cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incremental call‐path profiling

Profiling is a key technique for achieving high performance. Call-path profiling is a refinement of this technique that classifies a function's behavior based on the path taken to reach the function. This information is particularly useful when optimizing programs that use libraries, such as those for communication (MPI or PVM), linear algebra (ScaLAPACK), or threading. We present a new method for call-path profiling called incremental call-path profiling. We profile only a subset of the functions in the program, allowing the use of more complex metrics while lowering the overhead. This combination of call-path information and complex metrics is particularly useful for localizing bottlenecks in frequently called functions. We also describe the implementation and application of iPath, an incremental call-path profiler. iPath was used to profile two real-world applications: the MILC su3_rmd QCD distributed simulation and the Paradyn instrumentation daemon. In both applications we found and removed call-path-specific bottlenecks. Our modifications to su3_rmd reduced the running time of the program from 3001 to 1652 s, a 45% decrease. Our modifications to the Paradyn instrumentation daemon greatly increased its efficiency. The time required to instrument our benchmark program was reduced from 296 to 6.4 s, a 98% decrease. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A companding approximation for the statistical divergence of quantized data

Asymptotic analysis using companding approximations has proven to be a very useful technique for the performance analysis and design of minimum-distortion data quantizers. However, when quantized data is to be used for inferential (e.g., detection or estimation) purposes, the use of distortion-based performance criteria is inappropriate since the measures of quality in such problems are usually based on quantities such as error probability or mean-square estimation error. In this paper we use companding approximations to derive asymptotic criteria for the evaluation of quantizer performance and the design of optimum quantizers based on statistical measures of divergence at the output of the quantizer. Several applications of these results to signal detection and parameter estimation are considered.
Effects of Stress and MDMA on Hippocampal Gene Expression

MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is a substituted amphetamine and popular drug of abuse. Its mood-enhancing short-term effects may prompt its consumption under stress. Clinical studies indicate that MDMA treatment may mitigate the symptoms of stress disorders such as posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). On the other hand, repeated administration of MDMA results in persistent deficits in markers of serotonergic (5-HT) nerve terminals that have been viewed as indicative of 5-HT neurotoxicity. Exposure to chronic stress has been shown to augment MDMA-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity. Here, we examine the transcriptional responses in the hippocampus to MDMA treatment of control rats and rats exposed to chronic stress. MDMA altered the expression of genes that regulate unfolded protein binding, protein folding, calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity, and neuropeptide signaling. In stressed rats, the gene expression profile in response to MDMA was altered to affect sensory processing and responses to tissue damage in nerve sheaths. Subsequent treatment with MDMA also markedly altered the genetic responses to stress such that the stress-induced downregulation of genes related to the circadian rhythm was reversed. The data support the view that MDMA-induced transcriptional responses accompany the persistent effects of this drug on neuronal structure/function. In addition, MDMA treatment alters the stress-induced transcriptional signature.
Role of nest-paper hydrocarbons in nestmate recognition of Dolichovespula maculata (L.) workers (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

The role of nest-paper hydrocarbons in nestmate recognition was examined in the social wasp Dolichovespula maculata. Pupae were excised from nine colonies of D. maculata and placed in separate gel capsules in the laboratory. When workers emerged, they were isolated in the absence of other wasps in one of four conditions: 1. With an untreated fragment of their natal nest; 2. With a fragment of their nest that had been extracted with hexane to remove surface hydrocarbons; 3. With a fragment of their nest that had been extracted with hexane, and had then had the extract containing the surface hydrocarbons reapplied; or 4. In the absence of any nest fragment. After 4 d, the newly emerged workers were tested for nestmate recognition with an experienced nestmate and an experienced non-nestmate in blind triplet tests. Prior exposure to nest-paper hydrocarbons had no significant effect upon the ability of newly emerged or experienced wasps to recognize their nestmates. Moreover, nestmate recognition did not occur in any treatment group.
When should a ski resort make snow

Snow-making is an expensive operation for a ski resort. However, many resorts would be unable to operate without man-made snow. Deciding when to make snow involves several uncertain factors, as well as significant strategic issues. First, the author describes the framework for this decision. Next, he proposes analytical modelling. Finally, he compares the proposed models to actual practice at several resorts and proposes further research. The author finds that actual practice at most ski resorts does not involve formal analytical methods. While the resorts consider many of the factors included in the models, the decision is generally not modelled explicitly. The use of the proposed analytical models could lead to a better understanding of the factors involved in the snow-making decision, and thus to better service at a reduced cost.
One-, two-, and three-dimensional organization of colloidal particles using nonuniform alternating current electric fields.

We demonstrate here the use of nonuniform alternating current (AC) electric fields, generated by planar electrodes, for the organization of μm-sized particles into one-, two-, and three-dimensional assemblies. The electrodes, with separations that vary from 35 to 300 μm, are made of gold deposited on glass substrata. Latex, silica and graphite particles have been examined inside organic or aqueous media in order to illustrate the general applicability of the technique. Theoretical predictions of the particle response under the electric fields are experimentally confirmed for all the above particle/media combinations and can thus be used as a valuable design tool. The size and shape of the final structures are mainly dependent on the electrode shape and dimensions, but are also subject to the particle type and operating conditions. Particle organization in one dimension (strings) is achieved under conditions of positive or negative dielectrophoresis in the space between two energized electrodes. Two-dimensional particle organization (ordered, planar particles assemblies) was observed under conditions of negative dielectrophoresis, when quadrupole electrodes were employed. Moreover, when negative dielectrophoresis and stronger electric fields are applied (of the order of 50 kV r m s m - 1 ), three-dimensional, pyramid-like structures with a vertical dimension 1000-fold higher than that of the corresponding (planar) electrodes can be assembled. These 3-D structures can grow as free-standing assemblies, or inside templates etched in the substratum. The dielectrophoresis (DEP)-organized particle assemblies can subsequently be rendered permanent via the in situ fixing (cross-linking) of the individual particles.
1,25 dihydroxyvitamin-D3 modulates JAK–STAT pathway in IL-12/IFNγ axis leading to Th1 response in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis

Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a Th1 cell-mediated autoimmune disease model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D deficiency is commonly observed in MS patients and vitamin D supplements reduce the clinical symptoms of EAE and MS. Earlier studies have shown that in vivo treatment with vitamin D analogs ameliorates EAE in association with the inhibition of IL-12 production and Th1 differentiation. The mechanisms in the regulation of Th1 response by vitamin D in EAE/MS are, however, not known. We show that in vivo treatment of C57BL/6 and SJL/J mice (i.p.) with 100 ng of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3, on every other day from Day 0-30, ameliorates EAE in association with the inhibition of IL-12 production and neural antigen-specific Th1 response. In vitro treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited IFNgamma-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT1, without affecting JAK2, in EOC-20 microglial cells. Treatment of activated T cells with 1,25(OH)2D3 also inhibited the IL-12-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2, TYK2, STAT3, and STAT4 in association with a decrease in T cell proliferation in vitro. These findings highlight the fact that vitamin D modulates JAK-STAT signaling pathway in IL-12/IFNgamma axis leading to Th1 differentiation and further suggest its use in the treatment of MS and other Th1 cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
Topological Insulator Magnetic Tunnel Junctions: Quantum Hall Effect and Fractional Charge via Folding

We provide a characterization of tunneling between coupled topological insulators in 2D and 3D under the influence of a ferromagnetic layer. We explore conditions for such systems to exhibit integer quantum Hall physics and localized fractional charge, also taking into account interaction effects for the 2D case. We show that the effects of tunneling are topologically equivalent to a certain deformation or folding of the sample geometry. Our key advance is the realization that the quantum Hall or fractional charge physics can appear in the presence of only a single magnet unlike previous proposals which involve magnetic domain walls on the surface or edges of topological insulators, respectively. We give illustrative topological folding arguments to prove our results and show that for the 2D case our results are robust even in the presence of interactions.
Flower color as a model system for studies of plant evo-devo

Even though pigmentation traits have had substantial impacts on the field of animal evolutionary developmental biology, they have played only relatively minor roles in plant evo-devo. This is surprising given the often direct connection between flower color and fitness variation mediated through the effects of pollinators. At the same time, ecological and evolutionary genetic studies have utilized the molecular resources available for the anthocyanin pathway to generate several examples of the molecular basis of putatively adaptive transitions in flower color. Despite this opportunity to synthesize experimental approaches in ecology, evolution, and developmental biology, the investigation of many fundamental questions in evo-devo using this powerful model is only at its earliest stages. For example, a long-standing question is whether predictable genetic changes accompany the repeated evolution of a trait. Due to the conserved nature of the biochemical and regulatory control of anthocyanin biosynthesis, it has become possible to determine whether, and under what circumstances, different types of mutations responsible for flower color variation are preferentially targeted by natural selection. In addition, because plants use anthocyanin and related compounds in vegetative tissue for other important physiological functions, the identification of naturally occurring transitions from unpigmented to pigmented flowers provides the opportunity to examine the mechanisms by which regulatory networks are co-opted into new developmental domains. Here, we review what is known about the ecological and molecular basis of anthocyanic flower color transitions in natural systems, focusing on the evolutionary and developmental features involved. In doing so, we provide suggestions for future work on this trait and suggest that there is still much to be learned from the evolutionary development of flower color transitions in nature.
Mass Action Stoichiometric Simulation Models: Incorporating Kinetics and Regulation into Stoichiometric Models

The ability to characterize biological dynamics is important for understanding the integrated molecular processes that underlie normal and abnormal cellular states. The availability of metabolomic data, in addition to new developments in the formal description of dynamic states of networks, has enabled a new data integration approach for building large-scale kinetic networks. We show that dynamic network models can be constructed in a scalable manner using metabolomic data mapped onto stoichiometric models, resulting in mass action stoichiometric simulation (MASS) models. Enzymes and their various functional states are represented explicitly as compounds, or nodes in a stoichiometric network, within this formalism. Analyses and simulations of MASS models explicitly show that regulatory enzymes can control dynamic states of networks in part by binding numerous metabolites at multiple sites. Thus, network functional states are reflected in the fractional states of a regulatory enzyme, such as the fraction of the total enzyme concentration that is in a catalytically active versus inactive state. The feasible construction of MASS models represents a practical means to increase the size, scope, and predictive capabilities of dynamic network models in cell and molecular biology.
Low-stretch greedy embedding heuristics

Greedy embedding is a graph embedding that makes the simple greedy packet forwarding scheme successful for every source-destination pair. It is desirable that graph embeddings also yield low hop stretch of the greedy over the shortest paths. In this paper we study how topological and geometric properties of embedded graphs influence the hop stretch. Based on the obtained insights, we construct embedding heuristics that yield minimal hop stretch greedy embeddings.
Introduction to the JoPL special issue, “Holocene paleoenvironmental records from Arctic lake sediment”

The 18 papers in this Special Issue of the Journal of Paleolimnology report new records of Holocene environmental and climate change from Arctic lake sediment. At least 15 distinct physical, chemical, and biological properties were analyzed at lakes located across the North American Arctic and subarctic, and northwestern Europe. The studies are notable for their multi-proxy approach (eight present data for at least five different proxies), and for the high quality of their geochronological control. Three of the studies analyzed sediment from more than one lake to test the influence of contrasting physiographic settings on the response of proxies to the same climate forcing. The sedimentary sequences analyzed in seven studies extend beyond 11.5 cal ka, providing evidence for pronounced climate shifts that took place during the late-glacial period. Two-thirds extend beyond 8 cal ka; many of these records were interpreted in terms of the shift in temperature and moisture that occurred during the transition from the warm early to middle Holocene to the cooler late Holocene. These records contribute to the growing network of sites that is needed to reconstruct the spatial pattern of this pronounced paleoclimate transition, and to address how ocean-atmospheric circulation changed with the mean state of climate.
Proliferation and Metabolism: It's as Easy as APC

Proliferating cells must generate both ATP and biosynthetic precursors for macromolecular synthesis. While proliferative signals have long been known to regulate metabolism, Garedew et al. now demonstrate that the proliferation apparatus itself, in the form of the ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), directly controls mitochondrial biogenesis, morphology, and respiratory activity.
Generalized Locking Profile for Angular Particles ‐ Locked Particle Theory

Locked particles are defined as those comminuted or particles which contain both gangue and target material. By considering the shape of the comminuted particles and assuming their random distribution in the ore body prior to comminution, it is possible to derive locking profiles which give the frequency of occurrence of particles which have a given fraction of their volume occupied by target material. For most particle shapes (spheres, angular particles, angular plates and rods) the locking profile is a deep U-shaped curve. This suggests that few particles by number contain about 50% target material while a far greater number contain either very little or very much target material. Such a conclusion is important in planning separation processes for locked particles in the mineral industry.
Limited English proficient users and the need for improved reference services

Public libraries have long neglected the needs of limited English proficiency (LEP) users. With the changing demographics of the USA, however, services to LEP users will become more important in the future. Current programs that target ethnolinguistic minorities focus mainly on outreach programs, and not on reference services. This paper addresses some of the issues in reference services for LEP users, namely reference interviewing, information‐seeking behavior, foreign language reference materials, and multilingual online catalogs. Possible research avenues and future directions in improving reference service for LEP users conclude the discussion. Libraries must address issues of multiculturalism, and the needs of their limited English users, to survive and flourish in the coming decades.
Gas Path Sound Transmission in Spherically-Shaped Reciprocating Compressors: Theory and Experiment

Gas pulsations within the refrigerant gas cavity is one of the principal noise propagating paths in reciprocating compressors. This paper provide a physical insight to the relationship between the gas pulsations inside the cavity and noise radiation of reciprocating compressors. The refrigerant gas cavity of the test compressor is modeled as a space between concentric spherical shells and analyzed with modal expansion techniques. Gas pulsations within the cavity are mathematically represented as the forcing terms of the inhomogeneous wave equation in spherical coordinates. The pressure distribution inside the cavity is then estimated accordingly. Based on the orthogonality principles, the noise radiation patterns associated with the gas pulsations are predicted. Acoustic modal analysis, directivity test and running speed sensitivity test are conducted to identify the acoustic characteristics of cavity and to verify the analytical model. The experimental results are in good agreement with the prediction of the analytical model. Thus, the concentric, spherical shell model well describes the acoustic characteristics of cavity within the test compressor. This model can also be employed as a design tool to analyze the effects of system parameter variation on overall noise radiation.
The temperature of the periodontal pockets

The temperature of 104 periodontal pockets of various depths was measured before institution of any preventive or curative therapy. A tendency to a rise in pocket temperature due to increased pocket depth was noted. However, statistically no linear correlation was observed between the temperature and the depth of the periodontal pockets. The possibility of using temperature measurements as a diagnostic and prognostic aid in periodontal disease has been discussed.
Specification and design of a Therapy Imaging and Model Management System (TIMMS)

Appropriate use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Mechatronic (MT) systems is considered by many experts as a significant contribution to improve workflow and quality of care in the Operating Room (OR). This will require a suitable IT infrastructure as well as communication and interface standards, such as DICOM and suitable extensions, to allow data interchange between surgical system components in the OR. A conceptual design of such an infrastructure, i.e. a Therapy Imaging and Model Management System (TIMMS) will be introduced in this paper. A TIMMS should support the essential functions that enable and advance image, and in particular, patient model guided therapy. Within this concept, the image centric world view of the classical PACS technology is complemented by an IT model-centric world view. Such a view is founded in the special modelling needs of an increasing number of modern surgical interventions as compared to the imaging intensive working mode of diagnostic radiology, for which PACS was originally conceptualised and developed. A proper design of a TIMMS, taking into account modern software engineering principles, such as service oriented architecture, will clarify the right position of interfaces and relevant standards for a Surgical Assist System (SAS) in general and their components specifically. Such a system needs to be designed to provide a highly modular structure. Modules may be defined on different granulation levels. A first list of components (e.g. high and low level modules) comprising engines and repositories of an SAS, which should be integrated by a TIMMS, will be introduced in this paper.
Regulation of bacterial nitrogen assimilation by glutamine synthetase

Abstract The synthesis of enzymes capable ofproviding enteric bacteria with ammonia and glutamate is activated by glutamine synthetase. Glutamine synthetase regulates its own synthesis in response to the intracellular levels of 2-ketoglutarate and glutamine which in turn depend on the extracellular concentration of ammonia and the metabolic state of the cell.
Biaxially aligned (013) films on vicinal (011)

Epitaxial (013) films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition onto exact and vicinal (011) substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the films contained two mirror-related orientations when grown on exact (011) surfaces, but that a strong preference for only one of the two (013) orientations developed when the substrate surface was tilted by about toward the direction. The inclination removed the two-fold symmetry of the surface to induce this preference, resulting in a film with (013) film (011) substrate and [100] film [100] substrate. Films with a single (013) orientation may offer some distinct practical advantages over other monocrystalline film orientations.
Simple Requesting Behavior: Responses toward Stereotypes:

This study examined altruistic behavior of persons toward stereotyped individuals. Object persons, dressed to represent stereotypic conservative college students, factory workers, or “hippies,” req...
Preparation and characterization of some cellulose graft copolymers. Part I

Graft copolymers prepared by use of the ceric ion, uv light, mutual radiation, and preirradiation methods were: cellulose -- acrylamide; cellulose acetate -- styrene; and cellulose acetate --methyl methacrylate. Fractional precipitation and extraction methods were developed to show proof of grafting and to estimate the efficiency of the grafting process. It was shown that only a small proportion of the cellulosic chains participated in the grafting reaction under heterogeneous conditions. On the other hand, the vinyl polymer was present from 30 to nearly 100% in grafted form. The cellulose acetate-- styrene graft copolymer was isolated from the homopolymers by a fractional extraction technique and the molecular weight of the side chain determined after hydrolysis of the cellulose backbone. In general, grafts consisted of very long polystyrene side chains attached to comparatively short cellulose acetate backbone chains. The solubility behavior of such grafts was shown to be quite different from that of the corresponding physical mixtures. The graft polymers were less soluble than either of the homopolymers alone. The graft polymer was found to tolerate less cellulose acetate in a mutual solvent than the polystyrene itself. (auth)
Magnetically-modulated optical nanoprobes (MagMOONs) and systems

Magnetically-modulated optical nanoprobes (MagMOONs) are micro and nano particles that emit different fluxes of light in different orientations, and that rotate in changing magnetic fields. The particles blink as they rotate, allowing in situ background subtraction and chemical imaging with individual particles. The probes also function as torque sensors to measure the drag on the particle and local rheological properties.
Effect of Charcoal and Hormones on Anther Culture of Petunia and Nicotiana

Summary The effect of including 1% charcoal in hormone-free and hormone-containing Nicotiana and Petunia anther culture media was tested. Charcoal completely inhibited callus and root formation from Petunia anthers cultured on hormone-containing medium (1.0 mg/1 napthalene acetic acid, 0.1mg/1 benzyladenine) and did not stimulate microspore development on hormone-free medium. Including charcoal in hormone-free and in hormone-containing medium increased the number of N. tabacum anthers which produced plantlets and increased the number of plantlets/anther. Greater than 95 % of the tobacco plantlets from both media were haploid. N. tabacum plantlets from charcoal-containing medium were smaller and weaker than those from charcoal-free medium. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that charcoal can adsorb significant quantities of both tissue-produced and exogenously-supplied growth regulators from tissue culture media.
Direct fibrogenic effects of aldosterone on normotensive kidney: an effect modified by 11β-HSD activity

Aldosterone (Aldo) can be a profibrotic factor in cardiovascular and renal tissues. This study tests the hypothesis that prolonged Aldo exposure is able to directly induce fibrotic changes in the k...
Beverage Container Deposit Laws: A Survey of the Issues and Results

Much of the movement toward mandatory beverage deposit legislation has withered away in the current anti-regulation mood of the country. Even before the change in mood, the major focus of deposit laws was moving away from litter control and toward energy and resource savings. In fact, deposit laws have had a variety of repercussions on such factors as jobs, consumer prices, industry capital expenditures, energy consumption, and litter. The cooling emotions and lapse in time since most of the regulations were enacted provide a good opportunity to sort through the arguments and review the results. This paper attempts to present a balanced view of the issues surrounding this complicated topic. It find that the consequences of mandatory deposits have generally been somewhere between the initial predictions of groups favoring legislation and those opposing it.
Nutrient demand interacts with grass particle length to affect digestion responses and chewing activity in dairy cows

Effects of grass particle length on dry matter intake (DMI), milk production, ruminal fermentation and pool sizes, digestion and passage kinetics, and chewing activity and the relationship of these effects with preliminary DMI (pDMI) were evaluated using 15 ruminally and duodenally cannulated Holstein cows in a crossover design with a 14-d preliminary period and two 18-d treatment periods. During the preliminary period, pDMI of individual cows ranged from 22.6 to 29.8 kg/d (mean=25.8 kg/d) and 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield ranged from 29.2 to 56.9 kg/d (mean=41.9 kg/d). Experimental treatments were diets containing orchardgrass silage chopped to either (a) 19-mm (long) or (b) 10-mm (short) theoretical length of cut as the sole forage. Grass silages contained approximately 46% neutral detergent fiber (NDF); diets contained 50% forage, 23% forage NDF, and 28% total NDF. Preliminary DMI, an index of nutrient demand, was determined during the last 4 d of the preliminary period when cows were fed a common diet and used as a covariate. Main effects of grass particle length and their interaction with pDMI were tested by ANOVA. Grass particle length and its interaction with pDMI did not affect milk yield, milk composition, or rumen pH. Long particle length tended to decrease DMI compared with short particle length, which might have been limited by rumen fill or chewing time, or both. Passage rates of feed fractions did not differ between long and short particle lengths and were not related to level of intake. As pDMI increased, long particles decreased ruminal digestion rate of potentially digestible NDF at a faster rate than short particles. As a result, long particles decreased or tended to decrease rates of ruminal turnover for NDF, organic matter, and dry matter and increased their rumen pools compared with short particles for cows with high pDMI. Long particles increased eating time, which affected cows with high intake to the greatest extent, and total chewing time compared with short particles. As intake increased, ruminal digestion (kg/d) and digestibility (%) of starch decreased, rumen pool size of starch increased, and postruminal digestion and digestibility of starch increased quadratically. When grass silage was the only source of forage in the diet, increasing chop length from 10 to 19 mm tended to decrease DMI but did not negatively affect productivity of cows, which were fed adequate fiber.
INCORPORATION OF LABELLED AMINO ACIDS BY CHLOROPLAST RIBOSOMES.

Abstract 1. 1. Isolated spinach (Spinacea oleracea) chloroplasts are capable of incorporating 14C-labeled amino acids. While no cofactor requirement was demonstrable, incorporation was enhanced by light, inhibited by chloramphenicol, and unaffected by RNAase (EC 2.7.7.16). 2. 2. A deoxycholate-insoluble fraction can also incorporate amino acids, but again no cofactor requirement was found. 3. 3. Ribosomes are extracted from the chloroplast fraction by deoxycholate, and incorporation by these particles is enhanced by ATP, GTP, and a pH-5 fraction, and inhibited by RNAase and chloramphenicol.
Aluminium phosphate adjuvants prepared by precipitation at constant pH. Part II : physicochemical properties

The impact of the pH of precipitation on the physicochemical properties of aluminium phosphate adjuvants was investigated by precipitating aluminium phosphate adjuvants under constant pH conditions at pH values from 3.0 to 7.5 at intervals of 0.5. The pH of precipitation did not affect the morphology, but the point of zero charge (PZC) and rate of acid neutralization varied directly with pH of precipitation. Aggregation and protein adsorption capacity exhibited a parabolic relationship to the pH of precipitation. Minimum protein adsorption and maximum aggregation were observed at pH 5.5. In contrast to adjuvants precipitated from the same reactants but under uncontrolled pH conditions, the pH of all of the adjuvants precipitated under constant pH conditions remained constant for a 3-month aging period at room temperature.
Discordance between living and death assemblages as evidence for anthropogenic ecological change

Mismatches between the composition of a time-averaged death assemblage (dead remains sieved from the upper mixed-zone of the sedimentary column) and the local living community are typically attributed to natural postmortem processes. However, statistical analysis of 73 molluscan data sets from estuaries and lagoons reveals significantly poorer average “live-dead agreement” in settings of documented anthropogenic eutrophication (AE) than in areas where AE and other human impacts are negligible. Taxonomic similarity of paired live and dead species lists declines steadily among areas as a function of AE severity, and, for data sets comprising only adults, rank-order agreement in species abundance drops where AE is suspected. The observed live-dead differences in composition are consistent with eutrophication (anomalous abundance of seagrass-dwellers and/or scarcity of organic-loving species in the death assemblage), suggesting compositional inertia of death assemblages to recent environmental change. Molluscan data sets from open shelf settings (n = 34) also show higher average live-dead discordance in areas of AE. These results indicate that (i) live-dead discordance in surficial grab samples provides valuable evidence for strong anthropogenic modification of benthic communities, (ii) actualistic estimates of the ecological fidelity of molluscan death assemblages tend to be erroneously pessimistic when conducted in nonpristine settings, and (iii) based on their high fidelity in pristine study areas, death assemblages are a promising means of reconstructing otherwise elusive preimpact ecological baselines from sedimentary records.
Anaplasma phagocytophilum delays spontaneous human neutrophil apoptosis by modulation of multiple apoptotic pathways.

Summary Anaplasma phagocytophilum infects human neutrophils and inhibits the intrinsic pathway of spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis by protecting mitochondrial membrane integrity. In the present study, we investigated the molecular signalling of the extrinsic pathway and the interaction between the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in the inhibition of spontaneous human neutrophil apoptosis by A. phagocytophilum. Cell surface Fas clustering during spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis was significantly blocked by A. phagocytophilum infection. The cleavage of pro-caspase 8, caspase 8 activation and the cleavage of Bid, which links the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways, in the extrinsic pathway of spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis were inhibited by A. phagocytophilum infection. Inhibition of this pathway was active as the cleavage of pro-caspase 8 and Bid in anti-Fas-induced neutrophil apoptosis was also inhibited by A. phagocytophilum infection. Likewise, A. phagocytophilum infection inhibited the pro-apoptotic Bax translocation to mitochondria, activation of caspase 9, the initiator caspase in the intrinsic pathway, and the degradation of a potent caspase inhibitor, X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), during spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis. These data point to a novel mechanism induced by A. phagocytophilum involving both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways to ensure to delay the apoptosis of host neutrophils.
Blood Gas Quality Control Materials Compered to Tonometered Blood in Examining for Interinstrument Bias in Po2

Although large differences in mean values and standard deviations of Po 2 between models of blood gas instruments have been found in proficiency testing surveys employing commercial ampuled material, it is unknown whether or not equivalent differences would be found between instruments if a primary standard (tonometered fresh human blood) were used instead of ampules (secondary control specimens). Therefore, we compared the biases (differences between means) of six models of blood gas instruments using five varieties of ampuled quality control materials and a single source of tonometered fresh human blood at three levels of Po 2 (67.5, 91.4, and 143.6 mm Hg). All materials correlated positively with blood, thus demonstrating consistency of machine biases. The coefficients of variation measuring blood and a perfluorocarbon mixture (abc) were not different, but were higher for aqueous and hemoglobin-containing mixtures. On average, at the Po 2 levels tested, the differences among instruments were slightly smaller with abc than with blood, but larger with aqueous and hemoglobin-containing materials. Because abc “tracks” tonometered blood reasonably well at the Po 2 levels tested, instrument differences in Po 2 detected with abc are also likely to be seen with clinical blood samples. The other four quality control materials probably overestimate instrument differences in measuring Po 2 .
Returning from ‘The Far Country’: Theses for a Contemporary Trinitarian Theology

There is a general malaise concerning trinitarian theology, which usually is attributed to its speculative complexity, or what we are calling in these pages, ‘the far country’. The abstractness of trinitarian theology is partly funded by an overlysharp distinction between the ‘economic’ and the ‘immanent’ trinity, or between God's activity in salvation history, and God's self-relatedness. The marginal position of trinitarian theology is also a direct result of the development of Western trinitarian doctrine apart from its proper home in liturgy and the language of praise. Despite this, there is evidence that the museum days of trinitarian theology are rapidly coming to an end.
Marriage Rules in Bengal

This is an essay in structural analysis: an examination of the rules governing prescription and permitting choice in the initiation of marriage in West Bengal villages. Four structural features emerge as significant in the Bengal variant of marriage in India: arranged marriage, kin-group exogamy/endogamy, intensification of ties, and extension of ties. These features (variously modified) appear to characterize marriage in other parts of India, and it is suggested here that the approach utilized for Bengal may provide greater insight for the study of Indian marriage patterns than the more traditional dichotomy: North India characterized by village exogamy, South India characterized by preferential close-kin marriage.
Three-dimensional acoustic visualization of zooplankton patchiness

Abstract Acoustic data were collected and visualized to characterize the 3-dimensional patchiness of zooplankton at a thermally stratified site on Georges Bank. The work was carried out as part of a field study conducted to examine the effects of springtime water-column stratification on the distributions of zooplankton and larval fish on the Bank. The acoustic data were acquired as the ship steamed a survey grid relative to the track of a surface drifter with a subsurface drogue. Although quite irregular in geographical coordinate space, the ship’s track relative to the moving water closely matched the intended grid pattern once the drifter’s movement in the tidal flow was taken into account. After changing coordinate systems to compensate for tidal advection, the acoustic data set was transformed from its curtain-like distribution in 3-dimensional space to a volumetric distribution. Two-dimensional point kriging was performed on the irregularly spaced data from each 2-m-thick depth stratum to produce a series of 2-dimensional, regularly spaced data grids. These data grids were then stacked to construct the 3-dimensional data grid required for volumetric visualization. A similar procedure was followed with the error variance values produced at each grid point through kriging to construct a 3-dimensional, volumetric distribution of the error variance. To examine zooplankton patchiness within the surveyed volume of water, isosurfaces corresponding to specific levels of acoustic backscatter were highlighted in the visualization. The 3-dimensional distribution of error variance was used to control the opacity of the isosurfaces to provide an objective, visual approach for displaying the statistical confidence one can have in the patches detected. In this survey, the ship steamed directly over a large, southwest- to northeast-oriented patch of zooplankton on at least three different passes. It also steamed over several smaller patches. The vertically compressed nature of the patches and their high degree of spatial heterogeneity in the horizontal plane are characteristic of the zooplankton distributions found in the deeper, seasonally stratified portions of Georges Bank.
Strategies to Improve the Management of Depression in Primary Care

Effective management of depression in the primary care setting requires a systematic, population-based approach, which entails systematic case finding and diagnosis, patient engagement and education, use of evidence-based treatments, including medications and/or psychotherapy, close follow-up to ensure patients are improving, and a commitment to adjust treatments or consult with mental health specialists until depression is significantly improved. Programs in which primary care providers and mental health specialists collaborate effectively using principles of measurement-based stepped care and treatment to target can substantially improve patients' health and functioning while reducing overall health care costs.
The Role of Motion Analysis in Biomedical Engineering Education and Interdisciplinary Research

The purpose of this paper is to summarize current motion analysis techniques and described their role in biomedical engineering education as well as in interdisciplinary research. At the University of South Florida (USF), various methods of motion analysis are used for collaborative research in fields such as prosthetics, robotics, rehabilitation, and injury prevention. The motion analysis laboratory is also used in course work in a variety of fields promoting interdisciplinary exchanges among students and faculty.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Anthropometric changes associated with high altitude acclimatization in females

The anthropometric effects of prolonged high altitude exposure were studied in eight college women who lived on the summit of Pikes Peak (14,100 ft.) for 2.5 months. Acclimatization to altitude was associated with a decrease of skin-fold thickness and a reduction in limb circumference, but little change in body weight. It was concluded that these changes reflected a loss of subcutaneous fat during the period of altitude exposure. Altitude exposure did not produce any alterations in trunk circumference at the umbilicus or buttocks, but it did cause an increase in the inspiratory chest circumference at the axillary level and a reduction in expiratory chest circumference at the subscapular level.
Ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block for hip fractures in the emergency department.

Abstract Background Hip fracture (HFx) is a painful injury that is commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). Patients who experience pain from HFx are often treated with intravenous opiates, which may cause deleterious side effects, particularly in elderly patients. An alternative to systemic opioid analgesia involves peripheral nerve blockade. This approach may be ideally suited for the ED environment, where one injection could control pain for many hours. Objectives We hypothesized that an ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block (UFIB) would provide analgesia for patients presenting to the ED with pain from HFx and that this procedure could be performed safely by emergency physicians (EP) after a brief training. Methods In this prospective, observational, feasibility study, a convenience sample of 20 cognitively intact patients with isolated HFx had a UFIB performed. Numerical pain scores, vital signs, and side effects were recorded before and after administration of the UFIB at pre-determined time points for 8 h. Results All patients reported decreased pain after the nerve block, with a 76% reduction in mean pain score at 120 min. There were no procedural complications. Conclusion In this small group of ED patients, UFIB provided excellent analgesia without complications and may be a useful adjunct to systemic pain control for HFx.
Annexin 5 and apolipoprotein E2 protect against Alzheimer’s amyloid-β-peptide cytotoxicity by competitive inhibition at a common phosphatidylserine interaction site

Amyloid-beta-protein (betaA/4, AbetaP) accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), regardless of genetic etiology, and is thought to be the toxic principle responsible for neuronal cell death. The varepsilon4 allele of apoE has been linked closely to earlier onset of AD and increased deposition of the amyloid peptide, regardless of the clinical status of AD, while the apoE varepsilon2 allele is generally protective. We have previously hypothesized that the cell target for amyloid peptide might be the apoptotic signal molecule phosphatidylserine (PS). We report here that annexin 5, a specific ligand for PS, not only blocks amyloid peptide AbetaP[1-40] cytotoxicity, but competitively inhibits AbetaP[1-40]-dependent aggregation of PS liposomes. In addition, we find that apoE2, but not apoE4, can not only perform the same protective effect on cells exposed to AbetaP[1-40], but can also competitively inhibit PS liposome aggregation and fusion by the amyloid peptide. Altogether, the in vivo and in vitro results reported here provide fundamental insight to the process by which amyloid targets specific neurons for destruction, and suggest that PS may be a surface "receptor" site for AbetaP binding. These results also provide a biochemical mechanism by which the apoE varepsilon2 allele, but not apoE varepsilon4, can be protective towards the incidence and progression of Alzheimer's disease.
Tree health mapping with multispectral remote sensing data at UC Davis, California

Tree health is a critical parameter for evaluating urban ecosystem health and sustainability. Traditionally, this parameter has been derived from field surveys. We used multispectral remote sensing data and GIS techniques to determine tree health at the University of California, Davis. The study area (363 ha) contained 8,962 trees of 215 species. Tree health conditions were mapped for each physiognomic type at two scales: pixel and whole tree. At the pixel scale, each tree pixel within the tree crown was classified as either healthy or unhealthy based on vegetation index values. At the whole tree scale, raster based statistical analysis was used to calculate tree health index which is the ratio of healthy pixels to entire tree pixels within the tree crown. The tree was classified as healthy if the index was greater than 70%. Accuracy was checked against a random sample of 1,186 trees. At the whole tree level, 86% of campus trees were classified as healthy with 88% mapping accuracy. At the pixel level, 86% of the campus tree cover was classified as healthy. This tree health evaluation approach allows managers to identify the location of unhealthy trees for further diagnosis and treatment. It can be used to track the spread of disease and monitor seasonal or annual changes in tree health. Also, it provides tree health information that is fundamental to modeling and analysis of the environmental, social, and economic services produced by urban forests.
Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder and Heart Disease—Central Sleep Apnea

This article reviews cardiovascular physiology and ventilatory control during sleep, the epidemiology of sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) in congestive heart failure (CHF), the pathophysiology of central sleep apnea (CSA) as it relates to CHF, and the clinical features and implications of SRBD in systolic CHF. It then focuses on treatment options for CHF-related CSA including continuous positive airway pressure and newer modalities such as adaptive pressure support servo-ventilation.