cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound: an emerging technology in abdominal and pelvic imaging.

In vivo molecular imaging provides the ability to measure expression levels of molecules by quantifying imaging signals generated with the help of contrast agents accumulating at sites of molecular target expression. These contrast agents can be directed to bind various molecular targets in vivo (eg, proteins, DNA, etc), thereby quantifying disease processes at the molecular level in various disease processes. Thus, molecular imaging has the potential to obtain tissue expression profiles in a volumetric manner without invasive tissue sampling procedures and without the limitation of potential sampling errors from biopsies. Emerging research in ultrasound technology and contrast agent design for ultrasound imaging has paved the way for targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging to be translated to clinical applications in the near future.1–6 Ultrasound imaging is a widely available, inexpensive, and real-time imaging modality that does not expose patients to irradiation. It is already the first-line imaging modality for assessment of many diseases in the abdomen and pelvis. Through the introduction of ultrasound contrast agents (eg, lipid-shelled, gas-filled, 1- to 4-micron-sized microbubbles), the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for detection and characterization of for example focal liver lesions7,8 has been substantially improved. Recently, targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound (molecular ultrasound) imaging has gained great momentum in preclinical research by the introduction of ultrasound contrast microbubbles that are targeted at molecular markers overexpressed on the vasculature of certain diseases (Figure 1A and Supplementary Figure 1). By combining the advantages of ultrasound with the ability to image molecular signatures of diseases, molecular ultrasound has great potential as a highly sensitive and quantitative method that could be used for various clinical applications, including screening for early stage diseases (such as cancer); further characterization of focal lesions and quantitative monitoring of disease processes at the molecular level; assisting in image-guided procedures (eg, biopsy, surgery, or ablation); enhancing drug delivery; and confirming target expression for treatment planning and monitoring (including novel drug candidates in preclinical studies).1,4,6,9,10 Figure 1 Principles of nontargeted and molecularly targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging with contrast microbubbles. (A) The gas core of lipid- or protein-shelled microbubbles (left) makes them highly echogenic compared to surrounding tissue and blood. ... We describe herein concepts and applications in contrast-enhanced and molecular ultrasound imaging with particular focus on imaging cancer and inflammatory diseases in the abdomen and pelvis.
Clinical utility of central venous saturation for the calculation of cardiac index in cardiac patients.

Background: Mixed venous saturation (MVS) obtained from the distal pulmonary artery (PA) during Swan-Ganz catheterization is the criterion standard for calculating cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI) with the use of the Fick method. We think that calculating CI with the use of central venous saturation (CVS) instead of PA-MVS is both feasible and accurate. Earlier studies were small, enrolled heterogeneous patient populations, and resulted in inconsistent findings. Methods: All patients undergoing right heart catheterization from January 2011 to January 2012 in our catheterization lab with simultaneous measurements of MVS obtained from the distal PA and CVS obtained from the superior vena cava (SVC) or right atrium (RA) were included. Out of the 902 patients enrolled, we excluded patients (n 5 50) who had known cardiac shunt or dialysis fistula, had duplicate medical records, or were septic. We calculated the CI with the use of the assumed Fick method using both MVS (criterion standard) and CVS (SVC or RA saturations) in the remaining 852 patients. We measured the correlation and the agreement between the 2 methods with the use of the Pearson correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: Totals of 112 patients with simultaneous PA and RA saturation measurements (group I) and 740 patients with simultaneous PA and SVC saturation measurements (group II) were included. We found an excellent linear correlation between SVC and PA saturation (r 5 0.928) and between RA and PA saturation (r 5 0.95). There was also an excellent correlation between CI calculated with the use of PA saturation and CI calculated with the use of SVC (r 5 0.87) or RA (r 5 0.93) saturation. The mean bias of CVS-derived CI compared with MVS-derived CI (criterion standard) was � 0.1 (95% limits of agreement [LOA] � 1t oþ0.77) in the SVC group and � 0.006 (LOA � 0.68 to þ0.69) in the RA group. Patients with low CI had stronger correlation and smaller bias between the 2 methods compared with those with normal or high CI. The presence of baseline hypoxemia, valvular heart disease, or acute coronary syndrome had no significant effect on the correlation or the bias between the 2 methods. Conclusions: In cardiac patients, CVS can be used as a surrogate to true MVS in the calculation of CI. This method is readily available in patients who have central venous access, and may aid in early goaldirected treatment when cardiogenic shock is suspected. (J Cardiac Fail 2014;20:716e722)
Current standard assays using artificial substrates overestimate phosphodiesterase activity

Abstract Phosphodiesterases (PDE) are important enzymes in environments with significant proportion of phosphodiesters. The breakdown of phosphodiesters is a two step process, initiated by PDE hydrolyzing an ester-P bond on the diester molecule, breaking it into an organic moiety and a phosphomonoester. In the second step, the phosphomonoester is further hydrolyzed by phosphomonoesterase (PME) into the second organic moiety and free phosphate, Pi. The methods to assess extracellular PDE activities commonly use the substrate analogues bis-(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (bis-pNPP) or bis-(4-methylumbelliferyl) phosphate (bis-MUFP), measure the resulting concentration of p-nitrophenol (pNP) or 4-methylumbelliferon (MUF), and assume the contribution from phosphomonoester hydrolysis by PME to be insignificant. To verify this, we measured concentrations of MUF and Pi at the end of the 30- and 60-min incubation of wetland plant root segments with a phosphodiester substrate. We found that the hydrolysis was complete (MUF:Pi ratio ∼ 2) confirming the importance of step 2. We suggest that a correction for additional hydrolysis by PME should be employed in samples where this is possible, such as plant roots or microbial cultures. Here, the MUF:Pi should be verified for each new sample type tested for its PDE activity, and values obtained from the PDE assay should be lowered accordingly. We do not recommend using the standard artificial substrates for PDE activity measurements in more heterogeneous samples, for example soils, where these assays have low reliability and can produce erroneous results.
Zig-Zag Piezoelectric Actuators: Geometrical Control of Displacement and Resonance

The Zig-Zag actuator is a hybrid design combining bimorph and multilayer characteristics that is capable of producing and sensing usable motion in two dimensions. The mechanical impedance can be optimized by changing the angle between the legs and the actuator's working parameters controlled by changing the driving voltage and its frequency. Two interesting features of this actuator are its performance as a linear motor and its ability to drive a load in two directions.
The performance and impact of a bubble-wash bead filter in a recirculating green water larval culture system for delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus)

Abstract Delta smelt are cultured at the UC Davis Fish Conservation and Culture Lab (FCCL) for research purposes. The culture systems used are based on recirculation technology to ensure optimum water quality for the fish at each life stage. Larval culture takes place in recirculation systems with green water to which a Nannochloropsis algal concentrate is added to maintain a turbidity of approximately 9 NTU. A bubble-wash bead filter is used to remove total suspended solids (TSS) from the recirculation system. The performance of the bubble-wash bead filter has been evaluated by testing the TSS and particle size distribution in two parallel systems operated in the same way. The need for bubble-wash bead filter backwashing and the impact of the backwash method were evaluated also. The results show that the bubble-wash bead filter removed a great deal of the TSS, including the algae added to maintain the turbidity. An improper backwash method could result in a short term but significantly high TSS peak in the system immediately after the backwash event. Testing over an extended filtration period with a prolonged backwash interval showed that the TSS in the system remained stable up to 150 h post backwash, at which time it increased rapidly. The TSS accumulation in the system with a bubble-wash bead filter that was not backwashed was greater than that in a parallel system without a bubble-wash bead filter. No significant mortality increase was found in the system without a bubble-wash bead filter for 34 days, which provides a possible alternative in order to lower the rearing cost. Nevertheless, there are benefits of using a bead filter, and these are discussed in the paper.
Management of Microstegium vimineum Invasions and Recovery of Resident Plant Communities

Restoration of communities invaded by exotic plants requires effective eradication of the invader and reestablishment of the resident plant community. Despite the commonly cited need for techniques to accomplish such goals, studies that test strategies for removing invasive plants, monitor effects on resident communities, and incorporate replicate sites are generally lacking. Microstegium vimineum is an exotic annual grass that is rapidly invading forests in the eastern United States and threatening to reduce biodiversity and inhibit forest regeneration. I conducted a field experiment at eight sites over two growing seasons in southern Indiana to evaluate hand-weeding (HW), a postemergent grass-specific herbicide (POST), and the postemergent herbicide plus a preemergent herbicide (POST + PRE) for removing Microstegium. Compared to reference plots (REF), the three treatments each reduced Microstegium biomass at the end of the growing seasons to relatively low levels. However, after the second year of the experiment, POST and POST + PRE resulted in very little spring cover of Microstegium, but HW plots were significantly reinvaded. HW and POST, but not POST + PRE, increased resident plant community productivity and spring resident community cover compared to reference plots. The amount of light at the research sites did not alter the effectiveness of treatments, but the recovery of resident communities was positively correlated with light availability under HW and POST + PRE. These results indicate that natural systems invaded by Microstegium can be restored using the POST or HW treatments, which will effectively remove the invasion and allow the resident plant community to recover when used over multiple growing seasons.
Ion Implantation Disorder in Strained-Layer Superlattices

Cantilever-beam bending and RBS channeling measurements have been used to examine implantation-induced disorder and stress buildup in In/sub 0/ /sub 2/Ga/sub 0/ /sub 8/As/GaAs SLS structures. Implantation fluences from 10/sup 11/ to 10/sup 15//cm/sup 2/ were used for 150-keV Si, 320-keV Kr, and 250-keV Zn in SLS and GaAs bulk materials. The critical fluence for saturation of compressive stress occurs prior to amorphous layer formation and is followed by stress relief. For all the ions the maximum ion-induced stress scales with energy density into atomic processes and stress relief occurs above approx. 1 x 10/sup 20/ keV/cm/sup 3/. Stress relief is more pronounced for the SLSs than for bulk GaAs. We suggest that stress-relief may lead to slip or other forms of inelastic material flow in SLSs, which would be undesirable for active regions in device applications. Such material flow may be avoided by limiting maximum fluences or by multiple step or simultaneous implantation and annealing for high fluences.
Effect of environmental changes on solid stabilised emulsions

In order to evaluate an emulsion for practical purposes or to grade different agents in order of their emulsifiability, it is necessary to consider the effect of environmental factors in addition to the fundamental criteria, interfacial area and the stability. This has been studied here with special reference to effect of CaCl2, HCl and heat etc. With solid stabilised emulsions, the effect of addition of CaCl2 was very small, although both the interfacual area and stability were lowered to some extent. In fact as reported byKing andMukerjee (loc. cit.), some of these emulsions like those stabilised by aged alumina could remain stable even after being saturated with CaCl2 although the dispersion became far more coarse. The same variability is apparent in case of acid additions but in this case the effect is somewhat more pronounced because of the partial solubility of the emulsifier in HCl. In both instances, however, olive oil emulsions are least affected, due to the higher viscosity of the system. On the other hand the addition of small amounts of colloidal substances like gelatin, gum acacia and sodium oleate to some of these solids immensely improves their emulsifying efficiency as well as the subsequent stability of the product. This may be assigned to the protective action of these colloids on the interfacial film. Another aspect of emulsion stability regarding the solid stabilised emulsion is that these can withstand higher temperatures and are little affected upto 100° C. An important feature of these emulsions is the optimum concentration range of the emulsifier within which true and stable emulsions can be formed.
Environmental Change, Phenotypic Plasticity, and Genetic Compensation

When a species encounters novel environmental con- ditions, some phenotypic characters may develop differently than in the ancestral environment. Most environmental perturbations of de- velopment are likely to reduce fitness, and thus selection would usu- ally be expected to favor genetic changes that restore the ancestral phenotype. I propose the term "genetic compensation" to refer to this form of adaptive evolution. Genetic compensation is a subset of genetic accommodation and the reverse of genetic assimilation. When genetic compensation has occurred along a spatial environ- mental gradient, the mean trait values of populations in different environments may be more similar in the field than when represen- tatives of the same populations are raised in a common environment (i.e., countergradient variation). If compensation is complete, genetic divergence between populations may be cryptic, that is, not detectable in the field. Here I apply the concept of genetic compensation to three examples involving carotenoid-based sexual coloration and then use these and other examples to discuss the concept in a broader context. I show that genetic compensation may lead to a cryptic form of reproductive isolation between populations evolving in different environments, may explain some puzzling cases in which heritable traits exposed to strong directional selection fail to show the expected evolutionary response, and may complicate efforts to monitor pop- ulations for signs of environmental deterioration.
The Search for Talent

The identification and search for talent is in very much in demand in our global and technological society. It’s not a priority in undeveloped nations, the bottom half of its world population. Even in developed countries, not all kinds of talent are recognized, nurtured, or rewarded. Demographic differences over centuries shape thinking, attitudes and talent. People who live in isolated mountain regions, desserts, and in jungles acquire different skills and talents. People limited by geographical isolation are disadvantaged in what knowledge and skills they develop. People who assimilate new ideas from other cultures tend to develop and prosper more than isolated people (or nations)—and the major reason why the Western world developed more rapidly than the East. But change is the inevitable. The West has peaked and a growing number of knowledge producers, with hard to pronounce names, are now coming from the Eastern world. America and its European cousins are beginning to lose both its inventive and innovative edge to China, India, South Korea, Japan, etc. Even worse, talented immigrant students that once migrated to the U.S. are now chasing jobs in emerging countries or returning back home after being educated in the U.S. The U.S. is still considered the top country in generating new ideas and encouraging innovative companies. The need for the U.S., and democratic countries in general, is to recognize and reward different abilities and talents that serve the interest of the common good. A question arises: Should someone who can entertain us with a cowboy or hip hop song or hit a baseball 400 feet earn 100 to 500 times more than a teacher or engineer?
Effects of reservoir bottom absorption and dam-water-foundation rock interaction on frequency response functions for concrete gravity dams

The linear response of an idealized concrete gravity dam monolith to harmonic horizontal or vertical ground motion is presented for a range of the important system parameters that characterize the properties of the dam, foundation rock, impounded water and reservoir bottom materials. Based on these frequency response functions, the effects of alluvium and sediments at the reservoir bottom on the response of the dam, including its interaction with the impounded water and foundation rock, are investigated. It is shown that the partial absorption of hydrodynamic pressure waves by the reservoir bottom materials has an important effect on the dynamic response of concrete gravity dams.
Comparison of organ uptake and disappearance half-time of human epidermal growth factor and insulin

Abstract Epidermal growth factor (EGF), which was originally identified in salivary glands and saliva, has been also found in the kidney and urine, suggesting that the kidney may be an alternate source of this peptide. Liver was considered as the major site of the degradation of EGF but the involvement of other organs has been little studied. Therefore, we carried out comparative studies on the organ uptake and the disappearance half-time of EGF and insulin (having similar molecular size) in the same model of anesthetized dog with arterial (from aorta) and venous (from mesenteric, portal, hepatic, renal, femoral and jugular veins) blood sampling from various organs. Basal plasma level of EGF (1.32 ± 0.33 pmol/l) and insulin (62.1 ± 13.8 pmol/l) in the aorta was not significantly different from that recorded at various sampling sites. During i.v. infusion of EGF at 41.6 and 166.6 pmol/kg/h, the respective arterial EGF concentrations averaged 103 ± 21 and 240 ± 49 pmol/kg/h and the percent reduction in plasma EGF after passage through the head, leg, intestines and liver was about 30–50% and that after passage through the kidney was about 95%. During insulin (6.9 pmol/kg/h) infusion, the arterial hormone level averaged 227 ± 21 pmol/l and this level was significantly reduced (by 23–42%) after passage through the head, leg, intestine, liver and kidney but no significant difference was found between various venous sampling sites. EGF and insulin appearing in the urine during EGF or insulin infusion accounted for about 40 and 7% of the difference between the entering and leaving renal masses of the peptide. Mean disappearance half time on stopping of EGF and insulin infusion was, respectively, 2.32 ± 0.58 and 6.88 ± 1.25 min. We conclude that unlike insulin, which is removed to similar extent by various organs including the kidney and the liver, EGF is taken up mainly by kidney and EGF present in urine originates mainly from renal clearance of peptide.
Synthesis and biodistribution of radioiodinated‐5‐iodonicotine

5-Bromonicotine, synthesized from nicotinic acid, was autoclaved with Na125I in the presence of copper sulfate and glacial acetic acid to give 5-[125I]iodonicotine. The radiochemical yield was 25.3%. The specific activity of the product was approximately 61 mCi/mmole. Biodistribution studies of 5-[125I]iodonicotine, performed in rats, showed that the labelled compound accummulated rapidly in the brain and the adrenal gland. The highest uptake of radioactivity in these organs occurred at 5 minutes after administration. The brain-to-blood and the adrenal-to-blood ratios at this time interval were 2.6:1 and 3.3:1 respectively.
Low-Dose Thymoglobulin Use in Elderly Renal Transplant Recipients Is Safe and Effective Induction Therapy

Current immunosuppressive therapies and protocols have led to significant improvements in early patient and graft survival rates following kidney transplantation. Whether induction therapies such as rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) contribute to these improved results remains controversial. Full-dose rATG induction therapy (7-10 mg/kg) has been associated with increased morbidity, which may be especially true in a high-risk population such as the elderly. Therefore, we studied the efficacy and tolerability of a low-dose rATG induction strategy in 45 older recipients (>65 years) compared to 45 concurrently transplanted younger patients (<65 years). Both groups received a similar low-dose of rATG induction therapy (older: 2.96±1.29 vs younger: 3.2±2.11 mg/kg). All patients were maintained on a calcineurin inhibitor, mycophenolic acid, and low-dose prednisone (5 mg/d). To date, none of the older patients experienced acute rejection, whereas one younger patient had an acute rejection episode. Initial hospital stays were equal (older: 7.8±3.2 vs younger: 7.5±4.4 days, P=.35). Within the first 6 months, nine older patients required rehospitalization compared to 15 younger patients (P=.15). Bacterial infections in older and younger recipients were equal including wound (4 vs 0), urine (20 vs 15), lung (1 vs 1), and skin (0 vs 2), respectively. There were two BK viral infections in older patients, whereas there were three viral infections, two cytomegalovirus cases, and one Herpes zoster case in younger patients. Calculated 6-month glomerular filtration rate was equal in both groups (older: 55.7±18.5 vs younger: 52.7±18.5 mL/min). Three-year patient and graft survival rates were equivalent for older and younger patients (86.6% vs 97.6%, respectively). In conclusion, low-dose rATG induction therapy is safe and effective in patients older than 65. When compared to younger patients, low-dose rATG leads to equivalent graft survival and function without incurring excess morbidity in the older population.
Rembrandt's left ear.

I suspect that the lesion discussed by Mr Cohen (June 2003 JRSM1) is a keloid, a not uncommon complication following piercing of the lobe to accommodate an ear-ring. The other diagnostic possibilities that he mentions are more remote.
Topological analysis of interdisciplinary scientific journals: which journals will be the next nature or science?

Identifying prestigious interdisciplinary journals is very significant for researchers. By publishing research works in prestigious journals, researchers can better propagate their works and get spotlights. Even though the quality of a paper is not represented by the journal that publish the paper, it is a general concern of researchers that how to identify a set of good journals to submit their papers. Nature and Science are the two journals that have been considering as the two top interdisciplinary journals worldwide. In this paper, we propose a method for identifying journals that have the potential to become the next Nature and Science through topological analysis of interdisciplinary scientific journals using citation data. By applying three different statistical methods (i.e., Multidimensional scaling, Principal component analysis, Cluster analysis), we identified a set of journals in which PNAS has the highest possibility to become the next Nature and Science. The study showed that citation data is a powerful data to measure similarity among journals.
Controls of listric normal fault styles in the northern Gulf of Mexico: Insights from experimental models

Abstract Passive margins such as the Gulf of Mexico are characterized by two distinct styles of faulting. Homogenous sand/shale packages in offshore Texas mostly display basinward-dipping listric normal faults with associated rollover structures cut by synthetic and antithetic faults. The fault traces are generally long and show a linear trend. Stratigraphic packages with a ductile substratum (salt) in offshore Louisiana are characterized by basinward and landward-dipping, short arcuate faults detaching within the salt. The structures consist of a series of half-grabens, with the movement of salt from the front to the back of each fault block. Clay experimental models are used to study the controls of fault geometries in the two structural styles and their interaction to form complex transfer zones. The surface of the clay cake is laser-scanned to enable 3D visualization and accurate measurements of structures. The results suggest that within homogeneous sand-shale packages, the dips of the faults and their locations are primarily dependent on the direction of the drop down of the basal detachment along pre-existing discontinuities, with the slope of the basal discontinuity and the direction of extension providing secondary controls. On the other hand, the dips of fault systems in packages underlain by a ductile substratum are primarily controlled by the slope of the basal detachment. Therefore, the more common regional Roho systems typically form above salt sheets with initial basinward slopes, whereas counter-regional fault systems form above salt sheets with initial landward slopes. The direction of extension and the presence of small pre-existing discontinuities impart only secondary controls when ductile basal units are involved. The faults initiate at the head of ductile layer and propagate downslope. Complex transfer zones develop at the boundary of the ductile substratum due to interference between the two fault styles.
Uncertainties in Scaling Factors for ab Initio Vibrational Frequencies

Vibrational frequencies determined from ab initio calculations are often scaled by empirical factors. An empirical scaling factor partially compensates for the errors arising from vibrational anharmonicity and incomplete treatment of electron correlation. These errors are not random but are systematic biases. We report scaling factors for 40 combinations of theory and basis set, intended for predicting the fundamental frequencies from computed harmonic frequencies. An empirical scaling factor carries uncertainty. We quantify and report, for the first time, the uncertainties associated with the scaling factors. The uncertainties are larger than generally acknowledged; the scaling factors have only two significant digits. For example, the scaling factor for HF/6-31G(d) is 0.8982 +/- 0.0230 (standard uncertainty). The uncertainties in the scaling factors lead to corresponding uncertainties in predicted vibrational frequencies. The proposed method for quantifying the uncertainties associated with scaling factors is based on the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The data used are from the Computational Chemistry Comparison and Benchmark Database (CCCBDB), maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which includes more than 3939 independent vibrations for 358 molecules.
Quasi-two-dimensional ferromagnetism in polycrystalline Fe

Ultrathin polycrystalline Fe films of an average thickness 5 \AA{} are prepared on a Ta substrate by ion-beam sputter deposition in ultrahigh vacuum. The Ta itself is deposited on top of a three-dimensional (3D) ferromagnet, and it acts as a nonmagnetic metallic spacer layer through which exchange fields ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathrm{ex}}$ of various strengths are transferred from the magnetic substrate into the overlayer ultrathin film. The temperature dependence of the magnetization M(T) of the overlayer film is obtained from measurement of the spin polarization of the low-energy cascade electrons. M(T) depends critically on the thickness x of the Ta nonmagnetic spacer layer. The magnetic transition of the overlayer film is increasingly smeared out as ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathrm{ex}}$ increases, yet the transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{C}}$ is clearly defined down to x=3 \AA{}. In the context of crossover from 3D to 2D magnetism, ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{C}}$ increases with decreasing x in a manner consistent with the theory of phase transitions in quasi-2D systems. Adsorption of residual gas molecules such as CO changes the shape of M(T) but does not affect ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{C}}$. The nature of the changes suggests that adsorbed residual gas molecules act as surfactants that spread the film slightly on the substrate, thereby converting it from the superparamagnetic to the ferromagnetic state.
High-density PhyloChip profiling of stimulated aquifer microbial communities reveals a complex response to acetate amendment.

There is increasing interest in harnessing the functional capacities of indigenous microbial communities to transform and remediate a wide range of environmental contaminants. Information about which community members respond to stimulation can guide the interpretation and development of remediation approaches. To comprehensively determine community membership and abundance patterns among a suite of samples associated with uranium bioremediation experiments, we employed a high-density microarray (PhyloChip). Samples were unstimulated, naturally reducing, or collected during Fe(III) (early) and sulfate reduction (late biostimulation) from an acetate re-amended/amended aquifer in Rifle, Colorado, and from laboratory experiments using field-collected materials. Deep community sampling with PhyloChip identified hundreds-to-thousands of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) present during amendment, and revealed close similarity among highly enriched taxa from drill core and groundwater well-deployed column sediment. Overall, phylogenetic data suggested that stimulated community membership was most affected by a carryover effect between annual stimulation events. Nevertheless, OTUs within the Fe(III)- and sulfate-reducing lineages, Desulfuromonadales and Desulfobacterales , were repeatedly stimulated. Less consistent, co-enriched taxa represented additional lineages associated with Fe(III) and sulfate reduction (e.g. Desulfovibrionales ; Syntrophobacterales ; Peptococcaceae ) and autotrophic sulfur oxidation ( Sulfurovum ; Campylobacterales ). Data implies complex membership among highly stimulated taxa and, by inference, biogeochemical responses to acetate, a nonfermentable substrate.
At the heart of the old silk road.

A 27-year-old previously healthy African American woman with a history of Behcet’s disease and multiple vascular complications presented with 4–5 months of severe chest pain at rest. The chest pain was described as left-sided, non-radiating pressure worse with exertion. Physical exam and electrocardiogram (EKG) studies only revealed sinus tachycardia. She was initially evaluated with cardiac catheterization (Fig. 1a) and computed tomography (CT) angiogram (Fig. 1b), which revealed a 4.0 × 3.3 cm non-opacifying, coronary artery pseudoaneurysm that lifted the left coronary artery (LAD) superiorly off the surface of the myocardium. A stress magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed reversible subendocardial hypoperfusion. Figure 1. a) Diagnostic coronary angiogram showing a large circular structure that fills via fistula from the mid-left anterior descending consistent with a pseudoaneurysm. b. Chest CT angiogram with contrast demonstrating the 4.0 × 3.3 cm ... Given the patient’s young age and high risk of rupture, surgery was elected to debulk the pseudoaneurysm and decompress the LAD. She was discharged 12 days postoperatively without complications and was free of chest pain one month later. Behcet’s disease is a systemic vasculitis characterized by recurrent oral aphthous and genital ulcers, uveitis and skin lesions. While coronary aneurysms occur rarely, they are the most common cause of mortality and develop from myocardial fragility induced by vasculitis-related ischemia.1 Our case demonstrates the importance of a high index of suspicion for cardiac manifestations of Behcet’s disease in the young and using appropriate imaging modalities for early diagnosis and management.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE ASCOSPORES OF Byssochlamys fulva

A study was conducted to determine whether the difference in heat resistance of the ascospores produced by two strains of the mold Byssochlamys fulva was related to their chemical composition. Cleaned spore preparations were analyzed for proteins, amino acids, lipids and minerals. The most significant difference was a greater quantity of fatty acids longer than C20, in the more heat resistant spores. Some of the longer chained fatty acids recovered from both strains had not previously been detected in fungal spores and it was concluded that they may be a factor in explaining the high heat resistance of Byssochlamys ascospores.
Simulation of swine herd population dynamics

Abstract A discrete stochastic simulation model of swine herd population dynamics is described. The model is homomorphic with the life cycle of hogs. Each animal is individually represented in the model and is tracked throughout its life in the production system. The example production system used was a 100-breeding sow, farrow-to-finish, high-investment, complete confinement system. The model was developed in a specialized discrete simulation language—GPSS. The model provides both the magnitude and the variability of annual production levels, feed consumption and other population statistics. The output of the herd dynamics model was used in a spread-sheet program for economic analysis. This program computes annual revenues, costs and rate of return to capital investment over the 10-year analysis period by using the discounted cash flow method. It provides both the average values and 95% confidence intervals of the annual income and the rate of return. The application of the model for analyzing the interrelationships of biological, physical, economic and management factors is demonstrated. Other applications for system design, management planning, facility scheduling and resource allocation are also described.
Paleoliquefaction evidence for a strong Holocene earthquake in south-central Indiana

Earthquake-induced paleoliquefaction features in Holocene sediments in south-central Indiana are evidence for strong shaking in the recent prehistoric past in an area where only infrequent, low-magnitude earthquakes have occurred during the 200 yr of the historic record. Distribution of liquefaction features and geotechnical analyses of liquefied sediments are the basis for estimating that an earthquake with a magnitude of ∼6.9 was centered near Vallonia, Indiana. Radiometric, archaeologic, and stratigraphic relations bracket the event to between ∼3.7 ka and 4.2 ka B.P. Evidence for a local source for strong shaking requires reassessment of earthquakes hazards in the southern Indiana–northern Kentucky–southwestern Ohio area.
Assessing Oral Health Knowledge, Opinions, and Behaviors of WIC Recipients in Rural Southern Illinois

Dental caries is the most common of all chronic childhood diseases. Parenting practices can either contribute to or protect against the formation of dental caries in children. Because children rely on parents and caregivers for oral disease prevention and treatment, parents and caregivers must be motivated to use oral disease prevention behaviors that are based on accurate information. A survey was administered to 582 WIC recipients in rural southern Illinois to assess mothers’ knowledge, opinions, and behaviors related to oral health. Deficits existed in mothers’ ability to identify drinks, foods, and behaviors that contribute to or protect against dental caries development. Nevertheless, most believed that they did not need additional oral health education in order to take good care of their children’s teeth. Many women reported having untreated caries in their own mouth, failed to have annual professional dental cleanings, and did not have a dental home. A multidisciplinary approach to early interventi...
A design-for-reliability approach based on grading library cells for aging effects

A realistic, as opposed to fixed pessimistic end-of-life method to identify paths that are at-risk to excessive degradation due to aging is presented. It uses library cell grading information to assess the cells/instances for their sensitivity to parametric degradation.
Self-selection and opposition to gay rights among military career-seekers

Opposition to gay rights among serving military personnel was one of the leading justifications for the US military's longstanding ban on open service by gay men and lesbians. This study demonstrates that this opposition derives in large part from the self-selection of individuals into military careers. Using data from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey, it shows a strong and increasing divergence of opinions on gay rights between students seeking military careers and their civilian counterparts, an effect that is large relative to subsequent socialization in the military. This civil–military gap is largely due to the overrepresentation of men and of political conservatives among those intending to enter the military, and the increasing importance of ideology in predicting opinions about gay rights issues. Once demographic and ideological characteristics are taken into account, the effect of seeking a military career on opinions regarding gay rights is small.
Factorization prescriptions and phenomenological applications of the parton model

Abstract We discuss the arbitrary conventions involved in formulating the QCD-aided parton model. The precise definition of constituent distribution and decay functions is seen to involve the choice of a factorization prescription. Just as in the case of a renormalization prescription, the choice of a factorization prescription can have phenomenological impact in that it can dramatically affect the size of higher-order corrections to calculations of physical observables. We present criteria based on next-to-leading order calculations for defining nonsinglet quark distributions. These can be seen to agree, in the appropriate limits, with speculations based on the resumming of certain “large” logarithmic corrections. We give a form of the Altarelli-Parisi equation suitable for directly calculating the evolution of a measurable structure function such as F2(x, Q2).
Nonthermal effects on microwave radiation on ionic diffusion in ionic crystalline ceramics

Summary form only given, as follows. Numerous claims have been made of observations that microwave heating of ceramics promotes faster processing or solid state reactions (e.g., sintering, bonding, tracer ion diffusion) than conventional furnace heating. These claims are controversial due to the absence of a verifiable theoretical explanation as well as questions on the interpretation of sample temperature measurements obtained in the presence of microwave fields or during microwave heating. A recent experimental investigation has clearly established that intense microwave fields can yield enhanced ion (or vacancy) diffusion in ionic crystalline ceramics. The results are in qualitative agreement with a model in which the microwave fields exert a ponderomotive or radiation pressure acting near the surfaces of NaCl crystals or grains. It is believed that this phenomenon explains the observations of microwave-enhanced tracer ion diffusion in higher temperature oxide ceramics and glasses. Future work will explore the role of this phenomenon in grain boundary diffusion and sintering during microwave processing of ceramics.
Perineal median raphe cyst

Median raphe cysts occur as a developmental anomaly along the midline male perineum. A perineal median raphe cyst arising in a 3-year-old boy was successfully treated with primary excision. The possible origins and histologic features are briefly reviewed.
Irrigation Canals as Sink Habitat for Trout and Other Fishes in a Wyoming Drainage

Abstract Irrigation canals can be a major source of mortality for fish in the Rocky Mountain region. Our study looked at how fish were affected by the irrigation canal system in the Smiths Fork, a tributary to the Bear River in western Wyoming. There are two native species of conservation concern in the Smiths Fork drainage: Bonneville cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii utah and northern leatherside chub Lepidomeda copei. Our objectives were to determine the relative abundance of each species within the canals and the fate of trout (Bonneville cutthroat trout and brown trout Salmo trutta) that enter canals. During the summer of 2003 we sampled 30 sites within the Covey Canal system, which is the largest canal system withdrawing water from the Smiths Fork. Because fish were observed to accumulate at certain spots in the canal system, we developed a sampling scheme that incorporated both random sample sites and sites known to attract fish. We estimated that between 6,300 and 10,400 fish encompassing 10 sp...
Partial phase synchronization of neural populations due to random Poisson inputs

We show that populations of identical un- coupled neurons exhibit partial phase synchronization when stimulated with independent, random unidirec- tional current spikes with interspike time intervals drawn from a Poisson distribution. We characterize this partial synchronization using the phase distribution of the population, and consider analytical approxima- tions and numerical simulations of phase-reduced mod- els and the corresponding conductance-based models of typical Type I (Hindmarsh-Rose) and Type II (Hodgkin-Huxley) neurons, showing quantitatively how the extent of the partial phase synchronization de- pends on the magnitude and mean interspike frequency of the stimulus. Furthermore, we present several simple examples that disprove the notion that phase synchrony must be strongly related to spike synchrony. Instead, the importance of partial phase synchrony is shown to lie in its influence on the response of the population to stimulation, which we illustrate using first spike time histograms.
Effects of Cholera Enterotoxin, Glucagon, and Dibutyryl Cyclic Amp on Rat Liver Alkaline Phosphatase, Bile Flow, and Bile Composition

Cholera enterotoxin, 45 μg per 250 g body weight, administered intravenously to rats, caused a 6-fold rise in the activity of liver alkaline phosphatase in 12 hr. There was no change in bile volume or in the concentration or total bile content of Na+, K+, HCO3-, or Cl- for 36 hr after the administration of cholera toxin. However, bile phospholipid output fell markedly from a control level of 15.0 ± 1.0 μmol per 6 hr to a low level of 4.0 ± 1.2 μmol per 6 hr in the 12- to 18-hr collection, P
The Relation Between Diabetes Self-Efficacy and Psychological Distress Among Older Adults Do Racial and Ethnic Differences Exist?

Objective: This study examined racial/ethnic differences in the relationship between diabetes self-efficacy and psychological distress among older adults with diabetes mellitus. Method: Adults aged 60 or older with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (N = 3,067) were drawn from the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results: After controlling for covariates, African Americans and those with higher levels of diabetes self-efficacy tended to have lower levels of psychological distress. Significant interactions were found in the Hispanic/Latino and Asian groups: The effect of diabetes self-efficacy on psychological distress was greater for Hispanics/Latinos and Asians than non-Hispanic Whites. Discussion: Findings suggest that diabetes self-efficacy is associated with psychological distress among older diabetic patients and that race/ethnicity moderates the relationship between diabetes self-efficacy and psychological distress. Increasing di...
Plasma and Ion Beam Tools for Enhanced Battery Electrode Performance

Plasma and ion beam methods such as gas and metal ion implantation, plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII), and metal plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (MePIIID) are introduced as powerful tools to modify the properties of battery electrodes. Three kinds of rechargeable electrochemical cells have been investigated: the lead-acid cell, the nickel alkaline-electrolyte cell, and the lithium cell. It was experimentally shown that (i) metal ion implantation of Ti, V, Cr, Ni, and W into lead and lead-antimony electrodes reduced the corrosion current by more than one order of magnitude, (ii) cobalt ion implantation into nickel electrodes enhanced the interconversion of Ni(OH)2 to NiOOH and the associated cycle life, (iii) nitrogen-PIII resulted in the formation of a nitrided lithium layer on lithium which stabilized the surface against corrosion, (iv) MePIIID with a tungsten plasma reduced the pitting corrosion of aluminum, a current collector for a lithium battery.
Analyzing scientific networks for nuclear capabilities assessment

The capability to build nuclear weapons is a key national security factor that has a profound influence on the balance of international relations. In addition to longstanding players, regional powers and peripheral countries have sought for ways of acquiring and/or developing them. The authors postulate that to express the capabilities, relative positions, and interrelations of the countries involved in the production of nuclear weaponization knowledge, dynamic network analysis provides valuable insight. In this article, the authors use a computational framework that combines techniques from dynamic network analysis and text mining to mine and analyze large-scale networks that are extracted from open theoretical and experimental nuclear research publications of the last two decades. More specifically, they build interlinked, dynamic networks that model relationships of nuclear researchers based on the open literature and supplement this information with text mining to classify the nuclear weaponization capabilities of each publication—of each author, organization, city, and country. Using such a comprehensive computational framework, they are able to (a) elicit the hot topics in nuclear weaponization research, (b) assess the nuclear expertise level of each country, (c) differentiate between established and emergent players, and (d) identify the key entities at various levels such as organization, city, and country. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High-speed data transmission on an optical fiber using a byte-wide WDM system

The advantages and problems of using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) to transmit byte-wide data in parallel through a single-mode optical fiber are studied. The principle problem which is particular to byte-wide transmission is shown to be bit skew caused by group delays of the different transmission wavelengths. The aggregate bit rate of the byte-wide link is shown to be equal to the aggregate bit rate of the serial link for all byte sizes. >