cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sexual dimorphism in the vasotocin system of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana).

Arginine vasotocin (AVT) is widespread in amphibian brains, where its levels have been correlated with reproductive behaviors. To better understand which neural systems are involved in central actions of AVT, we used immunocytochemistry to compare the distribution of AVT in the brains of male and female bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). AVT-immunoreactive cells were observed in the septal nucleus, amygdala pars lateralis, magnocellular preoptic area, suprachiasmatic nucleus, and hypothalamus. AVT-immunoreactive cells were also found in the pretrigeminal nucleus, but only in animals killed in the fall. Immunoreactive fibers were broadly distributed in hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic areas. The most obvious sex differences were found in the amygdala pars lateralis, where the density of immunoreactive cells and fibers was significantly greater in male than in female bullfrogs. In addition, in the habenular nucleus, males had a denser distribution of AVT-immunoreactive fibers than females. In the suprachiasmatic nucleus, AVT-immunoreactive cells were larger in females than in males but did not differ in number. Since the areas that showed sex differences in AVT distribution have also been implicated in control of reproductive behaviors, they may form the neural substrates for the effects of AVT on sexually dimorphic behaviors in amphibians. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sensor technologies for monitoring metabolic activity in single cells-part II: nonoptical methods and applications

A review of solid-state chemical and electrochemical sensors to detect metabolic activity at the extracellular, single-cell level is presented in the context of the development of lab-on-a-chip research instrumentation. Metabolic processes in cells are briefly reviewed with the goal of quantifying the role of metabolites within the cell. Sensors reviewed include both research and commercial devices that can noninvasively detect extracellular metabolites, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and glucose. Metabolic activity can also be sensed nonselectively by measuring pH gradients. Performance metrics, such as sensitivity, sensor size, drift, time response, and sensing range, are included when available. Highly suitable sensor technologies for monitoring cellular metabolic activity include electrochemical sensors, scanning electrochemical microscopy, ion-sensitive field effect transistor sensors, and solid-state light-addressable potentiometric sensors. Other less-suitable, but still potentially viable, solid-state sensing technologies are also reviewed briefly, including resonant chemical sensors (surface acoustic wave and quartz crystal microbalance), conductivity or impedance sensors, and sensors with multiple transduction stages. Specific biological applications which benefit from detection of extracellular metabolic events at the single-cell level are discussed to provide context to the practical use of these sensor technologies; these applications include case studies of various diseases (cancer, diabetes, mitochondrial disorders. etc.), cell and tissue differentiation; cell and tissue storage; cell life cycle and basic cellular processes; and developmental biology.
Biologic Activities of the TolC-Like Protein of Neisseria meningitidis as Assessed by Functional Complementation in Escherichia coli

Neisseria meningitidis can produce a TolC-like protein needed for secretion of FrpC but not efflux of antimicrobials. We now report that expression of the meningococcal tolC gene in a TolC-deficient strain of Escherichia coli can restore properties of alpha-hemolysis and antimicrobial resistance known to involve efflux pumps.
Estimation of crown and stem water content and biomass of boreal forest using polarimetric SAR imagery

Characterization of boreal forests in ecosystem models requires temporal and spatial distributions of water content and biomass over local and regional scales. The authors report on the use of a semi-empirical algorithm for deriving these parameters from polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) measurements. The algorithm is based on a two layer radar backscatter model that stratifies the forest canopy into crown and stem layers and separates the structural and biometric attributes of forest stands. The structural parameters are estimated by training the model with SAR image data over dominant coniferous and deciduous stands in the boreal forest such as jack pine, black spruce, and aspen. The algorithm is then applied on AIRSAR images collected during the Boreal Ecosystem Atmospheric Study (BOREAS) over the boreal forest of Canada. The results are verified using biometry measurements during BOREAS-intensive field campaigns. Field data relating the water content of tree components to dry biomass are used to modify the coefficients of the algorithm for crown and stem biomass. The algorithm was then applied over the entire image generating biomass maps. A set of 18 test sites within the imaged area was used to assess the accuracy of the biomass maps. The accuracy of biomass estimation is also investigated by choosing different combinations of polarization and frequency channels of the AIRSAR system. It is shown that polarimetric data from P-band and L-band channels provide similar accuracy for estimating the above-ground biomass for boreal forest types. In general, the use of P-band channels can provide better estimates of stem biomass, while L-band channels can estimate the crown biomass more accurately.
Nelson Syndrome: Update on Therapeutic Approaches

Objective To review the pathophysiology and therapeutic modalities availble for Nelson syndrome. Methods We reviewed the current literature including managment for Nelson syndrome. Results For patients with NS, surgical intervention is often the first-line therapy. With refractory NS or tumors with extrasellar involvement, radiosurgery offers an important alternative or adjuvant option. Pharmacologic interventions have demonstrated limited usefulness, although recent evidence supports the feasibility of a novel somatostatin analog for patients with NS. Modern neuroimaging, improved surgical techniques, and the advent of stereotactic radiotherapy have transformed the management of NS. Conclusions An up-to-date understanding of the pathophysiology underlying Nelson Syndrome and evidence-based management is imperative. Early detection may allow for more successful therapy in patients with Nelson Syndrome. Improved radiotherapeutic interventions and rapidly evolving pharmacologic therapies offer an opportunity to create targeted, multifocal treatment regiments for patients with Nelson Syndrome.
Swarm Formations Under Nonholonomic and Numerosity Constraints

In this paper, we propose a fully distributed, scalable method of controlling agents with nonholonomic constraints using a Morse potential function. This method successfully controls a swarm of differential-drive (unicycle-type) agents to stable and predictable formations whose structures are not defined a priori. The system achieves a stable, minimal energy state.We consider the effect of numerosity constraints, as observed in birds and fish in their shoaling and flocking behavior as a mechanism of reducing complexity, in the interest of achieving fully distributed control over a swarm of any size. The application of numerosity constraints to a swarm system allows the swarm to grow without bound and with no increase in required processing capability of the individual agents. We explore this parameter as a method of minimizing processing and storage requirements while still achieving the qualitative swarm performance. Results from simulations are given for swarms ranging in size over N = {6,…,100} acting under our proposed controller as applied to differential-drive (unicycle-type) robots.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Microbubble Type and Distribution Dependence of Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood–Brain Barrier Opening

Focused ultrasound, in the presence of microbubbles, has been used non-invasively to induce reversible blood-brain barrier (BBB) opening in both rodents and non-human primates. This study was aimed at identifying the dependence of BBB opening properties on polydisperse microbubble (all clinically approved microbubbles are polydisperse) type and distribution by using a clinically approved ultrasound contrast agent (Definity microbubbles) and in-house prepared polydisperse (IHP) microbubbles in mice. A total of 18 C57 BL/6 mice (n = 3) were used in this study, and each mouse was injected with either Definity or IHP microbubbles via the tail vein. The concentration and size distribution of activated Definity and IHP microbubbles were measured, and the microbubbles were diluted to 6 × 10(8)/mL before injection. Immediately after microbubble administration, mice were subjected to focused ultrasound with the following parameters: frequency = 1.5 MHz, pulse repetition frequency = 10 Hz, 1000 cycles, in situ peak rarefactional acoustic pressures = 0.3, 0.45 and 0.6 MPa for a sonication duration of 60 s. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was used to confirm BBB opening and allowed for image-based analysis. Permeability of the treated region and volume of BBB opening did not significantly differ between the two types of microbubbles (p > 0.05) at peak rarefractional acoustic pressures of 0.45 and 0.6 MPa, whereas IHP microbubbles had significantly higher permeability and opening volume (p < 0.05) at the relatively lower pressure of 0.3 MPa. The results from this study indicate that microbubble type and distribution could have significant effects on focused ultrasound-induced BBB opening at lower pressures, but less important effects at higher pressures, possibly because of the stable cavitation that governs the former. This difference may have become less significant at higher pressures, where inertial cavitation typically occurs.
Compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines in the use of radiation therapy for extremity and superficial trunk soft tissue sarcoma in the United States.

Background We sought to examine adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for use of radiation therapy (RT) in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) in the United States. Methods The surveillance, epidemiology, and end results cancer registry was queried to identify patients undergoing surgery for truncal and extremity STS from 2004 to 2009. Results Of 5,075 patients, 50% received RT. Although routine RT is not recommended for Stage I patients, 25% still underwent RT. Even though routine RT is recommended for Stage II and III tumors, only 60% underwent RT. On multivariate analysis predictors of RT included age <50 years (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.28–1.91), malignant fibrous histiocytoma histology (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.3–1.92), T2 classification (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.60–2.20), and G3 (OR 6.27, 95% CI 5.10–7.72). Patients with Stage III STS who received RT showed improved disease specific survival at 5 years compared to those who did not, 68% versus 46%, P <0.001. Conclusions Underuse of RT is seen for a significant proportion of patients undergoing treatment for STS in the United States. More effort needs to be directed towards compliance with appropriate treatment recommendations, perhaps by regionalizing sarcoma care or remote multidisciplinary tumor boards. J. Surg. Oncol 2014; 109:633–638. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Avoiding Complications in Endoscopic Sinus Surgery

Complications of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) can range from the mundane to the catastrophic, with nasal hemorrhage being the most common. Intraorbital and intracranial complications are much less common. Despite the rarity of complications, they are often avoidable. Certain identifiable risk factors can be appreciated during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative evaluations of the sinus patient. With awareness of these risk factors the rhinologist can develop a strategic plan of risk factor mitigation. This article identifies areas of increased risk that are amenable to preventive strategies before complications become realized.
Stability of codeine phosphate in an extemporaneously compounded syrup.

Purpose. The stability of codeine phosphate in an extemporaneously compounded syrup is described. Methods. Codeine phosphate 3-mg/mL syrup was prepared using commercially available Codeine Phosphate, USP, Sterile Water for Irrigation, USP, and Ora-Sweet syrup vehicle. Samples were stored in amber polyethylene terephthalate bottles with child-resistant caps. A second batch of codeine phosphate 3-mg/mL syrup was prepared and drawn into amber polyethylene oral syringes with silicon elastomer tips. All samples were stored at room temperature and in the dark. Samples were analyzed immediately and at 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 98 days. Codeine phosphate concentrations were measured using a modified stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic method. At each test interval, the density of the syrup was determined gravimetrically using a 10-mL amber oral syringe. Excessive degradation was defined as a greater than 7% loss of the initial concentration. Results. The stock internal standard was stable for at least 98 days at room temperature. The compounded syrup retained more than 93% of the initial codeine phosphate concentration for at least 98 days at 22–25 °C. No changes in color, clarity, or odor and no visible solids or microbial growth were observed in any sample. The pH of the syrup was initially 4.2 and remained unchanged throughout the study. Conclusion. Codeine phosphate 3 mg/ mL in Ora-Sweet syrup vehicle was stable in both amber polyethylene terephthalate bottles and amber polyethylene oral syringes for at least 98 days when stored at 22–25 °C and protected from light.
Social Intelligence: A Concept in Search of Data

300 students from Grades 6, 9, and 12 (equally represented by males and females at each grade) were administered the Otis IQ test and six of Guilford's tests of social intelligence. The data were a...
Report of Special Committee on Flood‐Waves, 1940–41

The Special Committee on Flood-Waves was created four years ago with the purpose or stimulating activity in the study of various types of wave-phenomena. Several Sub-Committees were originally appointed with a view of bringing up-to-date a resume of the literature on the subject of waves and recording the work in progress by various Federal, State, and private agencies. The results or these studies and a number of others by individual persons have been published in the transactions of the American Geophysical Union for the past three years. The Committee on Flood-Waves remains the same as in the past year. The membership is as follows: Merrill Bernard, U. S. Weather Bureau, Washington, D.C.; M. C. Boyer, United States Geological Survey, Washington, D.C.; H. N . Eaton, Hydraulic Laboratory. National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.; R. S. Goodridge, United States Soil Conservation Servation Service Washington, D.C.; G. A. Hathaway, Office of Chief of Engineers, United States Engineer Department, Washington, D.C.; Robert E. Horton, Consulting Hydraulic Engineer, Voorheesvilie, New York; Ivan E. Houk, United States Bureau of Reclamation, 440 Customhouse, Denver, Colorado; Hans Kramer, United States Engineer Office, Panama Canal; F. T. Mavis, College of Engineering, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pennsylvania; M. P. O'Brien, College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California; Lorenz G. Straub (Chairman), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and H. A. Thomas, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On Evaluation Costs in Strategic Factor Markets: The Implications for Competition and Organizational Design

This paper uses a formal model to study how evaluation costs affect competition for resources in strategic factor markets. It finds that relative scarcity may not always benefit resource sellers. Rather, when competition among resource investors passes a certain threshold intensity, miscoordination among investors increases to the point that sellers' expected profits decline. This paper extends the model to consider how investors organize to overcome managerial agency in resource evaluation. Two organizational designs are considered: (a) incentivization, wherein a lower-level manager is motivated by an incentive contract to evaluate resources for an investor, and (b) supervision, wherein evaluation is either handled directly or closely monitored by headquarters. The model suggests that competition among investors will be associated with a greater use of supervision and that investors using supervision will tend to make lower offers. This paper also finds that supervision will be more common when valuable resources are rare. This paper was accepted by Bruno Cassiman, business strategy.
Studies of metabolite–protein interactions: A review

The study of metabolomics can provide valuable information about biochemical pathways and processes at the molecular level. There have been many reports that have examined the structure, identity and concentrations of metabolites in biological systems. However, the binding of metabolites with proteins is also of growing interest. This review examines past reports that have looked at the binding of various types of metabolites with proteins. An overview of the techniques that have been used to characterize and study metabolite-protein binding is first provided. This is followed by examples of studies that have investigated the binding of hormones, fatty acids, drugs or other xenobiotics, and their metabolites with transport proteins and receptors. These examples include reports that have considered the structure of the resulting solute-protein complexes, the nature of the binding sites, the strength of these interactions, the variations in these interactions with solute structure, and the kinetics of these reactions. The possible effects of metabolic diseases on these processes, including the impact of alterations in the structure and function of proteins, are also considered.
The topology of close approximation

Abstract Three topologies on function spaces are considered; in increasing order of fineness they are: convergence in measure, uniform and “close approximation”. For simplicity and definiteness, attention is concentrated on the space of Lebesgue measurable real-valued functions on the real line; considerable generalizations are possible. The Borel classification of some families of functions, and the behavior of “most” functions (that is, of a residual set), are studied; the compact families of functions in the “close approximation” topology are characterized; and the effect of identifying functions modulo null sets is investigated.
Differential sensitivity of chromium-mediated DNA interstrand crosslinks and DNA-protein crosslinks to disruption by alkali and EDTA.

Abstract Some compounds of hexavalent chromium are well-established carcinogens. Chromium enters mammalian cells in the hexavalent form and is reduced to chromium(III). Treatment of purified DNA with chromium(III) produces DNA–DNA interstrand crosslinks (DDC) which obstruct the progression of DNA polymerases in vitro. DDC were also detected in chromate-treated cultured normal human lung cells using the renaturing agarose gel electrophoresis (RAGE) assay and correlated with base-specific inhibition of DNA replication. Curiously, DDC have gone undetected in studies of cultured cells using the alkaline elution (AE) technique, whereas chromium-mediated DNA–protein crosslinks (DPC) were readily detected by AE. We tested the hypothesis that AE conditions [60 mM tetraethyl ammonium hydroxide (TEA), 20 mM EDTA, pH 12.6, for 16 h at room temperature] dissociate DDC but not DPC using chromium(III)-treated plasmid DNA and the RAGE assay. Dose-dependent chromium-induced DDC were unaffected by TEA (pH 11.8) alone or by more rigorous alkaline denaturation conditions (200 mM NaOH, pH 13.5, for 16 h). DDC were, however, completely disrupted by EDTA (pH 12.6) alone or the combination of TEA and EDTA (pH 12.6). In contrast, DPC remained largely intact under these conditions. Therefore, past AE-based studies which have failed to detect chromium-induced DDC do not prove the absence of this lesion. AE may not be suitable for detecting DDC induced by EDTA-chelatable agents such as metals.
Commissioning the trigger of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has taken cosmic-ray and colliding-beam data in 2009 and will be in continuous data-taking mode beginning at the end of February 2010. CMS detects the interaction products of proton beams colliding at a rate of 40 MHz. It uses a two-level trigger system to flag interesting events and reduce the event rate to a lower level, suitable for storage of full event data. The first-level trigger uses custom-built electronics to combine information from electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters and muon detection systems to identify potential physics objects of interest with a target output rate of 100 kHz. The high-level trigger uses a computer farm to process the first-level information and more detailed detector readout including data from the pixels and tracker to reconstruct the event more fully and reduce the rate further to 100 Hz. For much of 2009, cosmic rays provided data for commissioning the trigger system. In addition, the 2009 LHC collision runs at 900 GeV and 2.36 TeV center-of-mass energy provided an opportunity to commission and study the performance of the trigger under colliding-beam conditions. This talk will report on the commissioning experience gained in the 2009 cosmic and collision runs and the 2010 collision run.
Net metering and market feedback loops: Exploring the impact of retail rate design on distributed PV deployment

Abstract The substantial increase in deployment of customer-sited solar photovoltaics (PV) in the United States has been driven by a combination of steeply declining costs, financing innovations, and supportive policies. Among those supportive policies is net metering, which in most states effectively allows customers to receive compensation for distributed PV generation at the full retail electricity price. The current design of retail electricity rates and the presence of net metering have elicited concerns that the possible under-recovery of fixed utility costs from PV system owners may lead to a feedback loop of increasing retail prices that accelerate PV adoption and further rate increases. However, a separate and opposing feedback loop could offset this effect: increased PV deployment may lead to a shift in the timing of peak-period electricity prices that could reduce the bill savings received under net metering where time-varying retail electricity rates are used, thereby dampening further PV adoption. In this paper, we examine the impacts of these two competing feedback dynamics on U.S. distributed PV deployment through 2050 for both residential and commercial customers, across states. Our results indicate that, at the aggregate national level, the two feedback effects nearly offset one another and therefore produce a modest net effect, although their magnitude and direction vary by customer segment and by state. We also model aggregate PV deployment trends under various rate designs and net-metering rules, accounting for feedback dynamics. Our results demonstrate that future adoption of distributed PV is highly sensitive to retail rate structures. Whereas flat, time-invariant rates with net metering lead to higher aggregate national deployment levels than the current mix of rate structures (+5% in 2050), rate structures with higher monthly fixed customer charges or PV compensation at levels lower than the full retail rate can dramatically erode aggregate customer adoption of PV (from −14% to −61%, depending on the design). Moving towards time-varying rates, on the other hand, accelerates near- and medium-term deployment (through 2030) but slows adoption in the longer term (−22% in 2050).
On the Coherence between Progressive and Retrogressive Waves and a Partition of Space-Time Power Spectra into Standing and Traveling Parts

Abstract A formula is derived to express the PR coherence between the progressive and retrogressive components in terms of the CS coherence between the cosine and sine space-Fourier coefficients. By the use of the PR coherence the space-time power spectra are partitioned into standing and traveling wave parts. If the PR coherence is zero, the progressive and retrogressive components do not interfere with each other to form standing wave oscillations with nodes. In this case the CS coherence also becomes zero, if and only if these components have equal amplitudes.
Prejudice Reduction and Collective Action: A Conflict or Confluence of Interests?

There is a growing body of research findings suggesting that prejudice reduction strategies can have unintended negative consequences, particularly by helping to stabilize systems of inequality. In light of these findings, a handful of scholars have suggested that the field be guided less by the prejudice reduction tradition, so as to focus more on collective action. While agreeing with the recent critiques of prejudice reduction, I argue that in more robustly embracing a collective action approach we should be careful not to abandon the notion of perceptualism that colored original thinking on prejudice reduction, lest we artificially narrow the scope of social psychological research and unintentionally ignore communities that do not fit well within current thinking in the collective action tradition.
Analysis of Stance Posture in Humans

The generation of a purposeful movement requires that the sensorimotor system regulate and control three kinds of activities: (1) the basic patterns of the movement must be generated in each limb and the patterns of activities among the limbs must be coordinated, (2) the muscular activities generating the basic movement pattern must be adaptively modified to suit the external loading and sensory conditions of the particular task, and (3) the movement patterns must be adjusted to maintain the equilibrium of the body as a whole. The control of upright stance by normal human subjects is one specific example of such a sensorimotor process. Understanding upright posture is made difficult because most of what is known about sensorimotor control has been learned from studies of acute and chronically prepared experimental animals. Apart from the immediate interest in understanding more about ourselves, one might be initially inclined to question how a study in which the experimental paradigms and measurement techniques are severely limited can contribute significantly to the detailed physiological information about the generation and coordination of movements. One aim of this chapter is to show that studies of the performance of awake human subjects are answering important questions about the adaptive and equilibrium controls of the sensorimotor system that have not been addressed in experiments using animal preparations.
US Latino Youth

The Latino population accounted for over 50% of the US population growth between 2000 and 2005 (Pew Hispanic Center 2006) and is expected to continue to increase, from 14.5% currently to more than 25% of the total US population by 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau 2003). A deeper examination of these numbers reveals that a quarter of this Latino population is young, with 11.3 million children and adolescents. These Latino youth are exposed to a number of challenging conditions that place them at increased risk for social, educational, and psychological difficulties. Rates of anxiety, depression, juvenile arrest, substance use, school dropout, and teenage pregnancy are higher for Latino youth when compared to the general population (Gonzales et al. 2002; Jones and Krisberg 1994; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 1998; Roberts and Chen 1995; Woodward and Fergusson 2001). Given these demographic trends, greater understanding of risk and protective processes that contribute to these disparities is needed to inform effective intervention strategies for Latino children and adolescents.
Information Retrieval and Web Search

Web search needs no introduction. Due to its convenience and the richness of information on the Web, searching the Web is increasingly becoming the dominant information seeking method. People make fewer and fewer trips to libraries, but more and more searches on the Web. In fact, without effective search engines and rich Web contents, writing this book would have been much harder.
Brain processes for “good” and “bad” feelings: How far back in evolution?

The question of whether fish can experience pain or any other feelings can only be resolved by neurobiologically targeted experiments. This commentary summarizes why this is essential for resolving scientific debates about consciousness in other animals, and offers specific experiments that need to be done: (i) those that evaluate the rewarding and punishing effects of specific brain regions and systems (for instance, with deep-brain stimulation); (ii) those that evaluate the capacity of animals to regulate their affective states; and (iii) those that have direct implications for human affective feelings, with specific predictions — for instance, the development of new treatments for human affective disorders.
Molecular Modeling of Interfaces between Hole Transport and Active Layers in Flexible Organic Electronic Devices

Molecular modeling methods are used to understand the interfacial properties between the hole-transport and active layers in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices. The hole-transport layer (HTL) consists of a blend of poly(styrene-sulfonate) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS), whereas the active layer (AL) consists of a blend of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM). Simulation results on the HTL confirm the interpenetrating lamellar structure with alternating PSS and PEDOT domains as observed in experiments. In addition, interfacial results show high PCBM interactions with the HTL, which result in PCBM migration to the HTL surface. The observed PCBM concentration profile is discussed from the perspective of attractive interactions, and it is shown that these interactions are governed by the side chain of PCBM. Calculations also suggest that OPV device performance could be improved by, for example, increasing the number of benzene rings and backbone −CH2– g...
Wind Forcing of the Atlantic Thermocline along 32°N at Low Frequencies

Abstract The Bermuda tide gauge record extends back to the early 1930s. That sea level fluctuations there are highly coherent with dynamic height from hydrographic data has two interesting implications. First, it should contain information about the low-frequency circulation of the Atlantic. Furthermore, because dynamic height contains information on heat storage, it might, on the limited timescales accessible in the record, also contain clues about climate. A simple model of wind forcing of the Atlantic from the African coast to Bermuda uses the Levitus mean density data to estimate the long Rossby wave speed as a function of longitude. Sea level and thermocline variability estimated this way are in remarkably good agreement with observations at periods of more than a few years duration. The peak-to-peak sea level signal is ∼18 cm, which is nearly 25% of the slope across the Gulf Stream at this latitude. The model results suggest that the variability is largest somewhat to the east of Bermuda; fluctuatio...
Potential energy surface for anaerobic oxidation of methane via fumarate addition.

Microbially mediated anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an important sink in the global methane cycle, but the mechanism and microorganisms responsible for this oxidation are not fully known. ...
Fractions with high activity for intrinsic factor and combining vit. B12 with receptor substances.

SummaryExtracts of hog stomach mucosa were fractionated on cellulose-cation exchanger, carboxymethylcellulose. Highest activity for increasing the combining of Vit. B12 with receptor substances of tissue was eluted between pH 4.2 and pH 4.4. Highest activity for intrinsic factor by the Schilling technic was eluted between pH 4.4 and pH 4.7. An approximate pK (or isoelectric point) of pH 4.5 was indicated for the material with intrinsic factor activity by the Schilling assay. These fractions contained 2 to 3% sialic acid.
Training the next generation: Graduate studies at The New York Botanical Garden, with emphasis on 1996–2015

The purpose of this paper, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of The New York Botanical Garden, is to provide an overview of NYBG’s graduate studies program along with updated information since the last major review of the program, 25 years ago. Graduate student education has always been, and continues to be, a core mission of The New York Botanical Garden. The program is affiliated six major universities: the City University of New York, Columbia University, New York University, Yale University, Cornell University, and Fordham University. In the 125 year history of the program, the Garden has produced more than 300 graduates, including 216 Ph.D.s and 87 Master’s degrees. Students have focused on floristics, systematics, structural botany, and economic botany; the program has evolved to keep up with the continuous changes in science, with students using the most modern techniques to study plant diversity. Since 1996, the program has produced 93 graduates, including 81 Ph.D.s and 12 Master’s degrees; the Garden’s affiliation with Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies has produced a dozen graduates; and the Garden’s affiliation with Fordham University, which was reinitiated in 2008, has produced its first graduates. With the growth of the Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics and the Genomics Program in the mid-1990s, student research projects began to incorporate molecular biology (primarily based on DNA sequencing) and to address questions related to genome evolution and evolutionary developmental biology. Technological advances have also changed economic botany research. On the 125th anniversary of NYBG, the hallmark of the graduate studies program is its excellence in teaching and training, with students continuing to integrate data from modern and traditional sources to better understand plant diversity.
Regulation of the Cell Cycle By miR-34a in the Radiation Damage Response

Objective To investigate the effects of the miR-34a activated by p53 on the BRL cell cycle when the BRL cell were induced damage by 60Co γ-ray.Methods The rat BRL cells were exposured to 4Gy 60Co γ-ray and there was no irradiation were taken as the control.After irradiation,the cells were respectively cultured for 4 h,12 h,24 h and 48 h.Flow cytometry was applied to detect the changes of the BRL cell cycle;Real-time PCR assay was applied to detect the expression of miR-34a and c-myc gene mRNA;p53 and c-myc protein were detected by Western blot assay.Results After 4Gy 60Co γ-ray irradiation,G2 arrest appeared at the 4th hour and restored at the 24th hour;the population of S cells decreased at the 4th hour and G1 arrest appeared,which proceeded to the 48th hour.The expressions of p53 protein and miR-34a mRNA increased at the 4th hour,decreased at the 12th hour and restored at the 24th hour after irradiation,the expression of c-myc decreased continuously in a time-dependent manner(the 4~24th hour) and restored to the level of the control at the 48th hour.Conclusions After DNA damage in cells is caused by ionizing radiation,p53 protein is activated in the early and the expression of miR-34a is induced which may mediate the target gene c-myc,resulting in the cells arresting in G1 or/and G2 phase to repare DNA.
Social Desirability Bias in Self-Reporting of Hearing Protector Use among Farm Operators.

Objective: The purposes of this study were (i) to examine the relationship between reported hearing protector use and social desirability bias, and (ii) to compare results of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability instrument when administered using two different methods (i.e. online and by telephone). Methods: A shortened version of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability instrument, as well as a selfadministered instrument measuring use of hearing protectors, was administered to 497 participants in a study of hearing protector use. The relationship between hearing protector use and social desir ability bias was examined using regression analysis. The results of two methods of administration of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability instrument were compared using t-tests and regression analysis. Results: Reliability (using Cronbach’s alpha) for the shortened seven-item scale for this sample was 0.58. There was no evidence of a relationship between reported hearing protector use and social desir ability reporting bias, as measured by the shortened Marlowe-Crowne. The difference in results by method of administration (i.e. online, telephone) was very small. Conclusions: This is the first published study to measure social desirability bias in reporting of hearing protector use among farmers. Findings of this study do not support the presence of social desirability bias in farmers’ reporting of hearing protector use, lending support for the validity of self-report in hearing protector use in this population.
Anesthetic considerations for breech or twin delivery.

Breech presentation and multiple gestation present numerous maternal, fetal, and neonatal problems. Prematurity, trauma, and hypoxia are three important problems occurring in both of these high-risk pregnancies. Anesthesiologists can facilitate the successful outcome of breech presentations and multiple gestations by understanding the unique problems involved, by knowing the conditions the obstetrician requires for either vaginal or cesarean delivery, and by being aware of how altered maternal physiology influences the anesthetic care of these parturients.
Solving Small-Piece Jigsaw Puzzles by Growing Consensus

In this paper, we present a novel computational puzzle solver for square-piece image jigsaw puzzles with no prior information such as piece orientation, anchor pieces or resulting dimension of the puzzle. By "piece" we mean a square dxd block of pixels, where we investigate pieces as small as 7x7 pixels. To reconstruct such challenging puzzles, we aim to search for piece configurations which maximize the size of consensus (i.e. grid or loop) configurations which represent a geometric consensus or agreement among pieces. Pieces are considered for addition to the existing assemblies if these pieces increase the size of the consensus configurations. In contrast to previous puzzle solvers which goal for assemblies maximizing compatibility measures between all pairs of pieces and thus depend heavily on the pairwise compatibility measure used, our new approach reduces the dependency on the pairwise compatibility measures which become increasingly uninformative at small scales and instead exploits geometric agreement among pieces. Our contribution also includes an improved pairwise compatibility measure which exploits directional derivative information along adjoining boundaries of the pieces. For the challenging unknown orientation piece puzzles where the size of pieces is small, we reduce assembly error by up to 75% compared with previous algorithms for standard datasets.
Monoethylhexyl Phthalate Elicits an Inflammatory Response in Adipocytes Characterized by Alterations in Lipid and Cytokine Pathways.

Background:A growing body of evidence links endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with obesity-related metabolic diseases. While it has been shown that EDCs can predispose individuals toward adipos...
First Evaluation of a Contingency Management Intervention Addressing Adolescent Substance Use and Sexual Risk Behaviors: Risk Reduction Therapy for Adolescents

There is a need for interventions that comprehensively address youth substance use disorders (SUD) and sexual risk behaviors. Risk Reduction Therapy for Adolescents (RRTA) adapts a validated family-focused intervention for youth SUD to include sexual risk reduction components in a single intervention. In this first evaluation of RRTA, drug court involved youth were randomly assigned to RRTA (N=45) or usual services (US; N=60) and followed through 12-months post-baseline. RRTA included weekly cognitive behavior therapy and behavior management training and contingency-contracting with a point earning system managed by caregivers targeting drug use and sexual risk antecedents. Longitudinal models estimated within-group change and between-group differences through 6- and 12-month follow-up on outcomes for substance use, sexual risk behaviors, and protective HIV behaviors. Robust effects of the intervention were not detected under conditions of the study that included potent background interventions by the juvenile drug court. Considerations about future development and testing of sexual risk reduction therapy for youth are discussed, including the potential role of contingency management in future interventions.
The US Bureau of Efficiency: Not RIP in 1933?

The United States Bureau of Efficiency (BOE), which had been established in 1916, was abolished in 1933 when President Hoover signed an omnibus appropriation bill on his last full day in office. Given Hoover's commitment to businesslike and efficient management and his ongoing support for the work of the Bureau throughout his presidency, what if he had acted differently and prevented its abolition? This fictional public administration history explores how Hoover could have kept BOE in existence and, if he had, how six of his successors might have treated the agency as part of their administrations.
The Impact of Hedge Fund Activism: Evidence and Implications

Hedge fund activism has increased almost hyperbolically. Some view this optimistically as a means for bridging the separation of ownership and control; others are more pessimistic, seeing mainly wealth transfers from bondholders or speculative expectations of a takeover as fueling the spike. Equivalent division exists over the impact of this increased activism, with optimists seeing real gains that do not erode over time and improvements in operating performance, and pessimists predicting shortened investment horizons, increased leverage, and reduced investment in research and development.Our perspective is analytic. We begin by surveying the regulatory and institutional developments that have reduced the costs and increased the expected payoff from activism for hedge funds. Here, we focus particularly on the formation of “wolf packs” — namely, loose knit associations of hedge funds that are formed prior to, or contemporaneously with, the filing of a Schedule 13D. We then look at other new institutional structures that are appearing, as typified by the alliance between Pershing Square Capital Management and Valeant Pharmaceuticals in their bid for Allergan. Then, we survey the empirical evidence on the impact of activism, looking successively at (1) who are the targets of activism?; (2) does hedge fund activism create real value?; (3) what are the sources of gains from activism?; and (4) do the targets of activism experience post-intervention changes in real variables? Although confident claims have been made by some researchers, we find the evidence decidedly mixed on most questions (other than the short term stock price impact). In particular, we find the conclusions about improvements in target operating performance that have been expressed by some to be overextended beyond their actual data and premature.Finally, we examine the policy levers that could encourage or chill hedge fund activism and consider the feasibility of reforms. The gains from hedge fund activism may be high both because such activity is relatively low risk (if asymmetric information can be exploited that is acquired before the filing of a Schedule 13D) and short-term (with the median hedge fund activist holding for approximately nine months). Still, we predict that the impact of most regulatory changes are likely to be marginal. Conversely, we believe that private ordering (through techniques such as a “window-closing” poison pill) could achieve at least as much as regulatory changes.
A rolling-diaphragm hydrostatic transmission for remote MR-guided needle insertion

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers many benefits, including unsurpassed soft-tissue characterization and the ability to combine detection and biopsy into a single procedure. However, limited patient access in the narrow scanner bore requires tedious iterative positioning or use of robotic assistants that isolate the physician from the patient. As an alternative, we present a teleoperation technology for percutaneous procedures to meet the needs of interventional radiologists and overcome challenges imposed by the MR environment. The technology is demonstrated for a 1-DOF needle insertion procedure. The technology uses rolling diaphragms, a clutch, and a cable-capstan drive to propel the needle while relaying forces and motions to the operator. The system demonstrates excellent position tracking (< 0.7° error in the unloaded case) and reliably transmits changes in force. During needle teleoperation, users were able to detect light membrane punctures and differentiate spring stiffnesses nearly as accurately as by hand manipulation.
The Clinical Significance of Osteophytes in Compartments of the Knee Joint With Normal Articular Cartilage

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to determine whether marginal osteophytes in compartments with normal cartilage would be more frequently observed in knees with cartilage lesions and osteophytes in other compartments. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study reviewed 500 consecutive knee MRI examinations performed within 6 months of arthroscopic knee surgery conducted for 497 patients with symptoms (289 male patients and 208 female patients; age range, 17–74 years; median age, 43 years). The highest grade of cartilage lesion detected at MRI and arthroscopy was recorded. Marginal osteophytes were graded on MRI with use of a standardized scoring system, with grade 0 denoting no osteophyte; grade 1, small osteophyte; grade 2, medium-size osteophyte; and grade 3, large osteophyte). The frequency of false-positive osteophytes, defined as osteophytes present in compartments (the patellofemoral, medial tibiofemoral, and lateral tibiofemoral compartments) with normal cartilage observed on MRI and ar...
AN UNUSUAL CAUSE OF DYSPNEA: CIRRHOTIC CARDIOMYOPATHY WITH CONCOMITANT HEPATOPULMONARY SYNDROME AND PORTOPULMONARY HYPERTENSION

Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a new clinical phenotype, characterized by suboptimal ventricular response to stress, systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction and electromechanical abnormalities. Relative hypovolemia from pooling of blood in splanchnic circulation in cirrhosis leads to CCM. We
Managing low risk prostate cancer: A cost analysis.

50Background: Healthcare costs in the US continue to rise at an unsustainable rate. Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 21% of all new cancer cases in men and is predicted to incur a cost of $18.53 billion in the next few years. In this study we examined the costs associated with managing low-risk PCa with traditional treatment options compared to Active Surveillance. Methods: One hundred ninety-five patients were identified as NCCN defined low-risk PCa (Gleason score ≤ 6, PSA < 10, clinical stage T1c to T2a) between January 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 at Genesis Healthcare Partners (GHP). Ninety three (48.7%) patients had at least 3 years of follow-up care and formed the cohort for analysis. Treatment paths analyzed included active surveillance (AS), radical prostatectomy (RP), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy/image-guided radiation therapy (IMRT/IGRT). Patients’ charts were examined for all episodes of care during the three-year period subsequent to their ...