cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of composite measures of treatment response without acute-phase reactants in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives. To evaluate composite measures of response without acute-phase reactants in RA patients. Specifically, Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI)-derived response criteria were compared with the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria, and the modified ACR (mACR) response criteria were compared to the ACR response criteria. Methods. Data from 10 108 RA patients enrolled in the Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America registry were examined, including 649 patients initiating DMARD therapy. CDAI cut-off points for disease activity levels and responses were derived using receiver operating characteristic curves with the DAS28 and EULAR response criteria as gold standards. The κ-statistics were applied to assess agreement between CDAI-derived and EULAR-defined responses, as well as ACR20 and ACR50 with mACR20- and mACR50-defined responses, respectively. Results. For the components of the EULAR response, the derived CDAI cut-off points for DAS28 levels of 3.2 and 5.1 were 7.6 and 19.6, respectively. The derived CDAI cut-off points were 4.3 and 10.0 for DAS28 changes of 0.6 and 1.2, respectively. There were moderate to substantial agreements between CDAI-derived and EULAR responses (κ = 0.57–0.71). Agreement of ACR20 and ACR50 with mACR20 and mACR50 responses, respectively, was excellent (κ = 0.88–0.95). Conclusions. Agreement between composite measures of response without acute-phase reactants and standard measures ranged from moderate to excellent. The mACR20 and mACR50 criteria as well as CDAI-derived response criteria, can serve as composite measures of response in clinical practice and research settings without access to acute-phase reactants.
Integrating spatial management measures into traditional fishery management systems: the case of the Georges Bank multispecies groundfish fishery

Primary determinants of the productivity of most fisheries are the level of fishing mortality and the age structure of the catch. Constraints on nominal effort or catch and technical measures such as mesh sizes are typically the most effective methods of ensuring productivity and sustainability. Stock assessment models are generally well adapted to assess the biological implications (though less often the economic implications) of these measures. However, the increasing use of spatial management measures such as marine protected areas (MPAs) or seasonal area closures presents new challenges for fishery managers. Assessment models and data collection programs are rarely designed or adaptable for analysis of these measures. Using spatial management measures effectively requires new models and data. Models of Georges Bank groundfish fisheries are presented and used to explore the impacts of area closures in the context of the overall management system. Although the spatial dynamics of the models are highly stylized, they illustrate mechanisms through which area closures can increase productivity and profitability of a spatially heterogeneous multispecies fishery. The utility of taxes to control the distribution of effort is also explored. 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
Comparison of primary graft survival following penetrating keratoplasty and Descemet's stripping endothelial keratoplasty in eyes with prior trabeculectomy

Purpose To compare corneal graft survival rate after primary Descemet9s stripping endothelial keratoplasty (DSEK) and primary penetrating keratoplasty (PK) in patients with prior trabeculectomy or medically managed glaucoma. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted on consecutive patients who underwent DSEK or PK. Inclusion criteria consisted of eyes with a diagnosis of glaucoma prior to corneal transplantation and ≥6 months of follow-up. Graft failure was defined as an oedematous cornea with failure to maintain deturgescence lasting beyond a period of 1 month of intense steroid therapy or vascularisation and scarring resulting in irreversible loss of central graft clarity. Corneal graft survival was calculated using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Patients were divided into four groups: trabeculectomy-DSEK, trabeculectomy-PK, medical-DSEK or medical-PK. Results Fifty eyes (30 DSEK, 20 PK) of 50 patients (mean age 77±10 years) met the enrolment criteria. Mean follow-up was 17.4±14.2 months. A significantly higher proportion of the DSEK grafts (50%) compared with PK grafts (10%) failed at last follow-up (p=0.005). Kaplan–Meier analysis identified a significant difference between the groups with respect to time to graft failure (p=0.006). Patients with trabeculectomy who underwent DSEK had earlier graft failures than all other groups (p≤0.035), but there were no differences between the medical-DSEK, medical-PK and trabeculectomy-PK groups (all p>0.35). Conclusions Eyes with prior glaucoma showed higher rates of DSEK graft failure compared with PK. Patients with prior trabeculectomy demonstrated higher and earlier corneal graft failure rates with DSEK than with PK.
Measures of bone mineral content in mature dairy cows.

The objectives of this investigation were to assess the relationship between chemical measures and imaging estimates (radiographic photometry and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) of bone mineral content in dairy cows and to evaluate the effects of parity, stage of lactation, and site of measurement (fused third and fourth metacarpal bone vs. caudal vertebrae 14 and 15) on bone mineral content. In a preliminary study, the caudal vertebrae were excised from 33 cows following slaughter. Samples were analyzed by radiographic photometry and then analyzed for mineral content chemically. In a second experiment, the caudal vertebrae and right front metacarpal (sample pairs) were excised from 107 Holstein cull cows following slaughter. Parity and days in milk (DIM) of the donor animals were obtained for 43 pairs of samples. Samples were grouped by parity (1, 2, 3, and ≥4) stage of lactation (Stage 1: 250 DIM). Samples were analyzed by radiographic photometry and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and then analyzed for mineral content chemically. In both experiments, the relationship between mineral content estimated via the imaging techniques and mineral content measured chemically was poor, likely because of the relative maturity of animals in the sample set and lack of variation in mineral content. Ash content was higher in the metacarpal than in the caudal vertebrae, as were concentrations of Mg (expressed as a proportion of bone ash). No effects of stage of lactation were observed on bone mineral in the caudal vertebrae, but in the metacarpal, P content (proportion of total mineral) was highest in second lactation cows. Total bone mineral content (ash) was not affected by parity in the metacarpal or caudal vertebra, but Ca and P content of the metacarpal increased with parity. Noninvasive imaging techniques are not sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in mineral content or composition of mature cows, and only modest changes in bone mineral were observed with stage of lactation and parity.
Hiding the acoustic signature of a mobile robot

A mobile robot can be a rather significant source of noise: noisy fans cool onboard computers, motors are spinning, rubber wheels are squeaking against the floor, and mechanical parts are grinding against each other. Despite these noise problems, robots are often suggested as ideal security and surveillance tools, since they can reliably patrol an area, and remove people from harms way. While the arguments for using a robot are persuasive, the use of a noisy robot for these tasks is questionable. Certainly, they might allow a human to be separated from immediate harm, but given the ease with which people and/or machines can detect changes in the ambient noise, a noisy robot might not be very effective at performing its duties. One solution is to make very small, very quiet robots. But such small robots do not usually do very much either, as their sensing and computational power is minimal. An alternative solution is to use a larger robot, but make the robot aware of its own acoustic signature. Combined with knowledge about sound sources and sound flow through the environment, an acoustically aware robot may hide its own acoustic signature in the ambient noise to reduce the risk of being detected.
Using fuzzy clustering methods for delineating urban housing submarkets

This study investigates whether a fuzzy clustering method is of any practical value in delineating urban housing submarkets relative to clustering methods based on classic (or crisp) set theory. A fuzzy c-means algorithm is applied to obtain fuzzy set membership degree of census tracts to housing submarkets defined within a metropolitan area. Issues of choosing algorithm parameters are discussed on the basis of applying fuzzy clustering to 85 metropolitan areas in the U.S. The comparison between results of fuzzy clustering and those of crisp set counterpart shows that fuzzy clustering yields statistically more desirable clusters.
Learning through Reinforcement for Repeated Power Control Game in Cognitive Radio Networks

This paper studies the repeated power control game in cognitive radio (CR) networks through reinforcement learning without channel and power strategy information exchange among CR users. Unlike traditional game-theoretical approaches on CR power control, this research solves the incomplete information power control problems for selfish and autonomous CR users for the first time. Each CR user in the problem only knows its own channel and power strategy while the information of primary users (PUs) and other different types of CR users are unknown. The formulated power control problem is a constrained repeated stochastic game with learning automaton. The objective of this repeated game is to maximize the average utility of each CR user under the interference power constraints of PUs. At each time step, the CR user only knows its own utility and the interference functions after the play but no further information. This power control game is proved to be asymptotically equivalent to the traditional game theory approaches. The properties of existence, diagonal concavity and uniqueness for this game are illustrated in detail. A Bush-Mosteller reinforcement learning procedure is designed for the power control algorithm. Finally, the learning based power control algorithm is implemented, and the simulation results with detailed analysis are shown to enforce the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
A message ferrying approach for data delivery in sparse mobile ad hoc networks

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) provide rapidly deployable and self-configuring network capacity required in many critical applications, e.g., battlefields, disaster relief and wide area sensing. In this paper we study the problem of efficient data delivery in sparse MANETs where network partitions can last for a significant period. Previous approaches rely on the use of either long range communication which leads to rapid draining of nodes' limited batteries, or existing node mobility which results in low data delivery rates and large delays. In this paper, we describe a Message Ferrying (MF) approach to address the problem. MF is a mobility-assisted approach which utilizes a set of special mobile nodes called message ferries (or ferries for short) to provide communication service for nodes in the deployment area. The main idea behind the MF approach is to introduce non-randomness in the movement of nodes and exploit such non-randomness to help deliver data. We study two variations of MF, depending on whether ferries or nodes initiate proactive movement. The MF design exploits mobility to improve data delivery performance and reduce energy consumption in nodes. We evaluate the performance of MF via extensive ns simulations which confirm the MF approach is efficient in both data delivery and energy consumption under a variety of network conditions.
Strength and durability of polypropylene fibre reinforced grouts

Fibrillated polypropylene fibres were added to cementitious grouts to determine whether improved mechanical properties and durability could be achieved. The grouts were studied for suitability as subsurface containment barriers around stabilized hazardous waste landfills. Strength, wet-dry and freeze-thaw durability and shrinkage crack control were investigated. Fibres added at volume fractions of 0.1 and 0.2% were found to reduce crack widths of restrained shrinkage specimens by bridging action. Compressive and flexural strengths were not consistently affected by incorporation of fibres. Fibres did not significantly change the residual compressive strength of air entrained grouts subjected to freeze-thaw cycles.
The Recognition and Use of Chemical Signals by a Nesting Salamander

The mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope) is a small plethodontid (snout-vent length = 30–40 mm), indigenous to the Appalachian highlands of eastern North America. At low elevations, the species inhabits moist microhabitats associated with stream margins and seepages; at high elevations, the species exhibits pronounced terrestrialism, ranging far up wooded slopes (Hairston, 1949). Males and females reach sexual maturity at an age of three to five years (Tilley, 1977, 1980), and males court females during the fall and spring (Houck, 1982). Oviposition occurs annually (Forester, 1977) between mid-June and mid-July (Tilley, 1977; Forester, 1979a). Nesting sites are located beneath natural debris along stream margins and in seepages (Bishop, 1943). Following egg deposition, the female parent remains with the eggs until they hatch (46–69 days, Tilley, 1972; Forester, 1974). During this period, the female contributes to the survival of the eggs by: (1) reducing predation (as a result of aggressive nest defense; Forester, 1978, 1979a, 1983); (2) reducing pathogenic infestation (Forester, 1979a); (3) providing mechanical stimulation resulting in increased oxygenation and reduced yolk layering (Forester, 1979a); (4) reducing the rate of clutch desiccation (Forester, 1984).
Discovery of Novel Catalysts for Alkene Epoxidation from Metal‐Binding Combinatorial Libraries

New lead structures for olefin oxidation catalysts have been obtained from a combinatorial library of 5760 metal-ligand complexes (see the microscopy picture). Iron complexes led to clean epoxide product formation using H2 O2 as the terminal oxidant. Parallel libraries were used to determine ligand features important for high catalytic activity and to identify enantioselective catalyst structures (see the Equation).
Asynchrony Between the Circular and the Longitudinal Muscle Contraction in Patients With Nutcracker Esophagus

Background & Aims: The increases in intraluminal pressure and muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) during esophageal contraction are markers of circular and longitudinal muscle contractions. The goal of our study was to determine temporal synchrony between circular and longitudinal muscle contraction in healthy subjects and patients with nutcracker esophagus. Methods: Pressure and high-frequency intraluminal ultrasound (HFIUS) images were recorded simultaneously in healthy subjects and patients with nutcracker esophagus at 2 and 10 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter during wet swallow. HFIUS images were digitized and analyzed for the muscle CSA. The time interval (δ-t) between the peak muscle CSA and the peak pressure was determined. Results: In healthy subjects, a close temporal correlation existed between the peak contraction pressure and the peak muscle CSA with a maximum δ-t of 0.5 seconds at the 2- and 10-cm levels (0–0.5 seconds). On the other hand, the patient group had a median δ-t of 1.25 seconds (0.75–3.5 seconds) at the 2-cm level and 0.75 seconds (0–2.0 seconds) at the 10-cm level. Ninety-eight of 103 contractions in patients showed a δ-t >0.5 seconds. There was a significant correlation between δ-t and the amplitude of pressure wave, the duration of pressure wave, and the peak muscle CSA. The duration of pressure wave but not the duration of CSA wave was longer in patients with nutcracker esophagus as compared with healthy subjects. Conclusions: Patients with nutcracker esophagus show temporal asynchrony between the contractions of circular and longitudinal muscle layers.
Bias minimizing filter design for gradient-based image registration

Gradient-based image registration techniques represent a very popular class of approaches to registering pairs or sets of images. As the name suggests, these methods rely on image gradients to perform the task of registration. Very often, little attention is paid to the filters used to estimate image gradients. In this paper, we explore the relationship between such gradient filters and their effect on overall estimation performance in registering translated images. We propose a methodology for designing filters based on image content that minimize the estimator bias inherent to gradient-based image registration. We show that minimizing such bias improves the overall estimator performance in terms of mean square error (MSE) for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) scenarios. Finally, we propose a technique for designing such optimal gradient filters in the context of iterative multiscale image registration and verify their further improved performance.
Tracking and Pointing of Target by a Bifocal Relay Mirror Spacecraft Using Attitude Control and Fast Steering Mirrors Tilting

Abstract : The present paper reports the results of numerical simulations carried out on a model of the Bifocal Relay Mirror spacecraft. This spacecraft consists of two large mechanically and optically coupled telescopes, used to redirect a laser beam from a ground-based, airborne or spacecraft based source to a distant target point on the earth or in space. The two telescopes are gimbaled and the spacecraft inertia has a large variation during the angle maneuvers needed to maintain the laser cross link. Moreover the spacecraft has very tight pointing and jitter requirements. The task of the presented simulations was to preliminarily validate and compare two different control approaches proposed for the tracking and pointing of the target of the Bifocal Relay Mirror. The attitude control system consists of reaction wheels, star trackers and rate gyros. The optical control system consists of two two-axis fast steering mirrors and two optical tracker sensors. In the first control option considered, feedforward and PD feedback are used for the spacecraft attitude control, while PID feedback is used for the optical subsystem, in order to compensate the pointing error. In the second control approach, the spacecraft and the optical control systems are integrated.
Dialect Awareness and Lexical Comprehension of Mainstream American English in African American English-Speaking Children.

Purpose This study was designed to examine the relationships among minority dialect use, language ability, and young African American English (AAE)–speaking children's understanding and awareness of Mainstream American English (MAE). Method Eighty-three 4- to 8-year-old AAE-speaking children participated in 2 experimental tasks. One task evaluated their awareness of differences between MAE and AAE, whereas the other task evaluated their lexical comprehension of MAE in contexts that were ambiguous in AAE but unambiguous in MAE. Receptive and expressive vocabulary, receptive syntax, and dialect density were also assessed. Results The results of a series of mixed-effect models showed that children with larger expressive vocabularies performed better on both experimental tasks, relative to children with smaller expressive vocabularies. Dialect density was a significant predictor only of MAE lexical comprehension; children with higher levels of dialect density were less accurate on this task. Conclusions Both ...
Ultrasonic diffraction grating spectroscopy and characterization of fluids and slurries.

The ultrasonic diffraction grating is formed by machining triangular grooves, 300 microns apart, on a stainless steel surface. The grating surface is in contact with the liquid or slurry. The ultrasonic beam, traveling in the solid, strikes the back of the grating and produces a transmitted m = 1 beam in the liquid. The angle of this beam in the liquid increases with decreasing frequency and the critical frequency F CR occurs when the angle is 90°. At frequencies below F CR , this m = 1 wave does not exist and its energy is shared with other types of waves. The signal of the reflected m = 0 wave is observed and an increase is observed at F CR . This information yields the velocity of sound in the liquid and particle size.
The stability of parallel flow of a multi-component plasma

A Liapunov functional is constructed for the plane parallel flow of a multicomponent plasma in an external gravitational field. Sufficient conditions for stability to electrostatic perturbations are obtained. The L 2 -norms of certain system variables are shown to be bounded uniformly in time.
Distinguishing Rivals That Go to War from Those That Do Not: A Quantitative Comparative Case Study of the Two Paths to War

Many interstate enduring rivalries experience wars, some do not. This analysis presents and tests an explanation of whether, why, and how rivals go to war. It is argued that rivalries between equal states that do not go to war are those in which territorial issues are not at stake. Rivalries in the absence of territorial issues tend to go to war only by being embroiled in an ongoing war by a third party. A series of tests with emphasis on rivalries between major states occurring during 1816–1986 supports the territorial explanation. Two distinct paths to war are empirically identified—one leading to a dyadic war involving a territorial dispute(s) and a second path by which rivals without a territorial dispute join an ongoing war because of contagion factors.
Use of polyacrylamide gel moving boundary electrophoresis to enable low-power protein analysis in a compact microdevice.

In designing a protein electrophoresis platform composed of a single-inlet, single-outlet microchannel powered solely by voltage control (no pumps, values, injectors), we adapted the original protein electrophoresis format—moving boundary electrophoresis (MBE)—to a high-performance, compact microfluidic format. Key to the microfluidic adaptation is minimization of injection dispersion during sample injection. To reduce injection dispersion, we utilize a photopatterned free-solution–polyacrylamide gel (PAG) stacking interface at the head of the MBE microchannel. The nanoporous PAG molecular sieve physically induces a mobility shift that acts to enrich and sharpen protein fronts as proteins enter the microchannel. Various PAG configurations are characterized, with injection dispersion reduced by up to 85%. When employed for analysis of a model protein sample, microfluidic PAG MBE baseline-resolved species in 5 s and in a separation distance of less than 1 mm. PAG MBE thus demonstrates electrophoretic assays...
Solution Studies of Ru2(O2CR)4n+ Complexes (n = 0, 1; O2CR = Octanoate, Crotonate, Dimethylacrylate, Benzoate, p-Toluate) and Solid-State Structures of Ru2(O2C-p-tolyl)4(THF)2, [Ru2(O2C-p-tolyl)4(THF)2]+[BF4]-, and Ru2(O2C-p-tolyl)4(CH3CN)2: Investigations of the Axial Ligation of the Ru2 Core

Ru2(O2C(CH2)6CH3)4 (1a) is soluble in both coordinating (THF, CH3OH, CH3CN) and noncoordinating solvents (benzene, toluene, cyclohexane, CH2Cl2), allowing its solution properties to be investigated by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, UV/visible spectroscopy, resonance Raman spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. In noncoordinating solvents, 1a exists as an oligomer, presumably by way of axial intermolecular -(- -[Ru2]- -O- -)n- interactions. 1H NMR studies of 1a and [Ru2(O2C(CH2)6CH3)4]+[X]-([1a]+[X]-), where X = Cl, BF4, or O2C(CH2)6CH3, indicate that both dipolar and contact mechanisms contribute to the paramagnetic shifts of the protons. Resonances for axial and equatorial ligands are shifted upfield and downfield, respectively, by a dipolar mechanism. Aromatic ligands in the axial sites, e.g. pyridine and pyrazine, experience an enhanced upfield shift by direct π-delocalization. Comparison of the 1H NMR signals for M2(O2CR)4 compounds where M = Ru and O2CR = benzoate, toluate, butyrate, crotonate, and dime...
Migrants, unemployment and earnings in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area

The unemployment rate climbed to 20 percent in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area in the mid-1990s. Some government officials blamed immigration from neighboring countries as one factor responsible for the increase. This paper fails to find evidence to support such a view. In addition, variation of earnings between the beginning and the peak of the unemployment crisis is considered. Although males of all national origin groups were worse off after the employment bubble burst, the earnings of immigrants from neighboring countries declined the most. The explanation for this finding may rest on the legal status of these immigrants, which could not be tested with the available data
Charge-Transfer Complexes and Photochemistry of Ozone with Ferrocene and n-Butylferrocene: A UV-vis Matrix-Isolation Study.

The reactions of ozone with ferrocene (cp2Fe) and with n-butylferrocene (n-butyl cp2Fe) were studied using matrix isolation, UV–vis spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations. The codeposition of cp2Fe with O3 and of n-butyl cp2Fe with O3 into an argon matrix led to the production of 1:1 charge-transfer complexes with absorptions at 765 and 815 nm, respectively. These absorptions contribute to the green matrix color observed upon initial deposition. The charge-transfer complexes underwent photochemical reactions upon irradiation with red light (λ ≥ 600 nm). Theoretical UV–vis spectra of the charge-transfer complexes and photochemical products were calculated using TD-DFT at the B3LYP/6-311G++(d,2p) level of theory. The calculated UV–vis spectra were in good agreement with the experimental results. MO analysis of these long-wavelength transitions showed them to be n→ π* on the ozone subunit in the complex and indicated that the formation of the charge-transfer complex between ozone and cp2Fe or n-butyl cp2...
Cloudy with a Chance of Microbes: Terrestrial microbes swept into clouds can catalyze the freezing of water and may influence precipitation on a global scale

In trying to disprove spontaneous generation, Louis Pasteur helped to launch experimental aeromicrobiology. Recognizing that virtually any microbe could be transported and disseminated in air, he developed sampling procedures to study airborne cells and soon showed that microbial abundances decreased at higher altitudes; precipitation scrubbed dust and cells from the atmosphere; and dust particles helped to disperse microbes in the atmosphere. Since then, aeromicrobiology has contributed to our understanding of airborne pathogens and the life cycles of other microbes.
Genetic homozygosis of Oryza rufipogon resistance to brown plant hopper

[Objective]The heredity stability of Oryza rufipogon resistance to brown plant hopper was studied to screen wild rice germplasm with stable resistance for providing sources in breeding resistant rice varieties.[Method]Total 1591 accessions of Oryza rufipogon,collected from 46 proterozoic growth locations of Guangxi,were screened for brown plant hopper resistance and the genetic homozygosis in their offsprings was detected using bag-selfing or anther culture methods.[Result]The results showed that most of Oryza rufipogon germplasm accessions were heterozygotic and the growth habit and awn of their self F1 generation showed separation.Among 1591 germplasm accessions,only 30 showed 3r d-5t h grades of resistance to brown plant hopper,most of them showed 5t h grade.Among self offsprings of 11 resistant accessions,the Z1-Z3 showed separation of resistant genes,while some accessions showed stable resistance in Z4.Out of 11 accessions,resistance of 5 accessions increased from 3r d to 1s t-3t h grades,4 accessions from 5t h to 1s t-3r d grades and 2 accessions from 5t h to 3r d grade.The anther culture of 2174 material showed induction of callus in 125 accessions from 6000 anthers.They were differentiated in 8 clusters of diploid and 2 clusters of haploid with 2.0% induction rate and 6.4% differentiation rate.Out of 8 offspring of anther culture,6 showed 5t h grade of resistance to brown plant hopper and 2 plants showed 3r d grade resistance.[Conclusion]The stable highly-resistant resources could be obtained and resistance level of Oryza rufipogon could be enhanced through bag-selfing and multi-generation identification of resistance to brown plant hopper.Anther culture is beneficial to promote the genetic homozygosis of Oryza rufipogon resistance to brown plant hopper and shorten homozygosis time.
Chemical constituents of Clinopodium chinensis O.Kuntze var.grandiflorum(Maxim.)Hara

Objective To investigate the chemical constituents of Clinopodium chinensis O Kuntze var.grandiflorum(Maxim.)Hara.Methods The constituents were isolated by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated by chemical properties and spectroscopic analysis.Results Six compounds were isolated and identified as β-sitosterol(Ⅰ),daucosterol(Ⅱ),buddlejasaponin Ⅳb(Ⅲ),buddlejasaponin Ⅳ(Ⅳ),3β,16β,28-trihydroxyoleana-11,13(18)-dien-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-fucopyranoside(Ⅴ),didymin(Ⅵ).Conclusions The compound Ⅴ is new,and all of the six compounds are isolated from Clinopodium chinesnse O.Kuntze var.grandiflorum(Maxim.)Hara for the first time.
Lack of acute effects of pyridoxine on prolactin secretion and lactation.

Recent reports in the literature have suggested that pyridoxine has acute hypoprolactinemic and antilactogenic effects. We have studied the effects of high doses of pyridoxine on prolactin secretion in monkeys and humans and on lactation in rats. Milk production in postpartum rats, as measured indirectly by changes in body weight of the pups, was assessed after treatment with 50 mg/kg of pyridoxine intramuscularly twice daily for 7 days. Body weights of pups from treated mothers were not significantly different from those of untreated ones. In two cycling female rhesus monkeys as well as in two female monkeys with elevated prolactin following pituitary stalk section, prolactin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay following the intravenous injection of 200 mg (50 mg/kg) of pyridoxine. Prolactin levels were not significantly affected for up to 8 hours following the pyridoxine administration. Neither did pyridoxine pretreatment (200 mg intravenously) prevent the increase in prolactin seen in animals after stimulation with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (50 μg intravenously). Four hyperprolactinemic patients were given 250 mg orally and immediately thereafter received infusions of pyridoxine for 8 hours (300 mg/hour); prolactin levels remained unchanged, compared with control values, in three of four patients. One patient with very elevated prolactin levels showed some decline. It is concluded that pyridoxine does not acutely affect prolactin secretion nor lactation in a significant manner.
Abstract A37: Role of autophagy inhibition in metastatic disease utilizing mouse models

Modification of autophagy to enhance cancer treatment is being aggressively pursued in the laboratory and clinic; however, it remains to be seen if inhibition or induction of autophagy is going to result in better outcomes. In addition, the advantages of autophagic modification with neoadjuvant chemotherapy vs. surgical adjuvant chemotherapy have yet to be reported. The 4T1-luc metastatic mammary mouse cell line modified to express luciferase was used to induce lung metastases, both from orthotopic growth of primary tumors or experimentally induced via tail vein injection. Both pharmacologic inhibition (chloroquine (CQ) administered 60 mg/kg daily to mice) and genetic knockdown of a key protein necessary for autophagy alone (4T1-luc-shBeclin-1 cells) did not alter time to metastasis (as determined by luciferase positive lungs) when 4T1-luc cells were injected via tail vein. In addition, inhibiting autophagy in 4T1-luc cells with CQ in vitro prior to injection via the tail did not alter time to metastasis. Similar results were observed with pharmacologic inhibition on experimentally induce lung metastases using the metastatic mouse melanoma B16-F10 cell line. In vitro work, by us and others, has lead us to conclude that pharmacologic inhibition plus cisplatin leads to greater growth inhibition and cell kill in vitro than either alone. Effect of autophagy inhibition in combination with cisplatin on metastatic formation in a neoadjuvant setting was tested by treating mice with daily with CQ and cisplatin (q14d) one day post tumor cell injection in the mammary fat pad. Additional experiments were conducted to determine if autophagy inhibition plus cisplatin in a surgical adjuvant setting delays metastasis formation. In each instance, primary tumors were removed at ~100mm3 and mice were followed until luciferase positive lungs were observed. From these results we conclude that autophagy inhibition, using CQ, does not alter metastatic growth alone and appears to slightly enhance the efficacy of cisplatin on treating metastases. It remains to be seen if autophagy inhibition with other compounds would alter results. Citation Format: Rebecca Barnard, Ryan J. Hansen, Paola Maycotte, Andrew Thorburn, Daniel L. Gustafson. Role of autophagy inhibition in metastatic disease utilizing mouse models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: The Translational Impact of Model Organisms in Cancer; Nov 5-8, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2014;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A37.
Luminal acidification in K-replete OMCDi: contributions of H-K-ATPase and bafilomycin-A1-sensitive H-ATPase.

We have previously demonstrated that basolateral addition of the gastric H-K-adenosinetriphosphatase (H-K-ATPase) inhibitor Sch-28080 (10 microM) profoundly reduced net total CO2 flux (JtCO2) in the inner stripe of the outer medullary collecting duct (OMCDi) of K-replete rabbits. In the present studies, we first addressed whether the inhibitory effect of Sch-28080 is dependent on the side of the membrane to which it is added. Second, we reassessed the relative magnitude of contribution of H-K-ATPase. Third, we formally tested whether a bafilomycin-A1 (BAF)-sensitive H-ATPase also contributes to luminal acidification in the OMCDi under K-replete dietary conditions. We found that luminal addition of the structurally and functionally dissimilar gastric H-K-ATPase inhibitor A80915A (10 microM) profoundly reduced JtCO2 while transepithelial voltage (VT) was unchanged. This degree of inhibition was statistically indistinguishable from our previous results when Sch-28080 was applied basolaterally. Inhibition of ...
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome: another phenotype of the fragile X gene

AbstractObjective: Neuropsychologists have an important role in evaluating patients with fragile X-associated disorders, but most practitioners are unaware of the recently identified neurodegenerative movement disorder known as fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). The objective of this editorial is to orient the reader to FXTAS and highlight the importance of clinical neuropsychology in describing the fragile X premutation phenotype and the role practitioners may have in assessing and monitoring patients with or at risk for neurodegeneration. Method: We issued a call for papers for the special issue, highlighting the primary objective of familiarizing clinical neuropsychologists with FXTAS, and with the neuropsychological phenotype of both male and female asymptomatic carriers. Results: Eight papers are included, including an overview of the fragile X-associated disorders (Grigsby), a review of the neuroradiological and neurological aspects of FXTAS and how the disorder compares to other m...
High-resolution nonlinear optical spectroscopy of InGaN quantum dots in GaN nanowires

Using frequency-domain nonlinear spectroscopy methods, we find relatively broad (∼20–30 meV) resonances from quantum confined electron–hole pairs in an ensemble of InGaN disks in GaN nanowires that persist without significant broadening up to room temperature in the nonlinear absorption spectrum. Under these growth conditions, we find that the kinetics related to the nonlinear signal are dominated by metastable traps with decay rates of microseconds at low temperatures, as evidenced in part by high-frequency-resolution scans within the broad absorption resonances. The data reveal ultranarrow population pulsation resonances with linewidths that indicate the slow decay rate of the metastable traps.
Structural Insight into a Fatty-Acyl Chaperone for Wnt Proteins.

Wnt signaling proteins are fatty-acylated and bind to the protein afamin. The afamin-Wnt complex increases Wnt solubility dramatically and is likely involved in Wnt trafficking. In this issue of Structure, Naschberger et al. (2017) determine the crystal structure of afamin in complex with palmitoleic acid, revealing how afamin binds palmitoleoylated Wnt.
Hidden in plain sight: Masculine social norms in engineering education

In this work-in-progress paper, we synthesize research from psychology, sociology, and engineering education, in order to consider the presence of masculine social norms in engineering. According to prior work, social norms represent collective expectations that are socially constructed by majority social groups about the proper role and conduct of different groups in society. Social norms related to masculinity are often associated with emotional regulation, the exertion of significant dominance over others, and the desire to win. Unfortunately, the social pressure to conform to traditional ideologies of masculinity has been shown to adversely affect individual's help seeking behaviors, sexual health, and self-esteem. In the interest of gaining a better understanding and promoting inclusivity in the culture of engineering degree programs, we explore in this paper how these collective expectations may be particularly relevant in the context of engineering — a field often critiqued as being governed by masculine norms.
Transit investments and neighborhood change: On the likelihood of change

Abstract This paper is focused on the identification of, and the dynamics associated with, neighborhoods that are more prone to undergo socioeconomic and demographic changes following rail transit investments. Utilizing data from 9 metropolitan areas that have invested in light rail between 1980 and 2010, a k-means clustering approach is used to construct discrete multivariate neighborhood typologies. Together with Markov chains, we are able to examine transitions between neighborhood types before and after the opening of a station. Results for affected neighborhoods are compared to city-wide transitions to uncover differences. Our findings suggest that there is a significant difference in transit and non-transit neighborhood transitions. There also appears to be a difference in trajectories between Walk-and-Ride and Park-and-Ride neighborhoods. While neighborhoods are largely stable over time, impoverished neighborhoods are most likely to experience changes (such as gentrification) following the opening of a transit station. The most affluent neighborhoods are the least likely to experience change but are associated with the most probable trajectory of change featuring densification. Finally, there is little evidence that socioeconomic ascent following station openings is associated with significant changes in racial composition. Knowledge about neighborhood dynamics associated with transit investments can aid policy makers and planners in achieving socioeconomic goals of transit investments.
Real-time detection of scaling on reverse osmosis membranes with Raman spectroscopy

We demonstrate real-time, local detection of the onset of scaling, in addition to chemical quantification, in a reverse osmosis separation system using confocal Raman microscopy. The results show consistent scalant detection.
Definition of a Terrestrial Reference Frame using IRIS VLBI Observations; Approaching Millimeter Accuracy

The data now available from space-based geodetic observing techniques, especially Very- Long-Baseline Interferometry and Satellite Laser ranging, presently allow us to define a terrestrial reference frame with an accuracy of better than two centimeters. Improvements to the observing systems over the next few years may allow accuracies approaching a few millimeters. These unprecedented accuracy levels raise a number of interesting technical and scientific questions concerning the accuracy of the Earth models used to reduce the data. For example, observations of the changes in the lengths of baselines from North America to Europe show 25 to 30% discrepancies from the values given by the Minster- Jordan AMO-2 plate motion model, which is now uniformly adopted for processing the new data. Also, vertical crustal motions expected from glacial rebound not presently included in the data reduction can exceed 1 cm per year at some sites. Existing VLBI observing networks lack the global coverage necessary to realize the potential of the present accuracy levels. In the next few years much effort will need to be directed toward establishing observatories in under-represented portions of the globe, especially the southern hemisphere and the central Asia-Indian ocean regions.
Model-Selection Uncertainty with Examples

The understanding of model-selection uncertainty requires that one consider the process that generates the sample data we observe. For a given field, laboratory, or computer simulation study, data are observed on some process or system. If a second, independent, data set could be observed on the same process or system under nearly identical conditions, the new data set would differ somewhat from the first. Clearly, both data sets would contain information about the process, but the information would likely be slightly different, by chance. An obvious goal of data analysis is to make an inference about the process based on the data observed. A less obvious goal of data analysis is to make inferences about the process that are not overly specific with respect to the (single) data set observed. That is, we would like our inferences to be robust, with respect to the particular data set observed, in such a way that we tend to avoid problems associated with over-fitting (overinterpreting) the limited data we have. Thus, we would like some ability to make inferences about the process as if a large number of other data sets were also available. The interpretation of a confidence interval is similar; i.e., in repeated samples from the process, 95% of the data sets will generate a confidence interval that includes the true parameter value. This idea extends to the idea of generating a confidence (sub) set of the models considered such that with high relative frequency, over samples, that set of models contains the actual K-L best model of the set of models considered, while being as small a subset as possible (analogous to short confidence intervals).
Measuring Drive-by Download Defense in Depth

Defense in depth is vital as no single security product detects all of today’s attacks. To design defense in depth organizations rely on best practices and isolated product reviews with no way to determine the marginal benefit of additional security products. We propose empirically testing security products’ detection rates by linking multiple pieces of data such as network traffic, executable files, and an email to the attack that generated all the data. This allows us to directly compare diverse security products and to compute the increase in total detection rate gained by adding a security product to a defense in depth strategy not just its stand alone detection rate. This approach provides an automated means of evaluating risks and the security posture of alternative security architectures. We perform an experiment implementing this approach for real drive-by download attacks found in a real time email spam feed and compare over 40 security products and human click-through rates by linking email, URL, network content, and executable file attack data.
Accurate prediction of protein function using gostruct

With the growing number of sequenced genomes, automatic prediction of protein function is one of the central problems in computational biology. Traditional methods employ transfer of functional annotation on the basis of sequence or structural similarity and are unable to effectively deal with today's noisy high-throughput biological data. Most of the approaches based on machine learning, on the other hand, break the problem up into a collection of binary classification problems, effectively asking the question “does this protein perform this particular function?”; such methods often produce a set of predictions that are inconsistent with each other. In this work, we present GOstruct, a structured-output framework that answers the question “what function does this protein perform?” in the context of hierarchical multilabel classification. We show that GOstruct is able to effectively deal with a large number of disparate data sources from multiple species. Our empirical results demonstrate that the framework achieves state-of-the-art accuracy in two of the recent challenges in automatic function prediction: Mousefunc and CAFA.
Assessing the Role of Parks for Protecting Forest Resources Using GIS and Spatial Modeling

Publisher Summary Two conflicting views of conservation in Costa Rica exist. One view is that Costa Rica is a “model for the preservation of biodiversity in the tropics”. The other view is that—despite its conservation policies—habitat destruction and the depletion of natural resources continues in Costa Rica at a rapid rate, calling into question Costa Rica's commitment to conservation. This chapter examines the role of national parks in protecting forest resources in Costa Rica. The national parks system is the flagship of conservation efforts in Costa Rica, and is the underlying policy instrument for much of the rest of Costa Rica's conservation plan, including the preservation of biodiversity, the conservation of natural resources, and the promotion of ecotourism. The primary way in which the national park system supports other conservation efforts is through the protection of forests. Costa Rica's forest resources are the base on which other conservation efforts and ecotourism are built. This chapter presents an attempt to quantify the relationship between conservation and national park protection, and so resolve this paradox.
Brain Catecholamines, Affective States and Memory

Those who have been concerned with designs for the human brain have come to realize that it is not enough to incorporate mechanisms for the reception and processing of sensory information, its storage and retrieval, and the programming and regulation of motor output. Adaptive behavior, by its very nature, requires a system for the evaluation and sorting of environmental inputs, and the development of the most appropriate and effective responses in terms of the survival of the individual or the species.
Quantum Mechanics According to Martians: Density Matrix Theory

We discuss the density matrix approach introduced by John von Neumann to quantum mechanics. We illustrate how it is applied in the calculation of expectation values and Born probabilities. The postulates of quantum mechanics, according to the Copenhagen interpretation, are summarized from the vantage point of the density operator framework. We learn how density operators are used to discern coherent, or pure, state ensembles from statistical mixtures of pure states. It is shown that, for entangled states, the traced density operator to a lower dimensional Hilbert space, results in reduced density operators that describe a mixed state. The Schmidt decomposition theorem and the Schmidt number, which measures the degree of entanglement of quantum states, is introduced and discussed. We define and illustrate the concept of von Neumann entropy.