cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of cytochalasin B on the neuroepithelial cells of the mouse embryo.

Eleven-day mouse embryos were cultured in a medium containing cytochalasin B (10 μg/ml) to examine the effect of the drug on the developing CNS. The embryos were exposed to the drug for two hours. After culturing, the embryos were prepared for light and electron microscopy and the neuroepithelium of the cerebral vesicles was examined. The following abnormalities were noted in the cytochalasin B-treated embryos: (1) mitotic figures were situated in the middle of the neuroepithelial layer instead of on the lumen, indicating that premitotic nuclear migration had been prevented; (2) binucleate cells were found in the neuroepithelial layer, indicating that cytochalasin B does not interfere with mitosis but prevents cytokinesis; (3) the microfilaments usually seen in the apex of the neuroepithelial cells were disrupted and formed an amorphous mass of filamentous material; (4) some neuroepithelial cells were free in the lumen, whereas others protruded into the ventricle but appeared to remain attached to the internal limiting border by their junctional complexes; and (5) in some regions the neuroepithelial cells had broken away from their end-feet at the basal lamina. These morphological changes were associated with a change in the internal limiting boundary from concave to convex and vacuolation of the external processes of the cells. The relationship between cytochalasin B, microfilaments and these morphological changes is discussed.
Molecular Simulation of Electrokinetic Transport in Nanofluidics

Electrokinetic transport in nanofluidics has attracted many attentions in recent years due to its potential applications in biomedical analysis and energy conversion systems. The biggest challenge to model the electrokinetic transport using atomistic simulations is the extensive cost in calculation of the long-range electrostatic force between ions. In this work, we develop an efficient molecular approach to simulate electrokinetic transport in nano-scale. The long-range Coulombic interactions are treated using the Particle-Particle Particle-Mesh (P3 M) scheme and the Poisson equation for electric potential is solved in physical space using an iterative multi-grid technique. We implement this approach to systematically investigate two examples: the electroosmotic flow in random rough channels and the electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD). Both cases pose important engineering applications as a mechanism for transporting small amount of liquid in micro and nano devices.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Open abdominal surgery: a risk factor for future laparoscopic surgery?

Abstract Background This study seeks to investigate the outcomes of laparoscopic procedures in patients with previous open abdominal surgery. Methods Using data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2005 to 2009), we identified patients who had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication, Heller myotomy, splenectomy, Roux-en-Y, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric band, appendectomy, or colectomy. Patients were then classified as to whether adhesiolysis (AD) was also carried out. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was used to compare groups. Results A total of 162,415 patients met our inclusion criteria, comprising 4,501 (3%) in the AD group and 157,913 (97%) in the nonadhesiolysis (NAD) group. Patient who had received lysis of adhesion were older, had 41% higher odds of overall complications, 17% higher adjusted mean lysis of adhesion (P Conclusions A history of previous open abdominal surgery increases the potential complication rate and hospital length of stay during subsequent laparoscopic surgery. The extent of this relationship deserves further investigation.
Structure and regulation of a polymorphic gene encoding folate receptor type γ/γ′

The human folate receptor (hFR) type gamma and gamma' are constitutively secreted proteins that are expressed primarily in hematopoietic tissues and are potential serum markers for certain hematopoietic malignancies. hFR-gamma' is a variant of hFR-gamma with a two base deletion in its cDNA resulting in a truncated polypeptide. The gene encoding hFR-gamma' was isolated from a placental genomic library. The gene has five exons, four introns and a 5' flanking sequence which contains multiple putative regulatory elements. From RNase protection assay and RACE analysis, the major site of transcriptional initiation was identified at -56 nt. Systematically deleted fragments in the 5' region of the genomic DNA of FR-gamma' were ligated into the PGL3Basic plasmid and the reporter luciferase activity was assayed in cell lysates from transiently transfected NIH3T3 cells. From those results, putative positive and negative regulatory regions in the 5' flanking sequences were noted, and a TATA-less proximal promoter was located between -206 and -22 nt. Gel mobility shift and supershift analyses as well as mutagenesis experiments revealed that Sp1 and ets binding elements in the proximal promoter region confer transcriptional activity. From partial sequencing of genomic DNA, genomic Southern blots, RACE analysis and RNase protection assays, it appears that hFR-gamma shares the gene organization of hFR-gamma'. The results of the analysis of genomic DNA in spleen tissues from several individuals, were consistent with the interpretation that hFR-gamma and hFR-gamma' are encoded by a polymorphic gene.
A highly available job execution service in computational service market

One of the major challenges in managing resources of computational Grids with diverse shared resources is how to meet users' QoS requirements and rationally distribute resources at the same time. In particular, even though less reliable desktop PCs are dominant resource providers of computational Grids, they are often underutilized because they do not exhibit qualities required by typical scientific and business applications targeting computational Grids. Economy-based markets are expected to foster the utilization of those underutilized low quality resource via supply-and-demand. However, our experiment shows that price has its limitation in controlling the supply-and-demand in computational markets. This situation necessitates Highly Available Job Execution Service (HA-JES) which fosters the balanced resource consumption by dynamically and transparently replicating jobs with underutilized and under-priced resources. In particular, the process of job replication in HA-JES occurs in market-driven efficient way; underutilized and therefore cheap resources are exploited to build a high quality resource and hence facilitate balanced resource usage. Our simulation results show that HA-JES benefits all actors in the Grid market in terms of resource utilization, market capacity, and market stability.
Specific Chemopreventive Agents Trigger Proteasomal Degradation of G 1 Cyclins: Implications for Combination Therapy

Purpose: There is a need to identify cancer chemoprevention mechanisms. We reported previously that all- trans- retinoic acid (RA) prevented carcinogenic transformation of BEAS-2B immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells by causing G 1 arrest, permitting repair of genomic DNA damage. G 1 arrest was triggered by cyclin D1 proteolysis via ubiquitin-dependent degradation. This study investigated which chemopreventive agents activated this degradation program and whether cyclin E was also degraded. Experimental Design: This study examined whether: ( a ) cyclin E protein was affected by RA treatment; ( b ) cyclin degradation occurred in derived BEAS-2B-R1 cells that were partially resistant to RA; and ( c ) other candidate chemopreventive agents caused cyclin degradation. Results: RA treatment triggered degradation of cyclin E protein, and ALLN, a proteasomal inhibitor, inhibited this degradation. Induction of the retinoic acid receptor β, growth suppression, and cyclin degradation were each inhibited in BEAS-2B-R1 cells. Transfection experiments in BEAS-2B cells indicated that RA treatment repressed expression of wild-type cyclin D1 and cyclin E, but ALLN inhibited this degradation. Mutation of threonine 286 stabilized transfected cyclin D1, and mutations of threonines 62 and 380 stabilized transfected cyclin E, despite RA treatment. Specific chemopreventive agents triggered cyclin degradation. Nonclassical retinoids (fenretinide and retinoid X receptor agonists) and a synthetic triterpenoid (2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic acid) each suppressed BEAS-2B growth and activated this degradation program. However, a vitamin D3 analog (RO-24–5531), a cyclooxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin), and a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ agonist (rosiglitazone) each suppressed BEAS-2B growth, but did not cause cyclin degradation. BEAS-2B-R1 cells remained responsive to nonclassical retinoids and to 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9-dien-28-oic acid. Conclusions: Specific chemopreventive agents activate cyclin proteolysis. Yet, broad resistance did not occur after acquired resistance to a single agent. This provides a therapeutic rationale for combination chemoprevention with agents activating non-cross-resistant pathways.
On the nature and mechanisms of obstetric influences in schizophrenia: a review and synthesis of epidemiologic studies

Obstetric complications are robust correlates of schizophrenia, but it remains controversial whether more than one neurally-disruptive mechanism is involved and whether such influences covary with, depend on, or are independent of the disorder's genetic basis. Labor and delivery complications (LDCs), particularly perinatal hypoxia, are the most consistently-replicated obstetric correlates of schizophrenia and appear as risk factors in a larger proportion of cases than pregnancy complications (including viral exposure) and signs of fetal maldevelopment. However, the vast majority of individuals exposed to such LDCs, even in the extreme, do not develop schizophrenia, indicating that they are unlikely to cause the disorder on their own. In addition, unaffected siblings and offspring of schizophrenics are no more likely to have a history of LDCs than are unaffected individuals from the general population, indicating that such factors are not likely to be caused by genetic predisposition to the disorder. Findi...
The Use of TMA for Interlaboratory Validation of FISH Testing for Detection of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancer

HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing for breast cancer is largely limited to academic centers and commercial laboratories. As testing demands increase, methods for rapid and cost-effective technical validation and quality assessment will be required. Tissue microarray (TMA), a technique for high-throughput biomarker evaluation, could help facilitate these needs. Our objective was to assess the usefulness of TMA technology for validation of HER2 FISH testing. Two TMA blocks containing paired cores from 41 breast cancers were constructed. HER2 FISH was performed in parallel at two institutions and the results compared. One institution, with considerable HER2 FISH experience, served as the reference laboratory. HER2 chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were compared to the FISH results. For positive and negative results, the concordance rate between laboratories was 100%. Using kappa statistical analysis to determine interobserver agreement, HER2 to chromosome 17 gene copy ratios showed strong agreement between laboratories with kappa = 0.85 (perfect agreement = 1.0). Four cases displaying low-level amplification by CISH contained chromosome 17 polysomy and gene copy ratios of <2.0 by FISH. Good concordance was observed between HER2 IHC and in situ hybridization testing. TMA is a robust and effective method for the technical validation of HER2 FISH testing and should be considered for use by quality assessment programs.
A magnetohydrodynamic simulation of pellet ablation in the electrostatic approximation

A magnetohydrodynamic numerical model for hydrogenic pellet ablation in the electrostatic approximation has been developed based on the method of front tracking. The main features of the model are the explicit tracking of interfaces that separate the solid pellet from the ablated gas and the cold, dense and weakly ionized ablation cloud from the highly conducting fusion plasma, a surface ablation model, a kinetic model for the electron heat flux and an equation of state accounting for atomic processes in the ablation cloud. The interaction of the pellet ablation flow with the magnetic field including the J ×B Lorentz force is studied here systematically for the first time. The model has also been validated through the comparison with the semi-analytic Transonic Flow model and previous purely hydrodynamic simulations. Contrary to prevailing expectations, the ablation rate is reduced only slightly when the geometry is changed from spherically symmetric to axially symmetric, in the case of purely hydrodynamic models. However, in the magnetohydrodynamic simulations the J ×B force funnels the flow into an extended plasma shield, which intercepts the incident plasma heat flux and reduces the ablation rate, depending on the rise time of heat flux seen by the pellet. Shorter ‘warm-up’ times lead to narrower ablation channels, stronger shielding and reduced ablation rates. This new feature implies that pellets traversing strong plasma gradients, as in the edge pedestal region of the ITER plasma, could have significantly lower ablation rates if injected at higher velocity.
Stream cipher using finite-field wavelets

We propose a novel framework to design a stream cipher based on wavelets over finite fields. Encryption and decryption are performed by inverse wavelets and their corresponding wavelet transforms. The system is iterative with each round consisting of two wavelet systems and a nonlinear feedback in the encryption and a nonlinear feedforward in the decryption. The input to the proposed wavelet stream cipher (WSC) is a sequence in the Galois field GF(2/sup 8/). The key consists of 16 symbols of GF(2/sup 8/) that specify the wavelet systems. The security of the system relies on the difficulty of solving nonlinear equations over finite fields which is known to be NP-complete. We have studied the vulnerability of our system to several attacks. Our studies show that although one round might be vulnerable, two rounds resists against all known attacks.
Non-stationary bayesian networks based on perfect simulation

Non-stationary Dynamic Bayesian Networks (Non-stationary DBNs) are widely used to model the temporal changes of directed dependency structures from multivariate time series data. However, the existing change-points based non-stationary DBNs methods have several drawbacks including excessive computational cost, and low convergence speed. In this paper we proposed a novel non-stationary DBNs method. Our method is based on the perfect simulation model. We applied this approach for network structure inference from synthetic data and biological microarray gene expression data and compared it with other two state-of-the-art non-stationary DBNs methods. The experimental results demonstrated that our method outperformed two other state-of-the-art methods in both computational cost and structure prediction accuracy. The further sensitivity analysis showed that once converged our model is robust to large parameter ranges, which reduces the uncertainty of the model behavior.
Effects of Memory Training on Anxiety and Performance in Older Adults.

A new course in memory and memory improvement was taught to two classes of older adults. The class outline and sample improvement techniques are described. All participants were surveyed about their memory complaints, techniques they had learned and used, and whether the course helped reduce anxiety about memory. The second class also took a pre‐ and two posttests of their memory for different stories to measure the effectiveness of the course. Results showed that the most frequent complaint was not being able to remember names and that almost all participants reported a reduction in anxiety. The two classes differed on most frequently used technique. Scores on immediate and 4‐week‐delayed posttests showed significantly better performance than on a pretest of memory. The course seems to reduce anxiety and provide stable, generalizable memory improvement.
ETHNIC DIFFERENCES IN SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG UNMARRIED ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS IN ZIMBABWE

Understanding the social and cultural contextual determinants of sexual behaviour of adolescents and young adults is an essential step towards curtailing the spread of HIV. This study examined the effects of one cultural factor, ethnicity, on sexual abstinence, faithfulness, condom use at last sex, and risky sex among young people in Zimbabwe. Data from the cross-sectional, population-based 2005-06 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey were used. Net of the effect of sociodemographic and social-cognitive factors, and using multinomial logistic regression, ethnicity was found to have a strong and consistent effect on sexual behaviour among youth. In addition, the study found that there were ethnic-specific and within-gender differences in sexual behaviour, for both men and women. Shona youth were more likely to be abstinent than Ndebele youth. Compared with Shona youth, Ndebele youth were more likely to have engaged in risky sex. However, Ndebele men were more likely have used condoms at last sex, compared with Shona men. For both men and women, sexual behaviour was more socially controlled. School attendance and religion exerted protective effects on sexual abstinence. For men only, those living in rural areas were less likely to be faithful and more likely to have engaged in risky sexual behaviour than those living in urban areas. The study attests to the fact that ethnic norms and ideologies of sexuality need to be identified and more thoroughly understood. In addition, the study provides evidence that in order to promote safe and healthy sexuality among young people in Zimbabwe, cultural, social and gender-specific approaches to the development of HIV prevention strategies should be seriously considered. Current success in the Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use (ABC) approach could be strengthened by recognizing and responding to cultural forces that reproduce and perpetuate risky sexual behaviours.
Hybridization of Base Classifiers of Random Subsample Ensembles for Enhanced Performance in High Dimensional Feature Spaces

This paper presents a simulation-based empirical study of the performance profile of random sub sample ensembles with a hybrid mix of base learner composition in high dimensional feature spaces. The performance of hybrid random sub sample ensemble that uses a combination of C4.5, k-nearest neighbor (kNN) and naive Bayes base learners is assessed through statistical testing in comparison to those of homogeneous random sub sample ensembles that employ only one type of base learner. Simulation study employs five datasets with up to 20K features from the UCI Machine Learning Repository. Random sub sampling without replacement is used to map the original high dimensional feature space of the five datasets to a multiplicity of lower dimensional feature subspaces. The simulation study explores the effect of certain design parameters that include the count of base classifiers and sub sampling rate on the performance of the hybrid random subspace ensemble. The ensemble architecture utilizes the voting combiner in all cases. Simulation results indicate that hybridization of base learners for random sub sample ensemble improves the prediction accuracy rates and projects a more robust performance.
Balancing Privacy and Risk in the E-Messaging World

Messaging within an enterprise used to be like the local water department; as long as the email flowed, no one paid any attention to it and all was good. Things are different now - messaging has become the center of a legal and regulatory maelstrom. It's the confluence of security, privacy, and opportunity within an organization. Email and instant messaging reduce the cost of delivering products, increase responsiveness to customers, enfranchise distance expertise, and evenly balance employee work/home responsibilities. Yet, these very same technologies open the door to intellectual property loss, malware intrusions, employee harassment, and compliance violations.
Critical Pedagogy in the Sociology Classroom Challenges and Concerns

Although critical pedagogy has been discussed in the Teaching Sociology literature for nearly twenty years, dialogues about the difficulties in practicing and implementing critical pedagogical strategies in everyday classroom life are less common. In this note, we discuss a predominant theme of our workshop: challenges and concerns that may arise when one attempts to do critical pedagogy. We focus on both challenges and potential solutions for learners, instructors, and institutions of higher education. Understanding what some of these obstacles are and how they manifest in institutions of higher learning goes a long way in devising strategies to assuage their deleterious effects.
INCREASING THE QUALITY OF TIER 1 READING INSTRUCTION: USING PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES TO RESPOND DURING IMPLEMENTATION OF A CORE READING PROGRAM

Recent data on reading achievement indicates that a majority of young students are reading below proficiency. However, current research has shown that providing students with quality, research-based reading instruction can help prevent many reading difficulties. Through the use of core reading programs, teachers have tools available to be able to provide students with evidence-based instruction in the Tier 1 setting. However, classroom teachers need support in instructing core reading programs with the highest quality to increase student reading outcomes. This study provides evidence that providing teachers with performance feedback can improve quality of instruction by increasing the numbers of OTRs delivered during Tier 1 reading instruction. Teachers were observed during core reading program instruction, number of opportunities to respond were counted at the end of each observed lesson. Baseline data trends were used to determine what type of feedback was given during the intervention phase (i.e., teachers were encouraged to increase individual, group, or both OTRs during instruction). During intervention phase, teachers were provided graphic and oral feedback on implementation of the core reading program; suggestions were provided for increasing opportunities to respond during instruction.
Manipulation of working memory contents selectively impairs metacognitive sensitivity in a concurrent visual discrimination task

What are the cognitive mechanisms underlying perceptual metacognition? Prior research indicates that prefrontal cortex (PFC) contributes to metacognitive performance, suggesting that metacognitive judgments are supported by high-level cognitive operations. We explored this hypothesis by investigating metacognitive performance for a visual discrimination task in the context of a concurrent working memory (WM) task. We found that, overall, high WM load caused a nonspecific decrease in visual discrimination performance as well as metacognitive performance. However, active manipulation of WM contents caused a selective decrease in metacognitive performance without impairing visual discrimination performance. These behavioral findings are consistent with previous neuroscience findings that high-level PFC is engaged by and necessary for (i) visual metacognition, and (ii) active manipulation of WM contents, but not mere maintenance. The selective interference of WM manipulation on metacognition suggests that these seemingly disparate cognitive functions in fact recruit common cognitive mechanisms. The common cognitive underpinning of these tasks may consist in (i) higher-order re-representation of lower-level sensory information, and/or (ii) application of decision rules in order to transform representations in PFC into definite cognitive/motor responses.
Nutrition Research with Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Retrospective View

From the above discussion, it is apparent that one or another of the lactic acid bacteria requires each of the B vitamins required by animals and that assay methods developed during study of nutrition of bacteria and yeasts have played a large role in the initial or independent discovery, isolation, and characterization of vitamins, vitamin derivatives, and functionally similar substances. Clear examples include biotin, biocytin, lipoic acid, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pantetheine, folic acid and tetrahydrofolic acid (and their derivatives), pyridoxal, pyridoxamine, and pyridoxamine phosphate. Improved assay methods that use these organisms also have provided much of the currently available information concerning distribution and stability of the vitamins in natural products, while quantitative inconsistencies between assays, when traced to their origin, have frequently revealed previously unknown metabolic precursors, products, or functions of the vitamins and have provided explanations of the mechanisms by which certain peptide growth factors act. Extension of such studies to organisms that cannot yet be grown in media of known composition should provide additional insights into currently obscure areas of nutrition.
How Queer Theory Makes Neoliberalism Sexy

Conservative economic ideology lurks below the surface of the current tension between gender and sexuality in some prominent strands of queer legal theory. By exploring this underlying politics of economics, I aim to show how queer theory has tended to adopt and reinforce an uncritical perspective on questions of law and intimacy similar to conservative strands of “liberal” political theory. This new queer flirtation with liberalism is particularly problematic because queer theory claims a position more rigorously critical of liberalism than feminist theory.
Dynamic coupling-decoupling crossover in the current-driven vortex-state in Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 studied using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Employing terahertz time-domain spectroscopy in transmission, we have measured the Josephson plasma resonance in Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 high-T c thin films, and studied the current-driven coupling-decoupling crossover in the driven vortex lattice.
Secondary Line Price Discrimination and the Fate of Morton Salt: To Save It, Let It Go

For more than 50 years, the United States Supreme Court's decision in FTC v. Morton Salt has provided the controversial foundation for claims of secondary line price discrimination under the Robinson Patman Act. That controversy is focused on the decision's equation of persistent price differences with injury to competition, which has been labeled the "Morton Salt inference" -- from a persistent difference in price over time, courts are authorized to infer injury to a competitor and ultimately injury to competition. No distinct evidence of injury to competition is required, setting secondary line price discrimination apart from other antitrust offenses, including primary line price discrimination. Despite years of criticism, however, it appears that at least a portion of the Morton Salt inference is too well grounded in legislative history and statutory language to permit courts to waiver from its application, absent Congressional action, which remains unlikely. In contrast to previous calls for amendment or repeal, therefore, this article more closely examines the history and development of the Morton Salt inference and proposes modifications that could rationalize its use. The cornerstone of the approach is a recognition that the Morton Salt inference is in fact two, distinct inferences: (1) from a difference in price over time injury to a competitor can be inferred; and (2) from injury to a competitor, the law infers injury to competition. Whereas the second inference is a clear function of legislative mandate, the article offers alternative avenues for determining when differences in price in fact can lead to the kind of competitive disadvantage that was the principal concern of the Robinson Pattman amendments to the Clayton Act.
Potential contributions of training intensity on locomotor performance in individuals with chronic stroke.

Background and purpose Many interventions can improve walking ability of individuals with stroke, although the training parameters that maximize recovery are not clear. For example, the contribution of training intensity has not been well established and may contribute to the efficacy of many locomotor interventions. The purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the effects of locomotor training intensity on walking outcomes in individuals with gait deficits poststroke. Methods Using a randomized cross-over design, 12 participants with chronic stroke (>6-month duration) performed either high-intensity (70%-80% of heart rate reserve; n = 6) or low-intensity (30%-40% heart rate reserve; n = 6) locomotor training for 12 or fewer sessions over 4 to 5 weeks. Four weeks following completion, the alternate training intervention was performed. Training intensity was manipulated by adding loads or applying resistance during walking, with similar speeds, durations, and amount of stepping practice between conditions. Results Greater increases in 6-Minute Walk Test performance were observed following high-intensity training compared with low-intensity training. A significant interaction of intensity and order was also observed for 6-Minute Walk Test and peak treadmill speed, with the largest changes in those who performed high-intensity training first. Moderate correlations were observed between locomotor outcomes and measures of training intensity. Conclusion This study provides the first evidence that the intensity of locomotor practice may be an important independent determinant of walking outcomes poststroke. In the clinical setting, the intensity of locomotor training can be manipulated in many ways, although this represents only 1 parameter to consider.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A90).
Stimulating nitrate removal processes of restored wetlands.

The environmental and health effects caused by nitrate contamination of aquatic systems are a serious problem throughout the world. A strategy proposed to address nitrate pollution is the restoration of wetlands. However, although natural wetlands often remove nitrate via high rates of denitrification, wetlands restored for water quality functions often fall below expectations. This may be in part because key drivers for denitrification, in particular soil carbon, are slow to develop in restored wetlands. We added organic soil amendments that range along a gradient of carbon lability to four newly restored wetlands in western New York to investigate the effect of carbon additions on denitrification and other processes of the nitrogen cycle. Soil carbon increased by 12.67–63.30% with the use of soil amendments (p ≤ 0.0001). Soil nitrate, the carbon to nitrogen ratio, and microbial biomass nitrogen were the most significant predictors of denitrification potential. Denitrification potential, potential net ni...
Flow dynamics and mixing of a sonic jet into supersonic crossflow

The flow dynamics and mixing process of a sonic ethylene jet into supersonic air crossflow is numerically investigated based on the large-eddy-simulation (LES) technique, with special attention given to the near-injector and near-wall turbulence treatment. The salient turbulent, vortical, and shock structures are examined to identify the mechanisms dictating the supersonic mixing layer. Results reveal that the periodic shedding of shearlayer vortices accounts significantly for the crossflow entrainment through the stretchingtilting-tearing mechanism. The calculated mixing is qualitatively comparable to the experimental data. The possible roles of the low-speed regions, both ahead of the jet and in the wake region, are also explored to further elucidate the system characteristics. Nomenclature a = Speed of sound, m/s C = Ethylene concentration d = Jet diameter, mm J = Jet-to-crossflow momentum ratio M = Mach number
Field Survey of the June 23, 2001 Earthquake and Tsunami in Southern Peru

A great earthquake occurred near the coast of southern Peru, about 110 miles (175 km) west of Arequipa, or about 370 miles (595 kin) southeast of Lima at 20:33 UTC (3:33 PM local). A revised moment magnitude of 8.4 (Harvard) was computed for this earthquake, making this the largest earthquake in the past 25 years (Dengler 2001a). The earthquake was also associated with a large tsunami. Initial reports described 1-kin inland inundation, 5 m of runup and extensive damage and flooding. It was determinedthat the tsunami affected 300 m of coastline with the highest runup concentrated along a 20 km stretch of coast near Camana. The event also created a transpacific tsunami that was recorded at tidal stations across the Pacific Basin with 10 to 40 cm waves amplitudes recorded in California, 70 cm in Hawaii and up to 50 cm in Japan. In all, 22 people were killed, 62 were reported as missing, and 3000 structures were damaged or destroyed. INTRODUCTION The subduction zone created at the boundary of the South American and Nazca plates is no stranger to large earthquakes and tsunamis. There have been several events over magnitude 8 in this century alone. Historical records describe great earthquakes and tsunamis going back hundreds of years. The June 23, 2001 event is consistent with previous inter-plate thrustingearthquakesin the region (Giv~ti et al. 2001). Many of these historical large earthquakes in the region were also accompanied by tsunamis. Most recently, Bourgeois et al. (1999) documented the effects of the 1996 Chimbote earthquake and tsunami in Northern Peru. Figure 1 shows a map of the region and the location of the epicenter. 1 Direct correspondence to Jose Borrero, University of Southern California, Department of Civil Engineering, KAP 210 Los Angeles, CA 90089 2531. Jborrero@usc.edu, http:www.use.edu/dept/tsunamis/peru01
Blood Pressure Control Among Patients with Diabetes and Coronary Heart Disease

The blood pressure threshold for patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease is a controversial point.Early guidelines suggested possible decreased risk with intensive control,whereas some more recent trials suggested possible increased risk for severe hypotension with more stringent control.Therefore the guidelines have been changed,or are to be changed in many countries.This paper summarizes recent developments in blood pressure management for patients with diabetes and coronary heart disease.
Splenic circulatory dynamics in congestive splenomegaly.

Splenic circulatory dynamics were studied in 19 patients, 12 of whom had congestive splenomegaly. In 10 patients with markedly enlarged congested spleens (spleen weight > 600 g), the spleen represented > 1% of body weight, and was associated with an enlarged (> 8 mm diameter) tortuous splenic artery and rapid splenic arterial flow (1191 ± 177 ml per min or 118 ± 17 ml per min per 100 g of spleen). Cross-clamping of the splenic artery reduced portal system pressure (26.7 ± 2.6 mm Hg to 19.0 ± 1.6 mm Hg). On the other hand, in 9 patients with minimally enlarged congested spleens (spleen weight 0.50). In all patients, splenic venous oxygen saturation was high (mean, approximately 90%). These findings indicate that splenic enlargement in patients with congestive splenomegaly is proportional to splenic arterial inflow, whereas elevated splenic venous pressure derives not only from increased resistance to splenic venous outflow, but also from increased splenic arterial inflow. Splenic venous oxygen saturation is high with or without splenomegaly, and therefore cannot be invoked as evidence of pathological arteriovenous shunting.
Cost Analysis of Physician Assistant Home Visit Program to Reduce Readmissions After Cardiac Surgery

Background A physician assistant home care (PAHC) program providing house calls was initiated to reduce hospital readmissions after adult cardiac surgery. The purpose of our study was to compare 30-day PAHC and pre-PAHC readmission rate, length of stay, and cost. Methods Patients who underwent adult cardiac surgery in the 48 months from September 2008 through August 2012 were retrospectively reviewed using pre-PAHC patients as the control group. Readmission rate, length of stay, and health care cost, as measured by hospital billing, were compared between groups matched with propensity score. Results Of the 1,185 patients who were discharged directly home, 155 (13%) were readmitted. Total readmissions for the control group (n = 648) was 101 patients (16%) compared with the PAHC group (n = 537) total readmissions of 54 (10%), a 38% reduction in the rate of readmission ( p = 0.0049). Propensity score matched groups showed a rate reduction of 41% with 17% (62 of 363) for the control compared with 10% (37 of 363) for the PAHC group ( p = 0.0061). The average hospital bill per readmission was $39,100 for the control group and $56,600 for the PAHC group ( p = 0.0547). The cost of providing home visits was $25,300 for 363 propensity score matched patients. Conclusions The PAHC program reduced the 30-day readmission rate by 41% for propensity score matched patients. Analysis demonstrated a savings of $977,500 at a cost of $25,300 over 2 years, or $39 in health care saved, in terms of hospital billing, for every $1 spent. Therefore, a home visit by a cardiac surgical physician assistant is a cost-effective strategy to reduce readmissions after cardiac surgery.
Bile Acids, Fiber and Cancer

Dietary fiber is a term coined by Hipsley[l] to describe material supposedly undegraded by our enzymes or digestive juices. Trowell[2] later expanded this definition to add the source of the material, namely plant cell walls. The designation “dietary fiber” has also been broadened to include other cellular materials. A precise definition that will satisfy everyone is still lacking, but it is safe to assert that the term “dietary fiber” has entered our scientific vocabulary and will not be dislodged easily. The principal dietary fibers are lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin; all but lignin are carbohydrate in nature. The designation of fiber now also includes polysaccharide food additives such as gums, mucilages and algal polysaccharides. Each has a definite chemical structure, specific chemical and physical properties and unique physiological effects. With the exception of lignin, all dietary fibers are degraded to some extent by the intestinal flora. Pectin and plant gums are almost completely degraded, whereas cellulose is degraded to a small extent[3]. It should also be noted that the Fiber Hypothesis relating to its effects on health and disease as propounded by Cleave[4] and Burkitt and Trowell[5] is based on a dietary life style, not on additions of specific substances to the diet. Furthermore, dietary patterns are often related to affluence, and diets high in fiber are usually low in fats and other macro-nutrients.
The effects of three-dimensional defects on one-way surface plasmon propagation for photonic topological insulators comprised of continuum media

We have investigated one-way surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) at the interface of a continuum magnetoplasma material and metal, in the presence of three-dimensional surface defects. Bulk electromagnetic modes of continuum materials have Chern numbers, analogous to those of photonic crystals. This can lead to the appearance of topologically-protected surface modes at material interfaces, propagating at frequencies inside the bandgap of the bulk materials. Previous studies considered two-dimensional structures; here we consider the effect of three-dimensional defects and show that, although backward propagation/reflection cannot occur, side scattering does take place and has significant effect on the propagation of the surface mode. Several different waveguiding geometries are considered for reducing the effects of side-scattering and we also consider the effects of metal loss.
The RANTES Chemokine

RANTES is a member of the C-C family of chemoattractant cytokines (chemokines). It is secreted by T lymphocytes late after activation, and by fibroblasts, epithelial cells and endothelial cells after stimulation with tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and interferon-γ. RANTES is a potent chemoattractant for monocytes, memory T cells, basophils and eosinophils. It also triggers basophil degranulation and activates eosinophils.
How do policymakers and think tank stakeholders prioritize the risks of the nuclear fuel cycle? A semantic network analysis

In recent years, the importance of stakeholder involvement and of integrating diverse perspectives into risk management has gained increasing recognition. However, it remains a challenging task to identify all potentially relevant stakeholders and to reliably describe their deeply held beliefs regarding the risks associated with complex industrial systems. For example, the development of advanced nuclear fuel cycles presents such a case. Based on a review of policy-making literatures and a content analysis of congressional records, we identify federal agencies and nonprofit policy institutes (also known as ‘think tanks’) as key stakeholders that are representative of those actively involved in making high-level decisions on the US nuclear energy policy. Using a semantic network analysis approach, we visually delineate the thematic areas of each party’s perceptions concerning fuel cycle risks. The results show that although governmental and think tank stakeholders share common concerns in areas such as nuc...
Comparison of high protein vs. high carbohydrate diets on weight loss, cardiovascular factors, incretins and satiety

O studies comparing the effects of dietary macronutrients on metabolic parameters show that a High Protein (HP) diet (30% protein, 30% fat, 40% CHO) vs. a High Carbohydrate (HC) diet (15% protein, 30% fat, 55% CHO) results in greater reduction in insulin resistance and oxidative stress in the HP group than the HC group after 6 months (mo) on the diets. Since the incretin GLP-1 has an important role in insulin sensitivity we studied the effect of the diets on GLP-1. Studies have shown that HP diets can potentially induce satiety, therefore we studied diet effects on ghrelin levels. Additionally, since cardiovascular risk factors decreased more in the HP than the HC diet, we determined if the B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) released from the heart was affected by either diet. 24 Obese women were randomized to HP or HC diets. All food was provided for the 6 mo study. Ghrelin, GLP-1 and BNP levels were determined with MTT at baseline and after 6 mo on HP and HC diets. Results are shown in the Table. HP ghrelin results demonstrate that HP diet can induce satiety and is more effective than the HC diet. HP diet had a greater increase in GLP-1 than the HC diet. The BNP decrease in both groups demonstrates the improvement in heart tissue with the HP diet having a greater effect than the HC diet. Although weight loss was similar (9.8% in HP group and 9.3% in HC group) this study demonstrates that the HP diet has additional health benefits compared to the HC diet.
A gradient algorithm for adaptive orthogonal FIR filter banks with arbitrary magnitude constraints

In this paper, we present a novel gradient-based algorithm for adapting a multichannel FIR filter bank under channel orthogonality and magnitude response constraints. The technique is the multichannel extension of a previously-derived approach for single-channel phase-only adaptive filtering. The algorithm is simple, requiring about four multiply/adds per adaptive filter coefficient to implement. We prove that the differential form of the algorithm maintains the magnitude and orthogonality constraints implicitly through its adaptation. Computer simulation results are provided which confirm the accurate performance of the algorithm in modeling paraunitary systems.
ALSHub: How Users Access the Advanced Light Source

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) rolled out ALSHub, a user portal for all ALS users, in 2014. The functionality within ALSHub has steadily increased since that time. To access the ALS, all potential users need to register and create a profile within ALSHub. The registration is received by ALS staff, who use the details to process the record and obtain a unique Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) ID for the person which will be used in all of their future interactions with LBNL.
Abstract 459: Noninvasive Measures of Arterial Stiffness in a Young Normotensive/Prehypertensive Patient Population

Introduction Noninvasive measures of atherosclerosis have become established tools for cardiovascular risk prediction, largely studied in older individuals. Pulse pressure (PP) is a simple surrogate measure of arterial stiffness, while Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index (AASI) is a relatively new vascular compliance measure calculated as 1 minus the regression slope of DBP over SBP readings obtained from 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). We examined the hypothesis: PP and AASI correlate with blood pressure (BP), along with microvascular and endothelial function, in young adult normotensive and prehypertensive subjects. Methods 24 hour BP, PP, and AASI were calculated from ABPM, and clinic BP obtained in 140 subjects (87 female, 53 male; 117 non-black, 23 black) with mean +/- sd age 26 +/- 6 years. Strain gauge plethysmography was used to assess endothelial function. Microvascular function was measured with direct capillaroscopy visualization of capillaries. Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression were used to analyze BP, microvascular, and endothelial function as predictors of PP and AASI, controlling for BMI, gender, age and race. Results PP and AASI are correlated (r=0.59; p Conclusions In conclusion, both PP and AASI are associated with SBP in young normotensive and prehypertensive patients, indicating potential usefulness of these measures for early identification of arterial stiffness and associated cardiovascular risk, prior to development of established hypertension. Microvascular and endothelial dysfunction may contribute to the pathophysiology underlying higher PP/AASI values, with AASI more closely correlated with these processes.
Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of the Mid-Atlantic Region

Freshwater macroinvertebrates are an extremely diverse and adaptive group of organisms that have successfully invaded virtually every type of aquatic habitat. This chapter provides a habitat-based description of Mid-Atlantic region (MAR) macroinvertebrates, beginning with a review of adaptations to differing aquatic environments, followed by a synopsis of Riparia’s research regarding macroinvertebrate bioassessments in various hydrogeomorphic (HGM) wetland types. Early research revealed that the HGM classification was insufficient in controlling natural variation, making it difficult to assess community responses to anthropogenic disturbance. This prompted an effort to develop a more ecologically relevant habitat classification for MAR wetland macroinvertebrates. The remainder of the chapter presents a case study of this habitat approach applied to headwater and floodplain complexes. First, we defined the riverine hierarchy by building on existing classification schemes and adding a level, the aquatic ecological set, to differentiate between habitats structured by flow, flood, and groundwater pulses. Next, we compiled the macroinvertebrate data collected from all aquatic habitats within reference-standard floodplain reaches and did an exploratory analysis, which revealed six major habitat types: riffle, other baseflow, and flow pulse habitats in the active zone, flood pulse habitats in the floodplain, seasonal groundwater, and temporary habitats. Further comparison with impacted riverine complexes indicated these systems respond to anthropogenic disturbance primarily through changes in hydrological connectivity and hydroperiod. The end result is loss of flow pulse habitats, floodplain terrestrialization, and loss of heterogeneity in wetland habitats, the latter primarily through a shift from seasonal to either permanent or ephemeral hydroperiods.