 3 years (range 0–9); 69 % were no longer in treatment. Poorer physical health was reported in registrants who were older at diagnosis, unmarried, and still in treatment. Poorer mental status was associated with younger diagnosis age and unmarried status. Psychological distress varied by cancer type and was higher among currently treated and unmarried registrants. Greater loneliness was reported in registrants with gynecological cancers, and those who were less educated or unmarried. The physical and mental health profile of rare cancer survivors is similar to what is reported for common cancers. Unmarried participants reported poorer outcomes on all measures of quality of life. Furthermore, physical and mental health were not significantly different by cancer type after adjustment for diagnosis age, whether currently in treatment and marital status. Thus, the combined analysis performed here is a useful way to analyze outcomes in less common diseases. Our findings could be valuable in guiding evaluation and intervention for issues impacting quality of life. Rare cancer survivors, particularly those without spousal support, should be monitored for challenges to the physical as well as psychological aspects of quality of life.
Exact-arithmetic HSS-inversion algorithm for fast direct solution of electrically large volume integral equations

A new HSS (Hierarchically Semiseparable) matrix inversion algorithm is developed for solving the volume integral equation (VIE) for large-scale electrodynamic analysis. The HSS-matrix representation of the VIE dense system has a controlled accuracy. The inversion of the HSS matrix is exact in the sense that the underlying multiplications and additions are exact involving no approximations. Taking into account the rank's dependence with electrical size, the resultant direct VIE solver is shown to have O(N) complexity in memory and O(NlogN) complexity in inversion, irrespective of electrical size. Numerical experiments on large-scale scattering problems involving millions of unknowns have validated the accuracy and complexity of the proposed new direct solver. The proposed inversion algorithm is also applicable to other integral operators.
Pop Culture as Civics Lesson: Exploring the Dearth of State Legislatures in Hollywood’s Public Sector

While there is a growing body of academic literature on the cinematic depictions of American politics, there has not been a specific focus on the screen image of state legislatures, the source of the laws that public administrators in state government are empowered by. This exploratory inquiry seeks to identify, describe and analyze Hollywood’s presentation of state legislatures. While only six movies and one television series met the criteria used for this investigation, these few examples conveyed, in part, the vividness and dynamism of the work of state legislatures. Of the seven examples, six occurred in the South and several put the legislature in a reactive role to the governor. Still, given Hollywood’s requirement for drama that necessitates exaggerating reality, these seven examples nonetheless were, in part, credible visual depictions of state legislatures doing their jobs.
Limits of Functions

Our main reason for taking up limits is to prepare the way for derivatives in the next chapter. More generally, limits provide a framework for discussing ‘indeterminate forms’ ( 0/0, 0-, 0. ∞, etc.)p1. For example, in calculating the derivative of a function f at a point c, we look at the difference quotient
THE DERIVATIVE OF FUNCTIONS OF SEVERAL VARIABLES

[ OUR ] PRESENTATION, WHICH THROUGHOUT ADHERES STRICTLY TO OUR GENERAL ‘GEOMETRIC’ OUTLOOK ON ANALYSIS, AIMS AT KEEPING AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE FUNDAMENTAL IDEA OF CALCULUS, NAMELY THE ‘LOCAL’ APPROXIMATION OF FUNCTIONS BY LINEAR FUNCTIONS. IN THE CLASSICAL TEACHING OF CALCULUS, THIS IDEA IS IMMEDIATELY OBSCURED BY THE ACCIDENTAL FACT THAT, ON A ONE-DIMENSIONAL VECTOR SPACE, THERE IS A ONE-TO-ONE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN LINEAR FORMS AND NUMBERS, AND THEREFORE THE DERIVATIVE AT A POINT IS DEFINED AS A NUMBER INSTEAD OF A LINEAR FORM. THIS SLAVISH SUBSERVIENCE TO THE SHIBBOLETH OF NUMERICAL INTERPRETATION AT ANY COST BECOMES MUCH WORSE WHEN DEALING WITH FUNCTIONS OF SEVERAL VARIABLES .
Terahertz Imaging and Spectroscopy of Large-Area Single-Layer Graphene

THz imaging and spectroscopy using broadband THz pulses map out the THz carrier dynamics of large-area single-layer graphene. Non-contacting, non-destructive THz probing reveals the local sheet conductivity of the graphene samples.
Deoxidation Techniques for Vacuum-Induction Melting

The use of natural gas as a source of methane for the deoxidation of vacuum-induction-melted electrolytic iron was investigated. The techniques developed—yielding results equivalent to those obtained by the carbon-dynamic hydrogen method, without a visible carbon boil—are described. Similar results from tests conducted on nickel and cobalt heats confirmed the advantages shown in the case of electrolytic iron. Savings resulting from the use of inexpensive natural gas and a 20% reduction in melting time are shown.
SPOTs fill a major gap in RNA quantification

Direct RNA quantification using barcoded fluorescence hybridization enables accurate and scalable gene expression profiling.
Leaf Removal Effects on Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot. II. Grape Carotenoids, Phenolics, and Wine Sensory Analysis

The rationale for fruit zone leaf thinning in a humid environment is often driven more by the need for disease management than by anticipated improvements in fruit composition. Fruit zone management is often applied uniformly over climatically diverse regions, with little regard for interaction with ambient temperature or radiation. We evaluated how the timing and magnitude of fruit zone leaf and lateral removal altered fruit composition and wine consumer preference of Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot, with the underlying premise that current fruit zone management recommendations (one to two leaf layers) may be overly conservative in the humid, eastern United States. Three post-fruit set leaf/lateral shoot removal treatments (no removal [NO], removal from opposite the basal primary cluster and the node directly above [MED], and removal from the node directly above the distal primary cluster down to the cordon [HIGH]) and one pre-bloom leaf/lateral shoot removal treatment (removal from the six primary basal nodes [P-B]) were evaluated. P-B more consistently increased total berry phenolics in Petit Verdot than in Cabernet franc, while total berry anthocyanins were unaffected. Carotenoids were quantified due to their importance as aroma precursors. When compared to NO and MED, HIGH and P-B treatments tended to increase carotenoid accumulation more in the preveraison period than in the postveraison period. HIGH and P-B treatments also tended to increase carotenoid degradation more in the postveraison period, particularly for zeaxanthin. Wines made with fruit from P-B plots were ranked higher in color intensity compared to wines made with fruit from MED plots. Fruit zone leaf removal modestly improved fruit composition and wine quality potential, and created a microclimate less conducive to fungal diseases.
Influence of Significant Others on High School Students' Expectancies of Success and Task Value in Physical Education.

This study examined the perceived influence of significant others’ beliefs on students’ expectancies of success and task value in physical education (PE). PE students (N = 231) between Grades 9 and 12 participated. Multiple regressions examined the influence of perceived parents’, teachers’, and classmates’ beliefs on students’ ability expectations and task value. Findings revealed that perceptions of parents’, teachers’, and classmates’ beliefs concerning ability expectations and attainment value were positive predictors of students’ own beliefs and attainment value for PE. Perceptions of parents’ and classmates’ utility value were significant in predicting students’ utility value for PE. Higher ability expectancies, attainment value, and utility value were related to lower intrinsic motivation. Higher attainment value predicted lower extrinsic motivation, and higher utility value predicted lower social motivation. In conclusion, perceptions of parents’, teachers’, and classmates’ ability expectancies, attainment value, and utility value positively predicted students’ ability expectancies, attainment value, and utility value.Subscribe to TPE
Effects of drugs on food- and cocaine-maintained responding III: Dopaminergic antagonists

The effects of three dopamine (DA) antagonists (SCH23390, pimozide, and chlorpromazine), with various degrees of selectivity for D1 and D2 receptors, and an agonist (the cocaine analog, CFT) were studied on responding maintained under a multiple fixed-ratio (FR) 30 food, FR30 cocaine (1-100 micrograms/kg per injection) delivery, with an interposed 10-min time-out (TO), schedule in rhesus monkeys. The effects of each drug depended upon the unit dose of cocaine. With an intermediate (10 micrograms/kg per injection) unit dose of cocaine, each antagonist decreased rates of responding maintained by either event in a dose-related manner. At higher (56-100 micrograms/kg per injection) unit doses of cocaine, antagonists generally increased and then decreased both food- and cocaine-maintained responding in a dose-related manner. These increases appeared to result from the blockade of non-specific rate-decreasing effects of self-administered cocaine, questioning their relevance to the reinforcing effects of cocaine. The results failed to support a role for pharmacological selectivity in this rate-decreasing effect of cocaine, as both D1 and D2 antagonists were able to reverse the effect. In contrast, CFT decreased cocaine-maintained responding at doses less than those that decreased food-maintained responding, and failed to shift the cocaine dose-effect function to the left. These results, together with previous work, suggest that agonists can selectively decrease drug-seeking behavior.
Serologic and enzymatic investigations of Trichinella spiralis: I. Precipitin reactions and lactic dehydrogenase

Abstract The numbers and physiochemical composition of the precipitating antigens of Trichinella spiralis have been determined although their biologic functions have not been ascertained. In infected rabbits there is a temporal sequence in the production of antibodies to the worm's somatic constituents and to its secretion-excretion products (SEP). Alterations concurrent with the infection were demonstrated in serum proteins and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and biochemical assay. These assays showed that the LDH of the trichina larvae was inhibited by antisera from infected rabbits. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated two isozymes of LDH in saline extracts of the parasite's somatic constituents and one in the SEP. Immunoelectrophoresis and incubation in a buffered lactate-tetrazolium medium indicated that one to two of the resultant precipitin arcs were stained specifically for LDH. Somatic extract and isolated LDH isozymes of the larvae in polyacrylamide gel were used to immunize rabbits. Precipitin arcs formed by sera from those immunized animals and the somatic extract in immunoelectrophoretic analyses showed LDH activity. Larvae incubated in sera from infected or from immunized rabbits showed oral precipitates which, when washed and incubated in the buffered lactate-tetrazolium medium, stained for LDH. These studies suggest the LDH of the Trichinella larvae is secreted during the infection and stimulates the production of specific antibodies in the rabbit.
The fate of phosphorus and molybdenum after biosolids, swine manure and triple superphosphate were applied to a soil

The effect of applying phosphorus (P) on high P test soils (STP) is a concern due to possible changes in water, soil, and crop quality. Increasing P in the soil may change relationships with other nutrients such as molybdenum (Mo). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the application of triple superphosphate (TSP), swine manure (SM), and biosolids (BS) on soil P forms and extractable Mo. An incubation study was conducted in a chamber with controlled temperature and light. The treatments consisted of mixing 10 g of soil from 4 different depths with TSP, SM, and BS at a low and a high rate. A sequential fractionation for inorganic and organic P forms was performed. Soil extractable Mo was determined as well. There were differences in extractable Mo after treatments were applied, and the BS application always produced the highest values. Soil P was higher in the BS treatment than in the SM and TSP treatments in all P fractions. Increasing P rate increased soil extractable P and Mo in soils. Extractable Mo within the treatments was not affected by soil properties with soil depth. The application of BS, SM, and TSP to high STP soil resulted in differences in extractable P fractions in the soil. The proportion of soil P fractions were: NaOH-Po > HCI-P > NaHC03-Pi > H2S04-P. ^ Hernandez, J. D. Research Assistant. Dept. Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames IA 50010 Killorn, R. Professor. Dept. Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames IA, 50010
Preparing Osteopathic Students for the Single Graduate Medical Education Accreditation System: Evaluating Factors for Match Success in Emergency Medicine.

Author(s): Stobart, Megan; O'Connell, Alanna | Abstract: Introduction: With the development of and progression toward a single graduate medical education accreditation system combining the current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and American Osteopathic Association (AOA) residency programs, the total number of students competing for the same postgraduate training spots will continue to rise. Given this increasing competition for emergency medicine (EM) residency positions, understanding factors that contribute to match success is important to ensure a successful match for osteopathic medical students. Methods: Our anonymous survey to evaluate factors that led to a successful match was sent out to residents in current ACGME-, AOA-, and dually-accredited programs via the AOA program director listserv and the Council of Residency Directors (CORD) e-mail listserv in 2017. Results: We had 218 responses. Responses showed that osteopathic graduates had less affiliation with EM residencies, their home institutions provided less information regarding standardized letters of evaluations (SLOE), and that successful osteopathic graduates seemed to learn about them while on EM elective rotations. These students also had less direct EM mentorship and were generally unsatisfied with the level of mentorship available. Osteopathic graduates in current ACGME programs were also more likely to have taken the United States Medical Licensing Examination compared to their AOA resident counterparts. Conclusion: Osteopathic medical schools can improve their graduates’ chances of successfully matching in EM by establishing mentorship programs and educating their students early about SLOEs.
A Casa Approach to Deep Learning Based Speaker-Independent Co-Channel Speech Separation

We address speaker-independent co-channel speech separation from the computational auditory scene analysis (CAS A) perspective. Specifically, we decompose the two-speaker separation task into the stages of simultaneous grouping and sequential grouping. Simultaneous grouping is first performed at the frame level by separating the spectra of two speakers with a permutation-invariantly trained recurrent neural network (RNN). In the second stage, the simultaneously separated spectra at each frame are sequentially grouped into the utterances of the two underlying speakers by a clustering RNN. Overall optimization is then performed to fine tune the two-stage system. The proposed CASA approach takes advantage of permutation invariant training (PIT) and deep clustering (DC), but overcomes their shortcomings. Experiments show that the proposed system improves over the best reported results of PIT and DC.
Rethinking Response Rates: New Evidence of Little Relationship Between Survey Response Rates and Nonresponse Bias:

Background:Federally funded evaluation research projects typically strive for an 80% survey response rate, but the increasing difficulty and expense in reaching survey respondents raises the questi...
Benzalkonium Chloride Demonstrates Concentration-Dependent Antiviral Activity Against Adenovirus In Vitro

Abstract Purpose: Adenoviral conjunctivitis is the most common cause of conjunctivitis worldwide with no approved antiviral treatment. Benzalkonium chloride (BAK) is a common preservative in ophtha...
Zero-Support 3D Printing of Thermoset Silicone Via Simultaneous Control of Both Reaction Kinetics and Transient Rheology

Abstract This article presents a framework for using isothermal curing kinetics and transient rheological data to 3D print a curing thermoset silicone without support. These data are used to determ...
Contrast improvement in two-photon microscopy with instantaneous differential aberration imaging

Two-photon microscopy (TPM) has been widely used for thick tissue imaging. However, its penetration depth is fundamentally limited by the loss of signal contrast. Differential aberration imaging (DAI) can reject out-of-focus fluorescence in TPM by subtracting an aberrated image from an unaberrated one. This technique is simple and effective but compromises imaging speed because two images must be taken sequentially. Here we report a new strategy for two-photon DAI based on near-instantaneous temporal multiplexing, enabling high-speed imaging with pixel rates limited only by fluorescence lifetime and laser repetition rate. Our technique can be implemented with standard two-photon microscopes since it does not require active optical elements and it is based on a synchronized sampling strategy that does not require specialized hardware. We demonstrate and characterize the resultant contrast improvement when imaging fluorescently-labeled mouse brain at video-rate.
A latent unknown clustering integrating multi-omics data (LUCID) with phenotypic traits.

Motivation Epidemiologic, clinical and translational studies are increasingly generating multiplatform omics data. Methods that can integrate across multiple high-dimensional data types while accounting for differential patterns are critical for uncovering novel associations and underlying relevant subgroups. Results We propose an integrative model to estimate latent unknown clusters (LUCID) aiming to both distinguish unique genomic, exposure and informative biomarkers/omic effects while jointly estimating subgroups relevant to the outcome of interest. Simulation studies indicate that we can obtain consistent estimates reflective of the true simulated values, accurately estimate subgroups and recapitulate subgroup-specific effects. We also demonstrate the use of the integrated model for future prediction of risk subgroups and phenotypes. We apply this approach to two real data applications to highlight the integration of genomic, exposure and metabolomic data. Availability and implementation The LUCID method is implemented through the LUCIDus R package available on CRAN (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=LUCIDus). Supplementary information Supplementary materials are available at Bioinformatics online.
Woven from weirdness

The true origins of space-time, the backdrop to reality, are hidden in the quantum realm, writes physicist Sean Carroll
New England Gothic/New England Guilt: Mary Wilkins Freeman and the Salem Witchcraft Episode

Perhaps no event from New England’s colonial history attracts as much attention as the 1692 Salem Witchcraft Hysteria. During the bicentennial year of the witchcraft episode (1892), Mary Wilkins Freeman published work that incorporated this crisis, a short story, “Little Maid at the Door,” and Giles Corey, Yeoman: A Play. In these works, Freeman explores the dynamics of power in colonial New England, and by extension, the New England of her own day. This chapter analyzes how Freeman blends elements of the regionalist tradition with those of the Gothic in order to explore the anxieties that emerge during a period of threatening change, whether in colonial New England or in the late nineteenth century.
Mathematical Frontiers in Computational Chemical Physics

This IMA Volume in Mathematics and its Applications MATHEMATICAL FRONTIERS IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMICAL PHYSICS is in part the proceedings of a workshop which was an integral part of the 1986-87 IMA program on SCIENTIFIC COMPUTATION. We are grateful to the Scientific Committee: Bjorn Engquist (Chairman), Roland Glowinski, Mitchell Luskin and Andrew Majda for planning and implementing an exciting and stimulating year-long program. We especially thank the Workshop Organizer, Donald Truhlar, for organizing a workshop which brought together many of the major figures in a variety of research fields connected with atomic and molecular structure for a fruitful exchange of ideas. Willard Miller, Jr. Hans Weinberger MATHEMATICAL FRONTIERS IN COMPUTATIONAL CHEMICAL PHYSICS PREFACE The Workshop on Atomic and Molecular Structure and Dynamics was held June 15-July 24, 1987 at the Institute for Mathematics and Its Applications on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus as part of the 1986-87 I. M. A. Pro gram on Scientific Computation. There were over 70 participants, including the eleven plenary lecturers whose contributions form the chapters of this volume. The chapters discuss a wide variety of topics in the subject area of the Workshop. Each chapter includes expository material that is especially prepared to introduce the subject to a mathematical audience interested in studying frontier areas in math ematical chemical physics, and in addition each chapter also discusses challenging problem areas where additional mathematical progress is necessary and desirable for the advancement of the field."
What If Habermas Went Native

Using Habermas’s latest major work Between Facts and Norms (1996), this paper contrasts his explicit views on jurisprudence in the Occident with implied statements about the native Other. I wish to show that there’s an embedded agonistic (combative) — if not imperial — theme, not only in his theory of communicative competence, but also in his larger project of critical theory.
The Incidence of Public Services and Subsidies in Peru

This paper studies the incidence of public social sector expenditures in Peru using the traditional methods of benefit incidence analysis and several extensions of those methods. The data in Peru are unusually rich, with information on detailed social programs and a series of representative surveys over time. The paper finds that the most progressive public services and subsidies tend to fall into three categories: those that have an obvious benefit only to the poor, those that are explicitly focused on poverty reduction and are controlled locally, and those that have very broad coverage.