cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Extracellular magnesium deficiency induces contraction of arterial muscle: role of PI3-kinases and MAPK signaling pathways.

The present study investigated the actions of extracellular Mg2+ ([Mg2+]o) deficiency on isolated rat aortae and rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC). Exposure of isolated, intact rat aortic rings to Mg2+-free or Mg2+-deficient medium (0.15–0.6 mM) produced endothelium-independent, concentration-dependent contractions: the lower the [Mg2+]o, the stronger the contraction. Pre- or post-incubation of the vessels with low concentrations of U0126, SB-203580, PD-98059, wortmannin, LY-294002, or a SH2 domain inhibitor peptide suppressed [Mg2+]o deficiency-induced contractions significantly. The concentrations of these antagonists required for half-maximal inhibition (IC50) were not very different from the inhibitory constants (Ki) for these drugs. A variety of specific pharmacological antagonists of several known endogenously-formed vasoconstrictors did not inhibit or attenuate the contractions induced by low [Mg2+]o. Mg2+-free medium induced a 6- to 7-fold increase in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in RASMC. Pre- or post-treatment of the cells with U0126, SB-203580, PD-98059, wortmannin, LY-294002, or a SH2 domain inhibitor peptide markedly inhibited the increments in ([Ca2+]i) in RASMC induced by exposure to Mg2+-free medium. The present findings suggest that Mg2+-deficiency-induced contractions of rat aortae are associated with activation of several cellular signal pathways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI3) kinases, and SH2 domain-containing proteins.
Characterization of naphthenic acids in crude oils and naphthenates by electrospray ionization FT-ICR mass spectrometry

We present the selective ionization of acidic components of crude oils and naphthenates by negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS). We further characterize isolated naphthenic acids from a calcium napthenate deposit by negative-ion ESI tandem mass spectrometry (MSn): collision-induced dissociation (CID) and infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD). Selective ionization by electrospray affords direct characterization of neutral nitrogen species and naphthenic acids in petroleum without derivatization or preconcentration of the sample, and with minimal sample consumption. Acids isolated from a calcium naphthenate deposit are tetraprotic with a C80 hydrocarbon skeleton; commonly known as “ARN” acids, whereas sodium naphthenate consists of low molecular weight (C15 to C35) linear saturated monoprotic carboxylic acids. IRMPD and CID fragmentation of ARN acids result in both dehydration and decarboxylation of the carboxylic acid groups without dealkylation. However, CID produced more extensive fragmentation leading to dealkylation of the hydrocarbon skeleton. The ultrahigh resolution and mass accuracy of FT-ICR MS and MS/MS provide for detailed identification and compositional differences of acidic species in crude oils and naphthenates, and also afford structural characterization of acids isolated from naphthenate deposits.
Sub-Terahertz Magnetic and Dielectric Excitations in Hexagonal Ferrites

Magnetic and dielectric resonances in the sub-terahertz (sub-THz) frequency range are observed in pure and Al-substituted hexagonal barium ferrite. A resonator based on magnetic excitations has been fabricated and its performance characteristics have been studied. The possible use of the resonator at sub-THz frequencies has been demonstrated. The resonator exhibited a loaded Q-factor of 150-330 in the frequency range 97-108 GHz. Dielectric resonances in a single-crystal barium hexaferrite are observed in the frequency range 75-110 GHz. The modes excited by circularly polarized electromagnetic waves show nonreciprocal propagation characteristics. The dielectric resonances may occur at a much higher frequency than ferromagnetic resonance. It is shown that degeneracy in the dielectric modes is lifted with an applied magnetic field H and that the modes can be tuned by 10 GHz or more with H. Data on frequencies of the modes versus H shows hysteresis. Theoretical predictions on H-tuning characteristics of the principal dielectric E11δ mode are in agreement with the data. The dielectric modes are of importance for the realization of low-loss devices, including resonators, isolators and phase shifters.
Apparent increasing rates of stream incision in the eastern United States during the late Cenozoic

Stream incision rates were obtained from 16 studies of terraces or stream-associated cave levels in the eastern United States. A log-log regression of age against height above modern river level (ARL) shows that age increases approximately as the square of height ARL. This relation may indicate an increasing rate of stream incision through time. Alternatively, the relation may simply reflect an inherent effect of measured time interval on process rate, as described by Gardner et al., who found that data from hundreds of studies showed a tendency for geologic process rates to decrease for increasing measurement intervals. A regression equation for landscape denudation rates showed that the thickness removed increased as the 0.82 power of the time interval over which the denudation was measured. Gardner et al. suggested that this bias could be removed by the use of statistically derived scaling functions. However, a similar regression equation for the data in this study shows a slope of 0.38, representing a much more rapid decrease in rate with increasing measurement interval than found by Gardner et al. Even after applying the scaling function calculated by Gardner et al., my data show a 19 fold decrease in incision rate for a 103 increase in the measured time interval. This result suggests that the observed decrease in stream incision rates with greater time spans may be at least partly real.
VPM tokens: virtual machine-aware power budgeting in datacenters

Power consumption and cooling overheads are becoming increasingly significant for enterprise datacenters, affecting overall costs and the ability to extend resource capacities. To help mitigate these issues, active power management technologies are being deployed aggressively, including power budgeting, which enables improved power provisioning and can address critical periods when power delivery or cooling capabilities are temporarily reduced. Given the use of virtualization to encapsulate application components into virtual machines (VMs), however, such power management capabilities must address the interplay between budgeting physical resources and the performance of the virtual machines used to run these applications. This paper proposes a set of management components and abstractions for use by software power budgeting policies. The key idea is to manage power from a VM-centric point of view, where the goal is to be aware of global utility tradeoffs between different virtual machines (and their applications) when maintaining power constraints for the physical hardware on which they run. Our approach to VM-aware power budgeting uses multiple distributed managers integrated into the VirtualPower Management (VPM) framework whose actions are coordinated via a new abstraction, termed VPM tokens. An implementation with the Xen hypervisor illustrates technical benefits of VPM tokens that include up to 43% improvements in global utility, highlighting the ability to dynamically improve cluster performance while still meeting power budgets. We also demonstrate how VirtualPower based budgeting technologies can be leveraged to improve datacenter efficiency in the context of cooling infrastructure management.
Glass-batch composition monitoring by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is an almost ideal technique for the in situ monitoring of the composition of a glass batch before it enters the glass-melting furnace, saving a significant amount of energy by the optimization of the furnace parameters for a particular composition of the glass batch. We investigate this application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy by determining the elemental composition of the glass batch used (i) as a surrogate for radioactive glass waste and (ii) to manufacture the most common type of flat glass. The surrogate glass-batch and flat-glass calibration curves for the major constituents have been prepared using both the line intensity and the line-intensity ratio. The analytical figure of merit of the glass-batch data obtained from the two different detection systems, namely, the Czerny-Turner spectrometer with an intensified diode-array detector and the echelle spectrometer fitted with an intensified CCD camera, are compared.
AUTOTETRAPLOIDY IN HAPLOPAPPUS SPINULOSUS HYBRIDS: EVIDENCE FROM NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC TETRAPLOIDS'

Haplopappus spinulosus (Asteraceae) is a herbaceous, perennial weed common throughout the western Great Plains of North America and includes both diploid and tetraploid populations. A number of populations in southeastern Colorado were analyzed cytogenetically and morphologically for two reasons. First, initial observations during a routine population survey showed they were morphologically intermediate between the diploid subspecies glaberrimus and spinulosus, suggesting they might have arisen via hybridization. Second, cytological examination revealed that they were tetraploid. Because there was indication of hybrid origin, it was of interest to determine whether the populations were behaving as autopolyploids or segmental allopolyploids. The distinction between these two polyploid types is not easily made since both are likely to form multivalents at meiosis, but equations derived from a model proposed by Jackson and Hauber ( 1982) have made it possible to determine statistically whether a tetraploid individual is behaving meiotically as an autotetraploid. Meiotic configuration frequencies at diakinesis were determined for each tetraploid plant sampled, and observed frequencies were compared to those expected for an autotetraploid having the same maximum niumber of chiasmata per bivalent, chiasma frequency and chromosome number. In general, the meiotic behavior of the tetraploids was no different from that expected for autoploids. The initial hypothesis that the populations were derived from hybridization was tested by a detailed cytogenetic and morphological study of the presumed parental subspecies, F1 hybrids, and natural putative hybrids. The evidence supports the hypothesis that the natural autotetraploids arose from the hybridization of ssp. glaberrimus and ssp. spinulosus. THE TERMS autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy were defined by Kihara and Ono (1926) in the following way (trans.): "Under polyploidy we distinguish two different phenomena, namely autopolyploidy and allopolyploidy. We understand autopolyploidy as doubling of the same chromosome set; allopolyploidy is the combination of two different chromosome sets from a hybrid followed by an increase in chromosome number." There is no doubt of what was meant by autopolyploidy, and the examples they cited for allopolyploidy were wellknown because they referred to situations that showed homogenetic pairing in polyploids as judged by diakinesis or metaphase I chiasmate associations, but lack of or very little pairing in the undoubled hybrids. Recognizing that there were many examples of polyploids that
Modified Metal Dibenzoylmethanates for Soft Supramolecular Materials: Extension to Oligomeric and Polymeric Host Receptors with Nanosized Void Spaces†

Recently reported molecular host complexes, modified metal dibenzoylmethanates (metal DBMs), are extended to polynuclear host receptors by connecting metal DBM units with bridging ligand 4,4‘-dipyridyl (bipy). Series of new solvent-free as well as inclusion materials were prepared and studied with XRD, NMR, and other methods. Template-directed synthesis gave inclusion compounds with three distinct types of host receptors: dimeric [Zn2(bipy)(DBM)4], trimeric [Zn3(bipy)2(DBM)6], and polymeric [Zn(bipy)(DBM)2]n complexes. The dimeric complex was isolated as a solvent-free compound and as inclusion compounds with tert-butylbenzene and fluorobenzene (host per guest molar ratios of 1:1 and 1:2/3, respectively). The trimeric complex was prepared as an inclusion compound with DMSO (1:5 molar ratio). The polymeric complex was observed in inclusion compounds with fluorobenzene (host unit per guest molar ratio 1:2), tetrahydrofuran (1:2), 2-pentanone (1:2), bipy/DMSO (1:1/2:1/2), and bipy/tert-butylbenzene (1:1:2);...
Selecting the optimal focus measure for autofocusing and depth-from-focus

A method is described for selecting the optimal focus measure with respect to gray-level noise from a given set of focus measures in passive autofocusing and depth-from-focus applications. The method is based on two new metrics that have been defined for estimating the noise-sensitivity of different focus measures. The first metric-the autofocusing uncertainty measure (AUM)-is useful in understanding the relation between gray-level noise and the resulting error in lens position for autofocusing. The second metric-autofocusing root-mean-square error (ARMS error)-is an improved metric closely related to AUM. AUM and ARMS error metrics are based on a theoretical noise sensitivity analysis of focus measures, and they are related by a monotonic expression. The theoretical results are validated by actual and simulation experiments. For a given camera, the optimally accurate focus measure may change from one object to the other depending on their focused images. Therefore, selecting the optimal focus measure from a given set involves computing all focus measures in the set.
Electrostatic discharge research at the University of Ottawa

An experimental system developed at the University of Ottawa to measure the fields radiated by the electrostatic discharge (ESD) spark is described. Its key features are a Tektronix 7912HB transient digitizer with 750 MHz single-shot bandwidth for voltage measurement, and a broadband time-domain electric-field sensor. The system is modeled in four parts: (1) a source of charge, (2) a spark gap, (3) a target, and (4) a voltage-transient digitizer. For a source, P. Richman's (1985) DUAL-RLC human body model was used. A zero-resistance spark gap is assumed. The target is essentially a current-to-voltage converter-typically, a distributed 2 Omega resistor. These were combined with a simple one-pole model of an oscilloscope to build a SPICE simulation model of the system. The body capacitance was set to an initial condition of 2 kV, and a transient analysis was performed to simulate the image, i.e., the displayed waveform, on the oscilloscope. A bandwidth of 750 MHz was seen to be adequate to observe both the risetime and the peak of the ESD current, given the above model parameters. >
A physical model for microwave radiometry of forest canopies

A first order scattering model is developed and tested at 1.4 GHz by using microwave brightness temperature data acquired over deciduous tree canopies in Maryland during 2007. Microwave measurements at several incident angles and supporting ground truth data (including size/angle distributions of tree constituents) have been collected over stands of deciduous Paulownia trees under full canopy and leaf-drop conditions. Detailed ground truth data obtained during this experiment have been used to compute the additional radiation due to scattering and emission by the vegetation components. The preliminary model predictions are in good agreement with the data and they give quantitative understanding for the influence of the first order scattering within the canopy on the radiometer brightness temperature. The model results using tree ground truth show that the scattering term is significant for trees and that the tau-omega model needs modification to account for additional scattering contribution. Numerical simulations also indicate that the single scattered radiation increases the canopy brightness temperature considerably. These simulations show that the scattering term has a negligible dependence on soil moisture and is only function of angle and polarization.
International trade and environmental quality: a survey

Abstract International trade has been incorporating various aspects of environmental issues since 1970. The extent to which environmental problems might affect many facets of trade, or vice versa, has been the subject of considerable debate over these years. In this article we have attempted to establish some of the links between international trade and environmental quality by performing a comprehensive literature review. We discuss issues such as establishing direct and indirect effects of international trade on environmental quality, effects of trade on economic development, environmental quality, and energy and their relation with each other, and, finally, the role of governments and international organizations in this context. Studies have so far revealed some linkages between trade and environment through conventional trade theory. However, interactions between international trade and types of pollution, their sink and assimilative capacity need to be analyzed using a general equilibrium approach. Currently, very little knowledge and agreement on the nature of interactions between trade theories, development process and environmental quality exist. Existing studies have shown that the structure of environmental regulations should be modified to reflect the existence of trade under imperfect competition. Therefore, further research on the interaction between new trade theory and environmental regulation is needed. Also, theoretical and quantitative analysis regarding the effects of environmental regulations on competitiveness and location decision is needed. The intensity and type of environmental measures vary across issues and countries. Therefore, harmonizing environmental measures creates an inefficient atmosphere, and to assume that trade restrictions will either improve or reverse the environmental damages is a serious mistake. Given the dynamic and intricate nature of the problem, trade and environment debate continues despite vast research and poses a challenge for researchers and policy makers in the foreseeable future.
Addition of Etoposide to Initial Therapy of Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Combined Clinicaland Laboratory Study

The role of high-dose etoposide in the initial treatment of newly diagnosed adult ALL was assessed in a combined clinical and laboratory study. Therapy on protocol JH8802 consisted of two induction modules, module 1 containing prednisone, vincristine, high-dose etoposide and L-asparaginase (L-asp), followed by module 2 containing cytarabine (Ara-C) and daunorubicin (DNR). Patients achieving a complete remission (CR) underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or intensive maintenance therapy. Results were compared to the preceding protocol (JH8302), which was similar except for omission of etoposide and L-asp. The CR rate following module 1 was 45% on protocol JH8802 and 9% on protocol JH8302 (p < 0.0002). Nonetheless, the two protocols had similar CR rates following module 2 (69% on protocol JH8302; 77% on JH8802) and indistinguishable survivals. Laboratory investigations performed on blasts harvested prior to chemotherapy revealed two factors that could potentially contribute to decreased etoposide sensitivity in ALL blasts. A flow microfluorimetry-based assay of nuclear DNR accumulation detected small P-glycoprotein (Pgp)-mediated decreases in drug accumulation in a quarter of the samples. Western blotting demonstrated that topoisomerase II was present in all samples but was diminished in amount compared to the Molt3 human ALL cell line. Immunoperoxidase staining with affinity-purified antibodies revealed that topo II alpha, the target for etoposide, was detectable in only a minority of the blasts (median 7.5%, range < 1-35%) at diagnosis. These observations raise the possibility that alterations in drug accumulation and diminished target enzyme levels might both limit the long-term efficacy of a single course of high dose etoposide administered early in the treatment of adult ALL.
Sp1 Is Up-regulated in Cellular and Transgenic Models of Huntington Disease, and Its Reduction Is Neuroprotective

Interactions between mutant huntingtin (Htt) and a variety of transcription factors including specificity proteins (Sp) have been suggested as a central mechanism in Huntington disease (HD). However, the transcriptional activity induced by Htt in neurons that triggers neuronal death has yet to be fully elucidated. In the current study, we characterized the relationship of Sp1 to Htt protein aggregation and neuronal cell death. We found increased levels of Sp1 in neuronal-like PC12 cells expressing mutant Htt, primary striatal neurons, and brain tissue of HD transgenic mice. Sp1 levels were also elevated when 3-nitropropionate (3-NP) was used to induce cell death in PC12 cells. To assess the effects of knocking down Sp1 in HD pathology, we used Sp1 siRNA, a heterozygous Sp1 knock-out mouse, and mithramycin A, a DNA-intercalating agent that inhibits Sp1 function. The three approaches consistently yielded reduced levels of Sp1 which ameliorated toxicity caused by either mutant Htt or 3-NP. In addition, when HD mice were crossed with Sp1 heterozygous knock-out mice, the resulting offspring did not experience the loss of dopamine D2 receptor mRNA characteristic of HD mice, and survived longer than their HD counterparts. Our data suggest that enhancement of transcription factor Sp1 contributes to the pathology of HD and demonstrates that its suppression is beneficial.
Raman response function and supercontinuum generation in chalcogenide fiber

We show the Raman response function and dispersion curve for a chalcogenide fiber. We then model and reproduce the experimental bandwidth of IR supercontinuum generation using a chalcogenide PCF.
Chimeric gRNA-mRNA molecules with oligo(U) tails covalently linked at sites of RNA editing suggest that U addition occurs by transesterification

Chimeric RNA molecules were detected by polymerase chain reaction amplification of kinetoplast RNA using a 3' primer specific to mRNA and a 5' primer specific to guide RNA (gRNA), and directly by Northern analysis. Covalent linkage of the 3' oligo(U) tail of the gRNA to the mRNA occurs at editing sites. Chimeric molecules were isolated for NADH dehydrogenase subunit 7 and cytochrome oxidase subunits II and III. We propose that these molecules are intermediates in the editing process and that successive transesterifications result in the transfer of uridine residues from the gRNA 3' oligo(U) tail to an editing site, with the number of uridine residues determined by base pairing with adenine and guanine "guide" nucleotides in the gRNA.
Patients Who Strive to Be Ill: Factitious Disorder With Physical Symptoms

OBJECTIVE: Factitious disorder with physical symptoms characterizes patients who strive to appear medically ill and assume the sick role. Clinical suspicion is highest for female health care workers in the fourth decade of life. This study was designed to analyze the diagnosis of factitious disorder, the demographics of affected patients, and intervention and treatment. METHOD: Retrospective examination was of 93 patients diagnosed during 21 years. Two raters agreed on subject eligibility on the basis of DSM-IV criteria and absence of a somatoform disorder and a plausible medical explanation. RESULTS: The group included 67 women (72.0%); mean age was 30.7 years (SD=8.0) for women and 40.0 years (SD=13.3) for men. Mean age at onset was 25.0 years (SD=7.4). Health care training or jobs were more common for women (65.7%) than men (11.5%). Most often, inexplicable laboratory results established the diagnosis. Eighty had psychiatric consultations; 71 were confronted about their role in the illness. Only 16 ack...
The Response Properties of Single Ganglion Cells in the Goldfish Retina.

A cross-section of any vertebrate retina shows a complex pattern in which many types of cells are interconnected. The functions of very few of these cell types are known in any detail. The rods and cones almost certainly absorb the light quanta and are responsible for the initiation of the train of events which culminates in the nerve impulse patterns of the ganglion cells whose axons form the optic nerve. This pat tern of nerve impulses is modified by the intensity, shape, and duration of the illumination falling on the retina. In a few types of vertebrate eyes it is also certain that the color of the stimulating light must modify the response patterns of different ganglion cells in a differential fashion. This is a requirement in any system of color vision, and it is fairly certain from behavioral experiments that these animals are able to distinguish colors. Many species of fish apparently can be trained to recognize colors. For this reason the fish retina is an appropriate place to find out how color information is encoded for transmission along the optic nerve. The response patterns of single ganglion cells of the vertebrate retina have been the subject of extensive study since Hartline's successful isolation of the ganglion cells of the frog retina. These response patterns were classified by Hartl ine (1938) into "on ," "off," and "on-off ' ' types according to the temporal relationship of the discharge to the illumination. These descriptive terms have been generally accepted by subsequent investigators and are in wide usage today. The response patterns of ganglion cells of a wide variety of other vertebrates have been examined by subsequent investigators. This work has indicated that the discharge patterns are basically similar. The "on-off ' ' type is most frequently seen and is looked on as playing the dominant role in the functional organization. The analysis of the response relationship
Brassinosteroid Stimulation of Hypocotyl Elongation and Wall Relaxation in Pakchoi (Brassica chinensis cv Lei-Choi)

Hypocotyl elongation of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis cv Lei-Choi) was stimulated by applying 300 ng of brassinosteroid (2[alpha],3[alpha],22[beta],23[beta]-tetrahydroxy-24[beta]-methyl-B-homo-7- oxa-5[alpha]-cho-le stan-6-one, BR) in 1 [mu]L of 50% ethanol to the apex of hypocotyls. BR had its greatest effect on elongation of the apical 3-mm region below the cotyledonary node (75% stimulation) between 6 and 18 h after treatment. Stress/strain (Instron) analysis of this 3-mm region revealed that plastic and elastic components of extension were not significantly different between BR-treated and control seedlings. In pressure-block experiments, the initial rate of relaxation was 2-fold faster in BR-treated plants as compared with controls, whereas after 125 min the total amount of relaxation and the relaxation rate were the same for the two treatments. Osmotic pressure of cell sap expressed from this 3-mm region showed a large decrease (28%) in BR-treated seedlings compared to the controls. We conclude that BR stimulates growth in pakchoi by accelerating the biochemical processes that cause wall relaxation, without inducing a large change in wall mechanical properties.
From Boots to Books: Applying Schlossberg's Model to Transitioning American Veterans

This introduction to the strengths, needs, and challenges of veterans as they transition from the military to higher education is presented within the framework of Schlossberg's transition model (S...
The alleged tradeoff between explanatory breadth and predictive power

It is almost a cliche that as theories gain in explanatory breadth, they lose in predictive power and as they gain in predictive power, they lose in explanatory breadth. We acknowledge that it is e...
Does difference matter? Diversity and human rights in a hospital workplace.

Abstract The urban hospital workplace is a dynamic environment that mirrors the cultural and social diversity of the modern city. This paper explores the literature relating to diversity in the workplace and then describes an urban Canadian teaching hospital's comprehensive approach to the promotion of an equitable and inclusive diverse environment. With this goal, four years ago the hospital established an office of Diversity and Human Rights staffed by a social worker. The office provides education, training, policy development and complaints management. The administration also convened a hospital-wide committee to advise on the outcomes, and to plan a process for diversity and human rights organizational change. The committee worked with a social work research consultant to design a qualitative focus group study, currently ongoing, to explore the perspectives of hospital staff. The lessons learned from the process have the potential to increase overall cultural competency of staff that can translate in...
Experimental Observation of Redox-Induced Fe–N Switching Behavior as a Determinant Role for Oxygen Reduction Activity

The commercialization of electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices relies largely upon the development of highly active catalysts based on abundant and inexpensive materials. Despite recent achievements in this respect, further progress is hindered by the poor understanding of the nature of active sites and reaction mechanisms. Herein, by characterizing representative iron-based catalysts under reactive conditions, we identify three Fe-N4-like catalytic centers with distinctly different Fe-N switching behaviors (Fe moving toward or away from the N4-plane) during the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and show that their ORR activities are essentially governed by the dynamic structure associated with the Fe(2+/3+) redox transition, rather than the static structure of the bare sites. Our findings reveal the structural origin of the enhanced catalytic activity of pyrolyzed Fe-based catalysts compared to nonpyrolyzed Fe-macrocycle compounds. More generally, the fundamental insights into the dynamic nature of transition-metal compounds during electron-transfer reactions will potentially guide rational design of these materials for broad applications.
Techniques useful in two-dimensional correlation and codistribution spectroscopy (2DCOS and 2DCDS) analyses

Abstract Certain techniques useful in enhancing the features of two-dimensional correlation and codistribution spectra (2DCOS and 2DCDS) are reviewed. 2DCOS sorts out the coordinated or sequential variations of spectral intensities induced by an external perturbation applied to a sample system. 2DCDS is designed to determine the order of the presence of individual species. Pareto scaling of data helps to regulate overwhelmingly strong signal contributions, which may obscure the fine features of 2DCOS and 2DCDS spectra. Pearson unit-variance scaling has some limitations by itself but is useful in some applications. Modified forms of asynchronous 2D spectrum combine the features of both synchronous and asynchronous spectra and can be used as a stand-alone 2D map for the streamlined determination of the sequential order of spectral intensity variations. Null-space projection simplifies congested 2D spectra by eliminating select features, such as contribution from a specific component. Node attenuation is a band narrowing technique suitable for 2D analysis, because it does not produce opposite-sign side lobes. Performance of each technique in enhancing the features of 2D spectra is demonstrated with a model set of experimental spectra.
Rapid Analysis of Microalgal Triacylglycerols with Direct-Infusion Mass Spectrometry

Cultivation of microalgae has the potential to provide lipid-derived feedstocks for conversion to liquid transportation fuels. Lipid extracts from microalgae are significantly more complex than those of traditional seed oils, and their composition changes significantly throughout the microalgal growth period. With three acyl side chains per molecule, triglycerides (TAGs) are an important fuel precursor, and the distribution of acyl chain composition for TAGs has a significant impact on fuel properties and processing. Therefore, determination of the distribution of microalgal TAG production is needed to assess the value of algal extracts designed for fuel production and to optimize strain, cultivation, and harvesting practices. Methods utilized for TAG speciation commonly involve complicated and time-consuming chromatographic techniques. We present a method for TAG speciation and quantification based on direct-infusion mass spectrometry, which provides rapid characterization of TAG profiles without chromat...
Application of the Campbell Diagram Concept to Identication of Fatigue Cracks in Bladed Disk Assemblies

The goal of this research is to further develop a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system for detection of fatigue cracks in blades and bladed disks using harmonic responses caused by crack nonlinearities. Driving weakly nonlinear systems, such as a cracked structure, results in the generation of harmonics. When these harmonics coincide with a resonance, the resulting information can be used to identify the location of the crack. This paper presents analytical results obtained for a simple beam model illustrating the phenomenon. The results suggest that superharmonic resonances caused by weak nonlinearity are a suitable crack detection feature.
Benefits of Autonomous Morphing Aircraft in Loiter and Attack Missions

Autonomous air vehicles are being used more extensively and in a wider variety of roles. It may be necessary for them to switch between loiter and attack roles in missions, which requires both efficiency in loiter and high speed dash capabilities to attack. To fulfill both these roles in a single aircraft, a morphing aircraft with telescopic wings is proposed. This paper studies the benefits of morphing on the performance of a small unmanned aircraft in these loiter and attack missions. The aircraft is simulated using a rigid six degree of freedom flight dynamic model. A Monte Carlo trade study is run with uncertainties and randomized missions to compare four different configurations, and statistics are calculated on miss distance, time to target, and fuel burned. It was found that morphing with span changes offers some improvement on these performance metrics but not significant improvement. Possible causes for these results are discussed.
Recent Advances in Understanding Peripheral Vision

Recent experiments have revealed a considerable uniformity in the mechanisms mediating spatial pattern perception over the entire visual field.
Associations between depression, sleep disturbance, and apolipoprotein E in the development of Alzheimer's disease: dementia.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative brain disease that causes cognitive impairment and dementia. Within the US, AD is the most common form of dementia in the elderly, affecting 1 in 10 people over the age of 65. Sleep disturbance has been called a “public health epidemic” and, like depression, is a prodromal symptom of AD but may also contribute to the risk of developing AD. It was hypothesized that sleep disturbance, depression, and the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype increase the likelihood of AD. Methods: Utilizing data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center, information from evaluations of 11,453 cognitively asymptomatic participants was analyzed. Survival analysis was used to explore the independent relationships between depression, sleep disturbance, and APOE genotypes with eventual AD diagnosis. Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to explore the main effects and synergistic effects of psychosocial factors as moderated by APOE genotypes. Results: This study reinforced the association between APOE and AD. The hazard of developing AD was eight times higher for those with recent depression and the Ɛ4 homozygote (HR = 8.15 [3.70–17.95]). Among Ɛ4 carriers with clinician-verified depression, the hazard was ten times that of the reference group (HR = 10.11 [4.43–23.09]). The hazard for Ɛ4 carriers reporting sleep disturbance was almost 7 times greater than the reference group (HR = 6.79 [2.38–19.37]). Conclusion: Findings suggest that sleep disturbance, depression, and APOE Ɛ4 genotype are associated with AD during follow-up evaluations among a group of initially cognitively asymptomatic participants. This study contributes to the literature base exploring an increased hazard or risk of AD due to potential modifiable risk factors as well as genetic biomarkers, such as APOE.
Resource polygon geometry predicts Bayesian stable isotope mixing model bias

Bayesian mixing model analyses of re - source and consumer stable isotope composition are commonly used to infer elemental, energetic, and trophic pathways in aquatic and terrestrial food webs. However, the outputs of these models may be biased towards prior or null generalist assumptions, but the magnitude of this potential bias is unknown. I con- ducted a series of experiments to determine how this bias is affected by the geometry and end-member un- certainty of resource polygons. These experiments showed that bias is mostly due to isotopic overlap be- tween resources and is very strongly cor related in a sigmoid manner with the normalized surface area of stable isotope resource polygons. The normalized sur- face area, a classic signal to noise ratio in bivariate space, is calculated by scaling the x and y ordinates by the mean standard deviations (SD) for δ 13 C and δ 15 N, respectively. When equilateral 3-resource poly- gons have a surface area <3.4 SD 2 , the outputs of Bayesian mixing models primarily reflect the prior generalist assumption. The back-calculated bias for 85 recently published triangular polygons averaged 50 ± 28% (± SD). Analyses of regular resource poly- gons with 4 to 6 resources required 3.1 to 8.0 times larger normalized surface areas to constrain bias. Fur- thermore, polygons with 4 or more resources gave poor outcomes for minor diet components. There was a strong bias for resources similar, and against re- sources dissimilar, to the dominant resource. Overall, Bayesian methods applied to underdetermined mod- els and poorly resolved data very often give results that are highly biased towards centrist and generalist solutions.
Heredity and Alzheimer's disease: basic findings and clinical implications

Alzheimer's disease is a complex genetic disorder with at least four genes and several environmental factors that increase disease risk.Recent candidate gene studies have failed to detect any new widely replicated genetic effect. The eventual discovery of additional genes for Alzheimer's disease will require scientific and ethical guidelines for the use of genetic information in patient care. Curr Opin Psychiatry 11:417-423.
In the Light of Experience: An Indian Cameraman:

Light invites an epic scale of imagination. Focusing on the thought and work of a contemporary Indian cameraman, this article explores experience of light in cinema. I examine practical struggles to engage light’s movement and potency, in relation to cinematographic problems of composition, effect, and aesthetics. Relying most closely on ethnographic fieldwork with a studio set constructed for a 2010 Tamil feature film, the article devotes sustained attention to the interplay between luminescent philosophy and practice—to interrelated forms of thinking and working with light.
Health risk assessment on drinking groundwater in rural residents of a county of Guangxi Province

[Objective]Through health risk assessment of chemical pollutants in rural drinking groundwater of a county of Guangxi Province,to describe the current status of rural drinking groundwater quality and its influence to human health.[Methods]According to the monitoring data of the randomly selected rural drinking groundwater resources of 10 villages in 2010,health risk assessment was performed with the environment-health risk assessment model.[Results]The ranking of risk values due to chemical carcinogen was Cr6+AsCd and the ranking of risk values due to non-carcinogen contaminations was NO-3PbCuF-MnHgNH3-NFeCN-Znvolatile phenols,but they were all lower than the maximum allowance levels recommended by ICRP.[Conclusion]The health risk of rural drinking groundwater is mainly caused by chemical carcinogens which should be controlled with a high priority.
Linking changes in knowledge and attitudes with successful land restoration in indigenous communities

Successful land restoration in impoverished rural environments may require adoption of new resource management strategies; however, feedbacks between local knowledge and introduced restoration technologies have rarely been articulated. We used interview scenarios to analyze the role of local knowledge in land restoration at a large-scale, long-term watershed rehabilitation and wet meadow restoration program in the highland Andes. Indigenous communities built over 30,000 check dams, terraces and infiltration ditches, and the density of erosion control structures and visible restoration varied greatly across participant communities. We developed a survey reaching across the highest restoration management intensity, lowest restoration management intensity, and non-project (control) communities. We interviewed 49 respondents using 14 scenarios based on photos depicting biophysical phenomena related to land degradation and restoration. The scenarios generated 5,828 statements that were coded into 964 distinct concepts. As expected, respondents that built more erosion control structures had more detailed knowledge of check dam construction and ecosystem development following physical interventions. More significantly, there was a shift in the conceptualization of and attitudes toward land degradation and restoration. Respondents who built more erosion control structures were more likely to: attribute wetland hydrology to groundwater recharge rather than myth constructs about seeps and springs; attribute land degradation to human rather than mythological causes; and have more proactive attitudes regarding land restoration. Evidence suggests that when addressing severe land degradation or restoring ecosystem processes not readily observable by indigenous people, such as groundwater flow and wetland recharge, restoration success will depend on combining local and scientific knowledge.
Epigenetic response to environmental change: DNA methylation varies with invasion status.

Epigenetic mechanisms may be important for a native species’ response to rapid environmental change. Red Imported Fire Ants ( Solenopsis invicta Santschi, 1916) were recently introduced to areas occupied by the Eastern Fence Lizard ( Sceloporus undulatus Bosc & Daudin, 1801). Behavioral, morphological and physiological phenotypes of the Eastern Fence Lizard have changed following invasion, creating a natural biological system to investigate environmentally induced epigenetic changes. We tested for variation in DNA methylation patterns in Eastern Fence Lizard populations associated with different histories of invasion by Red Imported Fire Ants. At methylation sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism loci, we detected a higher diversity of methylation in Eastern Fence Lizard populations from Fire Ant uninvaded versus invaded sites, and uninvaded sites had higher methylation. Our results suggest that invasive species may alter methylation frequencies and the pattern of methylation among native individuals. While our data indicate a high level of intrinsic variability in DNA methylation, DNA methylation at some genomic loci may underlie observed phenotypic changes in Eastern Fence Lizard populations in response to invasion of Red Imported Fire Ants. This process may be important in facilitating adaptation of native species to novel pressures imposed by a rapidly changing environment.
The Unfolded Protein Response as a Therapeutic Target for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The epidemiology of head and neck malignancies and the survival rates for oral cancer patients are discussed in a cogent and thorough fashion throughout Targeting Oral Cancer. It is clear that a wide range of challenges, including disparity in health-care resources and research funding opportunities, and low prioritization by foundations and other organizations have left head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients in a remote corner of a huge outcome gap. Despite progress in multimodal therapies, responses to treatment and survival rates experienced by HNSCC patients lag egregiously behind the improvements that have been realized in other cancers. We should not lose focus of the fact that the 5-year survival rate for HNSCC is less than 50 % and very often accompanied by challenging and painful disfigurement. These dire statistics highlight the urgency of the problem. Also, comprehensive data indicating that ~70 % of HNSCC patients are still diagnosed at stages III or IV (Ferrari et al., Expert Opin Pharmacother 10(16):2625–32, 2009; Specenier and Vermorken, Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 8(3):375–91, 2008) underscores our need to diagnose patients sooner. Our continued inability to treat patients with chemotherapy whose metastatic and recurrent disease have outpaced the limitations of surgery and radiation therapy sentences them to an average median progression-free survival of ~6 months (Ferrari et al., Expert Opin Pharmacother 10(16):2625–32, 2009; Specenier and Vermorken, Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 8(3):375–91, 2008). Novel therapeutic targets and innovative strategies are urgently needed for a cancer that has seen little improvement over the last three decades. In this chapter we will discuss targeting the unfolded protein response (UPR) with small molecules and natural products as a novel anti-cancer approach in HNSCC models.
I can hear my neighbors' fracking: The effect of natural gas production on housing values in Tarrant County, TX

Abstract In this study we estimate the effect of hydraulically fractured natural gas wells on residential real estate prices. We exploit variation in distance to nearby gas wells in home sale prices to estimate this effect. In contrast to previous studies, we focus on a relatively densely populated area, a section of the Dallas–Ft. Worth–Arlington urban area. Using a dataset of 127,556 observations from Tarrant County, Texas over the period 2005–2011, we find robust evidence that increased proximity to a well leads to reduced home sale prices. Existence of wells within 3500 ft of a property reduces property values by approximately 1.5–3%. We demonstrate that the reduction seems to be driven by unconventional rather than conventional wells, and that well construction causes an added 1–2% reduction in home value.
Reverse-complement parameter sharing improves deep learning models for genomics

Deep learning approaches that have produced breakthrough predictive models in computer vision, speech recognition and machine translation are now being successfully applied to problems in regulatory genomics. However, deep learning architectures used thus far in genomics are often directly ported from computer vision and natural language processing applications with few, if any, domain-specific modifications. In double-stranded DNA, the same pattern may appear identically on one strand and its reverse complement due to complementary base pairing. Here, we show that conventional deep learning models that do not explicitly model this property can produce substantially different predictions on forward and reverse-complement versions of the same DNA sequence. We present four new convolutional neural network layers that leverage the reverse-complement property of genomic DNA sequence by sharing parameters between forward and reverse-complement representations in the model. These layers guarantee that forward and reverse-complement sequences produce identical predictions within numerical precision. Using experiments on simulated and in vivo transcription factor binding data, we show that our proposed architectures lead to improved performance, faster learning and cleaner internal representations compared to conventional architectures trained on the same data.
TCT-701 Low Dose Interventional X-ray System Reduces Radiation Exposure Greatest in Higher Body Surface Area Patient Population

Low dose interventional X-ray Systems have shown to substantially reduce radiation dose in the pediatric and adult structural and interventional realm. We evaluated our single center experience with Phillips, AlluraClarity software for all cardiovascular procedures; we also compared performance