cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maturation-dependent differences in regulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase in sheep myocardium in response to pressure overload: a possible mechanism for maturation-dependent systolic and diastolic dysfunction.

We have previously demonstrated that pressure-overload hypertrophy in adult sheep is associated with myocardial dysfunction whereas that in young lambs is associated with normal contractility. To probe for possible mechanisms of these age-dependent differences, we assessed mRNA expression of genes encoding critical components of myocardial Ca2+ handling in the same animal model. We studied left ventricular myocardium of young and adult sheep with short-term (48 h) and long-term (6 wk) pressure overload induced by ascending aortic constriction. Six weeks of pressure overload induced the significant left ventricular hypertrophy (36 and 39% increase in left ventricular/body weight ratio in lambs and sheep, respectively). The Ca2+ ATPase and Na+/Ca2+ exchanger mRNA decreased with pressure overload only in the adult (p < 0.05). Ca2+ channel mRNA was slightly increased by pressure overload regardless of age (p < 0.05). Calsequestrin, sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channel, or myosin heavy-chain mRNA levels did not significantly differ. In adult sheep after 6 wk of pressure overload, decreases in load-adjusted midwall shortening (systolic dysfunction) and prolongation of relaxation time constant (diastolic dysfunction) correlated with decreases in Ca2+-ATPase mRNA. The sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase protein level and Ca2+ uptake activity of isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were depressed only in the adult with pressure-overload hypertrophy but not in the young. We demonstrated age-dependent differences in mRNA expression of Ca2+-handling protein genes in response to pressure overload, which preceded the occurrence of hypertrophy and myocardial dysfunction. Thus, altered expression of Ca2+-handling protein genes may be one of the primary responses to pressure overload rather than a phenomenon secondary to myocardial hypertrophy.
Electrical characteristics and efficiency of single-layer organic light-emitting diodes

We have measured the electrical characteristics and the efficiencies of single-layer organic light-emitting diodes based on poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexoxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV), with Au anodes and Ca, Al, and Au cathodes. We show that proper accounting of the built-in potential leads to a consistent description of the current-voltage data. For the case of Au and Al cathodes, the current under forward bias is dominated by holes injected from the anode and is space-charge limited with a field-dependent hole mobility. The Ca cathode is capable of injecting a space-charge-limited electron current.
Nephrotoxicity as a cause of acute kidney injury in children.

Many different drugs and agents may cause nephrotoxic acute kidney injury (AKI) in children. Predisposing factors such as age, pharmacogenetics, underlying disease, the dosage of the toxin, and concomitant medication determine and influence the severity of nephrotoxic insult. In childhood AKI, incidence, prevalence, and etiology are not well defined. Pediatric retrospective studies have reported incidences of AKI in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) of between 8% and 30%. It is widely recognized that neonates have higher rates of AKI, especially following cardiac surgery, severe asphyxia, or premature birth. The only two prospective studies in children found incidence rates of 4.5% and 2.5% of AKI in children admitted to PICU, respectively. Nephrotoxic drugs account for about 16% of all AKIs most commonly associated with AKI in older children and adolescents. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics, amphotericin B, antiviral agents, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcineurin inhibitors, radiocontrast media, and cytostatics are the most important drugs to indicate AKI as significant risk factor in children. Direct pathophysiological mechanisms of nephrotoxicity include constriction of intrarenal vessels, acute tubular necrosis, acute interstitial nephritis, and—more infrequently—tubular obstruction. Furthermore, AKI may also be caused indirectly by rhabdomyolysis. Frequent therapeutic measures consist of avoiding dehydration and concomitant nephrotoxic medication, especially in children with preexisting impaired renal function.
Is the amount of practice an important variable in the treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS): The importance of production frequency in therapy for childhood apraxia of speech

Abstracted from: Edeal, D. M., & Gildersleeve-Neumann, C. E. (2011). The importance of production frequency in therapy for childhood apraxia of speech. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20, 95–110. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and the original authors of this research did not report any conflicts of interest.
Nxf3 is expressed in Sertoli cells, but is dispensable for spermatogenesis

In eukaryotes, mRNA is actively exported to the cytoplasm by a family of nuclear RNA export factors (NXF). Four Nxf genes have been identified in the mouse: Nxf1, Nxf2, Nxf3, and Nxf7. Inactivation of Nxf2, a germ cell-specific gene, causes defects in spermatogenesis. Here we report that Nxf3 is expressed exclusively in Sertoli cells of the postnatal testis, in a developmentally regulated manner. Expression of Nxf3 coincides with the cessation of Sertoli cell proliferation and the beginning of their differentiation. Continued expression of Nxf3 in mature Sertoli cells of the adult is spermatogenesis stage-independent. Nxf3 is not essential for spermatogenesis, however, suggesting functional redundancy among Nxf family members. With its unique expression pattern in the testis, the promoter of Nxf3 can be used to drive postnatal Sertoli cell-specific expression of other proteins such as Cre recombinase.
Psychiatric disorders in the relatives of probands with prepubertal-onset or adolescent-onset major depression.

ABSTRACT Objective To determine whether the familial risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) varies with either onset, recurrence, or continuity of MDD in adulthood in prepubertal-compared with adolescent-onset probands. Method Seventy-six prepubertal-onset MDD, 59 adolescent-onset MDD, and 78 never psychiatrically ill probands were assessed as children or adolescents and were evaluated 10 to 15 years later as adults, by an independent team that was blind to the initial diagnoses. At follow-up, psychiatric disorders among 731 of their first-degree relatives were assessed using direct interviews and family history methods by investigators who were blind to the clinical status of the probands. Results Both prepubertal- and adolescent-onset MDD were significantly associated with a family history of MDD. The familial rates of MDD and other psychopathology did not vary between the 2 groups. For prepubertal-onset MDD, family history was significantly associated with recurrence and nonsignificantly associated (trend) with continuity into adulthood. In contrast, there was no association between a family history of MDD and either recurrence or continuity into adulthood of adolescent-onset MDD. Conclusions Prepubertal- and adolescent-onset MDD are both associated with a family history of MDD, but only in prepubertal-onset MDD is familial loading associated with recurrence and continuity of MDD into adulthood.
Pediatric equipment availability and emergency preparedness.

Abstract [Seidel JS, Gausche-Hill M. Pediatric equipment availability and emergency preparedness. Ann Emerg Med . April 2001;37:388-389.]
Wie mißt man Lehrqualität

Im vergangenen Jahr wurde in England und Schottland der Versuch unternommen, die Qualitat der Lehre an den Hochschulen zu bemessen und in die Kategorien „excellent”, „satisfactory” und „unsatisfactory” einzustufen. Der vorliegende Bericht beschreibt die Vorgehensweise bei diesem nicht gerade einfachen Problem.
Are We Losing Our Minds? Cognitive Science and the Study of Politics

Contemporary literature in cognitive science and the philosophy of mind points to the locus of significant unresolved theoretical and methodological issues in political theory and political science, and particularly to the persistently anomalous status of mental concepts. The manner in which political and social theorists have accessed and deployed this literature, however, has been highly selective and conceptually problematical. The purpose has often been to justify prior agendas, and issues relating to how brain processes are involved in an explanation of political phenomena have not been satisfactorily confronted. Cognitive science is itself a highly contested field with indigenous theoretical difficulties, and it is necessary to sort out and analyze the salient positions in this conversation and to begin, at least tentatively, to assess critically its implications for both social theory and empirical research and to suggest a direction for further investigation.
"Optical patch-clamping": single-channel recording by imaging Ca2+ flux through individual muscle acetylcholine receptor channels.

We describe an optical technique using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to obtain simultaneous and independent recordings from numerous ion channels via imaging of single-channel Ca2+ flux. Muscle nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors made up of αβγδ subunits were expressed in Xenopus oocytes, and single channel Ca2+ fluorescence transients (SCCaFTs) were imaged using a fast (500 fps) electron-multiplied c.c.d. camera with fluo-4 as the indicator. Consistent with their arising through openings of individual nicotinic channels, SCCaFTs were seen only when a nicotinic agonist was present in the bathing solution, were blocked by curare, and increased in frequency as roughly the second power of [ACh]. Their fluorescence amplitudes varied linearly with membrane potential and extrapolated to zero at about +60 mV. The rise and fall times of fluorescence were as fast as 2 ms, providing a kinetic resolution adequate to characterize channel gating kinetics; which showed mean open times of 7.9 and 15.8 ms when activated, respectively, by ACh or suberyldicholine. Simultaneous records were obtained from >400 channels in the imaging field, and we devised a novel “channel chip” representation to depict the resultant large dataset as a single image. The positions of SCCaFTs remained fixed (<100 nm displacement) over tens of seconds, indicating that the nicotinic receptor/channels are anchored in the oocyte membrane; and the spatial distribution of channels appeared random without evidence of clustering. Our results extend single-channel TIRFM imaging to ligand-gated channels that display only partial permeability to Ca2+, and demonstrate an order-of-magnitude improvement in kinetic resolution. We believe that functional single-channel imaging opens a new approach to ion channel study, having particular advantages over patch-clamp recording in that it is massively parallel, and provides high-resolution spatial information that is inaccessible by electrophysiological techniques.
Numerical scheme for a scalar conservation law with memory

We consider approximation of solutions to conservation laws with memory represented by a Volterra term with a smooth decreasing but possibly unbounded kernel. The numerical scheme combines Godunov method with a treatment of the integral term following from product integration rules. We prove stability for both linear and nonlinear flux functions and demonstrate the expected order of convergence using numerical experiments. The problem is motivated by modeling advective transport in heterogeneous media with subscale diffusion.Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 239–264, 2014
Utilization of a copper-catalyzed diaryl ether synthesis for the preparation of verbenachalcone

Abstract 2-Hydroxy-2′-methoxydiphenyl ethers were efficiently assembled utilizing a catalytic copper mediated coupling of 2-benzyloxybromobenzene derivatives and 2-methoxyphenol derivatives in the presence of cesium carbonate in pyridine followed by debenzylation. Utilization of this method allowed for a concise synthesis of verbenachalcone, a compound reported to enhance nerve growth factor's ability to stimulate neurite outgrowths in PC12D cells. Initial SAR data is also presented.
Re: In Older Men an Optimal Plasma Testosterone Is Associated With Reduced All-cause Mortality and Higher Dihydrotestosterone with Reduced Ischemic Heart Disease Mortality, While Estradiol Levels Do Not Predict Mortality

Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM) questionnaire for the identification of hypogonadism in elderly community-dwelling male volunteers. Eur J Endocrinol 2004;151:355–60. [3] Zengerling F, Schrader AJ, Cronauer MV, Stemann H, Schrader M, RinnabL.The ‘‘AgingMales’ Symptoms’’ scale (AMS): predictivevalue for lowered circulating androgens. Aging Male 2012;15:253–7. [4] Nigro N, Christ-Crain M. Testosterone treatment in the aging male: myth or reality? Swiss Med Wkly 2012;142:w13539. Ranjith Ramasamy, Larry I. Lipshultz* Department of Urology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
State of the art in fiber laser making

Today’s industrial fiber lasers mean hands-off, maintenance free operation for more than 15,000h beam-on time in 24/7 high speed, high precision marking. High conversion efficiency allows for strictly air-cooled, extremely compact and easy to integrate laser-marking systems. Latest marking software in conjunction with dual head systems for enlarged marking fields offers much higher productivity than conventional dual head YAG laser marking technology. Fast marking of metals and ceramics is now also possible with today’s power levels.
Roots of ‘Liberation’: American Images of the Future of Russia in the Early Cold War, 1948–1953

(1999). Roots of ‘Liberation’: American Images of the Future of Russia in the Early Cold War, 1948–1953. The International History Review: Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 57-79.
Synergistic use of spaceborne lidar and optical imagery for assessing forest disturbance: An Alaska case study

[1] Fire disturbance at high latitudes modifies a broad range of ecosystem properties and processes, thus it is important to monitor the response of vegetation to fire disturbance. This monitoring effort can be aided by lidar remote sensing, which captures information on vegetation structure, particularly canopy height metrics. We used lidar data acquired from the Geoscience Laser Altimetry System (GLAS) on ICESAT to derive canopy information for a wide range of burned areas across Alaska. The GLAS data aided our analysis of postfire disturbance and vegetation recovery by allowing us to derive returned energy height metrics within burned area perimeters. The analysis was augmented with MODIS reflectance data sets, which were used to stratify vegetation cover into cover type and density. We also made use of Landsat burn severity maps to further stratify the lidar metrics. Results indicate that canopy height decreases following fire, as expected, but height was not a good overall indicator of fire disturbance because many locations within the burned area perimeters either did not actually burn or experienced different levels of burn severity, typically leaving many standing trees or snags even after intensive burning. Because vegetation recovery following fire is differentially affected by burn severity, significantly greater height growth was documented in more severely burned areas due to a greater proportion of deciduous vegetation regrowth. When these factors were considered, GLAS height metrics were useful for documenting properties of regrowth in burned areas, thereby facilitating monitoring and mapping efforts following fire disturbance. A new satellite lidar sensor designed for vegetation studies would thus prove valuable information for improving ecosystem models that incorporate disturbance and recovery.
26-Hydroxycholesterol disulfate: metabolism and excretion in the normal neonate.

Abstract Deuterated 26-hydroxycholesterol disulfate has been given in a tracer amount to neonates to evaluate the pool size, metabolism and excretion of the endogenously occurring compound in meconium. In a group of 5 normal neonates excretion of endogenous 26-hydroxycholesterol during the initial 72 h of life ranged from 327 to 1096 μg. Recovery of administered isotope during the same period was 66–98%. Only trace amounts of 26-hydroxycholesterol were recovered in urine. The findings indicate that relative to bile acid pool size, the normal neonate has a small intestinal pool of 26-hydroxycholesterol which, for the most part, is rapidly excreted and does not contribute significantly to bile acid synthesis. The techniques developed during the course of the study provide an approach to non invasive metabolic studies that give insights on the normal transition from fetal to neonatal life.
Correlates of Nurse Practitioners' Diagnostic and Intervention Performance for Domestic Violence

The purposes of this research were to identify diagnosis and intervention performance accuracy, variables that influence this performance accuracy, and barriers thatimpede performance accuracy of adult nurse practitioners (ANP) andfamily nurse practitioners (FNP)for domestic violence. Two measures were developed: the Nurse Practitioner Survey (NPS) and the Nurse Practitioner Performance Tool. A total of 118ANPs and FNPs completed and returned mailed surveys. Of these, 22 individuals were interviewed by telephone regarding personal and professional experience with domestic violence and barriers in their clinical settings to addressing domestic violence.
Comparison of Blower Door and Tracer Gas Testing Methods for Determination of Air Infiltration Rates Through Building Envelopes at Normal Operating Conditions

Tracer gas and blower door testing are two widely used methods to determine the rate of air infiltration through a building envelope. Blower door testing is performed at elevated pressure differentials across the building envelope whereas tracer gas testing is conducted at near zero differential pressures, better reflecting the air leakage rate at near normal building operating conditions. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether extrapolation of blower door test data to normal building operating conditions provides a good estimate of annual average air infiltration at those conditions. Two methods were used to extrapolate the data and were then compared to the baseline tracer gas tests. A secondary objective was to determine the ventilation rate of a residential facility using tracer gas tests. Tracer gas testing seems to be more reliable in determining the air leakage rate at normal operating pressures, but is sensitive to the tracer gas and ambient weather conditions. Regardless, for the subject facility, the ACH50/20 rule and Sherman’s ACH50/N correlation, extrapolated from the blower door tests, are within 6%–33% and 4%–38% of the tracer gas results, respectively. However, these errors are dependent on the assumptions used. Nevertheless, it appears that simple blower door testing can provide a reasonable measure of a building’s annual average air infiltration rate regardless of ambient conditions, whereas the more expensive and complex tracer gas tests may better reflect seasonal variations in air infiltration rates.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Mean lifetimes and equilibrium abundances in the fast CN cycle.

It is shown that the production of small nitrogen to carbon ratios is possible, in contrast to the equilibrium production in the ordinary CN cycle. Associated with such a production are high ratios of C-13/C-12 and of N-15/N-14. The final ratios depend on the conditions under which cessation of hydrogen burning occurs under astrophysical circumstances. A table showing proton capture mean lifetimes of CN nuclei is provided together with tables of the equilibrium abundances in a fast CN cycle. The ratios of final abundances of nitrogen to carbon as functions of temperature are also presented.
Effects of temperatures and storage time on resting populations of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas fluorescens in vitro

Assessment of microbial interactions is crucial for documenting bacterial growth in pure and mixed cultures and their potential for biological applications. Pseudomonas fluorescens (non-plant pathogenic and non-pectinolytic) has been used as a biocontrol microbe for plant pathogens and food-borne bacteria. We determined the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Ec) and P. fluorescens(Pf) in monocultures and co-cultures in sterile distilled water (SDW), buffered peptone water (BPW) and trypticase soy broth (TSB). The effects of temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 35, and 37 °C) and storage time (0, 2, 4, 6, 24, and 48 h) on bacteria populations were assessed. Bacteria counts in monocultures in SDW ranged from 2.14 to 3.03 and 2.54 to 3.31 Log CFU/ml for Ec and Pf; respectively. In BPW, mean bacteria counts (monocultures) ranged from 3.15 to 6.14 and 2.54 to 6.41 Log CFU/ml for Ec and Pf, respectively. Ec populations in co-culture varied with storage temperatures and time. After 48 h, Ec 43894 monocultures in TSB ranged from 2.17 to 8.75 and 2.31 to 8.85 Log CFU/ml at 20 and 35 °C; respectively. In co-cultures with Pf 2-79, Ec 43894 counts ranged from 1.71 to 5.83 (20 °C) and 1.90 to 9.03 Log CFU/ml (35 °C) in TSB. The reductions of Ec by Pf 2-79 varied among strains and generally ranged from 0.20 to 0.90, 0.63 to 1.18, and 0 to 0.56 Log CFU/ml in BPW (10 °C). Substrate availability, storage temperatures, and time significantly (P < 0.05) impacted Ec populations in co-culture. The liquid substrate experiments indicated suppressive conditions of Ec by Pf, however; the reduction of produce contamination by E. coli O157:H7 during transitory temperature abuse conditions such as the transportation of produce from fields needs further investigation.
English language tests, school language use, and achievement in Spanish-speaking high school students

* This study investigated the relationship between two types of oral English language tests and various measures of language use and school performance. The tests assessed linguistic competence (LC), defined as the control of simple grammatical structures, and communicative competence (CC), defined as the ability to convey information. The subjects were thirty-five Spanish-speaking high school students in grades 10 through 12. Three main research questions were posed. The first dealt with the relationship between LC and CC. Initial correlational analysis indicated that LC predicted CC. However, scatterplots showed great variation in CC at all levels of LC; furthermore, the LC test and the CC test were moderately correlated (Pearson r = .456). To better distinguish these two types of second language skills, additional analysis using a Principal Components procedure (Harman 1976, Anderson 1958) was done. This proved useful in expressing differences in student language skills and in the patterns of self-report data on language use. The second major research question dealt with the relationships between the LC and CC test scores and six measures of performance in English discussion groups. Two variables, total informative statements and range of informative categories, measured the quantity of English used. Both of these were strongly related to the LC test and to the overall degree of second language skill represented in the common component. Results for the four criterion measures of quality of English used in discussion were more varied. T-unit measures (Hunt 1964) were employed to assess quality of language, and results depended on the aspect of oral language examined. Mean length of T-unit was significantly related to CC; mean length of error-free T-unit and the ratio of error-free to all T-units were strongly related to LC; and ratio of complex to all T-units was related to neither the language tests nor the principal components. The third research question dealt with the relationships among the LC and
A cognitive-behavioral mechanism leading to adolescent obesity: children's social images and physical activity

Background: Increasing levels of youth obesity constitute a threat to the nation’s health, and identification of the influences during childhood that lead to youth obesity is urgently needed. Physical activity is one such influence that is potentially modifiable.Purpose: This study examined the influence of children’s social images of other children who engage in physical activity on the development of their own physical activity over 3 years and related growth in physical activity to levels of obesity 2 years later.Methods: Participants (N=846, 50% female) were members of the Oregon Youth Substance Use Project, a longitudinal study of a community sample. The racial/ethnic composition of the sample was 86% Caucasian; 7% Hispanic; 1% Black; and approximately 2% each of Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, or Alaskan Native, and other or mixed race/ethni-ethnicity. The mean age at the first assessment was 9.5 years. A model examining the effect of early social images on the growth of physical activity (athleticism modeled as a curve of factors) predicting obesity was evaluated using latent growth modeling.Results: More favorable social images predicted the initial levels (i.e., intercept) but not the change over time (i.e., slope) of children’s athleticism, and both the intercept and the slope of athleticism predicted obesity.Conclusions: Children’s social images of exercise in early childhood influence their subsequent activity levels, and hence obesity, and should be targeted in obesity prevention interventions.
On the Quarantine Period for Ebola Virus

Background: 21 days has been regarded as the appropriate quarantine period for holding individuals potentially exposed to Ebola Virus (EV) to reduce risk of contagion. There does not appear to be a systematic discussion of the basis for this period. Methods: The prior estimates for incubation time to EV were examined, along with data on the first 9 months of the current outbreak. These provided estimates of the distribution of incubation times. Results: A 21 day period for quarantine may result in the release of individuals with a 0.2 � 12% risk of release prior to full opportunity for the incubation to proceed. It is suggested that a detailed cost-benefit assessment, including considering full transmission risks, needs to occur in order to determine the appropriate quarantine period for potentially exposed individuals. Abstract Background: 21 days has been regarded as the appropriate quarantine period for holding individuals potentially exposed to Ebola Virus (EV) to reduce risk of contagion. There does not appear to be a systematic discussion of the basis for this period. Methods: The prior estimates for incubation time to EV were examined, along with data on the first 9 months of the current outbreak. These provided estimates of the distribution of incubation times. Results: A 21 day period for quarantine may result in the release of individuals with a 0.2 � 12% risk of release prior to full opportunity for the incubation to proceed. It is suggested that a detailed cost-benefit assessment, including considering full transmission risks, needs to occur in order to determine the appropriate quarantine period for potentially exposed individuals. Abstract Background: 21 days has been regarded as the appropriate quarantine period for holding individuals potentially exposed to Ebola Virus (EV) to reduce risk of contagion. There does not appear to be a systematic discussion of the basis for this period. Methods: The prior estimates for incubation time to EV were examined, along with data on the first 9 months of the current outbreak. These provided estimates of the distribution of incubation times. Results: A 21 day period for quarantine may result in the release of individuals with a 0.2 � 12% risk of release prior to full opportunity for the incubation to proceed. It is suggested that a detailed cost-benefit assessment, including considering full transmission risks, needs to occur in order to determine the appropriate quarantine period for potentially exposed individuals.
Integrating a Discrete Motion Model into GMM Based Background Subtraction

GMM based algorithms have become the de facto standard for background subtraction in video sequences, mainly because of their ability to track multiple background distributions, which allows them to handle complex scenes including moving trees, flags moving in the wind etc. However, it is not always easy to determine which distributions of the mixture belong to the background and which distributions belong to the foreground, which disturbs the results of the labeling process for each pixel. In this work we tackle this problem by taking the labeling decision together for all pixels of several consecutive frames minimizing a global energy function taking into account spatial and temporal relationships. A discrete approximative optical-flow like motion model is integrated into the energy function and solved with Ishikawa's convex graph cuts algorithm.
Element mobility due to weathering in the L5 Bayard chondrite

— In order to assess weathering effects, sixteen elements were determined by neutron activation in the surficial layer and the interior of the extensively weathered Bayard L5 chondrite. Na, As, Sb, La and Sm show enrichment in the surface; for these elements soil concentrations are greater than in the meteorite. Elements showing no significant differences between surface and interior are Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Se, Eu, Yb, Ir and Au; with the exception of Eu and Yb, soil concentrations were lower than those in the chondrite. Concentrations of Fe, Ni and Co, and to some extent Na, are lower than the mean of the L-chondrite values probably due to oxidation and leaching from the chondrite. The data support an L classification for the Bayard chondrite.
Comments on "Exact error-rate analysis of diversity 16-QAM with channel-estimation Error"

Recently, Cao and Beaulieu presented an insightful analysis on the bit-error performance of 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) scheme on Rayleigh fading channels with maximal ratio combining diversity and channel estimation errors. Unfortunately, although exact, the results presented in that paper are based on a complicated parabolic cylinder function, and a two-dimensional numerical integration has to be performed to evaluate the average probability of bit error. In this letter, we present a surprisingly simple expression for the average probability of error in a well-known closed form. We point out that the error rates for any N-ary square/rectangular QAM constellation with Gray mapping can also be expressed in this form. Furthermore, we show that the presented results can also be modified, in a simple fashion, for a generalized selection combining scheme in the presence of channel estimation errors.
Retention of Anergy and Inhibition of Antibody Responses during Acute Gammaherpesvirus 68 Infection

The majority of the human population becomes infected early in life by the gammaherpesvirus EBV. Some findings suggest that there is an association between EBV infection and the appearance of pathogenic Abs found in lupus. Gammaherpesvirus 68 infection of adult mice (an EBV model) was shown to induce polyclonal B cell activation and hypergammaglobulinemia, as well as increased production of autoantibodies. In this study, we explored the possibility that this breach of tolerance reflects loss of B cell anergy. Our findings show that, although anergic B cells transiently acquire an activated phenotype early during infection, they do not become responsive to autoantigen, as measured by the ability to mobilize Ca2+ following AgR cross-linking or mount Ab responses following immunization. Indeed, naive B cells also acquire an activated phenotype during acute infection but are unable to mount Ab responses to either T cell-dependent or T cell-independent Ags. In acutely infected animals, Ag stimulation leads to upregulation of costimulatory molecules and relocalization of Ag-specific B cells to the B-T cell border; however, these cells do not proliferate or differentiate into Ab-secreting cells. Adoptive-transfer experiments show that the suppressed state is reversible and is dictated by the environment in the infected host. Finally, B cells in infected mice deficient of CD4+ T cells are not suppressed, suggesting a role for CD4+ T cells in enforcing unresponsiveness. Thus, rather than promoting loss of tolerance, gammaherpesvirus 68 infection induces an immunosuppressed state, reminiscent of compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome.
Hepatic ultrasonography in the dog

Ultrasonography may be used to evaluate noninvasively a wide variety of diseases affecting the canine liver. Hepatic mass lesions, parenchymal pathology, gallbladder and biliary disease, and vascular abnormalities may be detected and characterized by ultrasonography. Ultrasonically guided percutaneous liver biopsy can improve the succes and safety of obtaining diagnostic cytologic material. The response of liver disorders to treatment may be effectively monitored by serial ultrasonographic examination. The ultrasonographic diagnosis of canine liver disease is described and illustrated with 11 case history reports.
Differential Roles of CD36 and αvβ5 Integrin in Photoreceptor Phagocytosis by the Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells employ αvβ5 integrin and CD36 receptors to phagocytose photoreceptor outer segment fragments (OS). We explored special properties of RPE phagocytosis to identify the contribution of CD36 to RPE phagocytosis measuring effects of CD36 antibodies on OS binding and internalization kinetics. Early, CD36 antibodies had no effect on OS binding or internalization. Both control and CD36 antibody treated RPE initiated internalization approximately 2 hours after OS challenge. Later, bivalent CD36 IgG accelerated OS engulfment while monovalent Fab fragments inhibited engulfment. Cross-linking Fab fragments restored the accelerating activity of intact IgG. Strikingly, antibodies were effective even if added to OS already bound by RPE. αvβ5 blocking antibody reduced OS binding equally well in the presence of CD36 antibodies but CD36 antibodies accelerated internalization of remaining bound OS. Furthermore, CD36 ligation at either apical or basal RPE surface partially substituted for soluble factors that are required for internalization but not for binding of OS at the RPE apical surface. Our results demonstrate that CD36 ligation is necessary and sufficient to activate the OS internalization mechanism of RPE. They suggest that CD36 acts as a signaling molecule in postbinding steps of RPE phagocytosis independently of the OS binding receptor αvβ5 integrin.
Fitness-related patterns of genetic variation in rhesus macaques

The patterning of quantitative genetic descriptions of genetic and residual variation for 15 skeletal and six life history traits was explored in a semi-free-ranging group of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta Zimmerman 1780). I tested theoretical predictions that explain the magnitude of genetic and residual variation as a result of 1. strength of a trait’s association with evolutionary fitness, or 2. developmental and physiological relationships among traits. I found skeletal traits had higher heritabilities and lower coefficients of residual variation than more developmentally and physiologically dependent life history traits. Total lifetime fertility had a modest heritability (0.336) in this population, and traits with stronger correlations to fitness had larger amounts of residual variance. Censoring records of poorly-performing individuals on lifetime fertility and lifespan substantially reduced their heritabilities. These results support models for the fitness-related patterning of genetic variation based on developmental and physiological relationships among traits rather than the action of selection eroding variation.
File I/O for MPI Applications in Redundant Execution Scenarios

As multi-petascale and exa-scale high-performance computing (HPC) systems inevitably have to deal with a number of resilience challenges, such as a significant growth in component count and smaller circuit sizes with lower circuit voltages, redundancy may offer an acceptable level of resilience that traditional fault tolerance techniques, such as checkpoint/restart, do not. Although redundancy in HPC is quite controversial due to the associated cost for redundant components, the constantly increasing number of cores-per-processor is tilting this cost calculation toward a system design where computation, such as for redundancy, is much cheaper and communication, needed for checkpoint/restart, is much more expensive. Recent research and development activities in redundancy for Message Passing Interface (MPI) applications focused on availability/reliability models and replication algorithms. This paper takes a first step toward solving an open research problem associated with running a parallel application redundantly, which is file I/O under redundancy. The approach intercepts file I/O calls made by a redundant application to employ coordination protocols that execute file I/O operations in a redundancy-oblivious fashion when accessing a node-local file system, or in a redundancy-aware fashion when accessing a shared networked file system. A proof-of concept prototype is presented and a number of coordination protocols are described and evaluated. The results show the performance impact for redundantly accessing a shared networked file system, but also demonstrate the capability to regain performance by utilizing MPI communication between replicas and parallel file I/O.
Nash solution by extremum seeking control approach

In this paper, we propose an algorithm to solve the Nash equilibrium solution for an n-person noncooperative dynamic game by the extremum seeking control approach with sliding mode. For each player, a switching function is defined as the difference between the player's cost function and a reference signal. The extremum seeking controller for each player is designed so that the system converges to a sliding boundary layer defined in the vicinity of a sliding mode corresponding to the switching function and inside the boundary layer, the cost function tracks the reference signal and converges it to the Nash equilibrium solution.
Lead editorial: The need for greater perspective and innovation in epidemiology

This editorial introduces the new online, open-access, peer-reviewed journal, Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations. Epidemiology (which we define broadly, to include clinical research and various approaches to studying the health of populations) is a critically important field in informing decisions about the health of individuals and populations. But the desire for new information means that the health science literature is overwhelmingly devoted to reporting new findings, leaving little opportunity to improve the quality of the science. By creating a journal dedicated to all topics of and about epidemiology, except standard research reports, we hope to encourage authors to write more on the neglected aspects of the field. The journal will publish articles that analyze policy implications of health research, present new research methods and better communicate existing methods, reassess previous results and dogma, and provide other innovations in and perspectives on the field. Online publishing will permit articles of whatever length is required for the work, speed the time to publication and allow free access to the full content.
Vascular hypertrophy is an early finding in essential hypertension and is related to arterial pressure waveform contour

The effects of hypertension on the arterial vasculature were examined in a study group of 20 patients with newly diagnosed essential hypertension, 18 patients with chronic essential hypertension, and 32 control subjects with normal blood pressure. Left ventricular mass was determined echocardiographically. Carotid artery intimal-medial thickness was measured by means of B-mode ultrasound imaging, and carotid arterial waveforms were obtained by applanation tonometry. Compared with that in control subjects, carotid intimal-medial thickness was increased in patients with chronic hypertension (0.74 +/- 0.17 mm vs 0.61 +/- 0.15 mm in control subjects; p < 0.01) and in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension (0.66 +/- 0.12 mm vs 0.61 +/- 0.15 mm in control subjects; p < 0.05). Left ventricular mass was also higher in patients with chronic hypertension than in control subjects but was very similar between control subjects and those with newly diagnosed hypertension. Both the group with early hypertension and the group with chronic hypertension had an increased incidence of early waveform reflection evident on carotid arterial waveform examination. By multiple regression analysis, independent predictors of increased carotid intimal-medial thickness were age, systolic arterial pressure, and Murgo class of arterial waveform. Conduit arterial wall thickening precedes left ventricular remodeling in essential hypertension and is significantly related to the degree of pressure elevation and the arterial waveform contour.
Implicit Taxes: Evidence from Taxable, AMT, and Tax‐Exempt State and Local Government Bond Yields

Pretax yields of state and local government (SALG) bonds are examined for evidence of implicit taxes. The sample includes fully taxable bonds, alternative minimum tax (AMT) bonds (tax‐exempt but a tax preference for alternative minimum tax purposes), and tax‐exempt bonds (tax‐exempt and not a tax preference for AMT purposes). The average risk‐adjusted pretax yield on AMT bonds is higher than that of tax‐exempt bonds and lower than that of taxable bonds. Implicit taxes are estimated at 25.23 to 29.68 percent for AMT bonds and 33.87 to 35.27 percent for tax‐exempt bonds. Results indicate that asset prices are affected by the AMT system and that marginal investors in AMT bonds assess a positive probability (between 28 and 45 percent) of being subject to the AMT. Estimated implicit tax rates on longer‐term tax‐exempt bonds are higher when yields are compared to those of taxable SALG bonds rather than taxable U.S. Treasury securities.
Abstract B11: Racial differences in prostate cancer caregivers' social support and coping

Objective: Over 40 million Americans provide informal caregiving to adults, which can negatively impact their personal life and their physical and mental health. The purpose of this study was to describe social support and coping strategies among prostate cancer family caregivers and to assess for racial/ethnic differences. Methods: Secondary data analysis of baseline data from the Managing Uncertainty in Stage B Prostate Cancer Study was conducted. This longitudinal randomized experimental intervention study enrolled Caucasian and African‐American men with localized prostate cancer and their primary family caregivers residing in North Carolina from 1993–1998. 120 Caucasian and 49 African‐American female family caregivers of prostate cancer patients were included in the analysis. We compared means of social support amount and satisfaction and utilization of coping strategies by race/ethnicity group. Results: Racial/ethnic differences exist in the amount of social support received and some coping methods. However, there was no variation in satisfaction with social support by race or ethnicity. Conclusions: Results suggest that though Caucasian and African‐American female family caregivers differ in the amount of social support received, the level of satisfaction with the support tends to be consistent across race/ethnic groups. Racial/ethnic differences in coping methods need to be elucidated since the way of coping may reflect important sociocultural factors. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B11.
Professional discipline and support recommendations for family caregivers of persons with dementia

Background Family caregivers of persons with dementia often require support services to help ease the challenges of providing care. Although the efficacy of some dementia caregiver interventions seems apparent, evidence indicating which types of protocols can best meet the diverse needs of individual families is not yet available. Because of this gap, families must often turn to professionals for such guidance, but it remains unknown whether professionals from different disciplines are more inclined to recommend particular types of services than others. This study assessed whether recommendations of supportive interventions to hypothetical dementia family caregivers differed by professional discipline. Methods In a cross-sectional survey design, a convenience sample of 422 dementia care professionals across the USA viewed up to 24 randomly selected, hypothetical scenarios that systematically varied characteristics of persons with dementia and their caregivers. For each scenario, 7 possible intervention recommendations were rated. A total of 6,890 scenarios were rated and served as the unit of analysis. Results General linear models revealed that discipline was often a stronger predictor of how likely professionals were to recommend dementia caregiver interventions than caregiver, care recipient, or other professional characteristics. Psychotherapists tended to recommend psychoeducation more than other professionals, while those in medicine were more likely to recommend training of the person with dementia and psychotherapy. Conclusions The heterogeneity in recommendations suggests that the professional source of information influences the types of support families are directed toward. Empirical evidence should inform these professional judgments to better achieve person-centered care for families.
Hybrid treatment of restenosis on blood vessel prosthesis for the low limb ischemia:a report of 36 cases

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of the hybrid treatment of occluded prosthetic bypass.Methods: The clinical data of 36 patients treated with thrombectomy and endovascular therapy from January 2006 to December 2009 were retrospctively reviewed.Results:After the hybrid operation,the patency rate of 3-month, 6-month,1-year and 2-year was 90.6% ,85.7% ,68.4% and 56.3%.Conclusion:For anastomotic stenosis on blood vessel prosthesis,the shot-time outcome of hybrid operation is satisfactory,which offers a therapeutic chioce for these patients.The mid-to long-term result has yet to be followed.