cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract 18242: Maladaptive Remodeling in Women with Signs and Symptoms of Ischemia and Elevated Left Ventricular End-diastolic Pressure

Background: Women with signs and symptoms of ischemia but no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) often have elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP). We have previously demonstrated that this is linked with coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). However, elevated LVEDP in the absence of CMD has not been well examined. Methods: 182 women with signs and symptoms of ischemia and no obstructive CAD underwent invasive coronary reactivity testing (CRT), LVEDP measurement at rest, and rest cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI, 1.5 T). CMD was assessed using a Doppler wire in the left anterior descending artery and intracoronary injections of adenosine and acetylcholine. Overall, 35/182 (19%) women had no evidence of CMD, with coronary flow reserve ≥ 2.5, coronary blood flow response ≥ 50%, and acetylcholine diameter response > 0%. CMRI measured LV size, mass and function. Two-sample T test and Fisher Exact Test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 35 women without CMD, 20 (57%) had elevated LVEDP (≥15 mmHg) (mean 18 ± 3 mmHg) compared to 15 with normal LVEDP (11 ± 3 mmHg). The elevated LVEDP group had significantly lower end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) and end-systolic volume index (ESVI) and a higher mass-to-volume ratio compared to the normal LVEDP group (Table). Resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures were also higher in the elevated LVEDP group. All other functional parameters were not significantly different. Conclusion: The presence of elevated LVEDP is associated with a significantly higher mass-to-volume ratio and lower EDVI and ESVI in women without CMD. Prior studies have shown that increased mass-to-volume ratio is independently associated with increased cardiovascular events, especially heart failure. These results suggest that these women may have a maladaptive remodeling process and that this phenotype should not be ignored despite having no evidence of CMD on CRT.
Relationship of Microstructure and Hardness for A12O3 Armor Materials

In armor ceramics, it is hard to separate "good" from "bad", with samples that have close density values. It is still unknown whether a slight change in residual porosity above 99.5%, namely the shape and dispersity of pores are detrimental to the dynamic performance. The method for solving this problem is based on spatial data analysis and subsequent mechanical tests. Three hot-pressed armor grade Al 2 O 3 ceramic tiles were used for this purpose. Microstructural assessment was carried out using nearest neighbor distance distribution functions and tessellation analysis. Hardness tests were performed to assess the properties of the samples. Hardness maps were obtained by indentation of samples 100 times, forming a square array of 10x10 indents and presented as contour maps. The results from microstructural assessment and hardness tests were compared and some degree of correlation was observed between the microstructural analysis and hardness tests.
Proximate composition and mineral content of two edible species of Cnidoscolus (tree spinach)

Proximate composition and mineral content of raw and cooked leaves of two edible tree spinach species (Cnidoscolus chayamansa and C. aconitifolius), known locally as 'chaya', were determined and compared with that of a traditional green vegetable, spinach (Spinicia oleraceae). Results of the study indicated that the edible leafy parts of the two chaya species contained significantly (p 0.05) differences were found in nutritional composition and mineral content between the chaya species, except minor differences in the relative composition of fatty acids, protein and amino acids. Cooking of chaya leaves slightly reduced nutritional composition of both chaya species. Cooking is essential prior to consumption to inactivate the toxic hydrocyanic glycosides present in chaya leaves. Based on the results of this study, the edible chaya leaves may be good dietary sources of minerals (Ca, K and Fe) and vitamins (ascorbic acid and β-carotene).
Intracontinental Hotspots, Anorogenic Magmatism, and Associated Metal Deposits

It is probably safe to say that the tectonics of plate interiors (see Geodynamics Series vol. 1, 1980, Am. Geophys. Un.) are less well understood than those of plate margins. In particular, there is much to learn about the forces responsible for the creation of broad intracontinental basins and plateau uplifts (Crough 1979, 1983). The latter are of interest at this juncture because they are connected with thermal perturbations of the underlying mantle (McGetchin et al. 1980). In fact, it has been argued by Thiessen et al. (1979) that the pronounced basin and swell nature of the African continent is related to down-and upwelling mantle currents, the latter marked in many instances by surface manifestations of igneous activity.
Increasing performance of the FRCHX plasma injector system

The Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment (FRCHX) is an experiment developed in collaboration between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to form compact (r s = 2.5∼3.5 cm), high density (n e = 3∼4×1016 cm−3) field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas intended for subsequent adiabatic compression to high energy density conditions. The FRC plasma is first formed via reversed-field theta pinch in a Deuterium background plasma. The theta coil which forms the FRC is conical to impart sufficient momentum to the plasma to translate it a short distance, where it is trapped by a magnetic well within a cylindrical flux-conserving aluminum solid liner. Once trapped, the FRC is diagnosed and/or compressed by the magnetically-driven implosion of the liner.
Molecular Gas Band Radiation

Publisher Summary Radiation heat transfer involving molecular gases is the desirable effect in fossil-fuel or waste-fired steam generators for power production or process steam supply and in industrial heat-treating, melting, or enameling furnaces. Heat radiation from gases may be utilized as a means of heat transfer and also of information transfer. Information on the location, extent, composition, and temperature of a volume of molecular gases can be inferred from thermal radiation measurements. The information obtained can be used by process control, fire and air pollution warning and monitoring systems, and by weapon and brush-fire-suppressant targeting or guidance systems. This chapter examines how to make a nongray radiation heat transfer analysis for problem situations involving molecular gases with infrared vibration rotation bands when the gaseous mixture is in a state corresponding to thermodynamic equilibrium at the local thermodynamic state variables: pressure, temperature, and composition. The special circumstances under which total emissivity and total absorptivity appear as useful quantities are derived, and approximations extending their utility are discussed. The chapter examines how the more general and difficult problem of a nonisothermal gas is treated. Some particular solutions for the parallel-plate duct are described, both to illustrate nonisothermal gas analysis and to obtain wall-layer transmission factors to extend the utility of engineering models employing an isothermal gas volume concept. The chapter provides a brief description of the experimental knowledge of molecular gas behavior and a review of the fundamental ideas of radiation transfer. The spectral band nature of gas radiation is briefly described and correlations for working calculations of gas radiation properties are presented.
Lead(IV) Oxide

[1309-60-0] O2Pb (MW 239.19) InChI = 1S/2O.Pb InChIKey = YADSGOSSYOOKMP-UHFFFAOYSA-N (oxidation of phenols1 and hydroquinones2 to quinones; oxidation of methyl groups in methylated phenols to carboxyl groups;3 oxidative cyclization4 and oxidative decarboxylation;5 formation of hydrazyl radical6) Alternate Name: lead dioxide. Physical Data: evolves oxygen when heated, first forming Pb3O4, and then PbO at high temperatures; d 9.38 g cm−3. Solubility: insol water; sol HCl with evolution of Cl2; sol dil HNO3 in the presence of H2O2; sol oxalic acid; sol alkaline iodide solutions with liberation of iodine; sol hot caustic alkaline solutions. Form Supplied in: black powder; widely available. Purification: commercial PbO2 is not always satisfactory; it is necessary to prepare the fresh active reagent by one of the methods described by Kuhn7 and Wilmarth.8 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: harmful by inhalation, in contact with skin, and if swallowed; irritating to eyes and respiratory system; danger of cumulative effects; reproductive hazard; contact with combustible material may cause fire; should be handled in a fume hood.
Hypothermia reduces cerebral metabolic rate and cerebral blood flow in newborn pigs.

We examined effects of hypothermia on cerebral metabolic rate and cerebral blood flow in anesthetized, newborn pigs (1-4 days old). Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was determined with 15-micronS radioactive microspheres. Regional CBF ranged from 44 to 66 ml . min-1.100 g-1, and cerebral metabolic rate was 1.94 +/- 0.23 ml O2.100 g-1 . min-1 during normothermia (39 degrees C). Reduction of rectal temperature to 34-35 degrees C decreased CBF and cerebral metabolic rate 40-50%. In another group of piglets, we examined responsiveness of the cerebral circulation to arterial hypercapnia during hypothermia. Although absolute values for normocapnic and hypercapnic CBF were reduced by hypothermia and absolute values for normocapnic and hypercapnic cerebrovascular resistance were increased, the percentage changes from control in these variables during hypercapnia were similar during normothermia and hypothermia. In another group of animals that were maintained normothermic and exposed to two episodes of hypercapnia, there was no attenuation of cerebrovascular dilatation during the second episode. We conclude that hypothermia reduces CBF secondarily to a decrease in cerebral metabolic rate and that percent dilator responsiveness to arterial hypercapnia is unaltered when body temperature is reduced.
Construction Workers, U.S.A.

Construction Workers, U.S.A. Herbert Applebaum. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. 212 pp.
Extensions of symmetric tensors by alternating tensors

On demontre que les groupes d'extension des tenseurs symetriques par des tenseurs alternes sont determines par les composantes homogenes des modules d'homologie de l'hyperalgebre du groupe additif G a
Mutual drag effect in the magnetoresistivity of antimony

Isothermal and adiabatic magnetoresistivities of an antimony single crystal have been determined in the temperature range 1.2-4.2 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The weak temperature dependence in the magnetoresistivities and the difference between the isothermal and adiabatic values are ascribed to the presence of the carrier-phonon mutual drag effect in the magnetoresistance. A simplified model of mutual drag in semimetals based on the fact that both carriers and phonons drift with almost the same transverse velocity was adapted. The observed values of mutual drag efficiency and electron-phonon interaction were consistent with those obtained from other transport measurements.
CD8 T cell responses to influenza virus infection in aged mice

Influenza is one of the most common infectious diseases afflicting humans, particularly the elderly. The murine model has been widely employed for investigation of immunity to influenza virus infection. In this paper, we review the recent advances in understanding the diminished CD8 T cell immune response to influenza virus infection in aged mice. Possible mechanisms of impaired CD8 T cell responses with aging are addressed, including: (1) the role of dendritic cells (DCs); (2) the effect of age-associated changes in the T cell repertoire; and (3) the interactions with CD4 T cells, including T regulatory (Treg) cells and CD4 T helper cells. The aged murine model of the CD8 T cell response to influenza virus is helping to elucidate the mechanisms of immunosenescence which can lead to therapeutic improvements in the primary CD8 T cell response to new infections, as well as the development of new strategies for immunization to prevent influenza in the elderly.
Why is my patient anemic

Anemia is a decreased number of circulating red blood cells and is a common medical condition faced in clinical practice. Anemia is caused by loss of red blood cells, destruction of red blood cells, decreased production of red blood cells, or a combination of these processes. Through a clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation the provider must identify the process by which the patient is anemic. Often the cause of anemia is straightforward; however, the cause can be challenging, requiring a thorough knowledge of both hematology and general medicine.
A molecular phylogeny of the Patellogastropoda (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

Phylogenetic analyses of partial 18S rDNA sequences from species representing all living families of the order Patellogastropoda, most other major gastropod groups (Cocculiniformia, Neritopsina, Vetigastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Heterobranchia, but not Neomphalina), and two additional classes of the phylum Mollusca (Cephalopoda, Polyplacophora) confirm that Patellogastropoda comprises a robust clade with high statistical support. The sequences are characterized by the presence of several insertions and deletions that are unique to, and ubiquitous among, patellogastropods. However, this portion of the 18S gene is insufficiently informative to provide robust support for the monophyly of Gastropoda, or to address the division of the Gastropoda into the subclasses Eogastropoda (= Patellogastropoda + hypothetical coiled ancestors) and Orthogastropoda. These sequence data invariably group Patellogastropoda in a weakly supported clade with cocculiniform limpets, despite greater sequence divergences between Patellogastropoda and “Cocculiniformia” than between the Patellogastropoda and Orthogastropoda. Partial 18S sequences support the inclusion of the family Neolepetopsidae within the superfamily Acmaeoidea, and refute its previously hypothesized position as sister group to the remaining living Patellogastropoda. This region of the 18S rDNA gene diverges at widely differing rates, spanning an order of magnitude among patellogastropod lineages, and therefore does not provide meaningful resolution of the relationships among higher taxa of patellogastropods. Data from one or more genes that evolve more uniformly and more rapidly than the 18S rDNA gene (possibly one or more of the mitochondrial genes) seem more likely to be informative about relationships within Patellogastropoda.
Energy aware routing algorithm for WSN applications in border surveillance

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are widely used in various applications for tracking or surveillance purposes. Border security monitoring and terrorist attack prevention are just two of many crucial homeland security applications which rely upon WSN technologies. In these applications, a great amount of sensors powered by batteries are deployed in a particular region. They detect events, process and relay data to the sink node at the base station. Power conservation is critical to these sensors. In this paper, we propose a routing algorithm which separates the sensor nodes to several scheduling sets and keeps track of the energy level of each sensor. This algorithm balances power consumption among sensors, and therefore prolongs the network lifetime. Simulation results verify that our algorithm outperforms the EECCR algorithm proposed in [1].
MR-based motion correction for PET imaging using wired active MR microcoils in simultaneous PET-MR: phantom study

Purpose: Artifacts caused by head motion present a major challenge in brain positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. The authors investigated the feasibility of using wired active MR microcoils to track head motion and incorporate the measured rigid motion fields into iterative PET reconstruction. Methods: Several wired active MR microcoils and a dedicated MR coil-tracking sequence were developed. The microcoils were attached to the outer surface of an anthropomorphic 18F-filled Hoffman phantom to mimic a brain PET scan. Complex rotation/translation motion of the phantom was induced by a balloon, which was connected to a ventilator. PET list-mode and MR tracking data were acquired simultaneously on a PET-MR scanner. The acquired dynamic PET data were reconstructed iteratively with and without motion correction. Additionally, static phantom data were acquired and used as the gold standard. Results: Motion artifacts in PET images were effectively removed by wired active MR microcoil based motion correction. Motion correction yielded an activity concentration bias ranging from −0.6% to 3.4% as compared to a bias ranging from −25.0% to 16.6% if no motion correction was applied. The contrast recovery values were improved by 37%–156% with motion correction as compared to no motion correction. The image correlation (mean ± standard deviation) between the motion corrected (uncorrected) images of 20 independent noise realizations and static reference was R2 = 0.978 ± 0.007 (0.588 ± 0.010, respectively). Conclusions: Wired active MR microcoil based motion correction significantly improves brain PET quantitative accuracy and image contrast.
Comparison of insect, fungal, and mechanically induced defoliation of larch: effects on plant productivity and subsequent host susceptibility

Larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii Hartig, and larch needlecast fungus, Mycosphaerella laricinia (R. Hartig) Neg., are early season defoliators restricted only to Larix host trees. Larch defoliation (100%) by either the fungus or insect, but not mechanical removal, induced systemic responses that reduced sawfly consumption and digestion rates one year later. In a feeding behavior assay, larvae quickly abandoned seedlings previously defoliated by M. laricinia. Adult female oviposition choice and egg deposition were unaffected. Seedling growth was not affected during the year of defoliation by M. laricinia, but was significantly reduced one year later. Defoliation by M. laricinia reduced stem volume, radial growth, root biomass and new shoot production. The latter tissue is the only oviposition resource for larch sawfly, and, in contrast, is not influenced by sawfly feeding. We hypothesize that M. laricinia infection may limit larch sawfly populations where both species coexist. However, this reduction is at a substantial net cost to larch productivity.
Temperature-dependent coordination of phosphine to five-coordinate alkenylruthenium complexes.

The red, five-coordinate complexes Ru(CO)Cl(PPh3)2(CHCHPh) and [Ru(CO)Cl(PPh3)2]2(μ-CHCHC6H4CHCH) undergo reversible coordination of PPh3 at low temperature to produce the pale yellow, six-coordinate complexes Ru(CO)Cl(PPh3)3(CHCHPh) and [Ru(CO)Cl(PPh3)3]2(μ-CHCHC6H4CHCH). X-ray crystal structures of the latter complex and of the hydride complex RuH(CO)Cl(PPh3)3 were obtained. 1H and 31P NMR spectra between 20 and −70 °C exhibit large changes in both equilibrium constants and dynamic effects. Thermodynamic parameters, ΔH = −17.5 ± 2.0 kcal/mol and ΔS = −57.5 ± 7.6 eu, were obtained for PPh3 coordination to the monoruthenium complex, and activation parameters, ΔH⧧ = 20.6 ± 0.7 kcal/mol and ΔS⧧ = 41.6 ± 2.0 eu, were obtained for the reverse decoordination. Coordination of PPh3 was not observed upon cooling of the shorter bridged complex, [Ru(CO)Cl(PPh3)2]2(μ-CHCHCHCH).
Time-bounded essential localization for wireless sensor networks

In many practical applications of wireless sensor networks, it is crucial to accomplish the localization of sensors within a given time bound. We find that the traditional definition of relative localization is inappropriate for evaluating its actual overhead in localization time. To address this issue, we define a novel problem called essential localization and present the first rigorous study on the essential localizability of a wireless sensor network within a given time bound. Additionally, we propose an efficient distributed algorithm for time-bounded essential localization over a sensor network and evaluate the performance of the algorithm with analysis and extensive simulation studies.
Biological sealants and knitted Dacron conduits: comparison of collagen and fibrin glue pretreatments in circulatory models.

Abstract To assess the healing characteristics of knitted Dacron conduits sealed with fibrin glue, collagen cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, and collagen cross-linked with formaldehyde, composite conduits, each constructed from two of the three test materials, were implanted in the pulmonary and systemic circulations of sheep and dogs for 3 and 6 months. Relative rates and morphologies of sealant resorption and other histological findings were predicted by a previous study involving subcutaneous implantation of the same graft materials in the rat. In particular, both studies revealed that delayed resorption of collagen cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and collagen cross-linked with formaldehyde resulted in lack of adhesion between inner capsule and conduit, thereby causing focal hemorrhagic dissection in the circulatory implants. There were no important qualitative or quantitative differences in healing between sheep and dogs or in pulmonary versus systemic location of the conduit. Rendering an animal cyanotic by placing a pulmonary arterial-left atrial shunt or by increasing or decreasing the intraconduit systolic pressure did not obviously affect healing. The results emphasize that the biological consequences of sealed grafts are strongly dependent on the sealant material. Porosity control of knitted Dacron with biological sealants that undergo minimal or delayed resorption may lead to poor tissue adhesion and resultant complications.
Potential role for saccharopine reductase in swainsonine metabolism in endophytic fungus, Undifilum oxytropis

Locoweed plants in the southwestern United States often harbour a slow-growing endophytic fungus, Undifilum oxytropis (Phylum: Ascomycota; Order: Pleosporales), which produces a toxic alkaloid, swainsonine. Consumption of U. oxytropis by grazing animals induces a neurological disorder called locoism for which the toxic alkaloid swainsonine has been reported to be the causal agent. Little is known about the biosynthetic pathway of swainsonine in endophytic fungi, but previous studies on non-endophytic ascomycetous fungi indicate that pipecolic acid and saccharopine are key intermediates. We have used degenerate primers, Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR and inverse PCR to identify the gene sequence of U. oxytropis saccharopine reductase. To investigate the role of this gene product in swainsonine metabolism, we have developed a gene deletion system for this slow-growing endophyte based on our recently established transformation protocol. A strain of U. oxytropis lacking saccharopine reductase had decreased levels of saccharopine and lysine along with increased accumulation of pipecolic acid and swainsonine. Thus, saccharopine reductase influences the accumulation of swainsonine and its precursor, pipecolic acid, in U. oxytropis.
Progress toward a rationally designed molecular motor.

A retrospective overview of the work in the author's laboratory leading to a prototype (43a) of a chemically powered molecular motor is provided. Beginning with a molecular brake (23) and then proceeding through a molecular “ratchet” (31), the development of a rationally designed molecular motor is described. The thermodynamic underpinnings of the concept are outlined, the synthetic routes to 23, 31, and 43a, are summarized, and the data documenting the function of 23, 31, and 43a are presented.
A numerical approach to the static analysis of an annular sector mindlin plate with applications to bevel gear design

Abstract A numerical procedure based on the Rayleigh-Ritz method is used to determine the flexural behavior of a cantilevered annular sector plate of variable rigidity, including the effects of shear deformation. The Ritz method used employs algebraic polynomial trial functions in two dimensions to obtain the deflections and stresses in the shear flexible sector plate. Convergence is investigated, with attention being given to the number of terms taken for each coordinate direction. The application of the mathematical model to predict the deflections and root stresses in a straight bevel gear is demonstrated. The compliance computations based on the sector plate model can be readily integrated into existing computer codes for bevel gear design to determine the load distribution and transmission error. Numerical results are compared with previously published results wherever available and finite element methods.
Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity following exposures to cadmium and/or 60Co gamma irradiation

Abstract A total of 216 male Sprague‐Dawley rats were used. Animals were injected IP every 3 days for 29 days for a total of 9 injections with 0, 1.0 or 2.5 mg Cd/kg body wt. Total cumulative doses were 0, 9.0 or 22.5 mg Cd/kg body wt. Twenty‐four hrs after the last Cd injection (day 30), each animal was subjected to an acute sublethal total‐body exposure of 0, 362 or 543 rads of gamma (60Co) irradiation at a dose rate of 304 rads/min. Eight rats from each of the 9 groups were sacrificed by cardiac exsanguination on post‐irradiation day 1, 7 or 21. Radiation alone produced significant elevations of LDH. However, Cd alone or as the co‐insult did not produce significant changes in enzymes levels. The molecular basis for the mechanism is not known.
Use of a 13C tracer to quantify the plasma appearance of a physiological dose of lutein in humans.

Increased intake of lutein from vegetables promotes increased density of the macular pigment and therefore may protect against age-related macular degeneration. Our objective was to use a 13C tracer and high-precision gas chromatography-combustion interfaced-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS) to investigate metabolism of a lutein dose equivalent to that absorbed from vegetables. Biosynthetic per-labeled (>99% 13C) lutein was purified from a commercially available extract of algal biomass. Subjects (n=4) ingested 3 mg of [13C]lutein with a standardized low-carotenoid breakfast. Blood samples were collected at baseline and then hourly for 12 h; additional blood samples were drawn at 16, 24, 48, 72, 96, 192, 360, and 528 h. To produce perhydro-β-carotene suitable for analysis by GC-C-IRMS, the plasma lutein fraction was hydrogenated on palladium-on-carbon catalyst with acid-catalyzed hydrogenolysis. The stable carbon isotope (13C/12C) ratio measured by GC-C-IRMS was used to calculate the plasma concentration of [13C]lutein. There was a rapid increase in [13C]lutein in plasma until peak enrichment at 16 h followed by a decline to the next measurement at 24 h. At 528 h, small changes in 13C enrichment from baseline could still be measured in plasma lutein. High-precision GC-C-IRMS enables complete definition of the appearance and disappearance of [13C]lutein in plasma after ingestion of a dose similar to that absorbed from foods.
The Causes of Poverty

The poverty model, 40. — Farmers, 43. — Families with no one in the labor force, 44. — Education, 46. — Alaska and Hawaii, 47. — Full-time employment, 47. — Industrial structure, 48. — Nonwhites, 51. — Principal component analysis, 52. — Implications, 56.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant for systemic lupus erythematosus: Interferon regulatory factor 7 activation correlates with the IFN signature and recurrent disease.

The expression and activation of regulatory factors (IRF) and rinterferon (IFN) response genes were evaluated in a patient treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for refractory systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In SLE patients, genetic variants of IRF5 and IRF7 have been associated with increased serum IFNα levels, suggesting a pathogenic role in the type I IFN response. Clinical and molecular analyses of an SLE patient treated with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy and autologous stem cell transplant was performed. Western blot analysis showed that induction of IRF7 protein expression correlated with recurrent lupus disease activity. In addition, phosphorylation of IRF3 and activation of 4 E-BP1, a translational repressor of IRF7, preceded the disease flare. In SLE post-transplant, recurrent disease activity and induction of IRF7 protein expression correlated with activation of the IFN signature. This unique trend in regulation of IRF warrants further mechanistic investigat...
EPA CREM: Turning the Black Box into Plexiglass

Every government agency, as well as many large private institutions, relies on computer models—mathematical equations and data codified in software used to support decisions. Given the critical role that models play in policy development, many of those impacted by government policies have raised important issues: How do models deal with uncertain information? How does one establish whether a model’s underlying assumptions justify a particular decision? In a series of activities lauded by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations in North America and in Europe, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken the lead in addressing these and other related questions through its Council on Regulatory Environmental Modeling (CREM). The EPA established the CREM, a council of senior managers from across the EPA, in 2000 to promote consistency and consensus within its modeling community. Since then, the CREM has sought to improve the quality and transparency of environmental modeling in the EPA. During the past 4 years, the CREM has worked with EPA’s program and regional offices and developed a dialogue with important external stakeholders. These efforts are giving rise to a culture in which models are developed, evaluated, and used in ways that are clearly articulated and reproducible. Because environmental systems are complex, it is difficult to develop complete mathematical descriptions of the relevant processes and mechanisms that govern their behavior. Therefore, EPA develops environmental models to approximate reality and to serve as important tools for policymakers when they make decisions. The most important issue, not just for EPA but for the private companies, NGOs, state regulators, and the researchers who develop and use models, is to determine when a model, despite its uncertainties, can be appropriately used to inform a decision. To provide a framework for answering this question, the EPA developed a Draft Guidance on the Development, Evaluation, and Application of Regulatory Environmental Models (hereafter Draft Guidance for Environmental Models). It provides an overview of some general principles on how to develop, evaluate, and apply quality models for environmental decisions. No other agency in the federal government provides such comprehensive guidance on modeling. The Draft Guidance for Environmental Models defines model evaluation as the process used to generate information to determine whether a model and its analytical results are of a quality sufficient to serve as the basis for a decision. In simple terms, model evaluation provides information to assess the following factors: How have the principles of sound science been addressed during model development? How is the choice of a model supported by the quantity and quality of available data? How closely does the model approximate the real system of interest? How
Concurrent hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinoma

Between 1986 and 1991, thyroidectomy was performed on 138 patients with hyperthyroidism. Thyroid carcinoma was found in eight patients (5.8 per cent). Eighty (58.0 per cent) of the 138 patients had toxic nodular goitre, 33 (23.9 per cent) toxic diffuse goitre and 25 (18.1 per cent) toxic adenoma. Concurrent carcinoma was more frequent in patients with toxic adenoma (8 per cent) than in those with Graves' disease (6 per cent) and toxic nodular goitre (5 per cent). Papillary carcinoma was found in seven patients and follicular carcinoma in one. Three papillary carcinomas were occult with a diameter less than 1.5 cm. Five patients received 100 mCi 131I after operation. There was no morbidity. During follow-up of 10-45 months, there was neither death nor recurrence.
Template-directed synthesis with 2-aminoadenosine.

A random copolymer, poly(CA), containing approximately equal amounts of cytidine (C) and adenosine (A), when incubated with a mixture of guanosine-5′-phosphoro-(2-methylimidazole) (2-MeImpG) and uridine-5′-phosphoro-(2-methylimidazole) (2-MeImpU), facilitates the incorporation of uridine (U) into oligomeric products with low efficiency. If 2-aminoadenosine (aA) is substituted for adenosine in the template, U is incorporated into the products with much higher efficiency. Random copolymers of C and U act as templates for the efficient synthesis of oligomers from 2-MeImpG and 2-MeImpA only if the concentration of substrates is relatively high (0.1 M). The substitution of 2-MeImpaA permits the reaction to occur with much lower substrate concentrations. This effect is most prominent for template containing large amounts of U.
THE SUMMER INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTICS AND INDIGENOUS MOVEMENTS

To the plantation owners of El Salvador's western coffee districts, a January night in 1932 must have seemed like the end of the world. With volcanos in eruption, Pipil Indian peasants rose up against their masters. In the town of Juayua, the Reverend A. Roy MacNaught of the Central American Mission awoke to a great banging noise. Down the street a mob was battering down the door of the telegraph office. "In the morning when I looked out," wrote Reverend MacNaught (1932), "the red flag was flying from the town hall; we were under communistic rule for the first time." Several years later another member of the Central American Mission wrote about the El Salvador uprising in an autobiographical novel. To dramatize his Mayan Bible translation, this Protestant scribe invented a parallel revolt across the border in Guatemala near his own mission stations. The novel's Mayan Evangelist makes the supreme sacrifice to stop a Bolshevik revolution. You will have land, schools, freedom if you follow God's word and obey the government, he tells angry plantation workers. The Russian instigator shoots the evangelist; the Mayan rebels fall to their knees before a dying Christ. The author of this scene, William Cameron Townsend (1936), was organizing a new mission to overcome linguistic and political barriers to evangelical expansion. We know it today as "two organizations" whose membership is identical: the Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT),1 which raises funds and recruits in the United States, the British Commonwealth, and Europe; and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), which operates under contract to governments in Latin America, Africa, and along the East Asian rim. SIL/WBT strategy has become something of a classic in evangelical circles. To translate the New Testament into pre-literate languages, teach
A methodology for identifying the impacted groups in referee discrimination studies

This article presents an empirical methodology that allows one to identify the group being discriminated against by sport referees. Reestimating Price and Wolfers (2010, PW) discrimination in foul-calling analysis with our methodology, we find evidence that only black players are discriminated against.
A combination of windowed plane wave spectrum (WPWS) and spectral transformation techniques for computing the radar scattering characteristics of thin conducting plates

In this paper, the problem of scattering from finite perfectly conducting (PEC) plates has been analyzed by using the windowed plane wave spectrum (WPWS) technique, and the resultant solution is further refined via spectral transformation. The importance of windowing the spectrum of the induced current to improve the solution has been demonstrated. Numerical results have been presented to illustrate the accuracy of the technique via a comparison with those derived by using the method of moments analysis employing Rao, Wilton, and Glisson basis functions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 36: 378–381, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.10769
Confocal imaging of calcium microdomains and calcium extrusion in turtle hair cells

Abstract We have studied spatial Ca 2+ distribution in hair cells filled with the low affinity fluorescent indicator Calcium Green 5N using real-time confocal microscopy and whole-cell recording. During depolarizations lasting several hundred milliseconds, Ca 2+ fluorescence increased at a number of hotspots around the base of the cell but changed little near the hair bundle. The hotspots required influx of Ca 2+ through voltage-dependent channels, and they expanded during the pulse from an initial diameter of 2+ buffers like BAPTA slowed their growth rate. On repolarization, the fluorescence decayed with two time constants: ∼ 0.1 s, which may represent Ca 2+ diffusion away from the entry sites, and 10 s, probably reflecting Ca 2+ extrusion. Extrusion occurs mainly via a CaATPase that can be blocked by vanadate. We suggest the hotspots are m icrodomains of Ca 2+ attaining a concentration of at least 85 μM near assemblies of synaptic release sites.
Femtosecond Stimulated Raman Scattering Picosecond Molecular Thermometry in Condensed Phases

We demonstrate the capability of femtosecond stimulated Raman scattering (FSRS) data to measure the temperature of condensed matter at the molecular vibrational level. We report the temperature dependence of Raman loss to Raman gain ratios for low frequency modes ($l300\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) in a ${\mathrm{CaCO}}_{3}$ single crystal from cryogenic to room temperature, which is shown to be in agreement with theoretical predictions. We also report the measurements of nonequilibrium time evolution of mode specific vibrational temperatures in the ${\mathrm{CaCO}}_{3}$ single crystal to demonstrate that FSRS can measure temperature on picosecond time scales. Finally, we point out the unique origin of this temperature dependent anti-Stokes to Stokes ratio in stimulated Raman, which is not present in other coherent Raman spectroscopies. These measurements require no material dependent parameters or prior calibration.
NATO TG-53: acoustic detection of weapon firing joint field experiment

In this paper, we discuss the NATO Task Group 53 (TG-53) acoustic detection of weapon firing field joint experiment at Yuma Proving Ground during 31 October to 4 November 2005. The participating NATO countries include France, the Netherlands, UK and US. The objectives of the joint experiments are: (i) to collect acoustic signatures of direct and indirect firings from weapons such as sniper, mortar, artillery and C4 explosives and (ii) to share signatures among NATO partners from a variety of acoustic sensing platforms on the ground and in the air distributed over a wide area.
Valproic acid-induced parkinsonism: levodopa responsiveness with dyskinesia.

Abstract Background Valproic acid is a drug used for the treatment of a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders. While it is well known to cause postural tremor, hyperammonemia, slowness, and sedation, it has also been described to occasionally cause a reversible form of parkinsonism. Materials and methods A series of five cases is reported. Results All patients were taking the drug for at least several months before onset of their parkinsonian symptoms. Parkinsonism was defined by the presence of bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and resting tremor, but not postural or action tremor. After discontinuing their valproic acid, improvement was seen by all patients. The course of improvement took days to months after discontinuance. Two of these patients responded to dopaminergic therapy, with drug-induced dyskinesia observed in one. In another patient, valproic acid was thought to unmask underlying Parkinson's Disease; this patient benefited from levodopa as well. Conclusion Valproic acid-induced parkinsonism can look identical to idiopathic parkinsonism. In all five cases, the relationship between the valproic acid use and parkinsonism was initially unclear because of the delayed and insidious onset. Our finding of levodopa responsiveness and dyskinesia added to the diagnostic confusion. This treatment responsiveness also set it apart from neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism. In all cases improvement of symptoms occurred after discontinuation of the offending medication.
Of lice and men.

Lice have annoyed hominids for millions of years, since long before Pediculushumanusbranched,onceormultiple times, into its capitisand corporis ecotypes. Although head louse infestations receive a particularly bad reputation frommedia andmothers, this condition in reality is morepesky thanpestilent.Head licecarrynegligible riskofdisease transmission and therefore have minimal morbidity. Popular media, however, portray head lice as an affliction of the unclean anduncouth. Televisionoftendepicts pediculosis as a disgrace invitedby lapsedpersonal hygiene and fully deserving of society’s scorn. For example, in an episode of The Office (American version, episode 9.10), the protagonist, Pam, conceals that she contracted head lice from her3-year-olddaughter.Anensuingoutbreakofheadlice inherofficefinds blamedeflectedontoaninnocentcharacterwhoissuspectbecauseofpast hygienic transgressions.Athirdcharacter,whenaskedtorefrain fromvilifying her louse-ridden coworkers, declares, “I have not yet begun to shame,” thus capturing the stigma engendered by themedia. An episode of South Park (episode 11.3) also addresses the stigma of pediculosis, but ends, as usual, with a quasi-lesson for viewers. Like The Office, this episode is a whodunit, seeking to identify which character introduced head lice into the classroom. At the episode’s conclusion, all discover that every child is infested with head lice, a more appropriatecharacterizationof theegaliteet fraterniteofpediculosisamong school-aged children. These showsperpetuate thenotion thatpediculosis is shameful and promulgateahostofmisinformation.Thecommunicablenatureofhead lice is exaggerated in both episodes, seen when an Office character dons a Hazmat suit to protect himself from contagion and South Park’s children pummel their infested classmate with soap. Although viewers may not take the comedic portrayal of head lice seriously,myths about head lice appear on “fact-based” shows, too. For example, on the forensic crime series, CSI (episode 9.3), investigators presumethat anunidentifiedcorpse is thatof ahomelessmanpartlybecause of lice found throughout his hair. Television also perpetuates myths about treating head lice. For example,usingmayonnaisetocurehead lice inTheOffice,whileperhapsnot harmful, is an ineffective remedy. Pam’s admission that shewas “up all night disinfecting every sheet, towel, toy, item of clothing, in the entire house”encouragessanitationmeasuresfarbeyondrecommendedactions. In contrast to television’s frequentportrayal ofhead lice as a scourge of theGreatUnwashed,many children’s books are correct and informative. A search of current children’s literature finds many picture books designed to educate children and families about head lice and to dispel its stigma. Similar attempts by broadcast media to correct false beliefs about this condition could mollify popular sentiments toward this benign and nearly universal condition.
Amblyomma americanum: sequential histological analysis of larval and nymphal feeding sites on guinea-pigs.

The sequential histopathological changes at the tick-host interface resulting from the feeding of immature Amblyomma americanum ticks on guinea pigs were examined. The following parameters were measured: depth of mouthpart penetration, extension of the lesion (dermal cellular infiltrate) from the cavity, size of the cavity beneath the mouthparts and the extension of epidermal and perirostral cement layers from the hypostome. A general description of the type of cells, as well as their abundance, within the cavities and lesions were recorded. Tick length and cuticular thickness were also measured. Larval and nymphal cavities increased substantially from 12 to 72 hr postattachment measuring 46 × 50 μm (width × depth) to 308 × 275 μm for the larva and 133 × 125 to 467 × 567 μm for the nymphs. The lesions also increased during the feeding period, measuring 67 to 275 μm for the larva and 183 to 700 μm for the nymphs. The epidermal and perirostral cement layers at the larval feeding site extended 41 and 6 μm, respectively, from the ticks after 12 hr attachment but at 72 hr were 93 and 9 μm, respectively. At the nymphal feeding sites these parameters were 163 and 41 μm, respectively, after 12 hr attachment. However, at 72 hr the epidermal cement was 242 μm with the perirostral cement measuring 67 μm. The predominant cell types in both larval and nymphal cavities were polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils), constituting the primary infiltrate, with erythrocytes appearing in large numbers toward the end of the feeding period. Eosinophils were the third most abundant cell type appearing as the secondary infiltrate with some macrophages, lymphocytes, mast cells, fibrocytes, and monocytes. The significance of these cell types in conjunction with the observed histopathological changes are discussed. During the feeding period, larval length increased from 0.46 to 1.27 mm with cuticular thickness increasing from 7 to 17 μm. The cuticles of replete larvae were found to be only 10 μm thick. This decrease (7 μm) was due to body expansion accompanying the final feeding phase. Nymphal length increased from 1.2 to 2.7 mm with cuticular thickness also increasing from 29 to 68 μm. Replete nymphs had a cuticular thickness of 50 μm, a decrease of 18 μm from the measurement after 72 hr attachment.
Color Naming Universals: The Case of Berinmo.

Proponents of a self-identified 'relativist' view of cross-language color naming have confounded two questions: (1) Is color naming largely subject to local linguistic convention? and (2) Are cross-language color naming differences reflected in comparable differences in color cognition by their speakers? The 'relativist' position holds that the correct answer to both questions is Yes, based on data from the Berinmo language of Papua New Guinea. It is shown here that the Berinmo facts instead support a more complex view -- that cross-language color naming follows non-trivial universal tendencies, while cross-language color-naming differences do indeed correlate with differences in color cognition. The rhetoric of 'relativity' versus 'universalism' impedes understanding of cross-language color naming and cognition.
Physical layer sensing using long pseudo noise codes

As research into building underwater sensor networks proceeds, researchers are focusing on using these networks to solve applicable problems. In particular we have found that underwater sensor networks are capable of performing acoustic tomography, even at very small scales. As sensor networks consist of a network of power constrained devices, researchers must also look for efficient ways to perform the required tasks.In our work we are developing an acoustic tomography system implemented in an underwater sensor network. Traditionally, acoustic signals used for tomography would be followed by acoustic signals carrying data about the previous operations. In this paper we present an acoustic network physical layer that provides for simultaneous data transmission and sensing using the same acoustic signal. By combining data and sensing transmissions we conserve energy. We describe the physical layer followed by experimental data that shows our system can perform as desired.