cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of exposure measurement error on particle matter epidemiology: a simulation using data from a panel study in Baltimore, MD.

Ascertaining the true risk associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM) is difficult, given the fact that pollutant components are frequently correlated with each other and with other gaseous pollutants; relationships between ambient concentrations and personal exposures are often not well understood; and PM, unlike its gaseous co-pollutants, does not represent a single chemical. In order to examine differences between observed versus true health risk estimate from epidemiologic studies, we conducted a simulation using data from a recent multi-pollutant exposure assessment study in Baltimore, MD. The objectives of the simulation were twofold: (a) to estimate the distribution of personal air pollutant exposures one might expect to observe within a population, given the corresponding ambient concentrations found in that location and; (b) using an assumed true health risk with exposure to one pollutant, to estimate the distribution of health risk estimates likely to be observed in an epidemiologic study using ambient pollutant concentrations as a surrogate of exposure as compared with actual personal pollutant exposures. Results from the simulations showed that PM2.5 was the only pollutant where a true association with its total personal exposures resulted in a significant observed association with its ambient concentrations. The simulated results also showed that true health risks associated with personal exposure to O3 and NO2 would result in no significant observed associations with any of their respective ambient concentrations. Conversely, a true association with PM2.5 would result in a significant, observed association with NO2 (β=0.0115, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0056, 0.0185) and a true association with exposure to SO42− would result in an observed significant association with O3 (β=0.0035, 95% CI: 0.0021, 0.0051) given the covariance of the ambient pollutant concentrations. The results provide an indication that, in Baltimore during this study period, ambient gaseous concentrations may not have been adequate surrogates for corresponding personal gaseous exposures to allow the question to be investigated using central site monitors. Alternatively, the findings may suggest that in some locations, observed associations with the gaseous pollutants should be interpreted with caution, as they may be reflecting associations with PM or one of its chemical components.
Calcitonin gene polymorphism CALCA-624 (T/C) and ovarian cancer.

In a previous analysis, we reported an inverse association of dietary calcium intake with the risk of ovarian cancer (Goodman et al. 2002. Am J Epidemiol 156:148–57). The CALCA gene codes for calcitonin, an important regulator of bone calcium metabolism. Data from a population-based case-control study conducted in Hawaii were used to examine the hypothesis that a T C transition 624 base pairs upstream (−624) of the translation initiation codon of the CALCA gene influences the risk of ovarian malignancy. A structured interview was conducted for 182 histologically confirmed ovarian cancer cases and 219 controls. Blood specimens were collected from the subjects' at their homes. A significant negative trend (P for trend: 0.02) in the odds ratios (ORs) was found with increasing intake of calcium. Women with any CALCA C allele were at nonsignificantly higher risk of ovarian cancer (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 0.9–2.3) compared to women with the TT genotype and the risk increased with the number of C alleles (P for trend: 0.05). When further analyzed within ethnic subgroups, a significant positive association was found among Japanese for CALCA CT (OR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.0–5.3) and CALCA CC (OR: 7.2, 95% CI: 1.1–46.0) compared with Japanese women who were homozygous for the T allele. The trend in risk associated with the C allele was most significant among women who had used oral contraceptives (P for trend: 0.05), had been pregnant (P for trend: 0.04), and had nonmucinous histological types of ovarian cancer (P for trend: 0.02). However, the association of ovarian cancer risk with the CALCA genotype was not significantly modified by any of the dietary, nondietary, or clinical variables included in this study. These preliminary data suggest a strong positive association of the CALCA C allele with the risk of ovarian cancer among some subgroups. Environ. Mol. Mutagen., 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Elliptical Gaussian filters

A multiscale region detector for low-level image analysis is described. The basis of the detector is a set of filters similar to the Laplacian of an elliptical Gaussian. The responses of these filters to ideal ellipses are derived, and equations for determining the parameters of detected ellipses from the filter responses are found. The use of scale-space techniques to eliminate false ellipse sites in real images is described.
Measuring food production (with reference to South Asia)

Abstract Food production data provide important measures of welfare (nutritional status). They also provide important policy signals to governments. The estimation of crop production entails estimating both the area planted to the crop and production per unit area (yield). The usage of objective (i.e., crop-cutting) methods to estimate yields has replaced subjective methods (estimates by farmers and government officials) and has probably produced improved estimates of yields. Area estimates have not attained obvious improvements in recent years. Consistency checks between annual sample survey data and census data have been used to assess the reliability of production data. In addition, consistency checks between food consumption, production, trade stocks and costs data provide another index of reliability. These checks, when applied to food production estimates from South Asian countries, show that some improvement in reliability has probably occurred over time but that contemporary estimates of food production remain subject to considerable error. The estimation of food production in the form of livestock products (milk, meat, eggs) is rudimentary at best in South Asia and this is likely to be the case for many other developing countries as well. Methods for improved estimates exist and are in use in many developing countries. The policy value of better estimates for policy making in South Asia and other developing countries is sufficient to call for more resources and better methods to measure food production.
Ultra-fast optical spectroscopy of micelle-suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes

We present results of wavelength-dependent ultra-fast pump–probe experiments on micelle-suspended single-walled carbon nanotubes. The linear absorption and photoluminescence spectra of the samples show a number of chirality-dependent peaks and, consequently, the pump–probe results sensitively depend on the wavelength. In the wavelength range corresponding to the second van Hove singularities (VHSs) we observe subpicosecond decays, as has been seen in previous pump–probe studies. We ascribe these ultra-fast decays to intraband carrier relaxation. On the other hand, in the wavelength range corresponding to the first VHSs, we observe two distinct regimes in ultra-fast carrier relaxation: fast (0.3–1.2 ps) and slow (5–20 ps). The slow component, which has not been observed previously, is resonantly enhanced whenever the pump photon energy resonates with an interband absorption peak, and we attribute it to interband carrier recombination. Finally, the slow component is dependent on the pH of the solution, which suggests an important role played by H+ ions surrounding the nanotubes.
SU‐E‐T‐681: Patient Dose Distribution Comparison between Monte Carlo Simulation and Treatment Planning System

Purpose: Compare the dose distributions from our Monte Carlo Dose Distribution Verification System (MC‐DDVS) to the Varian Eclipse treatment planning system (TPS) for our pediatric brain‐tumor patients treated with double scattering proton therapy. Method and Materials:Data from 12 pediatric patients, all under 3 years of age, with braintumorstreated with double‐scattering proton therapy were used in this study. Our MC‐DDVS was previously verified for accuracy. Non‐coplanar beam arrangement, patient geometry (including materials and densities), patient‐specific apertures and compensators were modeled in GEANT4 from DICOM data. The dose distribution from MC‐DDVS was scored by cubical mesh, imported to the TPS, and then compared to the TPS dose distribution. The comparisons included field width for each individual field, the distal edge on central axis for each field, and the dose to the CTV for the full plan. Results: Our preliminary results indicate that the distal edge and field width of the MC‐DDVS and TPS matched well, with the largest discrepancy being <3mm. Examining the volumetric data of the full treatment plan for each patient, the mean doses to the CTVs based on the MC‐DDVS were within 1% of the TPS. However, on average the dose to 95% of the CTV in MC‐DDVS was ∼5% lower than the TPS. In general, the CTV dose was lower for the MC‐DDVS near target/bone interface. Conclusion: The preliminary comparison between the MC‐DDVS and the TPS showed reasonable agreement. The main difference appears to be the dose to bone and tissues proximal to bone. This may be due to the fact that the TPS reports dose to water and the MC‐DDVS reports dose to material, further investigation is needed.
Enhancement of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus replication with corticosterone

Abstract Infectious bovine rhinotrachetis virus (IBRV) progeny was increased ten to 12 fold in bovine turbinate (BT) cells treated with 10 −3 M corticosterone acetate (CCA) as demonstrated by plaque assay. Autoradiographic studies demonstrated an increased binding of 3 H-corticosterone ( 3 H-CS) in IBRV infected cells and the fractionation of labelled cells revealed 78–80% of the total hormone associated with the cytoplasmic components. Incorporation of 3 H-uridine and 3 H-valine precursors into cells treated with the hormone demonstrated up to 16-fold increase in RNA and protein synthesis which was inhibited by the addition of actinomycin D. The data suggest that increased rate of macromolecular synthesis in IBRV infected cells treated with the corticosteroid may result in the enhancement of virus production.
Evidence for Validity of “Your Style of Learning and Thinking”

Responses of 124 subjects to Your Style of Learning and Thinking, using What Kind of Person Are You, Personal-Social Motivation Inventory, Something About Myself and the Preconscious Activity Scale as criteria, show subjects who have a right-hemispheric-specialization score above median also have a significantly higher mean than those who score below the median on three of the four criteria (ns = 62).
Preoccupation with stereotyped sex role differences, ideal body weight, and stress in college women showing anorexic characteristics

The relationships between two aspects of the female role, stress, and anorexic personality characteristics were explored in an effort to cast some light on the antecedents to anorexia nervosa. The degree to which college women were concerned with traditional sex-role distinctions and the extent to which they idealized a low body weight were considered as critical variables associated with being an adult woman in our society. Women sharing anorexic characteristics were less concerned about traditional stereotyping of behavior than controls and did not select a lower ideal body weight. However, both variables functioned as moderators of stress among women with anorexic personality characteristics. If the female with anorexic characteristics also displayed a concern with traditional sex-role differences or a lower ideal body weight, she was vulnerable to excessive stress. These effects were not apparent among control females. Parallel analysis of the sample based upon the presence or absence of bulimic characteristics failed to disclose any comparable trends.
Effects of selective fusion on the thermal history of the earth's mantle

Abstract A comparative study on the thermal history of the earth's mantle was made by numerical solutions of the heat equation including and excluding selective fusion of silicates. Selective fusion was approximated by melting in a multicomponent system and redistribution of radioactive elements. Effects of selective fusion on the thermal models are (1) lowering (by several hundred degrees centigrade) and stabilizing the internal temperature distribution, and (2) increasing the surface heat-flow. It was found that models with selective fusion gave results more compatible with observations of both present temperature and surface heat-flow. The results therefore suggest continuous differentiation of the earth's mantle throughout geologic time, and support the hypothesis that the earth's atmosphere, oceans, and crust have been accumulated throughout the earth's history by degassing and selective fusion of the mantle.
Air and Water Free Solid-Phase Synthesis of Thiol Stabilized Au Nanoparticles with Anchored, Recyclable Dendrimer Templates

Solid-phase synthetic templates for Au nanoparticles were developed using Merrifield resins and polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. This synthetic scheme affords the opportunity to prepare metal nanoparticles in the absence of air and water, and it does not necessitate phase transfer agents that can be difficult to remove in subsequent steps. Amine-terminated generation 5 PAMAM (G5NH2) dendrimers were grafted to anhydride functionalized polystyrene resin beads and alkylated with 1,2-epoxydodecane to produce G5C12anch. The anchored dendrimers bound both CoII and AuIII salts from toluene solutions at ratios comparable to those of solution phase alkyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers. The encapsulated AuIII salts could be reduced with NaBH4 to produce anchored dendrimer encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs). Treatment of the anchored DENs with decanethiol in toluene extracted the Au nanoparticles from the dendrimers as monolayer protected clusters (MPCs). After a brief NaCN etch, the anchored dendrimers were readily recycled and a subsequent synthesis of decanethiol Au MPCs was performed with comparable MPC yield and particle size distribution.
Identifying an optimal basis in linear programming

We propose a sufficient condition that allows an optimal basis to be identified from a central path point in a linear programming problem. This condition can be applied when there is a “gap” in the sorted list of slack values. Unlike previously known conditions, this condition is valid for real-number data and does not involve the number of bits in the data.
WE-E-210A-02: Emerging X-Ray Fluoroscopic Guidance Technologies for Challenging Cardiovascular Interventions

X‐ray fluoroscopy remains the primary guidance modality for cardiac interventions due to its appealing combination of real‐time imaging, high spatial resolution, simplicity of use, and compatibility with conventional catheter devices. However fluoroscopy has well‐recognized limitations. The lack of depth resolution and poor soft tissuecontrast in an x‐ray projection make it difficult to precisely position devices with respect to target cardiac structures. Ionizing radiation dose is an ongoing concern, particularly for interventions with long imaging times such as catheter‐based electrical mapping and ablation of atrial fibrillation. Technologies which reduce dose and add three‐dimensional context to the live fluoroscopic image offer a route towards overcoming these limitations. Scanning‐beam digital x‐ray (SBDX) is an inverse geometry fluoroscopic system that provides both dose reduction and real‐time tomosynthesis, a feature that can be exploited for image‐based 3D tracking of catheter electrodes. The operating principles of SBDX will be reviewed and recent investigations of 3D catheter tracking based on multiplanar tomosynthesis will be presented. Fusion of live fluoroscopy with roadmaps derived from pre‐acquired 3D image data (e.g. CT, MRI) can allow the interventionist to visualize structures lacking x‐ray contrast, or to perform novel therapies targeted to the physiologic status of cardiactissue. A fluoroscopic fusion system for recanalization of chronically occluded arteries and for targeted stem cell therapy will be discussed. This lecture will provide an overview of the demands and constraints of fluoroscopically‐guided cardiovascular interventions, dose reduction and 3D catheter tracking capabilities enabled by the SBDX system, and clinical application of fluoroscopy fused with 3D roadmaps. This research was supported in part by NovaRay Medical, Inc. and NIH/NHLBI. Learning Objectives: 1. Review the demands and constraints of fluoroscopically‐guided interventions 2. Understand the principles of SBDX dose reduction and 3D catheter tracking 3. Discuss x‐ray fluoroscopy combined with 3D imaging for cardiovascular interventions
A remark on Burnside's theorem on matrix algebras

Abstract We present a simple proof of Burnside's theorem using techniques from elementary linear algebra.
Nuclear resonant X-ray spectroscopy of (Mg,Fe)SiO 3 orthoenstatites

We present nuclear resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (NRIXS) and synchrotron Mossbauer spectroscopy (SMS) measurements, both nuclear resonant X-ray spectroscopic methods, on synthetic samples of orthoenstatite-structured (Mg,^(57)Fe)SiO_3, a representative component in Earth's upper mantle. All measurements were performed at ambient conditions. NRIXS spectra were measured for three samples of orthoenstatite containing 20, 13, and 7 mol% FeSiO_3. The Debye sound velocities were determined from the low-energy region of the partial phonon density of states (PDOS). With known density and bulk modulus, the shear modulus, compressional and shear wave velocities have been computed. The sound velocities obtained from NRIXS are in good agreement with sound velocities obtained using Brillouin spectroscopy and ultrasonic methods for similar compositions. An important advantage of NRIXS is access to additional thermodynamic information, such as the average force constant, mean-square displacement, obtained from the PDOS. We discuss the contribution of the vibrational spectra to these quantities. In addition to the PDOS, the electronic environment of the iron sites in (Mg_(0.87)^(57)Fe_(0.13))SiO_3 orthoenstatite was determined using ^(57)Fe SMS and conventional Mossbauer spectroscopy. Evaluation of the Mossbauer spectra reveals two distinct iron sites, which are well distinguished by their hyperfine fields. The minority and majority sites are consistent with high-spin Fe^(2+) in the M1 and M2 sites, respectively.
The retrospective gambler's fallacy: Unlikely events, constructing the past, and multiple universes

The gambler’s fallacy (Tune, 1964) refers to the belief that a streak is more likely to end than chance would dictate. In three studies, participants exhibited a retrospective gambler’s fallacy (RGF) in which an event that seems rare appears to come from a longer sequence than an event that seems more common. Study 1 demonstrates this bias for streaks, while Study 2 does so with single rare events and shows that the appearance of rarity is more important than actual rarity. Study 3 extends these findings from abstract gambling domains into real world domains to demonstrate the generalizability of the effects. The RGF follows from the law of small numbers (Tversky & Kahneman, 1971) and has many applications, from perceptions of the social world to philosophical debates about the existence of multiple universes.
Public schooling, college subsidies and growth

Abstract How does the mix of public education expenditures across primary and secondary (K-12) education and post-secondary (college) education influence economic growth? To address this, I build an overlapping generations endogenous growth model. Human capital is accumulated through compulsory K-12 education and through optional college education. Government uses tax revenue to provide quality in K-12 schooling and to subsidize college tuition. When total expenditures are small, all funds should provide K-12 quality. When expenditures are above a critical value, a positive share should subsidize tuition. The share should increase with total expenditures and with the degree of complementarity of human capital accumulated through the two types of education. Also, increased education spending is more likely to increase growth when a larger share subsidizes tuition.
Clinical requirements and accelerator concepts for BNCT

Accelerator-based neutron sources are an attractive alternative to nuclear reactors for providing epithermal neutron beams for boron neutron capture therapy. Based on clinical requirements and neutronics modeling the use of proton and deuteron induced reactions in /sup 7/Li and /sup 9/Be targets has been compared. Excellent epithermal neutron beams can be produced via the /sup 7/Li(p,n)/sup 7/Be reaction at proton energies of /spl sim/2.5 MeV. An electrostatic quadrupole accelerator and an Li target, which can deliver and handle 2.5 MeV protons at beam currents up to 50 mA, are under development for an accelerator-based BNCT facility at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Continuum vs. spring network models of airway-parenchymal interdependence

The outward tethering forces exerted by the lung parenchyma on the airways embedded within it are potent modulators of the ability of the airway smooth muscle to shorten. Much of our understanding of these tethering forces is based on treating the parenchyma as an elastic continuum; yet, on a small enough scale, the lung parenchyma in two dimensions would seem to be more appropriately described as a discrete spring network. We therefore compared how the forces and displacements in the parenchyma surrounding a contracting airway are predicted to differ depending on whether the parenchyma is modeled as an elastic continuum or as a spring network. When the springs were arranged hexagonally to represent alveolar walls, the predicted parenchymal stresses and displacements propagated substantially farther away from the airway than when the springs were arranged in a triangular pattern or when the parenchyma was modeled as a continuum. Thus, to the extent that the parenchyma in vivo behaves as a hexagonal spring network, our results suggest that the range of interdependence forces due to airway contraction may have a greater influence than was previously thought.
Looking Forward and Looking Backward: Cognitive and Experiential Search:

We used computer simulations to examine the role and interrelationship between search processes that are forward-looking, based on actors' cognitive map of action-outcome linkages, and those that are backward-looking, or experience based. Cognition was modeled as a simple, low-dimensional representation of a more complex, higher dimensional fitness landscape. Results show that, although crude, these representations still act as a powerful guide to initial search efforts and usefully constrain the direction of subsequent experiential search. Changing a cognitive representation itself can act as an important mode of adaptation, effectively resulting in the sequential allocation of attention to different facets of the environment. This virtue of shifting cognitive representation, however, may be offset by the loss of tacit knowledge associated with the prior cognition.
Improving server broadcast efficiency through better utilization of client receiving bandwidth

Periodic broadcast is a cost-effective solution for disseminating popular videos. This strategy has the potential to serve a very large community with minimal broadcast bandwidth: regardless of the number of video requests, the worst service latency to all clients is constant. Although many efficient schemes have been proposed, most of them impose some rigid requirement on client receiving bandwidth. They either demand clients to have the same bandwidth as the video server, or limit them to receive no more than two video streams at any one time. In our previous work, we addressed this problem by proposing a client-centric approach (CCA). Unlike any other technique, CCA takes both server broadcast bandwidth and client receiving bandwidth into design consideration. More specifically, CCA allows clients to use all their receiving capability for prefetching broadcast data. Therefore, given a fixed broadcast bandwidth, CCA can achieve shorter broadcast period with an improved client communication capability. In this paper, we present a novel technique to further leverage client bandwidth for more efficient video broadcast. We prove the correctness of this new technique and provide analytical evaluations to show that with the same client bandwidth, it achieves significantly better performance than CCA.
Directed Egress of Animal Viruses Promotes Cell-to-Cell Spread

Direct cell-to-cell spread of animal viruses in solid tissues is a complex, poorly understood process. A number of viruses have become very adept at moving from an infected cell to an adjoining uninfected cell, specifically at sites of cell-cell contact, moving across epithelial cell or neuronal
Interactions and the θ term in one-dimensional gapped systems

We study how the $\ensuremath{\theta}$ term is affected by interactions in certain one-dimensional gapped systems that preserve charge conjugation, parity, and time-reversal invariance. We exploit the relation between the chiral anomaly of a fermionic system and the classical shift symmetry of its bosonized dual. The vacuum expectation value of the dual boson is identified with the value of the $\ensuremath{\theta}$ term for the corresponding fermionic system. Two (related) examples illustrate the identification. We first consider the massive Luttinger liquid and find the $\ensuremath{\theta}$ term to be insensitive to the strength of the interaction. Next we study the continuum limit of the Heisenberg XXZ spin-1/2 chain, perturbed by a second nearest-neighbor spin interaction. For a certain range of the XXZ anisotropy, we find that we can tune between two distinct sets of topological phases by varying the second nearest-neighbor coupling. In the first we find the standard vacua at $\ensuremath{\theta}=0,\ensuremath{\pi}$, while the second contains vacua that spontaneously break charge conjugation and parity with fractional $\ensuremath{\theta}/\ensuremath{\pi}=1/2,3/2$. We also study quantized pumping in both examples following recent work.
Abstract B67: Correlation of pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and in vivo antitumor activity of BMN 673 in preclinical models.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are emerging as an exciting class of novel chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancers with specific DNA-repair defects, such as homologous recombination (HR) deficiency as a result of mutations of the BRCA genes. We have developed a specific, orally active PARP-1 and -2 inhibitor, BMN 673, that is highly potent in blocking PARP-1 enzyme activity (IC50 = 0.57nM) and can selectively kill tumor cells harboring BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (ED50 = 0.3 nM for BRCA1−/− MX-1 cells). Inhibition of PARP enzyme activity is associated with decreased intracellular PARylated proteins (PAR), thus PAR is selected as pharmacodynamic (PD) marker to monitor PARP inhibitor activities in preclinical models. Here we describe the pharmacokinetics (PK) of BMN 673 in a mouse model during 14-day repeat oral daily administration and the antitumor efficacy of BMN 673 in MX-1 xenograft mouse model, suggesting BMN 673 is a highly potent anti-cancer agent in vivo. In addition, a rat PK/PD study was conducted with BMN 673 at 0.3, 0.1 and 0.03 mg/kg, both in single dose and in 5-day repeat daily dose. Various rat tissues including bone marrow, muscle, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were harvested after BMN 673 exposure to examine tissue PAR levels or PAR formation from PBMCs using a sensitive functional PD assay. Corresponding plasma samples were also collected to monitor BMN 673 drug level. The PK/PD results demonstrated that BMN 673 was effective at blocking PARP activity in vivo at the lowest dose tested (0.03 mg/kg), and the tissue PAR level (PARP inhibition) is correlated with BMN 673 dose and plasma exposure. BMN 673 is currently being evaluated in Phase I clinical trials. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B67.
New β-Blocker Prolonged Reduction in High Blood Pressure With β1 Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides

Abstract —β-Blockers are widely used for hypertension treatment but must be taken daily. We have developed a novel β-blocker by targeting β 1 -adrenergic receptor (β 1 -AR) mRNA with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (β 1 -AS-ODN). A single intravenous injection of β 1 -AS-ODN significantly reduced cardiac contractility and blood pressure (38±5 mm Hg, P 1 -AS-ODN by delivery with the cationic liposomes DOTAP/DOPE and studied its impact on the peripheral renin-angiotensin system. Five charge ratios (±) of liposome/ODN from 0 to 3.5 were tested to deliver 0.5 mg/kg β 1 -AS-ODN intravenously in spontaneously hypertensive rats (n=30). On the basis of the magnitude and duration of hypotension, 2.5 was determined to be the optimal charge ratio, which decreased blood pressure by up to 35 mm Hg for 20 to 33 days ( P 1 -AR, because radioligand binding assay and quantitative autoradiography showed a 35% reduction in β 1 -AR levels in kidney but no change in β 2 -AR. β 1 -AS-ODN diminished the preprorenin mRNA levels in renal cortex by 37% 4 days after administration. This transient effect was followed by a delayed yet marked diminution of plasma renin activity and plasma angiotensin II levels on days 10 and 17 ( P 1 -AS-ODN has an effective long-term antihypertensive effect up to 33 days with a single intravenous injection. The mechanism appears to be through reduced β 1 -AR number specifically and reduced cardiac contractility. The inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system is probably a second mechanism to produce the sustained antihypertensive effect of β 1 -AS-ODN.
A case study of human exacerbation of the invasive species problem: transport and establishment of polygyne fire ants in Tallahassee, Florida, USA

Understanding how exotic invasive species are spread is fundamental for ecology and conservation biology. Human transport has become one of the primary modes of dispersal for exotic species. We examined how the multiple queen, or polygyne, social form of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta is spread along roadsides in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. We then determined the likely source of this expanding population, which was a central soil depot. A survey of road maintenance practices in counties of several southeastern states and Texas revealed that the use of a central soil depot is a common practice. Road maintenance therefore may be the primary source for the establishment of new polygyne fire ant populations in this region and elsewhere. Control efforts focused on the soil depots will help to limit further spread of polygyne fire ants and perhaps other invasive organisms, particularly invasive weeds.
Geographic and vertical patterns of stable carbon isotopes in tropical rain forest soils of Costa Rica

Abstract Understanding the natural variability in the stable carbon isotope composition of vegetation and soils can aid studies of soil carbon dynamics, and is a prerequisite for using 13C as a natural tracer when vegetation communities change from one photosynthetic pathway to another (e.g. C4 pasture grasses replacing C3 forests). To examine the geographic and vertical patterns of δ13C under mature rain forest vegetation, we measured the isotopic composition of leaf litter, roots, and mineral soil profiles in 35 plots located in a 140,000-ha study region in northeastern Costa Rica. We hypothesized that soil carbon isotopic composition would be closely coupled to the signature of detrital inputs (the average δ13C of forest floor and fine-root biomass) and that the increase in δ13C with depth would be related to abiotic variables that influence soil carbon turnover rates. The correlations between surface soil isotopic composition (0–10 cm) and biophysical factors varied across the landscape. In multiple regression analyses, combinations of soil particle-size distribution and soil C/N ratio explained between 60% and 82% of the variation in surface soil isotopic composition for different regions in the landscape, but the isotopic composition of litter and roots did not explain any additional variation. The isotopic composition of litter, roots, and surface soils (0–20 cm) was fairly similar over large, regional gradients of elevation and edaphic properties (the range of variation was 2.6‰), but diverged considerably at depths below 20 cm (up to 5.8‰ differences). These large regional differences in the isotopic composition of soil C at depth are attributed to variation in soil carbon turnover rates across the landscape.
The Morphology and Behavior of Dimorphic Males in Perdita portalis (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

In Perdita portalis, a ground nesting, communal bee, males are clearly dimorphic. The two male morphs are easily distinguished based on head size and shape into (1) a flight-capable, small-headed (SH) morph that resembles the males of other closely related species and (2) a flightless, large-headed (LH) morph that possesses numerous derived traits, such as reduced compound eyes, enlarged facial foveae and fully atrophied indirect flight muscles. The SH morph occurs exclusively on flowers while the LH morph is found only in nests with females. While on flowers, SH males are aggressive, fighting with conspecific males and heterospecific male and female bees, and they mate frequently with foraging females. Using artificial observation nests placed in the field, I observed the behavior of females and LH males within their subterranean nests. LH males are aggressive fighters; males attacked each other with mandibles agape, and male-male fights always ended in the death of one male. LH males are highly attentive to the reproductive behavior of females; they spend increasing amounts of time near open cells during cell provisioning, and mating only takes place immediately prior to oviposition when females are forming the accumulated pollen and nectar into a ball. Based on larvae reared to adulthood in the laboratory, the two male morphs occur in equal proportions. The behavior of males in closely related species, especially P. texana, and the origin and maintenance of male dimorphism are discussed.
The Functional Anatomy of a Perceptual Decision in the Human Brain

Our ability to make rapid decisions based on sensory information belies the complexity of the underlying computations. Recently, “accumulator” models of decision making have been shown to explain the activity of parietal neurons as macaques make judgments concerning visual motion. Unraveling the operation of a decision-making circuit, however, involves understanding both the responses of individual components in the neural circuitry and the relationships between them. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the decision process in humans, we demonstrate that an accumulator model predicts responses to visual motion in the intraparietal sulcus (IPS). Significantly, the metrics used to define responses within the IPS also reveal distinct but interacting nodes in a circuit, including early sensory detectors in visual cortex, the visuomotor integration system of the IPS, and centers of cognitive control in the prefrontal cortex, all of which collectively define a perceptual decision-making network.
Use of Ionizing Radiation to Improve Sensory and Microbial Quality of Fresh‐cut Green Onion Leaves

: Fresh-cut green onion leaves that received γ radiation doses of 0,1,2, and 3 kGy were stored at 3 °C for up to 14 d. Although 2 and 3 kGy of radiation completely eliminated microflora, the treatments frequently resulted in increased loss of aroma and deterioration of visual quality. In addition, radiation caused cellular membrane damage. Samples treated with 1 kGy of radiation had similar or better sensorial quality and a reduced microbial population than the controls throughout the 14 d of storage. Our results suggest that irradiation at a dose of 1 kGy can be used to enhance microbial safety of fresh-cut green onions without loss in quality attributes.
Error Analysis for the Interpolation-Supplemented Lattice-Boltzmann Equation Scheme

The numerical error of the interpolation-supplemented lattice-Boltzmann equation (ISLBE) scheme is theoretically analyzed. The ISLBE is proved to recover the Navier–Stokes equation as long as a second order interpolation scheme is used and the flow domain is appropriately discretized. Using a linear interpolation scheme will inevitably generate the numerical diffusivity and viscosity, making the ISLBE scheme unable to simulate the Navier–Stokes equation correctly. The analysis is consistent with previous numerical experiments.
A Conceptual and Operational Definition of 'Social Role' in Online Community

Both online and off, people frequently perform particular social roles. These roles organize behavior and give structure to positions in local networks. As more of social life becomes embedded in online systems, the concept of social role becomes increasingly valuable as a tool for simplifying patterns of action, recognizing distinct user types, and cultivating and managing communities. This paper standardizes the usage of the term social role in online community as a combination of social psychological, social structural, and behavioral attributes. Beyond the conceptual definition, we describe measurement and analysis strategies for identifying social roles in online community. We demonstrate this process in two domains, Usenet and Wikipedia, identifying key social roles in each domain. We conclude with directions for future research, with a particular focus on the analysis of communities as role ecologies.
Critical Care Nephrology

Comprehensive and clinically relevant, the 3rd Edition of Critical Care Nephrology provides authoritative coverage of the latest advances in critical care procedures for patients with renal diseases or disorders. Using common guidelines and standardized approaches to critically ill patients, this multidisciplinary reference facilitates better communication among all physicians who care for critically ill patients suffering from kidney disease, electrolyte and metabolic imbalances, poisoning, severe sepsis, major organ dysfunction, and other pathological events.
Diagnostic tools in linkage analysis for quantitative traits

Diagnostic methods are key components in any good statistical analysis. Because of the similarities between the variance components approach and regression analysis with respect to the normality assumption, when performing quantitative genetic linkage analysis using variance component methods, one must check the normality assumption of the quantitative trait and outliers. Thus, the main purposes of this paper are to describe methods for testing the normality assumption, to describe various diagnostic methods for identifying outliers, and to discuss the issues that may arise when outliers are present when using variance components models in quantitative trait linkage analysis. Data from the Rochester Family Heart Study are used to illustrate the various diagnostic methods and related issues.
Determination of quantization intervals in rule based model for dynamic systems

The authors introduce two adaptive procedures for quantizing continuous data used by symbolic empirical learning programs to generate rule-based models for dynamic systems. The basic idea is to use a top-down iterative procedure for refining quantization intervals selectively. In each iteration, the quantization interval having a maximum overall error rate is selected for refining. Each time a selected interval is divided into two new equal intervals. Based on the new quantization intervals, a new set of rules is generated and performance associated with each quantization interval is evaluated again. The refining procedure is applied repeatedly until a user-specified performance index is reached. The method was tested by two examples, one involving a simulated system, and the other a real life gas furnace. >
'Into every home, into every body': organicism and anti-statism in the British anti-fluoridation movement, 1952-1960

This article argues that the anti-fluoridation campaigns in the 1950s stemmed from concerns about both the increasing 'chemicalization' of food and the growing authority of the state over the private home and individual body. The British Housewives League (BHL), an organization typically thought insignificant after the late 1940s, was in fact at the centre of these campaigns. Steeped in the beliefs of inter-war and wartime organicism, the housewives believed that government intervention in food production and distribution was producing a post-war diet laden with harmful chemicals. The Ministry of Health's proposals to test water fluoridation in select communities in the early 1950s only further convinced the housewives that the state was harming the nation both physically and politically. More and more citizens would have no choice but to drink impure, potentially harmful water, they argued, and the burgeoning state would continue encroaching on private homes and bodies. While scholars have already demonstrated that what we now think of as 'leftist' environmental ideas were popular among 'rightist' movements of the 1930s and 1940s, the anti-fluoridation campaigns show that the BHL continued in the post-war years to intertwine our present-day notions of 'left' and 'right' ideologies.
Advances in Graduate Marketing Curriculum: Paying Attention to Ethical, Social, and Sustainability Issues.

This research explores the impact of coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphic pressures on the coverage and offering of courses addressing ethical, social, and sustainability issues (ESSI) in bu...
Under the Radar: Regulatory Collaborations and their Selective Use to Facilitate Organizational Compliance

Why do organizations vary in complying with regulatory mandates? While some may resist these pressures, what to change or how to change it may be unclear even when managers do intend to fully compl...
Being Heard after Giles: Comments on the Sound of Silence

This is a comment on Tom Lininger’s article The Sound of Silence: Holding Batterers Accountable for Silencing their Victims, 87 Texas L. Rev. 857 (2009), which analyzes the Giles case. The essay questions the application of originalism in the context of domestic violence; and suggests that statements describing past crimes should not be considered testimonial when they are offered as circumstantial evidence of different crimes that are committed subsequent to the time of their uttering, and are not an element of the current crime. It argues that Professor Lininger’s per se rules for forfeiture should be viewed as rebuttal presumptions, and that the existence of a protective order should suffice to prove forfeiture without requiring evidence that the order was violated. In analyzing Giles’ inferred intent approach to forfeiture, the essay takes a broad view of foreseeability, and also argues that character evidence of a defendant’s abusive personality should suffice to prove inferred intent forfeiture since it is being offered as evidence of a Rule 104(a) preliminary fact, not as evidence at trial. In conclusion, the essay rejects the need for a broad forfeiture exception that would be applicable to nontestimonial hearsay, contending that other exceptions are better suited to provide admissibility, and that expanding forfeiture would have unforeseen consequences in contexts beyond domestic violence.
Heightened BTK-dependent cell proliferation in unmutated chronic lymphocytic leukemia confers increased sensitivity to ibrutinib

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), patients with unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene (UM-CLL) have worse outcomes than mutated CLL (M-CLL) following chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy. However, in the era of BCR-targeted therapies, the adverse prognostic impact of unmutated IGHV seems to be diminishing, and there are clinical datasets showing unexpected improved responses in UM-CLL. We investigated the biological differences of BTK activity between these subgroups and further compared the impact of ibrutinib on molecular and cellular behaviors. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that phosphorylated active BTK is significantly higher in UM-CLL. Moreover, UM-CLL, compared to M-CLL, displayed a much higher proliferative capacity that was correlated with higher phospho-BTK and greater sensitivity to ibrutinib. In addition, BTK depletion with siRNA led to a more prominent reduction in the proliferation of UM-CLL, suggesting that elevated BTK activity is responsible for increased cell proliferation. Further, cell signaling activity by multiple measurements was consistently higher in UM-CLL accompanied by a higher sensitivity to ibrutinib. These studies link UM-CLL to elevated BCR signaling, heightened BTK-dependent cell proliferation and increased sensitivity to ibrutinib. The prognostic significance of IGHV mutation should be reevaluated in the era of new therapies targeting BCR signaling.
Assigning Sex and Reproductive Stage to Adult Lake Sturgeon using Ultrasonography and Common Morphological Measurements

AbstractSex determination of fish species is difficult to assess when sexual dimorphism and gametes are not apparent. For threatened and endangered fish species, noninvasive techniques are needed when determining sex to minimize stress and the potential for mortality. We evaluated the use of a portable ultrasound unit to determine sex of Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens in the field. Ultrasound images were collected from 9 yellow-egg (F2, F3), 32 black-egg (F4, F5), and 107 fully developed male (M2) Lake Sturgeon. Two readers accurately assigned sex to 88–96% of fish, but accuracy varied in relation to maturity stage. Black-egg females and fully developed males were correctly identified for 89–100% of the fish sampled, while these two readers identified yellow-egg females only 33% and 67% of the time. Time spent collecting images ranged between 2 and 3 min once the user was comfortable with operating procedures. Discriminant analysis revealed the total length : girth ratio was a strong predictor of sex ...
Cytomegalovirus-Specific CD4 T Cells Are Cytolytic and Mediate Vaccine Protection.

CD4 T cells provide protection against cytomegalovirus (CMV) and other persistent viruses, and the ability to quantify and characterize epitope-specific responses is essential to gain a more precise understanding of their effector roles in this regard. Here, we report the first two I-Ad-restricted CD4 T cell responses specific for mouse CMV (MCMV) epitopes and use a major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) tetramer to characterize their phenotypes and functions. We demonstrate that MCMV-specific CD4 T cells can express high levels of granzyme B and kill target cells in an epitope- and organ-specific manner. In addition, CD4 T cell epitope vaccination of immunocompetent mice reduced MCMV replication in the same organs where CD4 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity was observed. Together, our studies show that MCMV epitope-specific CD4 T cells have the potential to mediate antiviral defense by multiple effector mechanisms in vivo. IMPORTANCE CD4 T cells mediate immune protection by using their T cell receptors to recognize specific portions of viral proteins, called epitopes, that are presented by major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules on the surfaces of professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). In this study, we discovered the first two epitopes derived from mouse cytomegalovirus (MCMV) that are recognized by CD4 T cells in BALB/c mice, a mouse strain commonly used to study the pathogenesis of this virus infection. Here, we report the sequences of these epitopes, characterize the CD4 T cells that recognize them to fight off MCMV infection, and show that we can use the epitopes to vaccinate mice and protect against MCMV.