cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture and the osteopathic family physician

Summary Acupuncture has an ancient and interesting history and is also enjoying a recent surge in interest, investigations, developments, refinements, and research. Acupuncture is practiced around the world in a number of styles by a wide variety of health care practitioners for probably all known illnesses and injuries. Acupuncture is being rediscovered in America and flourishing with a momentum matched by the enthhusiasm of both practitioners and patients alike. Medical acupuncture is a holistic method of diagnosis and treatment by physicians. Acupuncture is both old and new. It has been found in various forms in various cultures for thousands of years, and new and exciting discoveries about its mechanisms of action and ability to treat most illnesses and injuries surface every day. Professional and popular books, journals and research papers in every language promote and explain this exciting phenomenon.
Mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate induces oxidative stress responses in human placental cells in vitro.

Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is an environmental contaminant commonly used as a plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride products. Exposure to DEHP has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes in humans including preterm birth, low birth-weight, and pregnancy loss. Although oxidative stress is linked to the pathology of adverse pregnancy outcomes, effects of DEHP metabolites, including the active metabolite, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), on oxidative stress responses in placental cells have not been previously evaluated. The objective of the current study is to identify MEHP-stimulated oxidative stress responses in human placental cells. We treated a human placental cell line, HTR-8/SVneo, with MEHP and then measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation using the dichlorofluorescein assay, oxidized thymine with mass-spectrometry, redox-sensitive gene expression with qRT-PCR, and apoptosis using a luminescence assay for caspase 3/7 activity. Treatment of HTR-8 cells with 180 μM MEHP increased ROS generation, oxidative DNA damage, and caspase 3/7 activity, and resulted in differential expression of redox-sensitive genes. Notably, 90 and 180 μM MEHP significantly induced mRNA expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), an enzyme important for synthesis of prostaglandins implicated in initiation of labor. The results from the present study are the first to demonstrate that MEHP stimulates oxidative stress responses in placental cells. Furthermore, the MEHP concentrations used were within an order of magnitude of the highest concentrations measured previously in human umbilical cord or maternal serum. The findings from the current study warrant future mechanistic studies of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and prostaglandins as molecular mediators of DEHP/MEHP-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes.
A vector diagram of Maxwell's equations

A vector diagram illustrating Maxwell's equations is derived. Upon equating various components of vectors in the diagram, a number of common relationships between field quantities are obtained. The potentials and their relationships to field quantities may also be represented. Justification of the procedure used to construct the diagram is based on Fourier transformation of Maxwell's equations. While the diagram is mostly of interest for its novelty, it has found use in clarifying certain gauge choices in dealing with electromagnetic potentials.
Hautveränderungen und Krampfverhütung unter D2-Hypervitaminose bei jungen Albinoratten

1. Die bei D2-Hypervitaminose erhaltenen Befunde, namlich die krampfverhindernde Wirkung, die Veranderungen, die hauptsachlich den Schadel betreffen, wie Glatzkopfigkeit und die Bildung der sogenannten „Schadelkappen“ und schlieslich das Zuruckbleiben im Wachstum, deuten in die Richtung einer verringerten Durchgangigkeit der Gewebe im allgemeinen. Die Wirkung des Theophyllins, die sich in einer Wiederherstellung der krampferzeugenden Wirkung von Saurefuchsin kundgibt, mus daher mit einer vermehrten Durchlassigkeit der Gewebe erklart werden.
Management of Isolated Tubal Torsion in a Premenarchal Adolescent Female with Prior Oophoropexy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract Background Isolated tubal torsion in a premenarchal adolescent girl is a rare phenomenon. Preoperative diagnosis remains a challenge. Case A 14-year-old premenarchal girl, with a history of bilateral ovarian torsion treated by laparoscopic detorsion and oophoropexy two years prior, presented to the emergency room with lower abdominal pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Pelvic ultrasound demonstrated an enlarged left adnexa. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed an isolated left tubal torsion. Surgical evidence of previous bilateral plication of the utero-ovarian ligaments was confirmed. Untwisting of the left fallopian tube immediately restored the vascular supply. Subsequently, her symptoms resolved. Summary and Conclusion Clinicians should consider torsion of the fallopian tube in the differential diagnosis of lower abdominal pain in all female patients. Prompt laparoscopic intervention is essential. Oophoropexy, while usually efficacious, may not prevent recurrence.
Face image retrieval by shape manipulation

Current face image retrieval methods achieve impressive results, but lack efficient ways to refine the search, particularly for geometric face attributes. Users cannot easily find faces with slightly more furrowed brows or specific leftward pose shifts, for example. To address this problem, we propose a new face search technique based on shape manipulation that is complementary to current search engines. Users drag one or a small number of contour points, like the bottom of the chin or the corner of an eyebrow, to search for faces similar in shape to the current face, but with updated geometric attributes specific to their edits. For example, the user can drag a mouth corner to find faces with wider smiles, or the tip of the nose to find faces with a specific pose. As part of our system, we propose (1) a novel confidence score for face alignment results that automatically constructs a contour-aligned face database with reasonable alignment accuracy, (2) a simple and straightforward extension of PCA with missing data to tensor analysis, and (3) a new regularized tensor model to compute shape feature vectors for each aligned face, all built upon previous work. To the best of our knowledge, our system demonstrates the first face retrieval approach based chiefly on shape manipulation. We show compelling results on a sizable database of over 10,000 face images captured in uncontrolled environments.
Characterization of transition to turbulence in microchannels

Abstract This paper reports on an experimental study characterizing the laminar-turbulent transition for water flow in circular microtubes. Microtubes with diameters in the range 16.6–32.2 μm of varying length were employed over the Reynolds number range 300–3400. The volume flowrate was measured for an imposed pressure differential using a timed displacement technique. Additionally, the viscous heating-induced mean fluid temperature rise was measured. Two independent approaches were used to identify transition from laminar to turbulent flow. Both methods showed transition to occur in the Reynolds number range 2100–2500, consistent with macroscale tube flow behavior.
Transformations on sets in short-term memory: Temporal and spatial factors influencing deletion.

An individual’s ability to perform a deletion operation on sets in short-term memory was explored in a reaction time (RT) experiment. Special attention was given to the importance, for deletion, of temporal and spatial variables. Ss did perform a deletion operation. The speed of correct recognition was influenced by both the delay between the deletion (D) set and a test item and the serial order correspondence between identical items in the to-be-remembered or positive (P) set and the D set.
Social Class Differences on the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts: Are They Due to Bias?.

One of Jensen's internal criteria for the detection of bias was applied to the standardization data for the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (BTBC). Despite sizable social class differences in mean scores, differences in the rank orders of item difficulties were negligible. Thus, by this one criterion, there was little evidence of test bias. Instead, the findings suggest that children of different socioeconomic levels master basic concepts in about the same temporal order, differing only in the rate at which they do so.
Effect of Metals on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Induction of CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 in Human Hepatocyte Cultures

Environmental cocontamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals could affect the carcinogenic consequences of PAH exposure by modifying PAH induction of PAH-bioactivating CYP1A. The effect of As, Pb, Hg, or Cd (ranked as the most hazardous environmental metals by EPA and ATSDR) on CYP1A1 and 1A2 induction by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBahA), benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), and benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF) has thus been investigated in fresh human hepatocyte cultures. Induction was probed by ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity, by immunoblots, and by RT-PCR. Uptake of PAHs into the hepatocytes varied according to PAH and liver donor: 84% of 5 microM BaA and 25-40% of 5 microM DBahA was taken up in 24 h. Hepatocytes retained viability up to 1 microM Cd and 5 microM Pb, Hg, or As and 5 microM PAHs. PAH induction of CYP1A in hepatocytes was variable, some cultures expressed CYP1A1 and others CYP1A1 and 1A2, and to variable extents. Induction efficiency (relative to DMSO controls) at 2.5 microM PAH concentration was in the order BkF (7.6-fold) > DBahA (6.1 fold) > BaP (5.7 fold) > BbF (3.9-fold) > BaA (2.5-fold). All four metals (1-5 microM) decreased CYP1A1/1A2 induction by some of the PAHs with dose-, metal-, and PAH-dependency. Arsenic (5 microM) decreased induction by 47% for BaP, 68% for BaA, 45% for BbF, 79% for BkF, and 53% for DBahA. Induced CYP1A2 protein was much more extensively decreased than 1A1 protein, and CYP1A2 mRNA and, to variable extents, CYP1A1 mRNA were decreased by As. Thus the metals in PAH/metal mixtures could diminish PAH carcinogenicity by decreasing induction of their bioactivation by CYP1A1/1A2.
The role of tumor microenvironment in prostate cancer bone metastasis

Prostate cancer (PCa) epithelial cells require a number of factors to facilitate their establishment and growth at a distant site of metastasis. Their ability to adapt to their microenvironment, proliferate and recruit an underlying stroma is integral to the survival and growth of the metastasis. PCa predominantly metastasizes to the bone, and bone metastases are the main cause of morbidity. The bone marrow provides a permissive environment for the formation of a metastasis. In some cases, the cells may remain dormant for some time, eventually proliferating in response to an unknown "trigger." The marrow is rich in progenitor cells that differentiate into numerous cell types, producing new blood vessels, supporting fibroblasts, and an underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) that form the reactive stroma. By secreting a number of cytokines, growth factors and proteases they recruit auxiliary cells required to produce a functional stroma. These components are involved in a reciprocal interaction between the stroma and the PCa cells, allowing for the growth and survival of the tumor. Left unchecked, once a PCa tumor has established itself in the bone marrow it will eventually replace the marrow, interrupting bone homeostasis and typically promoting an osteoblastic response in the bone including osteoclastic events. The abundant deposition of new woven bone results in nerve compression, bone pain and an increase in fractures in patients with PCa bone metastases. This review will examine the tumor microenvironment, its role in facilitating tumor dissemination, growth and the resultant pathologies associated with PCa bone metastasis.
Topologies on measured groupoids

Abstract If an analytic Borel group G has a quasiinvariant measure, it is known that G is actually a locally compact group with the original Borel structure being generated by the topology and the original measure being equivalent to Haar measure. In this paper a variation is given on the known proof which then extends to show that an analytic measured groupoid has a σ-compact, and also a locally compact, inessential reduction which is a topological groupoid. In the σ-compact case, it is proved that every “almost” homomorphism agrees a.e. with a (strict) homomorphism. Also, the topology is used to show that every measured groupoid has a complete countable section ¦7¦ and that every locally compact equivalence relation has a complete transversal ¦3¦. These are further used to show that some results of Feldman et al. ¦7¦ apply in general and that a locally compact groupoid with (continuous) Haar system has sufficiently many non-singular Borel G -sets provided that the orbit measures are atom-free ¦23¦.
An exploratory study of the reactive Ni-GaAs (1 1 0) interface

Abstract Soft X-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements have been carried out on cleaved n-type GaAs (1 1 0) surfaces covered with Ni overlayers ranging in thickness from 0.05 to 53 A. The results of these room temperature measurements show that we have band bending effects occurring in conjunction with strong interfacial chemical reactions. Deconvolution of the Ga 3d core line into substrate and metallic components shows dissolution of the substrate at the interface with Ga diffusing into the surface of the metal overlayer for the intermediate coverages (1–15 A). Observation of the As 3d core level shows out-diffusion of As to the surface over the entire Ni coverage range. Using this deconvolution scheme we are able to follow the band bending of the Schottky barrier formed here up to the 8 A coverage. The Schottky barrier height is 1.0 ± 0.1 eV for this overlayer thickness.
The study of defect control and patterning performance for top coating free resist process

In this study, the top coating (TC) resist and new top coating free (TCF) resist at the condition of immersion patterning process have been evaluated and compared in the respect of leaching rate, process margins and immersion related defects. The 55nm of dense L/S patterns are defined by using immersion process. The leaching rates of TCF resist are investigated for the different conditions of baking temperatures and leaching times. Their measurements have been done for the cation and anion dissociated from PAG under the conditions of unexposed and exposed areas. The cation leaching rate of new TCF resist is 1.4 × E-13 mol/cm2.sec at the unexposed area. It is lower than the spec suggested by ASML. From the leaching data, it is confirmed that the TCF resist can apply for the patterning without top coating material. The process margins of TCF resist are slightly wider than those of TC resist in the respect of depth of focus and energy latitude. And the top loss of TC resist and TCF resist are 20nm and 8nm, respectively after development process. The immersion related defects are also investigated for these resists. The defect map of TCF resist shows much fewer defects than those of TC resist. The immersion related defect of TCF resist is not founded among the patterns and the number of micro-bridge defect is fewer than 5. The defect level of TCF resist is more stabilized by optimizations of chemical structure of resist and process. From the experimental results, it is confirmed that the TCF resist is available to apply for device production of sub-55nm technology. Especially, the application of TCF resist can reduce the process step of top coating and also make the improvement of through-put with cost of ownership in process. Therefore, the TCF resist should be progressively studied and applied for device production in the respect of improvement of device property and process simplification.
Symmetry-based HIV Protease inhibitors: rational design of 2-methylbenzamides as novel P2/P2′ ligands

Abstract Readily accessible, non-peptidic, achiral 2-methylbenzamides were designed to serve as P2/P2′ ligands for symmetry-based inhibitors of HIV-1 Protease. Introduction of 3-hydroxy substituent provided a potent inhibitor 7 ( K i = 0.8 nM).
Dream sharing: a case study

Abstract Dream reports were tape recorded each morning independently for 10 weeks by both members of an adult heterosexual couple who alleged they regularly shared dreams. The transcribed reports were evaluated blind by 12 trained analysts using quantitative dream-content analysis. The couple had identified 13 pairs of dreams (17% of the sample) as shared. The mean percentage content overlap score of these 13 pairs (39.15%) was significantly greater than that of 80 randomly matched pairs of unshared dreams (5.23%). The content overlap scores of each analyst correlated significantly with those of the unblinded male subject (r = .72). The mean probability that the observed overlap in putatively shared dreams was caused by chance was calculated as 1 in 5 billion. Shared dreams appeared to occur in a distinct temporal cycle of 30–35 days. Content overlap between shared dreams was greatest in three of seven categories; objects, themes, and effect.
An efficient step-forward way to solve the Schrödinger eigenvalue equation in self-consistent calculations

Abstract A simple practical step-forward procedure is employed for the rapid diagonalization of large matrices occurring in ab initio pseudopotential (PP) and linearized augmented plane wave (LAPW) calculations in the process leading to the charge density self-consistency. Much smaller energy cut-offs can be adopted to reduce the dimensionality of the eigenvalue equation by transforming the Hamiltonian and overlap (for LAPW) matrices into a diagonally-dominant form with the eigenvectors obtained in previous iterations. For the FLAPW method, the possible variation of basis functions in the muffin-tin and vacuum regions is treated by adopting both the fixed basis approach and the direct step-forward approach. Test calculations carried out for an Fe monolayer and the MgO (001) surface indicate that this procedure works very well for both metallic and ionic systems.
Complications neurologiques et taux de resténose après stenting carotidien utilisant des stents profilés ou non profilés

Les stents auto-expansifs utilises dans le stenting carotidien (SC) ont evolue, passant de formes non profilees (SNP) vers des formes profilees (SP), mais l'impact de ce changement est inconnu. Nous avons retrospectivement analyse les donnees du suivi de 308 procedures de SC realisees dans notre institution avec ces deux types de stent entre Mai 2001 a Juillet 2007. Des SNP ou des SP auto-expansifs en nitinol couples a un dispositif de protection cerebrale ont ete utilises pour traiter des lesions carotidiennes occlusives extra-craniennes. Les donnees demographiques, les comptes-rendus operatoires, les resultats des dopplers et des arteriographies conventionnelles ont ete analyses. Le suivi moyen etait de 18 mois (etendue 1-69). La restenose etait definie comme une stenose intrastent ≥80% sur l'angiographie. L'âge moyen de la cohorte etait de 71,3 ans (75% d'hommes, 25% de femmes). Parmi les 308 cas, 233 etaient des lesions de novo tandis que 75 avaient beneficie d'une endarteriectomie carotidienne homolaterale (n = 44) ou une radiotherapie externe (n = 31). Des symptomes neurologiques preoperatoires etaient presents chez 30 % des patients. Des SP ont ete utilises dans 156 procedures et des SNP dans 152 procedures. Les taux d'AVC homolateral et de deces a 30 jours etaient de 1.3% et 0.3%, respectivement. De plus, 3 (1%) AVC du territoire cerebral posterieur sont survenus. Il n'existait pas de difference statistiquement significative en ce qui concerne le taux d'AVC a 30 jours entres les SP (3.2%, n = 5) et les SNP (1.3%, n = 2) (p = 0.5). Au cours du suivi a moyen terme, une restenose ou une occlusion asymptomatique ont ete detectees dans 8 cas (2.6%). Toutes sont survenues chez des patients traites avec un SNP, et cette difference etait statistiquement significative par rapport aux arteres carotides traitees avec un SP (p = 0.03). Une analyse en sous-groupe avec analyse des groupes SP et SNP a montre une correlation significative (χ2 = 0.02) entre restenose et “cou hostile”. Les SP et SNP ont montre des resultats a court terme comparables. Par contre, les SP auto-expansifs en nitinol pourraient etre a l'origine d'une reduction significative du taux de restenose ou d'occlusion asymptomatique en comparaison aux SNP.
Dermoid Cysts (Dermoids) of the Floor of the Mouth

Abstract Dermoid cysts of the floor of the mouth are discussed as to their embryology, development, and classification. A classification of these cysts, based on histopathologic findings, is presented in this article and it is suggested that the word dermoid be retained as a clinical term for all these developmental cysts of the floor of the mouth. Four cases of dermoid cysts of the floor of the mouth are presented; these were successfully managed surgically without recurrence. A preoperative evaluation of the location of the cyst in relation to the mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles, that is, sublingual or submental position, is important in determining whether to approach the cyst through an intraoral or an extraoral incision. The clinical diagnosis is inconclusive and the final diagnosis must be proved by histologic examination.
Stride length in distance running: velocity, body dimensions, and added mass effects

The preferred stride frequency (SF) and stride length (SL) of male recreational distance runners were measured on a level treadmill under a variety of conditions over the typical distance running speed range of 3.15-4.12 m.s-1. At a given speed, the correlation coefficients between the subjects' anthropometric variables (APV) (such as stature, leg length, and limb segment mass) and their preferred stride variables were consistently low (less than or equal to 0.36) and not significantly different from zero. As speed increased through the experimental range, SF remained nearly constant (only a 4% increase) while SL increased by 28%. The use of dimensionless velocity was shown to be no more effective than conventional methods in the prediction of a SL vs velocity relationship, but the dimensionless form of the relationship was remarkably similar to those observed for other animal species and other forms of gait. The addition of masses up to 1.1 kg at each ankle produced no significant change in SF or SL. The results indicate that factors other than APV are the primary determinants of preferred SF and SL. Since it has been shown previously that the preferred SL is usually the most economical, APV cannot be used to accurately predict or prescribe SF or SL on an individual basis.
Loss of the transcription factor GLI1 identifies a signaling network in the tumor microenvironment mediating KRAS oncogene-induced transformation

Although the biological role of KRAS is clearly established in carcinogenesis, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not completely understood. In this study, we provide evidence of a novel signaling network regulated by the transcription factor GLI1 mediating KRAS-induced carcinogenesis. Using pancreatic cancer (a disease with high prevalence of KRAS mutations) as a model, we show that loss of GLI1 blocks the progression of KRAS-induced pancreatic preneoplastic lesions in mice with pancreas-specific Cre-activated oncogenic mutant kras. Mice lacking GLI1 develop only low-grade lesions at low frequency, and in most cases, the pancreata are histologically normal. Further characterization of the phenotype showed a decrease in the activation of STAT3 in pancreatic preneoplastic lesions; STAT3 is a transcription factor required for the development of premalignant lesions and their progression into pancreatic cancer. Analysis of the mechanisms revealed a key role for GLI1 in maintaining the levels of activated STAT3 through the modulation of IL-6 signaling. GLI1 binds to the IL-6 mouse promoter and regulates the activity and expression of this cytokine. This newly identified GLI1/IL-6 axis is active in fibroblasts, a known source of IL-6 in the tumor microenvironment. Sonic hedgehog induces GLI1 binding to the IL-6 promoter and increases IL-6 expression in fibroblasts in a paracrine manner. Finally, we demonstrate that mutant KRAS initiates this cascade by inducing the expression of Sonic hedgehog in cancer cells. Collectively, these results define a novel role for GLI1 in carcinogenesis acting as a downstream effector of oncogenic KRAS in the tumor microenvironment.
Relations between self-serving cognitive distortions and overt vs. covert antisocial behavior in adolescents

The present study addressed the relations between cognitive distortions (inaccurate thoughts, attitudes, or beliefs) and antisocial behavior that is either overt/confrontational (e.g., fighting) or covert/nonconfrontational (e.g., stealing). A controlled analysis of 52 male delinquents and a comparison sample of 51 high school students aged 14-18 years found the delinquents to be higher in both cognitive distortions and self-reported antisocial behavior. Furthermore, cognitive distortion related specifically to overt and covert antisocial behavior in both samples. In particular, cognitive distortion having overt antisocial behavior as its referent (e.g., "People need to be roughed up once in a while") evidenced a significant path to overt but not covert antisocial behavior Conversely, covert-referential cognitive distortion (e.g, "If someone is careless enough to lose a wallet, they deserve to have it stolen") evidenced a significant path to covert but not overt antisocial behavior. The theoretical and treatment implications of the findings are discussed.
Composition dependence of frequency power law of ionic conductivity of glasses

Abstract The electrical response of three potassium germanate glasses, xK2O:(1−x)GeO2, where x=0.0023, 0.02 and 0.20, has been investigated between room temperature and 700 K as a function of frequency (10 Hz–100 kHz). The frequency dependence of ionic conductivity of the high alkali content glass shows typical characteristics of the universal dynamic response (UDR): a dc plateau followed by a power law of frequency with an exponent s∼0.5–0.6. However, as the mobile ion concentration approaches zero, the UDR frequency region and the conductivity dispersion in the vicinity of dc relaxation time disappear i.e. the Kohlrausch parameter becomes unity.
Plasma increase of interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma. Pathological significance in autism.

Abstract Immune factors such as autoimmunity have been implicated in the genesis of autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder. Since autoimmune response involves immune activation, the plasma levels of interferon-alpha (IFN-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-12 (IL-12), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) were measured in autistic patients and age-matched normal controls. The levels of IL-12 and IFN-γ were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in patients as compared to controls. However, IFN-α, IL-6, TNF-α, and sICAM-1 levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. Because macrophage-derived IL-12 is known to selectively induce IFN-γ in T helper type-1 (Th-1) cells, it is suggested that IL-12 and IFN-γ increases may indicate antigenic stimulation of Th-1 cells pathogenetically linked to autoimmunity in autism.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: A look at treatment and prophylaxis:

Although treatment protocols have been available and are proving to be effective against pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), studies show that 60% of all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients will progress to contract PCP as their primary opportunistic infection. Prophylaxis has proven to be effective in both prolonging survival and decreasing the occurrence of this sometimes fatal disease. These medications need to be accessible, affordable, and accurately instructed to patients. The home care nurse is a vital link to ensure that medical protocols are available and patients are compliant to increase their quality of life.
The Maine Vernal Pool Mapping and Assessment Program: Engaging Municipal Officials and Private Landowners in Community-Based Citizen Science

The Vernal Pool Mapping and Assessment Program (VPMAP) was initiated in 2007 to create a vernal pool database as a planning tool to foster local compliance with new state vernal pool regulations. In the northeastern United States, vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that provide critical breeding habitat for a number of amphibians and invertebrates and provide important resting and foraging habitat for some rare and endangered state-listed species. Using participant observation, interviews, and focus groups, we examined the engagement of municipal officials and private landowners in VPMAP. Important outcomes of municipal and landowner engagement included mobilization of town support for proactive planning, improved awareness and understanding of vernal pools, and increased interactions between program coordinators, municipal officials, and private landowners. Challenges to municipal and landowner engagement included an inconsistency in expectations between coordinators and municipal officials and a lack of time and sufficient information for follow-up with landowners participating in VPMAP. Our study highlights the importance of developing relationships among coordinators, municipal officials, and private landowners in facilitating positive outcomes for all stakeholders and for effective resource management. We suggest an expanded citizen science model that focuses on improving two-way communication among project coordinators, municipal officials, and local citizens and places communication with private landowners on par with volunteer citizen scientist recruitment and field training. Lessons learned from this research can inform the design and implementation of citizen science projects on private land.
Providing Rapid Feedback to Students to Improve Student Learning and Engagement

In this project our goal is to improve student learning in engineering mechanics courses. The aim to improve learning was accomplished by providing rapid feedback to students of their understanding of key concepts and skills being taught. The feedback system acts as a catalyst to encourage students, working in pairs, to assist each other in correcting misconceptions or deepening each other’s understanding of the concept or skill at hand. Furthermore, the system allows the professor to assess the students’ level of comprehension or misconception in a just-in-time fashion, and thus guide the pace of covering the material. The feedback is enabled through wireless-networked handheld computers or color-coded flashcards. In the first two years of the study, the feedback system was implemented in two sections of a lower-level, core-engineering course, Statics, as well as in follow-on courses of Dynamics and Solid Mechanics.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Time Delay Interferometry with Moving Spacecraft Arrays

Space-borne interferometric gravitational wave detectors, sensitive in the low-frequency (millihertz) band, will fly in the next decade. In these detectors the spacecraft-to-spacecraft light-travel-times will necessarily be unequal, time varying, and (due to aberration) have different time delays on up and down links. The reduction of data from moving interferometric laser arrays in solar orbit will in fact encounter nonsymmetric up- and down-link light time differences that are about 100 times larger than has previously been recognized. The time-delay interferometry (TDI) technique uses knowledge of these delays to cancel the otherwise dominant laser phase noise and yields a variety of data combinations sensitive to gravitational waves. Under the assumption that the (different) up- and down-link time delays are constant, we derive the TDI expressions for those combinations that rely only on four interspacecraft phase measurements. We then turn to the general problem that encompasses time dependence of the light-travel times along the laser links. By introducing a set of noncommuting time-delay operators, we show that there exists a quite general procedure for deriving generalized TDI combinations that account for the effects of time dependence of the arms. By applying our approach we are able to re-derive the ``flex-free'' expression for the unequal-arm Michelson combinations ${X}_{1},$ and obtain the generalized expressions for the TDI combinations called relay, beacon, monitor, and symmetric Sagnac.
Examining Factor Score Distributions to Determine the Nature of Latent Spaces

Similarities between latent class models with K classes and linear factor models with K - 1 factors are investigated. Specifically, the mathematical equivalence between the covariance structure of the two models is discussed, and a Monte Carlo simulation is performed using generated data that represents both latent factors and latent classes with known amounts of overlap. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the distribution of factor scores can be related to the continuity of the latent space via tests of multimodality as suggested by McDonald (1967) .
Numerical simulation of electron confinement in contiguous quantum wires

Abstract The purpose of this work is to present a study of isolation and coupling between parallel quantum wires, based on a highly efficient 2-D self-consistent solution approach for the coupled Schrodinger and Poisson equations.(1) We consider a modulation-doped structure where quantum wires are patterned with metal gates on the surface. In the configuration considered, the contiguous wires share a metal gate which delineates the common boundary. By changing the voltage on this gate, one can change the interaction of the wires from perfect isolation to total coupling. We present results showing how the width and the bias voltage of the common gate interplay. From this type of simulations, design guidelines can be determined, useful when both isolated and coupled quantum wires are fabricated.
Peak Left Ventricular Systolic Pressure/End-Systolic Volume Ratio: A Sensitive Detector of Left Ventricular Disease

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate peak pressure systolic volume ratio as a detector of cardiac disease. To validate that tracings obtained through fluid-filled catheters were accurate for this purpose, in 35 patients left ventricular pressure-volume loops were constructed from tracings recorded with a micromanometer-tipped angiographic catheter. Comparisons were made between the peak ratio of left ventricular pressure to volume (Emax) using the micromanometer-tipped angiographic catheter and the ratio between peak left ventricular pressure before angiography and end-systolic volume during angiography ( peak pressure systolic volume ratio) using the fluid-filled lumen of the same catheter. The relations of Emax and that of peak pressure systolic volume ratio to ejection fraction were similar and curvilinear. Peak pressure systolic volume ratio was approximately 10 percent higher than Emax, with a correlation coefficient between 0.99 of the two ratios. Therefore, peak pressure systolic volume ratio, which is easily obtained in clinical practice, can be used instead of Emax. Retrospective analysis of the peak pressure systolic volume ratio and ejection fraction was made from routine diagnostic catheterization data obtained using fluid-filled catheters in 115 subjects, of whom 17 were normal, 60 had coronary artery disease without asynergy, 23 had aortic valve disease and 15 had mitral valve disease. In subjects with a normal ejection fraction (more than 60 percent) the peak pressure systolic volume ratio separated those groups with a diseased heart from those with a normal heart. Those with a diseased heart had a greater end-systolic volume than normal subjects. Thus, the peak pressure systolic volume ratio is more sensitive than ejection fraction in detecting subtle changes in myocardial function in human beings.
Effect of humic substances and anionic surfactants on the surface charge and performance of reverse osmosis membranes

Streaming potential measurements were used to determine the surface zeta potential of two reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and to investigate the effect of solution chemical composition on membrane surface charge. Performance measurements were performed to evaluate the effect of membrane surface chemistry on membrane flux and rejection. The RO membranes evaluated were a thin-film composite polyamide membrane and an asymmetric cellulose acetate membrane. The solution chemistries investigated include Suwannee River humic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate (an anionic surfactant). Zeta potential measurements revealed that in the presence of an indifferent electrolyte, both membranes had a positive zeta potential in the low pH range, passed through an isoelectric point between pH 2 and 3, and had a negative zeta potential in the mid to high pH range. Suwannee River humic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate were found to readily adsorb to the membrane surface and markedly influence the membrane surface charge. Suwannee River humic acid had a significant influence on salt rejection at low pH where adsorption of the organic macromolecules caused a change in sign of the zeta potential (from positive to negative) and therefore a change in co-ion exclusion effects. The effects of the sodium dodecyl sulfate, also more apparent at low pH, were attributed to the formation of hemimicelles which caused decreased flux and increased salt rejection.
Regulatory evolution across the protein interaction network

Protein-protein interactions may impose constraints on both structural and regulatory evolution. Here we show that protein-protein interactions are negatively associated with evolutionary variation in gene expression. Moreover, interacting proteins have similar levels of variation in expression, and their expression levels are positively correlated across strains. Our results suggest that interacting proteins undergo similar evolutionary dynamics, and that their expression levels are evolutionarily coupled. These patterns hold for organisms as diverse as budding yeast and fruit flies.
The seizure-related phenotype of brain-derived neurotrophic factor knockdown mice

Abstract The present investigation focused on the seizure-related phenotype of mice lacking one allele of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Thresholds for producing seizures in brain-derived neurotrophic factor wild-type and brain-derived neurotrophic factor heterozygous mice were compared in several seizure models, including thresholds for electrically-induced clonic, tonic–clonic and 6Hz limbic seizures, as well as seizures induced chemically by kainate, pilocarpine and pentylenetetrazol. In addition, the rate of amygdala kindling, as well as pre- and post-kindling seizure thresholds was determined. Seizure thresholds for clonic and tonic–clonic electrically induced seizures did not differ between brain-derived neurotrophic factor wild-type and heterozygous mice. However, heterozygous mice had higher thresholds for 6Hz limbic seizures compared with wild-type mice. Heterozygous mice also required larger doses of kainate to produce limbic seizures. Somewhat surprisingly, heterozygous mice required significantly lower doses of pilocarpine to produce limbic seizures. However, heterozygous mice required a higher dose of pentylenetetrazol to induce twitches, but not clonic seizures, compared with wild-type mice. In addition, heterozygous mice required more current to elicit focal afterdischarges in the amygdala both pre- and post-kindling than did wild-type mice, and, heterozygous mice kindled more slowly than wild-type mice. The present findings provide additional support for the hypothesis that brain-derived neurotrophic factor is involved not only in normal excitability, but may also be involved in abnormal excitability such as occurs in seizure disorders and epileptogenesis.
CARDIAC AUTOANTIBODIES I. IMMUNODIFFUSION ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE RESPONSES EVOKED HOMOLOGOUSLY AND HETEROLOGOUSLY

1. A high proportion of rabbits immunized with pooled rabbit heart homogenates in complete Freund's adjuvant responded with the production of multiple precipitating antibodies to soluble rabbit heart antigens. The most potent antisera revealed at least five distinct antigens. 2. Rabbit anti-rabbit heart antibodies reacted with similar antigens in other mammalian hearts, (human, rat, guinea pig, and bovine) with apparent "reactions of identity" by immunodiffusion. 3. Rabbits immunized with human, rat, or guinea pig heart homogenates also responded with multiple precipitating antibodies directed against rabbit cardiac antigens, although somewhat less intensively than animals immunized homologously. The specificities of these antibodies appeared to be the same as those evoked homologously. 4. The autoantibody nature of the homologously and heterologously induced responses was unequivocally demonstrated in several instances by reactions between the sera from immunized rabbits and their own hearts. 5. Many of the autoantibodies appeared to be directed against antigens restricted to the heart, judging by comparative immunodiffusion tests with other rabbit tissue extracts. This was convincingly confirmed by multiple absorption of potent antisera with several rabbit tissues. The cardiac-restricted antigens were also present in heart extracts of other mammalian species. In those instances where some of the cardiac-evoked autoantibodies reacted with other rabbit tissues, the tissue cross-reactions were quite variable. 6. Rabbits immunized with guinea pig heart homogenate suffered a high early mortality of undetermined cause, compared to animals immunized with rabbit, human, or rat hearts. 7. A small proportion of the anti-heart sera revealed immunodiffusion reactions with Group A streptococcal products, derived from organisms grown in antigen-free media. In these few instances, the reactions appeared unrelated to cardiac autoantibody responses.
Insulin treatment reverses the postreceptor defect in adipocyte 3-O-methylglucose transport in type II diabetes mellitus.

The insulin resistance of type II diabetes mellitus is due to both receptor and postreceptor defects of in vivo insulin action, with the postreceptor defect being the predominant abnormality. Diminished glucose transport has been found in adipocytes from patients with type II diabetes, suggesting that decreased cellular glucose transport activity may be responsible in part for the in vivo postreceptor defect observed in these patients. Recent studies have shown that the in vivo postreceptor defect initially present in patients with Type II diabetes is significantly reversed by insulin therapy. For these reasons, we speculated that the defect in adipocyte glucose transport might also be corrected with exogenous insulin therapy. Therefore, we measured adipocyte 3-O-methylglucose transport in cells from five type II diabetic subjects before and after a 2-week period of intensive insulin treatment. Glycemic control was significantly improved by this regimen. The mean (+/- SE) fasting serum glucose level fell from 292 +/- 24 to 135 +/- 29 mg/100 ml (P less than 0.005), and the mean integrated glucose area under a 7-h meal tolerance test curve decreased from 171,212 +/- 20,403 to 72,408 +/- 9,292 mg/min . dl. The mean 3-O-methylglucose transport activity increased after treatment at all insulin concentrations studied, including basal (before, 0.18 +/- 0.05; after, 0.45 +/- 0.09 pmol/2 X 10(5) cells . 10 sec; P less than 0.005) and maximally effective (25 ng/ml) insulin concentrations (before, 0.50 +/- 0.14; after, 1.32 +/- 0.30 pmol/2 X 10(5) cells . 10 sec; P less than 0.025), although the mean maximal glucose transport activity was still 25% decreased compared to normal values, indicating that a residual in vitro postreceptor defect remained. These results corresponded well with the degree of reversal (75%) of the in vivo postreceptor defect, as assessed by the euglycemic glucose clamp technique. These studies demonstrated that the decrease in adipocyte glucose transport activity in type II diabetes is practically reversible by intensive insulin therapy. This closely corresponds to the reversal by insulin therapy of the postreceptor defect expressed in vivo and provides further evidence that a cellular cause of the postreceptor defect in type II diabetes is a decrease in glucose transport system activity in the major insulin target tissues.
The use of radioiodinated protein substrates for the assay of trypsin and the hatching enzyme from the amphibian Xenopus laevis.

Abstract Assays for a protease in tissue or cell extracts using synthetic substrates (esters and amides) are often compromised by the presence of nonspecific and non-protease-associated esterase and amidase activities. In addition, substrate specificity for some proteases is dependent on structural aspects of the substrate, so-called secondary specificity sites. The above limitations were present in our attempts to assay and isolate the hatching enzyme from embryos of Xenopus laevis . We developed an assay for the hatching enzyme using 125 I-labeled fertilization envelopes, the natural substrate for this enzyme. Iodination was accomplished using lactoperoxidase. To test for the general usefulness of the assay and to compare this assay with previously employed ones, the trypsin-catalyzed hydrolysis of 125 I-labeled hemoglobin was also studied.
Integrating time-series visualizations within parallel coordinates for exploratory analysis of incident databases

Aviation disaster prevention has always been of interest to homeland security, especially after the recent use of aircrafts as weapons by terrorists. With better understanding of the deficiency of different types of aircraft and their corresponding effects on the craft's safety, better maintenance and response plans can be devised to prevent disasters from occurring. In this paper, we present a visual analytical technique to examine the Federal Aviation Agency's Accident/Incident Database, which contains more than 90,000 incidents across 53 dimensions over the last 30 years, for identifying trends of relationships between dimensions over time. Our technique is based on the integration of the ThemeRiver technique directly within a parallel coordinates framework, and simultaneously presents both a "forward flow view" and a "backward flow view" between each dimension. The forward flow view shows the trends over time of each of the elements-of-interest in the first dimension, while the backward flow view illustrates how the elements in the second dimension contribute to the overall trends seen in the first dimension. Through the use of our technique, we were able to identify characteristics of aircrafts and suggest plausible explanations to their common failures.
Controlling the transmission resonance lineshape of a single subwavelength aperture

Recent demonstrations have shown that by creating a periodic surface corrugation about a single subwavelength aperture, the transmission can be enhanced at wavelengths related to the periodicity. We demonstrate that by varying the phase of the surface corrugation relative to the single subwavelength aperture, dramatic variations can be made in the transmission resonance lineshape at THz frequencies, ranging from transmission enhancement to transmission suppression. This finding is particularly surprising, since the nearly exclusive focus of published work has been on understanding and optimizing the enhancement process in these and associated structures. We present a simple model that qualitatively explains our observations. This represents, we believe, a first step in fully controlling the spectral transmission properties of these structures.