cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Temporal and Spatial Dichotomous PM Air Samples in the El Paso-Cd. Juarez Air Quality Basin

This paper presents and discusses the results obtained from the gravimetric and chemical analyses of the 24-hr average dichotomous samples collected from five sites in the El Paso-Cd. Juarez air quality basin between August 1999 and March 2000. Gravimetric analysis was performed to determine the temporal and spatial variations of PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microm in diameter) and PM25-10 (particulate matter less than 10 pm but greater than 2.5 microm in diameter) mass concentrations. The results indicate that approximately 25% of the PM10 (i.e., PM25 + PM25-10) concentration is composed of PM2.5. Concurrent measurements of hourly PM concentrations and wind speed showed strong diurnal patterns of the regional PM pollution. Results of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) elemental analyses were compared to similar but limited studies performed by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) in 1990 and 1997. Major elements from geologic sources-Al, Si, Ca, Na, K, Fe, and Ti-accounted for 35% of the total mass concentrations in the PM2.5-10 fraction, indicating that geologic sources in the area are the dominant PM sources. Levels of toxic trace elements, mainly considered as products of anthropogenic activities, have decreased significantly from those observed in 1990 and 1997.
A Study of Indexing Strategies for Hybrid Data Spaces

Different indexing techniques have been proposed to index either the continuous data space (CDS) or the non-ordered discrete data space (NDDS). However, modern database applications sometimes require indexing the hybrid data space (HDS), which involves both continuous and non-ordered discrete subspaces. In this paper, the structure and heuristics of the ND-tree, which is a recently-proposed indexing technique for NDDSs, are first extended to the HDS. A novel power value adjustment strategy is then used to make the continuous and discrete dimensions comparable and controllable in the HDS. An estimation model is developed to predict the box query performance of the hybrid indexing. Our experimental results show that the original ND-tree’s heuristics are effective in supporting efficient box queries in the hybrid data space, and could be further improved with our proposed strategies to address the unique characteristics of the HDS.
Recent paleolimnology of three lakes in Northwestern Minnesota

Abstract A paleolimnological study was undertaken to investigate changes in three Minnesota lakes over the last 100 years and to demonstrate the stratigraphic effects of cultural eutrophication in two of them. The study combined the analysis of the lake sediment from short cores with stratigraphic analyses of pollen, plant macrofossils, mollusks, diatoms and certain other algae, chydorid Cladocera, and Daphnia ephippia. The rise of Ambrosia type pollen (ragweed) marks the onset of interference with the landscape by European man, which can be closely dated. Calculations of sedimentation rates from this base gave reasonable correlations of other stratigraphic events with historical events. Elk Lake is considered “unpolluted” today and was chosen as a control. Man's effects are limited to logging some of the surrounding forest and to the construction of a dam. Small changes in the lake's fauna and flora are demonstrated, showing the sensitivity of the lake to changes in its catchment area. Lake Sallie and St. Clair Lake, in the same watershed as the city of Detroit Lakes, have been affected not only by logging but also by addition of nutrients from agricultural runoff and sewage effluent. Considerable responses by the lake organisms are apparent. In Lake Sallie the changes were gradual, but in St. Clair Lake they were very abrupt because the lake was partially drained at the same time and the water volume was thereby reduced. The merits of such an integrated study, the types of information gained from the analyses of the various fossils, and the wider application of the results are discussed.
Miniature ultrasonically powered wireless nerve cuff stimulator

We present a wireless neural stimulator composed of only three discrete components. The capsule was 8 mm long and was designed to be clasped directly upon a peripheral nerve. Power was supplied by low-intensity 1 MHz ultrasound transmitted into the body. The prototype was capable of generating currents in excess of 1 mA. For in vivo testing the device was implanted in a rat hind limb on the sciatic nerve, and when insonated with pulse intensities of 10-150 mW/cm2 the stimulator excited motor axons inducing predictable contractions of the lower leg muscles.
Toward an Antibody-Based HIV-1 Vaccine

Developing an HIV-1 vaccine that can elicit antibodies to prevent infection has been a formidable challenge. Although no single immunogen has generated antibodies that can neutralize diverse isolates, progress has been made in understanding (a) the structure of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, which is targeted by neutralizing antibodies, (b) how HIV-1 evades antibodies made by an infected host, and (c) how rare monoclonal antibodies can exhibit broadly neutralizing activity. Advances in structural and molecular biology coupled with new approaches to isolate neutralizing antibodies from HIV-1-infected individuals are enhancing our understanding of what humoral immune responses will be required for a vaccine. This review summarizes progress in understanding the host antibody response to HIV-1 and current strategies for applying this information to develop an effective vaccine.
CC Chemokine Ligand 2 and Its Receptor Regulate Mucosal Production of IL-12 and TGF-β in High Dose Oral Tolerance

Oral tolerance is the result of a complex immunoregulatory strategy used by the gut and its associated lymphoid tissues to render the peripheral immune system unresponsive to nonpathogenic proteins, such as food or commensal bacteria. The mechanism of oral tolerance induction and maintenance is not well understood. We have previously shown that the chemokine, CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), is important for the induction and maintenance of oral tolerance. To address the role CCL2 plays in oral tolerance, we used both CCL2(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) mice. Cells from the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and peripheral lymph nodes of CCL2(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) mice fed high doses of OVA showed robust proliferative responses compared with cells from Ag-fed wild-type mice. CCL2(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) mice also produced high amounts of Th1 cytokines such as IL-2 and IFN-gamma and very low amounts of IL-4 and IL-10. The ability of APCs from the gut of CCL2(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) OVA-fed mice to stimulate an indicator T cell line was evaluated. APCs from the Peyer's patch of OVA-fed knockout animals could induce a T cell response measured by an increase in proliferation and generation of IL-12 and IFN-gamma with a concomitant reduction of TGF-beta compared with wild-type controls that did not induce a Th1 response. These data indicate that CCL2 and signaling through its receptor CCR2 is critical for the induction of oral tolerance by regulating Ag presentation leading to a disruption in the balance of inflammatory and regulatory cytokines.
Wyner-Ziv coding of multiview images with unsupervised learning of two disparities

Wyner-Ziv coding of multiview images is an attractive solution because it avoids communications between individual cameras. To achieve good rate-distortion performance, the Wyner-Ziv decoder must reliably estimate the disparities between the multiview images. For the scenario where two reference images exist at the decoder, we propose a codec that effectively performs unsupervised learning of the two disparities between an image being Wyner-Ziv coded and the two reference images. The proposed two-disparity decoder disparity-compensates the two references images and generates side information more accurately than an existing one-disparity decoder. Experimental results with real multiview images demonstrate that the proposed codec achieves PSNR gains of 1-5 dB over the one-disparity codec.
Tumor Endothelial Cells with Distinct Patterns of TGFβ-Driven Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) occurs during development and underlies the pathophysiology of multiple diseases. In tumors, unscheduled EndMT generates cancer-associated myofibroblasts that fuel inflammation and fibrosis, and may contribute to vascular dysfunction that promotes tumor progression. We report that freshly isolated subpopulations of tumor-specific endothelial cells (TEC) from a spontaneous mammary tumor model undergo distinct forms of EndMT in response to TGFβ stimulation. Although some TECs strikingly upregulate α smooth muscle actin (SMA), a principal marker of EndMT and activated myofibroblasts, counterpart normal mammary gland endothelial cells (NEC) showed little change in SMA expression after TGFβ treatment. Compared with NECs, SMA(+) TECs were 40% less motile in wound-healing assays and formed more stable vascular-like networks in vitro when challenged with TGFβ. Lineage tracing using ZsGreen(Cdh5-Cre) reporter mice confirmed that only a fraction of vessels in breast tumors contain SMA(+) TECs, suggesting that not all endothelial cells (EC) respond identically to TGFβ in vivo. Indeed, examination of 84 TGFβ-regulated target genes revealed entirely different genetic signatures in TGFβ-stimulated NEC and TEC cultures. Finally, we found that basic FGF (bFGF) exerts potent inhibitory effects on many TGFβ-regulated genes but operates in tandem with TGFβ to upregulate others. ECs challenged with TGFβ secrete bFGF, which blocks SMA expression in secondary cultures, suggesting a cell-autonomous or lateral-inhibitory mechanism for impeding mesenchymal differentiation. Together, our results suggest that TGFβ-driven EndMT produces a spectrum of EC phenotypes with different functions that could underlie the plasticity and heterogeneity of the tumor vasculature.
What does “respect for embryos” mean in the context of stem cell research?

Abstract This article addresses two questions: 1) how to understand “respect for embryos,” and 2) whether the distinction between surplus embryos from in vitro fertilization and embryos created for research purposes has validity. I caution against confusing respect for embryos as a form of human life with the respect that persons, as autonomous agents, deserve. I also argue that there is no moral difference between research that uses spare embryos and research that uses embryos created for that purpose. The value of the research is what determines whether it accords with the principle of respect for embryos, not the source of the embryos.
Privacy and accountability for location-based aggregate statistics

A significant and growing class of location-based mobile applications aggregate position data from individual devices at a server and compute aggregate statistics over these position streams. Because these devices can be linked to the movement of individuals, there is significant danger that the aggregate computation will violate the location privacy of individuals. This paper develops and evaluates PrivStats, a system for computing aggregate statistics over location data that simultaneously achieves two properties: first, provable guarantees on location privacy even in the face of any side information about users known to the server, and second, privacy-preserving accountability (i.e., protection against abusive clients uploading large amounts of spurious data). PrivStats achieves these properties using a new protocol for uploading and aggregating data anonymously as well as an efficient zero-knowledge proof of knowledge protocol we developed from scratch for accountability. We implemented our system on Nexus One smartphones and commodity servers. Our experimental results demonstrate that PrivStats is a practical system: computing a common aggregate (e.g., count) over the data of 10,000 clients takes less than 0.46 s at the server and the protocol has modest latency (0.6 s) to upload data from a Nexus phone. We also validated our protocols on real driver traces from the CarTel project.
Key Congressional Committee assignments

Here is a list of assignments to committees in the 99th Congress that have direct jurisdiction in geophysics. Assignments to Senate subcommittees had not been made as Eos went to press. Letters to Senate committees should be addressed to the committee, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510; letters to House committees should be addressed to the committee, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Initial contacts with committee and subcommittee staff may be valuable. For additional guidelines on contacting a member of Congress or congressional staff, see “AGU's Guide to Legislative Information and Contacts” (Eos, August 28, 1984, p. 669)
Feminism and Migration

The second wave of U.S. feminism and the reconstitution of the United States as a country of immigration gained momentum in the 1970s. Recent manifestations of both feminism and immigration have left indelible changes on the social landscape, yet immigration and feminism are rarely coupled in popular discussion, social movements, or academic research. This article explores the articulations and disarticulations between immigration and feminism; it focuses particularly on the intersections of migration studies and feminist studies.
Storming Heaven with Karl Barth? Barth’s Unwitting Appropriation of the genus maiestaticum and What Lutherans Can Learn from It

: This article seeks to demonstrate that Barth radically misunderstands the Lutheran doctrine of the communication of attributes, with its centerpiece the genus maiestaticum. However, misdirected as Barth's criticism is, the doctrine is not without its own problems and, instead of giving expression to the integrity of Christ's person and the co-presence of his natures, is in danger of subverting itself. After showing that Barth's Christology actually employs what for all practical purposes is the majestic genus of the Lutherans, I propose that the Swiss theologian's thought may offer ways of resolving the tensions inherent in the Lutheran tenet, and that by means of resources that the Lutherans already possess.
Effect of estrogens on plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase and the timing of parturition in the rat.

In the present study we examined the effects of estrogens on plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity in pregnant rats in an attempt to further define the role of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in parturition. The plasma PAF-AH activity decreased starting on Day 13 of pregnancy and reached its lowest level by Day 19 (36.5 +/- 5.7 nmol.min-1.ml-1 plasma, mean +/- SD). The maternal plasma PAF-AH activity rapidly increased to 67.3 +/- 3.5 nmol.min-1.ml-1 plasma by Day 2 postpartum, to 88.8 +/- 14.4 by Day 7, and to 109.1 +/- 4.4 by Day 21, returning to nonpregnant levels by Day 35 in the dams that were allowed to nurse through Day 21. The PAF-AH activity did not increase in dams from which the pups were removed 2 days after delivery. When 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (0.25 mg/kg) was administered s.c. to pregnant rats for 3 days starting at Day 17 of pregnancy, the plasma PAF-AH activity in the animals decreased by 80% on Day 19, and the rats delivered prematurely on Day 21. When a similar dose of 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol was injected into the pregnant rats for 3 days starting on Day 15, the enzyme activity again decreased by approximately 80% on Day 17 and Day 19 of pregnancy; however, it returned to a value similar to that seen in the controls by Day 21, and the time at which the treated rats delivered was similar to that for the control animals. These observations provide further support for a role of PAF and PAF-AH and their possible regulation by estrogens in the initiation and maintenance of parturition.
Wireless Neural Recording With Single Low-Power Integrated Circuit

We present benchtop and in vivo experimental results from an integrated circuit designed for wireless implantable neural recording applications. The chip, which was fabricated in a commercially available 0.6- mum 2P3M BiCMOS process, contains 100 amplifiers, a 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), 100 threshold-based spike detectors, and a 902-928 MHz frequency-shift-keying (FSK) transmitter. Neural signals from a selected amplifier are sampled by the ADC at 15.7 kSps and telemetered over the FSK wireless data link. Power, clock, and command signals are sent to the chip wirelessly over a 2.765-MHz inductive (coil-to-coil) link. The chip is capable of operating with only two off-chip components: a power/command receiving coil and a 100-nF capacitor.
Fate of mutagenic chemicals in soil amended with petroleum and wood preserving sludges

A field study using monoliths (lysimeters) of a sandy clay loam soil was conducted to assess the fate of mutagenic chemicals after refinery and wood preserving bottom sediment sludges were land treated. The Ames Salmonelialmicrosome assay* was used to determine the direct (without metabolic activation, - S9) and indirect (with metabolic activation, + S9) mutagenicity of the wastes, unamended soil, waste amended soils, and leachate. Extracts having a mutagenic ratio (MR) (MR=No. colonies from sample extract/No, colonies from DMSO solvent control) of ≥ 2 were considered positively mutagenic. Extracts of the wood preserving waste sludge without activation were non-mutagenic (MR < 2) but extracts with activation (+ S9) produced very strong indirect mutagenicity (MR = 7.9). After soil incorporation, the waste amended soil produced very strong direct (MR =8.9) and indirect (MR = 11.9) mutagenicity by day 180 and remained mutagenic (MR = 5.7, - S9; MR = 3.95, + S9) through day 350. The amount of residue in leach...
Preliminary Validity and Reliability of Scores on the Self-Determination Inventory Student Report Version

The purpose of this article is to describe preliminary psychometric characteristics of a student self-report measure of self-determination, the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report version ...
Conflict, conciliation and the development of nations in Africa

No Abstract Available African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol.4(1) 1999: 1-12
UTILIZING FLUORODEOXYGLUCOSE POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY IN MANAGEMENT OF PROSTHETIC VALVE INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS

Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) are first-line imaging modalities utilized in evaluation of infective endocarditis (IE). Evaluating prosthetic valve lesions by echocardiography can be challenging and other imaging modalities such as fluorodeoxyglucose
Extra-coronary calcification (aortic valve calcification, mitral annular calcification, aortic valve ring calcification and thoracic aortic calcification) in HIV seropositive and seronegative men: Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study

Abstract Introduction Previous studies have demonstrated an association between HIV infection and coronary artery disease (CAD); little is known about potential associations between HIV infection and extra-coronary calcification (ECC). Methods We analyzed 621 HIV infected (HIV+) and 384 HIV uninfected (HIV−) men from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study who underwent non-contrast computed tomography (CT) from 2010-2013. Agatston scores were calculated for mitral annular calcification (MAC), aortic valve calcification (AVC), aortic valve ring calcification (AVRC), and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC). The associations between HIV infection and the presence of each type of ECC (score > 0) were evaluated by multivariable logistic regression. We also evaluated the association of ECC with inflammatory biomarker levels and coronary plaque morphology. Results Among HIV+ and HIV− men, the age-standardized prevalences were 15% for TAC (HIV+ 14%/HIV− 16%), 10% for AVC (HIV+ 11%/HIV− 8%), 24% for AVRC (HIV+ 23% HIV− 24%), and 5% for MAC (HIV+ 7%/HIV− 3%). After adjustment, HIV+ men had 3-fold greater odds of MAC compared to HIV− men (OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.5–6.7), and almost twice the odds of AVC (1.8, 1.1–2.9). HIV serostatus was not associated with TAC or AVRC. AVRC was associated with higher Il-6 and sCD163 levels. TAC was associated with higher ICAM-1, TNF-α RII, and Il-6 levels. AVC and AVRC calcification were associated with presence of non-calcified plaque in HIV+ but not HIV− men. Conclusion HIV infection is an independent predictor of MAC and AVC. Whether these calcifications predict mortality in HIV+ patients deserves further investigation.
Resident Endothelial Progenitor Cells From Human Placenta Have Greater Vasculogenic Potential Than Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells From Umbilical Cord Blood.

Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) isolated from umbilical cord blood (CBECFCs) are highly proliferative and form blood vessels in vivo. The purpose of this investigation was to isolate and characterize a population of resident ECFCs from the chorionic villi of term human placenta and provide a comparative analysis of their proliferative and vasculogenic potential with CBECFCs. ECFCs were isolated from umbilical cord blood and chorionic villi from placentas obtained by caesarean deliveries. Placental ECFCs (PECFCs) expressed CD144, CD31, CD105, and KDR and were negative for CD45 and CD34, consistent with other ECFC phenotypes. PECFCs were capable of 28.6 ± 6.0 population doublings before reaching senescence (vs. 47.4 ± 3.2 for CBECFCs, p 500 cells (highly proliferative potential clones) over 14 days (vs. 69.4 ± 0.7% of CBECFCs, p = 0.07, n = 9). PECFCs formed 5.2 ± 0.8 vessels/mm(2) in collagen/fibronectin plugs implanted into non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient (NOD/SCID) mice, whereas CBECFCs formed only 1.7 ± 1.0 vessels/mm(2) (p < 0.05, n = 4). This study demonstrates that circulating CBECFCs and resident PECFCs are identical phenotypically and contain equivalent quantities of high proliferative potential clones. However, PECFCs formed significantly more blood vessels in vivo than CBECFCs, indicating that differences in vasculogenic potential between circulating and resident ECFCs exist.
Abstract A35: Resistant starch inhibition of azoxymethane-induced preneoplastic lesions with and without antibiotic treatment

Colorectal cancer is one of the more prevalent cancers in Western cultures, and previous studies suggest an interaction between diet and colon carcinogenesis. Starches have been modified to be more indigestible. This allows the starch to continue through the digestive tract to the colon where it is fermented by the gut microflora to produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA). SCFA are beneficial to colon health due to their ability to regulate anti-inflammation and apoptotic pathways and inhibit colonic preneoplastic lesions such as aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and mucin depleted foci (MDF), two common lesions associated with colon cancer. By adding an antibiotic regimen, a stronger pressure will be placed on the gut microflora and this added pressure of an altered gut microflora is believed to negate the protective effects of resistant starches. Preneoplastic lesions were induced in rats with azoxymethane (AOM), a known colon cancer carcinogen, with saline used as a control. An antibiotic cocktail of vancomycin and imipenem was administered via drinking water to select groups for three days following AOM treatment. The rats were then fed experimental diets containing either control starch (CS) or high amylose-lipid complexed resistant starch (RS5) for ten weeks. Distal colon sections were collected and stained to observe ACF and MDF. There was no significant difference in ACF numbers between the CS and RS5 diet groups but there was a significant difference between the numbers of MDF observed between the two diets, with the CS rats producing more MDF than RS5 rats. A significant antibiotic effect was also observed between the two diet groups with all RS5 rats producing zero MDF and the CS treatment animals producing between 0.2-1.8 MDF. This result could indicate that RS5 does indeed retain its protective effects with an altered gut microflora. This result could also suggest that MDF may not be a suitable lesion for colon cancer studies as the highest number of MDF were observed in saline treated animals. The deliberate addition of antibiotics was a novel approach in the colon carcinogenesis-diet interaction, but the results suggest that repeated experimentation is needed to confirm the retained protective effects of resistant starch diets. Citation Format: Bridget Nelson, Yongfeng Ai, Carter Roberts, Peng Liu, Jay-lin Jane, Diane Birt. Resistant starch inhibition of azoxymethane-induced preneoplastic lesions with and without antibiotic treatment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A35.
Open-angle glaucoma: diagnosis and management.

Open-angle glaucoma Is not a benign disease; untreated, it can lead to total blindness. If intraocular tension is controlled early, before onset of visual field loss or optic nerve degeneration, the prognosis is good.
Leukopheresis therapy of leukemic reticuloendotheliosis (hairy cell leukemia)

Intensive leukopheresis has been valuable in the short-term palliation of chronic lymphocytic and granulocytic leukemias. A 47-yr-old man with refractory leukemic reticuloendotheliosis (hairy cell leukemia) manifested by anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated peripheral leukemia cell counts, generalized lymph node enlargement, and leukemic infiltrative skin disease was treated with serial leukopheresis. Removal of approximately 7 X 10(11) peripheral leukemia cells resulted in marked clinical and hematologic improvement with resolution of enlarged lymph nodes and clearing of skin infiltrates. At the time of this reporting, more than 400 wk since the last leukopheresis, the patient continues to do well. The improvement in all blood counts, reduction in lymph node size, and clearing of skin lesions paralleled the reduction of peripheral leukemia cell load by leukopheresis, suggesting mobilization of leukemia cells from marrow, lymph nodes, and skin. Removal of large numbers of leukemia cells in hairy cell leukemia has the potential of achieving sustained clinical improvement and may be a useful alternative therapy for these patients.
Mosquito Saliva Increases Endothelial Permeability in the Skin, Immune Cell Migration, and Dengue Pathogenesis during Antibody-Dependent Enhancement

Dengue remains the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease in humans. While probing for blood vessels, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes transmit the four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV1-4) by injecting virus-containing saliva into the skin. Even though arthropod saliva is known to facilitate transmission and modulate host responses to other pathogens, the full impact of mosquito saliva on dengue pathogenesis is still not well understood. Inoculating mice lacking the interferon-α/β receptor intradermally with DENV revealed that mosquito salivary gland extract (SGE) exacerbates dengue pathogenesis specifically in the presence of enhancing serotype-cross-reactive antibodies-when individuals already carry an increased risk for severe disease. We further establish that SGE increases viral titers in the skin, boosts antibody-enhanced DENV infection of dendritic cells and macrophages in the dermis, and amplifies dendritic cell migration to skin-draining lymph nodes. We demonstrate that SGE directly disrupts endothelial barrier function in vitro and induces endothelial permeability in vivo in the skin. Finally, we show that surgically removing the site of DENV transmission in the skin after 4 hours rescued mice from disease in the absence of SGE, but no longer prevented lethal antibody-enhanced disease when SGE was present. These results indicate that SGE accelerates the dynamics of dengue pathogenesis after virus transmission in the skin and induces severe antibody-enhanced disease systemically. Our study reveals novel aspects of dengue pathogenesis and suggests that animal models of dengue and pre-clinical testing of dengue vaccines should consider mosquito-derived factors as well as enhancing antibodies.
As Grown Y-Ba-Cu-O Thin Films with Fine Grains and the Fabrication of the Superconducting Lines

Superconducting thin films of Y1Ba2Cu3O7−X have been prepared by off-axis rf magnetron sputtering using the single target with the stoichiometric composition. We obtained the films with fine grains 0.2μm in average size and the smooth surface. The c-axis of the specimen was highly oriented normal to MgO(100) plane in the wide area. The superconducting lines having 2μm width and 500μm length were fabricated from the films of 200nm thickness by chemical wet etching. The superconducting line showed a zero resistance at 78K, which was only 2K lower than that of the film before being etched.
In vivo detection of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque by MRI in a rabbit model.

Background— The ability to identify atherosclerotic plaques with a high risk for sudden disruption before stroke or myocardial infarction would be of great utility. We used a rabbit model of controlled atherothrombosis to test whether in vivo MRI can noninvasively distinguish between plaques that disrupt after pharmacological triggering (vulnerable) and those that do not (stable). Methods and Results— Atherosclerosis was induced in male New Zealand White (n=17) rabbits by cholesterol diet and endothelial denudation of the abdominal aorta. After baseline (pretrigger) MRI with and without gadolinium contrast, the rabbits underwent 2 pharmacological triggerings to induce atherothrombosis, followed by another MRI 48 hours later (post-triggering). Atherosclerosis was identified by the pretriggered images in all rabbits, and thrombosis was identified in 9 of 17 animals (53%) by post-trigger MRI. After the animals were euthanized, 95 plaques were analyzed; 28 (29.5%) had thrombi (vulnerable) and 67 did not (stable) (70.5%). Pretriggered MRI revealed comparable stenosis in stable and vulnerable plaques, but vulnerable plaques had a larger plaque area (4.8±1.6 versus 3.0±1.0 mm2; P =0.01), vessel area (9.2±3.0 versus. 15.8±4.9 mm2; P =0.01), and higher remodeling ratio (1.16±0.2 versus 0.93±0.2; P =0.01) compared with stable plaques. Furthermore, vulnerable plaques more frequently exhibited (1) positive remodeling (67.8% versus 22.3%; P =0.01), in which the plaque is hidden within the vessel wall instead of occluding the lumen; and (2) enhanced gadolinium uptake (78.6% versus 20.9%; P =0.01) associated with histological findings of neovascularization, inflammation, and tissue necrosis. Conclusions— We demonstrate that in vivo MRI at 3.0 T detects features of vulnerable plaques in an animal model of controlled atherothrombosis. These findings suggest that MRI may be used as a noninvasive modality for localization of plaques that are prone to disruption. Received October 26, 2009; accepted February 22, 2010. # CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE {#article-title-2}
Hearing loss as a risk factor for dementia: A systematic review.

Objectives To review evidence of hearing loss as a risk factor for dementia. Data Sources: PubMed Review methods: A systematic review was conducted using the PubMed database using the search terms (hearing loss OR presbycusis) AND (dementia OR cognitive decline). Initially, 488 articles were obtained. Only those studies evaluating an association between hearing loss and incident dementia or cognitive decline were included in the analysis. This resulted in 17 articles which were thoroughly evaluated with consideration for study design, method for determining hearing loss and cognitive status, relevant covariates and confounding factors, and key findings. Results All of the 17 articles meeting inclusion criteria indicate that hearing loss is associated with dementia or cognitive decline. The methods used among the studies for ascertaining hearing loss and dementia were notably varied. For hearing loss, peripheral auditory function was tested far more than central auditory function. For peripheral audition, pure tone audiometry was the most commonly reported method for defining hearing loss. Only a few studies measured central auditory function by using the Synthetic Sentence Identification with Ipsilateral Competing Message test (SSI-ICM) and the Staggered Spondaic Word Test (SSW). Dementia was most often defined using the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). However, many studies used extensive batteries of tests to define cognitive status, often including a neuropsychologist. Confounding variables such as cardiovascular risk factors were measured in 17 studies and family history of dementia was only evaluated in 1 study. Overall, the methods used by studies to ascertain hearing loss, cognitive status and other variables are valid, making their evaluation appear reliable. Conclusion While each of the studies included in this study utilized slightly different methods for evaluating participants, each of them demonstrated that hearing loss is associated with higher incidence of dementia in older adults. Level of Evidence Level V, systematic review.
GIS Project Management

After a brief flurry of monographs on business and organizational aspects of GIS in the 1990s, little attention has been paid to a systematic approach in support of GIS project management. Most existing efforts in both public and private enterprises are based on anecdotal evidence. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the subject matter starting with definitions and distinctions from neighboring concepts and introducing important characteristics. This article describes all phases of GIS project management and specifies the resources and tools required. It ends with an overview of external factors and a discussion of the expertise required of a GIS project manager.
Addition of forelimb training reduces gains from robotic gait training in a rat model of spinal cord injury

To restore locomotor function following spinal cord injury the disrupted descending supraspinal drive needs to be re-connected to regions caudal to the injury. Robotic gait training aims to facilitate recovery by stimulating the proprioceptive networks of the legs in a coordinated walking pattern while the descending supraspinal connections are re-established. In incomplete injuries, it is believed that the interneuronal networks near the injury site form relay circuits to reroute the supraspinal signals through the spared tissue. Stimulating these neurons should lead to increased arborization, and more robust relay circuits. We set out to show that robotic gait training is more effective when it is paired with training that activates interneurons at the level of the injury. Following a C4/5 over-hemisection injury the addition of skilled forelimb training actually reduced the gains found with robotic gait training alone. Not just gains within the training device, but also in independent overground locomotion. MRI imaging shows that skilled forelimb training reduces cellular activity, and reduces the organization of the axonal tracks at the injury site. This may be evidence that spared interneurons have limited resources and/or ability in establishing relay circuits to route supraspinal drive around the injury site. Skilled forelimb training and robotic gait training may not be synergistic, but competitive rehabilitative tasks.
Midlife systemic inflammatory markers are associated with late-life brain volume: The ARIC study

Objective: To clarify the temporal relationship between systemic inflammation and neurodegeneration, we examined whether a higher level of circulating inflammatory markers during midlife was associated with smaller brain volumes in late life using a large biracial prospective cohort study. Methods: Plasma levels of systemic inflammatory markers (fibrinogen, albumin, white blood cell count, von Willebrand factor, and Factor VIII) were assessed at baseline in 1,633 participants (mean age 53 [5] years, 60% female, 27% African American) enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Using all 5 inflammatory markers, an inflammation composite score was created for each participant. We assessed episodic memory and regional brain volumes, using 3T MRI, 24 years later. Results: Each SD increase in midlife inflammation composite score was associated with 1,788 mm 3 greater ventricular ( p = 0.013), 110 mm 3 smaller hippocampal ( p = 0.013), 519 mm 3 smaller occipital ( p = 0.009), and 532 mm 3 smaller Alzheimer disease signature region ( p = 0.008) volumes, and reduced episodic memory ( p = 0.046) 24 years later. Compared to participants with no elevated (4th quartile) midlife inflammatory markers, participants with elevations in 3 or more markers had, on average, 5% smaller hippocampal and Alzheimer disease signature region volumes. The association between midlife inflammation and late-life brain volume was modified by age and race, whereby younger participants and white participants with higher levels of systemic inflammation during midlife were more likely to show reduced brain volumes subsequently. Conclusions: Our prospective findings provide evidence for what may be an early contributory role of systemic inflammation in neurodegeneration and cognitive aging.
Genetics and Molecular Biology of Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors

Tumors of bone and soft tissue represent a heterogeneous group of biologically and clinically diverse neoplasms. Cytogenetic analysis has identified two broad groups of sarcomas, those with complex unbalanced karyotypes and a second group with characteristic genetic abnormalities, including chromosomal translocations. Common molecular mechanisms of sarcomagenesis include activation of signal transduction pathways, mutations in genes that control the cell cycle, and genes that maintain DNA integrity. Some of the genetic and/or molecular markers identified for these tumors are clinically relevant and used routinely for diagnosis and classification. Integration of cytogenetic analysis, molecular cytogenetics and other molecular assays, as part of diagnostic algorithms, is becoming increasingly common for these tumors, representing an example of how tumor biology is being incorporated and re-defining pathology and clinical practice.
Techno-economic assessment of reservoir heterogeneity and permeability variation on economic value of enhanced oil recovery by gas and foam flooding

Abstract This research introduces a detailed techno-economic model to estimate and evaluate the economics of enhanced oil recovery. The model categorizes the cost objects into three main modules: injection, production, and CO2 recycling. These modules are composed of a number of lower-level sub-modules that represent specific cost objects. The techno-economic model utilizes reservoir simulation inputs and results such as production rate and composition, injection fluid rate and composition, and bottomhole pressure to provide detailed costs and revenue of injection, production, and CO2 recycling, according to defined scenarios. Although the techno-economic model is a general model that can be applied to any EOR project, we illustrate it here to compare flooding scenarios for a modeled EOR project in Mississippi. Reservoir heterogeneity is the variation of petrophysical properties with space such as porosity, permeability, fluid saturation. This effect is explored for total of 81 cases considering different combinations of Dykstra-Parsons coefficient (VDP) and correlation length. For each case, 25 random realizations of the permeability field were generated and the results of realizations were averaged to provide a statistical representation of the cases. Simulations of three scenarios including Waterflood, Water Alternating Gas, and Surfactant Alternating Gas floods (using a foam model for SAG) were carried out for each realization. The results show that, under assumed cost structure and the selected foam model, on average, SAG is a better and more profitable injection scenario with an oil price of $40/bbl. The economic advantage of SAG, however, declines with greater permeability variation.
Distributed detection and response for the mitigation of distributed denial of service attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks continue to escalate in size and impact despite efforts to control and limit exposures that enable them to be successful. This proposal takes a novel approach to the DDoS problem, by combining separate existing information security technologies in a collaborative system. Devices used to gather evidence on attack methods and provide for reverse engineering malware are ‘honeypots’. These devices provide researchers with critically important information for analysis and eventually allow for development of detection and response mechanisms to malicious attacks. Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) can take action to alert administrators to potential misuse of computing assets, and in many cases execute predetermined response to malicious activity. This work tests operational communication between distributed honeypots and IPS devices to detect and actively respond to denial of service attacks at near machine speed.
SHP2 Inhibition Abrogates MEK inhibitor Resistance in Multiple Cancer Models

Adaptive resistance to MEK inhibitors (MEK-Is) typically occurs via induction of genes for different receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and/or their ligands, even in tumors of the same histotype, making combination strategies challenging. SHP2 (PTPN11) is required for RAS/ERK pathway activation by most RTKs, and might provide a common resistance node. We found that combining the SHP2 inhibitor SHP099 with a MEK-I inhibits proliferation of multiple cancer cells in vitro. PTPN11 knockdown/MEK-I had similar effects, while expressing SHP099-binding mutants conferred resistance, demonstrating that SHP099 was on-target. This combination was efficacious in xenograft and/or genetically engineered models of KRAS-mutant pancreas cancer and ovarian cancer and in wild-type RAS-expressing triple negative breast cancer. Biochemical studies show that SHP099 impedes SOS/RAS/MEK/ERK1/2 reactivation in response to MEK-Is and blocks ERK1/2-dependent transcriptional programs. SHP099 alone also inhibited RAS activation in some, but not all, KRAS-mutant lines. Hence, SHP099/MEK-I combinations could have therapeutic utility in multiple malignancies.
Development of sustainable community paramedicine programmes: A case study in Pennsylvania

Background Community paramedicine (CP) models have been applied across rural and urban communities in support of healthcare delivery systems for nearly two decades. However, there is still insufficient information regarding the development of sustainable CP programmes. This study explores the strategies used by active CP programmes and investigates their operational statuses, community demographics, financial models and challenges for programme development. Methods A series of interviews was conducted with four CP programmes in Pennsylvania, USA, which are affiliated with a local government, a health system, an ambulance service and an emergency medical service, respectively. Each CP programme uses its own model with unique goals, as well as providing corresponding services/care based on the demands from their communities. Results Three CP programmes in the study were mainly aimed at reducing healthcare resource utilisation (ie, reduce readmissions or ED utilisation), but one of the programmes developed a sustainable model aiding newborn care in the community. Establishing a solid reimbursement mechanism and working closely with collaborators are two major strategies for developing sustainable CP programmes. Complete data collection and a programme evaluation process will also be important to demonstrate the value of its CP models to potential collaborators and policy-makers. However, the cost-effectiveness of a CP model is still not easy to identify due to the separate programmes being developed without uniform goals. Conclusion The challenges and solutions from the four programmes under study can provide a road map for the development of CP programmes for other communities.
Seeds vs fungi: an enzymatic battle in the soil seedbank

Depleting the soil weed seedbank is an important integrated weed management strategy that has the potential to foster lasting weed control. Long-term dormancy and decay resistance of weed seeds pose a challenge to weed eradication efforts. Select soil fungi have been shown to cause significant decay of weed seeds. The physical and chemical mechanisms by which seeds in the seedbank defend themselves against pathogens have been well researched. However, very few studies have purposefully investigated the biochemical defence response of seeds. Enzyme-based biochemical seed defences have been detected in dormant and non-dormant seeds, and research supports their function in pathogen defence. This review summarizes current knowledge of the seed defence enzymes polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, chitinase and oxalate oxidase. The fungal enzymes chitinase, protease and xylanase that function in pathogenesis of seeds in the soil seedbank are also reviewed. Progress in the development and standardization of in situ enzyme analyses fosters our understanding of actual enzyme activity present in soils, while high-throughput microplate techniques promote efficiency and enable greater scope. Application of genomic, proteomic and transcriptomic techniques to glean a deeper and more holistic understanding of the enzymatic interactions of weed seeds and soil fungi in the soil seedbank will support the development of improved integrated weed management strategies.
Biomechanical properties of the repaired and non-repaired rat supraspinatus tendon in the acute postoperative period.

Purpose The rat rotator cuff (RC) model is used to study RC pathology and potential treatment; however, native scar-mediated healing allows the rat RC to recover at 4-6 weeks but little is known about acute healing. This study characterized the properties of the repaired and non-repaired rat RC following surgical detachment. Materials and methods Forty-eight rats underwent surgical RC detachment and received surgical repair (Repair) or left unrepaired (Defect) to either 12 or 19 days. Healthy controls were obtained from contralateral limbs. Biomechanical properties were assessed using stress relaxation and failure testing and mechanical modeling performed using quasilinear viscoelastic (QLV) and structurally based elastic models. Histology and micro-magnetic resonance imaging were used to qualitatively grade tendon-to-bone healing. Results Repair and Defect exhibited significantly inferior mechanical properties compared to Healthy at both time points. Repair had significant increases in peak, equilibrium, and ultimate stress, modulus, and stiffness and significant decreases in cross-sectional area, % relaxation, and QLV constant "C" between 12 and 19 days, whereas Defect showed no change. Conclusions This study demonstrates acute differences in mechanical properties of the rat supraspinatus tendon in the presence and absence of surgical repair. Understanding the longitudinal recovery of mechanical properties can facilitate more accurate characterization of RC pathology or future treatments.
Jesus as Goat of the Day of Atonement in Recent Synoptic Gospels Research

Do the Synoptic passion narratives portray Jesus (and Barabbas) as one (or both) of the goats of the Day of Atonement? This question currently has no consensus in biblical scholarship but four cont...
Current Trends in the Training and Utilization of Paraprofessionals in Speech and Language Programs

Administrators of programs for children with communicative disorders in 11 midwestern states were surveyed to assess trends in the training and utilization of paraprofessionals. Topics included: (a...