cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hippocampal development in the rat: cytogenesis and morphogenesis examined with autoradiography and low-level X-irradiation.

The cytogenesis and morphogenesis of the rat hippocampus was examined with the techniques of 3H-thymidine autoradiography, cell pyknosis produced by low-level X-irradiation, and quantitative histology. The procedure of progressively delayed cumulative labelling was used for autoradiography. Groups of rats were injected with four successive daily doses of 3H-thymidine during non-overlapping periods ranging from birth to day 19. They were killed at 60 days of age, and the percentage of labelled cells was determined. The pyramidal cells of Ammon's horn and the polymorph cells of the dentate gyrus are not labelled postnatally, confirming earlier conclusions of their prenatal origin. In the dentate gyrus, 85% of the granule cells are formed postnatally, with 45% forming during the first week. The majority of the small cells of the dentate molecular layer and of the Ammonic strata oriens, radiatum, and lacunosum-moleculare are formed during the second week. As an aid to locating the proliferative compartments of the hippocampus during development and to characterize the time course of both cell differentiation and morphological development, rats ranging in age from gestation day 17 to postnatal day 103 were killed six hours after one exposure to 200r X-rays, and the pyknotic cells were counted. Cell pyknosis in Ammon's horn reaches a maximal level prenatally and declines rapidly during the early postnatal period. Cell pyknosis in the dentate gyrus reaches its highest level during the second postnatal week and declines gradually with some radiosensitive cells still present in the adult. Immature granule cells are also at their highest level during the second postnatal week, while mature granule cells gradually accumulate to attain asymptotic levels at around two months of age. The alignment of the pyramidal cells to form the characteristic curvature of Ammon's horn occurs shortly after pyramidal cell cytogenesis is completed. Conversely, the sharp fold in the dentate gyrus is apparent from the day of birth onward, before the completion of granule cell cytogenesis. Possible mechanisms for the morphological development of the dentate gyrus along with a consideration of the possible migratory route of granule cell precursors is also discussed.
Auxin signaling and regulated protein degradation

Abstract Auxin regulates many aspects of plant growth and development. Auxin is known to regulate gene expression through degradation of the AUX/IAA proteins, short-lived nuclear proteins that regulate gene transcription. The AUX/IAA proteins are degraded through the action of a ubiquitin protein ligase called SCF TIR1 . Auxin promotes the interaction between AUX/IAA proteins and SCF TIR1 in a soluble extract, suggesting that the auxin receptor is a soluble factor. These studies also indicate that the auxin-induced AUX/IAA–SCF TIR1 interaction does not depend on phosphorylation or hydroxylation of AUX/IAA proteins. Although the mechanism of auxin-induced AUX/IAA–SCF TIR1 interaction is not yet clear, auxin might induce a modification in TIR1, AUX/IAA proteins or an adaptor protein that is required for the interaction.
The Na+ gradient hypothesis in cytoplasts derived from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Abstract The concentration gradients of Na + and the non-metabolizable amino acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid, and the membrane potential were measured in cytoplasts derived from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in order to test the Na + gradient hypothesis for the active transport of neutral amino acids in animal cells. According to this hypothesis, the Na + electrochemical gradient and the amino acid activity gradient should be equal at the steady state. It has been difficult to measure the Na + electrochemical gradient in intact Ehrlich cells because Na + may be sequestered in the nuclei of these cells. This problem is avoided with cytoplasts derived from Ehrlich cells because they do not contain internal compartments where Na + could be sequestered. Since these cytoplasts also maintain steady state concentrations of Na + , K + , and α-aminoisobutyric acid similar to those found in whole Ehrlich cells, they are uniquely suited for testing the Na + gradient hypothesis. Assuming the activity coefficients of external and cytoplasmic Na + are equal, the energy in the Na + electrochemical gradient of cytoplasts was 90% of that in the α-aminoisobutyric acid concentration gradient at the steady state. If the Na + gradient hypothesis is correct, the 10% difference between these two gradients cannot be explained in terms of the sequestration of Na + in the nucleus because cytoplasts do not contain internal compartments.
Enteric nervous system, serotonin, and the irritable bowel syndrome

Intestinal motility, secretion, and blood flow are controlled and integrated by the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS is like a "brain-in-the-gut," with many of the neurophysiologic properties of the central nervous system. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter at synapses in the microcircuits of the ENS. Serotonin is also released from enterochromaffin cells and inflammatory/immune cells to act at serotonergic receptors on neurons of the ENS. Four important actions are (1) fast and (2) slow excitation of enteric neurons, (3) presynaptic inhibition of neurotransmitter release at synapses in ENS microcircuits, and (4) excitation of intestinal sensory afferent fibers. Fast excitation and stimulation of sensory afferents are mediated by 5-HT(3) serotonergic receptors and slow excitation by 5-HT(1P) receptors. Presynaptic inhibitory receptors are not conclusively defined. The efficacy of a new 5-HT(3) receptor blocking drug in the treatment of the diarrhea-predominant form of the irritable bowel syndrome in women suggests the importance of this receptor subtype in the mediation of neurogenic secretory diarrhea, motility abnormality, and abdominal pain and discomfort.
Nonhydrostatic atmospheric normal modes on beta-planes

—To facilitate the understanding of nonhydrostatic effect in global and regional nonhydrostatic models, the normal modes of a nonhydrostatic, stratified, and compressible atmosphere are studied using Cartesian coordinates on midlatitude and equatorial β-planes. The dynamical equations without forcing and dissipation are linearized around the basic state at rest, and solved by using the method of separation of variables. An eigenvalue-eigenfunction problem is formulated, consisting of the horizontal and vertical structure equations with suitable boundary conditions. The wave frequency and the separation parameter, referred to as “equivalent height,” appear in both the horizontal and vertical characteristic equations as a coupled problem, unlike the hydrostatic case. Therefore, the nonhydrostatic equivalent height depends not only on the vertical modal scale, as in the hydrostatic case, but also on the zonal and meridional modal scales. Numerical resu lts on the dispersion relations are presented for an isothermal atmosphere. Three kinds of normal modes, namely acoustic, gravity, and Rossby modes, are solved and compared with the corresponding global solutions. Nonhydrostatic effects are studied in terms of normal modes in a wide range of wavelengths from small to planetary scales. It is demonstrated that Rossby modes are hardly affected by nonhydrostatic effects regardless of wavelengths. However, nonhydrostatic effects on gravity modes become significant for smaller horizontal and deeper vertical scales of motion. The equivalent height plays a particularly important role in evaluating nonhydrostatic effects of normal modes on the equatorial β-plane, because the equivalent height appears in the scaling of meridional distance variable of the eigenfunctions. The implementation of nonhydrostatic normal mode analysis on high-resolution numerical modeling is also discussed.
Dissociable and nondissociable forms of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase in human plasma LDL: implications for LDL oxidative susceptibility

Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) is transported by lipoproteins in plasma and is thought to possess both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activity. It has been reported that PAF-AH is recovered primarily in small, dense LDL and HDL following ultracentrifugal separation of lipoproteins. In the present studies, we aimed to further define the distribution of PAF-AH among lipoprotein fractions and subfractions, and to determine whether these distributions are affected by the lipoprotein isolation strategy (FPLC versus sequential ultracentrifugation) and LDL particle distribution profile. When lipoproteins were isolated by FPLC, the bulk (approximately 85%) of plasma PAF-AH activity was recovered within LDL-containing fractions, whereas with ultracentrifugation, there was a redistribution to HDL (which contained approximately 18% of the activity) and the d>1.21 g/ml fraction (which contained approximately 32%). Notably, re-ultracentrifugation of isolated LDL did not result in any further movement of PAF-AH to higher densities, suggesting the presence of dissociable and nondissociable forms of the enzyme on LDL. Differences were noted in the distribution of PAF-AH activity among LDL subfractions from subjects exhibiting the pattern A (primarily large, buoyant LDL) versus pattern B (primarily small, dense LDL) phenotype. In the latter group, there was a relative depletion of PAF-AH activity in subfractions in the intermediate to dense range (d=1.039-1.047 g/ml) with a corresponding increase in enzyme activity recovered within the d>1.21 g/ml ultracentrifugal fraction. Thus, there appears to be a greater proportion of the dissociable form of PAF-AH in pattern B subjects. In both populations, most of the nondissociable activity was recovered in a minor small, dense LDL subfraction. Based on conjugated dienes as a measure of lipid peroxidation, variations in PAF-AH activity appeared to contribute to variations in oxidative behavior among ultracentrifugally isolated LDL subfractions. The physiologic relevance of PAF-AH dissociability and the minor PAF-AH-enriched oxidation-resistant LDL subpopulation remains to be determined.
Influence of prey size and environmental factors on predation by Podisus maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on viburnum leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions to determine the influence of the relative sizes of predator and prey, temperature, presence of refugia, size of the search area, and host-plant species on the predation performance of Podisus maculiventris (Say) nymphs against viburnum leaf beetle, Pyrrhalta viburni (Paykull), a new landscape pest in North America that feeds on the foliage of species of Viburnum L. (Caprifoliaceae). Predator handling time was positively correlated with body mass of the prey for all instars of P. maculiventris, but the rate of increase of handling time relative to prey mass decreased as predator age increased. Temperature was positively correlated with predation rates, but the presence of refugia did not have an impact on predation. The influence of host-plant species and size of the search area was tested on southern arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum L.) and American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus L. var. americanum Aiton). There was a significant interaction between plan...
Assessing the ethical costs and benefits of trauma-focused research

Although scientists and members of Institutional Review Boards must balance the needs of investigators and participants in research, virtually no evidence is available to inform this decision making. This study examines the frequency and correlates of adverse reactions and adequacy of informed consent among 1174 women in an HMO who completed a trauma-focused health survey, and a subset of 252 women who later completed a trauma-focused research interview. Despite the sensitive content, the majority of women participants found participation in the interview and the questionnaire study to be a positive experience. Although a small number of women, particularly those with a history of maltreatment, underestimated the level of upset they would subsequently experience, the majority still did not regret participating, indicating that informed consent procedures were adequate, with a large proportion reporting immediate perceptions of personal gain. Finally, the cost-benefit ratio appears stable 48 hours post-interview, with some minor fluctuations. Overall, these results suggest that research on childhood victimization is well tolerated by women who participate. Though a small number of women may be disturbed by these investigations, in general, adverse reactions appear less common than previously anticipated.
Back to the Future: A Usability Model of Hypertext Based on the Semiotics of C.S. Peirce

Though C.S. Peirce's triads of sign-object-interpretant andicon-index-symbol are often cited in passing, few are aware that Peirce (circa 1900) expanded these triads to describe ten categories of sign (three kinds of icon, four kinds of index, and three kinds of symbol). We will show how Peirce's ten sign types correspond to ten distinct types of visuals common in 21st-century discourse, i.e. hypertext, and how a Peircean understanding of each visual type leads to principles of effective visual design, on the Web or in other forms of hypertext.
Cell and tissue engineering for liver disease

Despite the tremendous hurdles presented by the complexity of the liver’s structure and function, advances in liver physiology, stem cell biology and reprogramming, and the engineering of tissues and devices are accelerating the development of cell-based therapies for treating liver disease and liver failure. This State of the Art Review discusses both the near- and long-term prospects for such cell-based therapies and the unique challenges for clinical translation.
Ensemble modeling of substrate binding to cytochromes P450: analysis of catalytic differences between CYP1A orthologs.

A novel application of modeling and docking approaches involving ensembles of homology models is used to understand structural bases underlying subtle catalytic differences between related cytochromes P450 (CYPs). Mammalian CYP1A1s and fish CYP1As are orthologous enzymes with similar substrate preferences. With some substrates (3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, TCB) oxidation rates differ by orders of magnitude, while others (e.g., benzo(a)pyrene; B(a)P) are oxidized at similar rates but with somewhat differing regiospecificity. These two environmental chemical substrates (TCB and B(a)P) as well as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were docked to multiple models of rat, human, scup, and/or killifish CYP1As, based on multiple templates, retaining multiple poses from each model, giving ensembles of docked poses for each species. With TCB, more poses were observed closer to the heme in ensembles of rat or human CYP1A1 than of killifish CYP1A. Analysis of interacting residues suggested that differences in TCB pose distributions are due primarily to Leu387 and Val230 in killifish CYP1A. In silico mutations L387V and V230G enabled TCB to dock closer to the heme in killifish CYP1A. Mutating additional interacting residues (Ala127, Thr233, Asn317, and Tyr386) of killifish CYP1A to the corresponding residues of human CYP1A1 resulted in TCB pose distributions nearly identical with those of human CYP1A1. Docking of TCDD to sets of consensus models of killifish, rat, and human CYP1As showed species differences similar to those with TCB, but with further structural constraints possibly contributing to slower oxidation of TCDD. Docking B(a)P to sets of consensus models of the human and fish CYP1As yielded frequencies of substrate orientations correlating with known regiospeci- ficities for metabolism of B(a)P by these enzymes. The results demonstrate the utility of this ensemble modeling method, which can account for uncertainty inherent in homology modeling and docking by producing statistical distributions of ligand positions.
Magnetic-energy release from a zero-net-current layer

The storage of magnetic energy in many natural systems is driven by localized convection. Since the initial state can often be described as a potential field, the stress arising from subsequent magnetic twisting is characterized by vanishing net-current flow. Such a layering scheme provides the lowest global energy excess for a given local field twist. In this paper we investigate the nonlinear release of this stored energy by the resistive magnetic-tearing instability. Our aim is to discover whether the evolution of this dynamic reconnection process is modified by the finite width and restoring force of the energizing field reversal. We use a force-free magnetic-field model with the sheared reversing component varying as tanh y sech Ky. We study the unstable nonlinear evolution by a 2·5-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulation in a slab geometry. Almost all of the perpendicular (with respect to the ignorable coordinate) stored magnetic energy is released for some cases in this model. Although the magnetic reconnection is due to resistivity, the resulting closed flux surfaces evolve to a lower-energy state, i.e. to a nearly circular one, by mostly ideal MHD. Thus an elongated flux surface drives the plasma flow, and the flow speed is comparable to the Alfven speed. The excess or stored magnetic energy is thereby released. In general, however, these processes take place only after reconnection occurs, and thus the release of energy is limited by the reconnection rate. The evolution of our new current/field system, which is more realistic as a model of a solar flare, exhibits an energy-release rate similar to that of more conventional field configurations. This rate can be increased, however, by the effects of an assumed anomalous resistivity enhancement.
SPINITECTUS MACROSPINOSUS N. SP. (NEMATODA: CYSTIDICOLIDAE) FROM THE CHANNEL CATFISH ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA AND ITS DISTRIBUTION IN OTHER ICTALURUS SPP

Spinitectus macrospinosus n. sp., a parasite of the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, from the Red and Assiniboine rivers in southern Manitoba, Canada, is characterized by spines reaching a maximum length of 21.8–26.8 μm (means for males and females, respectively) in the anterior esophageal region, arranged in 4 sectors in the anterior region of the body. Spines in this region of the body increase in size and decrease in number (from a maximum of 6 to 3 per sector). The combination of spine length, number, and arrangement and the position of the excretory pore (between spine rows 6 and 7) readily distinguishes it from all its North American congeners, including the species it is most similar to, S. carolini. It is different from S. gracilis and S. acipenseri in having a posteriorly directed vagina, an excretory pore between spine rows 6 and 7, a longer stoma, a right spicule with a terminal ventral barb, and a heart-shaped caudal mucron. Spinitectus macrospinosus is similar to other North American spec...
The navigation toolkit

This report summarizes the experience of the authors in managing, designing, and implementing an object-oriented applications framework for orbital navigation analysis for the Flight Design and Dynamics Department of the Rockwell Space Operations Company in Houston, in support of the Mission Operations Directorate of NASA's Johnson Space Center. The 8 person year project spanned 1.5 years and produced 30,000 lines of C++ code, replacing 150,000 lines of Fortran/C. We believe that our experience is important because it represents a 'second project' experience and generated real production-quality code - it was not a pilot. The project successfully demonstrated the use of 'continuous development' or rapid prototyping techniques. Use of formal methods and executable models contributed to the quality of the code. Keys to the success of the project were a strong architectural vision and highly skilled workers. This report focuses on process and methodology, and not on a detailed design description of the product. But the true importance of the object-oriented paradigm is its liberation of the developer to focus on the problem rather than the means used to solve the problem.
Double-ended Needle Holder for Anterior Segment Surgery

• A newly designed double-ended needle holder provides the surgeon who is operating on the anterior segment with the advantages of both a straight and curved needle holder without having to change instruments.
SHORT-TERM SCHEDULING OF CHEMICAL PROCESS INCLUDING UNCERTAINTY

This paper addresses the scheduling of chemical process with uncertainty. A multiobjective robust optimization method is proposed to identify Pareto optimal solutions, where normal boundary intersection technique is utilized to trace the Pareto optimal surface in the objective space. The problem is also addressed using parametric mixed integer linear programming where uncertain parameters appear on the right hand side of the constraints. For the case of multiple uncertain parameters, a new algorithm is proposed that does not require the construction of the LP tableaus but relies on the comparison between solutions at leaf nodes resulting in the set of optimal solutions and their critical regions.
Long-wave Dynamics of an Inextensible Planar Membrane in an Electric Field

In this paper the dynamics of an inextensible capacitive elastic membrane under an electric field is investigated in the long-wave (lubrication) leaky dielectric framework, where a sixth-order nonlinear differential equation with an integral constraint is derived. Steady equilibrium profiles for a non-conducting membrane in a direct current (DC) field are found to depend only on the membrane excess area and the volume under the membrane. Linear stability analysis on a tensionless flat membrane in a DC field gives the growth rate in terms of membrane conductance and electric properties in the bulk. Numerical simulations of a capacitive conducting membrane under an alternating current (AC) field elucidate how variation of the membrane tension correlates with the nonlinear membrane dynamics. Different membrane dynamics, such as undulation and flip-flop, are found at different electric field strength and membrane area. In particular a travelling wave on the membrane is found as a response to a periodic AC field in the perpendicular direction.
Offset-fed radial-rib umbrella reflector antenna analysis using Zernike polynomials

Zernike polynomials were used to perform the physical optics scattering integral of umbrella reflectors. A computationally efficient numerical procedure was obtained for the umbrella reflector. To demonstrate the method, it was applied to a typical offset umbrella reflector. The radiation patterns for a focused and a scanned feed are shown. Three patterns are shown superposed: one was computed using a conventional two-dimensional integration, and the other two using the Zernike expansion procedure. The agreement between the Zernike approach and the conventional method is good, provided that enough gore-related expansion terms are included in the computations. >
Seasonal shifts in dormancy status, carbohydrate metabolism, and related gene expression in crown buds of leafy spurge

Crown buds of field-grown leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) were examined to determine relationships between carbohydrate metabolism and gene expression throughout para-, endo-, and eco-dormancy during the transition from summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The data indicates that endo-dormancy plays a role in preventing new shoot growth during the transition from autumn to winter. Cold temperature was involved in breaking endo-dormancy, inducing flowering competence, and inhibiting shoot growth. An inverse relationship developed between starch and soluble sugar (mainly sucrose) content in buds during the shift from para- to endo-dormancy, which continued through eco-dormancy. Unlike starch content, soluble sugars were lowest in crown buds during para-dormancy but increased over two- to three-fold during the transition to endo-dormancy. Several genes (AGPase, HK, SPS, SuSy, and UGPase) coding for proteins involved in sugar metabolism were differentially regulated in conjunction with well-defined phases of dormancy in crown buds. Marker genes for S-phase progression, cell wall biochemistry, or responsive to auxin were also differentially regulated during transition from para-, endo-, and eco-dormancy. The results were used to develop a model showing potential signalling pathways involved in regulating seasonal dormancy status in leafy spurge crown buds.
Relation of C-reactive protein to extent and severity of coronary narrowing in patients with stable angina pectoris or abnormal exercise tests.

Recent studies have implicated inflammation in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease and of acute coronary syndromes.1‐3 Systemic markers of inflammation such as C-reactive protein (CRP) are elevated in patients with coronary atherosclerosis, 4 and increase significantly in patients with unstable angina or acute myocardial infarction.5 CRP levels are also powerful predictors of cardiac complications and death in patients with unstable coronary syndromes5 as well as in healthy men and women without a prior cardiac history.6,7 A potential explanation for the high event rate in patients with elevated CRP levels is that a high CRP level is a marker for more severe and extensive coronary artery disease. This study was designed to determine whether CRP correlates with the extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by coronary angiography. ••• This was a prospective trial. Outpatients with stable angina or an abnormal stress test who were referred for diagnostic cardiac catheterization with coronary angiography were screened. Patients with any preexisting condition that may cause CRP elevation were excluded. This included patients with known inflammatory, infectious, or neoplastic diseases, and patients with a history of myocardial infarction or unstable angina or any percutaneous interventional or surgical procedure within 2 weeks. Patients taking corticosteroids, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive drugs were also excluded, as were patients with a prior history of coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Cardiac catheterization and angiography were performed in the standard fashion. Each coronary angiogram was read by 2 interventional cardiologists who were blinded to CRP results and agreement was reached by consensus. Stenosis severity was determined using calipers. To assess the extent of atherosclerotic involvement, a coronary atherosclerosis score was designed using the following model. The coronary artery tree was divided into 9 segments: the left main coronary artery, the proximal, mid-, and distal left anterior descending artery (the major diagonal branch was considered part of the mid‐left anterior descending artery), the proximal circumflex artery including the first obtuse marginal branch, the circumflex artery distal to the first marginal branch, the proximal and mid‐right coronary artery, and the posterior descending artery. Each of these segments was scored from 0 to 3 depending on the most severe diameter stenosis according to the following system: 0 5 normal, 1 5 stenosis between 1% and 49%, 2 5 stenosis between 50% and 99%, and 3 5 total occlusion. In the case of total occlusion, each of the segments distal to the occlusion was arbitrarily given a score of 1. A coronary atherosclerosis score was generated as the sum of the scores in all segments. In addition, the number of vessels with coronary artery disease in each patient was calculated as the number of vessels with a stenosis $50%. CRP was measured immediately after insertion of
Undergraduate Self-Perceptions of Creativity and Independence:

596 undergraduate students from 7 schools of a major university responded to a group of 20 questions relating to self-perceptions of creativity and independence employed in earlier studies of graduate faculty members and industrial inventors and producers. The hypothesis was that these students would tend to perceive of themselves in terms of popular expectations relating to the schools of their choice. The results indicated that students of architecture, engineering, liberal arts, and science tend to see themselves as significantly more independent, individualistic, and creative than students of business, education, and to some extent, agriculture.
Imaging of Pelvic Pain in the First Trimester of Pregnancy

Pelvic pain during the first trimester of pregnancy can pose a challenge to the clinician. The noninvasive nature, safety, and reliability of ultrasonography make it the diagnostic method of choice for pregnant patients who have pelvic pain. Sonography provides information that allows for diagnosis of both pregnancy-related pain, such as a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or threatened abortion; and may be useful in the diagnosis of pain unrelated to pregnancy, such as that seen in appendicitis and nephrolithiasis.
A semi-digital delay-locked loop using an analog-based finite state machine

This brief describes a low-power full-rate semi-digital delay-locked loop (DLL) architecture using an analog-based finite state machine (AFSM) and a polyphase filter. The AFSM architecture uses low-power analog blocks to map high-frequency loop feedback information to low frequency, thus reducing the total power required for digital signal processing and for the macro as a whole. The polyphase filter generates full-rate multiphase outputs for a phase rotator, hence a reference clock of the semi-digital DLL can be generated by any reference source including a phase-locked loop with an LC voltage-controlled oscillator. The prototype semi-digital DLL in 0.12-/spl mu/m CMOS exhibits less than 10/sup -12/ bit error rate at 3.2 Gb/s consuming 60 mW.
Behavioral Medicine Review: Strategic Management of Diabetes Risk

There is widespread public health concern about the upsurge in diabetes and its cardiometabolic comorbidities. Unfortunately, too many patients still do not receive best practices care. This review discusses some key contributing dynamics as well as considerations for progress toward the more comprehensive, strategic management of diabetes and its associated risks.
Genome-wide diversity and selective pressure in the human rhinovirus

The human rhinoviruses (HRV) are one of the most common and diverse respiratory pathogens of humans. Over 100 distinct HRV serotypes are known, yet only 6 genomes are available. Due to the paucity of HRV genome sequence, little is known about the genetic diversity within HRV or the forces driving this diversity. Previous comparative genome sequence analyses indicate that recombination drives diversification in multiple genera of the picornavirus family, yet it remains unclear if this holds for HRV. To resolve this and gain insight into the forces driving diversification in HRV, we generated a representative set of 34 fully sequenced HRVs. Analysis of these genomes shows consistent phylogenies across the genome, conserved non-coding elements, and only limited recombination. However, spikes of genetic diversity at both the nucleotide and amino acid level are detectable within every locus of the genome. Despite this, the HRV genome as a whole is under purifying selective pressure, with islands of diversifying pressure in the VP1, VP2, and VP3 structural genes and two non-structural genes, the 3C protease and 3D polymerase. Mapping diversifying residues in these factors onto available 3-dimensional structures revealed the diversifying capsid residues partition to the external surface of the viral particle in statistically significant proximity to antigenic sites. Diversifying pressure in the pleconaril binding site is confined to a single residue known to confer drug resistance (VP1 191). In contrast, diversifying pressure in the non-structural genes is less clear, mapping both nearby and beyond characterized functional domains of these factors. This work provides a foundation for understanding HRV genetic diversity and insight into the underlying biology driving evolution in HRV. It expands our knowledge of the genome sequence space that HRV reference serotypes occupy and how the pattern of genetic diversity across HRV genomes differs from other picornaviruses. It also reveals evidence of diversifying selective pressure in both structural genes known to interact with the host immune system and in domains of unassigned function in the non-structural 3C and 3D genes, raising the possibility that diversification of undiscovered functions in these essential factors may influence HRV fitness and evolution.
Aggregation Bias in Strategic Decision Making Research

Strategy researchers are often faced with the convenience or the necessity of using existing data bases that were assembledfor purposes that differ from the research being conducted. Inferences drawn from this research can be overstated or can be simply wrong because researchers have ignored the pitfalls of translating results based on aggregated data to specific situations. Although these issues have been addressed in political science and sociology, they have not been discussed at length in the context of strategy research. This paper, there fore, explores "unit of analysis" problems specifically as they can occur in strategy research. Issues of independent and dependent variable grouping, contextual effects and examples of aggregation practices and errors typical in strategy research are presented.
Observation of wakefields in a 17 Ghz metallic photonic bandgap (PBG) structure

Preliminary results are reported on experimental wakefield measurements made on a 6 cell, 17.14 GHz metallic photonic band gap (PBG) accelerator structure. Wakefields were observed using a variety of detectors and methods. The PBG structure is open, containing no outer wall, and radiation has been observed through a window in the surrounding vacuum vessel. The output coupler port has also been used with a vacuum window to observe radiation coupling out of the port. Estimations of radiation are made using HFSS and basic wakefield theory. Measurements have been made using video diode detectors and a heterodyne receiver. Plans are discussed for further experiments.
A non-Euclidean crystal field for f electrons

Abstract To honor the memory of Clyde A. Morrison, some aspects are discussed of the two-electron crystal field that exhibits the symmetry of a regular didodecahedron, a non-Euclidean figure in which 24 regular heptagons meet in threes at 56 vertices. The group D, which comprises the 168 elements representing the rotations that send the didodecahedron into itself, is a subgroup of the group G2 that Racah used for f electrons, but it is not a subgroup of SO(3). Reflections extend D to Dh. The matrix elements of four two-electron operators scalar with respect to Dh, which have been previously evaluated in f2 and f3 within an SO(3) basis, are studied to find some isoscalar factors involving the irreducible representations of G2 and Dh. Selection rules and reciprocity relations are examined, and two unexpectedly null matrix elements of an operator scalar with respect to D but odd under reflection are accounted for. The effect of a perturbation possessing didodecahedral symmetry on the energy levels of a free ion is shown in a correlation diagram for the singlet terms of f2.
Wavelet Image Compression

This book explains the stages necessary to create a wavelet compression system for images and describes state-of-the-art systems used in image compression standards and current research. It starts with a high level discussion of the properties of the wavelet transform, especially the decomposition into multi-resolution subbands. It continues with an exposition of the null-zone, uniform quantization used in most subband coding systems and the optimal allocation of bitrate to the different subbands. Then the image compression systems of the FBI Fingerprint Compression Standard and the JPEG2000 Standard are described in detail. Following that, the set partitioning coders SPECK and SPIHT, and EZW are explained in detail and compared via a fictitious wavelet transform in actions and number of bits coded in a single pass in the top bit plane. The presentation teaches that, besides producing efficient compression, these coding systems, except for the FBI Standard, are capable of writing bit streams that have attributes of rate scalability, resolution scalability, and random access decoding. Many diagrams and tables accompany the text to aid understanding. The book is generous in pointing out references and resources to help the reader who wishes to expand his knowledge, know the origins of the methods, or find resources for running the various algorithms or building his own coding system.
Effects of ballooning instability on tokamak confinement

Using the ballooning mode transport model proposed by Connor, Taylor, and Turner (1984), the thermal conductivity induced by ideal ballooning instability is derived and compared to experimental observations from auxiliary-heated tokamaks. It is shown how this model can be improved by means of a finite-beta equilibrium and also applied to obtain a confinement scaling law for high-beta, purely ohmically heated tokamaks. Finally, this transport model is employed to find that tokamaks with supplemental stabilization, for example, due to gyroradius, energetic particle, or shaping effects, can self-consistently access the second stability regime at rather high heating power.
Abstract 243: Regional System to Optimize First Medical Contact to Balloon times for Primary PCI in STEMI Penalized by New AHA Guidelines

INTRO: The AHA Mission Lifeline recommends an EMS first medical contact (FMC) to balloon time of 90 minutes for patients STEMI when presenting directly to a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) hospital but 120 minutes for those requiring transfer from a non-PCI hospital. We examine the impact of direct air medical transport from the scene to a PCI center of rural patients without access to a local PCI capable hospital versus EMS transport to and subsequent transfer from a non-PCI hospital. METHODS: A regional STEMI transport system was developed in 2012 for western Pennsylvania between non-PCI capable hospitals, local EMS agencies, and UPMC Presbyterian Hospital. This system was designed to improve transfer times and one component of this was to allow local EMS companies to activate the cath lab directly. In this program, an emergency helicopter meets the EMS and allows for direct transport of the patient to PCI hospital, bypassing the local ED. We compared reperfusion times in consecutive patients brought directly to the PCI center versus patients taken by EMS to a local ED first in 2012-2013. Patients were then matched based on distance from PCI center. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients were brought directly to the PCI center and 32 patients were taken by local EMS to their local non-PCI hospital followed by helicopter transport for primary PCI. Median FMC to balloon times for patients taken directly from the scene to PCI center was 22 minutes less (113 vs 135 minutes, p=0.0006) than when first taken to a local ED. There was no difference in PCI arrival to balloon times (26 vs 20 minutes, p=0.128) and breakdown of median times listed in table 1. The average linear flight distance between groups was 37 vs 41 miles (p=0.2123). CONCLUSIONS: In this regional system, transport of rural patients with STEMI directly to a PCI center improves FMC to balloon times when compared to patients taken to a local non-PCI hospital first. Despite shortening reperfusion times with implementation of this system, some of these patients would fall out of the recommended AHA guidelines because they are considered to present directly to the PCI hospital. Further investigation on the benefits of direct transport of rural patients to a PCI center is warranted and whether the AHA recommended FMC to balloon time needs adjustment in this scenario. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
The broken promises of social mix: the case of the Cabrini Green/Near North area in Chicago

Public policies of social mixing have been enacted as the reversal of what segregation and concentrated poverty are presumed to have produced: intensified social problems (i.e., “neighborhood effects”). In addition, the pervasive discourses of diversity have provided more support for the idea of social mixing. Studies on planned and unplanned diverse neighborhoods have shown how certain diverse patterns can emerge and endure over time. Yet these studies have failed to explain how such demographic diversity becomes integration. In this article, I draw on a multidimensional perspective of socio-spatial integration to present a qualitative case study of the Cabrini Green/Near North area in Chicago—a neighborhood with a long history of segregation and recent socially engineered diversity. The case shows how contentious this new coexistence has been, and how segregation has been shifting its mechanisms of enforcement from housing to other spheres of life. I conclude with reflections on four dimensions of socio...
Change in trade wind inversion frequency implicated in the decline of an alpine plant

Detailed assessments of species responses to climate change are uncommon, owing to the limited nature of most ecological and local climate data sets. Exceptions, such as the case of the Haleakalā silversword, can provide important insights into the complexity of biological responses to changing climate conditions. We present a time series of decadal population censuses, combined with a pair of early population projections, which together span the past 80 years of demographic history for this alpine plant. The time series suggests a strong population recovery from the 1930s through the 1980s, likely owing at least in part to management actions taken on its behalf. In contrast, the population is estimated to have suffered a decline of approximately 60 % since the early 1990s. Fine-scale estimates of rainfall within silversword habitat are strongly correlated with these decadal-scale population changes over the past 50 years, with rainfall estimated to be substantially lower on average during the two most recent inter-census periods (after 1991). The reversal in the silversword population trajectory, and declines in rainfall in silversword habitat, coincide with an abrupt increase in the frequency of occurrence of the trade wind inversion (TWI) in Hawaiʻi around 1990. The shift in TWI incidence, which is linked to stronger subsidence in the Hadley circulation, has led to drier conditions in high elevation ecosystems in Hawaiʻi and appears to be eliciting ecological responses. Other regions influenced by the TWI could be similarly affected. The silversword case study reveals additional unexpected outcomes, such as the likely initial retraction from wetter, rather than drier, portions of the range in response to drying conditions. This pattern may stem in part from variation in drought tolerance across the range, highlighting the importance of detailed ecological and climatic information for making accurate predictions about climate change responses.
Measuring the Impact of Non-Prosecution and Deferred Prosecution Agreements on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement

Historically, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) had two choices when a business organization was the subject of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) scrutiny: either charge the entity with an FCPA violation or not charge. However, in 2004 the DOJ brought to FCPA enforcement a third option: alternative resolution vehicles called non-prosecution agreements (“NPAs”) and deferred prosecution agreements (“DPAs”).The use of alternative resolution vehicles to resolve FCPA scrutiny is not authorized by the FCPA nor any other specific Congressional legislation. Moreover, DOJ policy states that alternative resolution vehicles are to be used only “under appropriate circumstances.”However, this article demonstrates that alternative resolution vehicles have become the dominant way the DOJ resolves corporate FCPA scrutiny and serve as an obvious reason for the general increase in FCPA enforcement over the past decade. To the many cheerleaders of increased FCPA enforcement, NPAs and DPAs are thus worthy of applause.Yet in a legal system based on the rule of law, quality of enforcement is more important than quantity of enforcement. Through empirical data and various case studies, this article measures the impact NPAs and DPAs have on the quality of FCPA enforcement and concludes that NPAs and DPAs — while resulting in higher quantity of FCPA enforcement — result in lower quality of FCPA enforcement. This disturbing finding matters not only in the specific context of the FCPA but more broadly as other nations with “FCPA-like” laws adopt U.S.-style alternative resolution vehicles.
FIELD EVALUATION OF ORGANICALLY ACCEPTABLE FOLIAR INSECTICIDES FOR CONTROL OF GREEH PEACH APHID, 2013

A field test was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of five organically acceptable foliar insecticides for the control of GPA on young (non-bearing) peach trees under New Mexico conditions. The trial was conducted in Apr, 2013, in a 0.12 ha block of peaches (planted in Mar, 2012), at the Los Lunas Agricultural Science Center, Los Lunas, NM. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with five single-tree replicates per treatment, using initial (pre-treatment) infestation levels as the blocking factor. A water-treated check was included. Aphid populations on the experimental trees were assessed by counting all individuals on the two apical leaves of five randomly selected shoots per tree. Pre-treatment counts were made on 25 Apr, 2013 and all applications were made between 8 and 10:20 am the following day using a 7.5 liter garden sprayer. Products, formulations and rates are listed in Table 1. All treatments were applied to run-off. Aphid populations were re-assessed at 1, 3 and 7 DAT using the same method as described above. The data were not normally distributed and could not be successfully transformed; they were therefore analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance, followed, where appropriate, by pairwise between-treatment comparison using the Mann-Whitney procedure. All statistical analyses were conducted using Minitab® statistical software.
Full Season Impact of the Alfalfa Weevil, Meadow Spittlebug, and Potato Leafhopper in an Alfalfa Field

A series of field tests was carried out to identify the effects of alfalfa weevil, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.), and the potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), on alfalfa growth and recovery. The effects of individual and combined feeding were examined under both natural and controlled conditions by using a replicated factorial design. Alfalfa growth, yield, and rate of maturity were decreased in all 4 cuttings following infestation of the 1st cutting by the alfalfa weevil and meadow spittlebug. The apparent loss in stand attributed to the weevil showed recovery in the 2nd year. The potato leafhopper decreased growth, rate of maturity, and yield of the 3rd cutting with a carry-over effect that delayed maturity in the 4th cutting. Generally, the effects of the 3 insects on the crop were nearly additive. A significant decrease in protein, not associated with the meadow spittlebug, was observed in the 1st cutting due to a high loss in leaves from attack by the alfalfa weevil.
Telechirurgie — Erfahrungen aus den USA

Fortschritte in der Kommunikationstechnik erlauben die zunehmende Anwendung von Video- und Computertechnologie in der Chirurgie. Erfahrungen mit der Telechirurgie in der US-Veteranenkrankenversorgung zeigen: Die Digitaltechnik verbessert die Versorgung in entferntliegenden Gebieten, bewirkt eine Kosteneinsparung und verhindert eine berufliche Isolation des medizinischen Personals. Von unseren Erfahrungen lassen sich klare Empfehlungen zur telechirurgischen Praxis ableiten.