cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
cAMP Signaling-Mediated Phosphorylation of Diacylglycerol Lipase α Regulates Interaction With Ankyrin-G and Dendritic Spine Morphology.

Abstract Background Diacylglycerol lipase α (DAGLα), a major biosynthetic enzyme for endogenous cannabinoid signaling, has emerged as a risk gene in multiple psychiatric disorders. However, its role in the regulation of dendritic spine plasticity is unclear. Methods DAGLα wild-type or point mutants were overexpressed in primary cortical neurons or human embryonic kidney 293T cells. The effects of mutated variants on interaction, dendritic spine morphology, and dynamics were examined by proximity ligation assay or fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry were performed with ankyrin-G conditional knockout and wild-type male mice. Results DAGLα modulated dendritic spine size and density, but the effects of changes in its protein level versus enzymatic activity were different, implicating either a 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)–dependent or –independent mechanism. The 2-AG–independent effects were mediated by the interaction of DAGLα with ankyrin-G, a multifunctional scaffold protein implicated in psychiatric disorders. Using superresolution microscopy, we observed that they colocalized in distinct nanodomains, which correlated with spine size. In situ proximity ligation assay combined with structured illumination microscopy revealed that DAGLα phosphorylation upon forskolin treatment enhanced the interaction with ankyrin-G in spines, leading to increased spine size and decreased DAGLα surface diffusion. Ankyrin-G conditional knockout mice showed significantly decreased DAGLα-positive neurons in the forebrain. In mice, ankyrin-G was required for forskolin-dependent reversal of depression-related behavior. Conclusions Taken together, ANK3 and DAGLA, both neuropsychiatric disorder genes, interact in a complex to regulate spine morphology. These data reveal novel synaptic signaling mechanisms and potential therapeutic avenues.
Ecological Theory and Practice in Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems: A Tale of Two LTER Sites

The chapter compares the conceptual history of two Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research sites established following land overuse in the early 1900s. Early USDA studies were based on a Clementsian model, where vegetation following disturbance was expected to return to the climax determined by climate and soils. Management-based alternatives to the Clementsian model were developed after the dominant vegetation failed to recover and alternative states were observed. The Central Plains Experimental Range LTER (later Shortgrass Steppe LTER) program began in 1981 at a site in northern Colorado. Early studies focused on the inability of the dominant species, blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), to recover on long-abandoned agricultural fields. These observations were in contrast to the resilience of blue grama-dominated ecosystems in response to livestock grazing and drought. The Jornada Basin LTER program began in 1982 at a Chihuahuan Desert site in southern New Mexico, where black grama-dominated (Bouteloua eriopoda) grasslands converted to shrublands following livestock overgrazing and drought. Early Jornada studies focused on the causes and consequences of this desertification. In collaboration with USDA scientists, the two LTER programs developed new research ideas and approaches which brought an improved understanding of historic dynamics and nuance to the Clementsian-based paradigm. New paradigms also reflected the importance of objective, long-term studies and the dynamic, multi-scale nature of these arid and semiarid ecosystems. Comparing two LTER programs at research sites sharing a conceptual basis, but with different ecosystem properties, can provide insights into the development of US grassland ecology over the past century.
Strength Under Pressure: Superwoman Schema (SWS) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) among Black Women

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a prominent public health issue in the U.S., and evidence suggests that IPV disproportionately affects Black women. Additionally, Black women who are victimized may be reluctant to report and/or seek supportive services. Given these disparities, it is important to understand the context of IPV in the Black community. Although the Superwoman Schema (SWS) conceptual framework’s utility for explaining other health-related outcomes, such as mental health issues, among Black women is emerging, its use to understand the experiences of Black women and IPV in the Black community is limited. In this paper, we provide an overview of the SWS and IPV to find intersectionality between the two among Black women, including risk factors for victimization, barriers to the usage of mental health services, strength used as a coping mechanism, religious and spiritual concerns and interventions needed for Black survivors. We argue that there is great need for more research using the SWS to understand IPV among Black women, how SWS must be integrated into cultural competency training for counselors, and policies that keep Black women who report IPV safe from incarceration.
The Rural Community Walk: A Structured Learning Experience for Understanding Place

Simplistic or uni-dimensional descriptions of place are wholly inadequate to accurately represent the complex and nuanced composition of today’s schools and the communities that surround them. This chapter describes a powerful process referred to as a Rural Community Walk (RCW) that was developed for undergraduate prospective teachers to explore, document, and grow in their understanding of the rich complexity of a rural school and community. The chapter summarises the theoretical and research bases for the RCW model and provides a set of recommendations for implementation by teacher educators, educational researchers, service organisations, and policy-makers who seek to develop a more nuanced picture of the places in which they are working and use this in-depth understanding to improve the outcomes of their efforts.
Using Public-Private Data to Understand Compliance with Mobility Restrictions in Sierra Leone

This research investigates the potential for using call detail records (CDRs) data to determine public compliance to two government mandated confinement measures in Sierra Leone: a three day lockdown and fourteen day inter district travel restriction during the first wave of the COVID19 pandemic in April 2020. We use a distance-based mobility indicator, the average distance travelled per district per day to determine compliance to government mandates. The measure is used to proxy the change in mobility compared to a baseline period for both inter- and intra-district trips in Sierra Leone. Our results show significant compliance across all districts in Sierra Leone. We also show that the intensity of compliance is influenced by poverty and population. Our work demonstrates how using CDR-based mobility analysis was carried out in Sierra Leone during the COVID19 crisis to aid policy makers in understanding the effectiveness of their COVID19 mitigation measures.
[Evaluation of the effect of the water-saving irrigation project on Oncomelania hupensis control in hilly regions of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of the water-saving irrigation project on Oncomelania hupensis snail control in hilly regions of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. METHODS A retrospective survey combined with cross-sectional investigation was employed. The implementation of the water-saving irrigation development project in Yixing City from 2005 to 2007 was retrospectively collected, and the snail status was collected in regions where the water-saving irrigation project was located and the project-affected regions from 2003 to 2018, to examine the effect of the project on snail control. In addition, a cross-sectional survey was performed to investigate the destruction of the water-saving irrigation project in 2018. RESULTS A total of 22 water-saving irrigation projects were implemented in 5 townships in hilly regions of Yixing City from 2005 to 2007, where snail habitats were treated covering 266.97 hm2. Before the implementation of the project from 2003 to 2006, cumulative 47.87 hm2 snail habitats were detected in regions where the project was located, and no snails were found in regions where the project was located from the implementation of the project in 2006 to 2018. However, a few snails were found in the project-affected regions in 2017 and 2018. In addition, there were problems found in the later-stage maintenance and management of the project. CONCLUSIONS The water-saving irrigation projects shows a high efficiency on snail control in hilly regions of Yixing City. The later-stage maintenance of the project and monitoring of snails remain to be intensified to enhance the snail control efficiency of the water-saving irrigation project.
Multimodal Ensemble Deep Learning to Predict Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Children

Oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder, collectively referred to as disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs), are prevalent psychiatric disorders in children. Early diagnosis of DBDs is crucial because they can increase the risks of other mental health and substance use disorders without appropriate psychosocial interventions and treatment. However, diagnosing DBDs is challenging as they are often comorbid with other disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression. In this study, a multimodal ensemble 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) deep learning model was used to classify children with DBDs and typically developing children. The study participants included 419 girls and 681 boys, aged 108 to 131 months who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Children were grouped based on the presence of DBDs (n=550) and typically developing (n=550); assessments were based on the scores from the Child Behavior Checklist and on the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-age Children–Present and Lifetime version for DSM-5. The diffusion, structural, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were used as input data to the 3D CNN. The model achieved 72% accuracy in classifying children with DBDs with 70% sensitivity and 72% specificity. In addition, the discriminative power of the classifier was investigated by delineating the cortical and subcortical regions primarily involved in the prediction of DBDs using a gradient class activation map. The classification results were compared with those obtained using the three neuroimaging modalities individually, and a connectome-based graph CNN and a multi-scale recurrent neural network using only the rs-fMRI data.
Morphology of Liquid–Liquid Phase Separated Aerosols

The morphology of liquid–liquid phase separated aerosols has a strong impact on their rate of gas and water uptake, and the type and rate of heterogeneous reactions in the atmosphere. However, it is extremely challenging to experimentally distinguish different morphologies (core–shell or partial wetting) of aerosols and to quantify the extent of wetting between the two phases. The aim of this work is to quantitatively predict the morphology of liquid–liquid aerosols from fundamental physical properties of the aerosol phases. We determine the equilibrium structure of liquid–liquid phase separated aerosols through free energy minimization and predict that the contact angle between the two liquids in the aerosol depends on the composition but not the amount of each phase. We demonstrate that for aerosols of diameter larger than ∼100 nm, the equilibrium contact angle can be accurately predicted from the surface tensions of each liquid with the vapor and between the two liquids through an expression that is id...
Revisiting the Interpreter’s Role: A study of conference, court, and medical interpreters in Canada, Mexico, and the United States

Through the development of a valid and reliable instrument, this book sets out to study the role that interpreters play in the various settings where they work, i.e. the courts, the hospitals, business meetings, international conferences, and schools. It presents interpreters’ perceptions and beliefs about their work as well as statements of their behaviors about their practice. For the first time, the administration and results of a survey administered across languages in Canada, Mexico and the United States offer the reader a glimpse of the interpreters' views in their own words. It also discusses the tension between professional ideology and the reality of interpreters at work. This book has implications for the theory and practice of interpreting across settings.
Knowledge networking in the public sector

In 1999, the Center for Technology in Government (CTG) began a three-year study, sponsored by NSF, that could not have been attempted without the existence of mutually beneficial working relationships with government agencies. The purpose of the study was to examine the formation and operation of knowledge networks in the public sector. The study was designed to describe, evaluate, and compare several empirical cases involving groups of agencies in New York State engaged in programmatic or administrative innovations that depended on the sharing of knowledge and information across multiple organizations. The research focused on identifying the dimensions of success and on understanding how organizational, technological, and political factors influence results. These cases emerged from long-standing problem solving relationships between CTG and the involved agencies. These problem-focused collaborations with government agencies built a foundation of familiarity and trust that allowed the researchers to have exceptionally intimate long-term access to these organizations. As a result, the study generated new theoretical knowledge about these networks--and returned ongoing benefits to the agencies in terms of organizational learning and reflection about their knowledge sharing practices and needs.
Pivotal role of STAT3 signaling in germinal center B cell and T follicular helper cell differentiation (IRC3P.458)

Germinal center (GC) B cells and T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are critical for long-lived plasma cell differentiation and high-affinity antibody production in response to T cell-dependent antigens. Previous studies demonstrated that GC formation was intact in the absence of STAT3 in B cells at day 12. However, emerging evidence suggests that IL-21/STAT3 signaling is a potent regulator for B cell differentiation. To better understand the role of STAT3 in the kinetics of GC formation and GC B cell response, we assessed GC B cells at consecutive time points following immunization with antigen OVA. In B cell conditional STAT3-dificient mice, fewer GC and GC B cells were generated upon immunization in the late phase (day 21) but not on day 14 compared with that of control mice. Increased cell death and decreased cell proliferation were found in the STAT3 deficient GC B cells. Consequently, plasma cell differentiation and antibody production were impaired in B cell STAT3-deficient mice. In addition, the Tfh cell response was correlated with the magnitude of the GC B cell response and significantly decreased in B cell STAT3-deficient mice. Furthermore, GC B cells and autoantibody production were also significantly decreased in autoreactive B cell STAT3-deficient mice after apoptotic cell immunization. These data provide new insights into the GC and Tfh differentiation and the function of STAT3 in humoral immune responses.
Epidermoid carcinoma in cystic teratomas.

Abstract Two cases of epidermoid carcinoma in dermoid cysts are reported. One patient operated on in 1945, in which case the cyst was completely removed, was living and well when last checked, six years later. The other patient died only four months following surgery. It is stressed, in view of the similarity of microscopic findings, that the determining factor between survival of the one patient and the death of the other was spillage of malignant cyst contents in the patient who succumbed.
Shigella sonnei strains isolated from U.S. summer students in Guadalajara, Mexico, from 1986 to 1992.

Plasmid DNA analysis and antibiotic susceptibilities were used to study strains of Shigella sonnei isolated from U.S. travelers to Guadalajara, Mexico, over a period of seven years (1986 to 1992). One hundred sixty-one isolates were analyzed. By the use of cluster analysis, eight different plasmid profiles were identified during this interval. At any point in time, three to seven different plasmid profiles were present in this population. The introduction of strains that carried a new plasmid with a molecular mass of 5.1 MDa was coincidental with an increase in isolation of S. sonnei in 1988. This new plasmid was present in 87.5% of the isolates that were resistant to chloramphenicol. Shigellosis in Guadalajara follows a pattern of hyperendemic transmission with transient peaks of high-frequency isolation of S. sonnei. This pattern results from the concurrent presence of a heterogeneous group of strains as opposed to the widespread transmission of one or a few clones.
Assessment of microbial populations within Chicago area nearshore waters and interfaces with river systems

The Chicago area locks separate and control water flow between the freshwaters of Lake Michigan and the network of Illinois waterways. Under extreme storm conditions, however, the locks are opened and storm waters, untreated waste, and runoff are released directly into the lake. These combined sewer overflow (CSO) events introduce microbes, viruses, and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous into nearshore waters which likely affect the native species. We collected surface water samples from four Chicago area beaches – Gillson Park, Montrose Beach, 57th Street Beach, and Calumet Beach – every two weeks from May 13 through August 5, 2014. Sampling was conducted with four biological replicates for each sampling date and location, resulting in 112 samples. Each community was surveyed through targeted sequencing of the V4 16S rRNA gene. Technical replicates were also sequenced and are included in this dataset. Taxa were identified using Mothur. Raw sequence data is available via NCBI׳s SRA database (part of BioProject PRJNA245802).
Explicit form and path regularity of Martingale representations

Let X be the solution of a stochastic differential equation driven by a Wiener process and a compensated Poisson random measure, such that X is an L 2 martingale. If H = Φ(X s ; 0 ≤ s ≤ T) is in L 2, then H = α + ∫ 0 T ξ s dX s + N T , where N is an L 2 martingale orthogonal to X (the Kunita-Watanabe decomposition). We give sufficient conditions on the functional Φ such that ξ has regular paths (that is, left-continuous with right limits). In finance this has an interpretation that the risk minimizing hedging strategy of a contingent claim in an incomplete market has “smooth” regular sample paths. This means the hedging process can be approximated and the resulting approximations will converge, along the sample paths, to the risk minimal (and hence optimal) portfolio.
Case study: Improving debt collection processes using rule-based decision engines: A case study of Capital One

This case assesses the plethora of issues related to rule-based decision engine technology, and in particular, its role in complex and dynamic organizational processes. This paper argues rule-based engines can effectively be implemented for good organizational decision making, even in environments consisting of large volumes of volatile data. Further, this case argues for the necessity of the successful integration of such rule-based technology for effectual management, improved information quality and superior decision making. This argument is conducted by analyzing the pre and post implementation situation at Capital One, a leading credit card and financial services company which has successfully implemented a large-scale rule-based decision engine system, as a component of its core debt collections processes, to achieve a hallmark competitive edge.
Sparse Cortical Current Density Imaging in Motor Potentials Induced by Finger Movement

Predominant components in electro- or magneto-encephalography (EEG/MEG) are scalp projections of synchronized neuronal electrical activity distributed over cortical structures. Reconstruction of cortical sources underlying EEG/MEG can thus be achieved with the use of the cortical current density (CCD) model. We have developed a sparse electromagnetic source imaging method based on the CCD model, named as the variation-based cortical current density (VB-SCCD) algorithm, and have shown that it has much enhanced performance in reconstructing extended cortical sources in simulations (Ding 2009 Phys. Med. Biol. 54 2683–97). The present study aims to evaluate the performance of VB-SCCD, for the first time, using experimental data obtained from six participants. The results indicate that the VB-SCCD algorithm is able to successfully reveal spatially distributed cortical sources behind motor potentials induced by visually cued repetitive finger movements, and their dynamic patterns, with millisecond resolution. These findings of motor sources and cortical systems are supported by the physiological knowledge of motor control and evidence from various neuroimaging studies with similar experiments. Furthermore, our present results indicate the improvement of cortical source resolvability of VB-SCCD, as compared with two other classical algorithms. The proposed solver embedded in VB-SCCD is able to handle large-scale computational problems, which makes the use of high-density CCD models possible and, thus, reduces model misspecifications. The present results suggest that VB-SCCD provides high resolution source reconstruction capability and is a promising tool for studying complicated dynamic systems of brain activity for basic neuroscience and clinical neuropsychiatric research.
The building of a Catal.ytic metal particle one atom at a time: solvated metal atom dispersed Catalysts

Abstract Free metal atoms and free metal clusters have profoundly different reactivities compared with clean metal surfaces or ligand-stabilized atoms and clusters. As evidence of this, Al atoms react with methane at 10 K and bare Ni clusters react with pentane at 140 K. By dispering metal atoms in excess organic solvent at low temperature, solvated metal atoms can be prepared and used as a source of metal particles for Catal.yst preparation. Both unsupported metal powders and supported metal Catal.ysts can be prepared, and each exhibits very unusual physical and Catal.ytic properties. The dispersing solvent affects the Catal.yst's activity/selectivity. Likewise, the Catal.yst support has an effect on the Catal.yst properties, although in unexpected ways. For example, small electronic support effects were realized when Ni/MgO, Ni/Al 2 O 3 , Ni/SiO 2 and Ni/C solvated metal atom dispersed (SMAD) Catal.ysts were employed for a series of test reactions. However, the support does affect the metal particle nucleation and deposition differently for Co vs. Ni supported systems. Important conclusions are, first, that the surface acidic sites affect the decomposition of the organic solvation sphere around the metal atom/cluster and thus affect the deposition/nucleation onto the support surface, and second, that the metal clusters contain large amounts of carbonaceous species (C, CH, CH 2 , etc .) and are probably attached to the Catal.yst supports through carbonaceous linkages. These carbonaceous fragments can be minimized by using a solution metal atom technique for metal deposition. The solution method yields more highly dispersed, more active Catal.ysts than the normal codeposition method, but these Catal.ysts are shorter lived.
Role of two-dimensional echocardiography in the prediction of in-hospital complications after acute myocardial infarction.

To evaluate prospectively the prognostic value of two-dimensional echocardiography after acute myocardial infarction, two-dimensional echocardiography was performed on 61 consecutive patients who were admitted to the hospital with this condition. A left ventricular wall motion score index was derived from analysis of regional wall motion; an index of 2.0 or more within 12 hours of admission identified patients at high risk for pump failure, malignant ventricular arrhythmia or death. These complications occurred in 24 of 27 patients with an initial wall motion score index of 2.0 or more, but in only 6 of 34 with an initial index of less than 2.0 (p After acute myocardial infarction, early determination of the wall motion score index by two-dimensional echocardiography is useful for identifying patients at high risk for complications and is especially valuable in the subset of patients who initially seem to be in stable condition as judged from clinical variables.
Mismatch of left ventricular function and infarct size demonstrated by technetium-99m isonitrile imaging after reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction: identification of myocardial stunning and hyperkinesia.

Abstract Quantitation of perfusion defect size using tomographic imaging with technetium-99m-hexakis-2-methoxy isobutyl isonitrile was performed at the time of hospital discharge in 32 patients with a first myocardial infarction who underwent successful coronary reperfusion within 8 h of the onset of chest pain. Reperfusion was accomplished with thrombolysis or primary coronary angioplasty. Radionuclide angiography was performed at discharge and 6 weeks later. There was a close correlation between perfusion defect size and values for ejection fraction and regional wall motion both at discharge (r = −0.80 and −0.75, respectively) and 6 weeks later (r = −0.81 and −0.81, respectively). There was no overall group difference in ejection fraction between the value at discharge and at 6 weeks; however, five patients had a significant increase (≥0.08) and six had a significant decrease (≥0.08) in ejection fraction. In patients with a significant increase at 6 weeks, ejection fraction was significantly lower at discharge than the value predicted from perfusion defect size (0.37 ± 0.09 measured versus 0.47 ± 0.13 predicted, p Left ventricular ejection fraction at the time of hospital discharge is a potentially misleading index of the efficacy of reperfusion therapy for myocardial infarction. In a significant minority (34%) of patients this index does not accurately reflect perfusion defect size, apparently because of the effects of myocardial stunning and compensatory hyperkinesia.
Aspects of achondroplasia in the skulls of dwarf transgenic mice: A cephalometric study

Achondroplasia, the most common short-limbed dwarfism in humans, results from a single nucleotide substitution in the gene for fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). FGFR3 regulates bone growth in part via the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK). To examine the role of this pathway in chondrocyte differentiation, a transgenic mouse was generated that expresses a constitutively active mutant of MEK1 in chondrocytes and exhibits dwarfing characteristics typical of human achondroplasia, i.e., shortened axial and appendicular skeletons, mid-facial hypoplasia, and dome-shaped cranium. In this study, cephalometrics of the MEK1 mutant skulls were assessed to determine if the MEK1 mice are a good model of achondroplasia. Skull length, arc of the cranial vault, and area, maximum and minimum diameters of the brain case were measured on digitized radiographs of skulls of MEK1 and control mice. Cranial base and nasal bone length and foramen magnum diameter were measured on midsagittal micro-CT sections. Data were normalized by dividing by the cube root of each animal's weight. Transgenic mice exhibited a domed skull, deficient midface, and (relatively) prognathic mandible and had a shorter cranial base and nasal bone than the wild-type. Skull length was significantly less in transgenic mice, but cranial arc was significantly greater. The brain case was larger and more circular and minimum diameter of the brain case was significantly greater in transgenic mice. The foramen magnum was displaced anteriorly but not narrowed. MEK1 mouse cephalometrics confirm these mice as a model for achondroplasia, demonstrating that the MAP kinase signaling pathway is involved in FGF signaling in skeletal development.
Dispersive segregation of nucleosomes during replication of simian virus 40 chromosomes

The distribution of preformed ("old") histone octamers between the two arms of DNA replication forks was analyzed in simian virus 40(SV40)-infected cells following treatment with cycloheximide to prevent nucleosome assembly from nascent histones. Viral chromatin synthesized in the presence of cycloheximide was shown to be deficient in nucleosomes. Replicating SV40 DNA (wild-type 800 and capsid assembly mutant, tsB11) was radiolabeled in either intact cells or nuclear extracts supplemented with cytosol. Nascent nucleosomal monomers were then released by extensive digestion of isolated nuclei, nuclear extracts or isolated viral chromosomes with micrococcal nuclease. The labeled nucleosomal DNA was purified and found to hybridize to both strands of SV40 DNA restriction fragments taken from each side of the origin of DNA replication, whereas Okazaki fragments hybridized only to the strand representing the retrograde DNA template. In addition, isolated, replicating SV40 chromosomes were digested with two strand-specific exonucleases that excised nascent DNA from either the forward or the retrograde side of replication forks. Pretreatment of cells with cycloheximide did not result in an excess of prenucleosomal DNA on either side of replication forks, but did increase the amount of internucleosomal DNA. These data are consistent with a dispersive model for nucleosome segregation in which "old" histone octamers are distributed to both arms of DNA replication forks.
Bone metabolic effects of single-dose zoledronate in healthy dogs

Zoledronate, an aminobisphosphonate with potent antiresorptive activity in bone, has the potential for treatment of malignant osteolysis and hypercalcemia in dogs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bone metabolic effects of a single dose of zoledronate in healthy dogs. Four skeletally mature, male, intact dogs received a 15-minute i.v. infusion of zoledronate at a dosage of 0.25 mg/kg. Urine N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) excretion decreased significantly from baseline by 76, 63, 77, and 73% on days 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively (P < .0125). Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (bALP) decreased significantly from baseline by 36 and 42% on days 21 and 28, respectively (P < .0125). No changes were detected in indices of calcium homeostasis (ionized calcium, intact PTH, or urine calcium excretion). Single-dose i.v. zoledronate at 0.25 mg/kg appears to inhibit homeostatic osteolytic activity in healthy, skeletally mature dogs. Prospective studies should assess repeated-dose safety and activity in healthy and diseased animals of various age groups.
Training artificial neural networks (ANNs) with multiple target values to reduce output uncertainty

We have shown previously that there is uncertainty associated with the output of artificial neural network (ANN) and we have now developed a new method to reduce this uncertainty by training ANNs with multiple target values. In conventional ANN training, binary target values are used to represent, e.g., benign and malignant cases. However, this method does not take into consideration the various histology subtypes. In this work, we used both simulated datasets and a mammography dataset to show that the conventional training method leads to larger uncertainty in the ANN output. Eight ANNs were trained by choosing different initial weights and ANN output variance was measured by the average standard deviation (SD) of the 8 ANNs' outputs for each test case. In the simulation, in addition to the conventional training method using binary target values, we also trained ANNs with multiple target values, and a set of continuous target values derived from a likelihood ratio of the underlying distributions. For the mammogram study, we assigned multiple target values based on histology subtypes. Both the simulation and mammogram studies showed that ANNs produce very close overall performance regardless the training methods. However, training neural networks with multiple target values demonstrated lower uncertainty in the ANN outputs.
Re-collecting David Bowie: The Next Day and late-career stardom

At her dinner speech during the recent opening of the David Bowie is … exhibit at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, David Bowie fan and emulator Tilda Swinton (2013) posed a question that borrow...
Heterosis and Inbreeding Depression for Forage Yield and Fiber Concentration in Smooth Bromegrass

Voluntary intake is generally considered to be the single most important factor limiting animal performance on high-forage diets. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) is the laboratory variable most closely associated with voluntary intake potential. However, selection for low NDF generally leads to reduced forage yield. The objectives of this study were to estimate the correlation between forage yield and NDF and to determine heterotic responses for both traits. Seven clones of smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) were crossed in a diallel and four of the Bones were self-pollinated to create S1 families. The seven parent clones showed considerable diversity, as measured by 329 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers, mostly related to their pedigrees. The phenotypic correlation between forage yield and NDF decreased across generations, from 0.86 for parents, to 0.63 for GCA effects, and 0.49 for the 21 cross means. The genotypic correlation between forage yield and NDF was reduced from 0.99 for parents to 0.71 for the 21 crosses. Forage yield heterosis effects averaged 14% with a range of -4 to 39%, with 15 of 21 values significantly different from zero. Midparent heterosis effects for NDF averaged -0.5% with a range of -3.1 to 2.6%, with seven of 21 values significantly different from zero. Midparent heterosis effects for forage yield and NDF had a moderate correlation of 0.44. The change in correlations across generations suggested that a part of the genetic correlation between forage yield and NDF is regulated by linkage.
Legal Practice Rights of Domestic and Foreign Lawyers in the United States

In the post-World War II international economy, with its enormous growth in transnational trade and investment, multinational legal practice has become a functional reality. 1 Within the last two decades, the volume of trans-border legal practice has grown enormously in fields such as trade law, international banking and finance, international arbitration and litigation, international contractual and joint venture arrangements, transborder acquisitions and mergers, international antitrust, international tax planning, and foreign investment counselling. Domestic law firms within the leading commercial nations have not only grown substantially in size, often by merger, they have also increasingly created networks of foreign branch offices, or entered into international association or joint venture relationships with firms in other countries. 2
Ex vivo Evans blue assessment of the blood brain barrier in three breast cancer brain metastasis models

The limited entry of anticancer drugs into the central nervous system represents a special therapeutic challenge for patients with brain metastases and is primarily due to the blood brain barrier (BBB). Albumin-bound Evans blue (EB) dye is too large to cross the BBB but can grossly stain tissue blue when the BBB is disrupted. The course of tumor development and the integrity of the BBB were studied in three preclinical breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) models. A luciferase-transduced braintropic clone of MDA-231 cell line was used. Nude mice were subjected to stereotactic intracerebral inoculation, mammary fat pad-derived tumor fragment implantation, or carotid artery injections. EB was injected 30 min prior to euthanasia at various timepoints for each of the BCBM model animals. Serial bioluminescent imaging demonstrated exponential tumor growth in all models. Carotid BCBM appeared as diffuse multifocal cell clusters. EB aided the localization of metastases ex vivo. Tumor implants stained blue at 7 days whereas gross staining was not evident until day 14 in the stereotactic model and day 28 for the carotid model. EB assessment of the integrity of the BBB provides useful information relevant to drug testing in preclinical BCBM models.
Nanoscale copper oxide ring structure on an SrTiO3 substrate

Nanoscale rings with diameters ranging from 70 to 120 nm and densities of up to 10 9 cm−2 have been observed on the surface of a thin copper film during processing by oxygen plasma at temperatures in the range from 600 to 700°C. The copper film was deposited on SrTiO3 under ultra-high-vacuum conditions at room temperature. The structural and chemical behaviours of the surface have been investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XPS showed that cupric oxide formed and that the amount of copper left on the surface decreased significantly. AFM showed that self-assembled rings formed at later stages of the process. Theoretical analysis of the initial growth stage showed that the ring morphology arose owing to surface diffusion induced by the elastic strain gradient at the film surface. Analysis of the ring growth dynamics also revealed that sublimation suppresses the growth of the ring morphology except within a finite-wavelength band of growing perturbations.
D-C Aircrart Generator Power Center

This paper covers the development of a co-ordinated d-c aircraft generator control and protective unit of the draw-out type. The scheme of operation of the unit is described briefly and the advantages of using such a co-ordinate (control assembly are discussed.
“Subsistence Agriculture”: Analytical Problems and Alternative Concepts

This article argues that the concept of “subsistence agriculture”—widely encountered and long used in the literature—is not meaningful enough to be analytically useful as usually employed and should be abandoned. Particularly important for policy is the fact that use of the term “subsistence agriculture” leads to implicitly treating all small‐scale agriculture as a homogeneous residual made up of producers who vary little in their potential contribution to economic development. Data are presented which strongly suggest that small‐scale agriculture in less‐developed countries is not homogeneous so far as decision‐making situations are concerned. The second half of the article considers development of an alternative set of criteria for classifying small‐scale farmers that would reflect meaningful differences in decision‐making experience and decision‐making situations. A tentative set of such criteria for which data are now available, or could be developed with relative ease, are presented to illustrate the relevance of such a classification for development planning and policy.
Model-driven predictive deconvolution

A gap‐deconvolution filter with gap α is defined as the prediction error operator with prediction distance α. A spike‐deconvolution filter is defined as the prediction error operator with prediction distance unity. That is, a spike‐deconvolution filter is the special case of a gap‐deconvolution filter with gap equal to one time unit. Generally, the designation “gap deconvolution” is reserved for the case when α is greater than one, and the term “spike deconvolution” is used when α is equal to one. It is often stated that gap deconvolution with gap α shortens an input wavelet of arbitrary length to an output wavelet of length α (or less). Since an arbitrary value of α can be chosen, it would follow that resolution or wavelet contraction may be controlled by use of gap deconvolution. In general, this characterization of gap deconvolution is true for arbitrary α if and only if the wavelet is minimum delay (i.e., minimum phase). The method of model‐driven deconvolution can be used in the case of a nonminimum‐...
Hierarchical clustering of ryanodine receptors enables emergence of a calcium clock in sinoatrial node cells.

The sinoatrial node, whose cells (sinoatrial node cells [SANCs]) generate rhythmic action potentials, is the primary pacemaker of the heart. During diastole, calcium released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via ryanodine receptors (RyRs) interacts with membrane currents to control the rate of the heartbeat. This “calcium clock” takes the form of stochastic, partially periodic, localized calcium release (LCR) events that propagate, wave-like, for limited distances. The detailed mechanisms controlling the calcium clock are not understood. We constructed a computational model of SANCs, including three-dimensional diffusion and buffering of calcium in the cytosol and SR; explicit, stochastic gating of individual RyRs and L-type calcium channels; and a full complement of voltage- and calcium-dependent membrane currents. We did not include an anatomical submembrane space or inactivation of RyRs, the two heuristic components that have been used in prior models but are not observed experimentally. When RyRs were distributed in discrete clusters separated by >1 µm, only isolated sparks were produced in this model and LCR events did not form. However, immunofluorescent staining of SANCs for RyR revealed the presence of bridging RyR groups between large clusters, forming an irregular network. Incorporation of this architecture into the model led to the generation of propagating LCR events. Partial periodicity emerged from the interaction of LCR events, as observed experimentally. This calcium clock becomes entrained with membrane currents to accelerate the beating rate, which therefore was controlled by the activity of the SERCA pump, RyR sensitivity, and L-type current amplitude, all of which are targets of β-adrenergic–mediated phosphorylation. Unexpectedly, simulations revealed the existence of a pathological mode at high RyR sensitivity to calcium, in which the calcium clock loses synchronization with the membrane, resulting in a paradoxical decrease in beating rate in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. The model indicates that the hierarchical clustering of surface RyRs in SANCs may be a crucial adaptive mechanism. Pathological desynchronization of the clocks may explain sinus node dysfunction in heart failure and RyR mutations.
Transient bow shock around a cylinder in a supersonic dusty plasma

Visual observations of the formation of a bow shock in the transient supersonic flow of a dusty plasma incident on a biased cylinder are presented. The bow shock formed when the advancing front of a streaming dust cloud was reflected by the obstacle. After its formation, the density jump of the bow shock increased as it moved upstream of the obstacle. A physical picture for the formation of the electrohydrodynamic bow shock is discussed.
Thermophoretic transport with application to external vapor deposition processes

Abstract A study has been made of the flow, heat transfer and thermophoretic transport with application to external vapor deposition processes. In this work the system studied consists of a jet emerging from a burner containing silica soot particles that are impinging on a disk which serves as the target for the depositing material. The motion of the particles is determined from the combined effects of thermophoresis, buoyancy and the forced flow. The governing conservation equations, which include the effects of buoyancy, variable properties and thermophoretic transport have been solved numerically. The effects of the particle distribution at the exit from the burner, the burner location, and the disk dimensions on particle deposition are studied. The local and average particle deposition and heat fluxes and the variation of the deposition efficiency are investigated over a range of values of the parameters.
Recent Developments in Morphological Control of α-Al2O3 Particles Synthesized in 1,4-Butanediol Solution

Direct precipitation of metal oxides from high boiling point organic solvents presents an alternative to wholly aqueous hydrothermal material synthesis routes. In the current study, reaction conditions to control particle size and shape of α-alumina, precipitated from 1,4-butanediol solutions are described. Synthesis variables including reaction time, stirring speed, amount of methanol, and solid loading have a strong effect on the size and shape of α-alumina synthesized in 1,4-butanediol solutions conditions to prepare α-alumina crystals with different habits including circular platelets, hexagonal platelets, hexagonal platelets with habit modifications on the edges, dodecahedra, polyhedra with 14 faces, polyhedra with 20 faces, hexagonal prisms, and hexagonal prisms with habit modifications on the edges are presented. Possible growth mechanisms of α-Al2O3 particles in 1,4-butanediol solution are proposed based on theoretical shape and atomic surface structure generated with programs SHAPE© and ATOMS©. T...
Diffuse Scattering of X-rays from Sylvine at Low Temperature

By use of a modification of the photographic method described by Claus the authors have compared the intensities of x-rays of wave-length 0.43A diffusely scattered from sylvine at angles in the range 25\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} at a temperature of 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K with the intensities at these same angles at a temperature of 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Jauncey and Harvey have shown that the intensity of the diffusely scattered rays should be given by $S={S}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ $\frac{\ensuremath{-}{F}^{2}}{Z}$, where ${S}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ is independent of the temperature and $F$ is the atomic structure factor containing the effect of thermal agitation. With James and Brindley's $F$ values at 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K theoretical values of $S$ for 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K have been calculated. The experimental $S$ values at 90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K are lower than the theoretical $S$ values. This result is in accord with that found by Claus for rocksalt. Plotting $log \frac{({S}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{-}{S}_{1})}{({S}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{-}{S}_{2})}$, where the subscripts refer to the two temperatures, against $\frac{(\frac{{sin}^{2}\ensuremath{\varphi}}{2})}{{\ensuremath{\lambda}}^{2}}$ a straight line is obtained whose slope agrees with that required by the Waller and not the Debye formula for the temperature effect. It is impossible by means of this experiment to show whether or not there is zero point energy. In order to do this an assumption concerning the electron distribution in the atom must be made.