cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Customizable PCR-microplate array for differential identification of multiple pathogens.

Customizable PCR-microplate arrays were developed for the rapid identification of Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Saintpaul, Salmonella Typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis, Francisella tularensis subsp. novicida, Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Yersinia pestis, and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. Previously, we identified highly specific primers targeting each of these pathogens. Here, we report the development of customizable PCR-microplate arrays for simultaneous identification of the pathogens using the primers identified. A mixed aliquot of genomic DNA from 38 strains was used to validate three PCR-microplate array formats. Identical PCR conditions were used to run all the samples on the three formats. Specific amplifications were obtained on all three custom plates. In preliminary tests performed to evaluate the sensitivity of these assays in samples inoculated in the laboratory with Salmonella Typhimurium, amplifications were obta...
The Economic Benefits of Pharmaceutical Innovations: The Case of Cox-2 Inhibitors

Despite dramatic improvements in medical technology, little atten tion has been paid to the role of these innovations in improving economic outcomes. This study estimates the labor supply effects of Cox-2 inhibitors, a widely prescribed class of pharmaceuticals used for the treatment of chronic pain and inflammation and primarily marketed under the brand names Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra. This paper exploits the removal of Vioxx from the market in 2004 as an exogenous change in drug use. This removal was associated with a 0.35 percentage point decrease in overall labor force participation and $19 billion in lost wages.(JEL 112, J22, L65, 031).
Photosynthesis, reserve mobilization and enzymes of sucrose metabolism in soybean (Glycine max) cotyledons

Soybean (Glycine max L. [Merr] cv. Ransom II) seedlings were grown under a light/ dark regime or in continuous darkness. Cotyledons were harvested daily for measurements of reserve mobilization, net carbon exchange rate, chlorophyll content and activities of certain enzymes involved in sucrose metabolism. Seedlings lost dry weight for the first 3 to 4 days after planting, then maintained a constant dry weight in the etiolated seedlings, and gained dry weight (via net fixation of CO2) in the light-grown seedlings. In general, the patterns of reserve mobilization were as expected based on the collective work of other investigators. Soluble sugars were mobilized first, followed by protein and lipid. Galactinol, previously uncharacterized in soybean cotyledons, was present at low concentrations and was rapidly depleted within 2 days after planting. Mobilization of reserves was most important during the first 8 days after planting, whereas net cotyledonary photosynthesis began at 6 days after planting and was the primary source of assimilates after 8 days. Maximum rates of cotyledon photosynthesis were higher [up to 18 mg CO2 (g dry weight)−1 h−1] than previously reported and accounted for about 75% of the assimilates transported from the cotyledons to the growing seedling during the functional life of the cotyledon. Enzyme activities in light-grown cotyledons peaked 7 to 10 days after planting and then declined. Sucrose phosphate synthase (EC 2.4.1.14) and sucrose synthase (EC 2.4.1.13) activities were similar in etiolated and light-grown seedlings, whereas uridine-5′-di-phosphatase (EC 3.6.1.6) activity was substantially higher in light-grown seedlings. During the period of reserve mobilization, the maximum sucrose phosphate synthase activity in cotyledonary extracts was in excess of the calculated rate of sucrose formation. However, when the cotyledons had highest net photosynthetic rates (14 days after planting), sucrose phosphate synthase activity was similar to the rate of carbon assimilation. It appears that soybean cotyledons are adapted for high rates of sucrose formation (from reserve mobilization and/or photosynthesis) for export to the rapidly growing tissues of the seedling.
Short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term memories

Abstract This paper focuses on the temporal dimension of memory formation and storage. Is the usual two-fold separation between short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) sufficient to encompass all the phenomena of memory? The traditional view is that STM grades into LTM. Evidence for an intermediate-term memory (ITM) has been proposed by some investigators. We have used both rats and chicks to investigate the stages of memory formation. In this paper, the advantages of chicks for this type of research are briefly discussed. Using a paradigm that produces weak training, the retention function for control chicks appears to be made up of four successive components which we have interpreted as representing the memory buffer, STM, ITM, and LTM. In experiments using a variety of kinase inhibitors, we have obtained evidence that ITM and LTM depend on different classes of protein kinase activities. Agents that act on calcium/calmodulin kinase cause amnesia in the ITM range—15 to 30 min post-training. Another class of inhibitors act on one or more of the kinases PKA, PKC, or PKG and cause amnesia by 60 min post-training, so we interpret this group of inhibitors as inhibiting the formation of LTM. However, the three-stage model of memory may be over-simple. For example some agents including [Leu]enkephalin and MK801 cause amnesia 4 or more h after training. It is suggested that there is a cascade of cellular events that underlies the formation of memory; these events extend from binding of neurotransmitters to receptor molecules, to release of second messengers, through activation of protein kinases, to early intermediate genes, and protein synthesis. In the attempt to diagnose and eventually ameliorate memory disorders, it may prove useful to consider the possibility of an ITM stage in humans and to look for possible impairments of ITM in patients who suffer from memory disorders.
Hebbian- and anti-Hebbian-type neural network for blind separation of nonstationary signals

This contribution describes a neural network that self- organizes to recover the original signals from sensor signals. No particular information is required about the statistical properties of the sources and the coefficients of the linear-transformation, except the fact that the source signals are statistically independent and non- stationary. The learning rule for the network's parameters is derived from the steepest descent minimization of a time- dependent cost function that takes the minimum only when the network outputs are correlated with each other.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optical Spectroscopy for Management of Cancer Treatment

The vision for this multi-institutional Team is the clinical application of the methods of Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy and Optical Pharmacokinetics for early detection and for the management of photodynamic therapy in the treatment of cancer.
Some issues concerning the effectiveness of parallel strategies in R&D projects

This paper explores the effect of learning by determining the rate of learning that best explains the pattern of choice and outcome in 21 actual R&D projects. A fairly slow, rather than rapid rate of learning is found to be significantly associated with the pattern of choice and outcome realized in the cases that are analyzed. The methodology and implications of the results are discussed.
Aerial Platform placement algorithms to satisfy connectivity, capacity and survivability constraints in wireless ad-hoc networks

In this paper, we address the problem of establishing full connectivity and satisfying required traffic capacity between disconnected clusters in large wireless ad-hoc ground networks by placing a minimum number of advantaged high flying Aerial Platforms (APs) as relay nodes at appropriate places. We also extend the connectivity solution in order to make the network survivable to a single AP failure. The problem of providing both connectivity and required capacity between disconnected ground clusters is formulated as a summation-form clustering problem with inter-AP distance constraints that make the AP network fully connected and with complexity costs that take care of cluster to AP capacity constraints. The resultant clustering problem is solved using deterministic annealing to find (near) globally optimal solutions for the minimum number and locations of the APs to establish full connectivity and provide required traffic capacity between disconnected clusters. In order to make the network single AP survivable, the connectivity solution is extended so that each AP connects to at least two neighboring APs and each ground cluster connects to at least two APs. We establish the validity of our algorithms by comparing it with optimal exhaustive search algorithms and show that our algorithms are near-optimal for the problem of establishing connectivity between disconnected clusters.
Video camera zoom lens design using lens modules

This paper presents the procedures for an initial design containing the first and third order aberrations of a four-group, rear focus video camera zoom lens using lens modules, and the real lens design from an initial design. Lens modules in the zoom system can explicitly describe the first and third order properties of each group without detailed design. The optimum initial design with a zoom ratio of about 10X and a focal length range of 6 to 60 mm is derived by assigning appropriate first and third order aberrations to each module along with the specific constraints required for optimization. For a real lens design of each group, we set up the simultaneous equations for the first and third order aberrations, and the solutions result in the optical systems which satisfy the properties of original lens modules. As a result, the design of a zoom system using lens modules is broken down into the simple problem of designing the individual groups to satisfy sets of the first and third order properties, and quickly provides the optimum system.
Direct measurement of the accuracy of CO 2 laser alignment on target

The accuracy of target alignment using the Hartmann test was measured by the glass microballoon perforation (Snout) test. We find a 45-μm rms pointing error, most of which is random.
Parallel initial costate search algorithms for computing optimal controls

This paper describes a collection of parallel initial costate search algorithms suitable for implementation on an advanced computer with the facility for large scale parallel processing. Specifically, a parallel nongradient algorithm and a parallel variable metric algorithm have been used to search for the initial costate vector that defines the solution to the optimal control problem. To avoid the computational problems sometimes associated with simultaneous forward integration of both the state and costate equations, a parallel shooting procedure based upon partitioning of the integration interval was considered. Application of this parallel procedure to a forced Van der Pol system indicates that convergence time is significantly less than that required by highly efficient serial procedures.
Leishmaniasis as an emerging infection.

Leishmaniasis is a protozoan disease whose diverse clinical manifestations are dependent both on the infecting species of Leishmania and the immune response of the host. Transmission of the disease occurs by the bite of a sand fly infected with Leishmania parasites. Infection may be restricted to the skin in cutaneous leishmaniasis, limited to the mucous membranes in mucosal leishmaniasis, or spread internally in visceral leishmaniasis or kala azar. The overall prevalence of leishmaniasis is 12 million cases worldwide, and the global yearly incidence of all clinical forms approaches 2 million new cases (World Health Organization WHO/LEISH/200.42, Leishmania/HIV Co-Infection in Southwestern Europe 1990–98: Retrospective Analysis of 965 Cases, 2000). In the last two decades, leishmaniasis, especially visceral leishmaniasis, has been recognized as an opportunistic disease in the immunocompromised, particularly in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus.
DEPTH OF NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES AND CONFOUNDING FACTORS '

In a sample of 51 near-death experiences, the depth of the reported experience was not related to the years since the experience.
Brief Report of a Low-Cost Street-Corner Methodology Used to Assess Inner-City Residents’ Awareness and Knowledge about Asthma

The goal of the Philadelphia Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) Collaborative was to reduce the burden of asthma among children (0–18 years) living in underserved neighborhoods with high asthma prevalence by implementing a comprehensive set of community-based asthma interventions. An equally important objective of the collaborative, which included community agencies, the school district, the health department, faith-based organizations, and hospitals, was to increase the community’s awareness of asthma and its capacity to address the problem. CAPP’s components included home environmental remediation and educational visits (784 participants), a series of classes at community sites for children with asthma (303 participants) and caregivers (644 participants), on-site office training for primary care providers and nursing staff (196 individuals), professional asthma education for school nurses and teachers (752 participants), and asthma classes for public school students (901 participants). The collaborative also conducted a communication campaign throughout the life of the project, including notices in neighborhood newspapers, public service announcements on radio stations, postings on community agency list serves, and distribution of flyers to churches, libraries, schools, local clinics, community agencies, beauty salons, and Laundromats. The project focused on a population of approximately 330,000 located in parts of Upper and Lower North Philadelphia, and Germantown. These areas are characterized by blighted housing, overcrowding, drug trafficking, violence, and poverty.1 Initiation of interventions was staggered over a 5-year period (June 2003–June 2008) in 4 area quadrants identified by zip code. After its initiation, each intervention continued throughout the remainder of the project. The CAPP team sought to obtain information related to its focus on community empowerment and broad dissemination of asthma messages. Traditional survey methods may not to yield a representative sample in urban, low-income populations. Formal phone or in-person surveys to gather community data at regular intervals are costly and burdensome. Moreover these methods, as well as internet and mailed surveys, do not reach people who are illiterate, move frequently, or lack land-line phone service.2–5 Therefore CAPP adapted a street-intercept methodology reported by Miller and colleagues6 by using students to administer surveys on street corners in Philadelphia. This paper describes this approach and its results.
Power Behavior of the Scattering Amplitude at Fixed Momentum Transfer and a Reconsideration of the Cerulus-Martin Lower Bound

We have shown that the assumption of maximal analyticity of first degree and fixed-$t$ power behavior of the scattering amplitudes in general imply a lower bound at a fixed angle. The fixed-angle lower bound takes the form $\mathrm{exp}[\ensuremath{-}{c}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}({z}_{s}){s}^{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\mathrm{ln}s]$, where ${c}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}({z}_{s})$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ are positive. The precise value of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ depends on the specific assumptions on the fixed-$t$ bound of the scattering amplitude. In particular, the assumptions made by Cerulus and Martin correspond to $\ensuremath{\gamma}=\frac{1}{2}$, and for the case of a linearly rising trajectory, $\ensuremath{\gamma}=1$. Furthermore, we obtain a nonzero lower bound at ${z}_{s}=0$, which heretofore was given as zero.
Building effective service management system

Purpose – Highlight some of the Best Practices for Building Effective Service Management.Design/methodology/approach – This article describes some of the Best Practices for Effective Service Management. Case studies, success stories, and statistical examples are used to highlight some of the Best Practices.Findings – Case studies, success stories, and statistics.Originality/value – This session highlights some of the Best Practices for building Effective Service Management System.
The symbolic mind: Apes, symbols, and the evolution of language

The debate whether most profitably to study nonhuman apes, henceforth "apes", in the field or in captivity rests on questionable conceptions about the history of the two research traditions and on questionable notions such as the idea of a species' natural environment. Exposing these assumptions lets us more readily examine the current evidence we have for early rearing influence on ape cognition and the measures currently taken in laboratories to address biases in the studies. Development is taking on a new meaning in evolutionary biology, which has not yet been incorporated thoroughly into primatology. Language plays a significant role in human cognition and in giving instructions to subjects when carrying out experiments. Comparative studies should address this issue, and primatology should have measures to take symbolic capacities into account.
Regulation of intracellular pH

The approach that most animal cells employ to regulate intracellular pH (pHi) is not too different conceptually from the way a sophisticated system might regulate the temperature of a house. Just a...
Assembly and Disassembly: An Overview and Framework for Cooperation Requirement Planning with Conflict Resolution

Assembly, one of the oldest forms of industrial production, and its twin area, disassembly, have enjoyed tremendous modernization in the era of the information revolution. New enabling technologies, including prominent examples such as virtual CAD, Design for Assembly and Disassembly (DFAD), robotic and intelligent assembly, and Flexible Assembly (FA), are now becoming commonplace. This article reviews some of the newer solutions, and an extended framework for Cooperation Requirement Planning (ECRP) in robotic assembly/disassembly is developed. Recent research under the PRISM program at Purdue University to enable ECRP and other relevant projects is presented. The challenges to researchers in this field, in adapting these solutions to the emerging environment of global and local supply networks are also discussed.
Soil Characteristics Related to Weathering and Pedogenesis across a Geomorphic Surface of Uniform Age in Michigan

Our study explores the range of pedogenic development and near-surface weathering on a large (>250,000 ha) geomorphic surface in northern lower Michigan, via the examination of four typical soils. The surface is associated with proglacial outwash from the Port Huron advance of the Laurentide ice sheet, dated at about 13 ka. In a GIS we determined the four most extensive types of upland soils on this surface, and later sampled them. The range of expression on this outwash plain, when examined pedogenically or from a weathering perspective, is large, but is captured by these four soils. Numerical rankings along a number of pedogenic and weathering axes illustrated the considerable range of development, but they generally were consistent, i.e., rankings for pedogenesis roughly paralleled those for weathering. The most weakly developed soil ranked third or fourth on almost all of the pedogenic and weathering-related parameters, whereas the other three soils exchanged ranks more freely, depending on the parameter being consid- ered. The best developed soils on this surface are located in areas that receive more snow- fall and, presumably, had less frequent fires since deglaciation, both of which drive pedogenesis and weathering in this region. Soils on surfaces of uniform age are often used in relative dating applications, by assuming that soil development and weathering are related primarily to surface age. Our study shows that this assumption is violated on large geomorphic surfaces due to the variability of biotic and climatic factors across that sur- face. Thus, we suggest that the range and variability of soil expression must be considered in all soil chronofunction studies. (Key words: geomorphic surface, soil development, weathering, GIS, chronofunctions.)
CORRELATED SIZE VARIATIONS IN HUMAN VISUAL CORTEX, LATERAL GENICULATE NUCLEUS, AND OPTIC TRACT

We have examined several components of the human visual system to determine how the dimensions of the optic tract, lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), and primary visual cortex (V1) vary within the same brain. Measurements were made of the cross-sectional area of the optic tract, the volumes of the magnocellular and parvocellular layers of the LGN, and the surface area and volume of V1 in one or both cerebral hemispheres of 15 neurologically normal human brains obtained at autopsy. Consistent with previous observations, there was a two- to threefold variation in the size of each of these visual components among the individuals studied. Importantly, this variation was coordinated within the visual system of any one individual. That is, a relatively large V1 was associated with a commensurately large LGN and optic tract, whereas a relatively small V1 was associated with a commensurately smaller LGN and optic tract. This relationship among the components of the human visual system indicates that the development of its different parts is interdependent. Such coordinated variation should generate substantial differences in visual ability among humans.
Moderating Effects of Race in Clinical Trial Participation and Outcomes among Marijuana-Dependent Young Adults

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined clinical trial participation rates and treatment outcomes among underserved young adults who are dependent on marijuana, the most commonly abused illicit drug. METHOD: The present study was a secondary analysis of a trial of court-referred marijuana-dependent young adults (ages 18-25) randomized to one of four treatment conditions: Motivational Enhancement Therapy/Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MET/CBT), MET/CBT+Contingency Management (CM), Drug Counseling (DC) or DC+CM. African American (N=81) participants were compared to White (N=31) participants with respect to rates of participation in phases of treatment and substance use outcomes. In addition, the interaction of race and treatment condition was examined to ascertain if the interventions yielded different effects based on race. RESULTS: Among those who started treatment, African American young adults were significantly less likely to complete the treatment and posttreatment phases of the clinical trial than their White counterparts. Irrespective of treatment type, substance use outcomes (i.e., percentage of marijuana-negative specimens and longest duration of continuous abstinence) did not vary by race. However, there was a significant interaction effect between treatment type and race; African American young adults did not benefit differentially from any specific type of treatment, but CM was effective in reducing proportion of marijuana positive samples among White young adults. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that clinical trial treatment and posttreatment completion rates vary by race in this population, as does response to specific treatment types. More treatment research focusing specifically on African American marijuana-dependent young adults is warranted. Language: en
Current European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, injury levels in the northeastern United States and the value of Bt field corn

BACKGROUND Recent evidence indicates that some populations of European corn borer (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner), have declined to historic lows owing to widespread adoption of Bt corn hybrids. To understand current ECB populations in Pennsylvania field corn, the authors assessed larval damage in Bt and non-Bt corn hybrids at 29 sites over 3 years. The influence of Bt adoption rates, land cover types and moth activity on levels of ECB damage was also considered. RESULTS Bt hybrids reduced ECB damage when compared with non-Bt, but these differences inconsistently translated to higher yields and, because of higher seed costs, rarely improved profits. No relationships were detected between land use or Bt adoption and ECB damage rates, but positive relationships were found between plant damage and captures of Z-race ECB moths in pheromone traps in the PestWatch network. CONCLUSIONS ECB damage levels were generally low and appear to be declining across Pennsylvania. In many locations, farmers may gain greater profits by planting competitive non-Bt hybrids; however, Bt hybrids remain valuable control options, particularly in the parts of Pennsylvania where ECB populations persist. Moth captures from PestWatch appear to provide insight into where Bt hybrids are most valuable. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Preceptor preferences for participating in electronic preceptor development

Objectives: New guidelines require preceptors to deliver approximately 30% of the doctor of pharmacy curricula. With preceptor’s increasing responsibilities, colleges are faced with the task of training preceptors as educators. Identifying preceptor’s training format preferences (i.e. electronic vs. live) should contribute to the more effective and efficient creation of training materials and programs.Methods: A preceptor training video was created and made available electronically and was distributed to 400 preceptors with a brief 2-part questionnaire about preceptor training preferences, electronic training preferences after viewing the video, and available technology resources for participating in electronic training.Results: 38.25% of the questionnaires were returned. The majority of respondents (57%) preferred electronic to live preceptor developing training and the majority (53%) had not previously attended the live annual preceptor development conference offered by the college. 51.6% participants reviewed the electronic training video created by the OU College of Pharmacy. Of the respondents who did not watch the video, 73% cited having too little time, problems accessing the video, or technical reasons for not watching the training video. The majority of responders in all age groups preferred electronic training to face-to-face training except those ages 61-65 and the majority (55.7%) would participate in on-line training again in the future. The majority of respondents have the technical resources to participate in electronic training.Conclusion: Preceptors have limited time to participate in preceptor development training, although they view training as an important activity. This study reveals three main findings: (1) the majority of preceptors prefer electronic preceptor development training programs regardless of age; (2) would participate in future electronic training after having participated in electronic training; and (3) have the available resources to participate in electronic training. Future preceptor development programs should have flexible formats to accommodate preferences for live and electronic programming.
Technical advances and pitfalls in head and neck radiotherapy.

Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) is the standard of care in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) based on level 1 evidence. Technical advances in radiotherapy have revolutionized the treatment of HNSCC, with the most tangible gain being a reduction in long term morbidity. However, these benefits come with a serious and sobering price. Today, there is a greater chance of missing the target/tumor due to uncertainties in target volume definition by the clinician that is demanded by the highly conformal planning process involved with IMRT. Unless this is urgently addressed, our patients would be better served with the historically practiced non conformal radiotherapy, than IMRT which promises lesser morbidity. Image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) ensures the level of set up accuracy warranted to deliver a highly conformal treatment plan and should be utilized with IMRT, where feasible. Proton therapy has a theoretical physical advantage over photon therapy due to a lack of “exit dose”. However, clinical data supporting the routine use of this technology for HNSCC are currently sparse. The purpose of this article is to review the literature, discuss the salient issues and make recommendations that address the gaps in knowledge.
Hyper-redundant planar manipulators: motion planning with discrete modal summation procedure

Biological systems such as human spine, elephant trunk, snakes, and earthworms possess very high maneuverability during motion. Analogous mechanical devices are useful for applications such as inspection, exploration, manipulation, and locomotion in restricted spaces. An important feature which high mobility devices possess is small motion limits at the joints. The objectives of this paper are: (i) to present an algorithm for motion planning of planar hyper-redundant manipulator systems with limited joint motion using a discrete modal summation procedure; (ii) to apply the algorithm for motion in free space as well as retrieve objects through holes in the work environment; and (iii) to show results of application of this algorithm for motion planning of a mechanical spine with many active motion segments. >
Visually perceived location is an invariant in the control of action.

We provide experimental evidence that perceived location is an invariant in the control of action, by showing that different actions are directed toward a single visually specified location in space (corresponding to the putative perceived location) and that this single location, although specified by a fixed physical target, varies with the availability of information about the distance of that target. Observers in two conditions varying in the availability of egocentric distance cues viewed targets at 1.5, 3.1, or 6.0 m and then attempted to walk to the target with eyes closed using one of three paths; the path was not specified until after vision was occluded. The observers stopped at about the same location regardless of the path taken, providing evidence that action was being controlled by some invariant, ostensibly visually perceived location. That it was indeed perceived location was indicated by the manipulation of information about target distance—the trajectories in the full-cues condition converged near the physical target locations, whereas those in the reduced-cues condition converged at locations consistent with the usual perceptual errors found when distance cues are impoverished.
The multiplier method of Hestenes and Powell applied to convex programming

For nonlinear programming problems with equality constraints, Hestenes and Powell have independently proposed a dual method of solution in which squares of the constraint functions are added as penalties to the Lagrangian, and a certain simple rule is used for updating the Lagrange multipliers after each cycle. Powell has essentially shown that the rate of convergence is linear if one starts with a sufficiently high penalty factor and sufficiently near to a local solution satisfying the usual second-order sufficient conditions for optimality. This paper furnishes the corresponding method for inequality-constrained problems. Global convergence to an optimal solution is established in the convex case for an arbitrary penalty factor and without the requirement that an exact minimum be calculated at each cycle. Furthermore, the Lagrange multipliers are shown to converge, even though the optimal multipliers may not be unique.
AR browser for points of interest in disaster response in UAV imagery

This work in progress describes AerialAR, a global positioning system (GPS) augmented reality (AR) application for mobile devices that automatically labels points of interest (POI) in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery. This has important implications for assisting emergency responders. Existing AR applications for UAVs provide the pilot with navigational situational awareness such as terrain features; AerialAR locates and labels mission-relevant points such as schools that may need to be evacuated or hospitals to transport victims to. Locating POI in UAV imagery poses more challenges than those addressed by typical AR browsers on smartphones. The UAV operates at different altitudes as opposed to handheld devices and the UAV camera can tilt over a wide range of angles rather than simply facing forward. AerialAR overcomes these issues by developing a set of equations that translate UAV telemetry and field of view (fov) into a projection onto a Google Map. The map can then be queried for categories of POI. The current version calculates the POI distance and angles with an average error of 0.04% as compared to the Haversine and Rhumb line equations for the distance between the UAV location projected on the ground and the POI on the Google Map. Future work will complete AerialAR by processing UAV video in real-time on mobile devices.
Functional Morphology of the Invertebrate Skeleton

Functional Morphology of the Invertebrate Skeleton, Enrico Savazzi, 1999, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 712 p. (Hardcover $275.00) ISBN: 0-047-197776-4. To paleontologists, Seilacher's triangle represents one of the most widely recognizable images, probably surpassed only by Sepkoski's “three faunas.” Seilacher stressed that form can best be understood in an evolutionary context by considering historical, fabricational (morphogenetic), and functional factors. The triangle was a conceptual device and not a methodological guide; although it emphasized all three factors, it did not preclude analyzing each independently. Therefore, studies of functional morphology could be defined as those concerned only with the functional corner. Such definitions, however, rarely constrain the work of researchers and a variety of approaches and methods, some emphasizing all three factors, have come under the rubric of “functional morphology.” The one thing that most researchers would agree on as Enrico Savazzi notes, is that functional morphology explores the “Relationships between form and function of an organism;” this then is the theme of “Functional Morphology of the Invertebrate Skeleton,” a new book that Savazzi has edited. To achieve its goal of providing “the broadest summary of functional morphology of the invertebrate skeleton under a single cover since D'Arcy Thompson's classic,” Savazzi has gathered 43 …
Novel Genes for Dyslipidemias: Genome-Wide Association Studies

Much of our existing knowledge of lipoprotein metabolism has emerged from the identification of genes responsible for monogenic dyslipidemias; however, many patients with abnormal blood lipid concentrations likely have polygenic disease that reflects the actions of many genes in tandem. Here, we review recent progress in unraveling the genetic basis of polygenic dyslipidemias. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several dozen novel genetic loci related to blood lipid concentrations. Functional exploration of these loci has revealed novel functions of the genes SORT1, TRIB1, and GALNT2 in lipoprotein metabolism. A key challenge now is to build on these preliminary studies and develop a molecular understanding of how the many novel GWAS loci contribute to dyslipidemias.
In Vitro Preservation of Honey Bee Semen Enhanced by Storage at 13—15°C

Honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), semen, treated with streptomycin sulfate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, or both was stored in vitro at either room temperature (24°C) or 13–15°C. Honey bee queens were artificially inseminated with the semen after it had been stored for 13, 17, 21, or 35 weeks. Fertilizing capacity of streptomycin-treated semen was preserved through 35 weeks storage at 13–15°C. Other additive and temperature treatments were less effective in preserving fertilizing capacity. Thirty-five queen daughters were raised from grafted larvae of 6 queens artificially inseminated with semen stored 35 weeks in vitro.
Density-Functional Thermodynamic Perturbation Theory of Lennard-Jones Solids

The thermodynamics of a fcc hard spheres solid is accurately described by recent density-functional approximations. This state is used as a reference in a thermodynamic perturbation analysis for a density-functional theory of Lennard-Jones solids. The free energy functional incorporates liquid state structural information and a density dependent potential decomposition for the Lennard-Jones interatomic potential. The computed free energies of the solids compare very well with the predictions of atonlistic simulations. Solid-liquid coexistence is predicted consistently to within 15% of results of Monte Carlo simulations, over the temperature range 0.75 ≤ kT/c e ≤ 10.
Olive Jar Ceramics from the Eagle Ridge Site (25sy116) in Eastern Nebraska: Booty from the Villasur Expedition?

The battle between the Spanish and French and their native allies figured on the Segesser hide paintings contributed to ending the eastward expansion of Spanish exploration in North America. While the battle that took place somewhere near the confluence of the Loup and Platte Rivers on August 14, 1720 is illustrated on contemporary buffalo hide paintings and described in contemporary documents there has been no physical evidence precisely where the confrontation took place nor have any objects associated with the fight have ever been discovered. The 1996 excavation of the Eagle Ridge site (ca. 1700–1750) in eastern Nebraska recovered ceramics from one or more olive jars of Spanish origin. These ceramics likely represent booty from the 1720 conflict.
350 DOES A COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE WORKSHOP USING STANDARDIZED PATIENTS INCREASE KNOWLEDGE AND IMPROVE SKILLS

Background As the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased in the general population, medical students and medical educators have responded with CAM interest groups and CAM curriculum. However, formal CAM instruction varies and is especially less structured in the southeastern US. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of a CAM workshop (WS) using standardized patients (SP) on knowledge and clinical skills of third-year medical students. Methods A 4-hour CAM WS was developed as part of a new curriculum for a required third-year 4-week primary care internal medicine clerkship. The CAM WS and other novel WS were randomized for delivery to half of the rotational groups. The CAM WS incorporates four SP cases representing different clinical challenges (chiropractic, acupuncture, dietary supplement counseling). A faculty preceptor facilitates group discussion of sensitive approaches to the problems. Participating students are provided a 44-page CAM reference and all students are assigned CAM readings. At the end of the 4 weeks, all students take a 100-item written exam (seven CAM questions) and nine-station SP exam (one CAM station) including a post-SP encounter open-ended written exercise. Scores on the written exam CAM items, CAM SP checklist, and CAM open-ended written exercise of workshop participators and nonparticipators were analyzed with simple means, standard deviations, and multiple regression approaches controlling for USMLE Step 1 scores and preventive care SP station checklist scores. Results The CAM WS was delivered to 6 of the 12 rotation groups during the 2004-2005 academic year. Forty-eight students participated in the workshop and 49 did not. Workshop participants performed significantly better than nonparticipants on the seven CAM written exam items (5.8 6 0.73 vs 5.2 6 1.2, F = 7.7, p = .007) and the post-SP encounter written exercise (92.4 6 7.4% vs 88.3 6 8.5%, F = 6.3, p = .014). There was no signficicant difference (p = .963) between the groups on the SP-checklist. Conclusions Students participating in a 4-hour SP workshop exhibit superior CAM knowledge as assessed by open-ended and multiple-choice exercises. It appears that CAM attitudinal and deferential counseling skills are easily integrated into basic interviewing; however, practice with SPs does assist in acqusition and application of CAM knowledge.
Knowledge,Behavior About STD/AIDS and HIV Infection Situation of Female Commercial Sex Workers in Yibin City

Objective To understand the situation of knowledge,practice and the HIV infection situation about STD/AIDS of female commercial sex workers(CSWs)in Yibin city,so as to develop a better health education,and develop a behavior intervention.Methods Questionnaire method was adopted and 6 ml vein blood and vaginal and cervical secretion from the CSWs were detected.Results Totally 216 CSWs were investigated.There were 44.44%-91.92% CSWs who could correctly answer the items in the questionnaires about HIV transmission routes and preventive measure.58.80% of them used condoms with their clients at their last sex activities.There were significant differences in condom use among them between high(71.88%)and low grade entertainment places(21.43%).The main reasons that they didn't use condom was their clients' unwillingness(83.15%),the prevalence of STD was 45.83% once.The HIV anti-bodies in their serum were negative all,the infected rate of Syphilis,Gonorrhoea and Trichomoonas and Chlamydia and HSV-2 was 6.94%,8.25%,9.28%,24.23%,38.43%.Conclusion The awareness of STD/AIDS prevention among CSWs is quite low and condom use rate is low too.The prevalence of STD was high consequently.To conduct health education and introduce behavioral intervention for female sex workers would be an important work in the future,especially for those in cheap prostitution places.
Patients with colorectal cancer associated with Lynch syndrome and MLH1 promoter hypermethylation have similar prognoses.

Mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC) is caused by Lynch syndrome (LS) in 3% and sporadic inactivation of MLH1 by hypermethylation (MLH1-hm) in 12% of cases. It is not clear whether outcomes between LS-associated and MLH1-hm CRC differ. The objective of this study was to explore differences in clinical factors and outcomes in these two groups. Patients with dMMR CRC identified by immunohistochemistry staining and treated at a single institution from 1998 to 2012 were included. MLH1-hm was established with BRAF mutational analysis or hypermethylation testing. Patients’ charts were accessed for information on pathology, germ-line MMR mutation testing, and clinical course. A total of 143 patients had CRC associated with LS (37 patients, 26%) or MLH1-hm (106 patients, 74%). Patients with LS were younger, more often male, presented more often with stage III disease, and had more metachronous disease than patients with MLH1-hm tumors. There was no difference in cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the groups; overall survival was longer in patients with LS, but this difference was minimal after adjusting for age and stage at diagnosis. CSS did not differ in LS-associated CRC compared with MLH1-hm CRC, suggesting that they carry a similar prognosis. Genet Med 18 9, 863–868.
Art That Makes Communities Strong: Transformative Partnerships With Community Artists in K–12 Settings

“It cheapens our society when we “dehumanize” the immigration debate. In my roles as a father, an artist and as an educator, I grapple with the hardships that Latinos face raising their families, o...
Urea Inclusion in Distillers Dried Grains Supplements1

ABSTRACT Two experiments evaluated the inclusion of urea in distillers dried grains supplements. In Exp. 1, 60 Angus heifers (278 ± 16 kg) were individually fed diets consisting of 58% ground corn cobs, 12% sorghum silage, and 30% distillers dried grains (DM basis) in Calan electronic gates. Urea replaced distillers dried grains at 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, or 1.6% of diet DM. In Exp. 2, 48 crossbred heifers were fed meadow hay ad libitum and 1.4 kg (DM) distillers dried grains to which was added either 0 or 45 g urea/heifer daily. In both experiments, no response in animal weight gain or feed efficiency was observed when urea was added to the diet. Based on retrospective NRC (1996) model analysis of diets, metabolizable protein was in excess of requirements. Lack of response in animal performance may indicate lack of rumen degradable protein deficiency or sufficient N recycling to correct a rumen degradable protein deficiency. These studies indicate adding urea to distillers dried grains is not necessary when fed as a supplement in forage-based diets.
School size and student achievement: a longitudinal analysis

ABSTRACTNumerous initiatives by private philanthropies and the US government have supported school size reduction policies as an educational reform intended to improve student outcomes. Empirical evidence to support these claims, however, is underdeveloped. In this article, we draw on information from a longitudinal dataset provided by the Northwest Evaluation Association covering more than 1 million students in 4 US states. Employing a student fixed effects strategy, we estimate how a student’s achievement changes as (s)he moves between schools of different sizes. We find evidence that students’ academic achievement in math and reading declines as school size increases. The negative effects of large schools appear to matter most in higher grades, which is also when schools tend to be the largest.
Abstract 2794: Six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 (STEAP4): an important link between hypoxia, inflammation, nutrition and tumorigenesis in the intestine

Hypoxia occurred in the inflammatory foci can further increase the pro-inflammatory response. Moreover, inflammatory hypoxia is critical for altering tissue metabolism and nutritional response, which can further sustain the inflammation and drive tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms that link hypoxia, nutrition, inflammation and tumorigenesis are not clear. Through genome-wide expression analysis we identified six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 (STEAP4) as a gene highly induced by hypoxia. STEAP4 is an oxidoreductase that regulates inflammatory stress, fatty acid, glucose and iron metabolism. Here we demonstrate that the increase in STEAP4 is dependent on epithelial HIF-2α in mouse models of colitis. Luciferase reporter assay and ChIP assay confirmed that STEAP4 is a HIF-2α target gene. Compared to normal healthy controls, the gene expression of STEAP4 was highly induced in tissues from colitis patients. Transgenic mice overexpressing GFP-tagged STEAP4 specifically in intestinal epithelial cells demonstrated that STEAP4 was expressed primarily on the plasma and mitochondrial membrane. Interestingly, these mice had no change in serum and tissue minerals except for a slight increase in intestinal iron, specifically mitochondrial iron, but no change in systemic iron levels. STEAP4 transgenic mice were highly susceptible to acute experimental colitis model. Moreover, STEAP4 was increased in human colorectal cancer (CRC) and predicts poor prognosis. Consistently, tumor numbers in the STEAP4 transgenic overexpression mice were increased compared to wild-type littermates in a colitis-associated CRC tumor model. Mechanistically, overexpression of STEAP4 increased oxidative stress and DNA damage in the intestine. In conclusion, we have identified a novel gene induced in colitis and CRC that could link hypoxia-induced metabolic changes, inflammation and cancer. Citation Format: Xiang Xue, Yatrik Shah. Six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 (STEAP4): an important link between hypoxia, inflammation, nutrition and tumorigenesis in the intestine. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2794.