cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Silverleaf Nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a Reservoir Host for 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum', the Putative Causal Agent of Zebra Chip Disease of Potato

Zebra chip disease of potato is caused by the bacterial pathogen 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' and is a growing concern for commercial potato production in several countries in North and Central America and New Zealand. 'Ca. L. solanacearum' is vectored by the potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli, which transmits the pathogen to several cultivated and wild solanaceaous host plants. Silverleaf nightshade (SLN), Solanum elaeagnifolium, is a common weed in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and a host for both the potato psyllid and 'Ca. L. solanacearum'. SLN plants were successfully inoculated with 'Ca. L. solanacearum' under laboratory conditions. Retention studies demonstrated that 'Ca. L. solanacearum'-infected SLN planted in the field in January 2013, concurrent with commercial potato planting, retained the pathogen under field conditions throughout the year despite extensive dieback during summer. The presence of 'Ca. L. solanacearum' was confirmed in leaves, roots, and stolons of SLN plants collected the following year using polymerase chain reaction. Acquisition assays using B. cockerelli adults also revealed that SLN retained the pathogen. Transmission studies determined that B. cockerelli can acquire 'Ca. L. solanacearum' within a 2-week acquisition access period on 'Ca. L. solanacearum'-infected SLN and subsequently transmit the pathogen to potato. These results demonstrate that SLN plants can serve as a reservoir for 'Ca. L. solanacearum', providing a source of inoculum for B. cockerelli adults colonizing potato the next season. The presence of SLN plants all year round in the LRGV makes the weed an epidemiologically important host. These findings underscore the importance of eradicating or managing SLN plants growing in the vicinity of potato fields to prevent spread of 'Ca. L. solanacearum' and damage caused by zebra chip.
Wavelet filter evaluation for image compression

Choice of filter bank in wavelet compression is a critical issue that affects image quality as well as system design. Although regularity is sometimes used in filter evaluation, its success at predicting compression performance is only partial. A more reliable evaluation can be obtained by considering an L-level synthesis/analysis system as a single-input, single-output, linear shift-variant system with a response that varies according to the input location module (2/sup L/,2/sup L/). By characterizing a filter bank according to its impulse response and step response in addition to regularity, we obtain reliable and relevant (for image coding) filter evaluation metrics. Using this approach, we have evaluated all possible reasonably short (less than 36 taps in the synthesis/analysis pair) minimum-order biorthogonal wavelet filter banks. Of this group of over 4300 candidate filter banks, we have selected and present here the filters best suited to image compression. While some of these filters have been published previously, others are new and have properties that make them attractive in system design. >
Multi-beam GEO satellite concept for the mobile user objective system

The mobile user objective system (MUOS), the next-generation ultra-high frequency (UHF) military satellite communications system, will face several technical challenges, including accommodating users operating low-power hand-held terminals. The U.S. Navy (PNW-146) tasked The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to develop a geo-synchronous (GEO) satellite concept for MUOS that will have the flexibility to provide various types of new narrow-band communications services as well as be able to function with legacy terminals. The satellite concept consists of four GEO satellites that will use several advanced communications techniques to accommodate the new requirements. In particular, the satellites will benefit from technical advances in satellite subsystems such as efficient solar cells and batteries, lightweight structures, and attitude control mechanisms and sensors. Advances in payload technology such as large antennas and signal processing will also have a significant impact, and advanced modulation and source coding techniques will maximize spectrum use. This paper describes the spacecraft design (excluding the communications payload), telemetry tracking and control operations, the ground segment including gateway architecture and mobile terminal design, legacy terminal issues, and the frequency spectrum environment.
Concordance of preoperative prostate endorectal MRI with subsequent prostatectomy specimen in high-risk prostate cancer patients

Abstract Objective Endorectal MRI (ER-MRI) may identify areas suspicious for prostate cancer. We evaluated the accuracy of ER-MRI compared with subsequent pathology specimen from prostatectomy. Materials and methods We reviewed 309 open radical retropubic prostatectomy cases (RRP) from 2003 to 2008 to identify 94 men with a preoperative ER-MRI, which was obtained in patients with high-risk factors suspicious for local extension (Gleason grade ≥ 4+3, PSA ≥ 10 ng/ml, abnormal rectal exam, or extensive biopsy core involvement). Findings of extracapsular extension (ECE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), and lymphadenopathy (LAD) on ER-MRI were compared with subsequent findings on pathology specimens. Results Ninety-four men underwent preoperative ER-MRI. No tumor was seen on ER-MRI in 9 men (10%). Of 94 ER-MRIs, 4% showed SVI, and 12% had ECE. At prostatectomy, lymph nodes were pathologically positive in 10 men, none of which were enlarged on ER-MRI. RRP was aborted in 3 of these 10 patients due to positive nodes confirmed on frozen section. Comparing ER-MRI results to subsequent prostatectomy specimen the results for accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, specificity were 70%, 27%, 76%, 14%, 88% for ECE and 93%, 75%, 94%, 38%, 99% for SVI. The accuracy of ECE prediction was 86% in abnormal rectal exam vs. 66% in normal exam (P Conclusions Endorectal MRI in the evaluation of high-risk prostate cancer was moderately accurate for SV involvement but inaccurate for ECE and insensitive for metastatic lymph node involvement. The predictive accuracy of ER-MRI improved in patients with an abnormal rectal exam.
P-Wave Residual Differences and Inferences on an Upper Mantle Source for the Silent Canyon Volcanic Centre, Southern Great Basin, Nevada

Summary Teleseismic P-wave travel-time residuals from six large nuclear detonations in the caldera of the Silent Canyon volcanic centre of the Nevada Test Site have been reduced by corresponding P-wave residuals of a nearby reference event (Dumont) in an attempt to map the deep structure of this volcanic centre. Each set of residual difference data is plotted on a projection of the lower focal hemisphere of Dumont. After corrections were applied for known low velocity rocks in the Silent Canyon caldera, data clusters of at least -1.0 s were found to dominate observations in the distance range 60–90 degrees. These large negative delays indicate the existence of a major high velocity anomaly that is directly beneath the Silent Canyon volcanic centre. Teleseismic P-wave residuals of two additional nuclear explosions, outside both the Silent Canyon caldera and the region of the reference event, were also reduced by Dumont residuals. The resulting data are distinct from the Silent Canyon residual difference fields and serve as a control on the primary experiment. The observed differential residuals, independent data on trace and major element chemistry of Silent Canyon lavas, and direct observations of effective Q argue that the high velocity anomaly is in the upper mantle. A model that satisfies the observed residual differences and which is consistent with additional seismic data possesses an anomalous zone which begins beneath the Mohorovicic discontinuity, at a depth of 40–50 km, extends to a depth of 170–190 km, and has a volume of 350000–600000 km3. This zone is interpreted as representing upper mantle material that has been largely depleted of its partial melt component by various differentiation processes and by associated eruption of the partial melt material through the Silent Canyon volcanic centre.
Structural and Functional Brain Abnormalities in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is associated with changes in the structure and functioning of a number of key brain systems, including prefrontal and medial temporal lobe regions involved in working memory and declarative memory, respectively. Imaging techniques provide an unparalleled window into these changes, allowing repeated assessments across pre- and post-onset stages of the disorder and in relation to critical periods of brain development. Here we review recent directions in structural and functional neuroimaging research on schizophrenia. The view emerging from this work is that schizophrenia is fundamentally a disorder of disrupted neural connectivity, the sources of which appear to be genetic and environmental risk factors influencing brain development both prenatally and during adolescence.
Fungal gene expression in early symbiotic interactions between Laccaria bicolor and red pine

Ectomycorrhizas are mutualistic symbiotic organs formed by interaction between plant roots and fungi. Mycorrhizal initiation, development and functional maintenance involve morphological changes that are mediated by activation and suppression of several fungal and plant genes. During the pre-infection stage, a harmonized crosstalk takes place between the symbionts, to determine their compatibility. Upon mutual recognition, the symbionts initiate further physiological and morphological changes essential for the formation of the symbiotic organ. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying these events, we developed an interaction-specific cDNA library from Laccaria bicolor that represents fungal genes regulated by its interaction with Pious resinosa roots. Membrane array analyses of these cDNAs suggested that a wide variety of genes are involved in the pre-infection stage processes.
Impact of land use on southwest Australian regional climate

Using GMS-5 visible imagery over southwestern Australia, cumulus clouds are detected as a function of land cover use using the structural thresholding method. An ASTER image is then used to retrieve surface energy flux and moisture availability over agricultural and native vegetation areas. Results show that cumulus clouds form more frequently over native vegetation during summer and over agricultural areas during the winter months. Retrieved surface energy fluxes and moisture availability suggests that higher latent heat fluxes are responsible for the observed higher cumulus frequency over perennial vegetation during the summer.
Acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis: Diagnosis and therapy

• Objective: To review the diagnosis and treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis (AECB). • Methods: Qualitative assessment of the literature. • Results: The physician must first make an accurate determination of the cause of the AECB. Antibiotics are appropriate only for patients proven or suspected of having a bacterial infection. Patients with purulent sputum and multisymptom exacerbations have a greater likelihood of a bacterial pathogen and will benefit most from antibiotic therapy. When choosing an antibiotic, it is important to stratify patients with regard to clinical features suggesting a higher likelihood of treatment failure or of a shorter disease-free interval. Various classes of antibiotics are available for treatment of uncomplicated and complicated AECB, which allows the physician flexibility in treating the patient who recently has been exposed to a class of antibiotics. Given the increased likelihood of resistant isolates in such a patient, an agent from an alternate class may be ideal. Oral steroids are also an important component of therapy in AECBs, particularly in exacerbations of greater severity. Measures to reduce the risk of recurrence (ie, bronchodilators, steroids) should be considered as a means to prevent deterioration in health status and pulmonary function. • Conclusion: Given the negative effects of AECBs on patients’ health status, appropriate treatment of AECBs and institution of interventions to prevent recurrent exacerbations is an important component in the management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Abstract 1525: Nuclear homeoprotein SIX1 is associated with stage and grade of endometrial carcinoma.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Introduction: SIX1 is a member of the homeoprotein gene family encoding transcription factors involved in normal embryogenesis. These proteins function in the cell nucleus to regulate transcription of genes that drive differentiation. SIX1 is also aberrantly expressed in numerous human malignancies, including breast, ovarian and cervical carcinomas. In a mouse model, SIX1 initiates transformation of mammary epithelial cells to diverse histologic types of carcinoma. SIX1 has not yet been studied in endometrial carcinoma, which is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States. Thus, our goal was to evaluate SIX1 in clinical samples of endometrial carcinoma and determine if there was an association with stage and grade. Methods: A tissue microarray (TMA) was created using endometrial carcinoma cases (n=55) and benign controls (i.e. proliferative, secretory and atrophic endometrium) (n=12). Endometrioid and serous histologic types were included in the carcinoma cases. The TMA was stained using a rabbit polyclonal anti-SIX1 antibody (Sigma). The TMA was then scored in a blinded manner by a single pathologist, using presence versus absence of nuclear staining for the stromal cells and the epithelial cells. Clinical data was collected on these samples to include height, weight, BMI, grade (FIGO 1, 2 or 3) and stage (1A, 1B-2B, 3A-4B). Results: Few controls had nuclear SIX1 in epithelial cells while all controls had nuclear SIX1 in stromal cells. In endometrial cancer samples, there was significantly increased nuclear SIX1 staining in the epithelial cells compared to controls, while there was less nuclear SIX1 in stromal cells. This finding was more pronounced with increasing grade and stage of tumor ([Table 1][1]). Conclusions: Nuclear SIX1 expression is associated with increased grade and stage of endometrial cancer. These findings suggest that SIX1 may play a role in the progression of this common cancer and have utility as a marker of more aggressive disease. View this table: Table 1. Percentage of uterine samples with nuclear SIX1 staining in epithelial and stromal cells Citation Format: Sara E. Wobker, Wendy N. Jefferson, Carmen J. Williams, Victoria L. Bae-Jump. Nuclear homeoprotein SIX1 is associated with stage and grade of endometrial carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1525. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1525 [1]: #T1
RNA induced enhancement of wire climbing in the rat

Rats receiving an IP injection of neuronal RNA from donors trained on a wire climbing task performed significantly better over a three day learning period than did naive RNA or reagent blank controls. There were no significant differences between the naive RNA and reagent blank groups.
Seedless initiation as an efficient, sustainable route to anisotropic gold nanoparticles.

Seedless initiation has been used as a simple and sustainable alternative to seed-mediated production of two canonical anisotropic gold nanoparticles: nanorods and nanoprisms. The concentration of reducing agent during the nucleation event was found to influence the resulting product morphology, producing nanorods with lengths from 30 to 630 nm and triangular or hexagonal prisms with vertex-to-vertex lengths ranging from 120 to over 700 nm. The seedless approach is then used to eliminate several chemical reagents and reactions steps from classic particle preparations while achieving almost identical nanoparticle products and product yields. Our results shed light on factors that influence (or do not influence) the evolution of gold nanoparticle shape and present a dramatically more efficient route to obtaining these architectures. Specifically, using these methods reduces the total amount of reagent needed to produce nanorods and nanoprisms by as much as 90 wt % and, to the best of our knowledge, has yiel...
A Network Optimization Method Based on Resource Sharing of Power Optical Cable Lines

There are two kinds of optical cables,i.e.,the ordinary optical cable and the special power opitcal cable such as optical fiber composite overhead ground wire(OPGW) and all-dielectric self-supporting optical cable(ADSS) optical cable,used in the underlying structure of power optical cable networks.The index of configuration ratio of special power opitcal cable line to tranmission line is an important factor impacting the construction cost of power optical cable network.Throughly considering the particularity of power optical cable network construction and the differences of cost structure,an evoluation index of resource sharing is designed,and an optimization method of optical cable route in loop communication system,in which the demand relation of communication capacity requirement and sharing of optical cables are taken into account,is proposed.Taking the backbone loop communication network for 500 kV substations in a certain provincial power company as the case,the optimization schemes of optical cable network for 500kV substations under different conditions are analyzed and compared..
Valuation of Agricultural Property Surrounding a Resort Community.

This article compares the attributes of a hedonic model for valuing real estate located near Jackson Hole, Wyoming with the attributes of a hedonic model for valuing agricultural property located throughout the remainder of Wyoming. It is observed that attributes affecting the value of resort property located near Jackson Hole are significantly different from attributes affecting the value of the remaining agricultural property. Resort properties, even though classified as agricultural, derive their values from scenic amenities, existence of streams, vegetation and relative location. Alternatively, agricultural lands throughout the remainder of Wyoming derive value from a combination of significantly different productive and nonproductive attributes. Classifying resort properties as agricultural properties results in substantial savings in real estate property taxes.
Human platelet cGI-PDE: expression in yeast and localization of the catalytic domain by deletion mutagenesis

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an important modulator of platelet responses to agonists. Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) controls intracellular cAMP concentrations by hydrolyzing it to AMP. The major PDE activity in platelets is PDE3A (cyclic guanosine monophosphate [cGMP]-inhibited PDE). To obtain structural information on platelet PDE3A, we cloned the enzyme cDNA from a human erythroleukemia cell (HEL) library since the cell line expresses many platelet proteins. This clone consists of 87% of the full-length human myocardial PDE3A cDNA, spanning from nucleotides 456 to 4606, and is identical in sequence. The nucleotide coding for the N terminal 179 amino acid sequence (nt 1-536) as well as four other cDNAs (nt 1459-1632, nt 1765-1986, nt 2152-2538, and nt 2978-3375) obtained by RT-PCR of platelet RNA are also identical to the myocardial sequences, indicating that the HEL, myocardial, and platelet PDE3As are the same. Northern blot analysis of HEL cell RNA detected two mRNAs of 7.5 and 4.4 kb. Four new deletion mutants are reported. PDE 3A delta 1 and PDE 3A delta 2, encoding amino acids 665 to 1141 and amino acids 679 to 1141, respectively, were expressed in a PDE-deficient yeast. They displayed PDE activities of 172 and 79 pmol/mg/min, respectively. PDE 3A delta 3 and PDE 3A delta 4, encoding amino acids 686 to 1141 and 700 to 1141, had no detectable PDE activity. All mutant proteins were expressed as determined by Western blot analysis. These findings localize the PDE3A catalytic domain to within amino acid residues 679 to 1141.
Bradyarrhythmias, Emergency Pacing, and Implantable Defibrillation Devices

This article reviews new developments in the field of cardiac pacing. Special emphasis is placed on dual chamber temporary pacing, external transthoracic cardiac pacing, and antitachycardia pacing. The role of the automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) in patients with sudden cardiac death is also explored with emphasis on the presentation of such patients to intensive care units.
Affirmative Inaction: Education, Language Proficiency, and Socioeconomic Attainment Among China's Uyghur Minority

Abstract:This study finds that the Mandarin proficiency is partially responsible for the gap in socioeconomic inequality between the Han majority and the Uyghur Muslim minority. Multiple sources of evidence show that Uyghur Muslims share equal educational attainment as the Han majority, but are noticeably less fluent in Mandarin than the Han majority. Using data from the 2012 China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey (CLDS), we find that Mandarin proficiency can significantly improve occupational attainment and income. In other words, holding other factors equal, if ethnic minorities speak better Mandarin, they would have better chances to improve their socioeconomic status.
A single gene connects stiffness in glaucoma and the vascular system

Arterial calcification results in arterial stiffness and higher systolic blood pressure. Arterial calcification is prevented by the high expression of the Matrix-Gla gene (MGP) in the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) of the arteries' tunica media. Originally, MGP, a gene highly expressed in cartilage and VSMC, was found to be one of the top expressed genes in the trabecular meshwork. The creation of an Mgp-lacZ Knock-In mouse and the use of mouse genetics revealed that in the eye, Mgp's abundant expression is localized and restricted to glaucoma-associated tissues from the anterior and posterior segments. In particular, it is specifically expressed in the regions of the trabecular meshwork and of the peripapillary sclera that surrounds the optic nerve. Because stiffness in these tissues would significantly alter outflow facility and biomechanical scleral stress in the optic nerve head (ONH), we propose MGP as a strong candidate for the regulation of stiffness in glaucoma. MGP further illustrates the presence of a common function affecting key glaucomatous parameters in the front and back of the eye, and thus offers the possibility for a sole therapeutic target for the disease.
New tools to convert bacterial artificial chromosomes to a self-excising design and their application to a herpes simplex virus type 1 infectious clone.

Infectious clones are fundamental tools for the study of many viruses, allowing for efficient mutagenesis and reproducible production of genetically-defined strains. For the large dsDNA genomes of the herpesviridae, bacterial artificial chromosomes have become the cloning vector of choice due to their capacity to house full-length herpesvirus genomes as single contiguous inserts. Furthermore, while maintained as plasmids in Escherichia coli, the clones can be mutated using robust prokaryotic recombination systems. An important consideration in the design of these clones is the means by which the vector backbone is removed from the virus genome upon delivery into mammalian cells. A common approach to vector excision is to encode loxP sites flanking the vector sequences and rely on Cre recombinase expression from a transformed cell line. Here we examine the efficiency of vector removal using this method, and describe a “self-excising” infectious clone of HSV-1 strain F that offers enhancements in virus production and utility. Insertion of a fluorescent protein expression cassette into the vector backbone of the HSV-1 strain F clone, pYEbac102, demonstrated that 2 serial passages on cells expressing Cre recombinase was required to achieve > 95 % vector removal from the virus population, with 3 serial passages resulting in undetectable vector retention. This requirement was eliminated by replacing the reporter coding sequence with the CREin gene, which consists of a Cre coding sequence disrupted by a synthetic intron. This self-excising variant of the infectious clone produced virus that propagated with wild-type kinetics in culture and lacked vector attenuation in a mouse neurovirulence model. Conversion of a herpesvirus infectious clone into a self-excising variant enables rapid production of viruses lacking bacterial vector sequences, and removes the requirement to initially propagate viruses in cells that express Cre recombinase. The self-excising bacterial artificial chromosome described here allows for efficient production of the F strain of herpes simplex virus type 1.
Presynaptic Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome

Three patients (ages 7, 9, and 14 years) with a new form of presynaptic congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) are reported from the University of California, Davis; University of Minnesota; and the University of Chicago.
Downward mobility and Rawlsian justice

Technological and societal changes have made downward social and economic mobility a pressing issue in real-world politics. This article argues that a Rawlsian society would not provide any special protection against downward mobility, and would act rightly in declining to provide such protection. Special treatment for the downwardly mobile can be grounded neither in Rawls’s core principles—the basic liberties, fair equality of opportunity, and the difference principle—nor in other aspects of Rawls’s theory (the concept of legitimate expectations, the idea of a life plan, the distinction between allocative and distributive justice, or the distinction between ideal and nonideal theory). Instead, a Rawlsian society is willing to sacrifice particular individuals’ ambitions and plans for the achievement of justice, and offers those who lose out from justified change no special solicitude over and above the general solicitude extended to all. Rather than guaranteeing the maintenance of any particular individual or group’s economic position, it provides all of its members—the upwardly mobile, the downwardly mobile, and the immobile—a form of security that is at once more generous and more limited: that they will receive the liberties, opportunities, and resources promised by the principles of justice.
Quantification of regional deformation of the lungs by non-rigid registration of three-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Assessment of lung function is vital for the diagnosis of a variety of pathological conditions. Research has been proposed to study pulmonary mechanics and kinematics using two-dimensional (2D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This allows estimation of regional lung tissue mechanics but is limited to 2D information. An approach based on three-dimensional (3D) contrast-enhanced MR angiogram of pulmonary blood vessels and a non-rigid image registration technique is proposed for quantification of lung regional deformations, which can potentially be used for assessment of pulmonary parenchymal mechanics and regional ventilation for disease diagnosis without ionizing radiation. Methods: On three volunteers, an end-expiration scan and end-inspiration scan was acquired successively for each volunteer using a 3D breath-hold contrast-enhanced MRI sequence several minutes after gadolinium injection. Subsequently, a rectangle box lung mask is manually selected for each end-expiration scan, applying non-rigid registration algorithms using cubic B-splines as transformations to align each pair of images. This incorporates the Normalized Correlation Coefficient similarity with the bending energy term as cost function with a multi-resolution multi-grid approach. Finally, the lung regional 3D deformations were obtained using the transformations obtained by registration. The alignment accuracy after non-rigid registration was estimated by using a set of branch points of pulmonary blood vessels as anatomical landmarks for each pair of images. Results: With contrast enhancement, the pulmonary blood vessel signal was enhanced, which greatly facilitated the non-rigid registration in the lung parenchyma. The average landmarks distances in three pairs of datasets are reduced from 17.9, 20.3 and 16.3 mm, to 1.0, 1.6 and 1.2 mm, respectively, by non-rigid registration. After registration, the average distances error of each pair of datasets was less than 0.6 mm in the right-to-left (RL) direction, less than 0.9 mm in the inferior-to-superior (IS) direction, and less than 1.2 mm in the anterior-to-posterior (AP) direction. Conclusions: Results demonstrated that the proposed method can accurately register lungs with large deformations to evaluate lung regional deformation. It may be used for quantitative assessment of 3D lung regional ventilation avoiding ionizing radiation.
Assessing the Potential of Pinyon Pine for Climate Reconstructions in Eastern California

ABSTRACT This paper documents a pilot study investigating the potential use of pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frem) growing in the White Mountains of eastern California for climate reconstructions. The single-leaf pinyon pine from this study exhibit a significant and stable relationship with annual (August–July) precipitation over the instrumental record (r = 0.69). This relationship is stronger than that of the lower forest border bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) growing nearby. Spatially, the climate-growth relationship remains strong beyond this localized region, extending over Southern California. Although pinyon pine is not as long lived as the bristlecone pine, these results indicate that the strength of the climate-growth relationship makes this species valuable in developing climate reconstructions in the future. Additionally, the presence of persistent remnant wood at all sampling sites offers an opportunity to extend pinyon records further back in time. Furthermore, the close proximity o...
Abstract 518: Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Reduces Aneurysm Induction in Different Aneuryms Models

Abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) is a major cause of mortality in men. The role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in the pathogenesis of AAA is unknown. Human AAA specimens from diabetic patients were found to have increased expression of ER stress markers. The inhibition of ER stress signaling with (taurine-conjugated ursodeoxycholic acid, Tudca) administration reduces the development of aneurysm in Ang-II infused and calcium chloride (CaCl2)-induced mouse models. Type 2 diabetic (db-/db-) and control (db-/db+) mice were infused with angiotensin II (Ang-II, 1000ng/kg/min) and treated with or without the ER stress inhibitor Tudca for 4 weeks. Mice infused with Ang-II displayed an increase in blood pressure, plasma cholesterol and CRP levels, which were reduced after ER stress inhibition. Human AAA and Ang-II-induced AAA are characterized by an increase in lumen, cross sectional area and were associated with increased macrophage infiltration, expression of the ER stress marker CHOP and elastic fiber disruption, and these indicators of aneurysm disease were reduced by Tudca treatment. To determine the effect of ER stress inhibition on aneurysm formation in a model that did not exhibit blood pressure and metabolic changes, we exposed the adventitial surface of carotid arteries of db-/db- and db-/db+ mice to CaCl2 and then treated the mice with or without Tudca. Our results indicate that in the CaCl2 induced carotid artery aneurysm model that treatment with Tudca significantly reduced carotid artery aneurysm formation. These results provide evidence in support of a role for that ER stress activation in the induction of aneurysm in type 2 diabetes.
Enhanced endothelin-1/Rho-kinase signalling and coronary microvascular dysfunction in hypertensive myocardial hypertrophy

Aims Hypertensive cardiac hypertrophy is associated with reduced coronary flow reserve, but its impact on coronary flow regulation and vasomotor function remains incompletely understood and requires further investigation. Methods and results Left ventricular hypertrophy was induced in mice by transverse aortic coarctation (TAC) for 4 weeks. The left coronary artery blood velocity (LCABV) and myocardium lactate level were measured following the metabolic activation by isoproterenol. Septal coronary arterioles were isolated and pressurized for functional studies. In TAC mice, the heart-to-body weight ratio was increased by 45%, and cardiac fractional shortening and LCABV were decreased by 51 and 14%, respectively. The resting myocardial lactate level was 43% higher in TAC mice. Isoproterenol (5 µg/g, i.p.) increased heart rate by 20% in both groups of animals, but the corresponding increase in LCABV was not observed in TAC mice. The ventricular hypertrophy was associated with elevation of myocardial endothelin-1 (ET-1), increased vascular expression of rho-kinases (ROCKs), and increased superoxide production in the myocardium and vasculature. In coronary arterioles from TAC mice, the endothelial nitric oxide (NO)-mediated dilation to acetylcholine (ACh) was reversed to vasoconstriction and the vasoconstriction to ET-1 was augmented. Inhibition of ROCK by H-1152 alleviated oxidative stress and abolished enhanced vasoconstriction to ET-1. Both H-1152 and superoxide scavenger Tempol abolished coronary arteriolar constriction to ACh in a manner sensitive to NO synthase blocker NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester. Conclusions Myocardial hypertrophy induced by pressure overload leads to cardiac and coronary microvascular dysfunction and ischaemia possibly due to oxidative stress, enhanced vasoconstriction to ET-1 and compromised endothelial NO function via elevated ROCK signalling.
Critique [of Perception and Power Through Naming: Characters in Search of Self in the Fiction of Toni Morrison by Linda Buck Myers]

Linda Buck Myers9s “Perception and Power Through Naming” is an especially interesting and perceptive analysis of some of the unique ways in which Toni Morrison uses language to develop meaning through characterization; and the article deals with issues that are at the thematic core of Morrison9s four published novels. Indeed, the subtitle of the article, “Characters in Search of a Self in the Fiction of Toni Morrison,” is perhaps a more accurate description of what the author properly finds to be basic to an understanding of Morrison9s fiction. The need for people to achieve self-identity within a societal framework is, as the article suggests, what Morrison believes to be the way to happiness. It is because of their failure (both from within and from external forces) to fuse that seeming duality that Morrison9s characters so often are tragic figures.
Ultrafine Particle Production from the Ozonolysis of Personal Care Products

Personal care products (PCP) might be a source of ultrafine particle exposure for users owing to the reaction of ozone with terpene ingredients. The near-person emissions associated with PCP may contribute to exposures that would not be properly accounted for with indoor microenvironmental measurements. To better understand this issue, screening experiments were conducted with 91 PCP to detect the occurrence of ultrafine particle production from exposure to common indoor levels of ozone (23 ± 2 ppb). Twelve products generated measurable particle emissions; quantification experiments were performed for these to determine total particle production and peak particle production rate. A high-resolution, small volume reaction chamber was used with a heated sample plate to simulate conditions found in the human thermal plume. Ten of the quantified PCP exhibited total emissions of less than 109 particles, suggesting that they may not be significant sources of total ultrafine particle exposure. Two samples, a tea tree oil-based scalp treatment and a white lavender body lotion, exhibited relatively elevated peak particle emission rates, 6.2 × 107 min-1 and 2.0 × 107 min-1, respectively. The use of such products in the presence of significant ozone levels might materially influence personal exposure to ultrafine particles.
Pharmacokinetics of Commonly used Anti-Leukemic agents in Children

To treat children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the pediatric oncologist must have a basic understanding and appreciation of the clinical pharmacology of vincristine, methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside), and corticosteroids. The treating physician should be cognizant of the inter- and intrapatient variabilities in the pharmacokinetics and clinical effects of each of the drugs. The pharmacokinetics of other cancer chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of childhood leukemia should also be known (doxorubicin, asparaginase, teniposide, and cyclophosphamide), but these agents are less commonly used or administered for a short period of the total treatment. Recent laboratory studies and clinical observations have suggested ways in which the agents could be administered more optimally. For the antimetabolites, these include limited bioavailability and the absence of a diurnal variation in oral methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine, new antifolates with better pharmacological characteristics for oral administration, intravenous therapy with 6-mercaptopurine, and subcutaneous therapy with methotrexate. For corticosteroid therapy, dexamethasone appears to have an advantage over prednisone and prednisolone in treating leukemic cells in the central nervous system. Intrathecal chemotherapy for the prevention of meningeal leukemia is more effective if the dosage is based on the volume of the central nervous system instead of the body surface area. Exposure of systemic tissue to cytotoxic drug concentrations after intrathecal chemotherapy is substantial with methotrexate and negligible with cytarabine.
Notes to the Translation

The algebraical notations in the following notes will be the same as in the mathematical summary (Chapter 2). In some of the notes to propositions 4–12 I have referred to Maimonides’ notes to the Completion (see Chapter 10). References such as (f. 32a:23–32b:2) are to part A of the manuscript Manisa, Genel 1706, which contains the text of Maimonides’ notes (see §12.1).
Projective Algebraic Geometry III: Products, Graphs, Projections

We wish to define the product V ×W where V ⊂ ℙ N and W ⊂ ℙ M are quasi-projective varieties. Consider the set V ×W = (v, w): v ∈ V, w ∈ W. To make this a product, we require the following: (a) V × W should be quasi-projective i.e., there is an isomorphism ψ: V ×W → ℙ K with ψ(V ×W) a quasi-projective variety in ℙ K ; (b) the notion should be local i.e., if ξ ∈ V, η ∈ W then there are open affine neighborhoods U ξ , U η of ξ, ξ respectively such that ψ(U ξ ×U η ) is open in ψ(U ×V) and ψ(U ξ ×U η ) ≃ U ξ ×U η (as a product of quasi-affine varieties); and, (c) the notion is categorical i.e., the projections π V : V × W → V, π W : V × W →W are regular, and, given Z with regular maps ϕ1: Z → V, (ϕ2: Z → W then there is a unique morphism ϕ 1 ×ϕ 2: Z → V ×W with π V o (ϕ 1 ×ϕ 2) = ϕ 1,π W o (ϕ 1 ×ϕ 2) = ϕ 2.
Changes in Content and Composition of Dietary Fiber in Yellow Onions and Red Delicious Apples During Commercial Storage

Changes in pectin composition and solubility are part of the softening process in apples during ripening and postharvest storage. Lignification may also occur with long-term storage. In the United States, apples and onions are harvested once yearly and then stored and marketed for the next 12 months. The changes that occur in the dietary fiber content and composition in Red Delicious apples and yellow Spanish onions during storage were studied, and the loss of fiber in peeled apples was determined. Dietary fiber was extracted by the enzymatic-chemical method of Theander and Westerlund. Storage had no effect on total or insoluble fiber content of apples; Klason lignin concentration was greater in samples stored for 12 months than in those stored for 0, 4, or 8 months. Peeling reduced apple fiber concentration about 25% by decreasing neutral and acidic sugars and Klason lignin in the insoluble fraction. The total fiber content of onions increased with storage, primarily by increasing the insoluble fiber content of uronic acids. The results suggest that the standardized, environmentally controlled storage of apples, as used in Washington State, has little effect on dietary fiber content. In contrast, the less rigorously controlled storage conditions for yellow Spanish onions increases the insoluble fiber fraction and uronic acid content.
High Resolution Instantaneous U1trasonic Spectrum Analysis I: Theoretical Considerations

Several researchers are attempting to use Ultrasonic Spectroscopy as an aid to diagnosis thruugh tissue characterization (1,2) Users of ultrasonic spectroscopy seek to develop ultrasonic tissue signacures or fingerpring spectra of the wide variety of normal and abnormal tissues that can exist in the human body. In addition, fundamental relations between the tissue structure and its ultrasonic frequency response are being sought.
Joining and Machining Techniques

Composites, like other structural materials, must be joined and machined to create useful structures. The manner in which these processes are performed is a determining factor in the efficiency and suitability of such components.
Organizational Voice Practices, Employee Ownership-related Attitudes, and Employee Perceptions

We examine human resource practices associated with eliciting and enhancing employee voice in strategic and establishment-level decisions, and assess the extent to which such practices enhance empl...
Memory, the Jewish Intellectual, and Cartesian Cogito

This chapter draws a parallel between Amery’s intellectual attitude in Auschwitz and Descartes’s intellectual attitude in the Meditations on First Philosophy (1641). It shows how both Amery and Descartes took refuge in their intellect. Descartes sought refuge in the certainty of the I think after carrying out his methodical doubt. And Amery espoused intellectual transcendence as a coping mechanism after failing to comprehend the unifying thread that led to the rise of Nazism. The chapter concludes with Amery’s view that the intellect is in essence a logical framework similar to Descartes’s Cogito, which is primarily fit for contemplation.
Influence of maternal protein restriction in primiparous heifers during mid- and/or late-gestation on meat quality and fatty acid profile of progeny.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of metabolizable protein (MP) restriction in mid- and/or late-gestation on meat quality characteristics of progeny. Heifers were assigned to 2 levels of dietary protein (control [CON], 102% of MP requirements; or restricted [RES], 80% of MP requirements) at 2 stages of gestation (mid-gestation [MID] and late-gestation [LATE]) in a Balaam's Design crossover treatment structure resulting in 4 treatment combinations (CON-CON, CON-RES, RES-CON, RES-RES). A carryover effect of MID MP treatment on LATE CON indicated CON-CON steaks were more tender (P < .001) than RES CON. Mid-gestation restriction resulted in progeny with increased (P < .05) carcass water, soft tissue moisture, and decreased soft tissue fat percentage compared with progeny from dams receiving MID CON. Reduced maternal MP also differentially influenced the fatty acid profiles of progeny. Results suggest it is possible for progeny to overcome a moderate gestational MP restriction with minimal impacts on carcass composition or meat characteristics.
Team Approach: Treatment and Rehabilitation of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury Resulting in Tetraplegia.

Cervical spinal cord injuries result in limited upper extremity function and often lead to loss of independence.Tendon and nerve transfers have been shown to reliably improve upper extremity function.Most patients with injuries at or caudad to the C6 level can become independent through tendon and n
Mapping the Deep Blue Oceans

The ocean terrain spanning the globe is vast and complex—far from an immense flat plain of mud. To map these depths accurately and wisely, we must understand how cartographic abstraction and generalization work both in analog cartography and digital GIS. This chapter explores abstraction practices such as selection and exaggeration with respect to mapping the oceans, showing significant continuity in such practices across cartography and contemporary GIS. The role of measurement and abstraction—as well as of political and economic power, and sexual and personal bias—in these sciences is illustrated by the biographies of Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen, whose mapping of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge precipitated a paradigm shift in geology.
Short communication: Screening inhibition of dairy-relevant pathogens and spoilage microorganisms by lactose oxidase.

ABSTRACT The inhibitory effect of lactose oxidase on the growth of foodborne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms associated with dairy products was evaluated through an overlay inhibition assay. Lactose oxidase generates hydrogen peroxide via lactose oxidation into lactobionic acid. Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas fragi, and Penicillium chrysogenum were used as indicators. A commercially available solution of lactose oxidase was applied at different concentrations (0, 0.12, 1.2, and 12 g/L) in 4 types of media [brain heart infusion agar (BHI), BHI + sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN), BHI + lactose, and BHI + NaSCN + lactose] to evaluate the effect of lactose and thiocyanate on microbial inhibition. Lactose oxidase inhibited the growth of all the indicators at a concentration of 12 g/L of the enzyme solution in the presence of lactose alone and in combination with NaSCN. However, supplementation with NaSCN had no effect on the magnitude of microbial inhibition. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive pathogen, and Ps. fragi was the most sensitive of all the indicators in general to lactose oxidase. Listeria monocytogenes and Ps. fragi showed higher susceptibility to the antimicrobial effect of lactose oxidase at 6°C than at their corresponding optimum growth temperature. The inhibitory effect was attributed to the generation of hydrogen peroxide from the oxidation of lactose. Findings from this study demonstrate that lactose oxidase could be used as a novel approach to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It could also be applied as a label-friendly preservative in dairy foods.
The Effects of Deformation on the Early Crystallization Kinetics of Basaltic Magmas

Crystals and bubbles nucleate and grow in a magma that experiences a range of temperatures, pressures and strain-rates. We have a good conceptual and sometimes quantitative understanding of how crystallization and bubble nucleation are controlled by decompression and cooling. Here we explore the effect of strain-rate on the crystallization kinetics of magmas. In order to understand the interaction between deformation and crystallization, samples of basalt were deformed during their crystallization. We made measurements at subliquidus conditions (1160°C) and deformed samples in compression at strain-rates varying from 0 to 2x10-4 s-1 for a total strain of 0.31. We simultaneously imaged the samples using X-ray micro-tomography. Under static conditions, there was no crystallization during the 260 minutes experiment. By increasing the strain-rate to 1.0x10-4 s-1, crystallization occurs. However, the crystallization kinetics in our experiment do not depend on the strain-rate. We hypothesize that deformation may have an effect on the parameters that govern the crystallization kinetics of magmas, such as activation energy and diffusion by changing chemical potentials.