cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of viscoelastic damping properties on vibration response of scale models

There are many industries that utilized scale models to test the behavior of systems before building full-size structures, such as aircraft, spacecraft, and marine vehicle design. While vibration and acoustic response may not be the only quantities of interest when testing scale models, scale models can be utilized to predict full-scale acoustic behavior. When damping treatments are to be applied to full-scale systems, there will also be a need to apply these treatments to the scale models. Typically, these damping treatments use viscoelastic materials due to their high loss factor. However, since the stiffness and loss factor of viscoelastic materials change significantly with frequency, viscoelastic damping treatments will not behave consistently between model- and full-scale. This work shows the impact of using the same viscoelastic damping treatment on scale models as designed for full-scale systems. As a test case, a model of a thin vibrating plate will have a constrained layer damper applied on one surface. The total surface velocity response of a full-scale and model-scale finite element plate with a viscoelastic constrained layer damper is compared. Methods of designing viscoelastic materials for scale-models will also be presented. There are many industries that utilized scale models to test the behavior of systems before building full-size structures, such as aircraft, spacecraft, and marine vehicle design. While vibration and acoustic response may not be the only quantities of interest when testing scale models, scale models can be utilized to predict full-scale acoustic behavior. When damping treatments are to be applied to full-scale systems, there will also be a need to apply these treatments to the scale models. Typically, these damping treatments use viscoelastic materials due to their high loss factor. However, since the stiffness and loss factor of viscoelastic materials change significantly with frequency, viscoelastic damping treatments will not behave consistently between model- and full-scale. This work shows the impact of using the same viscoelastic damping treatment on scale models as designed for full-scale systems. As a test case, a model of a thin vibrating plate will have a constrained layer damper applied on one...
China Quest for Global Predominance

China’s elite have clear plans for global predominance based on its economic clout. Ideologically, it is framed in a peculiar blend of Marxism and China’s traditional philosophy. China’s trade poli...
Local failure after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

e15015 Background: Partial resection is the most common surgical management of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet long-term prognosis remains poor, with 3-year intrahepatic recurrence rate...
Topological phase transitions driven by non-Hermiticity in quantum spin Hall insulators

The interplay between non-Hermiticity and topology opens an exciting avenue for engineering novel topological matter with unprecedented properties. While previous studies have mainly focused on one-dimensional systems or Chern insulators, here we investigate topological phase transitions to and from quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators driven by non-Hermiticity. We show that a trivial to QSH insulator phase transition can be induced by solely varying non-Hermitian terms, and there exists exceptional edge arcs in QSH phases. We establish two topological invariants for characterizing the non-Hermitian phase transitions: (i) with time-reversal symmetry, the biorthogonal ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ invariant based on non-Hermitian Wilson loops, and (ii) without time-reversal symmetry, a biorthogonal spin Chern number through biorthogonal decompositions of the Bloch bundle of the occupied bands. These topological invariants can be applied to a wide class of non-Hermitian topological phases beyond Chern classes, and provides a powerful tool for exploring novel non-Hermitian topological matter and their device applications.
Medical Management of Hemorrhagic Bowel Syndrome in a Beef Bull

A two and a half-year old Simmental bull was presented to Iowa State University's Food Animal and Camelid Hospital for anorexia and lethargy of several days. Clostridium perfringens type A was identified via fecal culture and toxin genotyping. Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) was diagnosed based on microbiological results along with abdominal ultrasonography, complete blood count, and serum biochemistry. Aggressive multi-modal therapy was employed including intravenously administered fluid therapy, potassium penicillin, lidocaine, flunixin, and pantoprazole among other supportive care. The bull was discharged after 15 days of hospitalization and recovered uneventfully to full function by the next breeding season. Currently all case reports with regard to HBS in beef cattle describe mortality. While the dairy cattle literature demonstrates that HBS has a high mortality rate, and suggests that surgical intervention has a higher prognosis when compared to medical therapy in dairy cattle. Our case would provide support to aggressive medical treatment for HBS in beef cattle.
A bench-top model of middle ear effusion diagnosed with optical tympanometry.

Abstract Objectives To assess the validity of a bench-top model of an optical tympanometry device to diagnose in vitro model of middle ear effusion (MEE). Methods and materials We illuminated an in vitro model of ear canal and tympanic membrane with broadband light and relayed remitted light to a spectrometer system. We then used our proprietary algorithm to extract spectral features that, together with our logistic regression classifiers, led us to calculate a set of simplified indices related to different middle ear states. Our model included a glass vial covered with a porcine submucosa (representing the tympanic membrane) and filled with air, water, or milk solution (representing different MEE), and a set of cover-glass slips filled with either blood (representing erythema) or cerumen. By interchanging fluid types and cover-glass slips, we made measurements on combinations corresponding to normal healthy ear and purulent or serous MEE. Results Each simulated condition had a distinct spectral profile, which was then employed by our algorithm to discriminate clean and cerumen-covered purulent and serous MEE. Two logistic purulent and serous MEE classifiers correctly classified all in vitro middle ear states with 100% accuracy assessed by leave-one-out and k-fold cross validation. Conclusions This proof-of-concept in vitro study addressed an unmet need by introducing a device that easily and accurately can assess middle ear effusion. Future in vivo studies aimed at collecting data from clinical settings are warranted to further elucidate the validity of the technology in diagnosing pediatric acute otitis media.
Family Contextual Factors are Differentially Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Boys and Girls with Perinatally Acquired HIV

Youth with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) are at risk for depressive symptoms, which are associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Although family contextual factors associated with depressive symptoms differ among boys and girls without PHIV, it is unclear whether this is also the case among youth with PHIV. Participants included 314 youth with PHIV (M = 12.88, SD = 3.08 years old; 51% male; 85% Black/Latinx) and their caregivers. Higher levels of caregivers’ own depressive symptoms, caregiver-child detachment, and family conflict were associated with higher levels of caregiver-reported youth depressive symptoms. Less consistent discipline was associated with higher levels of youth-reported depressive symptoms. Higher youth-reported depressive symptoms were associated with greater family cohesion among boys and greater caregiver detachment among girls. Consideration of contextual variables is essential for interventions for depressive symptoms among youth with PHIV, but attention to sex differences with family contextual factors is also important.
Malkiel, Yakov (1914–1998)

This article describes the life and work of Yakov Malkiel, a prolific specialist in Romance historical linguistics. He made major contributions to all facets of Spanish historical grammar, especially to etymology and derivational morphology. His later writings stressed the close relationship between Romance historical linguistics and general linguistics.
Effects of Blood Components and Whole Blood in a Model of Severe Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy.

Abstract Background Plasma resuscitation ameliorates hyperfibrinolysis (HF) and trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC). However, the use of other blood components to reduce HF has not been evaluated. Therefore, our aim was to determine the effect of individual blood components and whole blood (WB) on an in vitro model of severe HF/TIC. Methods A “TIC” solution was made with 1:1 dilution of WB with saline and exacerbated with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Components were added in proportions equivalent to the thromboelastography (TEG) based goal-directed resuscitation used at our institution. Whole blood was added at proportions equal to what has been transfused in injured patients. Samples (n = 9) underwent citrated native and tPA-challenge (75 ng/mL) TEG with analysis of R-time, angle, MA, and LY30. Statistical analyses were completed employing the nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn’s multiple comparisons tests. Results TIC solution, when compared to control, had a decrease in clot strength (MA 41 mm versus 51.5 mm, P 0.7). Cryoprecipitate improved R-time (7.5 versus 11.9 min, P Conclusions No single blood component or volume of whole blood led to attenuation of tPA-mediated fibrinolysis in an in vitro model of TIC. Cryoprecipitate was the most effective at improving coagulation function.
Use of Exclusive and Pooled Ridehailing Services in Three Mexican Cities

The global expansion of ridehailing platforms has been accompanied by a diversification of service offerings as platforms fit within new urban contexts. While ridehailing has been of great interest...
Tablext: A Combined Neural Network And Heuristic Based Table Extractor.

A significant portion of the data available today is found within tables. Therefore, it is necessary to use automated table extraction to obtain thorough results when data-mining. Today's popular state-of-the-art methods for table extraction struggle to adequately extract tables with machine-readable text and structural data. To make matters worse, many tables do not have machine-readable data, such as tables saved as images, making most extraction methods completely ineffective. In order to address these issues, a novel, general format table extractor tool, Tablext, is proposed. This tool uses a combination of computer vision techniques and machine learning methods to efficiently and effectively identify and extract data from tables. Tablext begins by using a custom Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to identify and separate all potential tables. The identification process is optimized by combining the custom CNN with the YOLO object detection network. Then, the high-level structure of each table is identified with computer vision methods. This high-level, structural meta-data is used by another CNN to identify exact cell locations. As a final step, Optical Characters Recognition (OCR) is performed on every individual cell to extract their content without needing machine-readable text. This multi-stage algorithm allows for the neural networks to focus on completing complex tasks, while letting image processing methods efficiently complete the simpler ones. This leads to the proposed approach to be general-purpose enough to handle a large batch of tables regardless of their internal encodings or their layout complexity. Additionally, it becomes accurate enough to outperform competing state-of-the-art table extractors on the ICDAR 2013 table dataset.
A blood screening tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease among community-dwelling Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites: A method for increasing representation of diverse populations in clinical research

Introduction Representation of Mexican Americans in Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical research has been extremely poor. Methods Data were examined from the ongoing community-based, multi-ethnic Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study. Participants underwent functional exams, clinical labs, neuropsychological testing, and 3T magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Fasting proteomic markers were examined for predicting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD using support vector machine models. Results Data were examined from n = 1649 participants (Mexican American n = 866; non-Hispanic White n = 783). Proteomic profiles were highly accurate in detecting MCI (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.91) and dementia (AUC = 0.95). The proteomic profiles varied significantly between ethnic groups and disease state. Negative predictive value was excellent for ruling out MCI and dementia across ethnic groups. Discussion A blood-based screening tool can serve as a method for increasing access to state-of-the-art AD clinical research by bridging between community-based and clinic-based settings.
Oligodendrocyte pathology in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

The pathology of fetal alcohol syndrome and the less severe fetal alcohol spectrum disorders includes brain dysmyelination. Recent studies have shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying these white matter abnormalities. Rodent models of fetal alcohol syndrome and human studies have shown suppressed oligodendrocyte differentiation and apoptosis of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Ethanol exposure led to reduced expression of myelin basic protein and delayed myelin basic protein expression in rat and mouse models of fetal alcohol syndrome and in human histopathological specimens. Several studies have reported increased expression of many chemokines in dysmyelinating disorders in central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis and fetal alcohol syndrome. Acute ethanol exposure reduced levels of the neuroprotective insulin-like growth factor-1 in fetal and maternal sheep and in human fetal brain tissues, while ethanol increased the expression of tumor necrosis factor α in mouse and human neurons. White matter lesions have been induced in the developing sheep brain by alcohol exposure in early gestation. Rat fetal alcohol syndrome models have shown reduced axon diameters, with thinner myelin sheaths, as well as reduced numbers of oligodendrocytes, which were also morphologically aberrant oligodendrocytes. Expressions of markers for mature myelination, including myelin basic protein, also were reduced. The accumulating knowledge concerning the mechanisms of ethanol-induced dysmyelination could lead to the development of strategies to prevent dysmyelination in children exposed to ethanol during fetal development. Future studies using fetal oligodendrocyte- and oligodendrocyte precursor cell-derived exosomes isolated from the mother’s blood may identify biomarkers for fetal alcohol syndrome and even implicate epigenetic changes in early development that affect oligodendrocyte precursor cell and oligodendrocyte function in adulthood. By combining various imaging modalities with molecular studies, it may be possible to determine which fetuses are at risk and to intervene therapeutically early in the pregnancy.
Dosing of Opioid Medications During and After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery for Children With Down Syndrome.

Objective To determine whether children with Down syndrome (DS) receive higher doses of opioid medications compared with children without DS for repair of complete atrioventricular canal (CAVC). Design A retrospective chart review of children with and without DS who underwent primary repair of CAVC. The exclusion criteria included unbalanced CAVC and patients undergoing biventricular staging procedures. The primary outcome was oral morphine equivalents (OME) received in the first 24 hours after surgery. The secondary outcomes included intraoperative OME, OME at 48 and 72 hours, nonopioid analgesic and sedative medications received, pain scores, time to extubation, and length of stay. Setting A pediatric academic medical center in the United States. Participants One hundred thirty-one patients with DS and 24 without, all Interventions Not applicable. Measurements and Main Results Patients with DS were older than patients without DS (median 96.3 days [interquartile range {IQR} 70.7-128.2] v 75.9 days [IQR 49.8-107.3], p = 0.033) but otherwise not statistically different in the baseline characteristics. There was no difference in OME received in the first 24 hours postoperatively between groups (3.01 mg/kg [IQR 1.23-5.43] v 3.57 mg/kg [IQR 1.54-7.06], p = 0.202). OME at 48 and 72 hours was lower in the DS group compared with the control group. Similar amounts of opioid and non-opioid analgesics and sedatives were otherwise given to both groups of patients. Median pain scores did not differ between groups. Conclusions These results suggested that patients with DS undergoing CAVC repair do not have increased opioid requirements compared with a similar control group.
Derivation of Distinct Prognostic Tumor Cell States in PDAC via Single-Cell RNA Sequencing.

Purpose/objective(s) Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer type with a poor prognosis. There is a critical need for robust biomarkers to better risk-stratify patients and personalize treatment. Here, we utilize single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and CIBERSORTx deconvolution to genomically classify PDAC based on distinct tumor cell states in order to more accurately prognosticate patients. Materials/methods scRNA-seq was conducted on 24 PDAC patient samples prior to any systemic therapy at Washington University (19 core needle pancreatic biopsies from the time of diagnosis and 5 surgical PDAC resections) and from the public domain (n = 34). The resulting scRNA-seq data from 58 patients was integrated and clustered in order to identify distinct tumor cell states. Following gene expression profiling analysis to characterize each distinct tumor cell state, CIBERSORTx was used to deconvolve 125 bulk RNA-seq early-stage PDAC tumor samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and each tumor was classified based on the dominant malignant cell state present. Following this, survival analysis was performed to compare between different groupings of TCGA patients based on their dominant malignant cell states. Results scRNA-seq data from 58 public and in-house samples were clustered and cell types were annotated based on known expression markers. We then clustered the malignant cell cluster (Epcam+) into 5 distinct tumor cell states. Fractions of these 5 malignant cell states were then quantified in TCGA via deconvolution using CIBERSORTx. TCGA samples were categorized into 5 groups based on the dominating malignant (mal) cell state fraction value - ranging from mal 0 to mal 4. In this fashion, we identified 39 patients as mal 0, 9 as mal 1, 6 as mal 2, 2 as mal 3, and 69 as mal 4. Gene expression profiling analysis revealed that the mal 0 cell state is representative of the "squamous-like" or "basal" subtype reported in prior literature, while mal 1-4 more likely represent the previously described "classical" subtype. We then aimed to perform survival analysis. To achieve meaningful statistical power, we grouped mal 1-3 into one category (called mixed) containing 17 patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the following median survival times (in months): mal 0 (9 months), mal 4 (16 months), and mixed (15 months). Log-rank statistical testing revealed that patients classified as mal 0 experienced significantly worse overall survival than those classified as other mal subtypes (P Conclusion We analyzed scRNA-seq data from 58 independent PDAC patients, which we used to identify 5 distinct tumor cell states. These tumor cell states appear to correspond with the previously reported "squamous-like" or "basal" vs. "classical" subtypes, correlate significantly with overall survival, and could potentially inform more personalized treatment strategies including radiotherapy in the future.
Gastrojejunal tube placement through an established gastrostomy via an endoscopic transgastric approach in a pediatric population

Background and Aims Gastrojejunal feeding tubes (GJTs) are typically converted from gastrostomy feeding tubes by interventional radiology in many pediatric centers to provide both postpyloric feeding and gastric decompression. Endoscopic transgastric GJT placement via an established gastric stoma can be performed without sedation and with minimal fluoroscopy but is relatively new in pediatrics with limited description. This study analyzed the success rate, adverse events, and technical issues associated with endoscopic GJT placement via a transgastric approach in pediatric patients at a large children's hospital. Methods We retrospectively reviewed endoscopic GJT placements in pediatric patients performed over a 16-month period at the Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center. Indication for GJT placement, patient demographic characteristics and medical history, use of sedation, fluoroscopy time, and procedural and postprocedural adverse events were assessed. Results A total of 47 GJT placements were performed, all successful, in a patient cohort with a mean age of 8 years. The mean fluoroscopy time was 10 seconds, and sedation was used in 30% of placements. In 8 patients who had undergone GJT placement by endoscopy and interventional radiology, the fluoroscopy time was significantly reduced by using the endoscopic method (10 seconds vs 299 seconds, P = .001). Conclusions Endoscopic transgastric GJT placement via an established gastrostomy with fluoroscopic confirmation can be safely performed by pediatric gastroenterologists without sedation and with minimal radiation exposure.
PET Amyloid Imaging with Florbetapir Predicts Cognitive Decline in the Oldest-Old (P4.011)

OBJECTIVE: To determine if amyloid burden measured by florbetapir-PET predicts cognitive decline in oldest-old participants. BACKGROUND: PET Amyloid imaging has shown to identify younger elderly individuals at higher risk of cognitive decline, but it is unknown if this relationship persists in the oldest-old, people aged 90 and over, where the correlation between cerebral amyloid and cognition is poor. DESIGN/METHODS: The study included 33 participants from the 90+ Study, a longitudinal investigation of the oldest-old. Participants underwent florbetapir-PET imaging within 3 months of baseline neuropsychological testing including the Modified Mini-Mental State exam, California Verbal Learning Test 10-minute delay, animal fluency, and Trails A and B. Test scores were z-transformed using age-specific norms and a composite neuropsychological score was computed by averaging the z-scores. Neuropsychological testing was repeated every 6 months. Amyloid load was measured as a semi-automated quantitative analysis of cortical-to-cerebellar standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) averaged over 6 cortical brain regions (frontal, temporal, parietal, anterior and posterior cingulate, and precuneus). SUVrs were dichotomized as Aβ+ and Aβ− (cut-point=1.2). Average rate of change in the composite neuropsychological score was compared in participants with Aβ+ and Aβ− scans using t-test and Wilcoxon rank test. RESULTS: At scanning time, participants were on average 95 years (range: 91-101) and 67% were women. There were 19 normal, 13 cognitively impaired, and 1 participant with dementia. Thirty percent of participants had Aβ+ scans. Median follow-up was one year (range=0.5-1.6 years). Rate of decline in the composite neuropsychological score was faster in individuals with Aβ+ scans (-0.32 SD/year) compared to those with Aβ− scans (+0.21 SD/year) [t=1.99, p=0.06; Wilcoxon rank p=0.02]. CONCLUSIONS: Despite advanced age of our participants, these results support previous observations from younger elderly that high amyloid burden on florbetapir-PET can identify oldest-old individuals at high risk of cognitive decline. Study Supported by: NIH-NIA grant R01AG21055 and AVID Radiopharmaceuticals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company. Disclosure: Dr. Greenia has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kawas has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec. Dr. Kawas has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Continuum. Dr. Caunca has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bullain has nothing to disclose. Dr. Corrada has nothing to disclose.
Bisindolylmaleimide VIII facilitates Fas-mediated apoptosis and inhibits T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases

Fas-mediated apoptosis is essential for the elimination of cells, and impaired apoptosis can have severe detrimental consequences. Bisindolylmaleimide VIII potentiated Fas-mediated apoptosis in human astrocytoma 1321N1 cells and in Molt-4T cells, both of which were devoid of apoptosis induced by anti-Fas antibody in the absence of bisindolylmaleimide VIII, and in Jurkat and CEM-6 T cells, which showed slight and moderate apoptotic responses, respectively, to low levels of Fas stimulation. Potentiation of Fas-mediated apoptosis by bisindolylmaleimide VIII was selective for activated, rather than non-activated, T cells, and was Fas-dependent, as it was not observed in T cells from Fas-deficient lpr/lpr mice. Administration of bisindolylmaleimide VIII to rats during autoantigen stimulation prevented the development of symptoms of T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases in two models, the Lewis rat model of experimental allergic encephalitis and the Lewis adjuvant arthritis model. Thus, the use of agents such as bisindolylmaleimide VIII may be therapeutically useful for supporting more effective elimination of detrimental cells through enhancement of Fas-dependent apoptosis signaling.
Sampling, Detection and Screening of Chemicals Related to the Chemical Weapons Convention

The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on April 29, 1997, prohibits the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons (CW). It is administered by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is based in The Hague. During the course of inspections, whether routine or challenge, there may be a requirement for the inspection team (IT) to investigate unresolved ambiguities. The IT has the right to request clarification, and if ambiguities cannot be clarified by negotiation then samples may be taken for analysis. Examples of sampling equipment, procedures and sample management techniques are described, together with a brief description of screening and detection. Some analyses may be performed on-site by the inspectors, using equipment they bring with them, but for more difficult questions it may be necessary to remove a sample for analysis on an anonymous basis in two or more of a global network of laboratories “designated” by the OPCW. The end result of any sampling and analysis operation must be able to stand up to international scrutiny, and therefore chain-of-custody or audit-trail procedures must be strictly followed. The process should allow the re-creation of the position or state of the sample at any time during the handling of the sample from cradle to grave.
Real equivalence of complex matrix pencils and complex projections of real Segre varieties

Quadratically parametrized maps from a product of real projective spaces to a com- plex projective space are constructed as the composition of the Segre embedding with a projection. A classification theorem relates equivalence classes of projections to equivalence classes of complex matrix pencils. One low-dimensional case is a family of maps whose images are ruled surfaces in the complex projective plane, some of which exhibit hyperbolic CR singularities. Another case is a set of maps whose images in complex projective 4-space are projections of the real Segre threefold.
Mining messages: Exploring consumer response to consumer‐ vs. firm‐generated ads

Social media provide consumers with a platform for interactivity, and interactivity leads to consumer empowerment by providing the consumer with a platform to make their voice heard. This paper contributes to the marketing literature exploring the voice of the consumer in consumer-generated advertisements (CGAs). The objective of this research is to find ways to measure consumer response to CGAs. We measure whether they differ from firm-generated ads in the responses they elicit and also observe whether they generate different responses by ad type, or if some categories have similar responses. We review CGAs for Apple's MacBook Air lightweight laptop and run a text mining application to understand the common themes and conduct text analysis on the responses to both CGAs and firm-generated ads to answer the question “Is the source of the advertisement important?” Text analytics also enable us to measure consumers' attitude toward products, companies, and ads. We then work toward understanding why and under what circumstances CGAs are effective and how companies may handle or foster different types of CGAs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An investigation of novel AMPs (976.6)

Antibiotic resistance continues to pose a threat to the human race as bacteria become more and more resistant to antibiotics. New multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains of tuberculosis, methicillin-res...
Predicting Methamphetamine and Other Drug Offending: Evidence From a Rural County Drug Court.

Arrests resulting from drug-related offending from January through December 2007 were compared between an urban and a rural county, both in the Midwest. Marijuana and methamphetamine were found to explain significantly more drugrelated arrests in both counties with methamphetamine accounting for a significantly higher percentage of rural than urban drug arrests after controlling for the differences in total population sizes of the two counties (x²= 10.26, 2 df, p < 0.01). A descriptive parsimonious socioeconomic and demographic profile was established for the typical methamphetamine/mral drug offenders.
Chapter 4 Function and Mechanisms of Song Learning in Song Sparrows

Publisher Summary This chapter examines the song learning in the oscine passerines (songbirds), with focus on the study species, the song sparrow. In most songbirds, song functions in the contexts of intrasexual competition and mate attraction. In most territorial temperate-zone passerines, only males sing and the major intrasexual context is the defense of the territory with song functioning as a long-distance signal to “post” the territory and to communicate with neighbors in negotiating the territorial boundaries. The chapter also discusses the social factors in song learning. The singing interactions between two neighbors who share some song types are shown diagrammatically. The song learning program of song sparrows has been characterized identifying eight “rules” that taken together might be considered an adaptive learning strategy. These are: (1) learn songs preferentially from conspecific singers, (2) complete song learning in the first year, (3) copy song types completely and precisely, (4) learn the songs of multiple birds, (5) learn from the neighbors, (6) preferentially learn or retain song types of those tutors who survive into the first breeding season, (7) preferentially learn tutor-shared songs, and (8) individualize (at least some of the songs in) the song repertoire.
The neurology of memory: quantitative assessment of retrograde amnesia in two groups of amnesic patients

The phenomenon of retrograde amnesia has important implications for understanding normal memory as well as its neural organization. Using 6 tests of remote memory, we evaluated the extent and severity of retrograde amnesia in 2 groups of amnesic patients--7 patients with alcoholic Korsakoff's syndrome and 5 other patients with amnesia (anoxia or ischemia, N = 3; thalamic infarction, N = 1; unknown etiology, N = 1). Although there were individual differences, Experiment 1 showed that the severity and extent of retrograde amnesia was similar for the 2 groups. Retrograde amnesia was temporally graded across a period of about 15 years and was not detectable in more remote time periods. In Experiment 2, repeated testing during a 3 year period showed that amnesic patients and control subjects were similarly consistent in their responses. Amnesic patients did not catch up to control subjects by eventually accumulating as many correct answers as the control subjects. In Experiment 3, amnesic patients performed normally on a test of very difficult general information questions, which were based on material likely to have been learned long ago. In all 3 experiments, the 2 groups of amnesic patients performed similarly. The results support the following conclusions: (1) Extensive, temporally graded retrograde amnesia, which has been observed frequently in patients with Korsakoff's syndrome, occurs readily in other amnesic patients as well, even when their memory impairment appears well circumscribed; (2) patients with presumed damage to either the medial temporal or the diencephalic brain structures linked to memory functions can produce a similar kind of retrograde amnesia; (3) the impairment reflects a loss of usable knowledge, not simply difficulty accessing an intact memory store that can then be overcome given sufficient retrieval opportunities; (4) very remote memory, at least for factual information, can be intact in amnesia; (5) the structures damaged in amnesia support memory storage, retrieval, or both during a lengthy period of reorganization, after which representations in memory can become independent of these structures.
Dietary resistant starch prevents urinary excretion of vitamin D metabolites and restores circulating 25-hydroxycholecalciferol concentrations in the Zucker diabetic fatty rat (1041.3)

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is an epidemic that leads to renal disease if left untreated. Compromised renal function has been implicated in vitamin D deficiency as the renal proximal tubule maintains cir...
Photocatalytic Production of H2 on Nanocomposite Catalysts

The photocatalytic production of H2 in water with visible light using nanocomposite catalysts, which include quantum-sized (Q-sized) CdS, CdS nanoparticles embedded in zeolite cavities (CdS/zeolite), and CdS quantum dots (Q-CdS) deposited on KNbO3 (CdS/KNbO3 and Ni/NiO/KNbO3/CdS), is investigated. The rate of H2 production in alcohol/water mixtures and other electron donors at λ ≥ 400 nm is the highest with the hybrid catalyst, Ni/NiO/KNbO3/CdS with a measured quantum yield, φ, of 8.8%. The relative order of reactivity as a function of catalyst is Ni(0)/NiO/KNbO3/CdS > Ni(0)/KNbO3/CdS > KNbO3/CdS > CdS/NaY-zeolite > CdS/TiY-zeolite > CdS, while the reactivity order with respect to the array of electron donors is 2-propanol > ethanol > methanol > sulfite > sulfide. In addition, the rates of H2 production from water and water−alcohol mixtures are correlated with fluorescent emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes. Irradiation of Ni/NiO/KNbO3/CdS proceeds via the partial reduction of Cd(II) to Cd(0) on t...
Is the "I-Sign" in the 3-Vessel and Trachea View a Valid Tool for Prenatal Diagnosis of D-Transposition of the Great Arteries?

Prenatal diagnosis of D-transposition of the great arteries remains less frequent compared to other major congenital heart defects. In this study, we examined how often the 3-vessel and trachea view was abnormal in a large series of prenatally diagnosed cases of D-transposition of the great arteries. We found that an abnormal 3-vessel and trachea view in the shape of an “I” (“I-sign”), which represents an anteriorly displaced aorta, was present in all fetuses with D-transposition of the great arteries when a 3-vessel and trachea view was successfully obtained. Therefore we believe that the 3-vessel and trachea view can be used to reliably detect D-transposition of the great arteries during prenatal sonography. Key Words—D-transposition of the great arteries; obstetric ultrasound; prenatal diagnosis; 3-vessel and trachea view
Benefits and challenges of micro-enterprise participation: women's cottage industry in Kaimosi, Kenya

This article investigates the perspectives of Kenyan women in the Kaimosi cottage industry regarding the benefits and challenges of producing craft commodities for the global marketplace. Utilising qualitative methods, the research provides an understanding of issues the women faced in producing and marketing goods and offers insights for NGOs into some pitfalls for the sustainability of micro-enterprises. The women asserted that participation in the micro-enterprise had improved their family's economic well-being, helped finance their children's education, and improved their community status. This supports the literature that has found that women's involvement in micro-enterprises reduces poverty and improves well-being.
New complement roles revealed by immune gene profiling in endometriosis and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (TUM7P.957)

Endometriosis is a largely benign, chronic inflammatory disease that may predispose to some of the ovarian tumors histotypes, collectively called endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers (EAOC). Although it is widely accepted that chronic inflammation drives cancer, the immune deregulation in chronic precursors of ovarian cancer has not been systematically studied. We performed here the first comprehensive gene profile of the tissue immune microenvironment in normal endometrium, benign endometriosis and EAOC (n=133), using Nanostring and the nCounter® GX Human Immunology Kit comprising probes for 511 immune genes. We found that the complement pathway was most prominently upregulated, suggesting its involvement in the transition from chronic endometriosis to atypical (premalignant) endometriosis and to EAOC. Complement protein expression was confirmed via immunohistochemistry, which identified upregulation of complement in epithelial cells. To explore the roles of complement in early EAOC carcinogenesis, we derived several novel ovarian cell lines with conditional mutations that can be turned on and off, using the Cre-loxP system. Using this in vitro model we demonstrate that genetic instability triggers upregulation of complement genes in epithelial cells, but without an advantage on cell death. These findings reveal an early link between epithelium and innate immune environment and further support a paradigm shift on complement roles in supporting cancer growth.
Improving the Science Education of Psychology Students: Better Teaching of Methodology

Our examination of a number of widely used methodology texts in psychology revealed that they present a narrow conception of science that fails to recognize major changes in the understanding of science that have occurred since 1960. Such changes include an emphasis on explanation, theoretical promise and scientific importance, and the difficulties associated with hypothesis testing. Because these texts provide the primary source of science education for psychology students, they poorly prepare students for dealing with contemporary science. In this article, we detail the inadequacies of current methodological texts with respect to their treatment of science and describe a more currently acceptable conception of science. We provide instructors with recommendations for improving the science education of psychology students.
Akt1 regulates pathological angiogenesis, vascular maturation and permeability in vivo

Akt kinases control essential cellular functions, including proliferation, apoptosis, metabolism and transcription, and have been proposed as promising targets for treatment of angiogenesis-dependent pathologies, such as cancer and ischemic injury. But their precise roles in neovascularization remain elusive. Here we show that Akt1 is the predominant isoform in vascular cells and describe the unexpected consequences of Akt1 knockout on vascular integrity and pathological angiogenesis. Angiogenic responses in three distinct in vivo models were enhanced in Akt1−/− mice; these enhanced responses were associated with impairment of blood vessel maturation and increased vascular permeability. Although impaired vascular maturation in Akt1−/− mice may be attributed to reduced activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), the major phenotypic changes in vascular permeability and angiogenesis were linked to reduced expression of two endogenous vascular regulators, thrombospondins 1 (TSP-1) and 2 (TSP-2). Re-expression of TSP-1 and TSP-2 in mice transplanted with wild-type bone marrow corrected the angiogenic abnormalities in Akt1−/− mice. These findings establish a crucial role of an Akt-thrombospondin axis in angiogenesis.
Expression and characterization of the 66-kilodalton (NQO3) iron-sulfur subunit of the proton-translocating NADH-quinone oxidoreductase of Paracoccus denitrificans.

The proton-translocating NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (NDH-1) of Paracoccus denitrificans is composed of at least 14 dissimilar subunits which are designated NQO1-14 and contains one noncovalently bound FMN and at least five EPR-visible iron-sulfur clusters (N1a, N1b, N2, N3, and N4) as prosthetic groups. Comparison of the deduced primary structures of the subunits with consensus sequences for the cofactor binding sites has predicted that NQO1, NQO2, NQO3, NQO9, and probably NQO6 subunits are cofactor binding subunits. Previously, we have reported that the NQO2 (25 kDa) subunit was overexpressed as a water-soluble protein in Escherichia coli and was found to ligate a single [2Fe-2S] cluster with rhombic symmetry (gx,y,z = 1.92, 1.95, and 2.00) (Yano, T., Sled', V. D., Ohnishi, T., and Yagi, T.(1994) Biochemistry 33, 494-499). In the present study, the NQO3 (66 kDa) subunit, which is equivalent to the 75-kDa subunit of bovine heart Complex I, was overexpressed in E. coli. The expressed NQO3 subunit was found predominantly in the cytoplasmic phase and was purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation and anion-exchange chromatography. The chemical analyses and UV-visible and EPR spectroscopic studies showed that the expressed NQO3 subunit contains at least two distinct iron-sulfur clusters: a [2Fe-2S] cluster with axial EPR signals (g┴,║ = 1.934 and 2.026, and L┴,║ = 1.8 and 3.0 millitesla) and a [4Fe-4S] cluster with rhombic symmetry (gx,y,z = 1.892, 1.928, and 2.063, and Lx,y,z = 2.40, 1.55, and 1.75 millitesla). The midpoint redox potentials of [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] clusters at pH 8.6 are −472 and −391 mV, respectively. The tetranuclear cluster in the isolated NQO3 subunit is sensitive toward oxidants and converts into [3Fe-4S] form. The assignment of these iron-sulfur clusters to those identified in the P. denitrificans NDH-1 enzyme complex and the possible functional role of the NQO3 subunit is discussed.
Factorial Ecologies: Oblique and Orthogonal Solutions. A Case Study of the New York SMSA

The utilization of factor analytic methods in the investigation of the spatial structure of urban areas has raised several methodological concerns. Two of these issues are examined in this study: the validity of the orthogonal model, and the possibility of bias through boundary drawing.This paper thus focuses on the effect of the choice of rotational technique upon the derived factor structures at three levels of metropolitan delineation—metropolitan area, city, and inner city sub-area. The rotational techniques are examined specifically in regard to dimensional interpretation and dimensional interrelationships at the three scales of observation. The findings have important methodological implication for the investigation of microregion structural variations.
The Ammonia Tanks Tuff: Erupting a melt-rich rhyolite cap and its remobilized crystal cumulate

Abstract Super-volcanic eruption deposits, such as the Ammonia Tanks Tuff (AT; ~ 900 km 3 ), typically record the explosive evacuation of a chemically and thermally zoned shallow magma reservoir. Such zoning patterns require either 1) mixing between two magmas or 2) in-situ differentiation driven by crystal–liquid separation. Here we show, using a geochemical model firmly grounded on natural observations, that these processes are not mutually exclusive. Using an initial trachydacitic magma, the interstitial liquid evolves to a rhyolitic composition as the magma reaches high crystallinity (mush state; ≥~50% crystals). The low-density rhyolitic melt then migrates upwards and leaves behind a trachyandesite cumulate with distinctive trace element concentrations (e.g., high Ba, Sr, Zr) that can be modeled by crystal fractionation. During eruption, both liquid cap and underlying cumulate are evacuated from a shallow reservoir, leading to the observed chemical gradient. However, to account for the thermal gradient and low crystal fraction (~ 25 vol.%) in the cumulate trachyandesite of the AT tuff, a mixing stage with hot mafic recharge must have occurred prior to eruption. The late recharge induced heating, partially melting a significant portion of the crystal cargo and ultimately triggering the eruption.
Radiographic information theory: correction for x-ray spectral distribution.

A more complete computational method is developed to account for the effect of the spectral distribution of the incident x‐ray fluence on the minimum exposure required to record a specified information set in a diagnostic radiograph. It is shown that an earlier, less rigorous, but simpler computational technique does not introduce serious errors provided that both a good estimate of the mean energy per photon can be made and the detector does not contain an absorption edge in the spectral range. Also shown is that to a first approximation, it is immaterial whether the detecting surface counts the number of photons incident from each pixel or measures the energy incident on each pixel. A previous result is confirmed that, for mammography, the present methods of processing data from the detector utilize only a few percent of the incident information, suggesting that techniques can be developed for obtaining mammograms at substantially lower doses than those presently used. When used with film–screen combinations, x‐ray tubes with tungsten anodes should require substantially lower exposures than devices using molybdenum anodes, when both are operated at their optimal voltage.
SU-E-T-489: An Investigation of the Effect of Couch Bar Position on Dose Delivered with IMRT and Rapid-Arc

Purpose: To investigate the effect of different couch bar positions on dose delivered with IMRT and Rapid‐Arc. Methods: An ArcCheck with two 0.3cc ion chambers was used for dose measurements with static beam IMRT and Rapid‐Arc. One chamber was placed at the ISO, in the center of the ArcCheck at d = 13.3 cm, and another at a point on ArcCheck surface which was at the 5 o'clock position. IMRT plans in this work had five to seven beams, and at least two of these beams were at gantry angle between 0 and 60, or 300 and 360 degree. Rapid‐Arc treatments had two arc‐beams from 1.0 to 359 degree. The treatment couch was the Varian Exact Couch. The bar was placed at three positions (open, closed or at the middle) to study the effect on doses delivered for the same plan. Eleven clinical cases with 6 or 10 MV photon beams were investigated. Results: For static beam IMRT, doses delivered at ISO for different bar positions for the same plan was only moderately changed by 0.2 to 3.2% (average 1.5%) as a function of bar position. Surface dose increased between 6.8% and 15.6% when the beam passed through the bar that served as a beam build‐up. For Rapid‐Arc treatments the gantry is continuously moving, and it does not deliver large MUs at any fixed beam angle, therefore the effect of bar position is reduced. Dose at ISO was attenuated by 0.2 to 1.2 % (average 0.5%), and surface dose increased from 1.5% to 4.9%. Conclusions: Our measurements show that different bar positions affect dose delivered in treatments, particularly surface dose at some areas with static beam IMRT. This effect is considerably smaller for Rapid‐Arc.