cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
JEEA-FBBVA Lecture 2018: The Microeconomic Foundations of Aggregate Production Functions

Aggregate production functions are reduced-form relationships that emerge endogenously from input–output interactions between heterogeneous producers and factors in general equilibrium. We provide a general methodology for analyzing such aggregate production functions by deriving their first- and second-order properties. Our aggregation formulas provide nonparametric characterizations of the macroelasticities of substitution between factors and of the macrobias of technical change in terms of microsufficient statistics. They allow us to generalize existing aggregation theorems and to derive new ones. We relate our results to the famous Cambridge–Cambridge controversy.
Pattern separation and source memory engage distinct hippocampal and neocortical regions during retrieval.

Detailed representations of past events rely on the ability to form associations between items and their contextual features (i.e., source memory), as well as the ability to distinctly represent a new event from a similar one stored in memory (i.e., pattern separation). These processes are both known to engage the hippocampus, although whether they share similar mechanisms remains unclear. It is also unknown if, and in which region(s), activity related to these processes overlaps and/or interacts. Here, we used high-resolution fMRI to examine the contributions of hippocampal subfields and neocortical areas to pattern separation and source memory with an experimental paradigm that concurrently tested both. During encoding, male and female human subjects incidentally studied items in one of four quadrants on the screen. During test, they viewed repeated items (targets), similar items (lures), and new items (foils) and were asked to indicate whether each item was old, similar, or new. Following each item judgment, subjects were asked to indicate the quadrant in which the original stimulus was presented. Thus, each lure trial had a lure discrimination component (taxing pattern separation) and a location judgment (source memory). We found two main response profiles: (1) pattern separation-related signals in DG/CA3 and perirhinal cortex and (2) source memory signals in posterior CA1, parahippocampal cortex, and angular gyrus. Whole-brain voxelwise analysis revealed that activity related to lure discrimination and source memory was largely nonoverlapping. These findings suggest that distinct processes underlie the retrieval of pattern separated item representations and recollection of source information.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recalling past events with detail and accuracy depends on the ability to remember the contextual features of an event (i.e., source memory) as well as the ability to distinguish among similar events in memory (i.e., pattern separation). Previous work has shown that these processes are behaviorally dissociable (e.g., people can have clear memory for context but misidentify people or items). However, both processes engage the hippocampus, and it is unclear whether they rely on shared or distinct neural mechanisms. Here, we used high-resolution fMRI to concurrently assess hippocampal and neocortical activity related to source memory and pattern separation. We found that activity related to these processes was largely nonoverlapping, shedding light on two complementary but distinct mechanisms supporting episodic memory.
Development of an Efficient Network Intrusion Detection Model Using Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) on the UNSW-NB15 Dataset

Network intrusion detection systems are used to help protect and secure network infrastructures. Efficient network intrusion models are required to analyze and assess both present and future network attacks. Various machine learning methods have been developed and evaluated to attempt to efficiently analyze and predict network intrusion attacks to determine network attributes that may contribute to a particular attack type. In this study, we evaluated the UNSW-NB15 data set, represents modern day network attacks and network traffic compared to the previous standard KDD99 data set. Among various machine learning algorithms, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) that provides highly efficient and accurate data predictive model were used. We also were able to select a subset of 23 out of 39 usable features using information gain obtained through XGBoost to help distinguish network attack types. Through bivariate analysis, we could compute the percentage of records in a particular value range correspond to an attack type. The final XGBoost model that was developed uses 23 features, may be used for any future network intrusion data where these 23 features are available to easily and efficiently predict network attack types.
Abstract P3-01-06: Decorin-mediated suppression of tumorigenesis and skin invasion in inflammatory breast cancer via inhibition of the E-cadherin/EGFR axis

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a clinically distinct and highly aggressive form of primary breast cancer. Although considered rare, IBC accounts for 10% of breast cancer-related deaths owing to its rapid proliferation and strong propensity to metastasize. The molecular mechanisms underlying the aggressiveness and metastatic propensity of IBC remain elusive. Through transcriptome profiling we identified Decorin (DCN) as being significantly altered in metastatic IBC cell sublines. DCN is a secreted, small leucine-rich proteoglycan known to function as a tumor/metastasis suppressor by inhibiting several signaling pathways including EGFR, TGFβ, and c-MET. However, whether or how DCN regulates IBC tumorigenesis or metastasis is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the function and mechanism of DCN in IBC tumorigenesis and metastasis. Methods: Three IBC cell lines [ER-/HER2+ (MDA-IBC3, SUM190) and ER-/HER2- (SUM149)] were used. DCN gene expression in clinical samples was analyzed from publically available datasets and the IBC Consortium dataset. DCN was stably expressed in IBC cell lines by using lentiviral vectors. For in vivo studies, DCN-overexpressing stable cell lines were injected into cleared mammary fat pads of SCID/Beige mice and tumor growth was monitored via caliper measurements. Tumor-skin involvement was assessed visually during primary tumor growth and tumor excision. Reverse phase protein array analysis was used for proteomic profiling. Protein-protein interactions were analyzed by reciprocal immunoprecipitation of exogenous or endogenous proteins. Results: DCN expression was significantly lower in breast cancer samples than in normal breast (p Conclusions: We found that DCN inhibited tumorigenesis and skin invasion in IBC via its direct interaction with and stabilization of E-cadherin and its suppression of EGFR signaling. Our findings provide new insights and a novel mechanism for IBC pathobiology that may be therapeutically targetable. Future studies will determine the role of DCN in IBC metastasis and the detailed mechanism of DCN-mediated suppression of tumorigenesis and metastasis in IBC. Citation Format: Xiaoding Hu, Emilly Schlee Villodre, Richard Larson, Omar M. Rahal, Xiaoping Wang, Savitri Krishnamurthy, Debu Tripathy, Naoto T Ueno, Wendy A Woodward, Bisrat Godefay Debeb. Decorin-mediated suppression of tumorigenesis and skin invasion in inflammatory breast cancer via inhibition of the E-cadherin/EGFR axis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-01-06.
Accessibility Nuts and Bolts: A Case Study of How a Health Sciences Library Boosted Its LibGuide Accessibility Score from 60% to 96%

Dahlgren Memorial Library (DML) is the graduate health and life sciences library at Georgetown University Medical Center and serves a number of different patron populations. The library, 99% electr...
Micromachining of SiC

MEMS, short for microelectromechanical systems, is an enabling technology with the potential to impact nearly all fields of science and engineering. In a general sense, MEMS consists of an integrated set of microfabricated sensors, actuators and electronics designed to perceive and act on its local environment in order to achieve a desired function. To make such systems possible, materials or material systems that have favorable mechanical and electrical properties are required. When researchers discovered that Si had favorable mechanical properties and could be machined into micromechanical structures, the field advanced rapidly by leveraging the know-how, techniques and infrastructure of the silicon IC industry. Si pressure sensors were among the first devices in this new field. These devices consisted of micromachined Si membranes and doped Si piezoresistors fabricated using relatively simple and straightforward bulk micromachining processes. With significant advancements in polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) deposition and etch technologies, more complex Si mechanical elements, such as tethered membranes, micromotors, laterally actuated resonators, hinged plates and the like could be fabricated from thin films using surface micromachining techniques. The heavy dependence on IC materials and processing techniques opened the possibility for integrating microelectronics with microsensors and microactuators, thus differentiating MEMS from discrete sensor technologies.
Early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity locations and behaviors in adults living in the United States.

COVID-19 restrictions and social-distancing may inhibit adults from attaining recommended levels of physical activity. This study examined early impact of COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity in adults during the first two months of restrictions in the U.S. and how physical activity locations were associated with physical activity levels during this period. Adults (N = 268) completed an online survey between April 10-May 25, 2020. Participants reported minutes of vigorous, moderate, and walking physical activity for past 7 days (early-COVID-19) and for a typical week in February 2020 (pre-COVID-19). Adults reported locations (e.g., home/garage, parks/trails) were they were active over the past 7 days. Past 12-month step count data were extracted from participants' personal smartphones. Participants (18-74 years old, 22% Hispanic/Latino, 81% female) showed reductions in vigorous (M diff = -66.9 min/week), moderate (M diff = -92.4 min/week), walking (M diff -70.8 min/week), and step counts (M diff = -2232 steps/day) from the pre- to early-COVID19 periods. Reductions in walking and steps were larger for low-income and Hispanic/Latino adults. During early-COVID19, more vigorous and moderate activity were reported by those who were active in their home/garage or driveway/yard, and more steps were recorded by those who were active on the roads in their neighborhood or at parks/trails. We observed a decline in adults' physical activity during the first two months of the COVID-19 pandemic based on retrospective self-report and device-based measures. Although these restrictions were necessary to slow the spread of the virus, data indicate that there may be unintended consequences on health-related behaviors.
Decreases in Near-Road NO and NO2 Concentrations during the COVID-19 Pandemic in California

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place measures led to widespread adoption of remote work policies and temporary business closures or operation curtailments, disrupting typical commut...
Neural Network Extrapolations with G-invariances from a Single Environment

Despite —or maybe because of— their astonishing capacity to fit data, neural networks are believed to have difficulties extrapolating beyond training data distribution. This work shows that, for extrapolations based on finite transformation groups, a model’s inability to extrapolate is unrelated to its capacity. Rather, the shortcoming is inherited from a learning hypothesis: Examples not explicitly observed with infinitely many training examples have underspecified outcomes in the learner’s model. In order to endow neural networks with the ability to extrapolate over group transformations, we introduce a learning framework counterfactually-guided by the learning hypothesis that any group invariance to (known) transformation groups is mandatory even without evidence, unless the learner deems it inconsistent with the training data. Unlike existing invariance-driven methods for (counterfactual) extrapolations, this framework allows extrapolations from a single environment. Finally, we introduce sequence and image extrapolation tasks that validate our framework and showcase the shortcomings of traditional approaches.
Global Health is Local

The Journal of Global Health aims to be an international voice for all students engaged in global health, featuring an eclectic geo-cultural blend of opinions. As the planet has become flatter, hotter and more crowded, health issues in remote regions of the world now receive greater attention than ever before. We have become more vigilant regarding the potency of diseases and infectious agents to drastically impact the health of populations, often faster than we can react to treating them. To combat this heightened threat, advances in medicine now allow physicians to diagnose and treat diseases more effectively and developments in information technology now enable public health scientists to accurately model and predict epidemiological trends. Despite these advancements, significant international disparities in the distribution of disease burden continue to persist.
Psychological Response Data on the Traumatic Nature of 600 Written Events

We present a dataset containing participants’ ratings (n = 250) of 600 written descriptions of events ranging from benign (‘witnessed a leaf falling from a tree’) to potentially distressing and/or injurious (‘was stabbed by a close friend’). Participants were randomly assigned to rate a subset of events on a 7-point Likert scale from “Not at all traumatic” to “Extremely traumatic”. Participants were also assessed in terms of demographic characteristics (gender, race, ethnicity, previous trauma exposure, psychiatric diagnosis, religiosity, political orientation, age). The data are suitable for various purposes, including as stimuli for experimental paradigms or for descriptive analysis.
398 Long-term outcome of epileptic seizures and adaptive behavior in patients with West syndrome -experiences from our center

West syndrome is a specific, age dependent electroclinical syndrome and one of the most common and well described form of epileptic encephalopathy. In this study, we describe outcome regarding epilepsy and adaptive behavior in patients with WS treated in our clinic. Patients with WS treated in our clinic from 2000 -2018 were followed up regularly for at least 2 years. For this study, their adaptive behavior was measured using Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scales. Adaptive behavior (AB) refers to the skills needed by individuals to function and be self-sufficient within their everyday environments. Vineland-II asses adaptive behavior in four domains: communication, daily living skills, socialization and motor skills, each divided in more subdomains. It provides standardized scores in every domain and is applicable from birth throughout life. A total of 64 patients were enrolled in this study, 38 males (59%) and 26 females (41%). Symptomatic WS had 46 patient (72%) and 18 patients (28%) had cryptogenic WS. One patient with symptomatic WS died during follow up. Regardless of response to initial treatment and resolution of infantile spasm, 20 patients (31%) developed different kind of seizures during follow up and are still taking antiepileptic therapy, 17 of symptomatic (37%) and 3 of cryptogenic WS (16%). Among all patients, 4 (6%) have no deficit in adaptive behavior in all measured domains and subdomains while 40% of patients have severe or profound deficit. Significant differences were found between symptomatic and cryptogenic form of WS. In cryptogenic WS, most of the patients have moderately low AB, 66% of them, 17% have AB and 17% have low AB. In symptomatic WS moderately low AB were measured in 37% of patients, low AB in 62% and only 4% had adequate AB. Low AB was also in negative correlation with seizure freedom. Analyzing each domain and subdomain of adaptive behavior, the lowest scores in almost every patient (patients with adequate AB were excluded) were measured in communication domain, more specific, in expressive speech and in subdomain of community daily living skills. In this study we confirmed that the most important prognostic factor for outcome of epilepsy and psychomotor development in WS is underlying etiology of the syndrome. Despite the etiology, the great majority (94%) of the patients with WS need some kind of help in everyday functioning throughout lifetime.
Stress-Strain Formulas

Most of the analytical expressions for stress-strain curves that have appeared in the literature and a few others are considered critically. I t is concluded that six have general value, and, of these, two are to be preferred in seeking a fit to stressstrain data.
Chapter 6 Use of Potassium Depolarization to Study Apical Transport Properties in Epithelia

Publisher Summary This chapter illustrates the use of potassium depolarization to study apical transport properties in epithelia. The ability of epithelia to transport solutes and water vectorially depends on the differences in the transport properties of the inward facing (serosal or basolateral) and outward-facing (mucosal or apical) cell membranes. Several techniques have been used in electrophysiological studies of epithelial transport to derive information on the individual membranes. They can be classified into three general categories, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. Microelectrodes have been used to record from the interiors of epithelial cells. Alternating current impedance analysis using extracellular electrodes is also capable of distinguishing the electrical properties of the two membranes, when their electrical time constants are different. An alternative method is to functionally eliminate one membrane in order to study the properties of the other. The chapter discusses the use of high concentrations of K + in the serosal solution to depolarize the basolateral membranes of tight epithelia and to electrically isolate the apical membrane. It reviews some of the information that has been obtained using this approach, and then discusses the extent of the elimination of basolateral potential difference (PD) and resistance and the problem with this procedure of the preservation of the properties of the apical membrane.
Exergy Analysis, Entropy Generation Minimization, and the Constructal Law

This chapter reviews three methods that account for much of the newer work in engineering thermodynamics and thermal design and optimization. The method of exergy analysis rests on thermodynamics alone. Entropy generation minimization (EGM) is a method of modeling and optimization. The search for design is being pursued on the basis of principle, the constructal law, which is the statement that as configurations changes on the designer's table the ones that survive are those that offer greater access to currents. The modeling and optimization progress made in EGM is illustrated by some of the simplest and most fundamental results of the method. The generation of power and refrigeration based on energy from the sun has been the subject of some of the oldest EGM studies, which now cover a wide territory. There are several EGM models and optima of power plants that have fundamental implications. Keywords: constructal law; engineering thermodynamics; entropy generation minimization (EGM); exergy analysis; optimization progress; power plants
Hypertensive disease in pregnancy: An examination of ethnic differences and the Hispanic paradox

OBJECTIVE The "Hispanic paradox" refers to the epidemiological finding that Hispanics in the US have better health outcomes than the average population despite what their aggregate socioeconomic determinants would predict. The aim of this study was to evaluate obstetric outcomes for a multiethnic population with hypertensive diseases. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of parturients with hypertensive disease delivering at Duke University Medical Center. We analyzed maternal sociodemographic characteristics and ethnic differences in hypertensive disease types using Chi Square tests. RESULTS A total of 3,124 women delivered during a period of one year; 9% of them had hypertensive diseases in pregnancy. Gestational hypertension was more commonly diagnosed in Whites, whereas chronic hypertension and mild preeclampsia were more frequently encountered in Blacks and Hispanics respectively (Chi-square = 39.11, p < 0.001). The overall incidence of preeclampsia was less in Hispanics. However, severe preeclampsia rates were equal across groups. Hispanics were more likely to be uninsured and younger, enter prenatal care later, and least likely to complete high school. There was no significant difference in smoking or parity. Stratified analyses by ethnicity showed that the relationship between severe preeclampsia and comorbidities (intrauterine growth restriction, low birth weight, and need for admission to intensive care nursery) were least pronounced in Hispanics and strongest in Black women. CONCLUSION Despite similar rates of severe preeclampsia and adverse sociodemographic characteristics, Hispanic women with severe preeclampsia had better pregnancy outcomes than Black or White women with the disease.
Spontaneous Organic Occlusive Arterial Diseases

This chapter deals with spontaneously developing chronic occlusive arterial disorders, primarily atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower limbs (arteriosclerosis obliterans) and of the abdominal aorta and its main branches (aortoiliac arterial occlusive disease; Leriche’s syndrome). The discussion of thromboangiitis obliterans, which once was prevalent in the United States and is now rarely observed by the orthopedic or general surgeon, will be limited to its differentiation from arteriosclerosis obliterans. Further information regarding this interesting clinical entity can be obtained from other sources [2]. Only the fundamentals of medical and surgical treatment will be considered since a more detailed presentation would be inappropriate considering the scope of the volume. The main purpose of this chapter, therefore, is to make readily available background information upon which can be formulated a safe therapeutic program for an orthopedic problem affecting the lower limbs of elderly persons, particularly in the light of the high incidence of local arterial insufficiency that exists in such individuals.
Authentic Assessment of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes

This chapter proposes supplementing traditional assessment strategies with innovative and authentic ways to evaluate students’ performance on intended learning outcomes.
RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA AND PREMATURITY IN NEWBORN RABBITS INDUCED BY MATERNAL HYPEROXIA.

Abstract 1. 1. Retrolental fibrosis, retinal detachment, and microphthalmia were produced in newborn rabbits by maternal hyperoxia at late gestational age. 2. 2. In addition to the eye abnormalities, stillbirths (7 out of 76 offspring), neonatal deaths (38 out of 76 offspring), and prematurity were associated with the oxygentreated offspring. 3. 3. These results can be interpreted as support of the significance of prenatal factors in production of retrolental fibroplasia.
Deoxynucleotide-polymerizing Enzymes of Calf Thymus Gland III. PREPARATION OF POLY N-ACETYLDEOXYGUANYLATE AND POLYDEOXYGUANYLATE

Abstract N-Acetyldeoxyguanosine triphosphate was prepared and polymerized with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Poly N-acetyldeoxyguanylate was isolated and then deacylated with 10 n ammonium hydroxide to form polydeoxyguanylate. Physical studies show that the N-acetyl polymer behaves as a single chain, but polydeoxyguanylate seems to exist only in an aggregate form. Evidence for definite complexes of poly N-acetyldeoxyguanylate and polydeoxyguanylate with polydeoxycytidylate could not be obtained from examination of physical mixtures.
A new low for nonlinear optics

Thanks to a series of scientific breakthroughs over the last few decades, nonlinear optics are today used in many applications, from materials science to remote sensing of gases. In his Perspective, Downer highlights another such breakthrough: The report of Benabidet al., who show how the nonlinear optics of molecular gases can be exploited for laser frequency conversion by using a long hollow-core photonic crystal fiber.
An adaptive power controlled routing protocol for underwater sensor network

Geo-routing protocols can provide the scalability, robustness, lower overhead and energy efficiency requirements for underwater sensor networks UWSNs. However, these protocols require localisation service, which is another challenging problem. In this paper, we introduce a novel energy efficient schema that does not need location information. In this schema, nodes assign themselves to concentric layers around sink nodes and routing paths are determined on the fly based on nodes' layers and residual energy information. Nodes can adaptively adjust their transmission power level to cater for network mobility and residual energy constraints. Extensive simulation results show that our routing protocol achieves high delivery ratio and low energy consumption while reducing end to end delay when compared with other routing strategies. In particular, our schema can guarantee a relatively higher delivery ratio in presence of mobility.
Price Pass-Through in US Gasoline Markets

Using an error-correction model in a seemingly unrelated regression framework, we examine regional differences in the price pass-through from crude oil spot prices to retail gasoline pump prices. We show that regional differences do exist both in the short run and long run adjustment process. Depending on the region, a $1 per barrel change in crude oil prices results in a change in retail gasoline pump prices somewhere between 2.52¢ and 2.65¢. We examine the presence of the rockets and feathers phenomenon using both a single period coefficient tests and multiple period impulse response functions.
Characterization of plastic shrinkage cracking in fiber reinforced concrete using image analysis and a modified Weibull function

Numerous strategies have been advocated to reduce the potential for plastic shrinkage cracking in concrete through mixture proportioning, curing methods, or the use of fiber reinforcement. The effectiveness of each approach must be adequately quantified to determine whether the additional initial cost of each strategy is justified. The majority of current research to characterize plastic shrinkage cracking in concrete relies on manual crack observation and measurement that is typically only performed at select locations. These manual measurements of crack width may provide only limited information and may be subject to operator bias. This paper describes a systematic methodology that uses a semi-automated image analysis approach to accurately quantify the salient features of the plastic shrinkage crack patterns. A restrained slab specimen with a stress riser was used to amplify the potential for plastic shrinkage cracking. The specimens described in this paper were exposed to an accelerated drying environment for the first 6 hours after casting. At an age of 24 hours, the crack was assessed using a series of thirteen gray level images that were acquired along the crack path. Crack contours were extracted from these images using gray level intensity thresholding to create binary images. Subtracting the binary image from a uniformly spaced grid enabled the crack width to be determined at numerous locations. This image analysis technique permits the crack widths to be assessed rapidly at numerous locations without operator bias. The measured crack widths were statistically analyzed using a modified Weibull distribution function. This enabled the crack width distribution to be fully described using only two or three parameters. It is anticipated that this approach can be used to better quantify the effects of short randomly distributed fiber reinforcement on plastic shrinkage crack formation.
Modeling of dense metallic grids for transparent transmission lines and antennas

Dense metallic grids can create surfaces that are conductive at microwave frequencies yet optically transparent. However, fullwave solutions of such grids are computationally expensive. To accelerate simulations of complex structures we consider three approximate models for a wire grid. Circuit-based models provide estimates of radiation efficiency for simple antennas without simulating the complex gridded structure. However their accuracy is limited, typically yielding efficiency 13% from the actual value. As an alternative, an effective surface impedance can be assigned to the grid. In this case, the error in efficiency averages only 3.4%, but a fullwave simulation is required, albeit less costly than simulation of the grid itself.
Numerical strategies towards peta-scale simulations of nanoelectronics devices

We address two challenges with the development of next-generation nanotransistors, (i) the capability of modeling realistically extended structures on an atomistic basis and (ii) predictive simulations that are faster and cheaper than experiments. We have developed a multi-dimensional, quantum transport solver, OMEN, towards these goals. To approach the peta-scale, the calculation of the open boundary conditions connecting the simulation domain to its environment is interleaved with the computation of the device wave functions and the work load of each task is predicted prior to any calculation, resulting in a dynamic core allocation. OMEN uses up to 147,456 cores on Jaguar with four levels of MPI parallelization and reaches a sustained performance of 504 TFlop/s, running at 37% of the machine peak performance. We investigate 3D nanowire transistors with diameters up to 10nm, reproduce experimental data of high electron mobility 2D transistors, and expect increased capabilities by using over 300,000 cores in the future.
The Role of Proteoglycans on Residual Stresses in the Aorta

Arteries exhibit significant residual stresses, most notably demonstrated by the tendency of rings of arterial wall to open when cut radially [1, 2]. Residual stresses play an important role in the identification of appropriate reference configurations, and hence the definition of stresses and strains in the tissue; they are also important in vascular growth, remodeling and disease [3–5]. Though it has been suggested that elastin appears to be primarily responsible for residual stresses in arteries [6], no explicit mechanism has been described to date which can explain how these residual stresses might be induced, and why they might vary along the length of arteries such as the aorta.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Complications in Equine Anesthesia

General anesthesia of horses entails considerable risk of morbidity and mortality. A large-scale, multicenter study reported that the death rate from non–colic-related anesthetics was 0.9%, while the perianesthetic mortality rate at a single, busy equine surgical practice was somewhat more favorable, at 0.12%. While any perianesthetic death is devastating, mortality figures alone do not reflect the overall morbidity of equine anesthesia in terms of nonterminal events or injuries related to recovery. In some circumstances, recognition of perianesthetic complications may allow appropriate intervention to prevent the complication from worsening or progressing to mortality. This article describes some of the complications that may occur during and after general anesthesia of horses, and suggests ways to prevent or mitigate them.
Spiral CT of the thoracic aorta with 3-D volume rendering: A pictorial review of current applications

Spiral CT represents an excellent noninvasive technique for acquiring data to create 3-D angiographic maps of the aorta. Coupling the data sets with 3-D imaging provides new and exciting capabilities for aortic imaging in a potentially more correct and accurate fashion.
Grid‐mapped freeze‐fracture analysis of gap junctions in gray and white matter of adult rat central nervous system, with evidence for a “panglial syncytium” that is not coupled to neurons

In white matter regions of the brain and spinal cord of adult mammals, gap junctions previously were observed linking astrocytes to astrocytes, as well as to oligodendrocytes and ependymacytes. The resulting “functional syncytium” was proposed to modulate the ion fluxes that occur during electrical activity of the associated axons. Gap junctions also have been reported linking neurons with glia, and functional neuronal-glial coupling has been postulated. To investigate the glial syncytium and the neuron-to-glia coupling hypotheses, we used “grid-mapped freeze fracture,” conventional thin-section electron microscopy, and light microscope immunocytochemistry to examine and characterize neurons and glia in gray and white matter of adult rat brain and spinal cord. We have obtained quantitative evidence for the abundance and widespread distribution of gap junctions interlinking the three primary types of macroglia throughout both gray and white matter of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), thereby extending the concept to that of a functional panglial syncytium. In contrast to previous reports, we show that of more than 400 gap junctions in which both participating cells were identified, none were between neurons and glia. Thus, neuronal coupling and glial coupling involved separate and distinct pathways. Finally, putative water channels (i.e., “square arrays”) were confirmed to be abundant and in close association with gap junctions in astrocytes and ependymacytes. Because the astrocyte “intermediaries” extend cytoplasmic conduits throughout gray and white matter of brain and spinal cord, from the ependymal layer to the pia-glial limitans, and from oligodendrocytes surrounding axons to astrocyte endfeet surrounding capillaries, the proposed panglial syncytium, with its abundance of water channels and intercellular ion channels, is optimally positioned and equipped to modulate water and ion fluxes across broad regions of the CNS. J. Comp. Neurol. 388:265–292, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dynamics on Networks of Manifolds

We propose a precise definition of a continuous time dynamical system made up of interacting open subsystems. The interconnections of subsystems are coded by directed graphs. We prove that the appropriate maps of graphs called graph brations give rise to maps of dynamical systems. Consequently surjective graph fibrations give rise to invariant subsystems and injective graph fibrations give rise to projections of dynamical systems.
Arbitrary order exactly divergence-free central discontinuous Galerkin methods for ideal MHD equations

Ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations consist of a set of nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws, with a divergence-free constraint on the magnetic field. Neglecting this constraint in the design of computational methods may lead to numerical instability or nonphysical features in solutions. In our recent work [F. Li, L. Xu, S. Yakovlev, Central discontinuous Galerkin methods for ideal MHD equations with the exactly divergence-free magnetic field, Journal of Computational Physics 230 (2011) 4828-4847], second and third order exactly divergence-free central discontinuous Galerkin methods were proposed for ideal MHD equations. In this paper, we further develop such methods with higher order accuracy. The novelty here is that the well-established H(div)-conforming finite element spaces are used in the constrained transport type framework, and the magnetic induction equations are extensively explored in order to extract sufficient information to uniquely reconstruct an exactly divergence-free magnetic field. The overall algorithm is local, and it can be of arbitrary order of accuracy. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods especially when they are fourth order accurate.
Effects of clofibrate and acetylsalicylic acid on hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase synthesis.

Abstract Clofibrate and acetylsalicylic and have both been reported to increase carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity when administered to rats. The purpose of the present study was to determine the mechanism of the increase in CPT activity. Rats (150–200 g) were fed one of the following: chow, chow with 0.5% clofibrate, or chow with 1% acetylsalicylic acid for 2 weeks. At the end of this time, hepatic CPT activity was increased 4-fold over control in the clofibrate group and 3.6-fold over control in the acetylsalicylic acid group. Immunoreactive protein increased 4.0- and 3.6-fold, respectively, over control. Transcription rates of hepatic nuclei were increased 2.8- and 1.9-fold over control in the clofibrate and acetylsalicylic add groups, and hepatic mRNA levels increased 2.8- and 2.0-fold respectively. These data indicate that increases in CPT activity caused by clofibrate and acetylsalicylic acid administration are due, at least in part, to increased CPT protein, resulting from increased transcription rate and levels of mRNA specific for CPT.
3arabizi, Greeklish, and SMSki: The hybrid making of language in the age of the internet and mobile technology

Design is usually seen as a systematic practice engaged in by professionals, resulting in physical products for consumption. Yet, the internet and mobile technology have opened the field of design to non-professionals who have created several non-tangible, knowledge-based products including communication and language forms. The internet provides an unregulated space for various hybrid makings ranging from novel domains of communication and self-expression such as wikis and blogs to dynamic platforms for interaction such as Facebook, Twitter, and Internet Relay Chat. Regarding language, one such grassroots design product is 3arabizi, a unique linguistic blend of Arabic and English. This paper explores the origins, characteristics, and functions of 3arabizi as a case of language making in response to socio-environmental constraints and opportunities in online contexts. In particular, the paper highlights 3arabizi's use of arithmographemes i.e., keyboard numbers used as letters. Other hybrid online languages...
In vivo transfer of intracellular labels from locally implanted bone marrow stromal cells to resident tissue macrophages.

Intracellular labels such as dextran coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION), bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) or green fluorescent protein (GFP) are frequently used to study the fate of transplanted cells by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging or fluorescent microscopy. Bystander uptake of labeled cells by resident tissue macrophages (TM) can confound the interpretation of the presence of intracellular labels especially during direct implantation of cells, which can result in more than 70% cell death. In this study we determined the percentages of TM that took up SPION, BrdU or GFP from labeled bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) that were placed into areas of angiogenesis and inflammation in a mouse model known as Matrigel™ plaque perfusion assay. Cells recovered from digested plaques at various time points were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The analysis of harvested plaques revealed 5% of BrdU+, 5–10% of GFP+ and 5–15% of dextran+ macrophages. The transfer of the label was not dependent on cell dose or viability. Collectively, this study suggests that care should be taken to validate donor origin of cells using an independent marker by histology and to assess transplanted cells for TM markers prior to drawing conclusions about the in vivo behavior of transplanted cells.
Maintenance of narrow diet breadth in the monarch butterfly caterpillar: response to various plant species and chemicals

In order to better understand the maintenance of a fairly narrow diet breadth in monarch butterfly larvae, Danaus plexippus L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Danainae), we measured feeding preference and survival on host and non-host plant species, and sensitivity to host and non-host plant chemicals. For the plant species tested, a hierarchy of feeding preferences was observed; only plants from the Asclepiadaceae were more or equally preferred to Asclepias curassavica, the common control. The feeding preferences among plant species within the Asclepiadaceae are similar to published mean cardenolide concentrations. However, since cardenolide data were not collected from individual plants tested, definitive conclusions regarding cardenolide concentrations and plant acceptability cannot be made. Although several non-Asclepiadaceae were eaten in small quantities, all were less preferred to A. curassavica. Additionally, these non-Asclepiadaceae do not support continued feeding, development, and survival of first and fifth-instar larvae. Preference for a host versus a non-host (A. curassavica versus Vinca rosea) increased for A. curassavica reared larvae as compared to diet-reared larvae suggesting plasticity in larval food preferences. Furthermore, host species were significantly preferred over non-host plant species in bioassays using a host plant or sucrose as a common control. Larval responses to pure chemicals were examined in order to determine if host and non-host chemicals stimulate or deter feeding in monarch larvae. We found that larvae were stimulated to feed by some ubiquitous plant chemicals, such as sucrose, inositol, and rutin. In contrast, several non-host plant chemicals deterred feeding: caffeine, apocynin, gossypol, tomatine, atropine, quercitrin, and sinigrin. Additionally the cardenolides digitoxin and ouabain, which are not in milkweed plants, were neutral in their influence on feeding. Another non-milkweed cardenolide, cymarin, significantly deterred feeding. Extracts of A. curassavica leaves were tested in bioassays to determine which components of the leaf stimulate feeding. Both an ethanol extract of whole leaves and a hexane leaf-surface extract are phagostimulatory, suggesting the involvement of both polar and non-polar plant compounds. These data suggest that the host range of D. plexippus larvae is maintained by both feeding stimulatory and deterrent chemicals in host and non-host plants.
A machine-checked model of safe composition

Programs of a software product line can be synthesized by composing features which implement some unit of program functionality. In most product lines, only some combination of features are meaningful; feature models express the high-level domain constraints that govern feature compatibility. Product line developers also face the problem of safe composition -- whether every product allowed by a feature model is type-safe when compiled and run. To study the problem of safe composition, we present Lightweight Feature Java (LFJ), an extension of Lightweight Java with support for features. We define a constraint-based type system for LFJ and prove its soundness using a full formalization of LFJ in Coq. In LFJ, soundness means that any composition of features that satisfies the typing constraints will generate a well-formed LJ program. If the constraints of a feature model imply these typing constraints then all programs allowed by the feature model are type-safe.
Software product metrics

Software metrics are measures of software. Their primary use is to help us plan and predict software development. We can better control software quality and development effort if we can quantify the software. This is especially true in the early stages of development. Research has been done in the area of predicting software maintenance effort from software metrics. In general, software metrics can be classified into two categories: software product metrics and software process metrics. Software product metrics are measures of software products such as source code and design documents. Software process metrics are measures of software development process. For example, the size of the software is a measure of the software product itself, thus a product metrics. The effort required to design a software system may be influenced by how the software is designed, thus a process metrics. In this article, only software product metrics are addressed.
Symbiont recognition and subsequent morphogenesis as early events in an animal-bacterial mutualism

Bacterial colonization of the developing light organ of the squid Euprymna scolopes is shown to be highly specific, with the establishment of a successful association resulting only when the juvenile host is exposed to seawater containing one of a subset of Vibrio fischeri strains. Before a symbiotic infection the organ has elaborate epithelial structures covered with cilia and microvilli that are involved in the transfer of bacteria to the incipient symbiotic tissue. These structures regressed within days following infection; however, they were retained in uninfected animals, suggesting that the initiation of symbiosis influences, and is perhaps a prerequisite for, the normal developmental program of the juvenile host.
Epigenetic histone modifications in a clinically relevant rat model of chronic ethanol-binge-mediated liver injury

Ethanol binge augments liver injury after chronic ethanol consumption in humans, but the mechanism behind the enhanced liver injury by ethanol binge is not known. In this study we used a clinically relevant rat model in which liver injury is amplified by binge after chronic ethanol treatment and investigated the importance of histone modifications. Eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were fed ethanol in a liquid diet for 4 weeks. Control rats were fed an isocaloric liquid diet. This was followed by three binge administrations of ethanol (intragastric 5 g/kg body weight, 12 h apart). In the control, ethanol was replaced by water. Four hours after the last binge administration, liver samples were analyzed for histone modifications and parameters of liver injury. Chronic ethanol administration alone caused an increase in histone H3 ser10 and ser28 (H3S10 or S28) phosphorylation, and binge ethanol reduced their levels. Levels of dually modified phosphoacetylated histone H3 (H3AcK9/PS10) increased after acute binge ethanol and remained same after chronic ethanol binge. In contrast, histone H3 lysine-9 acetylation (H3AcK9) was not increased after chronic ethanol but increased significantly after acute binge and chronic ethanol binge. Increase in histone acetylation was accompanied by increased phospho-ERK1/2 in the nuclear extracts. Increased acetylation after chronic ethanol binge was also accompanied by increased protein levels of GCN5 histone acetyl transferase and a modest increase in HDAC3 in the nucleus. Histone lysine-9 dimethylation was significantly increased after chronic ethanol binge. Chronic ethanol binge also resulted in a decrease in the SAM:SAH ratio with a relative decrease of SAM levels and a corresponding increase in SAH levels. Ethanol binge after chronic ethanol altered the profile of site-specific histone modifications and may underlie the mechanism of augmented liver injury by chronic-ethanol-binge-treated rats.
Neurotransmitter-lymphocyte interactions: dual receptor modulation of lymphocyte proliferation and cAMP production.

Abstract Stimulation of the β-adrenergic receptor on lymphocytes can decrease the proliferative response of these cells to mitogens We have found that simultaneous stimulation of T cells with the β-adrenergic agonist isoprotenenol and mitogens (phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and OKT3 monoclonal antibody) results in a 2- to 4-fold increase in cAMP production compared to cells exposed to isoproterenol alone. Mitogens alone have little effect on cAMP synthesis, but do activate the phosphatidylinositol (PI) cycle, suggesting that interactions may be occurring between the second messenger systems resulting in a cAMP synergy. Further experiments suggest that calcium may be involved in inducing the cAMP synergy observed in T cells. It is proposed that the synergy between β-adrenergic and mitogenic stimulation of T cells for cAMP may be involved in the mechanism of catecholamine modulation of lymphocyte function.