cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-temporal analysis reveals that predictors of mountain pine beetle infestation change during outbreak cycles

Abstract Over the past two decades, severe mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreaks have affected several million hectares of forest in western North America. The extensive ecological and economic damage caused by widespread insect infestations make understanding the development and spread of MPB outbreaks critical. This study uses a time series of Landsat5 TM and Landsat7 ETM + images to map the spread of mortality due to MPB infestation in Arapaho–Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado, between 2003 and 2010. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and change in the Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) were used to classify red attack and non-red attack stands based on a maximum likelihood algorithm with manually selected training classes. The classification was validated by comparison with independent interpretations of aerial photography and high-resolution satellite imagery. The classification had good agreement (84.5–90.5% total accuracy). Cluster analysis for time series showed infestations originating in several different locations on the landscape early in the time series and subsequent infestations likely represent a combination of dispersal from outbreak populations and independent population growth. Analysis using conditional inference trees suggested that a combination of forest composition, topography, and dispersal predicted the distribution of MPB infestation on the landscape and that the importance of these variables changed as the outbreak developed. In early years, red attack was associated with forest and topographic characteristics known to influence susceptibility to MPB. Over time, beetle pressure became an increasingly important predictor of red attack, but in later years host tree availability played an important role in outbreak spread. If this pattern occurs consistently in MPB outbreaks, knowledge of these patterns could aid managers in targeting their efforts to reduce damage resulting from MPB outbreaks.
Design and mathematical modelling of a synthetic symbiotic ecosystem

Artificial microbial ecosystems have been increasingly used to understand principles of ecology. These systems offer unique capabilities to mimic a variety of ecological interactions that otherwise would be difficult to study experimentally in a reasonable period of time. However, the elucidation of the genetic bases for these interactions remains a daunting challenge. To address this issue, we have designed and analysed a synthetic symbiotic ecosystem in which the genetic nature of the microbial interactions is defined explicitly. A mathematical model of the gene regulatory network in each species and their interaction through quorum sensing mediated intercellular signalling was derived to investigate the effect of system components on cooperative behaviour. Dynamic simulation and bifurcation analysis showed that the designed system admits a stable coexistence steady state for sufficiently large initial cell concentrations of the two species. The steady-state fraction of each species could be altered by varying model parameters associated with gene transcription and signalling molecule synthesis rates. The design also admitted a stable steady state corresponding to extinction of the two species for low initial cell concentrations and stable periodic solutions over certain domains of parameter space. The mathematical analysis was shown to provide insights into natural microbial ecosystems and to allow identification of molecular targets for engineering system behaviour.
FOOD SENSITIVITY AND THE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME INCLUDING MEMBRANOUS GLOMERULOPATHY

We have reported previously that sensitivity to foods played an important role in six children with frequently relapsing steroid sensitive minimal change nephrotic syndrome (Lancet, in press). These investigations have been extended to include 4 more children with the same disorder and to 2 children, a 15-yr-old WM and 13-yr-old WF with membranous glomerulopathy and the nephrotic syndrome. The latter two patients had not received prednisone. Evaluation of use of food extract injections for diagnostic testing and therapy also was performed. All patients, off prednisone, were admitted to the Clinical Research Center for study. All patients showed decrease in 24 hr. protein excretion on restricted diets, exacerbation of proteinuria with ingestion of specific foods and decreased proteinuria with return to the previous limited diet. Oral challenge with milk produced alteration of plasma C3 in 6 of 7 patients. Serial measurements of serum proteins and immunoglobulins were also made. Two patients were again given milk and after onset of proteinuria, were tested intradermally with serial dilutions of milk extract. A treatment dose was determined and given daily s.q. while ingestion of milk continued. This produced rapid decrease in proteinuria toward normal amounts. Subsequently these patients and 3 previous patients have been treated with food extract injection therapy with improved control of their nephrosis.
Stability of Sodium Couple in Organic and Inorganic Molten Salt Electrolytes Investigated with Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance

An electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) was used to examine the sodium plating-stripping reactions in two roomtemperature molten salts: (i) buffered-neutral 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium chloride and (ii) methanesulfonyl-aluminum chloride. In cyclic voltammetry scans on melt (i), slightly more mass was plated on the electrode than required by the charge passed for sodium reduction. The excess mass deposition suggests coreduction of either electrolytes or impurities and formation of protective layers; this results in irreversible deposition and less than 100% coulombic efficiency. In chronoamperometry scans, the mass deposition rate was lower than the equivalent charge passed for pure sodium. This indicates possible reaction between sodium metal and the electrolytes or impurities at the electrode surface after depletion of sodium ions. The inorganic molten salt melts, (ii), were made of aluminum chloride, methanesulfonyl chloride, and sodium chloride. The amount of sodium chloride added to melts was critical to the stability of the sodium deposited. The highest coulombic efficiency for the sodium couple in these melts was 97%, and the self-discharge rate was 3 μA/cm 2 . The EQCM results showed reduction of the electrolyte or reaction with sodium metal forming irreversible products.
Solid state deamination of tris(ethylenediamine)- and tris(propylenediamine)chromium complexes

Abstract The deamination of solid [Cr(en)3] (NCS)3, [Cr(pn)3] (NCS)3 and [Cr(pn)3]Cl3 has been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. Both the catalyzed and the uncatalyzed reactions have been studied and thermal parameters have been determined for these processes. It was found that while NH4SCN lowers the activation energy for the deamination of [Cr(en)3] (NCS)3 by about 14 kcal/mole, NH4Cl lowers the activation energy by about 6 kcal/mole.
058 Modulation of Scar Formation by Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

Several lines of evidence demonstrate that limited inflammation is key for scarless healing to take place in early fetal skin. Because inflammation and angiogenesis are often linked in pathological processes, we hypothesized that angiogenesis may play a significant role in the regulation of scar formation. A mouse model of fetal wound repair was utilized to study angiogenesis in wounds generated at either embryonic day 15 (E15), when scarless healing takes place, or embryonic day 18 (E18), when significant scarring occurs. CD31 immunohistochemical staining and image analysis were used to calculate blood vessel density at 7 days post-wounding. Wounds generated at E15 showed no increase in vessel density above levels found in unwounded, age-matched skin. In contrast, wounds generated at E18 displayed a 45% increase in vessel density compared to control skin, similar to what is seen during adult wound healing. Increased protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in 3 day wounds generated at E18 (8.06 ± 1.89 pg VEGF/μg protein compared to 1.99 ± 0.4 in wounds made at E15) likely contribute to the increase in vascularity. In addition, injection of E15 wounds with 0.05 μg of VEGF resulted in the production of a scar, compared to control wounds which healed without a scar. To further explore the idea that VEGF may contribute to scarring, we examined the effects of VEGF neutralization on scar formation in adult murine skin. Anti-VEGF antibody injections resulted in a significant reduction in scar formation compared to control scars based on histological and ultrastructural analysis. Our studies suggest a novel role for VEGF in promoting scar tissue deposition, and suggest that VEGF inhibitors may be useful for limiting cutaneous fibrosis.
Fine Structure of Mouse Secondary Palate Development In Vitro

Organ cultured homotypic palatal processes were studied with an electron microscope. Stages in the formation and breakdown of the midline epithelial seam through mesenchymal fusion are proposed to aid in studies of this aspect of secondary palatal development. In vitro palatal formation is similar to that observed in vivo.
British Influence on Commonwealth Budget Systems: The Case of the United Republic of Tanzania

Several features of Tanzania's budget system find their roots in the arrangements inherited from the United Kingdom. These include a legal framework that emphasizes accountability' a cabinet of ministers with strong budget decision-making powers' a parliament with very limited budget powers' and a similar external audit organization. In both countries, budget execution is decentralized to individual ministries, with accounting officers responsible to a parliamentary accounts committee. These similarities are blended with contrasts, including in Tanzania: a presidential system of government, one dominant political party, a written constitution, and some fragmentation in central budget decision-making within the executive.
Northern high‐latitude ecosystems respond to climate change

The northern high latitudes are an area of particular importance to global climate change. As a system dependent on freezing conditions, the top of the planet contains vast amounts of carbon in biomass, soils, and permafrost that have the potential to interact with the atmosphere through the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and cryosphere. If released en masse, this carbon would greatly exacerbate the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Over the past 2 years, a growing body of research has provided evidence of substantial but idiosyncratic environmental changes, with some surprising aspects, across the region. This article reviews some recent findings and presents a new analysis of northern vegetation photosynthetic and productivity trends tracked from Earthobserving satellites.
Cerebral blood flow velocity declines before arterial pressure in patients with orthostatic vasovagal presyncope.

OBJECTIVES: We studied hemodynamic changes leading to orthostatic vasovagal presyncope to determine whether changes of cerebral artery blood flow velocity precede or follow reductions of arterial pressure. BACKGROUND: Some evidence suggests that disordered cerebral autoregulation contributes to the occurrence of orthostatic vasovagal syncope. We studied cerebral hemodynamics with transcranial Doppler recordings, and we closely examined the temporal sequence of changes of cerebral artery blood flow velocity and systemic arterial pressure in 15 patients who did or did not faint during passive 70 degrees head-up tilt. METHODS: We recorded photoplethysmographic arterial pressure, RR intervals (electrocardiogram) and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocities (mean, total, mean/RR interval; Gosling's pulsatility index; and cerebrovascular resistance [mean cerebral velocity/mean arterial pressure, MAP]). RESULTS: Eight men developed presyncope, and six men and one woman did not. Presyncopal patients reported light-headedness, diaphoresis, or a sensation of fatigue 155 s (range: 25 to 414 s) before any cerebral or systemic hemodynamic change. Average cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) changes (defined by an iterative linear regression algorithm) began 67 s (range: 9 to 198 s) before reductions of MAP. Cerebral and systemic hemodynamic measurements remained constant in nonsyncopal patients. CONCLUSIONS: Presyncopal symptoms and CBFV changes precede arterial pressure reductions in patients with orthostatic vasovagal syncope. Therefore, changes of cerebrovascular regulation may contribute to the occurrence of vasovagal reactions.
Relationship of visual and name similarity of visually presented letters

Pairs of letters were orthogonally varied with regard to the degree of their visual and name similarities. Each pair was repeatedly presented, alternating with a masking field, until the S gave an identification response. When similarity is high for one feature, the number of correct identifications increases as an inverse linear function of similarity of the other feature. When visual similarity is low, correct identifications increase as a direct linear function of name similarity. However, when name similarity is low, correctddentifications do not vary consistently with visual similarity. The results at high similarity of one feature are interpreted as a reflection of encoding processes, while the results at low similarity levels of the visual feature are interpreted as a reflection of decoding into response form.
Lepton-pair production as a signature of supersymmetry

Rates for the production of lepton pairs via the reactions e/sup +/e/sup -/..-->..Zgamma-tilde, Z..-->..gamma-tildel/sup +/l/sup -/ (l = e or ..mu..) are calculated. Cuts are made in the energies and angles of the produced leptons to eliminate the tau background. The possible background from production of a new heavy lepton is also calculated.
Obesity and Elevated Blood Pressure following Repair of Coarctation of the Aorta

Objective To determine whether patients with coarctation of the aorta (COA) were more likely to develop obesity compared with the general population or others with isolated forms of congenital heart disease. Study design We conducted a cross-sectional study of 160 patients who underwent COA repair at our institution between 1974 and 2009. Body mass index (BMI) measurements were obtained from the most recent clinic visit and at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years of age from retrospective chart review. BMI values were compared against established normal data to obtain age-sex matched z-scores. We also compared the rates of developing obesity over time in adults with COA vs 96 adults with other isolated forms of congenital heart disease, including aortic valve stenosis, pulmonary valve stenosis, or atrial septal defect. Results After age 5 years, patients with COA had significantly greater BMI z-scores compared with age-sex matched normal data ( P P P = .004) or with pulmonary valve stenosis or atrial septal defect ( P Conclusions There is a greater incidence of obesity that progressively increases with age in patients with repaired COA. Adults with repaired COA developed obesity at a greater rate than those with other isolated forms of congenital heart disease. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm our observations and to elucidate the potential mechanism relating COA to obesity.
Confirmation of the currently accepted value 299 792 458 metres per second for the speed of light

Abstract The speed of light has been determined from a completely independent measurement of the wavelength and frequency of the CH4-stabilized He-Ne laser. The wavelength is 3 392 231.40 ± 0.02 pm, the frequency 88 376 181.57 ± 0.20 MHz, and the speed of light 299 792 458.1 ± 1.9 m/s.
Directional velocimetry of cilia-driven fluid flow using dynamic light scattering-based OCT

We present preliminary data using dynamic light scattering-based optical coherence tomography to quantify directional transverse velocity in both polydisperse scattering media and in vivo cilia-driven flow.
The Applicability of Perturbation Expansion to Two-dimensional Goldstone Systems

Abstract In the two-dimensional O( n ) non-linear σ model, O( n ) invariant Green functions are calculated perturbatively with lattice regularization and found to be infrared finite to two loops. This finiteness makes it possible to obtain the correct renormalization group parameters of the theory directly in the symmetric theory without symmetry-breaking terms in the action. It is conjectured that any invariant functional of the fields has an infrared-finite expectation value to any order in the perturbation expansion.
Mental Illness and Labeling Theory

The stigma associated with mental illness results in discrimination, loss of socioeconomic status, lowered sense of self-worth, and increased symptoms. Labeling theory is an explanatory framework that accounts for these effects. In light of developments in the understanding of the causes and treatment of mental illness, the theory has undergone modification from its original version to show how internalized stigma affects well-being. Recent research integrates modified labeling theory with the reflected appraisals process of identity formation to understand how attitudes toward mental illness affect recovery through their effects on the self-concept. Keywords: deviance; identity; illness; mental health; social control; stigma
Contextual Pedagogies: Weaving Text Through Context, A Multi-Sensory Immersion 1

Abstract A description of the message (context) and medium (context) of the opening plenary of the 2004 joint meeting of APRRE and the REA, Denver 2004. The author recounts and develops the experience of the three-fold opening event: image projections, discussion, and input. This piece suggests that what is at stake in the contest between content and context is crucial not only to post-modern religious education, but to the very future of the new organization combining the REA and APRRE, which was launched in Denver. 1The plenary reported in this article was the joint work of O'Gorman as the new REA's president-elect, Eileen Daley of St. Mary's University Winona, MN, Mary Hess of Luther Seminary, Minneapolis, MN and Julie Lytle, Ph.D. Student, Boston College, Boston, MA.
Color in document design

The perceptual and cognitive processes that allow a person to see and interpret color are described. Color is a distraction only when these processes and the documents upon which they operate are construed very narrowly. Functions for the use of color in documents that rely on the perceptual and cognitive processes are presented. >
Examining the Impact of Policy on Collaboration in Systems of Care

Since Jane Knitzer’s 1982 report on Unclaimed Children, many states and localities have been developing systems of care to more effectively serve children with serious emotional disturbance. We report on the methods and outcomes of a two-phase study designed to determine the relationship between the mechanisms that have been used to establish systems of care and their resulting levels of collaboration. A national survey of state mental health authorities revealed that, allowing for multiple approaches, 82% of respondents with systems of care used legislation, 15% used inducements, 41% used capacity building and 44% used other means of system change (e.g., blended funding). Cluster analysis was used to select 10 sites for visits. Multiple methods of collecting data at these sites were used including the administration of a scale on collaboration. Data were obtained from 302 respondents. Difference in beliefs about collaboration and collaborative behaviors were found, indicating that level of collaboration may be an important variable to consider in studies of outcomes of systems of care for children and families.
750 MHz NMR magnet development

The authors consider the development of a magnet for a high-resolution 750-MHz proton spectrometer. The magnet operates in persistent mode at a central field of 17.63 T. The tenth-order coil system consists of seven niobium-tin and five niobium-titanium sections. Rectangular cross-section conductors are used for high radial homogeneity and for high filling factor. The details of design, construction, and quench analysis are described, and results of some preliminary tests are presented. >
Generation of a cellular Yin-Yang pattern

Here we report dynamic pattern generation in a microengineered model tissue system. When two or three bovine capillary endothelial cells (BCEs) were constrained to a square adhesive island (/spl les/50/spl times/50 /spl mu/m) coated with fibronectin (FN), coordinated cell migration resulted leading to stable rotation of the entire multicellular system about its geometric center. Each cell in this dynamic pattern was led by a lamellipodium that wrapped around the trailing edge of the neighboring cell, thereby creating a static form reminiscent of the Yin-Yang (YY) symbol of the Tao religion. When single cells were constrained to these islands they exhibited "edge-seeking" behavior: the leading edge of the cell preferentially migrated along the island perimeter. This behavior stopped when the cells fully spread and assumed the square shape of the island. Similar edge-driven motility was observed in creation of the multicellular YY pattern, however, this behavior persisted. Thus, the stable YY pattern emerged from collective behavior among the different interacting cellular elements. These observations suggest that a defined adhesive field may be capable of inducing complex pattern formation in tissues by spatially coupling mechanochemical processes that mediate cell migration.
Ultrasonic treatment of tumors—II: Moderate hyperthermia

Abstract Ultrasonically induced hyperthermia (44–45°C for 10 min) and surgical excision were used in the treatment of hamster fibrosarcomas. Both pulsed and continuous wave 3 MHz radiation was used. Rates of metastasis and effectiveness in eliminating the primary tumor were approximately equal with the two methods of treatment.
Thread cooperation in multicore architectures for frequency counting over multiple data streams

Many real-world data stream analysis applications such as network monitoring, click stream analysis, and others require combining multiple streams of data arriving from multiple sources. This is referred to as multi-stream analysis. To deal with high stream arrival rates, it is desirable that such systems be capable of supporting very high processing throughput. The advent of multicore processors and powerful servers driven by these processors calls for efficient parallel designs that can effectively utilize the parallelism of the multicores, since performance improvement is possible only through effective parallelism. In this paper, we address the problem of parallelizing multi-stream analysis in the context of multicore processors. Specifically, we concentrate on parallelizing frequent elements, top-k, and frequency counting over multiple streams. We discuss the challenges in designing an efficient parallel system for multi-stream processing. Our evaluation and analysis reveals that traditional "contention" based locking results in excessive overhead and wait, which in turn leads to severe performance degradation in modern multicore architectures. Based on our analysis, we propose a "cooperation" based locking paradigm for efficient parallelization of frequency counting. The proposed "cooperation" based paradigm removes waits associated with synchronization, and allows replacing locks by much cheaper atomic synchronization primitives. Our implementation of the proposed paradigm to parallelize a well known frequency counting algorithm shows the benefits of the proposed "cooperation" based locking paradigm when compared to the traditional "contention" based locking paradigm. In our experiments, the proposed "cooperation" based design outperforms the traditional "contention" based design by a factor of 2--5.5X for synthetic zipfian data sets.
In Other Words: Translating or “Para-Phrasing” as a Family Literacy Practice in Immigrant Households

In this article we report on ethnographic research that explores the range of ways in which Spanish-English bilingual immigrant youth interpret English language texts for their families. Drawing on participant observation in the homes and classrooms of 18 young adolescents who serve as interpreters for their families, 86 transcripts of theseinterpreters' oral Spanish translations of English texts, and 95 journal entries written by the youth about their translating experiences, we document the multiple literacies of daily life that youth engage in while translating or “para-phrasing” for their families. We focus on interpretations of written text for close family members, done at home, and chart the domains of these multiple literacies. Using an activity setting/interactional analysis, we then examine how two home “para-phrasing” events unfold and contrast these with activity settings for literacy learning in school. This largely unexplored literacy practice is a common one in immigrant households, and we argue that bilingual youth's experiences as cross-language “para-phrasers” can be used to support the within-language paraphrasing that is an important part of school literacy practices.
Electrolyte concentration-permeability relationships in sodium illite-silt mixtures

To examine the effects of clay swelling and dispersion on electrolyte concentration-permeability :relationships of low clay content soils, flow experiments were conducted on a silt of fixed particle size distribution containing 0, 5, 7.5, 10 and 15 per cent clay (sodium illite, 2 #m fraction). Flocculated specimens were sedimented using both slow and rapid procedures. After compression each specimen was permeated successively with electrolyte solutions which caused (1) swelling of the clay fraction (0.10 N), and (2) dispersion (0.05 N). Absolute permeabilities varied with clay content, sedimentation procedure, compression rate, and electrolyte concentration; however, the form of this variation plotted against through-put volume was similar for all specimens containing electrolyte solutions causing only swelling of the clay. Increasing the hydraulic gradient above a critical value apparently increased the swelling slightly as evidenced by further reductions in permeability. The permeability of mixtures permeated with electrolyte solution causing dispersion of the clay was more complex and depended on clay content, the hydraulic gradients used to introduce the dispersing electrolyte solution and the pre-dispersion gradients to which the specimens had been subjected. Permeability decreases were attributed to the last stages of swelling prior to dispersion and to pore plugging. Increases in permeability were the result of erosion of dispersed particles. Specimens previously sub- jected to the highest gradients while swelling dispersed more rapidly and had a greater tendency to erode. The effects of predispersion gradients diminished with increasing clay contents. It is concluded that both compositional and mechanical factors play an important role in determining electrolyte con- centration permeability relationships for soils containing active clay minerals.
Modeling the Quantitative Specificity of DNA-Binding Proteins from Example Binding Sites

Background: The binding of transcription factors to their respective DNA sites is a key component of every regulatory network. Predictions of transcription factor binding sites are usually based on models for transcription factor specificity. These models, in turn, are often based on examples of known binding sites. Methodology/Principal Findings: Collections of binding sites are obtained in simulation experiments where the true model for the transcription factor is known and various sampling procedures are employed. We compare the accuracies of three different and commonly used methods for predicting the specificity of the transcription factor based on example binding sites. Different methods for constructing the models can lead to significant differences in the accuracy of the predictions and we show that commonly used methods can be positively misleading, even at large sample sizes and using noise-free data. Methods that minimize the number of predicted binding sequences are often significantly more accurate than the other methods tested. Conclusions/Significance: Different methods for generating motifs from example binding sites can have significantly different numbers of false positive and false negative predictions. For many different sampling procedures models based on quadratic programming are the most accurate.
Dielectric properties of three component mixtures of nonlinear, resistive, and non-conducting grains

The nonlinear dielectric properties of a three component system consisting of nonlinear resistive, linear resistive, and nonconducting cubes of equal size is studied to determine the range of nonlinear grading properties which can be achieved. The system is modeled on a statistical basis, with confirmation through Monte Carlo simulations. The objective is to gain insight into the range of field grading properties which should be possible as a function of the characteristics of the nonlinear component and the ratio of the three components.
Eastern and Western Spiritual Beliefs and Violent Trauma: A U.S. National Community Survey

Spirituality is relevant to overall health and well-being, yet little is known about spiritual beliefs (SBs) in community samples. This report examined the associations between SBs and trauma history, and SBs and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Data were collected through an online survey from community samples that were representative of the U.S. adult population (n = 1,969) in 2001. Measures of SB comprised concepts and beliefs familiar to both Western and Eastern cultures. We found that Eastern SBs (ESBs), but not Western SBs (WSBs), were associated with a history of violent trauma. Among those who had experienced violent traumas, agreements with ESBs and WSBs were related to more severe PTSD symptoms. The mechanism of acquisition and effects of SBs remain unknown. For clinicians who decide that inquiry into the SBs of a patient is indicated, it may be of value to keep in mind that differences between SB types, as described in this article, may exist and to take these differences into a...
Open Access Series of Imaging Studies (OASIS): Cross-sectional MRI Data in Young, Middle Aged, Nondemented, and Demented Older Adults

The Open Access Series of Imaging Studies is a series of magnetic resonance imaging data sets that is publicly available for study and analysis. The initial data set consists of a cross-sectional collection of 416 subjects aged 18 to 96 years. One hundred of the included subjects older than 60 years have been clinically diagnosed with very mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The subjects are all right-handed and include both men and women. For each subject, three or four individual T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans obtained in single imaging sessions are included. Multiple within-session acquisitions provide extremely high contrast-to-noise ratio, making the data amenable to a wide range of analytic approaches including automated computational analysis. Additionally, a reliability data set is included containing 20 subjects without dementia imaged on a subsequent visit within 90 days of their initial session. Automated calculation of whole-brain volume and estimated total intracranial volume are presented to demonstrate use of the data for measuring differences associated with normal aging and Alzheimer's disease.
Assessment of the Quality of Frozen Serum by Spectrophotometric Analysis and Sperm Bioassay

Serum is an integral part of media used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and andrology work. Previous studies showed that the IVF results could benefit if sera were screened for deleterious effects before use. Such screening is impractical when fresh sera are used but may be feasible if the serum is frozen prior to use. This study assessed the impact of freezing on the quality of serum. A total of 158 serum samples, prepared in a university-based andrology-IVF center, were included in the study. The frozen sera were thawed in batches to be used in a series of laboratory experiments. Serum quality was evaluated by spectrophotometric analysis and sperm bioassay under several defined conditions: fresh, frozen, pre- and postfiltration, pre- and postcentrifugation, and the patients' fertility condition. Although all sera were filtered through 0.22-μm filter, more than 10% frozen sera required 0.4- or a combination of 0.8- and 0.4-μm filters before they could be passed through the 0.22-μm filter. Frozen sera th...
Micropatterning polyvinyl alcohol as a biomimetic material through soft lithography with cell culture

Integrating inorganic materials with specific biological systems requires a complex set of properties that can mimic physiological function to create microchip devices. Several factors in the material including the spatial location of the cellular attachment heavily influence the control of this functionality and must be dictated to parallel in vivo characteristics. In this work, we demonstrate polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for use in emulating these properties to produce a highly robust and functional biomaterial as a microchip. We show the utility of PVA for cellular patterning using soft lithography. Based on these results, PVA can be applied in a diversity of areas including tissue engineering, biomimetics, and cellular micropatterning.
Weed seedbank and community shifts in a long-term cropping systems experiment

Abstract Characterizing the long-term effect of agricultural management systems on weed communities will aid in developing sustainable weed management practices. Weed seedbanks and aboveground biomass were measured within a corn–soybean–wheat crop sequence from 1990 through 2002 at Hickory Corners, MI. Four management systems were compared: conventional (CONV; full rates of N fertilizer and herbicides, moldboard tillage), no till (NT; same as CONV with no primary tillage), reduced input (RI; reduced rates of N fertilizer and herbicides, moldboard tillage, mechanical weed control, wheat underseeded with red clover), and organic (ORG; same as RI but no synthetic inputs). Multivariate ordinations of weed seedbanks showed a divergence of the CONV and NT systems from the RI and ORG systems. The CONV and NT seedbanks were dominated by grass species (mainly fall panicum and large crabgrass), whereas the RI and ORG systems were dominated by common lambsquarters and common chickweed. Within a single growing season...
Graphical shape templates for automatic anatomy detection with applications to MRI brain scans

A new method of model registration is proposed using graphical templates. A decomposable graph of landmarks is chosen in the template image. All possible candidates for these landmarks are found in the data image using robust relational local operators. A dynamic programming algorithm on the template graph finds the optimal match to a subset of the candidate points in polynomial time. This combination-local operators to describe points of interest/landmarks and a graph to describe their geometric arrangement in the plane-yields fast and precise matches of the model to the data with no initialization required. In addition, it provides a generic tool box for modeling shape in a variety of applications. This methodology is applied in the context of T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) axial and sagittal images of the brain to identify specific anatomies.
Comparison of protein phosphorylations in variant A431 cells with different growth responses to epidermal growth factor

Growth of a selected variant of A431 cells (clone 29) is stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in contrast to the growth inhibition caused by EGF in an unselected clone, A431(8). Twelve phosphoproteins from each clone were compared to determine whether unique EGF-dependent substrate phosphorylations might explain the cells' differing growth responses to EGF. Treatment of both clone 29 and A431(8) cells with EGF increased phosphorylation of the EGF receptor/kinase and six cellular proteins identified on 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gels. Four of these proteins (the EGF receptor/kinase and proteins of 36, 70, and 81 kd) contained phosphotyrosine in both clone 29 and A431(8) cells, indicating that the same modification of several proteins occurred in cells which have totally different growth responses to EGF. Two proteins were identified whose phosphorylation was EGF dependent and which were unique to clone 29 cells; however, EGF increased phosphorylation of only serine residues in these proteins. This indicates that these proteins are not primary targets of the EGF-dependent tyrosine-specific protein kinase, but rather are substrates for serine-specific kinase(s) activated as a consequence of EGF:receptor interaction. cAMP, which inhibited growth of both clones, was utilized to compare the effects of EGF when the growth response of both cell lines was similar. In the presence of cAMP, EGF increased A431(8) cellular phosphotyrosine content and the phosphorylation of the same phosphotyrosine-containing proteins of both clone 29 and A431(8) cells. The in vivo activity of a second tyrosine-specific protein kinase, p60V -src in B77 Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-transformed newborn rat kidney (NRK) cells, was also unaffected by cAMP. Thus cAMP did not block the in vivo activity of two tyrosine-specific kinases or the tyrosine phosphorylation of three specific protein substrates. A threshold model of tyrosine kinase activity is proposed as an alternative explanation for the differing growth responses to EGF.
Impact of chronic kidney disease on outcomes after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Objective Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased morbidity and death after open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (OAR). This study highlights the effect of CKD on outcomes after endovascular AAA (EVAR) and OAR in contemporary practice. Methods The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Participant Use File (2005-2008) was queried by Current Procedural Terminology (American Medical Association, Chicago, Ill) code to identify EVAR or OAR patients, who were grouped by CKD class as having mild (CKD class 1 or 2), moderate (CKD class 3), or severe (CKD class 4 or 5) renal disease. Propensity score analysis was performed to match OAR and EVAR patients with mild CKD with those with moderate or severe CKD. Comparative analysis of mortality and clinical outcomes was performed based on CKD strata. Results We identified 8701 patients who were treated with EVAR (n = 5811) or OAR (n = 2890) of intact AAAs. Mild, moderate, and severe CKD was present in 63%, 30%, and 7%, respectively. CKD increased (P Conclusions The presence of moderate or severe CKD in patients considered for AAA repair is associated with significantly increased mortality and therefore should figure prominently in clinical decision making. The high mortality of AAA repair in patients with severe CKD is such that elective repair in such patients is not advised, except in extenuating clinical circumstances.
Properties and function of proteins in excitable membranes: an integral model of nerve excitability

Suggested CitationNachmansohn, David ; Neumann, Eberhard (1974) Properties and function of proteins inexcitable membranes : an integral model of nerve excitability. Annals of the New YorkAcademy of Sciences, 227, pp. 275-284Posted at BiPrints Repository, Bielefeld University.http://repositories.ub.uni-bielefeld.de/biprints/volltexte/2009/1388
A nonlinear numerical model for sloped‐bottom tuned liquid dampers

Shaking-table data for a tuned liquid damper with a sloped bottom of 30° with the horizontal are investigated using a non-linear numerical model previously developed by Yu, Jin-kyu, Nonlinear characteristics of tuned liquid dampers. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195 (1997). Stiffness and damping parameters for this model are obtained and compared with those previously derived for box-shaped tanks. The values for these parameters reflect the softening spring behaviour of the sloped-bottom system in contrast to the hardening system evident for the box-shaped TLD. Consequently, the sloped-bottom tank should be tuned slightly higher than the fundamental structural frequency in order to obtain the most effective damping. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Direct-sequence spread spectrum narrowband interference rejection using property restoration

A new method of rejecting narrowband interference in direct-sequence spread spectrum (DS/SS) communications is presented. A typical approach is to reject the interference using a filter with large attenuation at the interference frequencies before despreading. The interference rejection method presented incorporates vector space projection techniques to suppress the correlated interference. Several signal characteristics are formulated which lead to constraint surfaces in the vector space of possible solutions. These constraint surfaces describe interference rejection solutions which introduce minimal distortion to the spread spectrum signal and simultaneously remove the interference. The constraint surfaces essentially correspond to spread spectrum signal estimates which, after interference rejection, conform to known characteristics of the transmitted spread spectrum signal. The formulation of the surfaces relies on prior knowledge about the spread spectrum signal correlation and spectral properties.
Clinical effects of once-weekly exenatide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, administration, dosage, place in therapy, and cost of extended-release exenatide are reviewed. Summary Regular-release exenatide has a half-life of 2.4 hours and is administered twice daily. In order to allow for once-weekly administration, exenatide was encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres, a biodegradable polymer. After subcutaneous injection, the microspheres slowly degrade, and the drug is released. A single injection of extended-release exenatide reaches maximum plasma concentration after 4–8 hours and remains at therapeutic levels for 8–16 hours, depending on the dosage. Based on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose, researchers determined that 0.8- and 2-mg once-weekly doses were likely to maintain therapeutic levels in the serum. Patients who used extended-release exenatide monotherapy had significantly lower glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels and lost more weight than those receiving sitagliptin or pioglitazone ( p < 0.05). In combination with metformin, extended-release exenatide reduced HbA1c levels more than did insulin glargine. This new formulation reduced HbA1c levels by 1.5–1.9%, fasting blood glucose concentrations by 31–42 mg/dL, and weight by 2.3–3.7 kg. The most common adverse events were injection-site reactions and transient nausea. Postmarketing reports have described acute pancreatitis and acute necrotizing or hemorrhagic pancreatitis in patients treated with exenatide. The published average wholesale price for a one-month supply of extended-release exenatide 2 mg is $388. Conclusion Extended-release exenatide taken once weekly is an effective second-line therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved glycemic goals with metformin alone.
Endothelial-mediated control of coronary and skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise Endothelial-mediated control of coronary and skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise: introduction

There is extensive vasodilation of arterial vasculature in heart and active skeletal muscle during exercise. Considerable knowledge concerning mediators of this vasodilation which act directly on vascular smooth muscle has been acquired. Less well-understood is the role that mediators that act via vascular endothelium may play in exercise-induced vasodilation in vivo. Nonetheless, many studies have been conducted, both on blood vessels in vitro and in resting animals in vivo, since the discovery of endothelial-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) in 1980. In fact, several EDRF have been defined, of which nitric oxide (NO) appears to be most important. Release of NO from vascular endothelium can be induced by two general classes of stimuli, pharmacologic and physical. Of the former class, a physiologically relevant example is norepinephrine. In the latter class, elevated shear stress due to increased blood flow associated with exercise could be a stimulus for NO release. This symposium examines the role that endothelium may play in vasodilation of the coronary and skeletal muscle circulations during acute exercise. It also addresses the question of whether exercise training modifies this role of vascular endothelium.
A Curricular Intervention for Teaching and Learning: Measurement of Gains of First-Year College Student Learning.

There is continued debate about the changing and varied nature of first year courses in American higher education institutions. Therefore more current research is needed to inform faculty and institutions as to the important areas of focus for teaching and learning in first year courses. This study is one possible approach to easily determine student “gains” as described by measured improvements in the selected areas. The purpose of this paper was to examine the observed gains of first year experience course students as measured by the College Student Success Factor Index (CSFI). The CSFI pretest and posttest was administered in the summer 2013 and summer 2014 semesters. The ten success indices of the CSFI were measured and gains were observed. The summer 2013 course taught as it had always been taught without focus on targeted factors of success. A curricular intervention was introduced into the summer 2014 course that includes the ten indices in the course learning assignments and outcomes. Possible differences or “gains” in learning will be described and includes implications for first year teaching and program design in colleges and universities.
Methods of Sustainability Research in the Social Sciences, Frances Fahy, Henrike Rau (Eds.). Sage Publications, London (2013), ISBN: 9780857025227

Sustainability research is a valuable field of study for a variety of reasons, but perhaps most important are the insights it generates into how to conserve and protect both the environment and pro...
BRAFV600E is a negative prognosticator in pediatric ganglioglioma

G are typically low-grade neuroepithelial tumors seen in the pediatric and young adult populations. Despite their often bland histologic appearance, these tumors can recur with varying frequency; however, little data exist that adequately predict ganglioglioma recurrence in children. To identify potential histopathologic features predictive of recurrencefree survival, a series of 53 pediatric gangliogliomas were evaluated. Fifteen patients (28%) exhibited disease recurrence during the study period. BRAFV600E immunohistochemistry was performed on 47 tumor samples, and histopathologic findings were analyzed against survival data. Histopathologic features associated with longer recurrencefree survival included oligodendroglial morphology, tumor cell density, microvascular proliferation, and the presence of a lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate. Eighteen tumors (38.3%) exhibited positive BRAFV600E staining. Positive BRAFV600E staining was associated with shorter recurrencefree survival. The present study marks the largest pediatric cohort of World Health Organization (WHO) grade I gangliogliomas with accompanying histopathologic and survival data. Collectively, the combined use of histopathologic and molecular features to stratify grade I gangliogliomas into low and high risk groups provides important information relevant to the management of children and young adults with these rare tumors.