cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intraocular pressure and common carotid occlusion.

A semilogarithmic relationship has been established between changes in intraocular pressure and ocular vascular volume after acute common carotid occlusion. This relationship has been used to derive a series of equations that relate the ocular blood volume change after acute common carotid occlusion and the resultant pressure changes in the intraocular vascular compartment by a theoretical constant termed the coefficient of vascular rigidity and a variable, Pco, that reflects the pressure dynamics in the carotid system after acute carotid occlusion. A method for estimating Pco in patients using multiple weight carotid compression tonography is described. Pco was found to vary from normal values in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease.
Quantitative phosphoproteomics of Alzheimer's disease reveals cross-talk between kinases and small heat shock proteins

Abnormal phosphorylation contributes to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but may play other signaling roles during AD pathogenesis. In this study, we employed IMAC followed by LC-MS/MS to identify phosphopeptides from eight individual AD and eight age-matched control postmortem human brain tissues. Using this approach, we identified 5569 phosphopeptides in frontal cortex across all 16 cases in which phosphopeptides represented 80% of all peptide spectral counts collected following IMAC enrichment. Marker selection identified 253 significantly altered phosphopeptides by precursor intensity, changed by at least 1.75-fold relative to controls, with an empirical false discovery rate below 7%. Approximately 21% of all significantly altered phosphopeptides in AD tissue were derived from tau. Of the other 142 proteins hyperphosphorylated in AD, membrane, synapse, cell junction, and alternatively spliced proteins were overrepresented. Of these, we validated differential phosphorylation of HSP 27 (HSPB1) and crystallin-alpha-B (CRYAB) as hyperphosphorylated by Western blotting. We further identified a network of phosphorylated kinases, which coenriched with phosphorylated small HSPs. This supports a hypothesis that a number of kinases are regulating and/or regulated by the small HSP folding network.
Effects of semantic and perceptual orienting tasks on preschool children’s memory

In each of two experiments, 3- and 5-year-olds’ free and cued recall was tested after they responded to category or color orienting questions. Performance of 5-year-olds was superior to that of the 3-year-olds, but for both age groups, free recall was comparable after the semantic and perceptual orienting tasks and cued recall was superior after the semantic orienting task. These results suggested a developmental invariance in effects of semantic and perceptual orienting on acquisition and limitations in young children’s retrieval.
Growth and water potential of j-rooted loblolly and eastern white pine seedlings over three growing seasons.

The effects of j-rooting on water stress and growth of loblolly (Pious taeda L.) and eastern white pine (Pious strobus L.) were examined over three growing seasons in the field. Seedlings were planted in an area with severe herbaceous competition with either their roots planted straight or bent into a j shape. All seedlings were planted with their root collars placed at the soil surface. During the first year j-rooted seedlings consistently had lower water potentials but never statistically significant. Since both treatments were planted with the root collar at the soil surface, this trend was likely due to an initial shallower root system in j-rooted seedlings. In year three no differences in water potential were significant and no trends were evident. Growth did not differ significantly by treatment at any time but, by year three, j-rooted plants were consistently larger for both species.
Completeness and internal consistency of DSM-III criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Clinical observations suggest that anxiety, depression, rage, and alienation might profitably be considered to be criteria for the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results of this investigation (N = 69) suggest that inclusion of these variables among the PTSD criteria would be inappropriate. Somatization and/or hypochondriacal fixation, however, appears to be intimately related to combat traumatization and might appropriately be considered for inclusion among the symptoms associated with PTSD. The DSM-III stress-disorder criteria contain five elements that, among substance-abusing verterans, contribute marginally to the diagnosis of PTSD. Accuracy in evaluating for PTSD might not be compromised by considering fitful sleep, concentration problems, memory impairment, memory interference, and survivor guilt to be associated phenomena rather than PTSD criteria. The results are generally consistent with modifications in diagnostic practice suggested in DSM-III-R.
An asynchronous modulation/demodulation technique for robust identification of a target for 3-D pose determination

Engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been investigating the feasibility of computer-controlled docking in resupply missions, sponsored by the US Army. The goal of this program is to autonomously dock an articulating robotic boom with a special receiving port. A video camera mounted on the boom provides video images of the docking port to an image processing computer that calculates the position and orientation (pose) of the target relative to the camera. The control system can then move the boom into docking position. This paper describes a method of uniquely identifying and segmenting the receiving port from its background in a sequence of video images. An array of light-emitting diodes was installed to mark the vertices of the port. The markers have a fixed geometric pattern and are modulated at a fixed frequency. An asynchronous demodulation technique to segment flashing markers from an image of the port was developed and tested under laboratory conditions. The technique acquires a sequence of images and digitally processes them in the time domain to suppress all image features except the flashing markers. Pixels that vary at frequencies within the filter bandwidth are passed unattenuated, while variations outside the passband are suppressed. The image coordinates of the segmented markers are computed and then used to calculate the pose of the receiving port. The technique has been robust and reliable in a laboratory demonstration of autodocking.
A BDNF loop-domain mimetic acutely reverses spontaneous apneas and respiratory abnormalities during behavioral arousal in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

Reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of Rett syndrome (RTT), a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2). In Mecp2 mutant mice, BDNF deficits have been associated with breathing abnormalities, a core feature of RTT, as well as with synaptic hyperexcitability within the brainstem respiratory network. Application of BDNF can reverse hyperexcitability in acute brainstem slices from Mecp2-null mice, suggesting that therapies targeting BDNF or its receptor, TrkB, could be effective at acute reversal of respiratory abnormalities in RTT. Therefore, we examined the ability of LM22A-4, a small-molecule BDNF loop-domain mimetic and TrkB partial agonist, to modulate synaptic excitability within respiratory cell groups in the brainstem nucleus tractus solitarius (nTS) and to acutely reverse abnormalities in breathing at rest and during behavioral arousal in Mecp2 mutants. Patch-clamp recordings in Mecp2-null brainstem slices demonstrated that LM22A-4 decreases excitability at primary afferent synapses in the nTS by reducing the amplitude of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents and the frequency of spontaneous and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. In vivo, acute treatment of Mecp2-null and -heterozygous mutants with LM22A-4 completely eliminated spontaneous apneas in resting animals, without sedation. Moreover, we demonstrate that respiratory dysregulation during behavioral arousal, a feature of human RTT, is also reversed in Mecp2 mutants by acute treatment with LM22A-4. Together, these data support the hypothesis that reduced BDNF signaling and respiratory dysfunction in RTT are linked, and establish the proof-of-concept that treatment with a small-molecule structural mimetic of a BDNF loop domain and a TrkB partial agonist can acutely reverse abnormal breathing at rest and in response to behavioral arousal in symptomatic RTT mice.
Human computer interface virtual acoustic display using gyroscopic sensors

In the paper the spherical-head model for the HRTF is developed and is used in conjunction with yaw angle tracking provided using software developed for a WiiRemote controller to simulate sound radiated from a point source as a function of head position. The yaw rotation angle is evaluated using gyros supplied in the Wii motion plus extension device. The real-time data obtained is used to control the parameters of the head related transfer function. This work aims to bring affordable experimental platforms for educating students in physical acoustics and signal processing.
‘He thinks Krishna is his friend’: Domestic space and temple sociality in the socialisation beliefs of immigrant Indian Hindu parents

This paper reports results from a study of the cultural belief systems, or ethnotheories, of Asian Indian Hindu parents in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, in the USA. I adopted a cultural, developmental psychological approach and, over a one-year period, used caregiver diaries, ecological inventories, repeated in-depth interviews and participant observations to gain access to the ethnotheories of the parents. These immigrant parents emphasised family ties, unprompted adherence to the daily routine, knowledge of cultural origins and religiously inflected moral values. Exploring the nuances of their emphasis on cultural origins and moral and religious values, particularly as those relate to Hinduism and its transnational rearticulation, I show how the parents utilised domestic spaces and the temple as dual venues to systematically socialise their children into a new form of Hindu religious and ‘Indian’ ethnic identity in the USA.
Field test experience of an underwater wireless network in the Atlantic Ocean

Underwater Wireless Networks (UWNs) have gained significant attention in recent years given their ability to expand underwater monitoring and detection applications. In this paper, we share our experience from a recent field experiment in the Atlantic Ocean, in which we have deployed an 11 node UWN. We discuss the system architecture, both hardware and software, and evaluate two new network protocols and one existing network protocol for real-world performance. Additionally, we provide insight on how the physical environment and surroundings impact the performance of the networked system. This work will share our practical issues in real systems and inspire new advances in the area of UWN research.
Presenilins and Alzheimer's disease

Mutations in the genes encoding the presenilins cause the majority of early-onset cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The identification of the presenilin genes has provided new opportunities for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the etiology and pathogenesis of AD. Recent progress has been made in attempts to understand the normal and pathological functions of the presenilins, emphasizing the effects of presenilin familial AD mutations on the amyloid beta-protein precursor, the presenilins themselves, and apoptotic cell death.
Systemic antibiotic prophylaxis not needed for microsurgical varicocelectomy.

OBJECTIVES Although systemic antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended for class I (clean) cases according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, they are often used for varicocelectomy. This study was designed to determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis is necessary for varicocelectomy. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of 278 patients who had undergone microsurgical varicocelectomy. No antibiotics were used. All patients were seen within 4 weeks of surgery and evaluated for signs of infection. RESULTS Only 2 patients developed culture-positive infection. Five additional patients had signs of infection as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study have shown that antibiotic prophylaxis is not warranted for patients undergoing varicocelectomy.
Heterozygous mutations in the T (brachyury) gene

To The Editor: We have read the paper by Postma et al 1 in the recent Journal of Medical Genetics describing a homozygous missense mutation, p.H171R T(brachyury) in three consanguineous families with sacral agenesis, persistent notochord and abnormal ossification of vertebral bodies. We would like to point out that our …
Context-aware Battery Management for Mobile Phones

In this paper, we propose a system for context- aware battery management that warns the user when it detects that the phone battery can run out before the next charging opportunity is encountered. At the heart of this system, are algorithms that predict: (1) when the next charging opportunity will be available, (2) how much call-time will be required by the user in the interim, and (3) how long the battery will last if the current set of applications continue to execute. We propose algorithms that process user's location traces and call-logs for making some of these predictions. We also propose a technique to predict battery consumption of applications. We present the design of the system and demonstrate its feasibility by experimentally showing that each of the prediction algorithms can perform with fairly high accuracy.
Relation of antibiotic use to risk of myocardial infarction in the general population

There are conflicting reports of an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) infection and coronary artery disease (CAD); randomized trials of antibiotics for the secondary prevention of CAD are currently underway. Physicians may be tempted to believe that their choice of antibiotic class in treating any infection may alter the risk of CAD. Our objective was to determine if the use of antibiotics with antichlamydial activity in the general population reduces the risk of myocardial infarction. A healthcare claims database with 354,258 patients with continuous health and pharmacy coverage for at least 2 years between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 1997 was used for the analyses. Hazard ratios were derived from proportional hazards models with time-dependent covariates, relating antibiotic prescription to first claim related to incident first myocardial infarction during the observation period, adjusting for previous CAD, age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There were a total of 1,684,091 person-years of observation and 16,139 incident myocardial infarctions. The adjusted hazard ratios were 1.10 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.04 to 1.16) for macrolides, 1.20 (95% CI 1.13 to 1.26) for quinolones, 1.10 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.21) for cephalosporins, 1.00 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.06) for tetracyclines, 1.01 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.06) for penicillins, and 1.13 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.30) for trimetroprim-sulfamethoxazole. The hazard ratios for individual antibiotics with activity against C. pneumoniae within each group were similar. Use of antibiotics with activity against C. pneumoniae does not reduce the risk of myocardial infarction in the general population.
CMOS RF transmitter with integrated power amplifier utilizing digital equalization

A digitally equalized 3.5-GHz CMOS RF transmitter (TX) with integrated 23-dBm power amplifier (PA) in 0.13-µm CMOS is presented. I/Q mismatch and memoryless nonlinearities of the whole transmit path, including the severe amplitude and phase distortions of the on-chip Class-B PA, are compensated by a digital, two-dimensional look-up table (2-D LUT) adapted by an LMS algorithm. The equalization results in an efficient TX with minimum analog and RF complexity. When a 20-MHz, 64-QAM OFDM signal with 9.6-dB peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) was transmitted, the measured average drain efficiency of the PA was 12.5% with a −29.6-dB EVM after equalization. An 8.7-dB EVM improvement was achieved with a regular baseband sample rate of 80 MS/s in a typical 802.11a transmitter. A peak drain efficiency of 55% and a 25-dBm saturated output power were also measured for the same PA in a stand-alone package.
Natural fibers for automotive nonwoven composites

Two types of nonwoven composites, uniform and sandwich structures, are produced using bagasse, kenaf, ramie, and polypropylene (PP) fibers. The experimental uniform composites include kenaf/PP (70/30), bagasse/PP (50/50), and ramie/PP (70/30). The experimental sandwich composites include kenaf/bagasse/kenaf and ramie/kenaf/ramie. A comparative study of these experimental composites is conducted in terms of mechanical properties, thermal properties, and wet properties. Composite tensile and flexural properties are measured using a desktop tensile tester. Composite thermal properties are characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Water absorption and thickness swelling of the composites are evaluated in accordance with an ASTM method. Scanning electron microscopy is used to examine the composite bonding structures. Statistical method of ANOVA is used for the comparative analysis. The study finds that the uniform structures have higher tensile strength and modulus, as well as higher flexural yiel...
False Consciousness or Class Awareness? Local Income Inequality, Personal Economic Position, and Belief in American Meritocracy

Existing research analyzes the effects of cross-national and temporal variation in income inequality on public opinion; however, research has failed to explore the impact of variation in inequality across citizens� local residential context. This article analyzes the impact of local inequality on citizens� belief in a core facet of the American ethos�meritocracy. We advance conditional effects hypotheses that collectively argue that the effect of residing in a high-inequality context will be moderated by individual income. Utilizing national survey data, we demonstrate that residing in more unequal counties heightens rejection of meritocracy among low-income residents and bolsters adherence among high-income residents. In relatively equal counties, we find no significant differences between high- and low-income citizens. We conclude by discussing the implications of class-based polarization found in response to local inequality with respect to current debates over the consequences of income inequality for American democracy.
The impact of time delay on robust control design in power systems

A centralized wide area controller design using systemwide data is proposed to enhance the dynamic performance of a large power system. The time delay exists in the data communication for this controller. Long time delay may be a detriment to wide area control system stability and delay may degrade system robustness. This paper analyzes the impact of time delay on robust wide area controller design in power systems. Time delay is described using the Pade approximation and is simulated within the robust wide area control system. According to numerous simulations, it is found that the overshoot value of active power variation increases and the settling time is lengthened when time delay occurs. The closed-loop control system may become unstable when the time delay is over a certain value. A robust controller can be redesigned to accommodate the possible long time delay. The impact of time delay on robust controller design is studied using a two-area four-machine system.
Parents' Viewpoints Concerning the Value of Preschool Summer Camps.

Using data from a parent survey, the author examined factors that influenced parents to enroll their children in a 5-day summer music camp. Survey questions included (a) What were the determining factors for enrolling your child in the class? (b) What activities did your child enjoy/value the most? (c) What musical activities do you and your child participate in at home? and (d) What activities did the parent participate in at home or while in school? Learning new music activities to share together, developing skills to help their children in day care, and having fun sharing music were the top reasons cited. Musical implications of early childhood teacher training and previous parent involvement are discussed.
Developmental Milestones: Motor Development

1. R. Jason Gerber, MD* 2. Timothy Wilks, MD† 3. Christine Erdie-Lalena, MD‡ 1. *Major, USAF, Medical Corps, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Fellow, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. 2. †LCDR, USN, Medical Corps; Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Fellow, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. 3. ‡Lt Col, USAF, Medical Corps, Program Director, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship, Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Identify the milestones for gross and fine motor development. 2. Recognize the child whose development falls outside of the expected range. 3. Describe the sequences involved in gross and fine motor development. This is the first of three articles on developmental milestones; the second and third articles will appear in the September and November 2010 issues of Pediatrics in Review, respectively . Infancy and childhood are dynamic periods of growth and change. Neurodevelopmental and physical growth proceed in a sequential and predictable pattern that is intrinsically determined. Skills progress from cephalic to caudal; from proximal to distal; and from generalized, stimulus-based reflexes to specific, goal-oriented reactions that become increasingly precise. As one clinician has stated, “infants [and children] are very orderly in their ways; they actually behave [and develop] according to laws that can be explored, discovered, confirmed, reconfirmed, and celebrated.” (1) By convention, these neurodevelopmental “laws” or sequences often are described in terms of the traditional developmental milestones. Milestones provide a framework for observing and monitoring a child over time. According to recent American Academy of Pediatrics and Bright Futures guidelines, pediatricians should incorporate developmental surveillance at every health supervision visit. Surveillance involves analyzing the milestones in the context of a child's history, growth, and physical examination findings to recognize those who may be at risk for developmental delay. A thorough understanding of the normal or typical sequence of development in all domains (gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, receptive language, expressive language, and social-emotional) allows the clinician to formulate a correct overall impression of a child's true developmental status. However, it …
Radiographic vs surgical size of renal tumours after partial nephrectomy

Objective To compare the radiographic with the surgical size of renal tumours selected for partial nephrectomy. Patients and methods In 50 patients undergoing elective partial nephrectomy for renal carcinoma (31 men and 19 women, preoperative tumour size 1.5–5.2 cm) the maximum size of the renal tumour, as assessed from computed tomography (CT) before surgery, was compared with the tumour size at surgery. All patients had their renal artery temporarily occluded before surgery to shrink the kidney. Results After partial nephrectomy, the renal tumours were a mean of 0.63 cm smaller than the estimate from CT; tumours of 3.5 cm on CT were particularly reduced. Conclusion Incidentally discovered tumours on CT that are < 3.5 cm and favourably located are often selected for partial nephrectomy. If temporary vascular occlusion and surface hypothermia of the kidney causes shrinkage of most tumours of 3.5 cm, then surgeons might attempt partial nephrectomy in borderline cases, with a better chance of complete resection.
A low-complexity parallel system for gracious scalable performance. Case study for near PetaFLOPS computing

This paper presents a "point design" for an MIMD distributed shared-memory parallel computer capable of achieving gracious 100 TeraFLOPS performance with technology that will definitely become feasible/viable in less than a decade. Its scalability guarantees a lifetime extending well into the next century. The design takes advantage of free-space optical technologies, with simple guided-wave concepts, to produce a 1-D building block (BB) that implements efficiently a large, fully-connected system of processors. Designing fully-connected, large systems of electronic processors could be an immediate impact of optics on massively-parallel processing. A 2-D structure is proposed for the complete system, where the aforementioned 1-D BB is extended into two dimensions. This architecture behaves like a 2-D generalized hypercube, which is characterized by outstanding performance and extremely high wiring complexity that prohibits its electronic implementation. With readily available technology, a mesh of clear plastic bars in our design facilitate bit-parallel transmissions that utilize wavelength-division multiplexing and follow dedicated optical paths. Each processor is mounted on a card. Each card contains eight processors interconnected locally via an electronic crossbar. Taking advantage of higher-speed optical technologies all eight processors share the same interface to the optical medium. Encouraging, preliminary results prove that our conservative design could have a tremendous, positive impact on massively-parallel computing in the near future.
PSYCHOLOGY OF COMPUTER USE: VII. MEASURING TECHNOSTRESS: COMPUTER-RELATED STRESS '

The Computer Technology Hassles Scale was developed to measure technostress or computer-related stress. The Computer Technology Hassles Scale was based on the idea that certain interactions with computer technology are perceived by people to be stressful or a “hassle.” Subjects rated a list of 65 “hassles” as to severity, using a graded response. To ascertain the relation of the Computer Technology Hassles Scale to other measures, the subjects were given the Perceived Stress Scale, a measure of global stress. Subjects were also given a measure of computer attitudes, the Computer Attitude Scale. Demographic data on each subject were also collected. The correlational analyses showed that scores on the Computer Technology Hassles Scale were significantly correlated with scores on the Perceived Stress Scale and the number of hours of computer use but not with attitudes toward computers. These results suggest that the Computer Technology Hassles Scale taps a dimension of psychological stress and that increased...
Liver-tumor detection with ultrasound contrast: a blinded prospective study in rabbits.

Ultrasound has evolved into a frontline modality in most applications except for the detection of focal liver disease. Despite the wide availability, portability, relatively low cost, and high patient acceptance of ultrasound, CT and MR are currently considered the standards for detection and characterization of focal liver lesions (1). The superiority of MR and particularly CT is in part due to the availability of IV contrast material. Contrast agents promote lesion visualization by increasing image contrast owing to the differences in their wash-in and washout rates between normal and abnormal tissues. Others and we have demonstrated that ultrasound contrast agents can provide gray-scale enhancement of vessels and tissues, including those of the liver (2-5). We have also shown that the contrast agent can be observed filling the hepatic arteries, the portal veins, and then the hepatic parenchyma in real time (5). This triple-phase enhancement pattern increases the conspicuity of vascular tumors that become brighter than liver during the arterial phase, potentially expanding the role of sonography in tumor diagnosis and characterization. Proof that resection of colorectal liver metastases increases survivorship heightens the need not only to recognize their presence, but also to detect all lesions. Since the number and size of metastases determines resectability (1),
Shape-shifting in contorted dibenzotetrathienocoronenes

We detail a general method for the synthesis of dibenzotetrathienocoronenes and elucidate their solid state structures in crystals and co-crystals. The contorted dibenzotetrathienocoronene (c-DBTTC) is a tetrathiophene-fused version of the previously studied contorted hexabenzocoronenes (c-HBC). The synthesis detailed here is simple and provides easy access to this important class of materials. We have found that these materials display molecular flexibility and tunable supramolecular self-assembly properties in the solid state by shifting molecular conformations between two different conformations. Depending on the conditions under which a c-DBTTC-containing material crystallizes, the c-DBTTC adopts either the “up-down” or the “butterfly” conformation. When grown from the vapor phase, crystals of the unsubstituted c-DBTTC show the molecule only in the up-down conformation, and it packs into dense crystals containing columnar arrays with close intracolumnar packing. The packing is controlled by the inherent molecular corrugation of the three-dimensional core and sulfur–sulfur interactions. When grown as co-crystals with electron acceptors from solution, the butyl-substituted c-DBTTC either adopts the butterfly conformation when the electron acceptor is small enough to be completely enveloped (TCNQ) or the up-down conformation when the electron acceptor is relatively large (C60). When grown from organic solvent crystals of the butyl-substituted c-DBTTC contain molecules of the solvent as the only guest, and we observe both conformations of the c-DBTTC. Controlling the supramolecular structure is the key to developing these materials for electronic applications.
Encephalopsin: A Novel Mammalian Extraretinal Opsin Discretely Localized in the Brain

We have identified a mammalian opsin, encephalopsin, that shows strong and specific expression in the brain. Encephalopsin defines a new family of opsins and shows highest homology to vertebrate retinal and pineal opsins. Encephalopsin is highly expressed in the preoptic area and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, both regions implicated in encephalic photoreception in nonmammalian vertebrates. In addition, encephalopsin shows highly patterned expression in other regions of the brain, being enriched in selected regions of the cerebral cortex, cerebellar Purkinje cells, a subset of striatal neurons, selected thalamic nuclei, and a subset of interneurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. Rostrocaudal gradients of encephalopsin expression are present in the cortex, cerebellum, and striatum. Radial stripes of encephalopsin expression are seen in the cerebellum. In the cortex and cerebellum, encephalopsin expression is considerably higher and more highly patterned in the adult than in the neonate. Encephalopsin is the first putative extraocular opsin identified in mammals and may play a role in encephalic photoreception.
Using integral projection models to compare population dynamics of four closely related species

Demographic processes, such as survival, growth, and reproduction, can inform us about invasion risk, extinction risk, and trade-offs in life history strategies. The population dynamics of four Amaranthaceae species in southern Illinois, USA were examined using integral projection models (IPMs) to determine whether vital rates reflect life history among these closely related species. Two of the species, Amaranthus palmeri and Amaranthus tuberculatus, are summer annuals and considered to be some of the most problematic agricultural weeds in the US Midwest. Achyranthes japonica is a relatively new invasive exotic species that primarily inhabits forests. Iresine rhizomatosa, is an endangered species in the study area, which also inhabits forests. Two populations of each species were studied from 2012 to 2014 in which height of individuals were measured and used as the state variable in the IPMs. The Amaranthus species and Achyranthes japonica had an estimated population growth rate >1, projecting increases in population size. By contrast, λ was <1 for I. rhizomatosa, projecting a decline in population size demonstrating its endangered status. Germination rates and seed viability were dependent on species and varied over time. Elasticity analyses showed that survival and growth contributed most to λ for the perennial species; whereas, for the annual species population dynamics were driven primarily by fecundity. Overall, Achyranthes japonica and the Amaranthus species show similar trends in demographic processes that align with their invasive nature and not with their life histories. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that more research on the competitive nature of Achyranthes japonica is needed.
Reactive tiling

To fully exploit the power of emerging multicore architectures, managing shared resources (i.e., caches) across applications and over time is critical. However, to our knowledge, most prior efforts view this problem from the OS/hardware side, and do not consider whether applications themselves can also participate in this process of managing shared resources. In this paper, we show how an application can react to OS/hardware-based resource management decisions by adapting itself (called reactive application), with the goal of maximizing the utilization of the shared resources allocated to it. Specifically, we present a framework that can generate code for adaptive (reactive) tiling, and propose an execution model in which a reactive application can react to the modulations in its cache space allocations to prevent its performance from degrading. One can expect two potential benefits from this approach. First, matching tile size to available cache capacity dynamically (during execution) improves performance of the target application. Second and equally important, better utilization of shared cache space reduces pressure on other applications (co-runners) that execute concurrently with the target application. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme improves the performance of applications (over the best static tiles) by 8.4%, on average, when using synthetic cache allocations. Further with dynamic cache allocations determined by the utility-based cache partitioning (a state-of-the-art cache partitioning scheme), it improves performance of a set of eleven HPC applications by 11.3%.
Dental Caries and Early Ecuadorian Agriculture

Teeth of Vildivia Period C Indians lack caries, a fact inconsistent with suggestions for intensive agriculture at this time (ca. 2000 B.C.) in coastal Ecuador.
Heterostructuring Nanocrystal Quantum Dots Toward Intentional Suppression of Blinking and Auger Recombination.

At the level of a single particle, nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) are observed to fluoresce intermittently or “blink.” They are also characterized by an efficient nonradiative recombination process known as Auger recombination (AR). Recently, new approaches to NQD heterostructuring have been developed that directly impact both blinking and AR, resulting in dramatic suppression of these unwanted processes. The three successful hetero-NQD motifs are reviewed here: (1) interfacial alloying, (2) thick or “giant” shells, and (3) specific type-II electronic structures. These approaches, which rely on modifying or tuning internal NQD core/shell structures, are compared with alternative strategies for blinking suppression that rely, instead, on surface modifications or surface-mediated interactions. Finally, in each case, the unique synthetic approaches or challenges addressed that have driven the realization of novel and important functionality are discussed, along with the implications for development of a com...
Southern Potato Wireworms: Light-Trap Catches of Adults in an Isolated Agricultural Area

Light traps were tested for 4 years in an attempt to Suppress Conoderus falli Lane in an isolated agricultural area. Over time, considerable variation in catch occurred among traps and within individual traps. Traps used at a density of 1.1 per acre failed to give economic control of the insect. Populations were estimated by release-recapture techniques and by sampling larval population in soil. Only a small proportion of the total number of beetles in the isolated area was caught.
Clinical Infection of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and the Analysis of Its Drug Resistance

Objective To investigate the infection and drug resistance of clinical pseudomonas aeruginosa and provide reference for the clinical therapy.Methods Retrospectively survey and statistical analysis were carried out in the clinical distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from Jul 2008 to Jul 2010.Results The separated 103 strains of PA were mainly from sputum,accounting for 74.8%,and mainly distributed in cadre department and respiratory department.The result of antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that the lowest resistance rate is to sulbactam/cefoperazone(6.8%) and to amikacin(8.7%);the highest resistance rate is to levofloxacin(24.3%) and to aztreonam(20.4%).Conclusion Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes mainly respiratory infection,and is highly resistant to some antibiotics.We should strengthen the monitoring of the antibiotic resistance and rational utilization.
Immunogenicity and safety of influenza split vaccine

我国是流感的高发区,每年均有不同程度流行,严重威胁人民健康.接种流感疫苗是预防流感的最佳方法.安全性、免疫原性较好的疫苗将成为未来流感疫苗的发展方向.为了解国产流感病毒裂解疫苗在人群中接种的安全性和免疫效果,并与同类进口流感疫苗做对比,于2006年11月至2007年4月在陕西省屑县进行临床研究,结果报告如下。
Safety and feasibility of fasting in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy

Short-term starvation prior to chemotherapy administration protects mice against toxicity. We undertook dose-escalation of fasting prior to platinum-based chemotherapy to determine safety and feasibility in cancer patients. 3 cohorts fasted before chemotherapy for 24, 48 and 72 h (divided as 48 pre-chemo and 24 post-chemo) and recorded all calories consumed. Feasibility was defined as ≥ 3/6 subjects in each cohort consuming ≤ 200 kcal per 24 h during the fast period without excess toxicity. Oxidative stress was evaluated in leukocytes using the COMET assay. Insulin, glucose, ketones, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) were measured as biomarkers of the fasting state. The median age of our 20 subjects was 61, and 85 % were women. Feasibility criteria were met. Fasting-related toxicities were limited to ≤ grade 2, most commonly fatigue, headache, and dizziness. The COMET assay indicated reduced DNA damage in leukocytes from subjects who fasted for ≥48 h (p = 0.08). There was a non-significant trend toward less grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in the 48 and 72 h cohorts compared to 24 h cohort (p = 0.17). IGF-1 levels decreased by 30, 33 and 8 % in the 24, 48 and 72 h fasting cohorts respectively after the first fasting period. Fasting for 72 h around chemotherapy administration is safe and feasible for cancer patients. Biomarkers such as IGF-1 may facilitate assessment of differences in chemotherapy toxicity in subgroups achieving the physiologic fasting state. An onging randomized trial is studying the effect of 72 h of fasting. NCT00936364 , registered propectively on July 9, 2009.
Challenges, Concerns, and Critiques of Transmedia Storytelling Edutainment

This chapter looks at learning disabilities, cultural representation, and the portrayal of minorities in film. As the integration of technology and media into scholarly activities increases, and as media and technology continue to evolve, new forms of literacy will be necessary. This chapter illustrates that the fusion of education and technology must be student-centered rather than technology-centered. It also sheds light on entertainment-education and social change, and highlights the role of transformational education and transformative learning. A critical-creative pedagogy is introduced.
Free Choice and the Theory of Scalar Implicatures

This chapter will be concerned with the conjunctive interpretation of a family of disjunctive constructions. The relevant conjunctive interpretation, sometimes referred to as a ‘free choice effect,’ (FC) is attested when a disjunctive sentence is embedded under an existential modal operator. I will provide evidence that the relevant generalization extends (with some caveats) to all constructions in which a disjunctive sentence appears under the scope of an existential quantifier, as well as to seemingly unrelated constructions in which conjunction appears under the scope of negation and a universal quantifier.
Diffusion tensor imaging and histology of developing hearts

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has emerged as a promising method for noninvasive quantification of myocardial microstructure. However, the origin and behavior of DTI measurements during myocardial normal development and remodeling remain poorly understood. In this work, conventional and bicompartmental DTI in addition to three-dimensional histological correlation were performed in a sheep model of myocardial development from third trimester to postnatal 5 months of age. Comparing the earliest time points in the third trimester with the postnatal 5 month group, the scalar transverse diffusivities preferentially increased in both left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV): secondary eigenvalues D2 increased by 54% (LV) and 36% (RV), whereas tertiary eigenvalues D3 increased by 85% (LV) and 67% (RV). The longitudinal diffusivity D1 changes were small, which led to a decrease in fractional anisotropy by 41% (LV) and 33% (RV) in 5 month versus fetal hearts. Histological analysis suggested that myocardial development is associated with hyperplasia in the early stages of the third trimester followed by myocyte growth in the later stages up to 5 months of age (increased average myocyte width by 198%, myocyte length by 128%, and decreased nucleus density by 70% between preterm and postnatal 5 month hearts.) In a few histological samples (N = 6), correlations were observed between DTI longitudinal diffusivity and myocyte length (r = 0.86, P < 0.05), and transverse diffusivity and myocyte width (r = 0.96, P < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that transverse diffusivities are more affected by changes in myocyte size and nucleus density changes than longitudinal diffusivities, which is consistent with predictions of classical models of diffusion in porous media. Furthermore, primary and secondary DTI eigenvectors during development changed significantly. Collectively, the findings demonstrate a role for DTI to monitor and quantify myocardial development, and potentially cardiac disease. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intrapleural placement of a thoracic epidural catheter in a patient with spinal stenosis

Due to the close proximity of the thoracic epidural space and parietal pleura, pleural puncture with intrapleural catheter placement is a potential complication of thoracic epidural anesthesia. The authors present a case of an obese patient with a history of spinal stenosis that underwent thoracotomy. Repeated failed attempts at epidural anesthesia were complicated by intrapleural placement of the catheter. The patient subsequently developed clinical signs of pneumothorax and required urgent thoracostomy.
Biological and land use controls on the isotopic composition of aquatic carbon in the Upper Mississippi River Basin

Riverine ecosystems receive organic matter (OM) from terrestrial sources, internally produce new OM, and biogeochemically cycle and modify organic and inorganic carbon. Major gaps remain in the understanding of the relationships between carbon sources and processing in river systems. Here we synthesize isotopic, elemental, and molecular properties of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) system above Wabasha, MN, including the main stem Mississippi River and its four major tributaries (Minnesota, upper Mississippi, St. Croix, and Chippewa Rivers). Our goal was to elucidate how biological processing modifies the chemical and isotopic composition of aquatic carbon pools during transport downstream in a large river system with natural and man-made impoundments. Relationships between land cover and DOC carbon-isotope composition, absorbance, and hydrophobic acid content indicate that DOC retains terrestrial carbon source information, while the terrestrial POC signal is largely replaced by autochthonous organic matter, and DIC integrates the influence of in-stream photosynthesis and respiration of organic matter. The UMR is slightly heterotrophic throughout the year, but pools formed by low-head navigation dams and natural impoundments promote a shift towards autotrophic conditions, altering aquatic ecosystem dynamics and POC and DIC composition. Such changes likely occur in all major river systems affected by low-head dams and need to be incorporated into our understanding of inland water carbon dynamics and processes controlling CO2 emissions from rivers, as new navigation and flood control systems are planned for future river and water resources management.
Effects of antibiotic regimens on the fecal shedding patterns of pigs infected with salmonella typhimurium.

An experiment was conducted to determine (i) the effects of antibiotic regimens on the shedding patterns of pigs infected with Salmonella Typhimurium and (ii) whether antibiotic resistance increases the incidence of pathogen shedding. The experiment involved 48 50-day-old pigs challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium and receiving one of four antibiotic regimens including (i) intramuscular injection of ceftiofur sodium followed by inclusion of oxytetracycline in the feed; (ii) apramycin in the feed for 14 days followed by oxytetracycline; (iii) carbadox in the feed until pigs reached 35 kg followed by oxytetracycline; (iv) no antibiotics (control). Fecal samples were collected preinoculation, 2 and 4 days postinoculation (DPI) and at weekly and biweekly intervals thereafter to determine shedding patterns. Salmonella Typhimurium isolates from 2, 4, 7, 21, 42, and 70 DPI were analyzed for antibiotic resistance. A time effect (P < 0.05) was observed, indicating that the proportion of isolates resistant to at least one antibiotic varied over time. Overall resistance was determined to be 46% at 2 DPI and increased significantly (P < .05) thereafter. Treatment x time and antibiotic x time interactions were also observed (P < 0.05) as the percentage of isolates resistant to each test antibiotic increased over time. In no case did the development of antibiotic resistance result in an increased incidence of shedding of the original inoculate. The incidence of shedding was reduced in pigs receiving the apramycin-oxytetracycline treatment, when compared to control pigs; however, no differences were observed between antibiotic treatments.