cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Complex Coupling of Fluid Transport and Geochemical Reaction Rates: Insights from Reactive Transport Models☆

Abstract Geologic heterogeneity can cause spatially variable fluid and solute transport, leading to important implications for geochemical processes. The impact of heterogeneity on spatially variable and averaged, effective geochemical reaction rates is not yet fully described. Two examples of using reactive transport models as a tool to explore the complex connections between fluid transport and geochemical reaction rates are presented. In one case, changes in heterogeneity structure lead to variations in spatial distribution of anorthite dissolution rate in a meter-scale simulation. In areas where fluid flow is fast, reaction products are removed and anorthite dissolution proceeds at far from equilibrium rates. In contrast, in parts of the domain where fluid flow is slow, concentrations of reaction products increase and the fluid approaches chemical equilibrium with respect to anorthite and the dissolution rate slows. The heterogeneity structure and spatial distribution of reaction rates leads to differences in calculated effective reaction rates over the entire domain. In a second case, simulation of biologic reduction of nitrogen at floodplain scale, physical heterogeneity leads to spatial distribution of reaction rates that are up to 5 orders of magnitude lower than the far from equilibrium rate. It is clear from these simulations that heterogeneity in physical structure can impart spatially variable distributions of geochemical reaction rates. More work is still needed to understand how this variation translates to domain averaged reaction rates and whether physical heterogeneity contributes to some of the long-observed differences between laboratory measured and field calculated geochemical reaction rates.
Systematic Review of the Surgical Treatment of Extremity Lymphedema.

Background Although conservative management of lymphedema remains the first-line approach, surgery is effective in select patients. The purpose of this study was to review the literature and develop a treatment algorithm based on the highest quality lymphedema research. Methods A systematic literature review was performed to examine the surgical treatments for lymphedema. Studies were categorized into five groups describing excision, liposuction, lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT), and combined/multiple approaches. Studies were scored for methodological quality using the methodological index for nonrandomized studies (MINORS) scoring system. Results A total of 69 articles met inclusion criteria and were assigned MINORS scores with a maximum score of 16 or 24 for noncomparative or comparative studies, respectively. The average MINORS scores using noncomparative criteria were 12.1 for excision, 13.2 for liposuction, 12.6 for LVA, 13.1 for VLNT, and 13.5 for combined/multiple approaches. Loss to follow-up was the most common cause of low scores. Thirty-nine studies scoring > 12/16 or > 19/24 were considered high quality. In studies measuring excess volume reduction, the mean reduction was 96.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 86.2–107%) for liposuction, 33.1% (95% CI: 14.4–51.9%) for LVA, and 26.4% (95% CI: − 7.98 to 60.8%) for VLNT. Included excision articles did not report excess volume reduction. Conclusion Although the overall quality of lymphedema literature is fair, the MINORS scoring system is an effective method to isolate high-quality studies. These studies were used to develop an evidence-based algorithm to guide clinical practice. Further studies with a particular focus on patient follow-up will improve the validity of lymphedema surgery research.
AMP-activated protein kinase α1 promotes atherogenesis by increasing monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation

Monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation, which can be initiated by physiological or atherogenic factors, is a pivotal process in atherogenesis, a disorder in which monocytes adhere to endothelial cells and subsequently migrate into the subendothelial spaces, where they differentiate into macrophages and macrophage-derived foam cells and cause atherosclerotic lesions. However, the monocyte-differentiation signaling pathways that are activated by atherogenic factors are poorly defined. Here we report that the AMP-activated protein kinase α1 (AMPKα1) in monocytes promotes atherosclerosis by increasing monocyte differentiation and survival. Exposure of monocytes to oxidized low-density lipoprotein, 7-ketocholesterol, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, or macrophage colony-stimulated factor (M-CSF) significantly activated AMPK and promoted monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation. M-CSF-activated AMPK is via M-CSF receptor-dependent reactive oxygen species production. Consistently, genetic deletion of AMPKα1 or pharmacological inhibition of AMPK blunted monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation and promoted monocyte/macrophage apoptosis. Compared with apolipoprotein E knock-out (ApoE-/-) mice, which show impaired clearing of plasma lipoproteins and spontaneously develop atherosclerosis, ApoE-/-/AMPKα1-/- mice showed reduced sizes of atherosclerotic lesions and lesser numbers of macrophages in the lesions. Furthermore, aortic lesions were decreased in ApoE-/- mice transplanted with ApoE-/-/AMPKα1-/- bone marrow and in myeloid-specific AMPKα1-deficient ApoE-/- mice. Finally, rapamycin treatment, which abolished delayed monocyte differentiation in ApoE-/-/AMPKα1-/- mice, lost its atherosclerosis-lowering effects in these mice. Mechanistically, we found that AMPKα1 regulates FoxO3-dependent expression of both LC3 and ULK1, which are two important autophagy-related markers. Rapamycin treatment increased FoxO3 activity as well as LC3 and ULK1 expressions in macrophages from AMPKα1-/- mice. Our results reveal that AMPKα1 deficiency impairs autophagy-mediated monocyte differentiation and decreases monocyte/macrophage survival, which attenuates atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- mice in vivo.
A Pragmatic Approach to the Postmortem Neuropathological Diagnosis of Dementia

Increased age is a significant risk factor for the development of dementia, predominately Alzheimer disease (AD). Since the fastest growing population sector in the United States is individuals ove...
Despair in the American Heartland? A Focus on Rural Health

An introduction is presented that discusses issue articles on rural health in the U.S., noting articles on topics including early deaths among rural white Americans, the relation of falling life expectancy in some areas to voting patters in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and racial health inequities negatively impacting African Americans.
Monitoring Least Bitterns (Ixobrychis exilis) in Vermont: Detection Probability and Occupancy Modeling

Ixobrychus exillis (Least Bittern) is listed as a species of high concern in the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan and is a US Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird species of conservation concern in the Northeast. Little is known about the population of Least Bitterns in the Northeast because of their low population density, tendency to nest in dense wetland vegetation, and secretive behavior. Urban and agricultural development is expected to encroach on and degrade suitable wetland habitat; however, we cannot predict the effects on Least Bittern populations without more accurate information on their abundance and distribution. We conducted surveys of wetlands in Vermont to assess the efficacy of a monitoring protocol and to establish baseline Least Bittern abundance and distribution data at a sample of 29 wetland sites. Surveys yielded detections of 31 individuals at 15 of 29 sites across 3 biophysical regions and at 5 sites where occupancy had not been previously reported. Probability of occupancy was positively related to wetland size and number of patches, though the relationships were not strong enough to conclude if these were true determinants of occupancy. Call—response broadcast surveys yielded 30 detections, while passive surveys yielded 13. Call—response broadcasts (P = 0.897) increased the rate of detection by 55% compared to passive surveys (P = 0.577). Our results suggest that call—response broadcast surveys are an effective means of assessing Least Bittern occupancy and may reduce bias in long-term monitoring programs.
Temporal weighting functions for interaural time and level differences. V. Modulated noise carriers.

Sound onsets dominate spatial judgments of many types of periodic sound. Conversely, ongoing cues often dominate in spatial judgments of aperiodic noise. This study quantified onset dominance as a function of both the bandwidth and the temporal regularity of stimuli by measuring temporal weighting functions (TWF) from Stecker, Ostreicher, and Brown [(2013) J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, 1242–1252] for lateralization of periodic and aperiodic noise-burst trains. Stimuli consisted of 16 noise bursts (1 ms each) repeating at an interval of 2 or 5 ms. TWFs were calculated by multiple regression of lateralization judgments onto interaural time and level differences, which varied independently ( ±100 μs, ±2 dB) across bursts. Noise tokens were either refreshed on each burst (aperiodic) or repeated across sets of 2, 4, 8, or 16 bursts. TWFs revealed strong onset dominance for periodic noise-burst trains (16 repeats per token), which was markedly reduced in aperiodic trains. A second experiment measured TWFs for period...
Effect of territory intruders on the perceived quality of territorial males in an endangered pupfish, Cyprinodon bovinus

Social eavesdropping can guide mate choice and the assessment of competitor quality. In the endangered Leon Springs pupfish ( Cyprinodon bovinus ), males establish breeding territories that they defend from conspecifics and heterospecific egg predators. Females enter the breeding area to assess males and spawn in their territories. It was hypothesized that male and female C. bovinus eavesdrop on social interactions within male territories to evaluate each territorial male’s ability to exclude intruders and attract potential mates. Using a repeated design, a bottle containing either a female C. bovinus , a non-territorial male C. bovinus , a swarm of G. nobilis , or water was placed at the centre of a male’s territory. Territorial males received more spawns and females spawned more frequently per visit when a female stimulus was present. These results suggest that females eavesdrop to inform their mating decisions, but this may be limited to the assessment of extra-pair females within territories.
Influence of Cysteine on the Intestinal Epithelium of X-Irradiated Rats

Cysteine affords protection against x-ray induced mitotic inhibition of the epithelium cells of the small intestine in rats given 100 r and 300 r whole- body irradiation. For the 300 r dose level, the rate of recovery of the mitotic activity was about the same for both nontreated and cysteine-pretreated groups. The time of depression of mitotic activity varied with radiation dose. A disappearance of crypt structure in the higher dose range, 1000 r and 3000 r, was noted. The protective effect of cysteine on crypt structure was reflected by increased survival at 1000 r aud increased survival time at 3000 r. (auth)
Instrumented Tow Cable Measurements of Temperature Variability of the Water Column

The Instrumented Tow Cable (ITC) measures the temperature variability of the water column with a spatial resolution of ½ meter along the cable and a temporal resolution on the order of 100 seconds. The ITC is a modification of a conventional steel-armored tow cable, involving the replacement of three outer steel armor wires with stainless steel tubes containing optical fibers. The overall cable diameter is unchanged, and there is otherwise no significant impact to the mechanical properties of the cable. The ITC survived all standard mechanical ruggedness tests, including long stroke cyclic bending over a 46-inch diameter sheave under tensions up to 22,500 lb. Temperature sensing is derived from Raman scattering effects in the optical fibers. In lake tests, the standard deviation against XBTs was found to be approximately 0.3 °C for repeated runs. Sea test data from the shelf-slope front south of New England mapped the location of the front within 150 m of the sea surface and showed indications of internal waves.
Guidance of Axons During Development and After Nerve Injury

Several proposed mechanisms of axon guidance are critically reviewed, including mechanical guides, pioneer fibers, tropic gradients, electrical currents, and surface cues. None of these provide an entirely satisfactory scheme for understanding the observed behavior of growing axons. What is missing is the nature and origin of the map that directs axons from one place to another.
The Evaluation of Local Area Network Designs Through Simulation

a major role in distributed connectivity as it has allowed microcomputer users within a relatively small geographic area, such as a building or group of buildings, to communicate with one another. Many of the earliest LANs served a variety of office automation functions including electronic filing, scheduling, data base inquiry, word processing, and information dissemination (McGovern, 1988; Stallings, 1990; Stamper, 1990). The benefits of such an arrangement are widely known and include the sharing of expensive equipment such as printers, plotters, and storage devices, as well as the sharing of software, files, and data bases. Other benefits were an The advent of the microprocessor in the early 1970s and the development of the first microcomputer systems in the late 1970s spurred the growth of distributed computing that characterized the first half of the 1980s. As the decade progressed, however, it rapidly became clear that an essential element was missing--connectivity. Microcomputer users began to realize that they needed to communicate with each other as well as with the centralized data processing facilities of the organization. The era of what might be called distributed connectivity had begun and continues to this day. The local area network (LAN) has played
Electrophysiological evidence for the involvement of the locus coeruleus in alerting, orienting, and attending.

In this chapter, we describe recent observations from our laboratory which support the thesis that the locus coeruleus (LC), via its massively divergent efferent projections, participates in generating a generalized brain state that can be characterized as “alertness.” The first of these observations suggests that LC activation can convert the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity of the forebrain from patterns characteristic of a non-alert state to those characteristic of an alert state. The second observation indicates that LC activation alters sensory responses of individual neocortical neurons in a way that is compatible with the general thesis presented here, suggesting that LC-induced alterations in cortical neuronal activity may be an integral component of a hypothesized participation of the LC in cortically mediated attentional processes. The third observation indicates that LC may modulate forebrain components of orienting responses that are indexed by event-related potentials (ERPs). Thus, the experiments described below involve electrophysiological assessment of forebrain information processing at three different levels of organization: activity of individual neurons in the millisecond range, neuronal ensemble activity persisting for 10–200 msec as indexed by ERPs, and ensemble/regional activity sustained for seconds to minutes as indicated by EEG measures. These observations suggest that alterations induced in forebrain function by manipulations of LC activity are evident at all three of these levels.
Abstract 3723: Nanoengineered mesenchymal stem cells successfully inhibit tumor progression in a syngeneic mouse model

Active tumor-targeted drug delivery holds great promise for enhancing therapeutic efficacy and mitigating toxic side effects resulting from nonspecific distribution of chemotherapeutic agents to healthy tissues. However, the majority of current drug delivery strategies depend on inefficient passive accumulation of the drug carrier in the tumor. We have developed a novel and truly active tumor-targeting approach that relies on the tumor tropism of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Our work emphases nanoengineering of MSCs with paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles to create cellular drug depots capable of selectively homing to tumor sites and releasing the drug over an extended duration. Paclitaxel-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (18.1 ± 1.9 % w/w paclitaxel; diameter of 282.5 ± 5.2 nm; and zeta potential of −18.4 ± 2.5 mV) were formulated by emulsion-solvent evaporation method. Nanoengineered MSCs were generated by incubating MSCs with 100 µg/mL paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles for 4 hours at 37°C without altering their viability and migration potential. Anticancer efficacy of nanoengineered MSCs was evaluated in C57BL/6 albino female mice bearing orthotopic Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LL/2-luc) tumors. Despite significantly lower doses of paclitaxel (~2.5 mg/kg total dose for nanoengineered MSCs vs. 120 mg/kg for free- and nanoparticle-encapsulated drug), nanoengineered MSCs resulted in significant greater tumor inhibition and superior survival. Furthermore, administration of human MSCs did not elicit any overt immunologic responses in mice. In summary, our results demonstrate that nanoengineered MSCs can serve as an efficient carrier for tumor-specific delivery of anticancer drugs, resulting in greatly improved therapeutic efficacy. Citation Format: Buddhadev Layek, Jayanth Panyam, Swayam Prabha. Nanoengineered mesenchymal stem cells successfully inhibit tumor progression in a syngeneic mouse model [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3723.
Histopathologic findings after selective ophthalmic arterial injection of melphalan for retinoblastoma

PURPOSE: The aim is to describe histopathologic observations in eyes enucleated after selective ophthalmic arterial injection (SOAI) of melphalan for retinoblastoma (RB). STUDY DESIGN: This is retrospective clinical study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Histopathologic analysis of 14 eyes (13 patients) from May 2008 through January 2015 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. RESULTS: The eyes after SOAI were enucleated due to tumor viability (n = 7, 2 with vitreous hemorrhage), neovascular glaucoma (n = 4), lens drop to vitreous with total hyphema and elevated intraocular pressure (n = 1), retinal detachment (RD) progressed (n = 1), and persistent RD with phthisis change (n = 1). Almost all of the eyes showed vitreous seeding (n = 11 eyes) before treatment. After the treatment of SOAI, the histopathological examination revealed complete regression in four eyes with one was clinically diagnosed as viable tumor and progression, one with RD progression, and two as neovascular glaucoma. Six eyes showed invasion into the optic nerves, reaching the lamina cribrosa in five eyes, and six eyes with invasion into the choroid were observed. All of the cases with lamina cribrosa involvement showed tumor progression before enucleation, four cases with lamina cribrosa involvement expired later. CONCLUSION: Although some cases of RB can be controlled effectively with SOAI, but for refractory cases after SOAI, earlier decision of enucleation may be needed.
Racial and ethnic disparities in use of a personal health record by veterans living with HIV.

Objective To examine sociodemographic characteristics associated with use of My HealtheVet (MHV) by veterans living with HIV. Materials and methods Veterans Health Administration administrative data were used to identify a cohort of veterans living with HIV in fiscal years 2011-2017. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine demographic characteristics and racial/ethnic differences in MHV registration and tool use. Chi-Square tests were performed to assess associations between race/ethnicity and MHV registration and tool use. Results The highest proportion of registrants were non-Hispanic White veterans living with HIV (59%), followed by Hispanic/Latino (55%) and Black veterans living with HIV (40%). Chi-Square analyses revealed that: (1) MHV account registration was significantly lower for both Black and Hispanic/Latino veterans in comparison to White veterans and (2) Black MHV registrants were less likely to utilize any MHV tool compared with White MHV registrants including Blue Button record download, medication refills, secure messaging, lab, and appointment views. Discussion In line with prior research on personal health record (PHR) use among non-veteran populations, these findings show racial and ethnic inequities in MHV use among veterans living with HIV. Racial and ethnic minorities may be less likely to use PHRs for a myriad of reasons, including PHR privacy concerns, decreased educational attainment, and limited access to the internet. Conclusion This is the first study to examine racial and ethnic disparities in use of MHV tools by veterans living with HIV and utilizing Veterans Health Administration health care. Future research should examine potential moderating factors linked to decreased PHR use among racial and ethnic minority veterans, which could inform strategies to increase PHR use among vulnerable populations.
Indocyanine Green (ICG) in Urologic Surgery

Indocyanine green (ICG) is a dye used for fluorescent-guided surgery. This review article addresses the recent surge in reported uses of ICG in various surgical fields and provides a comprehensive and up to date review of the uses of ICG in urologic surgery.
Auditory processing disorders in incarcerated youth: A call for early detection and treatment.

Abstract Background Numerous reports have linked language impairment, academic underachievement, and attention disorder to misbehavior in adolescence. Recent studies have found an association between deficits in hearing and auditory processing and involvement in the juvenile justice system. In fact, the existence of an auditory processing disorder (APD) is a risk factor for adolescent delinquency even in the presence of normal hearing. The nexus between APD, low academic achievement and offending behavior in teens has prompted recommendation for early screening of school children for abnormalities in auditory processing. Using a variety of diagnostic tools, investigators have found an increase in the frequency of APD in cohorts of confined youthful offenders. The present investigation evaluates the prevalence of APD in a group of incarcerated youth residing in a detention center. Methods A total of 52 incarcerated adolescents (8 females and 44 males; age range 13–20 (M = 16.0), residing at a juvenile detention center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and determined to have normal auditory acuity were included in the study. All participants were screened for APD using two dichotic listening tests, the Randomized Dichotic Digits Test (RDDT) and the Dichotic Words Test (DWT), evaluative modalities to identify deficits in auditory processing. The prevalence of APD in the study group was compared to previously published normative data for non-offending age-matched youth. Results On the RDDT, 23.1% of participants demonstrated normal auditory processing, while 77% had abnormal test results. On the DWT, 75% of subjects exhibited normal auditory processing, while the scores were abnormal for 24.9%. When the results of the RDDT and the DWT were combined to establish a pattern for the purpose of interpreting a deficit, 21.1% of the participants produced results that were within normal limits, while 17.3% qualified for a diagnosis of APD, with abnormal results on both tests. Previous studies have estimated the prevalence of auditory processing disorder in the general adolescent population as being between 2% and 7%. Conclusions This study found a higher prevalence of auditory processing disorder in a cohort of incarcerated youth compared with age-matched controls. Diagnostic screening protocols that identify at-risk children have been developed, as have effective therapies to improve auditory processing function. Teachers, pediatricians and psychologists should consider APD in children and adolescents with behaviors that may increase their risk for juvenile justice involvement. Studies on optimal timing and strategies for assessing and treating APD in children and adolescents are needed, including youth caught up in the juvenile justice system.
Semi-parametric Approaches to Learning in Model-Based Hierarchical Control of Complex Systems

For systems with complex and unstable dynamics, such as humanoids, the use of model-based control within a hierarchical framework remains the tool of choice. This is due to the challenges associated with applying model-free reinforcement learning on such problems, such as sample inefficiency and limits on exploration of state space in the absence of safety/stability guarantees. However, relying purely on physics-based models comes with its own set of problems. For instance, the necessary limits on expressiveness imposed by committing to fixed basis functions, and consequently, their limited ability to learn from data gathered on-line. This gap between theoretical models and real-world dynamics gives rise to a need to incorporate a learning component at some level within the model-based control framework. In this work, we present a highly redundant wheeled inverted-pendulum humanoid as a testbed for experimental validation of some recent approaches proposed to deal with these fundamental issues in the field of robotics, such as: 1. Semi-parametric Gaussian Process-based approaches to computed-torque control of serial robots [1] 2. Probabilistic Differential Dynamic Programming framework for trajectory planning by high-level controllers [2, 3] 3. Barrier Certificate based safe-learning approaches for data collection to learn the dynamics of inherently unstable systems [4]. We discuss how a typical model-based hierarchical control framework can be extended to incorporate approaches for learning at various stages of control design and hierarchy, based on the aforementioned tools.
Treatment of chemoresistant ovarian cancer with sigma2/SMAC and cisplatin.

e16508 Background: Platinum resistance continues to be a major barrier to the successful treatment of ovarian cancer. Overexpression of the X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (XIAP) contribut...
False Negative Tests for SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Challenges and Implications.

False Negative Tests for SARS-CoV-2 Infection Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 will help in safely reopening the country, but only if tests are highly accurate. Several steps need to be taken by m...
Distributionally Robust Losses for Latent Covariate Mixtures

While modern large-scale datasets often consist of heterogeneous subpopulations---for example, multiple demographic groups or multiple text corpora---the standard practice of minimizing average loss fails to guarantee uniformly low losses across all subpopulations. We propose a convex procedure that controls the worst-case performance over all subpopulations of a given size. Our procedure comes with finite-sample (nonparametric) convergence guarantees on the worst-off subpopulation. Empirically, we observe on lexical similarity, wine quality, and recidivism prediction tasks that our worst-case procedure learns models that do well against unseen subpopulations.
Feedbacks among electric vehicle adoption, charging, and the cost and installation of rooftop solar photovoltaics

Identifying feedback loops in consumer behaviours is important to develop policies to accentuate desired behaviour. Here, we use Granger causality to provide empirical evidence for feedback loops among four important components of a low-carbon economy. One loop includes the cost of installing rooftop solar (Cost) and the installation of rooftop solar (photovoltaics, PV); this loop is probably generated by learning by doing and reductions in the levelized cost of electricity. The second includes the purchase of electric vehicles (EV) and the installation of rooftop solar that is probably created by environmental complementarity. Finally, we address whether installing charging stations enhances the purchase of electric vehicles and vice versa; there is no evidence for a causal relation in either direction. Together, these results indicate ways to modify existing policy in ways that could trigger the Cost↔PV↔EV feedback loops and accelerate the transition to carbon-free technologies. Feedback loops in consumer behaviour can accelerate desirable phenomena and be used to create effective policy. Kaufmann et al. identify a critical green feedback loop by using Massachusetts data to show bidirectional causality among solar photovoltaic cost, adoption and electric vehicle sales.
Rearrangement invariant subspaces of Lorentz function spaces

The main result is that for 2≦q≦p<∞ the only subspaces of the Lorentz function spaceL pq [0, 1] which are isomorphic to r.i. function spaces on [0, 1] are, up to equivalent renormings,L pq [0, 1] andL 2[0, 1].
35. Commission De La Constitution Des Etoiles

The study of the internal constitution of the stars has advanced rapidly in the past few years, especially for those of the main sequence. The present summary is necessarily brief. For a star of uniform composition, whose interior is in radiative equilibrium, with or without a convective core, the constitution can be completely determined by successive approximations by quadratures, if there are given ( a ) the atomic composition ( b ) the equation of state, defining the mean molecular weight μ ( c ) the equation defining the opacity for the outflowing radiation ( d ) the equation defining the rate of liberation of energy per gram.
Sclerostin antibody improves phosphate metabolism hormones, bone formation rates, and bone mass in adult Hyp mice.

Abstract X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is caused by a loss-of-function mutation in the phosphate regulating gene with homology to endopeptidase located on the X chromosome (PHEX). Loss of functional PHEX results in elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), impaired phosphate reabsorption, and inhibited skeletal mineralization. Sclerostin, a protein produced primarily by osteocytes, suppresses bone formation by antagonizing canonical Wnt-signaling and is reported to be elevated in XLH patients. Our previous study reported that a monoclonal antibody to sclerostin (Scl-Ab) decreases FGF23 and increases phosphate and bone mass in growing Hyp mice (XLH murine model). In the current study, we investigated the efficacy of Scl-Ab in treating XLH pathophysiology in adult Hyp mice that are past the period of rapid skeletal growth (12 and 20-weeks old). We hypothesized that Scl-Ab would not only increase bone formation, bone strength and bone mass, but would also normalize phosphate regulating hormones, FGF23, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and vitamin 1,25(OH)2D. Scl-Ab treatment increased cortical area, trabecular bone volume fraction, trabecular bone formation rate, and the bending moment in both sexes of both age groups. Scl-Ab treatment suppressed circulating levels of intact FGF23 and c-term FGF23 in treated male and female wild-type and Hyp mice of both age groups and improved both vitamin 1,25(OH)2D and PTH. Scl-Ab treated Hyp mice also showed evidence of increased renal expression of the sodium-phosphate co-transporter, NPT2a, specifically in the female Hyp mice. Our study suggests that Scl-Ab treatment can improve several skeletal and metabolic pathologies associated with XLH, further establishes the role of sclerostin in the regulation of FGF23 and provides evidence that Scl-Ab can improve phosphate regulation by targeting the bone-renal axis.
Unbound Voices: A Documentary History of Chinese Women in San Francisco

Unbound Voices brings together the voices of Chinese American women in a fascinating, intimate collection of documents--letters, essays, poems, autobiographies, speeches, testimonials, and oral histories--detailing half a century of their lives in America. Together, these sources provide a captivating mosaic of Chinese women's experiences in their own words, as they tell of making a home for themselves and their families in San Francisco from the Gold Rush years through World War II. The personal nature of these documents makes for compelling reading. We hear the voices of prostitutes and domestic slavegirls, immigrant wives of merchants, Christians and pagans, homemakers, and social activists alike. We read the stories of daughters who confronted cultural conflicts and racial discrimination; the myriad ways women coped with the Great Depression; and personal contributions to the causes of women's emancipation, Chinese nationalism, workers' rights, and World War II. The symphony of voices presented here lends immediacy and authenticity to our understanding of the Chinese American women's lives. This rich collection of women's stories also serves to demonstrate collective change over time as well as to highlight individual struggles for survival and advancement in both private and public spheres. An educational tool on researching and reclaiming women's history, Unbound Voices offers us a valuable lesson on how one group of women overcame the legacy of bound feet and bound lives in America. The selections are accompanied by photographs, with extensive introductions and annotation by Judy Yung, a noted authority on primary resources relating to the history of Chinese American women.
Depth-Efficient Threshold Circuits for Multiplication and Symmetric Function Computation

The multiplication operation and the computation of symmetric functions are fundamental problems in arithmetic and algebraic computation. We describe unit-weight threshold circuits to perform the multiplication of two n-bit integers, which have fan-in k, edge complexity O(n2+1/d), and depth O(log d + log n/log k), for any fixed integer d > 0. For a given fan-in, our constructions have considerably smaller depth (or edge complexity) than the beat previous circuits of similar edge complexity (or depth, respectively). Similar results are also shown for the iterated addition operation and the computation of symmetric functions. In particular, we propose a unit-weight threshold circuit to compute the sum of mn-bit numbers that has fan-in k, edge complexity O(nm1+1/d), and depth O(log d + log m/log k + log n/log k).
‘Your President Is Not Black!’: Jamaican Reflections On Identity, Race, Class, and (Global) Politics

President Barack Obama enjoys mass-appeal in Jamaica as an Afro-descendant leader of a world superpower. Yet, Jamaicans' fondness for Obama as a Black president is partially intersected by local understandings of race and privilege. This paper helps to inform how Jamaican and U.S. American social hierarchies are divergent and how research consultants in Kingston, Jamaica can simultaneously deploy knowledge of American and Jamaican racial systems. It also addresses the outcomes of inbuilt racism in Jamaica to include disproportionate negative effects of SAPs for Jamaica's Black urban poor, the lack of transparent governance, and the maintenance of a rigid social hierarchy. This comparison of two racial systems within the Black Atlantic contributes to understandings of how Afro-descendants around the world interpret the historic presidency of Barack Obama within the context of U.S. American racism.
Ongoing Evaluation in AIDS-Service Organizations

ABSTRACT Expectations by foundations and federal, state, and city funders that HIV-prevention programs in AIDS-service organizations document their effectiveness have dramatically increased over the last decade. Unfortunately, current demands for outcome-oriented program evaluation have resulted in evaluations that do not produce useful information for program staff or for improving HIV prevention efforts in general. This paper argues that there are four main causes of substandard evaluation. A model for producing evaluation results that are useful and interpretable is proposed.
Reevaluating carbon fluxes in subduction zones, what goes down, mostly comes up.

Carbon fluxes in subduction zones can be better constrained by including new estimates of carbon concentration in subducting mantle peridotites, consideration of carbonate solubility in aqueous fluid along subduction geotherms, and diapirism of carbon-bearing metasediments. Whereas previous studies concluded that about half the subducting carbon is returned to the convecting mantle, we find that relatively little carbon may be recycled. If so, input from subduction zones into the overlying plate is larger than output from arc volcanoes plus diffuse venting, and substantial quantities of carbon are stored in the mantle lithosphere and crust. Also, if the subduction zone carbon cycle is nearly closed on time scales of 5–10 Ma, then the carbon content of the mantle lithosphere + crust + ocean + atmosphere must be increasing. Such an increase is consistent with inferences from noble gas data. Carbon in diamonds, which may have been recycled into the convecting mantle, is a small fraction of the global carbon inventory.
Nonlinear control system design via dynamic order reduction

In this paper we present a design scheme for output tracking of nonlinear systems that are subject to regular perturbations. We show that applications of singular perturbation theory to the input-output feedback linearization technique provides a systematic method to identify the slow "dominant" states and fast "negligible" states. Similar to the backstepping design technique, a suitable state variable is converted into a "control like" variable which in the steady state is forced to approach the desired tracking control law for the reduced order system. We show that this design achieves stable approximate tracking of reasonable reference trajectories for nonlinear systems that are "dominantly" minimum phase. The order of approximation can be arbitrarily improved by addition of correction terms in the control law. The main advantage of this approach is that the design is often performed for a much simpler model which is linear in the new control variable and describes the dominant part of the original system by ignoring some of the fast states that are forced to have little effect on the steady state performance. >
The total synthesis of (-)-cyanthiwigin F by means of double catalytic enantioselective alkylation

Double catalytic enantioselective transformations are powerful synthetic methods that can facilitate the construction of stereochemically complex molecules in a single operation. In addition to generating two or more stereocentres in a single reaction, multiple asymmetric reactions also impart increased enantiomeric excess to the final product in comparison with the analogous single transformation. Furthermore, multiple asymmetric operations have the potential to independently construct several stereocentres at remote points within the same molecular scaffold, rather than relying on pre-existing chiral centres that are proximal to the reactive site. Despite the inherent benefits of multiple catalytic enantioselective reactions, their application to natural product total synthesis remains largely underutilized. Here we report the use of a double stereoablative enantioselective alkylation reaction in a concise synthesis of the marine diterpenoid (-)-cyanthiwigin F (ref. 8). By employing a technique for independent, selective formation of two stereocentres in a single stereoconvergent operation, we demonstrate that a complicated mixture of racemic and meso diastereomers may be smoothly converted to a synthetically useful intermediate with exceptional enantiomeric excess. The stereochemical information generated by means of this catalytic transformation facilitates the easy and rapid completion of the total synthesis of this marine natural product.
Early divergence and changing proportions of neuronal and glial precursor cells in the primate cerebral ventricular zone

Immunocytochemical staining with antisera directed against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFA) was used to examine the cellular composition of the proliferative ventricular zone (VZ) in the occipital lobe of rhesus monkey fetuses during the first half of their 165-day gestational period. Electron microscopic analysis revealed a small number of GFA-positive cells in specimens of embryonic (E) ages E39 and E40. By E47 about 28% of the cells in the VZ were immunoreactive. This percentage increased to 37% at E61 and reached 60% by E80. The fraction of GFA-positive mitotic figures followed the same general tendency with 34, 47, and 80% being labeled at E47, E61, and E80, respectively. The present results reveal the existence of two basic classes of cells, GFA positive and GFA negative, indicating that in the primate brain, glial and neuronal precursor cells may coexist in the ventricular zone at embryonic ages when few, if any, neurons have become postmitotic.
Fatigue of As-Fabricated Open Cell Aluminum Foams

This paper presents the results of the combined experimental investigation and digital image correlation (DIC) analysis of the fatigue failure of open cell aluminum foams. Compression-compression cyclic loads were applied to foam specimens under the as-fabricated condition. Following characterization of the S-N curve behavior, the macroscale deformation of the tested foam under fatigue was recorded using an in-situ digital camera. The deformation sequence was then analyzed using DIC technique. It was found that foams failed with an abrupt strain jump when shear bands were formed, and serious deformation up to more than 30% was developed in the center of the shear band. The ex-situ scanning electron microscopy analysis indicated that the abrupt strain jump was due to the microscale damage accumulation in struts where surface cracks were formed and propagated.
Current behavioral approaches to marital and family therapy

Abstract Recent published research on behavioral approaches to marital and family therapy is reviewed. Theories of problem evolution, assessment research, and strategies of intervention are presented for both topics separately. Methodological concerns and major results are addressed. It is concluded that many studies lack sufficient sample sizes, control groups, baselines, follow-ups, valid and reliable assessment, multiple measurement, or a combination of these. Nonetheless, several promising treatment strategies exist. Communication training programs, such as structured teaching formats, light signal feedback, and videotape replay combined with other techniques, appear to be encouraging treatment methods for both marital and family problems, as do contracting plus communication training guidance amalgams.
Image Segmentation for Evaluating Axillary Lymph Nodes

A review is provided of the literature that has been published on image segmentation relative to sonography. Manual and automatic techniques for partitioning a sonogram are highlighted. In addition, a preliminary set of results is provided on the interrater reliability of the manual segmentation of axillary lymph nodes that have been sonographically imaged. A correlation between sonographers conducting manual segmentation is very high (r = 0.9 with P < .00 at the .01 alpha level). This work is set to provide additional information on lymph node cubic volume and the agreement between manual and automatic segmentation of axillary lymph nodes.
Dry deposition inferential measurement techniques—I. Design and tests of a prototype meteorological and chemical system for determining dry deposition

A simple filterpack system and a supporting meteorological and surface-condition monitoring system have been deployed in a trial network to test methods by which dry deposition rates can be estimated on a routine basis, using average air concentration data and site-specific deposition velocities. The filterpack used in this dry deposition inferential measurement (DDIM) sampler differs from standard filterpacks by the use of a heated horizontal settling tube at the inlet. This modification is intended to protect the SO2 sampling system from adverse effects associated with filter liquefaction at high humidities, while at the same time providing a simple means for eliminating large particles from the sampled air. Tests indicate that the sampler works well for SO2 and for particulate species, and that HNO3 concentrations are underestimated by about 25%. The DDIM approach differs from previous network measurement programs in that the data sets are designed to permit extension from observations at a subset of research sites to less intensive routine measurement sites. Hence a major goal is the definition of a suitable set of supporting data from which dry deposition rates can be inferred using air concentration data. Local vegetation characteristics are noted. At present, the additional variables that are monitored are solar radiation, wind speed, wind direction standard deviation, temperature, humidity, surface wetness, and precipitation. Observers report changes in the surrounding surface, such as the presence of snow or unusual drought.
Reduction of Urban Runoff Through Economic Incentives: Boulder, Colorado

: The problems of increased surface runoff which follow in step with urbanization can be conceptualized in terms of environmental economics. The private transformation of land from a permeable to an impermeable surface imposes the externality of increased surface runoff upon society as a whole and especially on those downstream. The city of Boulder, Colorado, has enacted an ordinance which attempts to internalize some of these external costs and at the same time decrease surface runoff from the urban environment.
The economic burden of breast cancer in California

This paper estimates the healthcare costs and the value of lost productivity from premature deaths for California women with breast cancer in 2001, with an updated estimate for 2008. Multiple secondary data sources were used to estimate the healthcare cost of breast cancer. Mortality costs were estimated as the product of the number of deaths and the expected value of a woman's future earnings. The total economic cost of breast cancer in California was $1.43 billion in 2001, or $1.91 billion in 2008 dollars. Breast cancer is costly both in terms of healthcare dollars and the value of lost lives. Regular screening and access to treatment for all women will allow the disease to be diagnosed earlier, the prognosis improved, and the economic burden reduced.
Precise vergence control in complex scenes

In binocular systems, vergence is the process of directing the gaze so that the optical axes intersect at the point of interest. Region based methods of disparity analysis provide fast and reliable estimates of the vergence error. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine on what image features these approaches are in fact verging. Previous approaches to vergence control have for the most part failed to ensure that both cameras actually verge on the object of interest, especially in complex scenes. This paper presents a system that addresses this problem. By using the cepstral filter in a multiresolution setting with a dominant camera, our system can verge accurately in complex scenes. Specifically, the system adaptively refines the vergence angle in a scale space consisting of the center patches of a Gaussian pyramid. The effects of the cepstrum in a multiresolution system are analyzed, and the precision and performance of the new system are verified on natural scenes.