cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of deep learning automatic segmentations of corneal endothelial cell images of reduced image quality obtained following cornea transplant

We are developing automated analysis of corneal-endothelial-cell-layer, specular microscopic images so as to determine quantitative biomarkers indicative of corneal health following corneal transplantation. Especially on these images of varying quality, commercial automated image analysis systems can give inaccurate results, and manual methods are very labor intensive. We have developed a method to automatically segment endothelial cells with a process that included image flattening, U-Net deep learning, and postprocessing to create individual cell segmentations. We used 130 corneal endothelial cell images following one type of corneal transplantation (Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty) with expert-reader annotated cell borders. We obtained very good pixelwise segmentation performance (e.g., Dice coefficient = 0.87 ± 0.17, Jaccard index = 0.80 ± 0.18, across 10 folds). The automated method segmented cells left unmarked by analysts and sometimes segmented cells differently than analysts (e.g., one cell was split or two cells were merged). A clinically informative visual analysis of the held-out test set showed that 92% of cells within manually labeled regions were acceptably segmented and that, as compared to manual segmentation, automation added 21% more correctly segmented cells. We speculate that automation could reduce 15 to 30 min of manual segmentation to 3 to 5 min of manual review and editing.
Primary Palliative Care Education for Trainees in U.S. Medical Residencies and Fellowships: A Scoping Review

Background: The medical profession increasingly recognizes the growing need to educate nonpalliative physicians in palliative care. Objective: This study aims to provide a scoping review of the primary palliative care (PPC) education currently available to graduate medical trainees in primary and specialty tracks. Design: Studies of PPC interventions in U.S. residency or fellowship programs of all subspecialties published in English and listed on MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE through January 2020 were included. To meet admission criteria, studies had to describe the content, delivery methods, and evaluation instruments of a PPC educational intervention. Results: Of 233 eligible full texts, 85 studies were included for assessment, of which 66 were novel PPC educational interventions and 19 were standard education. Total number of publications evaluating PPC education increased from 8 (2000-2004) to 36 (2015-2019), across 11 residency and 10 fellowship specialties. Residency specialties representing the majority of publications were emergency medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, and pediatric/medicine-pediatrics. PPC content domains most taught in residencies were communication and symptom management; the primary delivery method was didactics, and the outcome assessed was attitudes. Fellowship specialties representing the majority of publications were pediatric subspecialties, nephrology, and oncology. The PPC content domain most taught in fellowships was communication; the primary delivery method was didactics and the outcome evaluated was attitudes. Conclusions: While PPC education has increased, it remains varied in content, delivery method, and intervention evaluations. Future studies should include more widespread evaluation of behavioral outcomes, longitudinal persistence of use, and clinical impact.
An Overview of Innovations in Online Learning

Developments in technology have dramatically increased access to learning materials, and are rapidly changing the education landscape. With the rise of the internet and mobile phone technology, more education and learning can happen online—on laptop computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Online-based courses provide learning opportunities to everyone with internet access. Learners interested in a particular topic are brought together to learn collaboratively through discussion forums, tweets, and other internet resources. At primary school level, from Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K−12), online learning technologies have been successfully piloted and implemented in different parts of Asia. Many models have successfully increased student motivation and have helped to break the cycle of rote learning. Innovations in e-learning and blended learning provide new opportunities for learners and nations in Asia and the Pacific, as countries modernize their education, training, and skills development sectors. There is an unmistakable need to incorporate these new technologies to support the drive for universal access, and for enhancing quality and relevance education and training in these countries.
Preconception and Interconception Pediatric Primary Care Utilization of Pregnant and Parenting Teens

Abstract Purpose Gaps in preventive care may contribute to adverse outcomes among pregnant teens. This study quantified teen preventive care utilization before and after pregnancy. Methods A continuous retrospective cohort identified 150 teens with a positive pregnancy test (July 2015 to May 2017) at two pediatric primary care sites. Chart review assessed office visits for 18 months before and after the pregnancy test. We also assessed contraceptive counseling, pregnancy outcomes (live birth, miscarriage, termination), and continuity with a single clinician. Demographic factors included age, race, ethnicity, primary insurance, and residential zip code. Logistic regression identified factors associated with visits after pregnancy. Separately, for a cohort of 47 parenting teens who received primary care at the same site as their infants, we assessed teen–infant care after birth. Results Teens were predominantly non-Latina black (91%) and Medicaid insured (71%). Before pregnancy, most teens had preventive visits (66%) and reported contraceptive use (65%). After pregnancy, 52% discussed pregnancy decisions within a month, 55% reported contraceptive use, and 64% had any primary care visit. Postpregnancy visits were associated with teen age ( Conclusion In a primary care cohort of pregnant teens, gaps persisted in pediatric clinical follow-up after pregnancy. Particularly in situations where pregnancy led to a birth, pregnancy frequently prompted a transition away from pediatric care.
Clustering-Based Predictive Analytics to Improve Scientific Data Discovery

Given the sheer volume of scientific data archived within the data-intensive projects at the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, finding precisely what data we are looking for may not be a trivial task; conversely, we may also miss a more prominent data product. To address such issues, we propose improving the data discovery system and using data analytics methods to comprehend what specific users might be interested in based on their physiological state, search patterns, and past data usage history. This work's primary goal is to prune the complexity, increase the visibility of popular data products, and direct users toward the data that best meet their needs. The proposed algorithm constructs a user profile based on the user's explicit or implicit interactions with the system, such as items they are currently looking at on-site and the key metadata mappings related to the data set. The pattern is then used to build a training data set, which will help find relevant data to recommend to the user.
Beat the heat: correlates, compounds, and mechanisms involved in fungal thermotolerance

Abstract Understanding the how behind the polyphyletic trait of fungal thermotolerance has important implications to both medical and industrial pursuits. In this review, our goal is to synthesize research on fungal thermotolerance from industry, biology, and health science to provide an overview of where the field stands. We first consider correlative traits, which may not directly cause thermotolerance but have demonstrated strong associations with it. We then look into the biomolecules involved in sensing and responding to heat shock and/or stress. Lastly, we examine an overview of physiological mechanisms, both natural and man-made, which fungi can use to withstand heat stress both in the moment and among their progeny. Each section makes attempts to list relevant applications of various traits, in addition to potential knowledge gaps that will need to be addressed in future research. This review highlights that, although thermotolerance is a complex concept with diverse manifestations throughout the fungal kingdom, there are multiple patterns in the heat-shock response worthy of further study.
What is Nietzsche’s Zarathustra? A Philosophical Confrontation: Translated by Justin Gottschalk. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2021, 194 pp. + viii, $50, ISBN: 9780226581569

Being a detailed part-by-part commentary on Nietzsche’s text, Heinrich Meier’s What Is Nietzsche’s Zarathustra? A Philosophical Confrontation is nonetheless a deeply provisional book. At the beginn...
Live fast, die young: Climate shifts may favor Great Basin bristlecone pine or limber pine in sub-alpine forest establishment

Abstract As a result of climatic warming, tree species ranges are generally expected to move upslope in elevation. Although this upward range migration is likely determined principally by temperature, other factors such as habitat and soil moisture availability contribute to a species’ ability to establish in new areas. Throughout the montane ecosystems of the western US, effective drying is predicted, resulting from increasing temperatures and potentially reduced precipitation. The tree species that can better establish in these future high-elevation forests will likely expand their ranges while potentially excluding other species. Using a greenhouse experiment, we compared the response of limber pine and Great Basin bristlecone pine, the two dominant Great Basin sub-alpine species, to various levels of drought at different stages during their establishment. We found that during the first year of establishment, limber pine had greater diameter growth but lower height growth than bristlecone pine, while during the second year of establishment, limber pine had greater diameter and height growth rates across all treatments. During the post-germination period and in the second year of establishment, bristlecone pine seedlings had a higher survival rate than limber pine. During the first year of establishment there was no determinable difference in survival between the species. Limber pine displayed earlier mortality and lower survival under nearly all treatments across both first-and second-year periods. In general, an increase in drought severity corresponded to an overall earlier mortality onset as well as decreased survival in both species. However, in the first year of establishment under the no water treatment, both species showed later mortality than all other treatments, even having longer survival durations than a treatment with slightly more water. Limber pine seedlings effectively grew at higher rates than bristlecone pine seedlings, while dying younger. The different response of each species to drought stress during the establishment phase suggests an asymmetric competition under two possible climate change scenarios: a warmer, wetter future may favor limber pine, while a warmer, drier future may favor GB bristlecone pine. For the Great Basin’s sub-alpine forest community, this foreshadows a more complex future change in tree demographics than simple upslope migration.
Optimisation of HV/MV-transformer-voltage-control in distribution networks with a high proportion of distributed generation

The power supply from many small decentralised power generation plants (DPG) is increasingly influencing the voltage quality in the distribution networks. The further expansion of the decentralized energy plants is expected to lead to a worsening of the situation. The need to further expand the German distribution network, a need forecast by the BDEW (the German Energy and Water Authority) has given rise to the necessity to look for fast, cheaper and innovative solutions to reduce the negative effects on the power supply of the power generation plants on the MV and LV network levels. Within the framework of a pilot project carried out by the LEW Verteilnetz GmbH, it was examined whether the maintenance of the voltage level in the MV network could be improved with the help of an optimised voltage regulator of the HV/MV transformer, at the same time remaining in the stipulated limits. The LEW Verteilnetz GmbH (LVN) is a regional network operator in Bavaria and a subsidiary of Lechwerke AG based in Augsburg. The network area of Lechwerke includes Bavarian-Swabia as well as parts of Upper Bavaria. (4 pages)
Affinity Chromatography, Principles and Applications

Since the time the term “affinity chromatography” was first coined a few years ago (Cuatrecasas et al., 1968), the basic idea has been widely exploited as a powerful tool for the separation and purification of a wide variety of biological macromolecules. Its effectiveness for purification rests on the selectivity of interaction, and thus of adsorption, of a biological macromolecule on an affinity adsorbent which is prepared by the covalent immobilization of a specific ligand on a solid polymeric matrix. In the case of an enzyme, an appropriate reversible competitive inhibitor is immobilized. Substrates or cofactors of the enzyme may also be used under selected experimental conditions (Cuatrecasas, 1970; Cuatrecasas and Anfinsen, 1971). The desorption (i.e., elution) of the macromolecule from the affinity column is achieved either by perturbing the interaction between the macromolecule and the adsorbent, or by including a competing ligand in the eluting buffer. For obvious reasons, the design of a new affinity-chromatographic system for a given macromolecule requires individual attention in the selection and attachment of the ligand as well as selection of the buffer conditions for the adsorption and desorption processes. In principle, virtually any specifically interacting system composed of two or more species can be approached by this method.
Flyback resonant charger for high repetition rate pseudospark pulse generator

A compact resonant capacitor charging power supply, incorporating a flyback transformer and high power IGBT module is presented. The power supply is developed for rapidly charging a pulse forming network (PFN) which is then switched by a commercial pseudospark device. Rapid charging of the PFN enables the Pseudospark pulse generator to operate at the high repetition rate required for transient plasma ignition experiments. Based on flyback architecture, the output voltage of the charger can be controlled by adjusting the on-time of the IGBT. This eliminates the need for a precisely controlled DC power supply, reducing the size and cost significantly compared with the alternative forward resonant charging architecture. The flyback resonant power supply can charge a 21 nF PFN to 30 kV within 20 us. Operation is burst mode with maximum 100 pulses per burst at 4 kHz repetition rate
A HYBRID METHOD FOR FITTING DISTRIBUTIONS TO DATA AND ITS USE IN COMPUTING PROCESS CAPABILITY INDICES

A common assumption in capability studies for statistical process control data is that the individuals follow a normal distribution. If not, the conclusions of the study are likely to be invalid. To solve this problem, we propose a method to first help ..
Age-Related Differences in Foraging Efficiency, Molt, and Fat Deposition of Gray Catbirds Prior to Autumn Migration

Abstract The ability to satisfy the energy requirements of migration and to cope with problems that arise en route is likely to be age dependent. We studied hatch-year (HY) and after-hatch-year (AHY) Gray Catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) to determine if differences in foraging efficiency and molt affected fat deposition prior to autumn migration. Hatch-year catbirds were less efficient foragers than AHY catbirds; however, efficiency improved with age to the extent that many HY catbirds are probably as efficient as AHY birds by the time they commence migration. We discovered age-dependent patterns of fat deposition, which probably resulted from differences in foraging efficiency and molt timing. Hatch-year catbirds began to deposit fat sooner than AHY catbirds but did so more slowly throughout the postbreeding and premigratory phases of the annual cycle. Adult catbirds did not become hyperphagic until they neared the completion of their molt, then deposited fat rapidly. Diferencias Relacionadas con la Eda...
Random wave-current interactions in water of varying depth

Abstract Refraction of incoherent random gravity waves with currents and bottom topography results in spatial variations in the spectral characteristics of the free surface. Prediction of such variations based on the radiation transfer equation is in a simple analytic form for the case of one dimensional inhomogeneities in currents and topography. This analytic form is examined in terms of two-dimensional wave number- and polar frequency-direction spectra along the associated dynamic and kinematic constraints relevant to wave breaking and reflection. Results are specialized to the simplest case of horizontal shear currents in deep and shallow water with explicit examples to illustrate the relative and combined effects of currents and topography on free surface spectra.
Keeping the Hubble Space Telescope in focus

The Hubble Space Telescope is a Ritchie-Chretien optical design with a main primary concave mirror followed by a convex secondary. The focus is determined by the position of each of these two mirrors. The truss containing them is made of graphite epoxy which has very low thermal expansion. Nevertheless, temperature variations do cause the mirror separation to vary by several microns within an orbit. Additionally, outgassing of water vapor causes a long-term shrinkage which soon after launch in 1990 varied by more than 2 microns per month. This necessitated adjusting the position of the secondary mirror every few months. Currently this rate is greatly reduced and adjustments are needed less than once per year. The focus is monitored monthly to continually assess the need for such adjustments. The measurements have been used to develop models to predict the focus at times between measurements to assist in the analysis of observations. Detailed focus knowledge is of value in photometry, coronagraphy and image deconvolution. The various focus models that have been applied so far are described with an evaluation of their performance. Continuing attempts to refine the model will be discussed.
Developing Low-Income Preschoolers’ Social Studies and Science Vocabulary Knowledge Through Content-Focused Shared Book Reading

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of integrating science and social studies vocabulary instruction into shared book reading with low-income preschool children. Twenty-one preschool teachers and 148 children from their classrooms were randomly assigned at the class level to either the Words of Oral Reading and Language Development (WORLD) intervention or a practice-as-usual condition. Children were screened and selected to approximate three vocabulary levels (15th, 30th, and 50th). WORLD teachers implemented the intervention in small groups of 5 to 6 students, 5 days per week, 20 minutes per session, for 18 weeks. Findings from multilevel models indicated statistically and practically significant effects of the WORLD intervention on standardized measures of receptive vocabulary (δT = 0.93) and on researcher-developed measures of expressive (δT = 1.01) and receptive vocabulary (δT = 1.41). The WORLD intervention had an overall main effect, regardless of entry-level vocabulary, a finding that speaks ...
The benefits of short‐term study abroad as a blended learning experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role blended learning plays in expanding study abroad opportunities.Design/methodology/approach – The approach utilized involves providing a synopsis of research dealing with study abroad and its benefits, particularly for student populations likely to comprise a significant portion of the distance learning market. Perspectives on the benefits derived from incorporating distance learning into short‐term study abroad programs are then discussed based on the experiences of a business college with a significant enrollment of online students.Findings – This paper highlights the flexibility afforded by online education in fulfilling academic content requirements, showcasing blended learning as a strategic complementary input in content delivery. The enhancement in study abroad options afforded offers the potential to introduce international business experiences to student populations historically underserved.Practical implications – Blended learning facil...
Human eosinophil adherence to vascular endothelium mediated by binding to vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1.

Abstract Adherence of human eosinophils to cytokine-stimulated endothelial cells, which was only partially due to CD18-dependent pathways, was also mediated by binding to endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Eosinophils bound specifically to both recombinant soluble ELAM-1 and recombinant soluble VCAM-1. Eosinophil binding to recombinant soluble VCAM-1 and to transfected CHO cells expressing VCAM-1 was inhibited with anti-VCAM-1 (4B9) and anti-very late activation antigen 4 (anti-VLA-4; HP1/2 or HP2/1) monoclonal antibodies. Eosinophils, but not neutrophils, expressed VLA-4 detected by cytofluorography. Eosinophil adherence to tumor necrosis factor alpha-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells was partially blocked by monoclonal antibodies against ELAM-1 (BB11) and VCAM-1 (4B9) and against VLA-4 (HP2/1). Thus, while both eosinophils and neutrophils can bind to activated endothelial cells by adherence to ICAM-1 and ELAM-1, only eosinophils expressed VLA-4 and adhered to VCAM-1 on activated endothelial cells. Eosinophil adherence to VCAM-1 might provide a mechanism contributing to the selective recruitment of eosinophils into tissue sites of inflammation.
Synthesis of novel polymethacrylates bearing cyclic perfluoroalkyl groups

Novel fluorinated methacrylic polymers and copolymers were prepared. Perfluoro(2-pyrrolidinopropionyl fluoride) and perfluoro(3-pyrrolidinopropionyl fluoride) were reduced to the corresponding 1,1-dihydroperfluoro-alcohols, which were then reacted with methacryloyl chloride to give the methacrylates. The homopolymers and the copolymers with methyl methacrylate were obtained by a radical polymerization. The tough polymer films prepared by solution casting showed excellent water repellency with contact angles above 100°.
The Welfare Bias from Omitting Climatic Variability in Economic Studies of Global Warming

Abstract This article analyzes the welfare effects of climatic variability from global warming in a stochastic economic growth model and shows that these may be significant. An empirical analysis indicates that the effects of climate change with variability are greater than the corresponding effects without it. Effects with variability are also shown to be more sensitive to variations in the rate of climate change.
Silicone rubber substrata: a new wrinkle in the study of cell locomotion

When tissue cells are cultured on very thin sheets of cross-linked silicone fluid, the traction forces the cells exert are made visible as elastic distortion and wrinkling of this substratum. Around explants this pattern of wrinkling closely resembles the "center effects" long observed in plasma clots and traditionally attributed to dehydration shrinkage.
Genome-wide networks of amino acid covariances are common among viruses

ABSTRACT Coordinated variation among positions in amino acid sequence alignments can reveal genetic dependencies at noncontiguous positions, but methods to assess these interactions are incompletely developed. Previously, we found genome-wide networks of covarying residue positions in the hepatitis C virus genome (R. Aurora, M. J. Donlin, N. A. Cannon, and J. E. Tavis, J. Clin. Invest. 119:225–236, 2009). Here, we asked whether such networks are present in a diverse set of viruses and, if so, what they may imply about viral biology. Viral sequences were obtained for 16 viruses in 13 species from 9 families. The entire viral coding potential for each virus was aligned, all possible amino acid covariances were identified using the observed-minus-expected-squared algorithm at a false-discovery rate of ≤1%, and networks of covariances were assessed using standard methods. Covariances that spanned the viral coding potential were common in all viruses. In all cases, the covariances formed a single network that contained essentially all of the covariances. The hepatitis C virus networks had hub-and-spoke topologies, but all other networks had random topologies with an unusually large number of highly connected nodes. These results indicate that genome-wide networks of genetic associations and the coordinated evolution they imply are very common in viral genomes, that the networks rarely have the hub-and-spoke topology that dominates other biological networks, and that network topologies can vary substantially even within a given viral group. Five examples with hepatitis B virus and poliovirus are presented to illustrate how covariance network analysis can lead to inferences about viral biology.
Evaluation of the Levelized Cost of Energy Method for Analyzing Renewable Energy Systems: A Case Study of System Equivalency Crossover Points Under Varying Analysis Assumptions

A modified levelized cost of energy (LCOE) model was created to determine the economic crossover point (measured in ${{\hskip1pt}{\ssr C} {\hskip-7pt} \raise2.4pt \hbox{$\buildrel{\vrule depth0.5pt width5.5pt} \over{\vrule depth0.5pt width5pt}$}{\hskip2pt}}/\hbox{barrel} $ of oil) between a traditional diesel power-generating facility and a hybrid closed-loop wind–hydro energy system on the island of El Hierro. This island represents the first system-of-systems coupled wind and pumped-storage hydroelectric facility in the world aimed at achieving energy independence for an island. LCOE models were developed using fixed baseline oil prices of 30, 40, and 50 ${{\hskip1pt}{\ssr C} {\hskip-7pt} \raise2.4pt \hbox{$\buildrel{\vrule depth0.5pt width5.5pt} \over{\vrule depth0.5pt width5pt}$}{\hskip2pt}}/\hbox{barrel} $ , which is the price range when the construction project was undertaken. The percentage change of the Spanish consumer price index and industrial price index were used to assess the effect of changing oil prices on the LCOE. This paper involved on-site investigation of the technical and financial elements of the project and resulted in an LCOE model that includes investment, operation and maintenance, emissions, and land costs. Sensitivity analyses were carried out at varying inflation and discount rates. Results indicate that the economic crossover point between the energy production systems to be below the current world oil price and within the range of prices when the project was initiated. Increasing inflation rates reduces the crossover point by increasing future costs associated with the diesel system, and increasing discount rates raises the crossover point by discounting future costs associated with diesel fuel expense. Under constant dollar analysis, the LCEO model robustly highlights system equivalency points; however, the inclusion of discount rate challenges this robustness by introducing the potential for gaming the analysis in favor of one technology over another.
Using pentobarbital to assess the sensitivity and independence of response-bout parameters in two mouse strains

A recently developed model posits that a bout of operant responding comprises three different components: bout initiation rate, within-bout response rate and bout length. Each parameter is thought to be affected by different classes of variables. Pentobarbital was used to assess the independence and sensitivity of these parameters in two mouse strains, BALB/c and C57BL/6, selected because of their different behavioral characteristics. With or without a running wheel present, BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice nose-poked under a Percentile 10:0.5 schedule designed to select high response rates while holding reinforcement rate constant. Baseline rates of nose-poking were higher for BALB/c mice than for C57BL/6 mice, but no strain difference occurred in baseline distance run. Nose-poking occurred at a higher rate when the wheel was absent from the chamber for both strains, and this was due to longer bout lengths and higher bout initiation rates. Nose-poke rates were increased by the 5.6-17 mg/kg doses of pentobarbital, especially in C57BL/6 mice. Pentobarbital only decreased running. No strain differences in pentobarbital sensitivity were observed for running. Whether reinforcement was extrinsic or intrinsic to the response was hypothesized to influence pentobarbital's effects. The different bout parameters helped dissect pentobarbital's effects and were selectively affected by pentobarbital.
Observations on the Occurrence of Right Bundle-Branch Block Following Open Repair of Ventricular Septal Defects

The occurrence of right bundle-branch block and varying degrees of altered ventricular conduction in a group of cases of ventricular septal defects repaired by direct closure is presented. The development of abnormal conduction is correlated with the location of the ventricular septal defects and the relationship of the conduction tissue. The etiologic role of operative trauma to the conduction system is reviewed, and the influence of ventriculotomy alone is discounted.
High Glycogen Levels in Brains of Rats with Minimal Environmental Stimuli: Implications for Metabolic Contributions of Working Astrocytes

The concentration of glycogen, the major brain energy reserve localized mainly in astrocytes, is generally reported as about 2 or 3 micromol/g, but sometimes as high as 3.9 to 8 micromol/g, in normal rat brain. The authors found high but very different glycogen levels in two recent studies in which glycogen was determined by the routine amyloglucosidase procedure in 0.03N HCl digests either of frozen powders (4.8 to 6 micromol/g) or of ethanol-insoluble fractions (8 to 12 micromol/g). To evaluate the basis for these discrepant results, glycogen was assayed in parallel extracts of the same samples. Glycogen levels in ethanol extracts were twice those in 0.03N HCl digests, suggesting incomplete enzyme inactivation even with very careful thawing. The very high glycogen levels were biologically active and responsive to physiologic and pharmacological challenge. Glycogen levels fell after brief sensory stimulation, and metabolic labeling indicated its turnover under resting conditions. About 95% of the glycogen was degraded under in vitro ischemic conditions, and its "carbon equivalents" recovered mainly as glc, glc-P, and lactate. Resting glycogen stores were reduced by about 50% by chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthase. Because neurotransmitters are known to stimulate glycogenolysis, stress or sensory activation due to animal handling and tissue-sampling procedures may stimulate glycogenolysis during an experiment, and glycogen lability during tissue sampling and extraction can further reduce glycogen levels. The very high glycogen levels in normal rat brain suggest an unrecognized role for astrocytic energy metabolism during brain activation.
Estimating the solar ultraviolet radiation exposure to an intraocular lens implant

A study of the stability of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) absorbers in intraocular lenses (IOLs) upon exposure to UVR is necessary to determine efficacy. Ultraviolet stability is conventionally tested by placing the UV-absorbing IOLs in a solar simulator exposure chamber to determine any degradation of the absorber. To interpret any change requires a method of correlating the UVR exposure rate in the test chamber with the UVR exposure of the IOL in vivo. A method is derived that permits a determination of the upper limit of daily UVR exposure of the in-vivo IOL (or, for that matter, the crystalline lens) based upon knowledge of the ambient outdoor UVR exposure to the head and the threshold for photokeratitis.
Sampling design, response rates, and analysis weights for the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) in EPA Region 5

For the Phase I field test of the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5, this paper presents the survey sampling design, the response rates achieved, and the sample weighting procedure implemented to compensate for unit nonresponse. To enable statistically defensible inferences to the entire region, a sample of about 250 members of the household population in EPA Region 5 was selected using a stratified multistage probability-based survey sampling design. Sample selection proceeded in four nested stages: (1) sample counties; (2) area segments based on Census blocks within sample counties; (3) housing units (HUs) within sample segments; and (4) individual participants within sample households. Each fourth-stage sample member was asked to participate in 6 days of exposure monitoring. A subsample of participants was asked to participate in two rounds of longitudinal follow-up data collection. Approximately 70% of all sample households participated in household screening interviews in which rosters of household members were developed. Over 70% of the sample subjects selected from these households completed the Baseline Questionnaire regarding their demographic characteristics and potential for exposures. And, over 75% of these sample members went on to complete at least the core environmental monitoring, including personal exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and tap water concentrations of metals. The sample weighting procedures used the data collected in the screening interviews for all household members to fit logistic models for nonresponse in the later phases of the study. Moreover, the statistical analysis weights were poststratified to 1994 State population projections obtained from the Bureau of the Census to ensure consistency with other statistics for the Region.
Translational energy release in the reaction O(3P) + H2S → H + HSO

Abstract O( 3 P) atoms were generated by photodissociating NO 2 at 351 and 308 nm in the presence of H 2 S. The average kinetic energy of the H and HSO reaction products is 9.4 ± 0.6 and 12.0 ± 0.7 kcal/mol respectively. These values are consistent with a value for the heat of formation at 0 K of HSO of − 1 kcal/mol only if the HSO product is internally cold. The elongated SO bond in the theoretical transition state and the reaction barrier imply that at least some energy will be left in the HSO radical. If the HSO product had an average of 3–4 kcal/mol of internal energy, the ab initio theoretical value for Δ f H o °(HSO) near −5 kcal/mol would be confirmed.
Spaceborne remote sensing for snow hydrology applications

Abstract Certain satellite-based remote sensing for snow hydrology applications has been very positive, namely, snow areal extent mapping using visible and near-infrared sensors and snow water equivalent using passive microwave techniques. Although certain problems are yet to be solved, very specific applications have become operational. Data from the NOAA-AVHRR sensor are used to produce snow extent maps for about 4000 basins in North America and the data are distributed electronically by the NWS National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center. At the Canadian Climate Centre, a method has been developed for real time estimation of areal snow water equivalent over the Canadian prairies using microwave brightness temperatures, and the snow water equivalent maps are distributed to operational hydrological forecasters. Current research may also prove fruitful for estimates of snow wetness or active melting, snow albedo and snow grain size. It appears that forthcoming improvements in passive microwave s...
Relative Fiber Uniformity between Parent and F1 and F2 Generations in Cotton

Hybrids (F 2 ) of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) reportedly offer improved seedling vigor, disease tolerance, and yield for this major crop of the Texas High Plains but raise concern about increased fiber property variability. Our objective was to compare fiber variability in the F 2 generation with that in pure lines and in F 1 hybrid cultivars. A four-parent complete diallel mating system using lines with similar and divergent fiber types resulted in 28 treatments: 4 parents, 12 F 1 hybrids, and 12 F 2 hybrids (.)
Wave function analysis with Shavitt graph density in the graphically contracted function method

The goals of electronic structure theory are to make quantitative predictions of molecular properties and to provide qualitative insight into bonding as well as features of potential energy surfaces. Oftentimes, the two goals are at odds as an accurate treatment requires a complicated wave function that obscures chemical insight. The multifacet graphically contracted function (MFGCF) method offers a new approach that allows both goals to be addressed simultaneously. The recursive product structure of the MFGCF wave function reduces the exponential scaling of the exact wave function and allows the computation of molecular properties with polynomial scaling with respect to system size. Additionally, the graph density concept provides an intuitive tool for visualizing and analyzing the qualitative features of the wave function. In this work, the graph densities for model systems are examined to demonstrate their utility in analyzing the changes in wave function character along potential energy surfaces and near avoided crossings. Finally, we demonstrate that the graph density exposes the structure of the exact wave function for a system of noninteracting molecules as a product of the fragment wave functions.
The separate neural control of hand movements and contact forces

To manipulate an object, we must simultaneously control the contact forces exerted on the object and the movements of our hand. Two alternative views for manipulation have been proposed: one in which motions and contact forces are represented and controlled by separate neural processes, and one in which motions and forces are controlled jointly, by a single process. To evaluate these alternatives, we designed three tasks in which subjects maintained a specified contact force while their hand was moved by a robotic manipulandum. The prescribed contact force and hand motions were selected in each task to induce the subject to attain one of three goals: (1) exerting a regulated contact force, (2) tracking the motion of the manipulandum, and (3) attaining both force and motion goals concurrently. By comparing subjects' performances in these three tasks, we found that behavior was captured by the summed actions of two independent control systems: one applying the desired force, and the other guiding the hand along the predicted path of the manipulandum. Furthermore, the application of transcranial magnetic stimulation impulses to the posterior parietal cortex selectively disrupted the control of motion but did not affect the regulation of static contact force. Together, these findings are consistent with the view that manipulation of objects is performed by independent brain control of hand motions and interaction forces.
Implications of expiratory muscle strength training for rehabilitation of the elderly: Tutorial.

With age, physical functions decline, which influ- ences respiratory performance. One of the physical changes associated with aging is sarcopenia, a reduction in muscle strength and power. Sarcopenia has been extensively studied in the elderly with regard to limb function but less with regard to respiratory function. Elderly individuals experience reduced muscle mass and strength in respiratory musculature, which may hinder the ability to generate adequate expiratory driving force for both ventilatory and nonventilatory activities. Increasing expiratory muscle strength may enhance an elderly individual's ability to generate and maintain the expiratory driving force critical to cough, speak, and swallow. Previous studies demon- strate that expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) improves ventilatory and nonventilatory functions. This paper discusses the potential impact that EMST can have on the rehabilitation of respiratory muscle decline, particularly in the elderly. This tuto- rial reviews an EMST paradigm, its physiological underpin- nings, and its potential outcomes.
Inactivation of the PKR protein kinase and stimulation of mRNA translation by the cellular co-chaperone P58IPK does not require J domain function

P58 I P K was discovered as an inhibitor of the interferon-induced, protein kinase, PKR. Upon virus infection, PKR can, as part of the host defense system, inhibit mRNA translation by phosphorylating the α subunit of protein synthesis eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2a). We previously found that influenza virus recruits the cellular P58 I P K co-chaperone to inhibit PKR activity and thus facilitate viral protein synthesis. P58 I P K contains nine tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) motifs in addition to the highly conserved J domain found in all DnaJ chaperone family members. To define the role of molecular chaperones in regulating cell growth in addition to PKR regulation, we performed a detailed analysis of the P58 I P K J domain. Using growth rescue assays, we found that the P58 I P K J domain substituted for the J domains of other DnaJ proteins, including DnaJ in Escherichia coli and Ydj 1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This is the first time a cellular J domain from a mammalian DnaJ family member was shown to be functional in both prokaryotic DnaJ and eukaryotic Ydj 1 constructs. Furthermore, point mutations within the conserved HPD residue cluster of the P58 I P K J domain disrupted P58 I P K J function including stimulation of ATPase activity of Hsp70. However, the P58 I P K HPD mutants still inhibited PKR activity and thus supported cell growth in a yeast rescue assay. Overexpression of the HPD mutants of P58 I P K , similar to their wild-type counterpart, also stimulated mRNA translation in a mammalian cell system. Taken together, our data necessitate a model of P58 I P K inhibition of PKR kinase activity and stimulation of mRNA translation, which does not require classical J domain function found in the DnaJ molecular chaperone family.
Crystalline gold in soil and the problem of supergene nugget formation: Freezing and exclusion as genetic mechanisms

Abstract Many of the world's richest gold placer deposits now occur in cold regions despite differences in their climatic history. It therefore seems possible that there may be some fundamental connection between freezing climates and the local chemical behavior of gold in the weathering cycle. This hypothesis, along with the problematical occurrence of gold as euhedral crystals in arctic gravel and soil placers, has led me to review low temperature phenomena that may bear on the geochemistry of gold. Several effects which may influence the weathering of natural gold-bearing rocks, the chemical complexation of gold, and its subsequent mobility and deposition appear to be strongly connected with freeze action. The exclusion of dissolved solutes, solute gases, and particles from ice, subjects rock and soil minerals to increased corrosion from thin, unfrozen, adsorbed water films which remain at particle surfaces throughout the freezing of rocks and soils. The preferential exclusion of cations (over anions) from growing ice crystals creates charge separations and measurable current flow across waterice phase boundaries in freezing soil — a phenomenon which leads to troublesome seasonal electrolytic corrosion of pipelines buried in soil; this phenomenon may also favor the dissolution of normally insoluble metals such as gold during geologic time periods. The ice-induced accumulation of clays, organic acids, bacteria, and other organic matter at mineral surfaces may also speed chemical attack by providing a nearby sink of alternate cation-binding sites and hence rapid removal of liberated cations from solution. The latter mechanism may be operative in both the dissolution and redeposition of gold. These physical, chemical, and electrical effects are favorable to the dissolution of rocks (in addition to frost shattering) and to the dissolution, mobilization, and redeposition of gold and other noble metals and must therefore contribute significantly to the behavior of gold at low temperatures. The occurrence of large numbers of gold placer deposits in northern Canada, Alaska, and Siberia may thus be due in part to the low temperatures common to these regions.
The construct specificity of the continuous performance test: does inattention relate to behavior and achievement?

A computerized version of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) was administered to 104 children, ages 6 to 16 years, referred to a medical center for learning difficulties. The CPT performance of children was examined in relation to the Wide Range Achievement Test‐Revised, the Peabody Individual Achievement Test‐Revised Reading Comprehension subtest, the ADD‐H Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale, and the Conners Parent Rating Scale. Correlations were computed to evaluate the relation between the CPT and all psychometric measures. Results indicated that the CPT was unrelated to academic functioning, but CPT commission errors correlated with behavioral measures: Commission errors were related to oppositional behavior and the Conners hyperactivity index, providing further evidence for the diagnostic utility of the CPT. Implications for clinical neuropsychology practitioners were discussed.
Visual cells in excised Limulus eyes: 2. Excision does not reduce sensitivity to light

Excision of the lateral eye of Limulus is believed to compromise it by greatly reducing its sensitivity to light stimuli. This belief derives from an experiment in which excised eyes were studied in the daytime and intact eyes were studied at night. But since a circadian elevation of nighttime sensitivity occurs in this eye, the belief is based on a confounded experiment in which like was not compared with like. In the present paper, like is compared with like; light sensitivity is assessed by comparing the intensity-response curves of receptor potentials that were recorded intracellularly from excised and from intact eyes. These data clearly indicate that the excised eye is not less sensitive than the intact eye. They further indicate that this situation exists for periods of time that exceed 5 h after excision, which means that this preparation provides ample time to replicate behaviorally interesting experiments while recording from a single neuron.
Cathode Pressure Modeling of the Buckeye Bullet II 540 kW Hydrogen Fuel Cell System

This paper applies a well published control level model for fuel cell system dynamics to the unique fuel cell system of the world’s fastest fuel cell vehicle, the Buckeye Bullet 2. The goal is to develop a system model to predict the pressure dynamics of the cathode system so the cathode can be operated at maximum allowable pressure to provide maximum performance. The details of how the model must be modified to fit the unique fuel cell system are provided. The results of the initial implementation show several shortcomings when the published model is implemented. The largest problems are found to be with how the model treats the liquid product water that is generated. For this reason, modifications are implemented to attempt to improve the correlation between the model and collected data. The results show partial improvements in 3 areas of performance, indicating that more accurate dynamic models are needed to fully characterize the phenomena. Further model development and testing are planned based on the initial results.Copyright © 2010 by ASME