cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biological Notes on Blue Suckers in the Mississippi River

Abstract The total length (L, mm)-weight (W, g) relationship for 153 blue suckers (Cycleptus elongatus) collected from areas of swift current in Pool 20, Mississippi River, was log10W = −6.69 + 3.59(log10L). Condition factors (K = 105W/L) were 0.74−1.1; they increased with increasing fish size, and varied among months (March-October) and between years (1977–1978). Fin rays had more discernible annuli than scales after age VII. The largest blue sucker collected was age X (scales) or XIII (fin rays) and 817 mm long. Males generally reached sexual maturity at age IV, females at age VI. Males had nuptial tubercles during April, but no ripe females were found. For six females aged VI-IX (617–736 mm), the fecundity (Y, number of 1-mm diameter eggs)-length relationship was Y = −375,100 + 771.5L. Blue suckers ate primarily Tricoptera and Diptera larvae and pupae, and lesser numbers of Ephemeroptera larvae and amphipods.
Voigt-Profile Analysis of the Lyα Forest in a Cold Dark Matter Universe

We use an automated Voigt-profile fitting procedure to extract statistical properties of the Ly? forest in a numerical simulation of an ? = 1, cold dark matter (CDM) universe. Our analysis method is similar to that used in most observational studies of the forest, and we compare the simulations to recently published results derived from Keck HIRES spectra. With the Voigt-profile decomposition analysis, the simulation reproduces the large number of weak lines (NH I 1014 cm-2) found in the HIRES spectra. The column density distribution evolves significantly between z = 3 and z = 2, with the number of lines at fixed column density dropping by a factor ~1.6 in the range where line blending is not severe. At z = 3, the b-parameter distribution has a median of 35 km s-1 and a dispersion of 20 km s-1, in reasonable agreement with the observed values. The comparison between our new analysis and recent data strengthens earlier claims that the Ly? forest arises naturally in hierarchical structure formation as photoionized gas falls into dark matter potential wells. However, there are two statistically signficant discrepancies between the simulated forest and the HIRES results: the model produces too many lines at z = 3 by a factor ~1.5-2, and it produces more narrow lines (b < 20 km s-1) than are seen in the data. The first result is sensitive to our adopted normalization of the mean Ly? optical depth, and the second is sensitive to our assumption that helium reionization has not significantly raised gas temperatures at z = 3. It is therefore too early to say whether these discrepancies indicate a fundamental problem with the high-redshift structure of the ? = 1 CDM model or reflect errors of detail in our modeling of the gas distribution or the observational procedures.
On direct versus indirect methods for reduced-order controller design

Comparisons are obtained between direct (parameter optimization) and indirect (controller reduction) methods in reduced-order controller design. In particular, the authors compare the controller canonical correlation coefficients method of C. De Villemagne and R.E. Skelton (1988) to the optimal projection theory of D.C. Hyland and D.S. Bernstein (1984). It is noted that suboptimal methods may, in certain cases, be simpler to implement than optimal methods. Thus, the choice of direct versus indirect methods can be viewed as a tradeoff between design simplicity and actual control-system performance. >
Gender differences in cognitive control: An extended investigation of the stop signal task

Men and women show important differences in clinical conditions in which deficits in cognitive control are implicated. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine gender differences in the neural processes of cognitive control during a stop-signal task. We observed greater activation in men, compared to women, in a wide array of cortical and sub-cortical areas, during stop success (SS) as compared to stop error (SE). Conversely, women showed greater regional brain activation during SE > SS, compared to men. Furthermore, compared to women, men engaged the right inferior parietal lobule to a greater extent during post-SE go compared to post-go go trials. Women engaged greater posterior cingulate cortical activation than men during post-SS slowing in go trial reaction time (RT) but did not differ during post-SE slowing in go trial RT. These findings extended our previous results of gender differences in regional brain activation during response inhibition. The results may have clinical implications by, for instance, helping initiate studies to understand why women are more vulnerable to depression while men are more vulnerable to impulse control disorders.
Cognitive reserve is a determinant of health-related quality of life in patients with cirrhosis, independent of covert hepatic encephalopathy and model for end-stage liver disease score.

Background & Aims Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) is associated with cognitive dysfunction, which affects daily function and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with cirrhosis. The effects of CHE and liver disease are determined by cognitive reserve—the ability of the brain to cope with increasing damage while continuing to function—and are assessed by composite intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. We examined cognitive reserve as a determinant of HRQOL in patients with cirrhosis. Methods We performed a prospective study of 118 outpatients with cirrhosis without overt HE (age, 56 y). We studied cognition using the standard paper-pencil battery; patients with below-normal results for more than 2 tests were considered to have CHE. We also assessed HRQOL (using the sickness impact profile [SIP]), psychosocial and physical scores (a high score indicates reduced HRQOL), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, and cognitive reserve (using the Barona Index, a validated IQ analysis, based on age, race, education, residence area, and occupation). Cognitive reserve was divided into average and high groups ( 109), and MELD and SIP scores were compared. We performed regression analyses, using total SIP score and psychosocial and physical dimensions as outcomes, with cognitive reserve, CHE, and MELD score as predictors. Results Study participants had average MELD scores of 9, and 14 years of education; 81% were white, 63% were urban residents, their mean IQ was 108 ± 8, and 54% had average cognitive reserve (the remaining 46% had high reserves). CHE was diagnosed in 49% of patients. Cognitive reserve was lower in patients with CHE (109) than without (105; P = .02). Cognitive reserve correlated with total SIP and psychosocial score (both r = -0.4; P P = .01), but not MELD score ( P = .8). Patients with high cognitive reserve had a better HRQOL, despite similar MELD scores. In regression analyses, cognitive reserve was a significant predictor of total SIP ( P P P Conclusions A higher cognitive reserve is associated with a better HRQOL in patients with cirrhosis, despite similar disease severity and prevalence. This indicates that patients with good cognitive reserve are better able to withstand the demands of cirrhosis progression and CHE, leading to a better HRQOL. Patients with lower cognitive reserve may need more dedicated and earlier measures to improve HRQOL. Cognitive reserve should be considered when interpreting HRQOL and cognitive tests to evaluate patients with cirrhosis.
Multimodality imaging of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease: current role and future directions.

Patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affecting the lower extremities are initially evaluated with an ankle-brachial index (ABI) and segmental pressure measurements. An ABI 50% stenosis) with a sensitivity and specificity of 79% and 96%, respectively.1 An ABI between 0.90 and 1.0 is considered borderline. The localization of the stenosis can be inferred by an abnormal decrease (>20 mm Hg) in segmental lower extremity pressures. In the presence of calcified atherosclerosis, arteries may become stiff and noncompressible, which results in a falsely elevated ABI (often >1.3). For patients with suspected PAD and a normal ABI at rest, it is valuable to obtain postexercise ABI measurements, which if <0.85 are consistent with PAD and is an independent predictor of mortality.2 Imaging is then needed to confirm the location and degree of stenosis before revascularization or if the diagnosis of PAD is uncertain. Characterization of PAD can be performed with noninvasive angiography using computed tomography (CTA) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), as well as with duplex ultrasonography (US), depending on patient specific characteristics (Table 1). Advances in both CTA and MRA provide clinicians with the opportunity to obtain a high resolution, 3-dimensional (3-D) road map of the peripheral arterial tree in patients, particularly when planning revascularization strategies. Invasive digital subtraction angiography (DSA) has been the accepted standard for evaluation of lower extremity atherosclerosis. Although DSA is a robust technique for diagnosing significant arterial stenosis or obstruction, it provides a 2-D view of the vessels, which may underestimate the degree of stenosis for tortuous vessels.3 Furthermore, there are inherent risks with arterial access, ionizing radiation, and the use of iodinated contrast media (CM).4 View this table: Table 1. Comparison Between CTA, MRA, and Duplex US for Diagnosis of PAD This review aims to deliver a comprehensive, yet concise …
Using Serial Analysis of Gene Expression to Identify Tumor Markers and Antigens

Tumor markers and antigens are normally highly expressed in malignant tissue, but not in the surrounding normal tissue. Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE) is a technology that counts mRNA transcripts and can be used to find those genes most highly induced in malignant tissues. SAGE produces a comprehensive profile of gene expression and can be used to search for tumor biomarkers in a limited number of samples. Public sources of SAGE data, in particular through the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project, increase the value of this technology by making a large source of information on many tumors and normal tissues available for comparison. Although the perfect tumor-specific gene does not exist, the differences in gene expression between tumor and normal can be exploited for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.
Design and performance evaluation of a real-time RTI infrastructure for large-scale distributed simulations

HLA, a DoD high level architecture, is emerging as an IEEE standard platform for large-scale distributed interactive simulation systems. It mainly emphasizes on the reusability and interoperability of different simulation components. However, HLA/RTI shows apparent weaknesses when it comes to distributed real-time simulation applications. In this paper, we propose a real-time RTI system, based upon a multi-threaded process model that addresses the weakness of HLA/RTI in terms of real-time applications. We discuss our real-time mechanism, and highlight the main design issues of our real-time RTI. We describe its implementations, and present an extensive set of simulation experiments to evaluate its performance using realistic models.
Rising trends of gastric cancer and peptic ulcer in the 19th century.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2010; 32: 901–907 Summary Background The risk of dying from gastric cancer appears to have increased among consecutive generations born during the 19th century. Aim To follow the time trends of hospitalization for gastric cancer and test whether they confirm such increase. Methods Inpatient records of the last two centuries from four hospitals in Scotland and three US hospitals were analysed. Proportional rates of hospitalization for gastric cancer, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer were calculated during consecutive 5-year periods. Results The data from all seven cities revealed strikingly similar patterns. No hospital admissions for gastric cancer or peptic ulcer were recorded prior to 1800. Hospital admissions for gastric cancer increased in an exponential fashion throughout the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. In a majority of cities, the rise in hospitalization for gastric cancer preceded a similar rise in hospitalization for gastric ulcer. Hospitalization for these two latter diagnoses clearly preceded hospitalization for duodenal ulcer by 20–40 years. Conclusions The occurrence of gastric cancer, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer markedly increased during the 19th century. Improvements in hygiene may have resulted in the decline of infections by other gastrointestinal organisms that had previously kept concomitant infection by Helicobacter pylori suppressed.
A novel support vector classifier with better rejection performance

Support vector machines (SVMs) have been successfully used in many classification fields. However, conventional SVMs do not consider rejecting inputs and thus suffer from false alarms. The first reason for this is that every input is assumed to belong to one of the object classes and is accepted in some class. In this paper, we show that the second reason is that conventional SVMs do not describe each object class well. Thus, use of an output threshold does not solve this problem. We present a new support vector representation and discrimination machine (SVRDM), which has a discrimination capability comparable to that of the conventional SVM, and also offers good rejection ability. False alarm rates are greatly reduced. We analyze the properties of these two classifiers (SVM and SVRDM) in transformed feature space and compare their performances using both synthetic and real data.
Grounding the Regime of Precarious Employment: Homeless Day Laborers' Negotiation of the Job Queue

This ethnography of day laboring contends that to better understand how the labor process situated within the industry is regulated at the micro-level, it is necessary to move beyond studies that limit their analyses of homeless day laborers—an important subset of workers who mediate and respond to this low-road industry's bottom line imperatives—to worker grievances or the strategies they use to combat anonymity. This article shows that the reasons homeless workers see day labor as a “sensible” income-generating strategy and the ways in which they comprehend and negotiate the job queue—the central, supply-side regulatory mechanism with which they contend each day—illuminate both the ways in which they coproduce the regime of workplace discipline that regulates the temporary-labor process and contribute to the reproduction of the industry's micro-foundations. By extending the concept of “reliable contingency” to include these supply-side processes, this analysis reveals that agency loyalty is produced by ...
Effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: Based on parental report

Objectives Studies on the gluten-free and/or casein-free (GFCF) dietary intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) suggest that some children may positively respond to implementation of the dietary intervention. Other research suggests that children diagnosed with ASD can be classified into subpopulations based on various factors, including gastrointestinal (GI) abnormalities and immune function. Methods This study analyzes parental report data collected using a 90-item online questionnaire from 387 parents or primary caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD on the efficacy of the GFCF diet. Parents reported on their child's GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, and suspected food sensitivities, as well as the degree and length of their diet implementation. Results Overall, diet efficacy among children whose parents reported the presence of GI symptoms, food allergy diagnoses, and suspected food sensitivities included greater improvement in ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors compared with children whose parents reported none of these symptoms, diagnoses, or sensitivities (P Discussion These findings suggest that various intricacies related to diet implementation and GI and immune factors may play a role in differentiating diet responders from diet non-responders and substantiate the importance of further investigations into the various, nuanced factors that influence efficacy of the intervention among children with ASDs.
Dynamic compressive loading differentially regulates chondrocyte anabolic and catabolic activity with age

Dynamic loading has emerged as an important part of cartilage tissue engineering strategies for enhancing tissue production and producing cartilage with functionally competent mechanical properties. As patients in need of cartilage span a range of age groups, questions arise as to the role of age in a cell's ability to respond to dynamic loading. Therefore, this study's goal was to characterize age-related anabolic and catabolic responses of chondrocytes to dynamic compressive loading. Bovine chondrocytes isolated from juvenile (3-week-old) and adult (2- to 3-year-old) donors were encapsulated in poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels and subjected to dynamic loading applied intermittently in a sinusoidal waveform at 1 or 0.3 Hz with 5 or 10% amplitude strain up to 2 weeks. Loading significantly enhanced total sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) production by 220% for juvenile chondrocytes with 0.3 Hz/5% loading and by 88% for adult chondrocytes with 1 Hz/5% loading, while all other loading regimes did not affect or inhibited total sGAG production. Contrarily, deposition of larger matrix molecules of aggrecan and collagen II was either not affected or inhibited by loading. Collagen VI deposition was significantly upregulated by loading but only in adult chondrocytes and under different loading regimes (1 Hz/10% and 0.3 Hz/5%) when compared to total sGAGs. Both cell populations displayed catabolic activity, which appeared to be stimulated by loading. Taken together, findings from this study suggest that loading differentially regulates matrix synthesis and the response is highly dependent on donor age.
The Influence of Sources in the Reading of Mathematical Text: A Reply to Shanahan, Shanahan, and Misischia.

In a recent article published in this journal, Shanahan, Shanahan, and Misischia investigated the differences in how chemists, historians, and mathematicians read text specific to their disciplines. Unlike the chemists and historians, the pair of mathematicians in this study did not consider sources when reading and evaluating their text. In this response, we contend that most mathematicians regularly do consider sources when reading mathematical arguments and papers. We summarize the results of four empirical studies, which suggest that this is the case.
Tissue lesions of tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum): relationship to sewage effluents.

A population of facultative neotenous tiger salamanders (A. tigrinum) inhabiting a sewage lagoon at Reese AFB, Hurlwood, Texas, was found to have an exceptionally high rate of spontaneous tissue lesions. The population is composed of an estimated 28,000 large, reproductively mature larvae that are restricted to the lagoon. Only about 17 percent of the population metamorphoses normally. In contrast, tiger salamanders from uncontaminated lagoons in the same general vicinity metamorphose normally; however, no neoplasms were discovered in larvae sampled from the nonsewage lagoons. N-nitrosamine analyses of water and tissue samples of larvae were negative. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocargon analyses revealed traces of benzo(a)pyrene in the sludge; however, perylene, a constituent of jet fuel, was found in high concentration (300 ppB). These results indicate that perylene, which was previously found not be tumorigenic to mice and rats, should be retested as a possible agent for nonmammalian species.
Object recognition and object segregation in 4.5-month-old infants

Six experiments investigated how 4.5-month-old infants' perception of a display is affected by an immediate prior experience with an object similar to part of the test display. Prior research (A. Needham & R. Baillargeon, 1998) showed that when infants see an object alone and then see it next to a novel object, this prior experience allows them to determine the location of a boundary between the two objects. The present experiments investigated whether infants would also use an object similar, but not identical, to a test object in the same kind of task. The results indicate that infants' use of a prior experience is disrupted by changes in the features of the object, but not by a change in its spatial orientation. These findings suggest that, like adults, infants may expect that changes in the features of an object are associated with a change in the identity of the object, but do not have the same expectation for changes in spatial orientation.
Sharing Data and Analytical Resources Securely in a Biomedical Research Grid Environment

Objectives: To develop a security infrastructure to support controlled and secure access to data and analytical resources in a biomedical research Grid environment, while facilitating resource sharing among collaborators. Design: A Grid security infrastructure, called Grid Authentication and Authorization with Reliably Distributed Services (GAARDS), is developed as a key architecture component of the NCI-funded cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG™). The GAARDS is designed to support in a distributed environment 1) efficient provisioning and federation of user identities and credentials; 2) group-based access control support with which resource providers can enforce policies based on community accepted groups and local groups; and 3) management of a trust fabric so that policies can be enforced based on required levels of assurance. Measurements: GAARDS is implemented as a suite of Grid services and administrative tools. It provides three core services: Dorian for management and federation of user identities, Grid Trust Service for maintaining and provisioning a federated trust fabric within the Grid environment, and Grid Grouper for enforcing authorization policies based on both local and Grid-level groups. Results: The GAARDS infrastructure is available as a stand-alone system and as a component of the caGrid infrastructure. More information about GAARDS can be accessed at . Conclusions: GAARDS provides a comprehensive system to address the security challenges associated with environments in which resources may be located at different sites, requests to access the resources may cross institutional boundaries, and user credentials are created, managed, revoked dynamically in a de-centralized manner.
Endo-[beta]-Mannanase Activity from Individual Tomato Endosperm Caps and Radicle Tips in Relation to Germination Rates

Endo-[beta]-mannanase is hypothesized to be a rate-limiting enzyme in endosperm weakening, which is a prerequisite for radicle emergence from tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) seeds. Using a sensitive, single-seed assay, we have measured mannanase activity diffusing from excised tomato endosperm caps following treatments that alter the rate or percentage of radicle emergence. Most striking was the 100- to more than 10,000-fold range of mannanase activity detected among individual seeds of highly inbred tomato lines, which would not be detected in pooled samples. In some cases a threshold-type relationship between mannanase activity and radicle emergence was observed. However, when radicle emergence was delayed or prevented by osmoticum or abscisic acid, the initial increase in mannanase activity was unaffected or even enhanced. Partially dormant seed lots displayed a bimodal distribution of activity, with low activity apparently associated with dormant seeds in the population. Gibberellin- and abscisic acid-deficient mutant seeds exhibited a wide range of mannanase activity, consistent with their variation in hormonal sensitivity. Although the presence of mannanase activity in the endosperm cap is consistently associated with radicle emergence, it is not the sole or limiting factor under all conditions.
Single Seed Selection for Low Phytate Lines

Most seed phosphorus (P) is bound in phytate which is unavailable to monogastric animals depriving them of P and causing eutrophication from P in animal waste. It is valuable to reduce the phytate levels of seeds used for food and feed. Low phytate mutant seeds such as soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] MIPS (D-myo-inositol 3-phosphate synthase) mutants have correspondingly increased inorganic phosphate (Pi). Measurement of seed Pi levels is an established technique for screening for low phytate mutants but to date it has not been performed non-destructively from single seed samples. A protocol was developed greatly reducing the sample size thereby reducing the cost and time and saving a generation in the selection of low phytate mutant seeds based on the high Pi phenotype. Pi was extracted using 12.5 % trichloroacetic acid. Pi reacts with ammonium molybdate in acidic solution to form phosphomolybdic acid, which upon reduction with ascorbic acid produces an intensive blue color. This new technique was tested using 1–2 mg samples, 96-well plates with 8 MIPS mutants (GM-lpa-TW1), 8 wild-type and 8 seeds segregating for the MIPS mutation. Selection of low phytate mutant seeds based on the high Pi level measured via a colorimetric assay based on a reaction of extracted Pi with ammonium molybdate forming a blue color. This was confirmed by DNA analysis of seed chips. This protocol is applicable to many other crop seeds including corn, wheat, rice and sorghum.
Addressing complexity using distributed simulation: a case study in Spaceport modeling

As the size, complexity, and functionality of systems to model and simulate continue to increase, benefits such as interoperability and reusability enabled by distributed discrete event simulation are of interest, especially for distributed manufacturing and enterprise engineering. The high level architecture (HLA), a standard distributed simulation environment, is one technology that enables the interconnection of distributed model components. Many applications in industry are developed by a variety of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) simulation tools, which require some form of gateway to integrate the models into the HLA component-based simulation. This paper summarizes a study conducted to integrate COTS simulation models using gateway tools and visualization of the system states running as part of other simulation models under HLA. The study focused on the prototype of a virtual engineering environment, called the Virtual Test Bed, designed to analyze operations of current and future space vehicles, spaceports, and ranges as a distributed simulation environment.
Evaluating the Decomposition of Tropical Atlantic Drifter Observations

Abstract Because the tropical Atlantic is characterized by regions of strong seasonal variability that have been sampled inhomogeneously by surface drifters, Eulerian averages of these Lagrangian observations in spatially fixed bins may be aliased. In the Pacific, this problem has been circumvented by first calculating seasonal or monthly means. In the Atlantic, such an approach is of limited value because of the relatively sparse database of drifter observations. As an alternative, a methodology is developed in which drifter-observed currents and sea surface temperatures are grouped into bins and, within each bin, simultaneously decomposed into a time-mean, annual and semiannual harmonics, and an eddy residual with a nonzero integral time scale. The methodology is evaluated using a temporally homogeneous SST product and in situ SST observations, and also using simulated drifter observations in an eddy-resolving model of the Atlantic Ocean. These analyses show that, compared to simple bin averaging, the d...
Reliability and Validity of the BRIEF-A for Assessing Deaf College Students’ Executive Function:

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions–Adult Form (BRIEF-A) when used with deaf college students. The BRIEF-A was administered ...
Once-daily gentamicin dosing in pediatric patients without cystic fibrosis

Study objective To estimate an appropriate once-daily gentamicin dose and dosing interval for non-critical care pediatric patients older than 3 months of age without cystic fibrosis. Design Pharmacokinetic analysis of data from a retrospective medical record review. Setting Large academic children's hospital. Patients One hundred fourteen non-critical care pediatric patients older than 3 months of age without cystic fibrosis who received multiple-daily dosing regimens of gentamicin between September 2007 and April 2008. Measurements and main results Patient-specific pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using drug concentrations obtained at steady state. Once-daily doses were extrapolated for each patient to achieve goal peak and trough concentrations. Using the average of these doses and the patient-specific pharmacokinetic parameters, theoretical once-daily peak and trough concentrations were calculated for each patient. Patient characteristics were analyzed to determine differences between patients who did and those who did not achieve adequate peak concentrations. Mean +/- SD pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows: elimination rate constant 0.32 +/- 0.06 hour(-1), half-life 2.28 +/- 0.54 hours, and volume of distribution 0.24 +/- 0.08 L/kg. The only patient demographic characteristic found to have a significant effect on the extrapolated peak concentration was age. The following age-specific once-daily doses were calculated: 3 months to less than 2 years, 9.5 mg/kg; 2 years to less than 8 years, 8.5 mg/kg; and 8-18 years, 7 mg/kg. Conclusion Age was the primary factor in determining the once-daily dose of gentamicin in our pediatric population. Further prospective research is necessary to determine the safety and efficacy of these age-based, once-daily doses for gentamicin.
Levels in 174Hf from 174Ta decay and β-band mixing

Abstract The energy levels of 174 Hf that are populated in the decay of 1.2 h 174 Ta have been investigated with Ge(Li) γ-ray spectrometers in singles and coincidence modes. The ground state rotational band, which is populated to the 6 + member, is strongly fed by β-decay. Energies (in keV) of levels which have been deduced from coincidence spectra are for the ground state rotational band 2 + , 90.9; 4 + , 297.4; and 6 + , 608.1; for a β-vibrational band 2 + , 900.4 and 4 + , 1062.5; and an additional level at 1503.4. From energy sums and differences, other levels are tentatively proposed at 1226.9, 1394.4 and 1450.2 keV. Relative intensities of the transitions depopulating each β-band level to three members of the ground state band were determined. From the intensities of the ΔI = ±2 transitions from the levels I β = 2 and 4, the value of the band-mixing parameter z 0 is found to be 0.0224 ± 0.0007, consistent with the expectations of the first-order theory for non-adiabatic coupling of rotational and intrinsic motions. The M1 fractions required to fit the observed ΔI = 0 transition intensities are (20.7 ± 3.8) % for I β = 2 and (48.2 ± 3.0) % for I β = 4.
Butanol Fraction Containing Berberine or Related Compound From Nexrutine® Inhibits NFκB Signaling and Induces Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND Epidemiological and laboratory studies support the hypothesis that several plant components influence prostate carcinogenesis and holds promise for disease prevention. Previously we reported that Nexrutine® (bark extract from Phellodendron amurense) inhibits proliferation of prostate cancer cells and prostate tumor development in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) model through modulation of Akt signaling pathway. In the present investigation we conducted studies to further define the mechanism of action of Nexrutine® and to identify the active component associated with its biological activity. METHODS Androgen-responsive, androgen-independent human prostate cancer cell lines and tissues from TRAMP mice fed Nexrutine® were used in these studies. Activity guided fractionation identified butanol fraction recapitulating the activities of Nexrutine® assessed by proliferation assays, apoptotic assays (DAPI and TUNEL staining), transient transfections, gel shift assays and Western blotting. In addition ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) of butanol fraction was used to identify active component of Nexrutine®. RESULTS Butanol fraction recapitulated the activities of Nexrutine® in (i) inhibiting proliferation; (ii) inducing apoptosis; and (iii) modulating transcriptional activity of NFκB in prostate cancer cells. Our data also indicates that both Nexrutine® and butanol fraction modulates NFκB transcriptional activity by inhibiting IκBα phosphorylation. Expression of p65 and phosphorylated IκBα are high in tumors from TRAMP mice. In contrast dietary administration of Nexrutine® reduced expression of p65 and phosphorylated IκBα in prostate from TRAMP mice. In addition using UPLC, we have identified berberine or closely related compound in the butanol fraction. CONCLUSION The results suggest that berberine or closely related component of butanol fraction may be responsible for the observed biological activities and induce apoptosis in prostate cancer cells by targeting critical cell survival signaling pathways both in vitro and in vivo. Prostate 69:494–504, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Isotopically Labeled Expression in E. coli, Purification, and Refolding of the Full Ectodomain of the Influenza Virus Membrane Fusion Protein

This paper describes methods to produce an isotopically labeled 23 kDa viral membrane protein with purified yield of 20 mg/L of Escherichia coli shake flask culture. This yield is sufficient for NMR structural studies and the protein production methods are simple, straightforward, and rapid and likely applicable to other recombinant membrane proteins expressed in E. coli. The target FHA2 protein is the full ectodomain construct of the influenza virus hemagglutinin protein which catalyzes fusion between the viral and the cellular endosomal membranes during infection. The high yield of FHA2 was achieved by: (1) initial growth in rich medium to A(600) approximately 8 followed by a switch to minimal medium and induction of protein expression; and (2) obtaining protein both from purification of the detergent-soluble lysate and from solubilization, purification, and refolding of inclusion bodies. The high cell density was achieved after optimization of pH, oxygenation, and carbon source and concentration, and the refolding protocol was optimized using circular dichroism spectroscopy. For a single residue of membrane-associated FHA2 that was obtained from purification and refolding of inclusion bodies, native conformation was verified by the (13)CO chemical shifts measured using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Reflections on the Prairie as a Creative Teaching-Learning Place

In this column, the author reflects on characteristics of the prairie land of South Dakota and how it contributes to a creative teaching-learning place. Attributes of the prairie that are linked with creative teaching-learning include prairie as a space of aloneness and solitude, prairie as a boundless seeing what may be, prairie as contradiction and paradox, and prairie as possibility. These attributes of the prairie are explored through the author's personal experience, theoretical literature on creativity and teaching-learning, and literature from Parse's theory of human becoming.
In situ assessment of tumor vascularity using fluorine NMR imaging.

In situ fluorine NMR imaging has been used to measure vascularity in subcutancously implanted mammary tumors. Oxyferol, a perfluorinated blood substitute comprised of an emulsion of 25% w/v perfluorotributylamine, was used as a tracer. Following iv administration, this perfluorocarbon emulsion remains primarily in the vasculature during the image acquisition period. The distribution of the PFTA in the 19F NMR image gives a map of tissue regions with intact vascularity. This technique has been used to demonstrate decreased blood flow in necrotic regions of R3230AC mammary tumors in which vasculature had been damaged either as a result of spontaneous necrosis or by photodynamic therapy (PDT). Damage to tumor vascularity following PDT was observed prior to the development of necrosis.
Comparing program phase detection techniques

Detecting program phase changes accurately is an important aspect of dynamically adaptable systems. Three dynamic program phase detection techniques are compared - using instruction working sets, basic block vectors (BBV), and conditional branch counts. Because program phases are difficult to define, we compare the techniques using a variety of metrics. BBV techniques perform better than the other techniques providing higher sensitivity and more stable phases. However, the instruction working set technique yields 30% longer phases than the BBV method, although there is less stability within phases. On average, the methods agree on phase changes 85% of the time. Of the 15% of time they disagree, the BBV method is more efficient at detecting performance changes. The conditional branch counter technique provides good sensitivity, but is less effective at detecting major phase changes. Nevertheless, the branch counter technique correlates 83% of the time with the BBV based technique. As an auxiliary result, we show that techniques based on procedure granularities do not perform as well as those based on instruction or basic block granularities. This is mainly due to their inability to detect changes within procedures.
On the Interpretation of Ocean Current Spectra, Part II: Testing Dynamical Hypotheses

Abstract Three examples are chosen to illustrate how the several spectrum representations in Part 1 can be used to test whether a proposed dynamical mechanism is supported by a given set of observations. The examples are wind-forced surface currents, internal waves and bottom-trapped Rossby waves. Dynamical tests are formulated in the Cartesian, rotary, rotational invariant, hadograph and pre-specified spectrum representations. The limitations and prospects for applying these techniques to more complicated circumstances are discussed.
Modeling the integrated management of giant foxtail in corn-soybean

Abstract The objectives of this study were to use a computer simulation model to predict the influence of herbicides and mechanical treatments on giant foxtail population dynamics, annualized net return (ANR), and the giant foxtail economic optimum threshold (EOT) in a corn–soybean rotation over 20 yr. Mechanical treatments were interrow cultivation in corn and rotary hoe in soybean. Herbicides at full (1 ×) and half (½ ×) rates applied alone reduced giant foxtail seedbank 95% within 4 and 8 yr, respectively. Predicted seedbank dynamics had more variability when managed with herbicides at ½ × than at 1 × rates applied alone. Mechanical treatments integrated with herbicide at ½ × rates resulted in giant foxtail seedbank and variability similar to herbicides at 1 × rates applied alone. ANR was maximized when herbicides were applied between ⅜ × and 9/16 × rates applied alone. As initial giant foxtail density increased from 100 to 10,000 seeds m−2, the herbicide rate that maximized ANR increased. Economic opt...
Lagrangian representations of flow fields with parameter curves

There are two main principles in which a flow field can be described. In its Eulerian representation, the immediate direction of the flow is used. In its Lagrangian representation, the paths of fluid parcels are stored. The latter way has proven less prone to error in cases when only a sparse subset of the original flow field can be used due to restrictions in computational capacity, which are inevitable in practice. But so far, a main drawback of the Lagrangian representation is that it leads to unsightly lines with sharp edges, because the spanning trajectories are stored as polygonal chains to minimize storage space. In this paper, we tackle this issue by proposing to represent the trajectories by means of parameter curves, like composite Bezier curves and cubic Hermite splines, instead of polygonal chains. We demonstrate that a parameter representation results in smoother lines with comparable approximation error under equal conditions of limited storage capacity.
Malnutrition in Fourteenth-Century South Dakota: Osteopathological Manifestations

Analysis of mutilated skeletons representing people massacred at the fourteenth-century Crow Creek village on the Missouri River bluffs in central proto-South Dakota provided information implicatin...
Spontaneous Resolution of a High-Flow Congenital Spinal Epidural Arteriovenous Fistula in a Pediatric Patient

The spontaneous resolution of a spinal vascular malformation is a rare phenomenon. We report the case of a 19-month-old male infant with a high-flow congenital spinal epidural arteriovenous fistula that completely regressed between the time of diagnostic angiography and planned endovascular treatment. Prior reported instances, potential underlying mechanisms, and implications for management timing and necessity are discussed.
General considerations in managing upper limb amputations.

SUMMARY Amputation is an unpleasant affair, generating a very negative aura that must be consciously combated. It requires the same careful consideration, planning, and technical skills required by any reparative hand surgery. For optimal care, the surgeon needs not only to be comprehensively trained in hand surgery but also to be knowledgeable about prosthetic possibilities and to appreciate the psychological impact on the patient. Thoughtful and concerned management can do much to reduce the loss in a global sense, and the only measure of success is how well the patient is reintegrated into normal life.
How to Obtain Maximum Measuring Accuracies with Standardized A-Scan

The standardized 7200 MA A-scan instrument of Kretztechnik can provide the most accurate ultrasonic measurements that are available. This is true for measurements of axial eye length and of any other normal or abnormal tissue thickness within the eye and orbit provided the correct procedures in calibrating the instrument, in displaying maximum signals at low “measuring sensitivity” and in taking the measurements from Polaroid pictures are followed. To obtain accurate clinical measurements, one other crucial requirement must be met: the distance to be measured must be properly identified first, i.e., an act of tissue identification must precede any measurement. Standardized A-scan is uniquely capable of providing such tissue identification. For this purpose, it is applied either at the very high standardized “tissue sensitivity” (e.g., for identifying the maximum diameter of a tumor or the maximum thickness of the optic nerve and the extraocular muscles) or at the low “measuring sensitivity”, e.g., for identifying the thickness of the retinochoroid layer (through perpendicularity of the sound beam at both the inner retinal and inner scleral surfaces) or for identifying the axial eye length (through optimal alignment of the acoustic beam with the axis of the globe). Standardized A-scan then accurately measures the identified distance, preferably at the low measuring sensitivity.
SU-F-R-31: Identification of Robust Normal Lung CT Texture Features for the Prediction of Radiation-Induced Lung Disease

Purpose: Normal lung CT texture features have been used for the prediction of radiation-induced lung disease (radiation pneumonitis and radiation fibrosis). For these features to be clinically useful, they need to be relatively invariant (robust) to tumor size and not correlated with normal lung volume. Methods: The free-breathing CTs of 14 lung SBRT patients were studied. Different sizes of GTVs were simulated with spheres placed at the upper lobe and lower lobe respectively in the normal lung (contralateral to tumor). 27 texture features (9 from intensity histogram, 8 from grey-level co-occurrence matrix [GLCM] and 10 from grey-level run-length matrix [GLRM]) were extracted from [normal lung-GTV]. To measure the variability of a feature F, the relative difference D=|Fref -Fsim|/Fref*100% was calculated, where Fref was for the entire normal lung and Fsim was for [normal lung-GTV]. A feature was considered as robust if the largest non-outlier (Q3+1.5*IQR) D was less than 5%, and considered as not correlated with normal lung volume when their Pearson correlation was lower than 0.50. Results: Only 11 features were robust. All first-order intensity-histogram features (mean, max, etc.) were robust, while most higher-order features (skewness, kurtosis, etc.) were unrobust. Only two of the GLCM and four of the GLRM features were robust. Larger GTV resulted greater feature variation, this was particularly true for unrobust features. All robust features were not correlated with normal lung volume while three unrobust features showed high correlation. Excessive variations were observed in two low grey-level run features and were later identified to be from one patient with local lung diseases (atelectasis) in the normal lung. There was no dependence on GTV location. Conclusion: We identified 11 robust normal lung CT texture features that can be further examined for the prediction of radiation-induced lung disease. Interestingly, low grey-level run features identified normal lung diseases. This work was supported in part by the National Cancer Institute Grants R01CA172638.
In Situ Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Obstructing Ureteral Stones with Acute Renal Colic

AbstractIn situ (no instrumentation) extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL**Dornier Medical Systems, Inc., Marietta, Georgia.) was used to treat 49 patients with obstructing ureteral stones causing acute renal colic. Ureteral obstruction was diagnosed on the delayed films of an excretory urogram and was classified as severe (dilatation above and no contrast medium seen below the stone) in 17 patients and partial (dilatation above and contrast medium seen below the stone) in 32. Upper third ureteral stones were present in 41 patients (obstruction severe in 15 and partial in 26) and lower third ureteral stones were present in 8 (obstruction severe in 2 and partial in 6). ESWL was performed within 14 days of the onset of the acute renal colic because of persistent pain with an unmodified Dornier HM3 lithotriptor in 17 patients and a Medstone STS device in 32. With single stones the stone-free rate at 3 months, the repeat ESWL rate and the secondary procedure (stone basketing) rate were 92%, 6% and 8%, ...
Challenging the monolingual paradigm in secondary dual-language instruction: Reducing language-as-problem with the 2–1-L2 model

ABSTRACTThis study reports on an innovative approach to dual-language instruction (DLI) at the secondary-education level and introduces the 2–1-L2 model. The context of the study is an American Government class at a public charter high school in Tucson, Arizona, where the 2–1-L2 model was used for nine weeks to structure daily 90-minute lessons into a 30-minute immersion in English, a 30-minute immersion in Spanish, and a final 30-minute section of hybrid language practices, such as translanguaging (Bhabha, 1994; Garcia & Wei, 2013; Kramsch & Uryu, 2012). The culturally and linguistically diverse participants represented an almost equal division of recursive dynamic bilinguals and dynamic bilinguals, plus an emergent bilingual who had recently moved from Mexico to the United States (Garcia, Kleifgen, & Falchi, 2008; Garcia & Sylvan, 2011). Through the bilingual structure of the 2–1-L2, all students were treated and valued as bilingual content users, as they learned American Government content together, an...