cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 109 – Genetic Variation

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on genetic variability and its applications in entomology. Without change, genome would be passed identically to future generations. But it would also constrain potential future adaptation to new situations. Only when genetic variability is present processes such as selection, genetic drift, and migration can act to change the frequencies of genetic variants and in doing so allow evolution that may lead to adaptation and ultimately even speciation. Understanding genetic variation—its origins, maintenance, and pattern of change—is critical to understanding the diversity of life. The origins of genetic variability rest in the processes of mutation, which are typically classified by the type of change caused by the mutational event. Rates of mutation vary widely and can be influenced by the internal genetic environment as well as by the external environment. Rates of mutation are also affected by genome size and type, i.e., whether organellar or nuclear. Recent advances both in DNA sequencing technology and bioinformatics have made possible the complete DNA sequencing and annotation of genomes of over 100 eukaryote organisms, including numerous insect species. Comparative studies of insect genomes, which are much more diverse than comparable vertebrate lineages, reveal much about the evolutionary mechanisms and origins of animal genotypes. Knowledge of genetic variability and processes that underlie its origins and maintenance is central to many research questions in insect biology, such as insect pest management, the structure and dynamics of insect populations, classical biological control, and conservation biology.
Correction to: Office Housework, Burnout, and Promotion: Does Gender Matter?

In the final version of the publication, the acknowledgement was missing. The data were supported by an ERC pilot grant, and they should be acknowledged.
Children's evaluations of third-party responses to unfairness: Children prefer helping over punishment.

Abstract Third-party punishment of selfish individuals is an important mechanism to intervene against unfairness. However, there is another way in which third parties can intervene. Rather than focusing on the unfair individual, third parties can choose to help those who were treated unfairly by reducing inequality. Such third-party helping as an alternative to third-party punishment has received little attention in studies with children. Across four studies, we examined the evaluations of third-party punishment versus third-party helping in N = 322 5- to 9-year-old children. Study 1, 3 and 4 showed that when asked about the agents directly, children evaluated both helpers and punishers positively, but they preferred helpers over punishers overall. When asked about the type of intervention itself, children preferred helping over punishment, suggesting that their preference for the type of intervention corresponds to how children think about the agents performing these interventions. Study 2 showed that children's preference for third-party helping is driven by distributive justice concerns and not a mere preference for giving or resource maximization as children consider which type of third-party intervention decreases inequality. Together, these studies demonstrate that children between 5 and 9 years of age develop a sophisticated understanding of punishment and helping as two adequate forms of intervention, but also display a preference for third-party helping. We discuss how these findings and prior work with adults support the hypothesis of developmental continuity, showing that a preference for helping over punishment is deeply rooted in ontogeny.
Nanochannel-Based Poration Drives Benign and Effective Nonviral Gene Delivery to Peripheral Nerve Tissue

While gene and cell therapies have emerged as promising treatment strategies for various neurological conditions, heavy reliance on viral vectors can hamper widespread clinical implementation. Here, the use of tissue nanotransfection as a platform nanotechnology to drive nonviral gene delivery to nerve tissue via nanochannels, in an effective, controlled, and benign manner is explored. TNT facilitates plasmid DNA delivery to the sciatic nerve of mice in a voltage-dependent manner. Compared to standard bulk electroporation (BEP), impairment in toe-spread and pinprick response is not caused by TNT, and has limited to no impact on electrophysiological parameters. BEP, however, induces significant nerve damage and increases macrophage immunoreactivity. TNT is subsequently used to deliver vasculogenic cell therapies to crushed nerves via delivery of reprogramming factor genes Etv2, Foxc2, and Fli1 (EFF). The results indicate the TNT-based delivery of EFF in a sciatic nerve crush model leads to increased vascularity, reduced macrophage infiltration, and improved recovery in electrophysiological parameters compared to crushed nerves that are TNT-treated with sham/empty plasmids. Altogether, the results indicate that TNT can be a powerful platform nanotechnology for localized nonviral gene delivery to nerve tissue, in vivo, and the deployment of reprogramming-based cell therapies for nerve repair/regeneration.
Predicting the Individual Treatment Effect of Neurosurgery for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury in the Low-Resource Setting: A Machine Learning Approach in Uganda.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In these low-resource settings, effective triage of patients with TBI—including the decision of whe...
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibition for Prophylaxis of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease

Abstract Background Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4; also known as CD26), a transmembrane receptor expressed on T cells, has a costimulatory function in activating T cells. In a mouse model, down-reg...
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine-potential therapeutic application for the treatment of COVID-19

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete medical system that has evolved over millennia to include practices and procedures such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, manual therapies, nutrition, and mind–body therapies such as qi gong. In modern-day China and other Asian countries, TCM is a medical subspecialty utilized alongside western biomedicine. During the current Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, TCM and TCM herbal medicine is being used and a number of single herbs and combination formulas have significant bioactivity and therapeutic potential. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the use of TCM in the treatment of COVID-19. This commentary provides the reader with a concise background on COVID-19 and summarizes TCM concepts including identification, pattern diagnosis, and treatment principles commonly used for the treatment of viral influenza-like diseases. It also highlights some of the challenges and potential for using TCM in an integrated medical setting.
The Importance of Practice Facilitation in Primary Care When Pandemic Takes Hold: Relationships of Resilience

The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in recent history as radically and forcefully changing healthcare delivery. Practice facilitators, who often use tools of improvement science, have long played a critical role in supporting routine primary care practice transformation when healthcare system and policy changes occur. However, current events have taken many healthcare systems to the brink of collapse. Our practice facilitation team, which has a long history of sustained primary care partnerships in rural under-resourced settings, is finding creative solutions to carry forward work in research and quality improvement, and the tools of improvement science are well-suited to address rapidly changing demands of primary care during such a crisis. We reflect here on practice facilitation through the pandemic-the value of applied improvement science, and the critical necessity of strong relationships, flexibility, and creativity to support ongoing primary care partnerships.
University Administration of Scientific Ethics

The hexagon case illustrates the full range of ethical conflicts. The discovery of a collaborator’s misrepresentations was a disconcerting event. When the collaborators engaged in a cover-up to try to hide the discrepancies, it became clear that the misrepresentations were falsifications. When the collaborators attempted to block publication of any of the research by threats of legal action and claims that all of the samples were intellectual property, University 1 forbade me from publishing. Under current federal research misconduct regulation there was only one course of action remaining; to make an allegation of research misconduct. After winning the battle to have the right to publish, the respondents made allegations of sample theft and other claims to journal editors. The hexagon case revealed the extent to which financial interests were of paramount importance to the public universities involved. The two universities involved acted exclusively in their own financial interest. One had interests in maintaining intellectual property, equity stakes, and protection the investment in new faculty members (and their grants) and the other university wished to avoid a lawsuit, which seemed a credible enough threat once a binder full of legal letters had been received. The research misconduct regulation apparently did not foresee the ways that legal interference could force delays and change the trajectory of an investigation.
Electrostatic Flocking of Insulative and Biodegradable Polymer Microfibers for Biomedical Applications

Electrostatic flocking, a textile engineering technique, uses Coulombic driving forces to propel conductive microfibers toward an adhesive-coated substrate, leaving a forest of aligned fibers. Though an easy way to induce anisotropy along a surface, this technique is limited to microfibers capable of accumulating charge. This study reports a novel method, utilizing principles from the percolation theory to make electrically insulative polymeric microfibers flockable. A variety of well-mixed, conductive materials are added to multiple insulative and biodegradable polymer microfibers during wet spinning, which enables nearly all types of polymer microfibers to accumulate sufficient charges required for flocking. Biphasic, biodegradable scaffolds are fabricated by flocking silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-filled poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) microfibers onto substrates made from 3D printing, electrospinning, and thin-film casting. The incorporation of AgNP into PCL fibers and use of chitosan-based adhesive enables antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The fabricated scaffolds demonstrate both favorable in vitro cell response and new tissue formation after subcutaneous implantation in rats, as evident by newly formed blood vessels and infiltrated cells. This technology opens the door for using previously unflockable polymer microfibers as surface modifiers or standalone structures in various engineering fields.
An Analysis of Global Research Trends and Top-Cited Research Articles in Cardio-Oncology

Background: As novel cancer therapies continue to improve patient outcomes, there is an increased need for prevention and management of the cardiovascular side effects of these therapies. For this reason, the field of cardio-oncology has experienced significant scientific growth, particularly during the last decade. This study aims to assess the global publication trends and highlight the top-cited scientific articles related to cardio-oncology. Methods: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of multiple scientific databases was performed to characterize global publication trends in cardio-oncology from 1864 to 2020 and to determine the top-cited papers addressing cardio-oncology as a field of study. Results: We identified 1,294 publications with 14,494 citations that describe cardio-oncology as a field. Cardio-oncology was the most prevalent term in the literature and was first mentioned in an article from Italy in 1996. There was no further mention of the term “cardio-oncology” until 2003, and later again in 2008. After 2010, there was a consistent increase in the number of publications and citations in cardio-oncology. Among the top 50 most cited papers, there was a noticeable trend of higher number of review articles (n = 28, 56%, with 3,208 citations), followed by guidelines and position papers (n = 9, 18%, with 2,299 citations) and original research articles (n = 9, 18%, with 1,451 citations). The most common specialty for the senior corresponding authors of the top 50 most cited papers was cardiology (n = 36; 72%), followed by oncology (n = 5; 10%); and the most prevalent countries of origin were the USA (n = 26; 52%), Italy (n = 8; 16%), and Canada (n = 6; 12%). Conclusion: Our quantitative analysis of publication trends in the field of cardio-oncology objectively showed the growing scientific interest in the field. To our knowledge, this is the first bibliometric analysis that determined the top 50 most cited articles in the field of cardio-oncology. Cardiol Res. 2021;12(5):309-317 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/cr1291
The surprise element: A hallmark of creativity in scientists, artists, and comedians.

Truly creative works of science and art produce unexpected and surprising results—just like the punch line of a good joke that generates an unfamiliar twist on a familiar idea. Surprise stimulates curiosity, which triggers a search to reveal the mystery of things unknown.
Defining a Strategy for Laboratory Evaluation with Expectant Management of Preeclampsia

Objective The objective of this study was to compare the frequency and timing of laboratory abnormalities and evaluate optimal laboratory testing strategies in women with preeclampsia (PE) undergoing expectant management. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of women with inpatient expectant management of PE at ≥23 weeks at a tertiary center from 2015 to 2018 was conducted. Women ineligible for expectant management or with less than two laboratory sets (platelets, aspartate aminotransferase, and serum creatinine) before the decision to deliver were excluded. Women were categorized as per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' definitions by initial diagnosis: PE without severe features, superimposed preeclampsia (SiPE) without severe features, and their forms with severe features. The frequency and timing of laboratory abnormalities were compared across the four PE categories. Kaplan–Meier curves modeled time to a laboratory abnormality (event) with censoring for delivery and were compared using log-rank tests. Logistic regression analysis modeled the development of a laboratory abnormality as a function of testing time intervals (days) for each PE type. Receiver operating characteristic curves and areas under the curve (AUC) were calculated; optimal cut points were determined using the Liu method. Results Among 636 women who met inclusion criteria, laboratory abnormalities were uncommon (6.3%). The median time to a laboratory abnormality among all women was ≤10 days, time being shortest in women with PE with severe features. Time to laboratory abnormality development did not differ significantly between the four PE groups (p = 0.36). Laboratory assessment intervals were most predictive for PE and SiPE with severe features (AUC = 0.87, AUC = 0.72). Optimal cutoffs were every 4 days for PE without severe features, 2 days for PE with severe features, 8 days for SiPE without severe features, and 3 days for SiPE with severe features. Conclusion Most laboratory abnormalities in PE occur earlier and more frequently in those with severe features. Individual phenotypes should undergo serial evaluation based on this risk stratification. Key Points
More On Gunflints

Since the publication of John Witthoft’s important article on the manufacture and evolution of gunflints, there have been a number of useful additions to the literature that improve the understanding of this interesting item of technology.
Migration and Homing in Multiple Myeloma

The introduction of agents targeting multiple myeloma (MM), an incurable cancer of plasma cells (PC), in the context of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment has radically changed the prognosis of the disease. Expected overall survival of patients has increased from 2-3 years in the 1950s to the currently estimated 7-8 years. The uncovering of the crucial pathogenetic role of the BM niche in nurturing MM cells by promoting survival, proliferation and drug resistance has been instrumental in designing more effective treatments. Historically, the stigmata of MM has been the presence of multiple foci of bone disease, herein the nomenclature ­“multiple”. Together with the production of a monoclonal immunoglobulin, the capacity of cancer cells to traffic between distant bone sites and home to the BM is the pathognomonic feature of MM. In this chapter we will review the molecular mechanisms sustaining MM trafficking and homing to the BM and the maladaptive interaction with the BM niche, with an emphasis on the development of novel drugs to target these processes.
COMMAND AND CONTROL TO LOCAL CONTROL: THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PERMIT LAW

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Permit Law1 has changed very little since it was enacted in 1969, but there has been an evolu­ tion in the way it is perceived and used. Thirty years ago, the law was seen as a weapon to fight exclusion and racism, and it was gen­ erally referred to as the Anti-Snob Zoning Act. Today, though no one would argue that these problems have been solved, the law is more commonly called the Comprehensive Permit Law, and the emphasis has shifted to what is less controversial-the ongoing af­ fordable housing crisis. Though I suspect that the reasons for this shift and its results have both good and bad aspects, this comment focuses on the positive changes, which sometimes go unrecognized. Thirty years ago, strident opposition to affordable housing in the suburbs was typically seen as explicit racism or, at best, eco­ nomic discrimination. Housing advocates tended to portray the lo­ cal opposition as the enemy and to measure the success of the Massachusetts law in terms of how much housing had been bull­ dozed past that opposition. In the past fifteen years, however, we have come to recognize that both the reasons for opposition to af~ fordable housing and the measures of our success are more complicated. First, we have become aware that for most proposed develop­ ment-affordable housing or otherwise-there are legitimate neighborhood concerns that must be addressed. Second, under cer­ tain circumstances, any of us may become an opponent of develop­ ment. If we have an acre or two of woods near where we live or if our city apartment looks out over a vacant lot, we would normally prefer things to remain the same. It is not necessarily that we do not want to see affordable housing, but more simply that we would
Using Scrum to manage student projects

Project work may be included in any class, but it is fundamental to software engineering courses and senior-level capstone classes. Projects expose students to the practical problems of software development, and provide dynamic and unscripted learning opportunities. However, the very nature of projects creates additional challenges for instructors. Left to themselves, most student teams will descend into crisis mode, spending inordinate amounts of time on the project in the last week or two. Such an ending is inevitably unsatisfying for both the students and the instructor. Clearly, instructor intervention is required, but what kind of intervention is appropriate? For the past two years, this author, a certified Scrum master, has been using a modified version of Scrum as an effective form of intervention.
Identifying Subcellular Locations from Images of Unknown Resolution

Our group has previously used machine learning techniques to develop computational systems to automatically analyse fluorescence microscope images and classify the location of the depicted protein. Based on this work, we developed a system, the Subcellular Location Image Finder (slif), which mines images from scientific journals for analysis.
Semi-Global Stabilization with Guaranteed Regional Performance

We revisit the problem of semi-globally stabilizing a linear system on its null controllable region with saturating actuators. This problem has been solved for single input systems with one or two anti-stable poles in both the continuous-time and discrete-time settings in 4 and 5, respec­tively. In this chapter, we will consider more general systems, possibly multiple input and with more than two anti-stable poles
Monday, August 30, 2010—West Lafayette, IN

On Monday morning, Delta sat down at her computer in her office in the west wing of Beering Hall, and typed in her ID and password.
Artificial incubation of Maleo Macrocephalon maleo eggs at the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society, New York

Megapodes are characterized by using means other than body heat to incubate their eggs. The Maleo Macrocephalon maleo is endemic to Sulawesi where it is Endangered, and lays its eggs in pits excavated in soil heated by geothermal sources. A novel method used to incubate Maleo eggs at the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society, NY, USA, is reported here. Using a forced-air hatcher, the eggs rest on a bed of plastic beads inside a plastic container. Incubation parameters were 32·5°C and 89–90% relative humidity, with an 83% hatch success after an incubation period of c. 70 days. A strong correlation was found between higher incubation temperature and shorter incubation period. The eggs lost an average of 21% of their initial weight between evaporation through the shell during incubation and the liquid discharged from the egg at hatching. The rate of weight loss changed during incubation, starting very slowly and increasing dramatically at the end of the period. Further studies should investigate the effects of humidity on hatchability and survival of chicks, the effect of temperature on the sex ratio of hatchings, as well as the effect of the orientation of the egg during incubation on hatchability.
Modelling and verification of XeF2 silicon micromachining

In the present work, a new and computer-controlled xenon difluoride etching equipment for silicon was designed and installed. A model for the XeF2 isotropic etching of silicon based on an atomic approach and fine tuned through pressure increase in the reaction chamber, due to formation of the reaction products, is presented. The shape of the etch features is predicted by a Matlab® code, based on the developed model. The etch depth and lateral under-etch can be calculated for a given feature and the chamber loading. The effect of concave corners is ignored in the model although the experimental results indicated a slow down etch rate at such locations. Using the designed etching equipment, experiments were carried on silicon samples with square and circular mask openings in order to validate the proposed etching model. The experimental values were compared with the theoretical ones and were found to be in good agreement.
Laboratory-related Outcomes in Healthcare

Outcomes studies, long common on the therapeutic side of medicine, are appearing in the diagnostic arena. Outcomes can be defined as results of medical interventions (therapies or tests) in terms of health or cost. The studies of outcomes are important because funding for medical interventions increasingly depends on them; a major accrediting agency even defines "quality" entirely in terms of outcomes. The study of laboratory-related outcomes is complex. Multiple steps occur between testing and outcomes, physicians act unpredictably on test results, and outcomes studies have high costs relative to potential profit from the test. Study design often must specify the action that is to follow a test result. The model outcomes study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The CONSORT statement, which is used as a guideline for RCTs of therapies, is largely applicable to studies of diagnostic interventions. Recent laboratory-related RCTs have addressed questions such as: "Does routine testing before cataract surgery decrease morbidity or mortality?" and "Does fecal occult bleed testing decrease the incidence of colorectal cancer?" RCTs of tests are sometimes impractical. Other approaches include simulation modeling and the use of intervention and control periods of testing. As for RCTs, these approaches require careful attention to study design, data analysis, and interpretation and reporting of results.
An investigation of spin coating of electron resists

This paper reports the results of spin coating studies of an electron resist using several different solvents. Two problems which were frequently observed during the spin coating studies were the appearance of orange peel coatings and the formation of cloudy films. The appearance of orange peel is attributed to the rapid drying of low-boiling solvents. The formation of a cloudy film is believed to be caused by the hygroscopic nature of the solvents used. The resist film thickness can be approximated by the relationship l = KC2.1/ω0.5, where l is film thickness, C is volume fraction of polymer resist, K is a constant and ω is the rotation speed. The results are compared with the theoretical modelings of Washo (1) and Meyerhofer (2).
The influence of disposition and social ties on trust in new virtual teammates

Social media websites display the social distance among users.Prospective team members can view shared social ties prior to collaboration.We modeled the path from social ties to trust in a new, unknown teammate.The data fit the overall proposed model.However, social ties did not significantly affect perceptions of trustworthiness. With the increased presence of social media tools such as LinkedIn and Facebook, social network information is now commonplace. Social media websites prominently display the social distance or so-called "degrees of separation" among users, effectively allowing people to view their shared social ties with others, including prospective teammates they have not met. Through the presentation and manipulation of social network information, this longitudinal experiment investigated whether dispositional and relational variables contribute to "swift trust" among new virtual teammates. Data from 74 participants were collected to test a path analytic model predicting that social ties and propensity to trust influence perceptions of a new teammate's trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity) as well as the willingness to trust that new teammate when given the opportunity to do so. Path analysis indicated good model fit, but showed no significant evidence that social ties or propensity to trust affect perceived trustworthiness at the initial point of team engagement. Additionally, only one component of perceived trustworthiness (perceived ability) and propensity to trust were found to predict trusting behavior towards a new, unknown, teammate.
Circadian symptom fluctuations in people with anxiety disorders

Circadian rhythm abnormalities have been demonstrated in people with depression, including a tendency toward maximal symptom severity in the morning. Although a few studies have suggested that symptoms in people with anxiety are worse later in the day, no detailed study of this observation has been reported. In 86 patients with anxiety disorders (63 with panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks), anxiety symptoms tended to be more severe in the afternoon or evening than in the morning, with no abnormalities of heart rate or oral temperature. This is the first systematic demonstration of a circadian fluctuation of mood in any disorder other than depression.
Dilated Intercellular Spaces and Chronic Cough As an Extra-oesophageal Manifestation of Gastrooesophageal Reflux Disease

Chronic cough is one of the extra-oesophageal manifestations of gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD). It is presumed to occur either directly by microaspiration of acidic gastric contents into the airway or indirectly by a reflex triggered by contact of acidic refluxates with the oesophageal epithelium in GORD. How contact of the oesophageal epithelium with acidic refluxates promotes sensitization for chronic cough is unknown, but like heartburn, which is a necessary accompaniment, it requires acid activation of nociceptors within the oesophageal mucosa. Dilated intercellular spaces within the oesophageal epithelium, a reflection of an increase in paracellular permeability, is a histopathologic feature of both erosive and non-erosive forms of GORD. Since it correlates with the symptom of heartburn, it is hypothesized herein that the increase in paracellular permeability to acid reflected by dilated intercellular spaces in oesophageal epithelium also serves as mediator of the signals that produce the reflex-induced sensitization for cough--a sensitization that can occur centrally within the medullary Nucleus Tractus Solitarius or peripherally within the tracheobronchial tree.
Two-dimensional materials based on trans-[FeII(CN)4(CO)2]2− building blocks; first structural evidence for a hydrated metal carbonyl ligation

Analogues to the Hofmann-type clathrates have been characterized using trans-[FeII(CN)4(CO)2]2− as the building blocks.
A statistical test for differences in sexual dimorphism between populations

Many studies involve comparison of measures of sexual dimorphism between two samples. This comparison is used to test a variety of hypotheses, such as changing environmental conditions. Methods for testing the significance of the difference between two populations tend to be complex, and/or require access to complete original data. We offer a simplified approach which is based on a linear regression model using dummy variables. Our method is computationally simple and can be used with summary statistics (sample size, means, standard deviations) instead of raw data. We present three examples of the application of our method to problems in physical anthropology. We also note that our method has a broader range of applications apart from that of sexual dimorphism.
Gender, Achievement, and Perception Toward Science Activities

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception toward science activities and science achievement of boys and girls in middle school life science. Student perceptions toward science activities and achievement were measured in three different instructional treatments: textbook-worksheet, traditional laboratory, and Search, Solve, Create, Share (SSCS) problem solving. The results indicate no significant difference in student achievement by gender or science activities, and no significant difference in perception by gender. However, a significant difference (p<.05) was obtained for student perception by science activities. Follow-up comparisons suggested significant differences among SSCS problem solving and traditional laboratory and textbook-worksheet activities, with no difference between traditional laboratory and textbook-worksheet activities.
Unique characteristics of optically recorded action potentials

Voltage-sensitive dyes have been used to optically monitor cardiac transmembrane potential for almost twenty years. This method now permits mapping of cardiac activation and recovery with spatial resolution that is unattainable by conventional mapping techniques. Despite the growing use and potential advantages of optical mapping with voltage-sensitive dyes, little information is available regarding optical action potential signal characteristics. Thus, no accepted standards for recording optical action potentials exists (e.g., sampling rates, analog filtering requirements). This paper will review some of the unique characteristics of optically recorded cardiac action potentials.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The effect of prose context on visual search for letters

Subjects were given a simplified proofreading task in which they were instructed to circle every occurrence of a target letter in a prose passage or in a scrambled prose passage. It was found that the presence of a prose context enhanced the subjects ability to find a target letter when the target letter was in a content word, but impaired the subjects ability to find a target letter when it was in a function word. This interaction sheds light on a number of conflicting reports in the literature.
Observation of Antiferromagnetism in Marokite CaMn2O4

Abstract Marokite (CaMn 2 O 4 ) has been identified as a low-level impurity in the solid-state synthesis of Ca 1− x La x MnO 3 perovskites in the low- x region. In order to properly isolate the complex magnetic behavior of these important perovskites, the low- temperature magnetic structure and properties of marokite are determined and reported. All Mn ions are in the high-spin 3+ oxidation state. Jahn–Teller-distorted MnO 6 octahedra share both edges and vertices in a three-dimensional network, through which various exchange mechanisms cooperatively give rise to antiferromagnetic Mn 3+ spin order. The magnetic order is evidenced below T N =220 K by a peak in the magnetic susceptibility and the appearance of symmetry-lowering magnetic Bragg reflections in neutron diffraction.
Temporal Expression of Calcium Channel Subunits in Satellite Cells and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can be differentiated into myocytes, as well as adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes in culture. Calcium channels mediate excitation-contraction coupling and are essential for the function of muscle. However, little is known about the expression of calcium channel subunits and calcium handling in stem cells. We examined whether the expression of calcium channel subunits in MSC is similar to that of skeletal muscle satellite cells and if their levels of expression are modified after treatment with bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4). We found that during myogenic differentiation, MSC first express the α2δ1 subunit and the cardiac channel subunit Cav1.2. In contrast to the α2δ1 subunit levels, the Cav1.2 subunit decreases rapidly with time. The skeletal channel subunit Cav1.1 is detected at day 3 but its expression increases considerably, resembling more closely the expression of the subunits in satellite cells. Treatment of MSC with BMP4 caused a significant increase in expression of Cav1.2, a delay in expression of Cav1.1, and a reduction in the duration of calcium transients when extracellular calcium was removed. Calcium currents and transients followed a pattern related to the expression of the cardiac (Cav1.2) or skeletal (Cav1.1) α1subunits. These results indicate that differentiation of untreated MSC resembles differentiation of skeletal muscle and that BMP4 reduces skeletal muscle calcium channel expression and promotes the expression of cardiac calcium channels during myogenic differentiation.
Impact of 980-nm pump detuning in L-band erbium-doper fiber amplifiers

The impact of pump wavelength and input signal power on the output signal and backward spontaneous emission noise power of L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA’s) is examined. It is shown experimentally that tuning the pump wavelength ±30-nm away from the 980-nm absorption peak provides 3 dB to 5 dB improvement in pump-to-signal conversion.
Family influences on leaf area estimates derived from crown and tree dimensions in Pinus taeda

Abstract Numerous studies have attempted to use remote sensing tools to estimate leaf area index (LAI). However, these estimates have generally lacked precision and typically provide little information on stand or canopy structure. Recent advances in remote sensing technologies may allow more accurate estimates of LAI based upon measures of individual tree structure. In this paper, we describe how well leaf area (LA) of 15-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees can be estimated from tree and crown dimensional characteristics that might be derived using remote sensing tools. Because crown and canopy structure can vary genetically, we also tested for family differences in the allometric relationships. When family effects were not considered, the log of crown volume predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.65 compared to R2=0.81 for the relationship between LA and DBH. When tree height was included in the relationship with crown volume, R2 improved to 0.83. The log of crown width predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.58, and the log of crown length predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.44. Family effects were found to be significant in all of the models tested. With family effects accounted for, the log of crown volume predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.83 compared to 0.91 for the LA–DBH relationship. The combination of crown volume and tree height predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.91. The combination of tree height and height to middle of the crown predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.83 with family effects included. The log of crown width predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.80, and the log of tree height predicted log(LA) with an R2=0.75. Our analysis suggests that individual tree LA can be predicted as precisely from measures of tree and crown structural dimensions as it can from DBH. These relationships appear to be influenced by genetic factors, although no more so than DBH-based relationships. The most accurate LA estimates require information on both vertical and horizontal tree and crown dimensions. Given the current rate of technological advancement, it appears likely that remote sensing tools will be capable of providing accurate assessment of stand-level LAI in the near future.
Advanced modulation formats for high-capacity transmission system at 100 G and beyond

We summarize several advanced modulation formats for high capacity transmission system with high spectral efficiency. We show that multilevel 8QAM, 16QAM, 32QAM and 64QAM optical signals can be generated by commercial optical and electrical devices. Employing these multilevel modulation formats, we have realized PDM-36QAM 64Tb/s signals transmission over 320km fiber. We also present some experimental results of 1Tb/s and 10Tb/s per channel signal transmission by advanced modulation formats.
Strategic Ceremonial as a Pedagogical Exercise

The capstone management course has been celebrated as a particularly rich course for integrating functional disciplines and for introducing emerging issues of competitive strategy. Studies suggest, however, that the richness is not being achieved. A considerable barrier to realizing the richness of the strategic management course results from the difficulties in framing course activities within a context that is comparably rich to the actual experience. This article submits the strategic ceremonial as a rich context for observing the practice of strategy formulation, and proposes the strategic ceremonial exercise as a choice context for learning.
The relationship between ex ante mortality risk and end-of-life medical costs.

Spending on medical care for patients in their last year of life accounts for over one-quarter of US Medicare programme outlays. While the magnitude of spending on end-of-life care is striking, it is difficult to determine if expenditures are wasteful or simply reflect the inherent uncertainty facing physicians. Using a sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries, we document the association between mortality risk and end-of-life medical spending. Mortality risk at 1 year before death was estimated using a logistic model with age, sex and co-morbidities as covariates. We found that, among decedents, end-of-life spending is inversely related to predicted mortality risk, ranging from $US23 000 for decedents with mortality risk in the interval 0.00-0.05 to $US16 000 for decedents with mortality risk >0.25 (1999 dollar values). In aggregate, >50% of Medicare spending on medical care in the last year of life is for beneficiaries with below-median mortality risk. We conclude that physicians treat patients who are likely to die differently than those who are not. Substituting palliative for curative care for patients with unfavourable prognoses may lower total expenditures, but probably not as much as commonly expected.
Good enough is good enough: cataloging lessons from the University of California Libraries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to inspire discussions about cataloging practices in academic libraries.Design/methodology/approach – The article reviews the recent University of California Libraries report, Rethinking How We Provide Bibliographic Services for the University of California.Findings – The UC report is sprinkled with a sufficient and warranted number of alarming statements about the future of libraries. It should serve as a wake‐up call.Originality/value – Readers will be acquainted with a recent, important work, the premises of which are central to the services provided by academic libraries.
Breaking of a metastable string at finite temperature

We consider the phase transition of a string with tension ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{1}$ to a string with a smaller tension ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}$ at finite temperature. For sufficiently small temperatures the transition proceeds through thermally catalyzed quantum tunneling, and we calculate in arbitrary number of dimensions the thermal catalysis factor. At ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}=0$ the found formula for the decay rate also describes a breakup of a metastable string into two pieces.
Endovascular aneurysm repair in nonagenarians is safe and effective.

Objectives Advanced age is a significant risk factor that has traditionally steered patients away from open aneurysm repair and toward expectant management. Today, however, the reduced morbidity and mortality of aortic stent grafting has created a new opportunity for aneurysm repair in patients previously considered too high a risk for open surgery. Here we report our experience with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) in nonagenarians. Methods Retrospective chart review identified all patients >90-years-old undergoing EVAR over a 9-year period at our institution. Collected data included preoperative comorbidities, perioperative complications, endoleaks, reinterventions, and long-term survival. Results 24 patients underwent EVAR. The mean age was 91.5 years (range 90-94) among 15 (63%) males and 9 (37%) females. Mean abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter was 6.3 ± 1.1 cm. Eight patients (33%) were symptomatic (pain or tenderness). There were no ruptures. Fourteen patients (58%) had general anesthesia while 10 (42%) had local or regional anesthesia. Mean postoperative length of stay was 3.2 ± 2.4 days (2.8 ± 1.9 days for asymptomatic vs 4.1 ± 3.2 days for symptomatic, P = .29). There was one perioperative mortality (4.2%). There were two local groin seromas (8.3%) and six systemic complications (25%). One patient required reintervention for endoleak (4.2%). There were no aneurysm related deaths beyond the 30-day postoperative period. Mean survival beyond 30 days was 29.7 ± 18.0 months for patients expiring during follow-up. Cumulative estimated 12, 24, and 36-month survival rates were 83%, 64%, and 50%, respectively. Linear regression analysis demonstrated an inverse relationship between the number of preoperative comorbidities and postoperative survival in our cohort (R 2 = 0.701), with significantly decreased survival noted for patients presenting with >5 comorbidities. Those still alive in follow-up have a mean survival of 36.1 ± 16.0 months. Conclusion This is the largest reported EVAR series in nonagenarians. Despite their advanced age, these patients benefit from EVAR with low morbidity, low mortality, and mean survival exceeding 2.4 years. Survival appears best in those patients with ≤5 comorbidities. With or without symptoms, patients over the age of 90 should be considered for EVAR.
Gene therapy prolongs PSA doubling time in prostate cancer patients.

Over the last decade, the use of adenoviral vector-mediated gene therapy for prostate cancer has become the focus of many laboratory and clinical scientists. Protocols involving systemic injections of replication-competent adenovirus have been tested in preclinical studies and evaluated in clinical trials1 and reviewed in the literature.2, 3, 4 Although these approaches are important for direct targeting of metastatic disease, significant challenges remain for their successful application. Alternative approaches have involved intratumoral or in situ delivery of replication-competent or replication-defective adenoviral vectors. Replication-defective vector approaches include delivery of drug-activating genes along with a prodrug, genes that are directly cytotoxic, or cytokine genes that act indirectly. In general, these approaches are based on accessibility of the prostate gland to adenoviral vector delivery through standard urological protocols and the capacity to evaluate therapeutic impact through various methods, such as the measurement of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the serum.
CASSIE: contextual analysis for spectral and spatial information extraction

Advances in understanding the biology of vision show that humans use not only bottom-up, feature-based information in visual analysis, but also top-down contextual information. To reflect this method of processing, we developed a technology called CASSIE for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) that uses low-level image features and contextual cues to determine the likelihood that a certain target will be found in a given area. CASSIE is a tool by which information from various data layers can be probabilistically combined to determine spatial and informational context within and across different types of data. It is built on a spatial foundation consisting of a two-dimensional hexagonal, hierarchical grid structure for data storage and access. This same structure facilitates very fast computation of information throughout the hierarchy for all data layers, as well as fast propagation of probabilistic information derived from those layers. Our research with CASSIE investigates the effectiveness of generated probability maps to reflect a human interpretation, potential benefits in terms of accuracy and processing speed for subsequent target detection, and methods for incorporating feedback from target detection algorithms to apply additional contextual constraints (for example, allowable or expected target groupings). We discuss further developments such as learning in CASSIE and how to incorporate additional data modalities.
Curvularia urinary tract infection: a case report

A healthy 5-year-old child had recurrent symptomatic urinary tract infections, the last of which was accompanied by black specks in her urine. These specks were identified as Curvularia species, a dermatiaceous mold. Symptoms resolved and fungi disappeared with long-term hydration, without specific antifungal treatment.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia with a complex translocation

Abstract A case of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph 1 )-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) with a complex translocation involving chromosomes #3, #9, and #22 is described. All cells in the bone marrow showed this rearrangement and Q-banding analysis showed the karyotype to be 46, XX, t(3;9;22) (p21;q34;q11). This is the third reported case of a 3/9/22 rearrangement in the Ph 1 -positive CML in which the break points and direction of transposition of chromosome segments are identical.