cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of spatial food distribution on agonistic behavior in juvenile mahimahi, Coryphaena hippurus

Summary Agonistic behavior in juvenile mahimahi Coryphaena hippurus, has been shown to decrease in the presence of food. In this study, we show that agonistic behavior increases in the presence of food when the distribution of food is spatially clumped. Because agonistic behavior potentially leads to disproportional food acquisition, and differential growth rates, the influence of food distribution on agonistic behavior may be important for efficient aquaculture of this species. Zusammenfassung Der Einflns raumlicher Futteruerteilung auf das agonistische Verhalten junger Aiahimabi, Coryphaena hippurus Es wurde nachgewiesen, das sich agonistisches Verhalten in jungen Mahimahi, Coryphaena hippurus, bei gegenwart von Futter verringert. In dieser Studie zeigen wir, das sich agonistisches Verhalten in der Anwesenheit von Futter vermehrt, wenn die Verteilung des Futters raumlich zusammengeballt ist. Weil agonistisches Verhalten potentiell zu unverhaltnismasigem Futtererwerb und unterschiedlichen Wachstumsraten fuhrt, konnte der Einflus der Futterverteilung auf das agonistische Verhalten fur die Leistungsfahigkeit der Aquakultur dieser Art wichtig sein. Resume L'influence de la distribution spatiale de la nourriture sur le comportement agonistique dans les coriphene adolescents, Coryphaena hippurus Le comportement agonistique des coriphene adolecents, Coryphaena hippurus, a ete demontre sa diminuer dans le presence de la nourriture. Dans cet etude, nous demontrons que le comportement agonistique s'accoit dans la presence de la nourriture quand la distribution de la nourriture est groupee en masse compacte dans l'espace. Puisque le comportement agonistique s'amene, potentiellement, sa l'acquisition disproportionnee de la nourriture et aux taux de croissance differents, l'influence de la distribution de la nourriture sur le comportement agonistique peut etre important pour l'aquaculture efficace de cet espece.
Combining peak current mode control with average current mode control using digitally assisted analog

“Peak Current Mode Control” (CPM) is usually implemented in analogue and brings the advantage of cycle by cycle protection, higher bandwidth rejection of input voltage disturbance or equivalently increases a converter's input impedance. “Average Current Mode Control” (ACM) allows inductor current control to a “true average” and will facilitate an accurate current limit loop or Power Factor Correction with low Total Harmonic Distortion. ACM is however slower to react to line disturbance or over current (OC) faults and presents reduced converter input impedance burden on an input filter stage. In this work, analogue CPM is combined with a new digital average current mode control to provide the benefits of both control modes in a “Hybrid Current Controller” (HCM). The averaging and compensation functions traditionally implemented within an ACM compensated amplifier are separated out and implemented digitally. The digital control is designed to operate on the basis of one analog to digital conversion per PWM switching cycle and this combined with the low bias power required for a CPM comparator allows high performance PFC to be implemented in cost effective, low power and low pin count controller IC. Results in a 250W Boost Power Factor Correction Stage, capable of 250achieving less than 10mW in no load, employing this new HCM are presented.
Essential roles of intracellular calcium release channels in muscle, brain, metabolism, and aging

Calcium (Ca(2+)) release from intracellular stores controls numerous cellular processes, including cardiac and skeletal muscle contraction, synaptic transmission and metabolism. The ryanodine receptors (RyRs: RyR1, RyR2, RyR3) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs: IP3R1, IP3R2, IP3R3) are the major Ca(2+) release channels (CRCs) on the endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR). RyRs and IP3Rs comprise macromolecular signaling complexes that include modulatory proteins which regulate channel activity in response to extracellular signals resulting in intracellular Ca(2+) release. Here we focus on the roles of CRCs in heart, skeletal muscle, brain, metabolism, and aging.
Nearly Rigid Descriptor-Based Matching for Volume Reconstruction from Histological Sections

A common task in the analysis of digitized histological sections is reconstructing a volumetric representation of the original specimen. Image registration algorithms are used in this task to compensate for translational, rotational, scale, shear, and local geometric differences between slices. Various systems have been developed to perform volumetric reconstruction by registering pairs of successive slices according to rigid, 1–3 similarity, 4 affine, 5,6 and/or deformable 7–10 transformations. To provide a coarse initial volumetric reconstruction, rigid transformations may be too constrained, as they do not allow for scale or shear; but, affine transformations may be too flexible, enabling larger scale or shear factors than physically reflected in the histological sections. One difficulty with these systems is caused by the aperture problem; even if successive slices are registered reasonably well, the composition of transformations over tens or hundreds of slices can yield global twisting and scale and shear changes that yield a volumetric reconstruction that is significantly distorted from the shape of the true specimen. The impact of the aperture problem can be reduced by considering more than two successive images in the registration process. Systems that take this approach use global energy functions, 11 elastic spring models, 12 post hoc filtering/smoothing, 13,14 or solutions to shortest-path problems on graphs. 15 In this article, we propose a volume reconstruction algorithm that handles the aperture problem and yields nearly rigid transformations (i.e., affine transformations with small scale and shear factors). Our algorithm is based on robust geometric alignment of descriptive feature points (for example, using SIFT 16 ) via constrained optimization. We will illustrate our algorithm on the task of volumetric reconstruction from histological sections of a chicken embryo with an embedded tumor spheroid.
Role of biliary stress manometry after biliary stricture dilation in living donor liver transplant recipients

Purpose To report on the use of biliary manometry for determining treatment completion in living donor liver transplant recipients. Materials and Methods Twenty of 85 patients (24%) who underwent living donor liver transplantation developed postoperative anastomotic biliary strictures. Fifteen patients underwent transhepatic biliary drainage and percutaneous dilation. In 10 patients, biliary stress manometry was used to assess treatment adequacy after a mean of 2.5 dilation sessions occurring during a mean period of 62 days (range, 5–55 days). An intrabiliary pressure of less than 20-cm H 2 O after an escalating intrabiliary infusion to 1,200 mL per hour for 3 minutes was defined as the success threshold (in lieu of a capped external catheter "clinical trial"). Results There were no complications during the infusion study. In all 10 patients in whom manometry was successful, biliary catheters were removed. One patient (who underwent manometry and catheter removal after only one dilation session) required repeat intubation 7 weeks later. The remaining nine patients (90%) remained free of evidence of biliary obstruction at a mean of 8.4 months. With Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the probability of biliary patency at 3, 6, and 12 months was 90%. Conclusions This biliary stress manometry protocol offers a promising alternative to the catheter "clinical trial" for determining endpoints for multisession anastomotic biliary stricture dilation in living donor transplant recipients.
Intensionality, modality, and rationality: Some presemantic considerations §

Abstract On the basis of arguments put forth by Kripke, 1977a , Kripke, 1980 , it is widely held that one can sometimes rationally accept propositions of the form P and not-P and also that there are necessary a posteriori truths. We will find that Kripke's arguments for these views appear probative only so long as one fails to distinguish between semantics and presemantics—between the literal meanings of sentences, on the one hand, and the information on the basis of which one identifies those literal meanings, on the other. This same failure, it will be argued, underlies the popular thesis that intersubstituting co-referring terms sometimes turns true sentences into false ones and vice versa. Though seemingly plausible, this thesis has a number of counterintuitive consequences, among them that the occurrence of “snow” in “it is true that snow is white” doesn’t refer to snow. An understanding of the distinction between semantics and presemantics suggests a way to develop a semantic system that doesn’t have these consequences and that, moreover, reconciles our intuitions concerning cognitive content with some powerfully argued theses of contemporary philosophy of language. Some of this paper's main contentions are anticipated by Andrzej Boguslawski in his 1994 paper “Sentential Complementation and Truth.”
Synthesis of poly(benzylidene phthalide)s: A new class of polymers

Pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) was condensed with different aromatic diacetic acids via a Perkin reaction to produce new polymers containing the benzylidenephthalide group in the backbone. Yields ranged from 50 to 90% with inherent viscosities ranging from 0.07 to 0.37 dL/g. Polymerizations at 275°C for 4 h using p-phenylenediacetic acid and PMDA gave the polymer with highest inherent viscosity. However, polymerization under identical conditions of p,p′-diphenyl ether diacetic acid, each with PMDA, yielded poor results. For these two monomers the best polymerization conditions were 250°C for 8 h. In general, the most thermally stable polymer was derived from the diphenyl ether diacetic acid monomer (308°C). This polymer was obtained in highest yields and gave the greatest amount of pyrolytic residue in argon (67%).
A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Modified-Release Methylphenidate in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective. To compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of once-daily administration of modified-release methylphenidate (MPH MR) with placebo in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods. The study was a 3-week, double-blind, 32-site, randomized clinical trial comparing MPH MR with placebo. Children were 6 to 16 years of age, had a diagnosis of ADHD, and had not failed a previous trial of stimulant treatment for ADHD. After a 1-week, single-blind, placebo-washout period, participants received a once-daily dose of MPH MR or placebo, which was started with 1 capsule (20 mg) and individually titrated up to a maximum of 3 capsules (60 mg). The primary outcome measure was specified as a reduction in ADHD symptom severity from the teacher version of the 10-item Conners’ Global Index. Investigators, teachers, and parents evaluated safety. Results. The study randomized 321 children: 158 to MPH MR and 163 to placebo. Children in the MPH MR group were started on a dose of 20 mg/d and reached a mean dose of 40.7 mg/d (1.28 mg/kg/d) at endpoint. Compared with placebo, MPH MR significantly reduced ADHD symptoms ratings on the teacher version of the 10-item Conners’ Global Index, on the parent version of the Conners’ Global Index, on the parent assessment of global efficacy, and on investigator assessment of global improvement. The most common adverse events in the MPH MR group were headache, anorexia, abdominal pain, and insomnia. Only anorexia occurred at a rate that was significantly greater than placebo. Conclusion. MPH MR administered once daily in the morning is effective and safe in controlling ADHD symptoms throughout the school day.
Tumour necrosis factor alpha is elevated in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis and inflammatory neuropathies.

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) is a peptide that is derived from T lymphocytes and macrophages and is used as a marker of activated cellular immune responses. TNFα was measured in paired sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 30 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with worsening disability, 54 patients with other neurological diseases, and 20 normal subjects. A sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the TNFα levels. We found significantly elevated serum and CSF levels in 12 (40%) and 6 (20%) MS patients, respectively, compared with healthy controls (P<0.007 andP<0.05). Among the 18 patients with neuropathy, we also found high serum and CSF TNFα values in 3 (17%) and 5 (28%) patients, respectively (P<0.04 andP<0.002). Our study shows that TNFα is probably involved in the pathogenetic mechanisms of MS and other inflammatory neurological diseases.
The Role of Angiotensin II In Stretch-Activated Signal Transduction of the Normal, Hypertrophied, and Failing Adult Heart

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is in a critical initial adaptive response that is common to human heart failure syndromes of diverse etiologies. It is clear from work using neonatal myocytes that static stretch can produce an increase in protein synthesis and recapitulate the fetal gene program characteristic of rodent cardiac hypertrophy. Some data suggest that this may be entirely a consequence of an autocrine action of angiotensin II. In order to address this issue in the adult whole heart, we produced pathophysiological levels of stretch and isolated buffer-perfused isovolumically contracting guinea pig left ventricles. Our results demonstrate that stretch can activate the phospholipase C signaling pathway in the adult heart. Inositol phosphate accumulation, but not protein Kinase C (PKC) translocation, is abolished by angiotensin II receptor blockade. Based upon these results, we studied transgenic mice that overexpress Gαq and PKC-β2 in a cardiac-specific postnatal manner. The results demonstrate a dose-dependent induction of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in genetically engineered mice. This suggests that phospholipase C activation plays a critical role in hypertrophy and failure. Treatment of the PKC-β2 transgenic mouse with a highly specific inhibitor largely reverses the phenotype. Taken together, these results demonstrate that angiotensin II-independent mechanisms may play a crucial role in the activation of the hypertrophy program and suggest new directions for pharmacotherapy of congestive heart failure.
Planning Effective Outdoor Lessons for Physical Education

This article provides strategies for teaching physical education outside. Specifically, it highlights safety considerations, classroom management protocols, and lesson selection.
Figuring Eros in Byzantine Fiction: Iconographic Transformation and Political Evolution

Eros’s conniving nature in conjunction with his sadistic temperament is the single most important attribute of his character—indeed, it remains intact after some 800 years of iconographic and literary evolution. In medieval Byzantium Eros emerges as a formidable sovereign, toying with his subjects’ desires as he asserts his cosmic dominion from the grounds of his utopian castle. This remarkable transformation reveals a rich discourse on the merits of sovereignty—a discourse that raises significant questions about the dynamics of Byzantine imperial commissions and the paradoxical role of court intellectuals as sovereign propagandists and political critics. In linking the role of Byzantine intellectuals in the aftermath of political upheaval to the figurations of sovereignty showcased in Byzantine fiction, the author reveals an ambitious interplay of literary and political interests that calls into question the view of Byzantine intellectuals as dutiful followers of powerful patrons.
Performance of above elbow body-powered prostheses in visually guided unconstrained motion tasks

The "classical" body-powered above elbow arm prosthesis continues to be used by a large majority of arm prosthesis users, even though many more modern devices are available. The authors present a set of experiments designed to compare performance of unimpaired arms and body-powered prostheses of 6 unilateral amputees. The experiments were designed to measure qualitatively how well the body-powered prosthesis can be used to perform free-motion tasks, as well as to study the qualitative features of movement common to both the prosthesis and unimpaired arm. It was found that regular peaks in velocity were common to both the unimpaired arm and prosthesis movements, suggesting that movements were composed of a sequence of successive actions. In addition, it was found that the body-powered prosthesis generally required more movements than the unimpaired arm to meet an accuracy constraint and could not keep up with the unimpaired arm when a speed constraint was imposed, even though the body-powered prosthesis was able to match the unimpaired arm in a simple nondynamic task. >
AURA: An application and user interaction aware middleware framework for energy optimization in mobile devices

Mobile battery-operated devices are becoming an essential instrument for business, communication, and social interaction. In addition to the demand for an acceptable level of performance and a comprehensive set of features, users often desire extended battery lifetime. In fact, limited battery lifetime is one of the biggest obstacles facing the current utility and future growth of increasingly sophisticated “smart” mobile devices. This paper proposes a novel application-aware and user-interaction aware energy optimization middleware framework (AURA) for pervasive mobile devices. AURA optimizes CPU and screen backlight energy consumption while maintaining a minimum acceptable level of performance. The proposed framework employs a novel Bayesian application classifier and management strategies based on Markov Decision Processes to achieve energy savings. Real-world user evaluation studies on a Google Android based HTC Dream smartphone running the AURA framework demonstrate promising results, with up to 24% energy savings compared to the baseline device manager, and up to 5× savings over prior work on CPU and backlight energy co-optimization.
Lower Extremity Energy Absorption and Biomechanics During Landing, Part II: Frontal-Plane Energy Analyses and Interplanar Relationships

Context: Greater sagittal-plane energy absorption (EA) during the initial impact phase (INI) of landing is consistent with sagittal-plane biomechanics that likely increase anterior cruciate ligamen...
Ecosystem health and ecological engineering

Ecosystem health is a desired endpoint of environmental management and should be a primary design goal for ecological engineering. This paper describes ecosystem health as a comprehensive, multiscale, measure of system vigor, organization and resilience. Ecosystem health is thus closely linked to the idea of sustainability, which implies the ability of the system to maintain its structure (organization) and function (vigor) over time in the face of external stress (resilience). To be truly successful, ecological engineering should pursue the broader goal of designing healthy ecosystems, which may be novel assemblages of species that perform desired functions and produce a range of valuable ecosystem services. In this way ecological engineering can achieve its goals, embedded in its definition as the “design of sustainable ecosystems that integrate human society with its natural environment for the benefit of both.” It allows the benefits of ecological engineering practices ‘to both humans and the rest of nature’ to be assessed in an integrated and consistent way that will allow us to build a sustainable and desirable future.
Orthostatic challenge does not alter skin sympathetic nerve activity in heat-stressed humans

Abstract Perturbations that load or unload baroreceptors do not alter skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA) in normothermic individuals. However, in pronounced heat-stressed individuals, when a significant component of the SSNA signal is sudomotor and possibly vasodilator in origin, the effects of baroreceptor unloading via an orthostatic stress on SSNA remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that low and moderate levels of orthostatic stress via lower body negative pressure (LBNP) alter SSNA in pronounced heat-stressed individuals. In both normothermic and heat-stressed conditions, progressive LBNP at −3, −6, −9, −12, −15, −18, −21 and −40 mm Hg were applied to 11 subjects for 2 min per stage. Whole-body heating increased sublingual temperature by 0.7±0.1 °C, heart rate by 28±2.1 bpm, SSNA by 259±76 %, forearm skin blood flow by 631±142% and forearm sweat rate to 0.68±0.14 mg/cm2/min (all p 0.05). LBNP did not change total SSNA in normothermic or heat-stressed conditions (both p>0.05), although skin blood flow and sweat rate decreased during moderate levels of LBNP while heat stressed. These data suggest that in pronounced heat-stressed individuals, when a significant component of the SSNA signal contains sudomotor and possibly cutaneous active vasodilator activities, low and moderate levels of baroreceptor unloading via LBNP do not alter total SSNA. This observation, coupled with reductions in skin blood flow and sweating during moderate levels of LBNP, suggests that integrated SSNA should not be used as an indicator of baroreflex modulation of the cutaneous vasculature or sweat rate in heat-stressed subjects.
The importance of hyperglycemia in the nonfasting state to the development of cardiovascular disease.

I. Introduction II. Correlation Between Hyperglycemia and CVD A. Type 2 diabetes B. Elevated glucose concentrations in the nondiabetic range C. Atherosclerosis in subjects with asymptomatic hyperglycemia III. Causal Relationship of Postprandial Hyperglycemia to CVD A. Direct effects of hyperglycemia B. Insufficient insulin production C. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia D. Association with risk factors for CVD IV. Therapeutic Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes A. Insulin therapy B. Sulfonylureas C. Biguanides D. Acarbose V. Studies to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes VI. Conclusions
Development of a Technique for the Practical Implementation of Higher Order Perturbation Methods

The development of a practical approach to higher order generalized perturbation theory (GPT) methods is documented. The method combines a direct correlation technique for obtaining a first-order e...
Invited Talk: What Can We Learn from an Image?

Depending on the task, there are huge differences in the difficulties of parallel image processing. The recipe we apply to many images is as follows. Use Aritifical Color to either recognize the target or recognize and remove the background, we then use edge-preseving smoothing on the resulting image, use our "nonlinear disrimination Fourier processing method "to identify and locate the target in the scene, and finally, use the subset that found the target to provide a prototype that suggests the targets' pose and scale. In this paper, I will illustrate each step.
Raman spectra of vitreous silica, germania and sodium silicate glasses

Abstract The polarized Raman spectra of vitreous silica, germania, and sodium silicate glasses have been obtained in the frequency shift region extending from 10 to 1300 cm −1 . The observed spectra of silica and germania have been compared with recent calculations of the vibration spectrum and with the i.r. spectrum. The Stokes-Raman spectrum at low temperatures of vitreous silica decreases markedly in intensity at low frequencies (less than 100 cm −1 ), but only slightly at higher frequencies (greater than 300 cm −1 ). The temperature dependence of the Stokes-Raman spectrum is consistent with first-order processes.
Acute G-CSF therapy is not protective during lethal E. coli sepsis.

We investigated whether decreases in circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) during lethal Escherichia coli (E. coli) sepsis in canines are related to insufficient host granulocyte colony-s...
An Isolated Mass in the Palm, Starting Manifestation of Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease that is characterized with noncaseating granulomatous nodules which present in multiple organs specially lungs (90%). Incidence of masses due to Sarcoidosis in upper extremity is low and most cases present in association with involvement of pulmonary hilary lymph nodes. In this article we present a rare case of Sarcoidosis which presented as a single soft tissue mass in hand without osseous or pulmonary hillary lymph node involvement. Incidence of involvement of musculoskeletal system is 1-5 %, mostly it occurs in small bones in hands and feet. In most cases involvement of soft tissue in extremities is accompanied with bone lesions. Those cases of soft tissue involvement are generally coincide with pulmonary lymph nodules. To the authors` knowledge, this is the first case of Sarcoidosis that presents without spreading in bones or pulmonary hilar lymph nodes.
Phosphorylation at tyrosine-524 influences nuclear accumulation of HSP72 with heat stress

Nuclear accumulation of heat shock protein (HSP) 72 occurs after cardiac ischemia. This nuclear accumulation of HSP72 with stress occurs in other tissues and species. We postulated that nuclear acc...
Water Quality and its Sustainability Introduction

Water sustainability requires long-term availability and supply of clean water for humans and other living things. This chapter emphasizes the driving forces, impacts, and best management practices affecting our water future. Sustainable water quality is the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of natural waters necessary to satisfy long-term human and ecological functions. Because many waters throughout the world are damaged or impaired relative to these functions, the chapter presents actions that could be taken to improve the situation including: Thinking of the water cycle more holistically; investing in water reuse and resilient infrastructure; mitigating and adapting to climate change; constructing real-time water networks for the monitoring, modeling, and forecasting of water resources; and emphasizing the critical importance of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
Regulatory Barriers to Justice in Mississippi

In this article, which was presented at the Mississippi Law Journal's Poverty and Access to Justice Symposium, I argue that Mississippi’s current court-defined definition of the practice of law – as well as the proposed new definition of the practice of law that is now awaiting the Supreme Court’s approval – are both so broad that they prevent competition from nonlawyer professionals who might be able to provide the same services as lawyers at low or no cost.
Virus and host genomic, molecular, and cellular interactions during Marek's disease pathogenesis and oncogenesis

Marek's Disease Virus (MDV) is a chicken alphaherpesvirus that causes paralysis, chronic wasting, blindness, and fatal lymphoma development in infected, susceptible host birds. This disease and its protective vaccines are highly relevant research targets, given their enormous impact within the poultry industry. Further, Marek's disease (MD) serves as a valuable model for the investigation of oncogenic viruses and herpesvirus patterns of viral latency and persistence--as pertinent to human health as to poultry health. The objectives of this article are to review MDV interactions with its host from a variety of genomic, molecular, and cellular perspectives. In particular, we focus on cytogenetic studies, which precisely assess the physical status of the MDV genome in the context of the chicken host genome. Combined, the cytogenetic and genomic research indicates that MDV-host genome interactions, specifically integration of the virus into the host telomeres, is a key feature of the virus life cycle, contributing to the viral achievement of latency, transformation, and reactivation of lytic replication. We present a model that outlines the variety of virus-host interactions, at the multiple levels, and with regard to the disease states.
Delineating Mechanisms of Upconversion Enhancement by Li+ Codoping in Y2SiO5:Pr3+

Codoping with Li+ has become a common method for improving optical efficiency in oxide-based upconversion luminescent materials, yet the mechanisms of enhancement have remained ambiguous. Herein, we delineate the major ways by which Li+ enhances visible-to-ultraviolet upconversion in the phosphor Y2SiO5:Pr3+ and quantify the relative contributions of each mechanism. Comparative photoluminescence spectroscopy, microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses show that of the total 9-fold increase in upconversion resulting from optimized Li+ doping ∼5% was due to crystallite enlargement, ∼50% due to a change in the host crystal polymorph, and ∼45% due to a reduction in activator ion clustering. Contrary to other studies, no significant upconversion enhancement arises from activator site geometry changes due to distortion by Li+, in the case of this material. To elucidate the role of Li+ doping in Y2SiO5, samples were prepared using other dopants for comparison, including Na+, Zn2+, Sc3+, and Zr4+.
Immunohistochemical expression of transforming growth factor alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor in gastrointestinal carcinoids

Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), a potent growth factor belonging to the epidermal growth factor family, exerts its role in the proliferation and differentiation of normal and neoplastic cells by binding to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Coexpression of TGF-alpha and EGFR in carcinomas is believed to confer growth advantage to tumor cells. To evaluate their role in such indolent tumors as gastrointestinal (GI) carcinoids, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of TGF-alpha and EGFR in 25 GI carcinoids (nine foregut, 13 midgut, and three hindgut) and studied the correlation of their expression with the secretory and clinicopathologic profiles of these tumors. TGF-alpha was expressed in 18 (72%) of these tumors, and whereas 16 of 17 tumors showed immunopositivity for the extracellular domain of EGFR, none expressed its intracellular domain. Ten TGF-alpha-positive tumors were positive for serotonin, seven for somatostatin, three for calcitonin, and one tumor each for gastrin, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and growth hormone-releasing factor, respectively. Seven TGF-alpha-positive tumors were multihormonal, eight were monohormonal, and three were completely nonreactive for the regulatory substances studied. Except for its correlation with 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) expression by the tumor cells, expression of TGF-alpha showed no significant association with other pathologic attributes, for example, the site of origin, size, depth of intramural penetration, metastases, and the secretory profiles of the tumors. These findings indicate that although TGF-alpha is expressed by a high proportion of GI carcinoids, the absence of its intact receptor molecule (EGFR) on the tumor cells renders it functionally ineffective as a growth factor. Thus, unlike in carcinomas of the GI tract, TGF-alpha appears to play no role in the growth and progression of GI carcinoids, which perhaps explains the indolent behavior and slow biological progression of GI carcinoids.
Cardioacceleration by atrial pacing and transmural metabolite levels in the canine left ventricle.

SummaryCreatine phosphate, adenosine triphosphate, and lactate levels were determined for the outer, middle, and inner layers of the canine left ventricle in animals paced at 100, 150 or 200 beats/min. A slightly lower creatine phosphate level was noted for the inner layer compared to the outer and middle layers of the ventricle at all three heart rates. No evidence of a heart rate effect on metabolite levels in any of the ventricular layers was found. The results indicate that the coronary circulation autoregulates the transmural distribution of myocardial blood flow sufficiently well to maintain an adequate oxygen delivery to all layers of the ventricle under these conditions despite previous reports of a reduced subendocardial to subepicardial blood flow ratio and a lower subendocardial oxygen tension.
A new trick to harness the sulfur surplus

In the early-to-mid 1800s, Charles Goodyear1 discovered that natural rubbers became more robust when heated in the presence of a small amount of sulfur. We now know that this ‘vulcanization’ process stems from sulfur’s ability to form chemical bridges that strengthen the polymer chains in the rubber and is routinely used to produce tires among other common goods. An international team from the University of Arizona, Seoul National University, the University of Hamburg, and the University of Delaware developed what they refer to as ‘inverse vulcanization’.2 In this process, sulfur is used as the primary ingredient and reinforced with a stryenic additive. The method involves adding 1,3-diisopropenylbenzene (DIB), which effectively intercepted radicals formed at elevated temperatures and afforded useful copolymeric materials enriched with sulfur. The real trick, however, was timing: adding the DIB after the sulfur was liquefied and in its reactive form appeared to be critical. The ratio of DIB-to-sulfur was also an important factor as the physical, electronic and optical properties displayed by the composites were dependent on their elemental compositions.
The clinical significance of leptin in the postoperative stress response in infants

Objective To investigate the leptin levels and its clinical significance in infants un- dergoing surgery.Methods Seventeen infants were divided into 2 groups:10 with congenital heart defects and 7 with non-congenital heart defects.Peripheral vein blood samples were collected at one day before operation(TO),perioperation(T1),2(T2),24(T3),and 48 hours(T4)after opera- tion.The serum levels of leptin and cortisol were detected and analyzed.Results The serum levels of leptin in both groups were significantly decreased at T1 and T2 compared to those at T0,but all of them recovered to the normal levels at T3.On the contrary,the cortisol levels were significantly in creased in congenital heart defects group at T1 and recovered to the baseline at T3.Meanwhile,the cortisol levels in non-congenital heart defects group were significantly increased at T2 and recovered the baseline at T4.Conclusions Leptin may play a role in the stress response induced by surgery and general anesthesia.The decrease of leptin and the increase of cortisol were paralleled in the early phase of surgical stress response in infants.
Research on Noise Reducing Measures and Design Optimization of 110 kV Indoor Substation

Based on the analysis of noise control about 110 kV indoor substation,natural ventilation in main transformer chamber is proposed to substitute for forced ventilation in order to avoid environmental impact caused by fan's noise.The size of ventilation orifice is determined considering heat exchange in main transformer chamber and ventilation influence by muffler.The noise prediction system of substation based on Kirchhoff formula is taken as a tool to optimize noise control design of indoor substation.The noise at the boundary is lower than 40 dB(A) when the noise of main transformer is 57 dB(A) in free sound field,the sound transparent ratio is 30%,and the sound absorption coefficient is 0.3.The practicability of this optimized design is demonstrated in an 110kV indoor substation in Baoji.
Simultaneous infection with Shigella sonnei and Vibrio cholerae in a young child.

A 20-month old infant presented to the emergency department with diarrhea and vomiting of six days duration. Blood, stool and urine specimens were collected for both bacteriological culture and parasitic workup. Concurrent infections with both Shigella sonnei and Vibrio cholerae were determined to be the cause of the infectious diarrhea. This case illustrates the importance of the microbiology laboratory in detecting infrequently seen enteric pathogens. We will also review the pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis of Vibrio cholerae and Shigella sonnei. ABBREVIATIONS:SBAP – sheep blood agar plate, CBC – complete blood count, IV – intravenous, NaCl – sodium chloride, Spp. – species, BCG – bacillie Calmette-Guerin, TSI – triple sugar iron agar, LIA – lysine iron agar, ADP – adenosine dinucleotide phosphate, cAMP – cyclic adenosine monophosphate, TCBS – thiosulfate citrate bile salts sucrose, RBC – red blood cell, BUN – blood urea nitrogen, Na – sodium, K – potassium, Cl – chloride, CO2 – carbon dioxide, Ca – calcium, TMP/SMX – trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole
RELATIONS BETWEEN PULSED NMR SIGNAL AND FLOW RATE OF LIQUID IN DUCT

Publisher Summary If exposed to a static magnetic field for a sufficient time, protons abundant in an aqueous solution develop magnetization in the z axis parallel to the field ; there are more nuclear magnetic moments parallel to the field than those anti-parallel. The difference between the number of protons with spin “up” (parallel) and that of protons with spin “down” (anti-parallel) exhibits an exponential rise to the excess number of protons with spin-up in thermal equilibrium. The magnetization is proportional to the amplitude of the leading edge of FID (free induction decay) that is an induced signal in a coil placed on the x – y plane because of the precession of the magnetic moments on the plane caused by the application of a rf pulse (90 degree pulse) perpendicular to the field. This chapter describes saturation recovery sequence and the application of saturation recovery sequence to measurement of flow. It also describes inversion recovery sequence and the application of inversion recovery sequence to measurement of flow.
Review of two Japan Typhoon catastrophe models for commercial and industrial properties

Commercially available natural catastrophe (cat) models have significantly improved the decision-making processes utilized by the insurance industry to price and manage cat risk. However, lack of historical loss data, and the need to make a large number of assumptions during the course of development of such models can lead to material biases in their outputs. It is crucial that insurance companies identify these sources of biases and adequately adjust the model outputs. In this study, we present methods that can be utilized for performance evaluation of cat models independent of the underlying peril or region. We illustrate the application of the proposed tests by reviewing two commercially available Japan Typhoon cat models (referred as models A and B) and evaluating their performance in quantifying commercial and industrial property losses. We have identified important limitations in both models including not accounting for storm surge and model specification uncertainty. We observed significant differences between the modeled losses for commercial exposures and uncertainty estimates for the corresponding event losses. Performed sensitivity tests indicate potential inconsistencies in Model B’s assumptions related to the quantification of loss severities across geographic regions, the estimation of contents and business interruption losses, and modeling of inland flooding. Additionally, our comparisons indicate that Model B assumes typhoon landfall frequencies significantly lower than historically observed values. Conducting the proposed tests on Model A also suggests potential underestimation of the losses for both the strongest category of typhoons and typhoons with losses primarily driven by rain-induced flooding. While modeling companies recognize some of these potential limitations and plan to address them in their next updates, it is important that they continue providing increased flexibility in adjusting model parameters and allow insurance companies to develop their own views in management and pricing of cat risks.
Deciphering rangeland transformation—complex dynamics obscure interpretations of woody plant encroachment

Woody plant encroachment—the conversion of grasslands to woodlands—is among the greatest challenges faced by rangelands worldwide. Yet this phenomenon is poorly understood, and complex land use dynamics make interpreting the timing and extent of land cover changes a global challenge. For many regions, the true degree and rate of historical change in woody cover and cropland remain unknown. We quantify these processes and explore the effects of prior cultivation on woody plant distribution. In the Lampasas Cut Plain, USA, we measured rangeland transformation using digital classification of aerial imagery 1937–2012. Our study is the first to use data of such high spatial and temporal resolution to address this question at this scale. We also provide some of the first documentation of dramatic regional cropland abandonment. Although total woody cover remained almost unchanged (1937: 28%, 2012: 27 %), woody cover underwent a major redistribution across the landscape. Formerly open areas attained much greater levels of woody cover, and previously wooded areas lost woody cover. As cropland area declined by 78 %, woody plants invaded former croplands more slowly than the rangeland portions of the area (0.1 % year−1 vs. 0.3 % year−1, respectively). These findings conflict with widely held assumptions and suggest that woody plant encroachment is more nuanced than often recognized. Multiple dynamics and past conditions interact in complex ways to produce landscape change. Because perceptions of encroachment determine how we respond to this challenge, great care should be taken in interpreting observed woody plant encroachment of the world’s rangelands.
329 A randomised trial to improve novice driving

Background Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death worldwide, and novice drivers have the highest crash risk. Interventions that integrate parents in motivating safe teen driving are a promising strategy. Methods A randomised trial tested two intervention strategies: in-vehicle video feedback and a parent-focused communication program called “Steering Teens Safe (STS).” For the in-vehicle video feedback, two small video cameras with GPS recorded driving and driving errors (exceeding a threshold for acceleration/deceleration or lateral movement). A blinking light alerted drivers of an error, and parents received a weekly report card with video clips and a summary. STS trained parents to improve the quality and quantity of parent-teen communication about safe driving. Evaluations have shown both interventions to be effective independently, but no studies have examined parent-teen interaction related to in-vehicle feedback systems. 153 parent-teen dyads were recruited through local high schools and randomised to one of three groups: control; in-vehicle video feedback; and feedback with STS. Preliminary Results During baseline (4 weeks), groups averaged between 22 and 27 driving errors per week. The STS plus video group reduced their average driving errors to 8 in the first month (a 64% reduction) and to five or less in the second through fourth months (−77%). The video only group had a slight reduction of 27 to 23 (−15%) driving errors in the first month, then reduced to ten or less for months two through four (−63%). The control group did not show any decrease in driving errors. Proportionate hazards models indicate that the STS group had a significantly faster reduction in driving errors, and both intervention groups had significant reductions by the fourth month. Conclusions In-vehicle video feedback systems effectively reduce driving errors, and the effectiveness is significantly improved when paired with a parent-focused communication program.
Theory of Attosecond Pulse Generation

This chapter will discuss the theoretical aspects of producing attosecond pulses via the process of high harmonic generation driven by an intense infrared laser pulse. We will discuss the generation of attosecond pulses both at the single atom and at the macroscopic level, including a discussion of phase matching. Our goal is to broaden the understanding of attosecond pulse generation beyond the single atom level, where one thinks about the emission in terms of the laser-atom interaction alone, to include macroscopic aspects of this process.
Frequency of Stroke After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (from an Eleven-Year Statewide Analysis)

We compared stroke rates associated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), both on-pump and off-pump, and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with both drug-eluting stent (DES) and bare-metal stent (BMS) and the impact on 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality. The Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System database was used to study patients who had on-pump CABG (n = 47,254), off-pump CABG (n = 19,118), and PCI with BMS (n = 46,641), and DES (n = 115,942) in New Jersey from 2002 to 2012. Multiple logistic and Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare the risk of stroke and mortality. Adjustments were made for demographics, year of hospitalization, and co-morbidities. The rate of postprocedural stroke was lowest with DES (0.5%), followed by BMS (0.6%), off-pump CABG (1.3%), and on-pump CABG (1.8%). After adjustment, on-pump CABG had a higher risk of stroke compared with off-pump (odds ratio 1.36, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.56, p
The Jump Tracker: Nonlinear Bayesian Tracking with Adaptive Meshes and a Markov Jump Process Model

Many tracking problems lie outside of the traditional situation of linear (or linearizable) measurements and dynamics addressed by the Kalman filter and its variants. This is especially true in applications where target measurements are highly ambiguous and visibility is affected by unpredictable phenomena such as intermittent interference and low signal-to-noise ratios. Bayesian tracking provides the general solution to this more general class of problems. Conceptually, Bayesian tracking is straightforward: given the target measurements, apply Bayes' rule to compute the probability density of the target location at any given time, all the while assuming a target motion model. Bayesian trackers are computationally expensive; there are two basic approaches to their implementation: sequential Monte Carlo methods such as particle filtering, and deterministic methods that compute the target density directly. This paper presents a new approach to the direct method that is theoretically and computationally novel in several ways. First, recent results from the theory of adaptive moving meshes are modified and applied, an approach that is distinctly different from previously published direct methods that use fixed meshes to solve the Fokker-Planck equation. Second, a straight-line motion model based on a Markov jump process for the velocity is assumed. Straight-line motion punctuated by jumps in target velocity may be a more suitable assumption for some target dynamics than the traditional random walk assumed in the Kalman filter and many Bayesian trackers. The resulting linear partial differential equation that describes the target position density is relatively easy to solve numerically, especially compared to the Fokker- Planck equation that results from the random walk motion assumption. The proposed Bayesian tracking algorithm is a promising alternative to competing methods. It is also shown that, like particle filters, the adaptive mesh approach necessarily suffers from the curse of dimensionality. Simulation results are shown using the example of bistatic radar.
Managers of Molecular Imaging Laboratories (MOMIL) Interest Group

The Managers of Molecular Imaging Laboratories (MOMIL) interest group in the World Molecular Imaging Society provides a forum for exchanging information between researchers who manage molecular imaging laboratories and institutional core facilities. This information exchange includes operational procedures for acquiring and analyzing imaging results, including considerations for quality assurance and quality control, and animal handling and care for imaging studies. MOMIL also exchanges administrative policies, interactions with collaborators and clients, and industry relations. In addition to this comprehensive review of MOMIL, more information is available at http://www.wmis.org /.