cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transient and State Modulation of Beta Power in Human Subthalamic Nucleus during Speech Production and Finger Movement

Signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) are augmented by speech and repetitive motor tasks. The neurophysiological basis for this phenomenon is unknown, but may involve augmentation of β (13-30 Hz) oscillations within the subthalamic nucleus (STN). We hypothesized that speech and motor tasks increase β power in STN and propose a mechanism for clinical observations of worsening motor state during such behaviors. Subjects undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery performed tasks while STN local field potential (LFP) data were collected. Power in the β frequency range was analyzed across the entire recording to observe slow shifts related to block design and during time epochs synchronized to behavior to evaluate immediate fluctuations related to task execution. Bilaterally symmetric β event related desynchronization was observed in analysis time-locked to subject motor and speech tasks. We also observed slow shifts of β power associated with blocks of tasks. Repetitive combined speech and motor, and isolated motor blocks were associated with the highest bilateral β power state. Overt speech alone and imagined speech were associated with a low bilateral β power state. Thus, changing behavioral tasks is associated with bilateral switching of β power states. This offers a potential neurophysiologic correlate of worsened PD motor signs experienced during clinical examination with provocative tasks: switching into a high β power state may be responsible for worsening motor states in PD patients when performing unilateral repetitive motor tasks and combined speech and motor tasks. Beta state changes could be chronically measured and potentially used to control closed loop neuromodulatory devices in the future.
Cystatin C and Albuminuria as Risk Factors for Development of CKD Stage 3: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Background The growing burden and morbidity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) warrant effective strategies for identifying those at increased risk. We examined the association of cystatin C level and albuminuria with the development of CKD stage 3. Study Design Prospective observational study. Setting & Participants 5,422 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Predictor Participants were categorized into 4 mutually exclusive groups: the presence or absence of microalbuminuria (albumin-creatinine ratio >17 and >25 μg/mg in men and women, respectively) in those with or without cystatin C level ≥1.0 mg/L. Outcomes & Measurements Incident CKD stage 3 was defined as eGFR 2 at the third or fourth visit and an annual decrease >1 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Poisson regression was used to evaluate incident rate ratios in unadjusted and adjusted analyses that include baseline eGFR. Results Mean age was 61 years, 49% were men, 38% were white, 11% had diabetes, 13.7% had cystatin C level ≥1 mg/L, 8.4% had microalbuminuria, and 2.7% had cystatin C level ≥1 mg/L with microalbuminuria. 554 (10%) participants developed CKD stage 3 during a median follow-up of 4.7 years, and adjusted incidence rate ratios were 1.57 (95% CI, 1.19-2.07), 1.37 (95% CI, 1.13-1.66), and 2.12 (95% CI, 1.61-2.80) in those with microalbuminuria, cystatin C level ≥1 mg/L, and both, respectively, compared with those with neither. Limitations Relatively short follow-up and absence of measured GFR. Conclusions Cystatin C level and microalbuminuria are independent risk factors for incident CKD stage 3 and could be useful as screening tools to identify those at increased risk.
Excitotoxicity of L-dopa and 6-OH-dopa: implications for Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

Abstract Despite several decades of research aimed at elucidating the mechanisms underlying neuronal degeneration in Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, these mysteries remain unfathomed. The brain contains high concentrations of the putative transmitters, glutamate and aspartate, which have neurotoxic (excitotoxic) potential and are thought to cause neuronal degeneration in certain acute neurological disorders. However, no mechanism has been identified by which these diffusely distributed agents might cause the regionally selective patterns of neuronal degeneration characterizing Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Here we report that l -DOPA, the natural precursor to dopamine, is a weak excitotoxin and its ortho-hydroxylated derivative, 6-OH-DOPA, is a powerful excitotoxin. We propose that an excitotoxic process mediated by l -DOPA or an acidic derivative such as 6-OH-DOPA might be responsible for degeneration of nigral neurons in Parkinson's disease or striatal neurons in Huntington's disease.
Standardized Visual Comparison Keys for Rapid Estimations of Citrus Rust Mite (Acari: Eriophyidae) Populations

Standardized visual comparison keys were effective in improving accuracy and precision in rapid field estimations of citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead), population densities. A standardized key based on the Horsfall-Barratt system for the measurement of plant disease is presented. Errors in mean population estimations were generally < 10% using this key when either leaves or fruits were sampled. Effective use of this technique depends on the ability of scouts to adopt a system of grouping instead of counting rust mites. Accurate and precise population measurements are independent of environmental and genetic factors; thus this technique is applicable to leaf or fruit tissue in any geographical location. Use of the modified Horsfall-Barratt system for estimating citrus rust mite populations in an integrated crop management program is described.
Photoinduced Signal Amplification through Controlled Externally Sensitized Fragmentation in Masked Sensitizers

Addition of lithiated dithianes to diaryl ketones, potential electron-transfer sensitizers, disrupts conjugation between the two aromatic moieties, effectively masking the sensitizer. A novel photoamplification strategy is developed based on photosensitized cleavage in such adducts, where each fragmentation event releases more diaryl ketone, capable of sensitization. As a result, mass release of dithianes, triggered with a very small amount of the initiator, is observed. Such amplified release can be made contingent on a molecular recognition event, offering a promising methodology for high throughput bioanalytical applications. The concept is proved with the use of micro- and nanosized polymeric supports, including dendrimers.
Caterpillars' compensatory feeding response to diluted nutrients leads to toxic allelochemical dose

Many herbivores increase their consumption rate as dietary nutrient concentration declines. This compensatory response can mitigate the fitness-lowering impact of reduced food quality, but little is known about its costs. In this study we tested the hypothesis that one cost to a faster consumption rate can be the ingestion of a toxic dose of an allelochemical occurring in the food. We fed velvetbean caterpillars a diet with progressively diluted nutrient levels but containing the same concentration (% fresh mass, fm) of caffeine, a methylxanthine alkaloid. Larvae compensated for the reduced nutrient level, with those fed the most diluted diet increasing their biomass-relative consumption rate (fm) 2.6-fold over larvae fed the undiluted diet. Consequently, their rate of caffeine ingestion increased to a pharmacologically effective dose, interfering with food utilization, slowing growth, reducing subsequent feeding and lowering survival. These results suggest that greater allelochemical ingestion can be one cost of an increased consumption rate, although additional studies with other allelochemicals and species are necessary to more broadly evaluate whether insects can adaptively balance their intake of nutrients and allelochemicals through adjustments in consumption rate. In addition, these results highlight the importance of measuring consumption rates of allelochemicals and other ingested biocides, not just their dietary concentration, when assessing efficacy against herbivores.
Increasing the number of women majoring in computer science: what works?

This talk examines approaches taken at a variety of universities and colleges to increase the number of women majoring in computer science. We also discuss the new National Center for Women in Information Technology and its role as a repository for best practices.
High reproducibility of myocardial perfusion defects in patients undergoing serial exercise thallium-201 tomography

Abstract The purpose of this study was to define the reproducibility of sequential quantitative exercise thallium-201 tomography. This was an ancillary study of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the shortterm efficacy of transdermal nitroglycerin patches in stable patients with angiographic coronary artery disease and no prior myocardial infarction. All 18 patients had a baseline tomographic perfusion defect involving ≥ 5% of the left ventricle after treadmill exercise. At a minimum of 3 days (mean 6.1 ± 1.8) after double-blind randomization to placebo, exercise thallium-201 tomography was repeated (study 2) using the same exercise protocol as in the baseline study (study 1). No significant differences in exercise parameters were observed from studies 1 to 2. Seventeen of 18 patients (94%) had an abnormal repeat exercise perfusion scan and 96% of initially abnormal vascular territories remained abnormal. The mean tomographic perfusion defect size was not significantly different from studies 1 (17.4 ± 13.3%) to 2 (16.6 ± 15.3%), nor were the components defined as scar and ischemia. A ≥ 10% change in total perfusion defect size in an individual patient defined the 95% confidence interval for exceeding the variability of the tomographic technique. Quantitative exercise thallium-201 tomography is highly reproducible and can be used to accurately interpret temporal changes in myocardial perfusion in individual patients.
Analysis of Linpack and power efficiencies of the world’s TOP500 supercomputers

Abstract The biannual TOP500 list of the highest performing supercomputers has chronicled, and even fostered, the development of recent supercomputing platforms. Coupled with the GREEN500 list that launched in November 2007, the TOP500 list has enabled analysis of multiple aspects of supercomputer design. In this comparative and retrospective study, we examine all of the available data contained in these two lists through November 2012 and propose a novel representation and analysis of the data, highlighting several major evolutionary trends.
First images and orientation of fine structure from a 3-D seismic oceanography data set

Abstract. We present 3-D images of ocean fine structure from a unique industry-collected 3-D multichannel seismic dataset from the Gulf of Mexico that includes expendable bathythermograph casts for both swaths. 2-D processing reveals strong laterally continuous reflections throughout the upper ~800 m as well as a few weaker but still distinct reflections as deep as ~1100 m. We interpret the reflections to be caused by reversible fine structure from internal wave strains. Two bright reflections are traced across the 225-m-wide swath to produce reflection surface images that illustrate the 3-D nature of ocean fine structure. We show that the orientation of linear features in a reflection can be obtained by calculating the orientations of contours of reflection relief, or more robustly, by fitting a sinusoidal surface to the reflection. Preliminary 3-D processing further illustrates the potential of 3-D seismic data in interpreting images of oceanic features such as internal wave strains. This work demonstrates the viability of imaging oceanic fine structure in 3-D and shows that, beyond simply providing a way visualize oceanic fine structure, quantitative information such as the spatial orientation of features like fronts and solitons can be obtained from 3-D seismic images. We expect complete, optimized 3-D processing to improve both the signal to noise ratio and spatial resolution of our images resulting in increased options for analysis and interpretation.
Personal Investing: Advice, Theory, and Evidence from a Survey of TIAA-CREF Participants

This paper examines individual asset-allocation behavior using data from a unique survey containing information on the composition of the respondents' total asset holdings both inside and outside of their retirement accounts. We find that individual asset allocations are consistent with the recommendations of expert practitioners and with the prescriptions of economic theory. The survey respondents maintain in cash and near-cash investments a proportion of their wealth that declines as wealth increases. They hold these safe assets outside of their retirement accounts. The proportion of total assets that they hold in equities declines with age and rises with wealth. However, respondents do not appear to manage their assets across retirement and non-retirement accounts to maximize tax efficiency.
American College of Medical Informatics Fellows and International Associates, 2004

Peter Tarczy-Hornoch A 1985 graduate of Stanford University, Dr. Tarczy-Hornoch majored in biology but had already developed an interest in medical informatics. He maintained his interest and involvement during his years at Stanford Medical School and, after a pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota, moved to the University of Washington (UW), where he remains to this day. His neonatology fellowship from 1992 to 1995 did not prevent him from continuing to pursue his interest in medical informatics, and by 1995, he was playing the role of Clinical Informatics Lead on the University of Washington IAIMS grant. After joining the faculty in 1995, he assumed increasing responsibility for the nascent informatics program at UW, serving as Chair of the Curriculum Committee, Director of the Genetics Informatics Group, and currently as Program Director of their NLM Training Program in Biomedical and Health Informatics. Nationally, he served as Chair of the AMIA Genomics Working Group and helped found the IMIA Informatics in Genomic Medicine Working Group that he cochairs. As an undergraduate, Dr. Tarczy-Hornoch had formed his own software company (Sigma Medical Software, which specialized in software for biomedical instrumentation and decision support) and served as a key programmer on the Pathfinder project, a collaborative project that was later commercialized as Intellipath. Subsequently, after completing his house staff training, he pressed to create MINDscape, a Web-based EMR integrating access to knowledge sources and diverse clinical systems. Emerging as a prominent scientist working at the intersection of bioinformatics and clinical informatics, Dr. Tarczy-Hornoch has received numerous grants for work at this interface including his work on the GeneTests genetic testing resource and the BioMediator (formerly GeneSeek) biomedical data integration system. Dr. Tarczy-Hornoch has led the development of the UW Division of Biomedical and Health Informatics since 2001. Under his leadership, the UW informatics …
Polo-like Kinase 1 Facilitates Loss of Pten Tumor Suppressor-induced Prostate Cancer Formation

Loss of the tumor suppressor Pten (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) is thought to mediate the majority of prostate cancers, but the molecular mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that Pten-depleted cells suffer from mitotic stress and that nuclear function of Pten, but not its phosphatase activity, is required to reverse this stress phenotype. Further, depletion of Pten results in elevated expression of Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), a critical regulator of the cell cycle. We show that overexpression of Plk1 correlates with genetic inactivation of Pten during prostate neoplasia formation. Significantly, we find that elevated Plk1 is critical for Pten-depleted cells to adapt to mitotic stress for survival and that reintroduction of wild-type Pten into Pten-null prostate cancer cells reduces the survival dependence on Plk1. We further show that Plk1 confers the tumorigenic competence of Pten-deleted prostate cancer cells in a mouse xenograft model. These findings identify a role of Plk1 in facilitating loss of Pten-induced prostate cancer formation, which suggests that Plk1 might be a promising target for prostate cancer patients with inactivating Pten mutations.
Thorascopic staging of stomal recurrence.

Background. Squamous cell carcinoma of the low cervical area may be secondary to stomal recurrence following laryngectomy, low cervical esophageal disease, or peritracheal metastasis. Most often patients with disease in this area have already received both surgery and radiotherapy. Prior to Sisson's description of the trans-sternal radical neck dissection or mediastinal dissection the management and prognosis was uniformly poor. Since then, a number of authors have reported their experience with mediastinal dissection. Survival remains poor but palliation has been acceptable. Unfortunately, resectability of the disease cannot often be determined prior to the actual surgical procedure. A number of patients are explored only to have the procedure terminated. Thoracoscopy is a procedure that involves insertion of two or three trocars into the right thoracic cavity with collapse of the right lung. A form of endoscopic surgery, it permits visualization and dissection of the important structures of the mediastinum. Tracheal, esophageal, and great vessel invasion by tumor can be evaluated. Methods. Prospectively, all patients initially seen with stomal recurrence from 1991 to 1994 were evaluated. CT scans, MRls as well as thoracoscopy were performed when indicated. Results. One patient required conversion to a minithoracotomy involving a 7-cm chest incision. The patient was found to have unresectable disease with tumor involving the great vessels of the mediastinum. A second patient was found to have unresectable disease with tumor encasing the subclavian artery. The third patient was found to have no mediastinum involvement. The patient with no mediastinum involvement underwent a stomal resection with mediastinal dissection. Reconstruction with a pectoralis major myogenous flap was performed. The patient has remained disease free to date. The remaining two patients were judged to have unresectable disease and were offered palliative treatment. Both of these patients died of the disease within 6 months. Conclusions. Thoracoscopy provides important information in judging the surgical resectability of patients with stomal recurrence. This procedure has not been previously described in the otolaryngologic literature. We provide some suggestions for its use in the evaluation of the mediastinal extent of disease.
Effects of ozone on net primary production and carbon sequestration in the conterminous United States using a biogeochemistry model

The effects of air pollution on vegetation may provide an important control on the carbon cycle that has not yet been widely considered. Prolonged exposure to high levels of ozone, in particular, has been observed to inhibit photosynthesis by direct cellular damage within the leaves and through possible changes in stomatal conductance. We have incorporated empirical equations derived for trees (hardwoods and pines) and crops into the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model to explore the effects of ozone on net primary production (NPP) and carbon sequestration across the conterminous United States. Our results show a 2.6–6.8% mean reduction for the United States in annual NPP in response to modelled historical ozone levels during the late 1980s-early 1990s. The largest decreases (over 13% in some locations) occur in the Midwest agricultural lands, during the mid-summer when ozone levels are highest. Carbon sequestration since the 1950s has been reduced by 18–38 Tg C yr −1 with the presence of ozone. Thus the effects of ozone on NPP and carbon sequestration should be factored into future calculations of the United States' carbon budget. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2004.00097.x
Geschichte der sozialpolitischen Gesetzgebung in Deutschland

Eine Darstellung der Grundzuge sozialpolitischer Gesetzgebung vermittelt erstens Einblick in die sozialen Zustande, die sozialpolitisch verandert oder beseitigt werden sollten, last zweitens Entwicklungslinien und Konzeptionen der Sozialpolitik erkennen und bereitet drittens durch die Vermittlung von Einblicken in wesentliche Ziele, Bereiche und Instrumente der Sozialpolitik eine systematische Darstellung der Bereiche sozialpolitischen Handelns vor. In einer solchen Darstellung sind nicht nur Sozialgesetze, sondern auch sozialpolitisch relevante Gesetze zu berucksichtigen, die — wie z. B. das Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschrankungen — zwar nicht primar die Losung sozialpolitischer Probleme zum Ziele haben, aber doch ihrer sozialpolitischen Wirkungen wegen bedeutsam sind.
Conjunction Dysfunction: The Weakness of Conjunctive Queries in Peer-to-Peer File-sharing Systems

Peers in peer-to-peer file-sharing systems use conjunctive queries as a way of controlling query cost in the absence of information about the behavior of other peers. Conjunctive queries are good at increasing the precision of query result sets, but may be overly selective, decreasing overall performance. We consider relaxing the conjunctive matching criterion and its impact on performance and cost. Experimental results indicate that significant performance improvements are possible at reasonable cost.
Peripheral airway function in childhood asthma, assessed by single-breath He and SF6 washout.

To assess whether the peripheral airways are involved in pediatric asthma, 10 asthmatic children (aged 8-15 years), hyperresponsive to dry-air hyperventilation challenge (DACh), performed spirometry and a vital capacity He/SF 6 single-breath washout test at rest, after DACh, and after beta 2 -therapy. The normalized phase III slopes (Sn III ) of the expired He and SF 6 concentrations served as measures of overall ventilation inhomogeneity, and the (SF 6 - He) Sn III difference served to indicate where along the peripheral airways obstruction occurs. While a greater increase in the He vs. SF 6 slope indicates that obstruction has occurred in the vicinity of the acinar entrance, the reverse suggests obstruction deeper in the intraacinar airways. The mean (SD) fall in FEV 1 after DACh was 35 (14)%. Both He and SF 6 Sn III increased significantly (P < 0.05) after the challenge, and were restituted after beta 2 -therapy (P < 0.05). After DACh, Sn III increased more for He than for SF 6 , resulting in a negative (SF 6 - He) Sn III difference (P < 0.01), which was restituted after beta 2 -therapy (P< 0.05). Even though there was no correlation between baseline FEV 1 and the magnitude of the subsequent fall in this parameter after DACh (r 2 = 0.04; n.s.), a strong correlation was found between the (SF 6 - He) Sn III difference at rest and its change after DACh (r2 = 0.81; P< 0.001). We conclude that airways close to the acinar entrance participate in the airway response to DACh in asthmatic children. The magnitude of this peripheral airway response is related to the severity of resting peripheral airway dysfunction.
Phylogenetic divergence between the obligate luminous symbionts of flashlight fishes demonstrates specificity of bacteria to host genera

Summary The luminous bacterial symbionts of anomalopid flashlight fishes, which appear to be obligately dependent on their hosts for growth, share several evolutionary patterns with unrelated obligate bacteria. However, only one flashlight fish symbiont species has been characterized in detail, and it is therefore not known if the bacteria from other anomalopid species are highly divergent (a pattern common to obligate symbionts). Unlike most obligate symbionts, the bacteria symbiotic with anomalopids are extracellular and spend time outside their hosts in the environment, from which they are thought to colonize new host generations. Environmental acquisition might decrease the likelihood of bacterial divergence between host species. We used phylogenetic analysis to determine the relatedness of symbionts from different anomalopid host species. The symbionts of hosts in the genus Photoblepharon were resolved as a new species, for which we propose the name ‘Candidatus Photodesmus blepharus’. Furthermore, different genera of anomalopids were found to harbour different species of bacteria, even when the hosts overlapped in geographic range. This finding suggests that the divergence between bacterial species is not the result of geographic isolation. The specificity of symbionts to host genera is consistent with obligate dependence on the host and has implications for symbiont transmission.
Combination antiresorptive and osteoanabolic therapy for osteoporosis: We are not there yet

Osteoanabolic therapy is theoretically and practically an appealing therapeutic option for men and postmenopausal women with osteoporosis because bone formation is directly stimulated, an action that is not shared by any antiresorptive agent. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), in the form of the full-length molecule (PTH[1-84]) and its fully active but truncated amino-terminal fragment teriparatide (PTH[1-34]), belong to this osteoanabolic class. Both formulations of PTH increase bone mineral density, increase biochemical markers of bone turnover, and reduce fracture incidence. They improve skeletal microstructure. While antiresorptive agents are considered by most to be first line for the treatment of osteoporosis, there are situations when anabolic therapy could be reasonably considered as first line. In most situations, however, treatment with PTH follows a course of antiresorptive therapy. Simultaneous combination therapy with PTH and an antiresorptive drug does not appear to provide any advantages over monotherapy. After the recommended 2-year period of PTH treatment, an antiresorptive should be used to maintain densitometric gains. The drugs are well tolerated. Early safety concerns about osteosarcoma in rats have not been borne out after almost 9 years experience with human subjects.
Engineered channel controls limiting spawning habitat rehabilitation success on regulated gravel-bed rivers

In efforts to rehabilitate regulated rivers for ecological benefits, the flow regime has been one of the primary focal points of management strategies. However, channel engineering can impact channel geometry such that hydraulic and geomorphic responses to flow reregulation do not yield the sought for benefits. To illustrate and assess the impacts of structural channel controls and flow reregulation on channel processes and fish habitat quality in multiple life stages, a highly detailed digital elevation model was collected and analyzed for a river reach right below a dam using a suite of hydrologic, hydraulic, geomorphic, and ecological methods. Results showed that, despite flow reregulation to produce a scaled-down natural hydrograph, anthropogenic boundary controls have severely altered geomorphic processes associated with geomorphic self-sustainability and instream habitat availability in the case study. Given the similarity of this stream to many others, we concluded that the potential utility of natural flow regime reinstatement in regulated gravel-bed rivers is conditional on concomitant channel rehabilitation.
Phase II trial assessing granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor, ketoconazole plus mitoxantrone in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after docetaxel treatments.

Introduction: This study evaluated objective response and safety for the combination of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), ketoconazole, and mitoxantrone in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients who previously failed docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Methods: Treatment consisted of 400 mg TID ketoconazole, 12 mg/m2 mitoxantrone every 3 weeks, and 250 μg/m2 GM-CSF. Results: Twenty-nine patients were evaluable for response. Median overall survival (OS) for all patients was 18.03 months. Patients with a higher PSA decrease experienced an increased OS and progression-free survival (PFS). Conclusion: This combination demonstrated significant antitumor activity with reversible toxicity in CRPC patients who previously failed docetaxel-based therapy.
A comparative analysis of group decision methods

This paper examines some explicit social choice functions that are generalizations of the simple majority decision rule. Two different classes of such functions for choice from among two or more alternatives are summation procedures and completions of Condorcet's criterion (an alternative with a simple majority over each other alternative shall win). A condition of permuted dominance satisfies typical summation methods, and a reduction principle is consistent with the Condorcet criterion. The permuted dominance condition and the reduction principle are incompatible with one another. A summation method (Borda) and a Condorcet completion method (Copeland) were compared by computer simulation. With the number of voters varied from 3 to 21 and the number of alternatives varied from 3 to 9, about 90 percent of the 70,000 cases examined had a common winner for the two methods.
Depositional Trends of Clinton Section in East-Central Ohio: ABSTRACT

The Lower Silurian Clinton section in east-central Ohio is a clastic wedge of sandstones, shales, and carbonates. Previous studies have shown that the Clinton section was deposited as a delta prograding westward over reworked clastics of the Ordovician Queenston Shale. Geophysical log data were used to construct total Clinton sandstone and sandstone cleanliness maps of the delta margin. Clean-sand maps show the distribution of sand and shale in an offshore bar system in west-central Holmes County. Similar studies in adjoining counties indicate an extension of this bar system, which coincides with the Newburg pool in southern Medina County. Stratigraphic cross sections show the intertonguing relationship of sand, shale, and carbonate lithosomes typical of a deltaic system. The clastics of the upper Cabot Head grade westward into calcareous sands and thickening carbonates. Slice maps show the distribution of these deposits during time. Production of oil and gas in Holmes County has been concentrated along the north-trending thick sands of the delta-margin bar system. Sand isopach maps, cross sections, and a porosity foot map show the distribution of thinner fluvial and fluvial delta-margin sands in western Holmes County. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1441------------
A comparison of family functioning when mothers have chronic pain

Multiple aspects of family functioning were assessed when mothers experienced either chronic pain, a chronic illness (diabetes), or no illness. Mothers' and fathers' self-report measures of depression, anxiety, and family environment were collected. Children's self-report measures of depression and anxiety, as well as information about their overall adjustment, were collected. Family communication patterns were also assessed. Families with a mother who had chronic pain had poorer perceived family environments and higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to the other two groups of families. Children from chronic pain families also appeared to be adversely affected. The data suggest that level of disability appeared more salient than the type of chronic illness. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of the fact that mothers with chronic pain in the present sample reported relatively mild disability and were not actively seeking treatment for their condition.
Motivating Illegal Drug Use Recovery: Evidence for a Culturally Congruent Intervention.

Public health interventions may be more effective if they are congruent with cultural values of the target community. To test this possibility, the authors conducted a randomized field trial of a motivational intervention to promote recovery from illegal drug use among a sample of 269 African Americans. The intervention, based on transtheoretical stage-of-change concepts, featured a needs assessment and service referrals and was congruent with relevant African American cultural values. Participants were randomly assigned to this intervention or to a standard assessment-referral protocol. Motivational intervention participants were significantly less likely to be using illegal drugs 1 year later. This finding suggests that motivational intervention congruent with cultural values of the target population can be effective in promoting recovery from drug use..
New determinants of receptor-effector coupling: trafficking and compartmentation in membrane microdomains.

The multicomponent modular nature of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) systems provides cells with numerous potential combinations by which to transduce signals. A typical cell appears to express a dozen or so different GPCR genes (of which nearly a thousand exist in the human genome), several
A method for improving SELDI-TOF mass spectrometry data quality.

Background: Surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) is a powerful tool for rapidly generating high-throughput protein profiles from a large number of samples. However, the events that occur between the first and last sample run are likely to introduce technical variation in the results. Methods: We fractionated and analyzed quality control and investigational serum samples on 3 Protein Chips and used statistical methods to identify poor-quality spectra and to identify and reduce technical variation. Results: Using diagnostic plots, we were able to visually depict all spectra and to identify and remove those that were of poor quality. We detected a technical variation associated with when the samples were run (referred to as batch effect) and corrected for this variation using analysis of variance. These corrections increased the number of peaks that were reproducibly detected. Conclusion: By removing poor-quality, outlier spectra, we were able to increase peak detection, and by reducing the variance introduced when samples are processed and analyzed in batches, we were able to increase the reproducibility of peak detection.
Cotranslational endoplasmic reticulum assembly of FcεRI controls the formation of functional IgE-binding receptors

The human high affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI) is a cell surface structure critical for the pathology of allergic reactions. Human FcepsilonRI is expressed as a tetramer (alphabetagamma(2)) on basophils or mast cells and as trimeric (alphagamma(2)) complex on antigen-presenting cells. Expression of the human alpha subunit can be down-regulated by a splice variant of FcepsilonRIbeta (beta(var)). We demonstrate that FcepsilonRIalpha is the core subunit with which the other subunits assemble strictly cotranslationally. In addition to alphabetagamma(2) and alphagamma(2), we demonstrate the presence of alphabeta and alphabeta(var)gamma(2) complexes that are stable in the detergent Brij 96. The role of individual FcepsilonRI subunits for the formation of functional, immunoglobulin E-binding FcepsilonRI complexes during endoplasmic reticulum (ER) assembly can be defined as follows: beta and gamma support ER insertion, signal peptide cleavage and proper N-glycosylation of alpha, whereas beta(var) allows accumulation of alpha protein backbone. We show that assembly of FcepsilonRI in the ER is a key step for the regulation of surface expression of FcepsilonRI. The ER quality control system thus regulates the quantity of functional FcepsilonRI, which in turn controls onset and persistence of allergic reactions.
H1N1: communication patterns among emergency department staff during the H1N1 outbreak, April 2009.

Introduction: The H1N1 influenza virus has been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the media as a disease that could rival the 1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic in deaths. During the spring of 2009, emergency departments across the world saw a spike in the number of influenza cases and by June 2009, the WHO had declared H1N1 a pandemic. In order to prevent emergency department staff from becoming ill and to provide upto-date medical care to patients, information had to be disseminated quickly to emergency department staff. Methods: An anonymous Internet survey was utilized to query emergency department staff regarding communication methods and overall attitudes regarding safety and treatment during the spring of 2009. Results: The majority of emergency department staff (263; 88.3%) used multiple sources to obtain information about the H1N1 virus. There were 258 respondents (88.9%) that felt that the hospital was supplying them with the necessary information to protect themselves and their families and 280 (98.5%) felt confident that their emergency department was treating patients by the government-recommended guidelines. Statistically significant differences were noted in communication patterns between direct and indirect patient care providers. Conclusions: In general, H1N1 communication to emergency department staff was perceived as good during the initial H1N1 outbreak. However, because of the limitations associated with an online survey, these results do not allow for generalization to the total emergency department staff population. Hospital administrators may need to consider the differences in communication preferences of direct patient care providers and indirect patient care providers when distributing important information to emergency department staff during crisis and emergency situations.
High Temperature Mechanical Behavior of a Mo-Si-B Solid Solution Alloy

Multi phase alloys at the Mo-rich end of the Mo-Si-B system have drawn recent attention because of their high temperature performance capabilities. Previous studies on two- and three-phase alloys have confirmed the central role of the Mo-rich solid solution phase in affecting creep resistance and low-temperature toughness in these multiphase alloys. Thus, it is important to understand the intrinsic mechanical response of the matrix solid solution. In this study, compression and tensile tests were conducted over a nominal strain rate regime spanning 10−4 s−1 to 10−7 s−1 and temperature ranging from 1000°C to 1300°C in vacuum on a Mo-Si-B solid solution alloy (Mo-3Si-1.3B in at.%) that contained a low fraction (~5 %) of the T2 phase. The microstructure of the deformed specimens was examined to elucidate the underlying deformation mechanisms.
Lack of lipid involvement in nonosseous tissue repair.

AbstractCalcium-acidic phospholipid-phosphate complexes (Ca-PL-PO4) have been implicated in the onset of tissue mineralization in healing fracture callus as well as in normal osteogenesis. Although these complexes are not found in nonmineralizing normal tissues, the possibility that they are more involved in healing phenomena than in actual mineralization cannot be excluded. The present study confirms that Ca-PL-PO4 complexes are only involved with osseous repair. In healing skin at 5, 8, and 11 days after wounding, Ca-PL-PO4 concentration was not significantly elevated (percentage complexed lipid P/total lipid P: 3.7, 2.4, and 3.8, respectively) relative to the value found for normal skin (2 ± 2%), although the total lipid phosphorus content at 8 and 11 days was increased.
Monocular Vision based Navigation in GPS-Denied Riverine Environments

This paper presents a new method to estimate the range and bearing of landmarks and solve the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem. The proposed ranging and SLAM algorithms have application to a micro aerial vehicle (MAV) flying through riverine environments which occasionally involve heavy foliage and forest canopy. Monocular vision navigation has merits in MAV applications since it is lightweight and provides abundant visual cues of the environment in comparison to other ranging methods. In this paper, we suggest a monocular vision strategy incorporating image segmentation and epipolar geometry to extend the capability of the ranging method to unknown outdoor environments. The validity of our proposed method is verified through experiments in a river-like environment.
SU‐F‐J‐29: Dosimetric Effect of Image Registration ROI Size and Focus in Automated CBCT Registration for Spine SBRT

Purpose: Spinal stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) involves highly conformal dose distributions and steep dose gradients due to the proximity of the spinal cord to the treatment volume. To achieve the planning goals while limiting the spinal cord dose, patients are setup using kV cone-beam CT (kV-CBCT) with 6 degree corrections. The kV-CBCT registration with the reference CT is dependent on a user selected region of interest (ROI). The objective of this work is to determine the dosimetric impact of ROI selection. Methods: Twenty patients were selected for this study. For each patient, the kV-CBCT was registered to the reference CT using three ROIs including: 1) the external body, 2) a large anatomic region, and 3) a small region focused in the target volume. Following each registration, the aligned CBCTs and contours were input to the treatment planning system for dose evaluation. The minimum dose, dose to 99% and 90% of the tumor volume (D99%, D90%), dose to 0.03cc and the dose to 10% of the spinal cord subvolume (V10Gy) were compared to the planned values. Results: The average deviations in the tumor minimum dose were 2.68%±1.7%, 4.6%±4.0%, 14.82%±9.9% for small, large and the external ROIs, respectively. The average deviations in tumor D99% were 1.15%±0.7%, 3.18%±1.7%, 10.0%±6.6%, respectively. The average deviations in tumor D90% were 1.00%±0.96%, 1.14%±1.05%, 3.19%±4.77% respectively. The average deviations in the maximum dose to the spinal cord were 2.80%±2.56%, 7.58%±8.28%, 13.35%±13.14%, respectively. The average deviation in V10Gy to the spinal cord were 1.69%±0.88%, 1.98%±2.79%, 2.71%±5.63%. Conclusion: When using automated registration algorithms for CBCT-Reference alignment, a small target-focused ROI results in the least dosimetric deviation from the plan. It is recommended to focus narrowly on the target volume to keep the spinal cord dose below tolerance.
Tractable approximation algorithms for the NP-hard problem of growing linear consensus networks

In this paper, we investigate a network synthesis problem that aims to improve the performance of noisy linear consensus networks by establishing a few new interconnection links throughout the network. This network synthesis problem can be equivalently formulated as an optimization problem over a set of candidate graphs, which is inherently combinatorial and NP-hard. We propose an exact solution for this problem when only one new link needs to be established. In this case, a closed form expression is calculated for the optimal value of the systemic performance measure of the augmented network. When it is required to establish more than one interconnection link, we propose two tractable approximate methods with computable performance bounds. Moreover, in order to be able to calculate sub-optimality gaps of our proposed approximate algorithms, we quantify the best achievable performance bounds for the network synthesis problem.
Experimental Design for Gene Microarray Experiments and Differential Expression Analysis

Advances in microarray technology open new challenges in data collection, analysis and interpretation. In this review paper, we focus on issues related to obtaining trustworthy normalized data and results of differential expression analysis. In particular, we briefly summarize discussions on sources of biological and technological variation, experimental design, design of arrays, normalization and error models, differential expression and multiple comparison issues. These issues remain major bottlenecks to developing standards and obtaining useful and applicable results of future analysis such as cluster analysis, network modeling, etc.
Thymoglobulin (Polyclonal Rabbit Anti Thymocyte Globulin) Has In Vitro Activity in Multiple Myeloma.

Background: Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell malignancy that remains incurable with current approaches and newer therapies are needed to improve the outcome of patients with MM. While monoclonal antibody base therapies have been successful in some of the hematological malignancies, especially lymphoma, such approaches have not been very useful in the setting of myeloma. Targeting of antigens like CD138 on the myeloma cell surface has been hampered by the ubiquitous nature of this protein in the body. Thymoglobulin (polyclonal rabbit antithymocyte globulin, Genzyme) has been extensively evaluated in the setting of allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation and is currently in clinical use. Given the polyclonal nature of this product, it has antibodies against several B cell antigens and forms the rationale for its evaluation in B cell malignancies like myeloma. Methods: MM cell lines were cultured in RPMI 1640 containing 10% fetal bovine serum supplemented with L-Glutamine, penicillin, and streptomycin. The KAS-6/1 cell line was also supplemented with 1 ng/ml IL-6. Cytotoxicity following drug treatment was measured using the MTT viability assay. Drug induced apoptosis in the cell lines was measured by flow cytometry after staining with Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide (PI). Apoptosis in primary patient derived plasma cells following treatment was measured after staining for Apo 2.7. Results: rATG was cytotoxic in vitro to several MM cell lines (RPMI 8226, U266, OPM1, OPM2) including the IL-6 dependent cell line Kas6/1. The LC50 in most of the cytotoxicity assays was around 1 mg/mL. Additionally, rATG was cytotoxic MM cell lines resistant to conventional agents such as doxorubicin (Dox40), melphalan (LR5) and dexamethasone (MM1R). The drug retained its cytotoxicity when myeloma cells were grown in the presence of various cytokines like IL-6, IGF-1 and VEGF. rATG treatment resulted in a time and dose dependent induction of apoptosis in MM cell lines. rATG was also able to induce apoptosis of freshly isolated myeloma cells from patient marrows. When tested in combination with other anti-myeloma agents an additive effect was seen with doxorubicin, PS341 and melphalan. Conclusions: Thymoglobulin appear to have in vitro activity against various myeloma cell lines as well as patient derived primary myeloma cells. Ability of the drug to overcome resistance to conventional drugs as well as the effect of combining rATG with these agents points towards non-overlapping mechanisms of action. Ongoing studies are trying to identify the particular B-cell antigens that are targeted by correlating response to expression of various B cell antigens expressed by these cell lines. These studies will provide the rational for future clinical development of this agent in myeloma alone or in combination with other agents.