cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ecology of testate amoebae in a North Carolina pocosin and their potential use as environmental and paleoenvironmental indicators

ABSTRACT Testate amoebae inhabiting Sphagnum peatlands are sensitive indicators of substrate-moisture content. However, ecological data from a range of peatland types is needed to assess their indicator-value in other peatland systems. We examined testate amoeba communities and species–environment relationships at 40 locations within a pocosin of North Carolina. Primary objectives were to provide baseline data on the ecology of testate amoebae in pocosins, compare communities with those of northern peatlands, and assess the potential of using testate amoebae as environmental indicators in these systems. Results indicated that pH, substrate-moisture content, and conductivity were important controls on community composition. Communities that were relatively similar and dissimilar to those of northern peatlands were encountered, and the ecology of species with respect to water-table depth was similar in both peatland types. Cross validation of transfer functions for pH and water-table depth suggests that poc...
HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE AND OTHER CHOREAS

Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder resulting from an unstable trinucleotide CAG repeat in a gene on chromosome 12. The DRPLA gene encodes atrophin-1, a protein with unknown function. The length of the CAG repeat expansion is inversely correlated with the age of disease onset [98] and may have a considerable effect on the disease milestones and prognosis in DRPLA patients [99]. The disease is rare in Caucasians and more prevalent in Japanese population (0.7/100,000 people) [100]. The usual age at onset is in the third or fourth decade, although early-onset cases (age < 20) have been described.
Characteristics, prevalence, attitudes, and perceptions of academic dishonesty among pharmacy students.

Objectives. To ascertain background factors that influence pharmacy students' willingness to cheat, describe attitudes regarding methods of cheating, assess prevalence of cheating and determine atmospheres that may aid in preventing academic dishonesty. Methods. Third-professional year PharmD students at 4 institutions participated in a survey administered by a class representative. Results. Of the 296 students who completed survey instruments, 16.3% admitted to cheating during pharmacy school. Approximately 74% admitted that either they or their classmates had worked on an individual assignment with a friend. Students who cheated during high school or in a prepharmacy program were more likely to cheat during pharmacy school (p < 0.0001). Those who possessed a bachelor of science (BS) degree prior to pharmacy school were less likely to cheat (p < 0.0001). Conclusions. Academic dishonesty is prevalent among pharmacy students. While few respondents directly admitted to cheating, many admitted to activities ...
Kinetics and modeling studies of the CaH2/LiBH4, MgH2/LiBH4, Ca(BH4)2 and Mg(BH4)2 systems

Abstract Borohydrides of alkali and alkaline-earth elements are of interest because of their high hydrogen holding capacities. However, their usefulness for hydrogen storage applications is often limited by high thermodynamic stabilities and slow kinetics. In this study comparisons have been made of the physical and chemical characteristics of Mg(BH 4 ) 2 , Ca(BH 4 ) 2 , and mixtures of LiBH 4 /MgH 2 and LiBH 4 /CaH 2 . Temperature programmed desorption, TPD, analyses showed that samples containing Mg generally had lower onset temperatures than the corresponding samples containing Ca. Pressure Composition Temperature, PCT, isotherms showed that these materials displayed well defined two phase plateau regions. Therefore, kinetics measurements were done to determine the hydrogen desorption rates in the two phase plateau region. All kinetics determinations were done using constant pressure thermodynamic forces in which the ratios of the plateau pressure to the applied hydrogen pressure were kept the same for all samples. In all these measurements the pressure ratio was set at 3 and the temperature was 450 °C. Under these conditions the reaction rates were in the order: Mg(BH 4 ) 2 > Ca(BH 4 ) 2 > LiBH 4 /MgH 2 > LiBH 4 /CaH 2 . An attempt was also made to determine the rate-controlling process in these samples by doing kinetic modeling. The results showed that diffusion was the rate-controlling process in Mg(BH 4 ) 2 whereas reaction at the phase boundary controlled reaction rates in Ca(BH 4 ) 2 . In LiBH 4 /MgH 2 and LiBH 4 /CaH 2 , reaction at the phase boundary controlled reaction rates initially whereas diffusion controlled rates in the latter stages.
Impact of Participation on a Solid Organ Transplant Team on Student Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Interprofessional Roles

Objective. To examine student pharmacists’ perceptions of interprofessional roles before and after completing an advanced pharmacy practice experience on solid organ transplantation.Methods. Studen...
A physicochemical modelling approach for estimating the stability of soluble receptor-bound tumour necrosis factor-alpha.

Abstract Soluble receptors (sr) can both inhibit and stimulate cytokine bioactivity. The extent to which sr stabilizes the loss of cytokine bioactivity is an important determinant of whether a sr exerts an agonist-like or antagonist-like pharmacological effect. However, the half-life of sr-bound cytokines can be difficult to determine experimentally because methods that disrupt the sr-cytokine complex can cause loss of cytokine bioactivity. The purpose of this study was to test whether a parsimonious pharmacokinetic model in which the sr stabilizes the decay of short lived cytokines can be used to determine the half-life of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) bound to two human urine-derived sr. A mathematical model which assumes cytokine-sr equilibrium, constant total sr concentration and first order kinetics for loss of cytokine bioactivity was used. In addition, the model assumes that the experimentally observed bioactivity is related to the free cytokine concentration. The author fitted experimental data reported by Aderkaet al.for two TNF-αsr [Aderka D, Engelman H, Maor Y, Brakebusch C, Wallach D, (1992) J Exp Med 175: 323–329] and estimated the half-life of sr-bound TNF-α. The parameter estimates were plausible and comparable to those obtained by other methods and, additionally, the model predicted the unexpected relationship between sr dose and cytokine-free concentration that is observed after 9 days of TNF-α exposure.
Gamma-ray momentum reconstruction from Compton electron trajectories by filtered back-projection

Gamma-ray imaging utilizing Compton scattering has traditionally relied on measuring coincident gamma-ray interactions to map directional information of the source distribution. This coincidence requirement makes it an inherently inefficient process. We present an approach to gamma-ray reconstruction from Compton scattering that requires only a single electron tracking detector, thus removing the coincidence requirement. From the Compton scattered electron momentum distribution, our algorithm analytically computes the incident photon's correlated direction and energy distributions. Because this method maps the source energy and location, it is useful in applications, where prior information about the source distribution is unknown. We demonstrate this method with electron tracks measured in a scientific Si charge coupled device. While this method was demonstrated with electron tracks in a Si-based detector, it is applicable to any detector that can measure electron direction and energy, or equivalently the electron momentum. For example, it can increase the sensitivity to obtain energy and direction in gas-based systems that suffer from limited efficiency.
Effects of friction stir welding on microstructure of 7075 aluminum

Friction stir welding is a relatively new technique developed by The Welding Institute (TWI) for the joining of aluminum alloys. The technique, based on friction heating at the faying surfaces of two pieces to be joined, results in a joint created by interface deformation, heat, and solid-state diffusion. In evaluating friction stir welding, critical issues (beyond a sound joint) include microstructure control and localized mechanical property variations. A serious problem with fusion welding, even when a sound weld can be made, is the complete alteration of microstructure and the attendant loss of mechanical properties. Being a solid-state process, friction stir welding has the potential to avoid significant changes in microstructure and mechanical properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microstructural changes effected by friction stir welding of 7075 Al.
Locus of control and the learning of an artificial language

Abstract An experiment was conducted to explore the cognitive processes associated with locus of control beliefs. Internal and external subjects were instructed to remember as much as they can from an array of 21 letter strings generated from a finite state grammar. Although internals and externals did not significantly differ in their ability to recall these items, internals were better able to discriminate grammaticality and nongrammaticality in a new set of letter strings. Thus, although both groups attended to the exemplars, internals extracted more invariance and hence learned more about the underlying structure than externals. These results were discussed in relation to those of Wolk and DuCette (1974) on I-E and incidental learning.
Comparison of baseline fat-related eating behaviors of Puerto Rican, Dominican, Colombian, and Guatemalan participants who joined a cholesterol education project.

Abstract Objective The objective is to compare baseline fat-related eating behaviors among Hispanic subgroups who joined a cholesterol education research project in New England. Design Participants attended baseline screenings as part of the study. They had their height, weight, and blood cholesterol measured and completed baseline surveys with demographic, risk factor, dietary, and psychosocial questions. Participants A total of 370 Puerto Rican, 210 Colombian, 357 Dominican, and 102 Guatemalan subjects participated in the baseline. Main Outcome Measures Dietary behavior was measured using the Food Habits Questionnaire (FHQ), which was originally developed to assess food choices and preparation patterns related to adopting a low-fat diet. Measures include FHQ fat summary scores (a reflection of total fat intake), fat behavior subscales, and individual fat-related behaviors. Analysis Analysis of variance was used to compare FHQ fat summary scores and multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare fat behavior scores and individual food item scores for the 4 Hispanic subgroups. Age and gender were covariates in the models. Results Puerto Rican participants had a significantly higher mean FHQ fat summary score than Dominicans and Guatemalans and a higher prevalence of many fat-related eating behaviors. Although there were some differences by subgroup, the 4 most prevalent fat-related behaviors were similar: cooking with fat/oil, eating higher-fat sweets, eating higher-fat snacks, and eating dinners with meat. Conclusions and Implications Future educational programs and materials for diverse Hispanic audiences in the northeastern United States should include the above issues; however, educational materials and programs ought to be tailored to individuals whenever possible. Efforts may need to focus on Puerto Ricans, who had a higher prevalence of many fat-related behaviors in this study.
Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Protects Mitochondrial Complex I against Adriamycin-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Transgenic Mice☆

Adriamycin (ADR) is a potent anticancer drug that causes severe cardiomyopathy. We have previously demonstrated that ADR-induced ultrastructural mitochondrial injury in the heart was attenuated in manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) transgenic mice. To further investigate the biochemical mechanisms by which MnSOD protected mitochondria against ADR-induced damage, cardiac mitochondrial function and activities were evaluated. The results showed that ADR caused significant decrease in state 3 respiration and respiratory control ratio using both complex I and II substrates in nontransgenic mice. In transgenic mice, state 3 respiration for complex I substrates remained unaffected by ADR, but was reduced for complex II substrate. Complex I activity was significantly decreased in nontransgenic, but not in transgenic mice after ADR treatment, suggesting that mitochondrial complex I is sensitive to inactivation by superoxide radicals. The activities of complex II and mitochondrial creatine kinase were decreased by ADR in both nontransgenic and transgenic mice. These results support our previous observations on the protective role of MnSOD on the ultrastructural damage of the heart after ADR treatment and extend the understanding of its mechanisms in mitochondria.
Periodontitis may be associated with chronic kidney disease, but current evidence is insufficient.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Periodontitis and chronic kidney disease: a systematic review of the association of diseases and the effect of periodontal treatment on estimated glomerular filtration rate. Chambrone L, Foz AM, Guglielmetti RM, Pannuti CM, Artese HP, Feres M, Romito GA. J Clin Periodontol 2013;40(5):443-56. Reviewer Wenche S. Borgnakke, DDS, MPH, PhD Purpose/Question The authors conducted systematic reviews to try to answer the following two questions: Q1) Is periodontitis a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD)? and Q2) Can periodontal treatment improve the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of patients with periodontitis? Source of Funding No external support was received Type of Study/Design Q1) Systematic review with meta-analysis of data; Q2) Systematic review Level of Evidence Level 2: Limited-quality, patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Grade C: Consensus, disease-oriented evidence, usual practice, expert opinion, or case series for studies of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or screening
Possible role of aminoacetonitrile in chemical evolution

Abstract Aminoacetonitrile can condense with an amino acid such as alanine, in a basic aqueous solution, to give low yields of products that appear to be dipeptides, on the basis of elution times and enzymatic hydrolysis. The predominant reactions, however, are hydrolysis and condensation to give amino and imino acids.
Global identification of genes and pathways regulated by Akt during activation of T helper cells.

We previously demonstrated that Akt differentially modulated a subset of NF-kB target genes during T cell activation. In the current study, we further explored the broader effects of Akt inhibition on T cell gene induction. Global microarray analysis was used to characterize T helper cell transcriptional responses following antigen receptor stimulation in the absence or presence of Akti1/2 (an allosteric inhibitor which targets Akt1 and Akt2), to identify novel targets dependent upon Akt and obtain a more comprehensive view of Akt-sensitive genes in Th2 helper T cells. Pathway analysis of microarray data from a CD4 + Th2 T cell line revealed effects on gene networks involving ribosomal and T cell receptor signaling pathways associated with Akti1/2 treatment. Using real-time PCR analysis, we validated the differential regulation of several genes in these pathways, including Ier3, Il13, Egr1, Ccl1 and Ccl4, among others. Additionally, transcription factor target gene (TFactS) analysis revealed that NF-kB and Myc were the most significantly enriched transcription factors among Akt-dependent genes after T cell receptor and CD28 stimulation. Akt activation elicited increases in the enrichment of NF-kB- and Myc-targeted genes. The present study has identified a diverse set of genes, and possible mechanisms for their regulation, that are dependent on Akt during T cell activation.
On a q-Central Limit Theorem Consistent with Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics

The standard central limit theorem plays a fundamental role in Boltzmann-Gibbs statistical mechanics. This important physical theory has been generalized [1] in 1988 by using the entropy \(S_{q} = \frac{1-\sum_{i} p^{q}_{i}}{q-1}\)\(({\rm with}\,q\,\in {{{\mathcal{R}}}})\) instead of its particular BG case \(S_{1} = S_{BG} = - \sum_{i} p_{i}\,{\rm ln}\,p_{i}\). The theory which emerges is usually referred to as nonextensive statistical mechanics and recovers the standard theory for q = 1. During the last two decades, this q-generalized statistical mechanics has been successfully applied to a considerable amount of physically interesting complex phenomena. A conjecture[2] and numerical indications available in the literature have been, for a few years, suggesting the possibility of q-versions of the standard central limit theorem by allowing the random variables that are being summed to be strongly correlated in some special manner, the case q= 1 corresponding to standard probabilistic independence. This is what we prove in the present paper for \(1{\leqslant}\,q 0\), and normalizing constant Cq. These distributions, sometimes referred to as q-Gaussians, are known to make, under appropriate constraints, extremal the functional Sq (in its continuous version). Their q = 1 and q = 2 particular cases recover respectively Gaussian and Cauchy distributions.
Influence of nonmagnetic impurities on superconductors with overlapping bands

Abstract The two-band model proposed by Suhl, Matthias and Walker is used to investigate the influence of nonmagnetic impurities on superconductors with overlapping bands. The use of the experimentally inferred information that both the density of states and the gap parameter of the d -band are much greater than that of the s -band simplifies the calculation of the density of states and the temperature dependence of the gap parameter. It is found that the dominating effect of the nonmagnetic impurities is to increase the energy gap of the s -band. The electronic specific heat at low temperatures is found to decrease more rapidly than the experimental data. At zero temperature the Meissner effect is unaffected by the nonmagnetic impurities, while the threshold for electromagnetic absorption is increased.
Hydrogen bonding in supercritical water. 2. Computer simulations

Monte Carlo computer simulations were performed under thermodynamic conditions corresponding to available X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements of the supercritical water structure. A detailed analysis of hydrogen bonding in supercritical water is presented, based on the recently proposed hybrid distance−energy criterion of H-bonding. Good agreement is found with all available experimental and computer simulated results. With increasing temperature, the average number of H-bonds per a water molecule, 〈nHB〉, decreases with the same slope for both high-density (∼1.0 g/cm3) as well as low-density (∼0.2 g/cm3) supercritical water, asymptotically approaching zero at higher temperatures and lower densities. Over the whole supercritical region, except for the highest density states, 〈nHB〉 is always below the percolation threshold (∼1.6), indicating that the continuous network of hydrogen bonds is broken. Nevertheless, even at the highest temperature and the lowest density simulated, some degree of hydrogen ...
Size controlled deposition of Cu and Si nano-clusters by an ultra-high vacuum sputtering gas aggregation technique

In this paper we have reported the syntheses of copper and silicon nano-clusters by a sputtering-gas-aggregation type growth technique. The process involves typical magnetron sputtering vaporization of target materials followed by an inert gas condensation to form clusters of varying sizes. The size-distributions of the clusters typically follow a normal-distribution and the peak cluster sizes of the distributions depends on several factors, which include gas-flow rate, length of the growth region, deposition pressure etc. We have observed a variation in the peak cluster size with the variation of the gas (argon) flow rates. The experimental values are compared with the existing models and the results are found to be in good agreement. The results are significant since it demonstrates that proper optimization of operation conditions can lead to desired cluster sizes as well as desired cluster-size distributions.
Absolute Measurement of Electron Cloud Density in a Positively-Charged Particle Beam

Clouds of stray electrons are ubiquitous in particle accelerators and frequently limit the performance of storage rings. Earlier measurements of electron energy distribution and flux to the walls provided only a relative electron cloud density. We have measured electron accumulation using ions expelled by the beam. The ion energy distribution maps the depressed beam potential and gives the dynamic cloud density. Clearing electrode current reveals the static background cloud density, allowing the first absolute measurement of the time-dependent electron cloud density during the beam pulse.
Recovery of subsampled dimensions and configurations derived from napping data by MFA and MDS

Napping is a multivariate sensory method in which participants physically place stimuli on a large sheet of paper and orient them so that the distance between pairs represents a measure of dissimilarity. The two-dimensional nature of the task may be a limitation to the ability of this and similar methodologies to recover information about complex stimuli. In the first investigation, eight simulated three-dimensional stimuli were created with two different levels for each attribute. Simulated napping experiments had groups of participants attend to two of the dimensions with different probabilities. Multiple factor analysis (an analytical multivariate statistical procedure that can be thought of as a principle components analysis on the individuals) and MDS-INDSCAL (a variation on multidimensional scaling that finds a common configuration through reducing a stress measure associated with lack of fit) recovered full dimensionality from these data, although MFA had trouble when attention was the most unbalanced. In the second experiment, a human napping experiment was designed using custom three-dimensional stimuli: shapes with two levels each of size, color, and shape attributes. This experiment confirmed the results of Experiment 1, as both MDS-INDSCAL and MFA analyses again recovered the full dimensionality of the stimuli.
Predictors for Perioperative Outcomes following Total Laryngectomy: A University HealthSystem Consortium Discharge Database Study.

ObjectiveThe University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) database collects discharge information on patients treated at academic health centers throughout the United States. We sought to use this data...
The inhibition of sodium influx attenuates airway response to a specific antigen challenge

1. We have previously observed that manipulation of Na+ availability during passive in vitro sensitization altered electrophysiological and contractile changes of airway smooth muscle cells. The purpose of this study was to establish whether interference with Na+ influx during sensitization also influences the response of airway smooth muscle, both in vivo and in vitro, to a specific antigen challenge. 2. Isolated segments of trachea which had been sensitized to ovalbumin in the presence of the Na+ channel-blocking agent amiloride (10(-5) M) showed no electrical or contractile response to ovalbumin in spite of their ability to respond to histamine (10(-5) M). 3. Airway smooth muscle preparations sensitized to ovalbumin in a Na+-deficient medium failed to show any contractile response after exposure to ovalbumin and only a small depolarization of airway smooth muscle cells was detected. 4. Guinea-pigs were passively sensitized in vivo either in the absence of, or following pretreatment with, amiloride (1 mg kg-1 s.c.). These animals were then exposed to an ovalbumin inhalation challenge and both lung resistance (RL) and dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn) were measured. 5. After an inhalation challenge of sensitized animals, we observed a significant increase in lung resistance (RL) achieving a maximum of 489% of the baseline values and a decrease in dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn). Twenty min after ovalbumin challenge Cdyn was equivalent to 20% of baseline values. 6. In animals pretreated with amiloride during sensitization, the inhalation challenge caused only a small increase in RL achieving a maximum increase of 148% of baseline values, and a small decrease in Cdyn. Twenty min after ovalbumin challenge Cdy. was equivalent to 98% of baseline values. 7. We concluded that interference with Na' influx during both in vitro and in vivo sensitization attenuates the contractile and electrical responses of airway smooth muscle preparations or the changes in lung resistance and compliance observed after antigen challenge.
Interferon-γ and interleukin-12 pathway defects and human disease

A genetic component to human mycobacterial disease susceptibility has long been postulated. Over the past five years, mutations in the interferon-gamma (IFNgamma) receptor, IL-12 receptor beta1 (IL-12Rbeta1), and IL-12 p40 genes have been recognized. These mutations are associated with heightened susceptibility to disease caused by intracellular pathogens including nontuberculous mycobacteria, vaccine-associated bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG), Salmonella species, and some viruses. We describe the genotype-phenotype correlations in IFNgamma receptor, IL-12Rbeta1, and IL-12 p40 deficiency, and discuss how study of these diseases has enhanced knowledge of human host defense against mycobacteria and other intracellular pathogens.
Homelessness among At‐Risk Families with Children in Twenty American Cities

This article uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study to explore the characteristics and determinants of homelessness among families with children. These unique data permit the examination of a large set of individual‐, household‐, and city‐level risk factors that may influence homelessness. Results suggest that homelessness is strongly linked to informal and institutional social support. It is only modestly associated with local housing and labor market conditions. These results suggest that the greatest potential for reducing family homelessness lies in interventions, such as low‐income housing assistance, that are designed to strengthen informal and institutional social support among low‐income mothers. Policies designed to alter local housing and labor market conditions are unlikely to reduce substantially the risk of this pressing social problem.
BPS mass, Dirichlet boundary condition, and the isotropic coordinate system

We consider test strings and test branes ending on D$p$-branes $(pl~6)$ and NS5-branes in the background, for a heuristic understanding of the dynamics. Whenever some supersymmetry is preserved, a simple BPS bound appears, but the central charge in question is measured by a certain isotropic coordinate system, rather than by the actual spacetime geometry. This way, the ground state energy is independent of the gravitational radii of the solitonic background. Furthermore, a perturbation around the supersymmetric ground states reveals that the appropriate Dirichlet boundary condition is dynamically induced. We close with comments.
α- and β-Thujone Radical Rearrangements and Isomerizations. A New Radical Clock

Radical clocks have been extensively used in chemical and biochemical mechanistic studies. The C4 radicals of alpha- and beta-thujone can undergo two distinct rearrangement reactions that could, in principle, serve as simultaneous but independent radical clocks. We have therefore generated these C4 radicals by photolysis of the corresponding N-hydroxypyridine-2-thione ester precursors and have investigated their fates and lifetimes. Photolysis of either alpha- or beta-thujone generates the same 6:100 mixture of alpha- and beta-thujone when the radicals are quenched by thiophenol. Hydrogen atom transfer from thiophenol to the radical thus occurs preferentially from the less sterically hindered alpha-face to give beta-thujone. The third product formed in the photolysis via opening of the cyclopropyl ring is 2-methyl-5-isopropylcyclopent-2-enone. The ratio of ring opened to unopened products gives very similar values of kralpha = 4.4 x 10(7) s(-1) and krbeta = 1.0 x 10(8) s(-1) for ring opening of the radicals generated from alpha- and beta-thujone, respectively. If the C4 cation rather than radical is generated, it is converted to carvacrol, a phenol that is not obtained in the radical reactions. Thujone therefore differentiates between radical and cation pathways and provides a measure of the radical lifetime.
Distributed Version Management for Read-Only Actions

Typical concurrency control protocols for atomic actions, such as two-phase locking, perform poorly for long read-only actions. We present four new concurrency control protocols that eliminate all interference between read-only actions and update actions, and thus offer significantly improved performance for read-only actions. The protocols work by maintaining multiple versions of the system state; read-only actions read old versions, while update actions manipulate the most recent version. We focus on the problem of managing the storage required for old versions in a distributed system. One of the protocols uses relatively little space, but has a potentially significant communication cost. The other protocols use more space, but may be cheaper in terms of communication.
Measurement of Blend Concentrations of Conventional and Waxy Hard Wheats Using NIR Spectroscopy

ABSTRACT Breeding development of waxy (amylose-free) hard wheat lines adapted to the North American climate has been underway for more than a decade, with releases of competitive varieties imminent. Because of required identity preservation and a possible premium value placed on waxy lots, a rapid and accurate method is desired to identify and quantify the mixing of conventional wheat with waxy wheat, a condition that might occur at harvest or any point downstream. Our previous work demonstrated that lines pure with waxy starch can be identified from nonwaxy lines by use of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy applied either on a whole kernel or ground meal basis. However, mixture quantification by NIR techniques has not been examined until now. Using hard winter wheat grown in two seasons (2011 and 2012) and at two locations (Nebraska and Arizona), a series of mixtures ranging in proportion (conventional/waxy) percentage by weight, from 0:100 to 100:0, were formed from nine pairs of waxy and nonwaxy varietie...
Fundamentally Innovative: The Continuing Contributions of Mark Ylvisaker

Mark Ylvisaker's work championed the principles of person-centered, collaborative intervention in speech-language pathology, and it continues to both ground the field and guide its further progress...
Altered Activation in Fronto-Striatal Circuits During Sequential Processing of Conflict in Unmedicated Adults with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Background The aim of this study was to examine the functioning of fronto-striatal brain circuits that support self-regulatory capacities including conflict resolution and sequential processing in unmedicated adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods We compared functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygen level–dependent response in 22 adults with OCD with 22 healthy, age-matched control subjects during performance of a Simon Spatial Incompatibility task. We used general linear modeling to compare groups in their patterns of brain activation during correct responses to conflict-laden stimuli and explore the effects of trial sequence on group differences. Results Behavioral performance on the Simon task did not differ between groups. In response to conflict-laden stimuli, OCD participants activated fronto-striatal regions significantly more than control subjects, specifically a right hemisphere cluster encompassing the putamen, insula, and inferior frontal gyrus. Their activation of this cluster was driven not by conflict on a current trial but by their response to the alternation of stimulus congruence (incongruent or congruent) across trial sequences (i.e., current and preceding trials) and was most accentuated in participants with more severe symptoms in the doubt/checking dimension. Functional connectivity from the putamen to other fronto-striatal regions was also greater in the OCD compared with control participants. Conclusions When engaging the self-regulatory control necessary to resolve conflict and process alternating stimuli, OCD participants displayed excessive activation in a fronto-striatal circuit that differs from the orbitofrontal cortex–anterior cingulate cortex–caudate circuit typically implicated in OCD. Dysfunction in this circuit was associated with processing changes in the stimulus context. We speculate that this dysfunction might be related to the cognitive inflexibility typical of persons with OCD.
Biological markers and the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Disease-modifying approaches are being developed to treat Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). These are expected to slow the clinical progression of AD or delay the onset of AD. Biological markers, measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or in the periphery, may be useful adjuncts to clinical assessment methods for AD, especially when applied to these types of treatment approaches. Markers related to beta-amyloid and tau, components of AD lesions, can be quantified in CSF and show a stable and predictable pattern over time in AD. Biomarkers related to oxidation, such as isoprostanes, and to inflammation may provide information regarding mechanisms leading to neuronal damage. Biomarkers could be used during early clinical testing of drugs that affect key pathogenic steps in AD, such as amyloid production or clearance, to assess drug action and dose-response relationships. In large-scale clinical trials or in clinical practice, biomarkers that are easy to access, such as blood or urine tests, could help in evaluating effects of treatment.
Organic compatible solutes of halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms

Microorganisms that adapt to moderate and high salt environments use a variety of solutes, organic and inorganic, to counter external osmotic pressure. The organic solutes can be zwitterionic, noncharged, or anionic (along with an inorganic cation such as K+). The range of solutes, their diverse biosynthetic pathways, and physical properties of the solutes that effect molecular stability are reviewed.
Active learning in medical education: Strategies for beginning implementation

Medical educators often deliver complex material in a format that does not allow the positive learning engagement recommended by cognitive researchers and theorists. Intentional engagement and active learning pedagogies change the nature of learning, while simultaneously improving knowledge gain and recall abilities. Students find the work more interesting and thereby put more effort into it. Historical perspective reveals that medical faculty need to make changes in their teaching methodologies. However, transforming pedagogical practice is difficult, as medical faculty have not had much exposure to pedagogical theory or training. While simple steps can be taken to alter basic lecture formatting, these steps may be unfamiliar to medical faculty. Seven methods for adapting parts of lectures are described. Practice with such methods may engender exploration of epistemological and cognitive aspects of deeper understanding.
A parallel approach to hybrid range image segmentation

Parallel processing methods are an attractive means to achieve significant speedup of computationally expensive image understanding algorithms, such as those applied to range images. Mixed-mode parallel systems are ideally suited to this area because of the flexibility in using the different modes of parallelism. The trade-offs of using different parallel modes are examined through the implementation of hybrid range segmentation operations, characteristic of a broad class of low level image processing algorithms. Alternative means of distributing data among the processing elements that achieve improved performance are considered. Results comparing different implementations on a single reconfigurable parallel processor. PASM, indicate some generally applicable guidelines for the effective parallelization of vision algorithms. >
A New Talpid from the Late Eocene of North America

The origin and early evolution of talpids (moles, shrew−moles, and desmans) is not well understood, in large part due to the poor fossil record of early talpids. Here we report the oldest known talpid from North America, Oreotalpa florissantensis gen. et sp. nov., based upon a tiny dentary with m1–m3 discov− ered in upper Eocene (Chadronian) strata of the Florissant Formation, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colo− rado. Oreotalpa extends the North American record of talpids back by some six Ma and appears temporally correlative with the oldest documented talpids from the late Eocene of Europe. While others have postulated a Eurasian origin for talpids, discovery of Oreotalpa suggests that the evolution of the group was underway in North America by late Eocene time and raises the possibility of a North American origin.
Application of Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling to Explore the Role of Kidney Transporters in Renal Reabsorption of Perfluorooctanoic Acid in the Rat

Renal elimination and the resulting clearance of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from the serum exhibit pronounced sex differences in the adult rat. The literature suggests that this is largely due to hormonally regulated expression of organic anion transporters (OATs) on the apical and basolateral membranes of the proximal tubule cells that facilitate excretion and reabsorption of PFOA from the filtrate into the blood. Previously developed PBPK models of PFOA exposure in the rat have not been parameterized to specifically account for transporter-mediated renal elimination. We developed a PBPK model for PFOA in male and female rats to explore the role of Oat1, Oat3, and Oatp1a1 in sex-specific renal reabsorption and excretion of PFOA. Descriptions of the kinetic behavior of these transporters were extrapolated from in vitro studies and the model was used to simulate time-course serum, liver, and urine data for intravenous (IV) and oral exposures in both sexes. Model predicted concentrations of PFOA in the liver, serum, and urine showed good agreement with experimental data for both male and female rats indicating that in vitro derived physiological descriptions of transporter-mediated renal reabsorption can successfully predict sex-dependent excretion of PFOA in the rat. This study supports the hypothesis that sex-specific serum half-lives for PFOA are largely driven by expression of transporters in the kidney and contribute to the development of PBPK modeling as a tool for evaluating the role of transporters in renal clearance.
AlignGraph: algorithm for secondary de novo genome assembly guided by closely related references

Motivation: De novo assemblies of genomes remain one of the most challenging applications in next-generation sequencing. Usually, their results are incomplete and fragmented into hundreds of contigs. Repeats in genomes and sequencing errors are the main reasons for these complications. With the rapidly growing number of sequenced genomes, it is now feasible to improve assemblies by guiding them with genomes from related species. Results: Here we introduce AlignGraph, an algorithm for extending and joining de novo -assembled contigs or scaffolds guided by closely related reference genomes. It aligns paired-end (PE) reads and preassembled contigs or scaffolds to a close reference. From the obtained alignments, it builds a novel data structure, called the PE multipositional de Bruijn graph. The incorporated positional information from the alignments and PE reads allows us to extend the initial assemblies, while avoiding incorrect extensions and early terminations. In our performance tests, AlignGraph was able to substantially improve the contigs and scaffolds from several assemblers. For instance, 28.7–62.3% of the contigs of Arabidopsis thaliana and human could be extended, resulting in improvements of common assembly metrics, such as an increase of the N50 of the extendable contigs by 89.9–94.5% and 80.3–165.8%, respectively. In another test, AlignGraph was able to improve the assembly of a published genome (Arabidopsis strain Landsberg) by increasing the N50 of its extendable scaffolds by 86.6%. These results demonstrate AlignGraph’s efficiency in improving genome assemblies by taking advantage of closely related references. Availability and implementation: The AlignGraph software can be downloaded for free from this site: https://github.com/baoe/ AlignGraph.
The MPG Survey: Questioning the Biased Perception of Automobile Fuel Economy

This paper presents a survey about the perception of achievable automobile fuel economies versus EPA ratings. The survey follows up of a driving experiment in which the fuel consumed was 30% lower than the rated consumption for the same distance. On one hand, the results of the survey suggest that for most people, the perception of the possible fuel economy of a particular car seems to be biased by its advertised fuel economy and present standards. On the other hand, the driving experiment confirms that fuel consumption is affected by the driving style of motorists. As a result, this paper constitutes a call to all drivers to be more optimistic about and take some responsibility for the fuel efficiency of their automobiles. Fuel economies that exceed the EPA ratings are easily obtained with a few driving adjustments. In the present energy and environment turmoil, such adjustments result in immediate and significant savings in terms of fuel, carbon footprint, and environmental impacts.
Automated identification of basal cell carcinoma by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography

We report an automated classifier to detect the presence of basal cell carcinoma in images of mouse skin tissue samples acquired by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT). The sensitivity and specificity of the classifier based on combined information of the scattering intensity and birefringence properties of the samples are significantly higher than when intensity or birefringence information are used alone. The combined information offers a sensitivity of 94.4% and specificity of 92.5%, compared to 78.2% and 82.2% for intensity-only information and 85.5% and 87.9% for birefringence-only information. These results demonstrate that analysis of the combination of complementary optical information obtained by PS-OCT has great potential for accurate skin cancer diagnosis.
Warfarin and Ropinirole Interaction

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of increased international normalized ratio (INR) in a geriatric patient receiving warfarin and ropinirole.CASE SUMMARY:A 63-year-old African-American man with a history of Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and status postcardio-vascular accident was evaluated for symptoms of progressing stiffness and rigidity. Ropinirole was added to his current therapy for Parkinson disease, with a corresponding decrease in the dose of levodopa/carbidopa to allow levodopa sparing. On laboratory evaluation, he was noted to have an increased INR nine days after these adjustments; the INR had previously been stable. No other significant medication, social, or diet changes were noted. Warfarin was withheld for four days and restarted at approximately 75% of the previous weekly dose. The patient had no obvious signs of bleeding. Furthermore, the warfarin dose was again increased after discontinuation of ropinirole due to common gastrointestinal adverse effects.DISCUSSION:Warfarin is an oral ant...
Quantifying restoration effectiveness using multi-scale habitat models: implications for sage-grouse in the Great Basin.

A recurrent challenge in the conservation of wide-ranging, imperiled species is understanding which habitats to protect and whether we are capable of restoring degraded landscapes. For Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), a species of conservation concern in the western United States, we approached this problem by developing multi-scale empirical models of occupancy in 211 randomly located plots within a 40 million ha portion of the species' range. We then used these models to predict sage-grouse habitat quality at 826 plots associated with 101 post-wildfire seeding projects implemented from 1990 to 2003. We also compared conditions at restoration sites to published habitat guidelines. Sage-grouse occupancy was positively related to plot- and landscape-level dwarf sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula, A. nova, A. tripartita) and big sagebrush steppe prevalence, and negatively associated with non-native plants and human development. The predicted probability of sage-grouse occupancy at treated plots was low on average (0.09) and not substantially different from burned areas that had not been treated. Restoration sites with quality habitat tended to occur at higher elevation locations with low annual temperatures, high spring precipitation, and high plant diversity. Of 313 plots seeded after fire, none met all sagebrush guidelines for breeding habitats, but approximately 50% met understory guidelines, particularly for perennial grasses. This pattern was similar for summer habitat. Less than 2% of treated plots met winter habitat guidelines. Restoration actions did not increase the probability of burned areas meeting most guideline criteria. The probability of meeting guidelines was influenced by a latitudinal gradient, climate, and topography. Our results suggest that sage-grouse are relatively unlikely to use many burned areas within 20 years of fire, regardless of treatment. Understory habitat conditions are more likely to be adequate than overstory conditions, but in most climates, establishing forbs and reducing cheatgrass dominance is unlikely. Reestablishing sagebrush cover will require more than 20 years using past restoration methods. Given current fire frequencies and restoration capabilities, protection of landscapes containing a mix of dwarf sagebrush and big sagebrush steppe, minimal human development, and low non-native plant cover may provide the best opportunity for conservation of sage-grouse habitats.
On the local optimality of LambdaRank

A machine learning approach to learning to rank trains a model to optimize a target evaluation measure with repect to training data. Currently, existing information retrieval measures are impossible to optimize directly except for models with a very small number of parameters. The IR community thus faces a major challenge: how to optimize IR measures of interest directly. In this paper, we present a solution. Specifically, we show that LambdaRank, which smoothly approximates the gradient of the target measure, can be adapted to work with four popular IR target evaluation measures using the same underlying gradient construction. It is likely, therefore, that this construction is extendable to other evaluation measures. We empirically show that LambdaRank finds a locally optimal solution for mean NDCG@10, mean NDCG, MAP and MRR with a 99% confidence rate. We also show that the amount of effective training data varies with IR measure and that with a sufficiently large training set size, matching the training optimization measure to the target evaluation measure yields the best accuracy.