cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research into Factors Contributing to Discipline Use and Disproportionality in Major Urban Schools

Major urban high poverty schools frequently use exclusionary discipline (i.e., out of school suspensions) and apply these consequences disproportionately to African American students. We explored school demographic variables predicting these two outcomes using data from 433 major urban, high poverty schools. Results suggest a different set of predictors for the overall use of suspensions than for disproportionality. Specifically, four variables significantly predicted overall suspension use (office disciplinary referrals; the proportions of African American teachers, economically disadvantaged students, and African American students) whereas only one variable significantly predicted disproportionality (percentage economically disadvantaged students). Implications, limitations and future directions are provided.
Substantial similarity in amygdala neuronal activity during conditioned appetitive and aversive emotional arousal

The amygdala is important for determining the emotional significance of environmental stimuli. However, the degree to which appetitive and aversive stimuli are processed by the same or different neuronal circuits within the amygdala remains unclear. Here we show that neuronal activity during the expression of classically conditioned appetitive and aversive emotional responses is more similar than expected by chance, despite the different sensory modalities of the eliciting stimuli. We also found that the activity of a large number of cells (> 43%) was correlated with blood pressure, a measure of emotional arousal. Together, our results suggest that a substantial proportion of neuronal circuits within the amygdala can contribute to both appetitive and aversive emotional arousal.
Alcohol extract of Echinacea pallida reverses stress-delayed wound healing in mice.

Healing of open skin wounds begins with an inflammatory response. Restraint stress has been well documented to delay wound closure, partially via glucocorticoid (GC)-mediated immunosuppression of inflammation. Echinacea, a popular herbal immunomodulator, is purported to be beneficial for wound healing. To test the hypothesis, an alcohol extract of E. pallida was administrated orally to mice for 3 days prior to, and 4 days post wounding with a dermal biopsy on the dorsum. Concominantly, mice were exposed to 3 cycles of daily restraint stress prior to, and 4 cycles post wounding. Echinacea accelerated wound closure in the stressed mice, but had no apparent wound healing effect for the non-stressed mice when compared to their respective controls. To test if the positive healing effect is through modulation of GC release, plasma corticosterone concentrations were measured in unwounded mice treated with restraint stress and the herbal extract for 4 days. Plasma GC in restraint stressed mice gavaged with Echinacea was not different from mice treated with restraint only, but was increased compared to the vehicle control. This data suggests that the improved wound healing effect of Echinacea in stressed mice is not mediated through modulation of GC signaling.
CHAOS IN WAVE INTERACTIONS

Existence of chaos is proved in finite-dimensional invariant subspaces for both two- and three-wave interactions. For a simple Galerkin truncation of the 2D Navier–Stokes equation, existence of chaos is also proved.
LACK OF EFFECT OF LONG-TERM USE OF ANGIOTENSIN-CONVERTING ENZYME INHIBITORS BY HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS ON THIRST AND FLUID WEIGHT GAIN

Volume overload is a chronic, troublesome problem in many patients on hemodialysis. These patients suffer from hyperdipsia with inability to excrete water. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) has been shown to decrease thirst and interdialytic weight gain in 2-4 weeks of usage. We investigated the effect of long-term use of ACEI, as levels of angiotensin II tends to go back to normal level after 6 months of use. We compared hemodialysis patients on ACEI for more than 6 months to patients not on ACEI. Seven patients were taking ACEI compared to 51 controls in the other group. Almost one third of patients in each group had an interdialytic weight gain > 5% of dry weight. No significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to interdialytic weight gain, thirst and mouth dryness scores, and interdialytic mean blood pressure change. There was no demonstrable effect of angiotensin receptor blocking drugs on weight gain or thirst. We conclude that long-term ACEI may not continue to suppress inappropriate thirst and fluid intake after 6 months in hemodialysis patients.
Resistance to L1210 Mouse Leukemia Cells in Moderately Protein-malnourished BALB/c Mice Treated in Vivo with Thymosin Fraction V

Moderate protein malnutrition retarded the i.p. proliferation of L1210 mouse leukemia cells in BALB/c mice. The increased resistance against leukemia cell growth in protein-malnourished mice was correlated with increased in vitro mitogenic responsiveness of spleen lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin and increased levels of serum corticosterone but could not be correlated with altered development of splenic lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity. The increased resistance against leukemia cells in well-fed mice treated with thymosin alone could not be correlated with an increase in any of these parameters. Treatment with Thymosin Fraction V further increased the resistance of protein-malnourished mice to i.p. leukemia cell growth. The increased resistance of these mice to tumor cell growth was correlated with increased splenic lymphocyte mitogenic responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin, elevated serum corticosterone levels, and a slight increase in lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity 14 days after tumor challenge. For 7 days after the last treatment, protein-malnourished mice had reduced serum corticosterone levels. Nevertheless, the serum corticosterone levels were still higher than normal in these mice.
Cu isotopic fractionation in the supergene environment with and without bacteria

The isotopic composition of dissolved Cu and solid Cu-rich minerals [δ65Cu (‰) = (65Cu/63Cusample/65Cu/63Custd) - 1)*1000] were monitored in batch oxidative dissolution experiments with and without Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. Aqueous copper in leach fluids released during abiotic oxidation of both chalcocite and chalcopyrite was isotopically heavier (δ65Cu = 5.34‰ and δ65Cu = 1.90‰, respectively, [±0.16 at 2σ]) than the initial starting material (δ65Cu = 2.60 ± 0.16‰ and δ65Cu = 0.58 ± 0.16‰, respectively). Isotopic mass balance between the starting material, aqueous copper, and secondary minerals precipitated in these experiments explains the heavier isotopic values of aqueous copper. In contrast, aqueous copper from leached chalcocite and chalcopyrite inoculated with Thiobacillus ferrooxidans was isotopically similar to the starting material. The lack of fractionation of the aqueous copper in the biotic experiments can best be explained by assuming a sink for isotopically heavy copper present in the bacteria cells with δ65Cu = 5.59 ± 0.16‰. Consistent with this inference, amorphous Cu-Fe oxide minerals are observed surrounding cell membranes of Thiobacillus grown in the presence of dissolved Cu and Fe. Extrapolating these experiments to natural supergene environments implies that release of isotopically heavy aqueous Cu from oxidative leach caps, especially under abiotic conditions, should result in precipitates in underlying enrichment blankets that are isotopically heavy. Where iron-oxidizing cells are involved, isotopically heavy oxidized Cu entrained in cellular material may become associated with leach caps, causing the released aqueous Cu to be less isotopically enriched in the heavy isotope than predicted for the abiotic system. Rayleigh fractionation trends with fractionation factors calculated from our experiments for both biotic and abiotic conditions are consistent with large numbers of individual abiotic or biotic leaching events, explaining the supergene chalcocites in the Morenci and Silver Bell porphyry copper deposits.
High frequency ultrasound detection using Fabry-Perot optical etalon

Optical detection of ultrasound is a promising technique for high resolution imaging arrays. The detection resolution approaches the optical resolution, which is on the order of the optical wavelength. We describe an optical technique for ultrasound detection based on a thin Fabry-Perot etalon. The method is optimized for high resolution detection using a very thin etalon (10 /spl mu/m). The detection SNR outperforms that of a piezoelectric transducer over a 100 MHz bandwidth. Array functionality was demonstrated by scanning a probe beam along a line. A photoacoustic technique was applied to generate acoustic waves in a test phantom containing a single "point-like" source. An image of the source was reconstructed using signals acquired from the etalon detector array.
Role of ERK/mTOR signaling in TGFβ-modulated focal adhesion kinase mRNA stability and protein synthesis in cultured rat IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cells

Increasing evidence is available showing the importance of the FAK (focal adhesion kinase) protein level in the migration and homeostasis of intestinal cells. TGFβ (transforming growth factor beta) modulates FAK protein expression in a complex fashion not only by inducing the activation of p38 and Smad signaling resulting in increased fak promoter activity and increased FAK protein levels, but also by activating ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinases), p38, and the Smad pathway. We show that the blockade of ERK signaling by a specific MEK (MAPK kinase) inhibitor attenuates TGFβ−induced FAK mRNA stability and reduces FAK protein levels in rat IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cells. The mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin)-specific inhibitor rapamycin and small interfering RNAs for mTOR and p70S6 kinase also block TGFβ−induced FAK protein synthesis. Furthermore, we have found that a TGFβ−induced increase in wound closures in monolayers of these cells is abolished in the presence ERK or mTOR inhibition. Thus, TGFβ also modulates FAK protein levels in cultured rat IEC-6 intestinal epithelial cells via ERK activation, acting at the transcriptional level to complement Smad signaling and at on the translational level via the mTOR pathway downstream of ERK, which in turn promotes intestinal epithelial cell migration.
Shiga Toxin Induces Superoxide Production in Polymorphonuclear Cells with Subsequent Impairment of Phagocytosis and Responsiveness to Phorbol Esters

The role of inflammatory cells in the pathogenesis of hemolytic-uremic syndrome induced by Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli remains unclear. The hypothesis that Stx has direct effects on polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) viability and function was examined by measuring apoptosis, necrosis, phagocytosis, and spontaneous and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated production of reactive oxygen intermediates. PMN from 6 healthy persons were exposed to medium, Stx1 (0.01-100 ng/mL), or heat-inactivated Stx1 or Stx1 B subunit (100 ng/mL). Stx1 induced a prominent dose-dependent respiratory burst from PMN at doses as low as 0.01 ng/mL; they were less responsive to PMA stimulation and had reduced ability for phagocytosis. This dysfunction was not due to cell death, as the magnitude of apoptosis and necrosis of PMN treated with Stx1 (100 ng/mL) for 20 h was identical to that of medium control. These results suggest that Stx has direct effects on PMN that could contribute to tissue injury early in the disease.
Coupled Nonlinear Aeroelastic and Aeroacoustic Response of an Airfoil to Upstream Vortical Flow Disturbances

The current work focuses on developing a robust capability for a high-accuracy CFD analysis of fully coupled aeroelastic, aerodynamic and aeroacoustic unsteady airfoil responses to the incident highamplitude, vortical unsteady flow perturbations. In the implemented iterative procedure, the nonlinear equations governing the fluid motion are solved simultaneously with equations governing the motion of the structure, so that the fluid and structure are treated as a coupled dynamic system. We first conduct validation studies and investigate effects of aerodynamic and structural nonlinearities in the transition to the airfoil limit-cycle oscillations. Next, the coupled aerodynamic, aeroelastic and aeroacoustic responses of the flexible airfoil due to an impinging vortical flow perturbation are analyzed.
Differentiating wavefront orientation with unipolar cardiac electrograms

Unipolar electrograms recorded during propagation along the longitudinal axis of fibres differ in shape from those recorded following propagation across the transverse axis. maximum potentials and positive slopes before the intrinsic deflection and the peak-to-peak amplitudes and the negative slopes of the intrinsic deflection were shown to be significantly larger for longitudinal than for transverse propagation. These differences were significant for electrograms recorded during local activation alone and for those with superimposed distance activity. This information could be applied to increasing the information available from and thus the accuracy of cardiac maps. >
Propagation of partially coherent beams through particulate media

When propagating through particulate media, optical beams are degraded owing to scattering. We found that the ratio between the width of the distorted beam and the width of the initial beam decreases when the spatial coherence of the incident beam is reduced. These experimental observations are well described within the paraxial approximation of the transport theory.
Estimating alpine snow cover with unsupervised spectral unmixing

An unsupervised algorithm estimates snow-covered area at subpixel resolution from multispectral image data. Classification trees fragment the data set along boundaries of distinct land and cloud cover classes. The dimensionality and number of endmembers for each image fragment are determined from principal components analysis. Each fragment is unmixed with all endmember sets on its convex hull, and the best set is selected. Endmember spectra are converted to surface reflectance with an atmospheric radiative transfer code, and the endmembers are identified by automated search of a spectral library. The final snow cover estimate is a composite of the best mixture model per pixel, adjusted for endmember impurity. The algorithm is tested on Landsat Thematic Mapper data against high resolution aerial photographs.
Mobile MapReduce: Minimizing Response Time of Computing Intensive Mobile Applications

The increasing popularity of mobile devices calls for effective execution of mobile applications. A lot of research has been conducted on properly splitting and outsourcing computing intensive tasks to external resources (e.g., public clouds) by considering insufficient computing resources on mobile devices. However, little attention has been paid to the overall users’ response time, where the network may dominate.
Free Speech, Football, and Freedom: Why the NFL Should Not Compel its Players to Speak to the Media

How much power should a professional sports league such as the NFL have in abrogating its players’ constitutional rights? I argue that because the NFL is a state actor under the state action doctrine, specifically, the entanglement and entwinement exception, it violates its players’ due process and First Amendment rights to freedom of speech through the NFL Media Policy which requires its players to speak to the media. Recently, it can and has violated Marshawn Lynch’s due process by infringing on his constitutional right not to speak under the First Amendment’s freedom of speech protection.
The Role of Metabolic Acidosis in the Pathogenesis of Renal Osteodystrophy

Renal osteodystrophy is thought to be the result of abnormalities in the serum levels of parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus, and excess exposure to certain substances such as aluminum and iron. However, a significant amount of data suggest that the metabolic acidosis that develops in the course of chronic renal failure may also play a contributory role. Metabolic acidosis may effect changes in bone by directly inducing dissolution of bone, stimulating osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, inhibiting osteoblast-mediated bone formation, and altering the serum concentrations or the biological actions of parathyroid hormone and vitamin D. As a consequence, in some patients with normal renal function, osteoporosis and osteomalacia have been reported that are linked in part to metabolic acidosis. Also, in patients with chronic renal failure before and after initiation of dialysis, the severity of the metabolic acidosis appears to have a bearing on the presence and degree of hyperparathyroidism, osteitis fibrosa, and osteomalacia. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that correction of the metabolic acidosis of chronic renal failure may have a beneficial effect on the bone disease observed in these patients. This article reviews (1) the data indicating the mechanisms by which metabolic acidosis causes alterations in bone; (2) the types of bone lesions observed in animals and humans with metabolic acidosis in the presence of normal and abnormal renal function; (3) the impact of correction of the acidosis on the bone lesions; and (4) specific recommendations for treatment in patients with chronic renal failure both before and after initiation of maintenance dialysis.
Recent advances in the pharmacological management of hypercholesterolaemia

Summary The recent developments in pharmacological interventions that reduce LDL cholesterol have been remarkable, coming more than a decade after the approval of the last LDL-cholesterol-lowering drug, the cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe. Within just a few years, four new LDL-cholesterol-lowering agents have received regulatory approval. Lomitapide and mipomersen inhibit the production of LDL, but also increase hepatic fat and are licensed specifically for homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia. Alirocumab and evolocumab are monoclonal antibodies that bind to proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), lowering LDL by about 50–60%. These drugs are approved for use in patients with cardiovascular disease or familial hypercholesterolaemia whose LDL cholesterol levels are insufficiently controlled on standard agents. Although definitive clinical efficacy and long-term safety data are still needed, antibody-based PCSK9 inhibitors promise to meet much of the unmet medical need in the treatment of raised LDL cholesterol. However, several additional approaches to inhibiting PCSK9, as well as other classes of LDL-lowering therapies, are in clinical development. Here we summarise the science behind the development of the newly approved LDL-cholesterol-lowering drugs and critically review their efficacy and safety data, highlighting unanswered research questions. Finally, we discuss emerging LDL-lowering therapies in clinical development.
Reduction of Manduca sexta Fecundity and Fertility by L-Canavanine

Agar-based artificial diets containing various concentrations of L-canavanine werc fed to 5th-instar tobacco hornworm larvae. The number of chorionated oocytes in the 4-day-old moths, resulting from these larvae, was concentration-dependent between 0.75 and 2.5 mM canavanine. The mean number of chorionated oocytes from the 2.5 mM treatment was only 7.5% of that obtained from the untreated control. Fecundity and fertility of moths from 1 mM canavanine were 14 and 21% of untreated control values, respectively. Matings between treated and untreated moths show that only female reproductive capacity was significantly reduced by canavanine under these conditions.
EFFECTIVE DEME SIZES DURING LONG-TERM EVOLUTION ESTIMATED FROM RATES OF CHROMOSOMAL REARRANGEMENT.

Closely related species often differ karyotypically due to the fixation of chromosomal translocations and inversions which are generally deleterious when heterozygous but have normal fitnesses when homozygous (White, 1973; Muller, 1954, 1956). The fixation of such chromosomal rearrangements requires small population sizes, because they are selected against when in the minority but favored when in the majority, and hence they can become established in a local area only through random genetic drift. Naturalists have long known that most species exist in subdivided populations where each individual has a limited number of potential mates; and recent biogeographic studies, especially on islands, have emphasized the high turnover rates of local populations by extinction and colonization (Simberloff, 1974; Spight, 1974). The present paper develops population genetic models to determine how the fixation rates of negatively heterotic chromosomal rearrangements are influenced by the spontaneous occurrence rates, strengths of selection against heterozygotes, the effective size of demes (or local populations), interdeme migration rates, local extinction and colonization, and other factors. Data on chromosomal rearrangements concerning spontaneous occurrence, selection coefficients, and fixation rates in phylogeny are then used to draw inferences about the breeding structure of species during longterm evolution, particularly the effective size of demes. The effective size of a population through time, Ne, is the number of breed-
Śiva and Avalokiteśvara: On the iconography and date of the Golden Window and Golden Door of Patan's Royal Palace

The Golden Window above the Golden Door of Caukoṭ Darbār, a building on the western side of the (former) Royal Palace complex, is a major attraction in the city of Patan (Nepal). The gilt window panel features a representation of Avalokiteśvara in his form as Sṛṣṭikartā (“creator”) emanating Hindu divinities from his body. The sides, base and tympanum of the window likewise display Hindu divinities. The construction of the window has been ascribed to different kings of the late Malla period (1483–1768) and is said to illustrate their support for the Buddhist practices of their subjects, while providing a Hindu interpretative framework for such practices. In this paper I identify the divinities on the window and examine textual and visual sources that shed light on the date of the window's construction, including the inscriptions above and at the sides of the Golden Door. I show that there is no evidence for such an early dating of the window and that the Golden Window was probably constructed sometime in the nineteenth century in either the Śāh period (1769–1846) or, more likely, the Rāṇā period (1846–1951). I conclude with some thoughts on the possible significance of the peculiar configuration of divinities surrounding the Bodhisattva on the window.
Abstract 1714: A novel NPM-BAX pathway regulates death evasion and drug sensitivity in human hepatoma cells.

Death evasion is crucial for both carcinogenesis and resistance to anticancer therapies. Recently we identified nucleophosmin (NPM) as a key factor counteracting death stimuli in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Here we report the identification of a novel NPM-BCL2-associated X protein (BAX) pathway orchestrating death evasion in human HCC cells. Silencing of NPM expression significantly sensitized HCC cells, particularly those bearing inactivated p53 (Huh7, Hep3B, and Mahlavu), to UV irradiation, mitomycin C, doxorubicin, cisplatin, sorafenib, and lapatinib. This sensitizing effect was not further changed as p53 expression had been simultaneously silenced. Following cell stress, NPM and BAX were induced and exported out of nucleoli and nucleus, respectively. BAX was translocated to cytoplasm in cells with relatively high NPM level, or accumulated in the mitochondria in cells with relatively low NPM level and undergoing apoptosis. Subcellular fractionation revealed that silencing of NPM expression greatly enhanced mitochondrial translocation and oligomerization of BAX in Huh7 and Mahlavu cells. In situ proximity ligation assays and reciprocal co-immunoprecipitation evidenced direct interaction between NPM and BAX in the cytoplasm. Silencing of BAX expression abolished the sensitization effect exerted by silencing of NPM in HCC cells. Clinically, upregulation of NPM was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis. Conclusion: Via directly blockading BAX mitochondrial translocation and activation, NPM helps human HCC cells evade death induction independently of p53-mediated cell death. Silencing of NPM significantly sensitized HCC cells to anticancer therapies. NPM is a potential co-target in combination with other therapies for HCC particularly harboring inactivated p53. Our findings are of clinical significance, since NPM upregualtion and p53 mutations are usually found in advanced human cancers, including HCC. Citation Format: Sen-Yung Hsieh. A novel NPM-BAX pathway regulates death evasion and drug sensitivity in human hepatoma cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1714. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1714
A simple assessment of bone quality prior to hip arthroplasty: cortical index revisited.

OBJECTIVE: To determine from routine clinical radiographs the diversity of cortical bone structural quality, i.e. the cortical index, of the proximal femur in 117 hips prior to hip arthroplasty and to evaluate its variance associated with patient demographic variables (gender, age at the time of surgery, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and preoperative diagnosis). DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted using preoperative anteroposterior radiographs of the hip from 110 consecutive patients with 117 hip arthroplasty procedures, in which the patients at the time of surgery had an average age of 69.9 years (range, 19 to 92 years). The primary diagnosis leading to hip surgery was either degenerative joint disease (68 hips) or femoral neck fracture (49 hips). The cortical index, as a measure of cortical bone structural quality, was determined by one experienced reader for the proximal femur of each hip from conventional preoperative anteroposterior radiographs. Correlation analysis was performed between the cortical index and patient demographic variables to assess factors associated with the cortical index. RESULTS: For the entire cohort the average femoral cortical index was 47.9% (range, 25.8% to 64.8%). The hips in female patients had a lower average cortical index than in male patients (mean value of 46.9% and 50.0% respectively). Statistical analysis demonstrated highest significant positive correlation between cortical index and BMI (r = +.441, p < 0.0001) and with body weight (r = +0.396, p < 0.0001). Significant negative correlation was also found between cortical index and age at the time of hip surgery (r = -0.423, p < 0.0001). Significant differences were found between the cortical index and preoperative diagnosis with lower values among the hips diagnosed with femoral neck fractures (mean value, 43.9%) compared to hips with degenerative joint disease (mean value, 50.9%). CONCLUSION: A simple radiogrammetric parameter obtained from routine radiographs, i.e. the femoral cortical index, was found to demonstrate diversity of cortical bone structural quality among patients prior to hip arthroplasty. The cortical index decreased with older patients and increased with heavier (weight) and obese (BMI) patients. It was significantly lower among the hips with femoral neck fractures in patients who were predominantly fragile older females with lower body mass index, which would corroborate published studies associating lower bone mass with risk of hip fracture.
Trace Elements in Stormflow, Ash, and Burned Soil following the 2009 Station Fire in Southern California

Most research on the effects of wildfires on stream water quality has focused on suspended sediment and nutrients in streams and water bodies, and relatively little research has examined the effects of wildfires on trace elements. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to determine the effect of the 2009 Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest northeast of Los Angeles, CA on trace element concentrations in streams, and 2) compare trace elements in post-fire stormflow water quality to criteria for aquatic life to determine if trace elements reached concentrations that can harm aquatic life. Pre-storm and stormflow water-quality samples were collected in streams located inside and outside of the burn area of the Station Fire. Ash and burned soil samples were collected from several locations within the perimeter of the Station Fire. Filtered concentrations of Fe, Mn, and Hg and total concentrations of most trace elements in storm samples were elevated as a result of the Station Fire. In contrast, filtered concentrations of Cu, Pb, Ni, and Se and total concentrations of Cu were elevated primarily due to storms and not the Station Fire. Total concentrations of Se and Zn were elevated as a result of both storms and the Station Fire. Suspended sediment in stormflows following the Station Fire was an important transport mechanism for trace elements. Cu, Pb, and Zn primarily originate from ash in the suspended sediment. Fe primarily originates from burned soil in the suspended sediment. As, Mn, and Ni originate from both ash and burned soil. Filtered concentrations of trace elements in stormwater samples affected by the Station Fire did not reach levels that were greater than criteria established for aquatic life. Total concentrations for Fe, Pb, Ni, and Zn were detected at concentrations above criteria established for aquatic life.
Design of soccer robot strategy base on AGA

A new soccer robot action planning algorithm based on AGA (Adaptive Genetic Algorithm) is proposed. In the algorithm, a set of soccer robot actions is defined. Roles and tasks are assigned to every soccer robot according to the situation of the game, and then, the adaptive genetic algorithm searches suitable action for every soccer robot. A local search and a new valuate methods were used in the algorithm. Experiments show that the soccer robots applied new algorithm own more accurate actions than others.
How rare bone diseases have informed our knowledge of complex diseases.

Abstract Rare bone diseases, generally defined as monogenic traits with either autosomal recessive or dominant patterns of inheritance, have provided a rich database of genes and associated pathways over the past 2-3 decades. The molecular genetic dissection of these bone diseases has yielded some major surprises in terms of the causal genes and/or involved pathways. The discovery of genes/pathways involved in diseases such as osteopetrosis, osteosclerosis, osteogenesis imperfecta and many other rare bone diseases have all accelerated our understanding of complex traits. Importantly these discoveries have provided either direct validation for a specific gene embedded in a group of genes within an interval identified through a complex trait genome-wide association study (GWAS) or based upon the pathway associated with a monogenic trait gene, provided a means to prioritize a large number of genes for functional validation studies. In some instances GWAS studies have yielded candidate genes that fall within linkage intervals associated with monogenic traits and resulted in the identification of causal mutations in those rare diseases. Driving all of this discovery is a complement of technologies such as genome sequencing, bioinformatics and advanced statistical analysis methods that have accelerated genetic dissection and greatly reduced the cost. Thus, rare bone disorders in partnership with GWAS have brought us to the brink of a new era of personalized genomic medicine in which the prevention and management of complex diseases will be driven by the molecular understanding of each individuals contributing genetic risks for disease.
Unlimited division potential of precancerous mouse mammary cells after spontaneous or carcinogen-induced transformation.

Serial transplantation of normal mouse mammary gland in young, isogenic hosts results in progressive loss of division potential, and the transplant line is eventually lost. This is interpreted as an expression of senescence at the cell and tissue level, and it inevitably occurs even though experimental conditions for growth are judged to be optimal. An indefinite extension of mammary growth span can be accomplished by transformation of these normal cells into precancerous cell types, which grow as a benign tissue but which may, however, occasionally undergo a second transformation into a malignant carcinoma. All precancerous tissues tested displayed unlimited growth potential, regardless of whether they occurred spontaneously, or were induced by oncogenic viruses or by administration of chemical carcinogens. Precancerous tissues of both ductal and lobuloalveolar morphology grew continuously. These results indicate that release from cell aging, as measured by the acquisition of unlimited growth potential, is associated with the precancerous state per se, and occurs as an early event in the transition from normal to malignant mammary cells.—Daniel, C. W., B. D. Aidells, D. Medina and L. J. Faulkin, Jr. Unlimited division potential of precancerous mouse mammary cells after spontaneous or carcinogen-induced transformation. Federation Proc. 34: 64–67, 1975.
Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis with Invasion of Bone

Six cases of pigmented villonodular synovitis with invasion of bone from intra-articular lesions are presented. Three of these were of the hip and three of the knee. Few such cases have been presented before in the literature, and no previous cases were found reported with invasion of bone at the knee joint.
The relationship between climate and adult body size in redback salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)

Several biogeographic studies of salamanders have described relationships between salamander body size and climate. We specifically selected Plethodon cinereus as a widely distributed species that was well represented in museum collections to investigate the effects of warming climate on adult body size. We found a positive correlation between mean maximum July temperature and body size, and a negative correlation between precipitation of the driest month and body size. Surface-collected adult P. cinereus were 2.3% larger in warmer counties on the coastal plain compared with cooler counties in the Appalachian Mountains. We compared salamanders collected between 1950 and 1970 versus those collected between 1980 and 2000 and found that body size increased 1.8% in counties on the coastal plain where mean maximum July temperatures had also increased by 0.5–1.2 °C. Warming temperatures alone, however, did not adequately account for the observed size increases, because body size also increased 1.3% in places that experienced less than 0.25 °C warming, but that difference was not statistically significant.
Noninvasive evaluation of varying pulse pressures in vivo using brachial sphymomanometry, applanation tonometry, and Pulse Wave Ultrasound Manometry

The routine assessment and monitoring of hypertension may benefit from the evaluation of arterial pulse pressure (PP) at more central locations (e.g. the aorta) rather solely at the brachial artery. Pulse Wave Ultrasound Manometry (PWUM) was previously developed by our group to provide direct, noninvasive aortic PP measurements using ultrasound elasticity imaging. Using PWUM, radial applanation tonometry, and brachial sphygmomanometry, this study investigated the feasibility of noninvasively obtaining direct PP measurements at multiple arterial locations in normotensive, pre-hypertensive, and hypertensive human subjects. Two-way ANOVA indicated a significantly higher aortic PP in the hypertensive subjects, while radial and brachial PP were not significantly different among the subject groups. No strong correlation (r2 < 0.45) was observed between aortic and radial/brachial PP in normal and pre-hypertensive subjects, suggesting that increases in PP throughout the arterial tree may not be uniform in relatively compliant arteries. However, there was a relatively strong positive correlation between aortic PP and both radial and brachial PP in hypertensive subjects (r2 = 0.68 and 0.87, respectively). PWUM provides a low-cost, non-invasive, and direct means of measuring the pulse pressure in large central arteries such as the aorta. When used in conjunction with peripheral measurement devices, PWUM allows for the routine screening of hypertension and monitoring of BP-lowering drugs based on the PP from multiple arterial sites.
Capstone Engineering Design Projects for Community Colleges.

Capstone engineering design courses have been a feature at research universities and four-year schools for many years. Although such classes are less common at two-year colleges, the experience is equally beneficial for this population of students. With this in mind, Madison College introduced a project-based Engineering Design course in 2007. This paper explores Madison College’s experience over the past decade offering this class. Unique challenges and opportunities for engineering design courses at two-year colleges are discussed. Our findings include several recommended practices to benefit colleges and universities at any level that are creating new engineering design courses.
Case 5: Large Amounts of Urine Bilirubin on Urine Dipstick in a 14-year-old Girl.

1. Yin Zhou, MD* 2. Paula Hertel, MD* 3. Jennifer Cu, MD* 1. *Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX A 14-year-old girl is referred to a liver clinic by her primary care physician (PCP) for large amounts of urine bilirubin on repeated urine dipstick analysis. She notes very mild abdominal pain that occurs occasionally after meals. She denies jaundice, bleeding, easy bruising, vomiting, diarrhea, or fevers. She visited her PCP in the previous month for labial cyst and urinary tract infection and was treated with cephalexin. Her urine dipstick at that time and during a subsequent visit showed large amounts of bilirubin. She uses amphetamine/dextroamphetamine salts and a methylphenidate patch for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. She also takes etodolac (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug [NSAID]) for tendonitis and a vitamin B supplement. On physical examination, she appears comfortable. Her blood pressure is 102/66 mm Hg, her pulse is 93 beats/min, and she is afebrile. Her sclerae are anicteric. Her abdomen is not tender, and there …
A Comparison of Indirect and Direct Methods for Estimating Transglottal Airflow Rate

Summary Objective The purpose of this study was to compare indirect estimates of transglottal airflow rate using measures of phonation quotient with direct measures of mean airflow rate derived from a pneumotachograph. Study design This study used prospective, repeated measures design. Methods Nineteen male and female participants, matched for age, completed tasks for maximum phonation time and vital capacity in addition to the comfortable sustained phonation protocol of the Phonatory Aerodynamic System (PAS), Model 6600. Phonation quotient was calculated from the vital capacity and phonation time measures, whereas actual transglottal airflow was obtained from the flow waveforms recorded on the PAS system. Statistical analyses compared transglottal airflow rate measures as a function of instrument and separately as a function of gender. Results Statistically significant differences were present only as a function of gender on airflow measures but not as a function of the instrument. There were no interaction effects present between instrument and gender. Conclusions Phonation quotient can be used as an estimate of transglottal airflow in the absence of a pneumotachograph-based system.
Molecular and crystal structure and the Hirshfeld surface analysis of 1-amino-1-deoxy-α-D-sorbopyranose and 1-amino-1-deoxy-α-D-psicopyranose ("D-sorbosamine" and "D-psicosamine") derivatives

Abstract Sorbosamine and psicosamine are the last two 1-amino-1-deoxy-hexuloses for which no structural data were available. We report on a13C NMR and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study of 1-deoxy-1-(N-methylphenylamino)- d -sorbose (1) and 1-deoxy-1-(N-methylphenylamino)- d -psicose (2). In solutions, both aminosugars are conformationally unstable and establish equilibria, with 90.7% α-pyranose, 3.8% α-furanose, 1.0% β-pyranose, 0.5% β-furanose, and 4.0% acyclic keto form for 1 and 32.4% α-furanose, 27.2% α-pyranose, 21.0% β-pyranose, 9.1% β-furanose, and 11.0% acyclic keto form for 2. X-ray diffraction data provided detailed structural information on 1 and 2 in the α-pyranose form. Both molecules adopt the 5C2 ring conformations, the bond distances and valence angles compare well with respective pyranose structures. All hydroxyl groups in crystal structures of both 1 and 2 participate in two-dimensional hydrogen bonding networks, the H-bonding pattern in 1 is dominated by co-crystallized water molecules. The Hirshfeld surface analysis revealed a significant contribution of non- or weakly polar interactions to the packing forces for both molecules, with crystal structure of 2 featuring short H⋯H contacts. Other structural features found in 2 are a significant planarity of the tertiary amino group (the pyramid heights are 0.127 A in 2 vs 0.231 A in 1), a concomitant non-involvement of the amine nitrogen in heteroatom contacts, and a unique anti-periplanar conformation around the C1 C2 bond.
Case 14: Manual Ventilation of a Patient Turned 180 Degrees Away from the Anesthesia Machine by a Single Operator – Is it Possible?

You are anesthetizing a healthy ASA 1 young man for nasal reconstruction. He is taken to the operating room and routine monitors are placed. He is anesthetized and the airway secured uneventfully. He is disconnected from the ventilator and the table turned 180°. The medical student who is working with you asks: “Why don’t you turn the patient 180 degrees and then put the patient asleep?” You explain that your arms are not long enough to hold both the patient’s face mask and the reservoir bag on the anesthetic machine. He sees your point. However, you wonder if there is a way to do this relatively safely with the existing equipment that you have available to you in the operating room.
Is cortisol production in response to an acute stressor associated with diurnal cortisol production during adolescence

The goal of the current study was to examine the extent to which cortisol responding to an acute stressor is related to diurnal cortisol patterns during adolescence. Participants were 105 adolescents (10-17 years of age) who experienced a robust social-evaluative stressor and provided saliva samples (before and immediately after, as well as 10, 20, and 30 min after the stressor) to assess both cortisol reactivity and recovery and also provided saliva samples (at wake-up, 30 min after wake-up, 4 pm, and at bedtime) on two consecutive days to measure diurnal cortisol production. Dual process latent growth curve models, one for cortisol reactivity and one for diurnal cortisol, indicated that dampened cortisol reactivity and prolonged cortisol recovery (i.e., less cortisol produced during reactivity but more cortisol produced during recovery) were associated with dampened decreases in cortisol production across the day, suggesting that adolescents are likely to show attenuation in multiple components of HPA axis functioning.
Effect of local variations of the laminar flame speed on the global finger-flame acceleration scenario

Numerous formulations describing the dynamics and morphology of corrugated flames, including the scenarios of flame acceleration, are based on a “geometrical consideration”, where the wrinkled-to-p...
Trophic Relations and Ontogenetic Niche Shifts in Aquatic Ecosystems

One of the most pronounced and consistent patterns in freshwater lakes is that the biomasses of producers and consumers increase along a gradient of increased nutrient (phosphorous) loading. For example, phytoplankton biomass is positively correlated with total phosphorus concentration (Stockner and Shortreed 1985 and references therein), as is the biomass of Zooplankton (Hanson and Peters 1984; Pace 1984), and fish (Hanson and Leggett 1982). Given that the biomass of aquatic producers, herbivores, and carnivores each positively covaries with phosphorus loading, the abundances of adjacent trophic levels should also be positively correlated across productivity gradients. Indeed, such positive correlations between consumers and their resources are common; i.e., Zooplankton biomass is positively correlated with phytoplankton biomass (references in McQueen et al. 1986), plantivore density is positively related to Zooplankton biomass (Mills and Shiavone 1982), and fish density positively covaries with macrobenthos biomass (Hanson and Leggett 1982; Nakashima and Leggett 1975).
Stability Analysis of Thermocapillary Convection in Semiconductor Crystal Growth

Some of the most challenging eigenvalue problems arise in the stability analysis of solutions to parameter-dependent nonlinear partial differential equations. Linearized stability analysis requires the computation of a certain purely imaginary eigenvalue pair of a very large, sparse complex matrix pencil. A computational strategy, the core of which is a method of inverse iteration type with preconditioned conjugate gradients, is used to solve this problem for the stability of thermocapillary convection. This convection arises in the float-zone model of crystal growth governed by the Boussinesq equations. The results obtained complete the stability picture augmenting the energy stability results (Mittelmann et al. 1992), here a real eigenvalue of a Hermitian eigenvalue problem had to be determined, and recent experimental results.
Antibacterial effect of monocaprylin on Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple juice.

The antibacterial effect of low concentrations of monocaprylin on Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple juice was investigated. Apple juice alone (control) or containing 2.5 mM (0.055%) or 5 mM monocaprylin was inoculated with a five-strain mixture of E. coli O157:H7 at ~6.0 log CFU/ml. The juice samples were stored at 23 or 4°C for 14 or 21 days, respectively, and the population of E. coli O157:H7 was determined on tryptic soy agar plates supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract. At both storage temperatures, the population of E. coli O157:H7 in monocaprylin-supplemented juice samples was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that in the control samples. The concentration of monocaprylin and the storage temperature had a significant effect on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice. Monocaprylin at 5 mM was significantly more effective than 2.5 mM monocaprylin for killing E. coli O157:H7 in apple juice. Inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 by monocaprylin was more pronounced in juice stored at 23°C than in t...