cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Localization of keratin in the cells of the cornea in aphakia and normal mouse embryos.

Abstract Abnormal lens morphogenesis in the aphakia mutant in the mouse often results in a club-shaped elongated ‘lens’ that remains attached to the surface epithelium by a persistent connecting stalk, which is partially solid and partially cystic. Usually, the cells are continuous with the surface epithelium of the cornea and also with the cuboidal cells lining the corneal inner surface. Immunofluorescence with keratin antiserum not only gave positive reactions with the corneal epithelial cells, but also with many cells of the lens stalk, including its cysts, and with islands of cells on the inside of the cornea. These keratin-containing ‘endothelial’ cells may be the product of metaplasia of the endothelium into epithelium-like cells. Alternatively, they may also be the result of abnormal migration of epithelial cells into the eye or of abnormal differentiation of neural crest cells.
Correlation of radionuclideurodynamometric and clinical data in 20 men with urinary symptoms

Radionuclide uroflowmetry was performed in 20 patients. These data were correlated with other urologic data, the treatment decision, and the patient's clinical status five to twelve months after testing. In 19 patients the follow-up period confirmed the expectations of the therapeutic plan. We conclude that the radionuclide uroflowmetry technique provides the urologist with objective data which can assist in the decision to perform surgery.
Maximum Likelihood Estimates of Parameters of First and Second Lactation Milk Records

Abstract Variance and covariance components, heritabilities, and genetic and phenotypic correlations between first and second lactation milk records were estimated by Maximum Likelihood procedures. Data consisted of 423,314 first records and 339,182 selected second records completed in over 160,000 herd-year-seasons from daughters of 1,873 Holstein sires. Heritabilities of first and second milk records were .41 and .35. Genetic and phenotypic correlations were .91 and .56. Computational practicality and bias in estimation by Maximum Likelihood are discussed.
pH-dependent mucoadhesion of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymer reveals design rules for drug delivery

This study investigated the mucoadhesive property of a hydrophobically modified copolymer N-isopropylacryamide and glycidylacrylamide NIPAM-N-Gly-(C18)2 (NIPAM-Gly). Prior studies demonstrated that the interfacial properties of this copolymer are pH dependent and that the chains form strong hydrogen bonds at pH < 7 via the carboxylic acid side chains of the glycine moieties. Mucin interactions with the copolymer brushes were investigated by surface plasmon resonance and by direct force measurements. Mucin adsorption was determined as a function of pH, ionic strength, and mucin concentration. It adsorbs to the copolymer strongly at pH 5, but the adsorption decreases with increasing pH. The adsorbed amount is also ionic-strength dependent, decreasing with increasing monovalent salt concentrations at all pH values investigated. When compared with similar investigations with poly(ethylene oxide), these results provide insights into both the chemical characteristics and the solution conditions that determine the mucoadhesive properties of polymers.
Normalizers of non-split Cartan subgroups, modular curves, and the class number one problem

Let Yns+(n) be the open non-cuspidal locus of the modular curve Xns+(n) associated to the normalizer of a non-split Cartan subgroup of level n. As Serre pointed out, an imaginary quadratic field of class number one gives rise to an integral point on Yns+(n) for suitably chosen n. In this note, we give a genus formula for the modular curves Xns+(n) and we give three new solutions to the class number one problem using the modular curves Xns+(n) for n=16,20,21. These are the only such modular curves of genus ⩽2 that had not yet been exploited.
Alfalfa Consumption by Adult Clover Leaf Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Development of Injury Equivalents for Stubble Defoliators

Experiments were conducted from 1990 through 1992 to determine consump- tion rates and feeding duration of adult clover leaf weevils, Hypera punctata (F.), to charac- terize the injury potential of this species during alfalfa regrowth. Adults were fed for 29 d in 1990 and 18 d in both 1991 and 1992. The mean cumulative consumption per adult was 27.2 =1.6 cm2 and 92.7 =3.5 mg dry weight in 1991 and 24.6 =0.9 cm2 and 87.5 =2.9 mg dry weight in 1992. The mean cumulative consumption pattern was curvilinear for both dry weight and leaf area consumption. Most consumption was within 11 d of adult eclosion. The peak consumption rate occurred ""5 d after adult emergence. Because the highest consumption rates and the greatest percentage of defoliation were within the first 11 d of emergence, adult clover leaf weevils potentially can delay regrowth of alfalfa stubble when adult emergence coincides with the 1st harvest. Further, because adult consumption patterns between clover leaf weevils and alfalfa weevils are similar, alfalfa stubble defoliation thresholds developed for alfalfa weevils and cutworms also can be used for clover leaf weevils. Injury equivalents (injury by 1 species in terms of another species) are determined for adult clover leaf weevils, larval variegated cutworm, PeridrollUl saucia (Hubner), and larval and adult alfalfa weevils, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal).
Long-term memory for temporal structure:

In three experiments, long-term memory for temporal structure was examined by having participants identify both well-known (e.g., “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”) and novel songs. The target songs were subjected to a number of rhythmic alterations, to assess the importance of four critical features of identification performance. The four critical features were meter, phrasing, rhythmic contour (ordinal scaling of note durations), and the ratio of successive durations. In contrast with previous work, the unaltered version of each song was identified significantly better than any altered version. This indicates that rhythm is stored in long-term memory. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that all four critical features play a role in the identification of songs. These results held for both well-known and novel tunes.
Negotiating context information in context-aware systems

Context-aware environments must allow adaptive and autonomous access to context information. This multi-agent middleware uses a negotiation protocol and ontology model to make the environment more easily personalized at runtime and adapted and managed at provisioning time. In a pervasive environment, a wide range of devices and resources use heterogeneous networks to perform the tasks involved in spontaneous ad hoc communication. The environment's infrastructure must therefore make available a rich set of computing capabilities and services at all times and in all locations in a transparent, integrated, and convenient way. Context provides perceptual information about the location and status of the people, places, and other devices in the environment.
Differentiation of neuropharmacological actions of apomorphine and d-amphetamine

Abstract The dopaminergic agonists apomorphine and d-amphetamine elicit hyperthermic, hyperkinetic and stereotypic responses in the rabbit. The present investigation compares the influence exerted by various serotonergic antagonists upon these activities. Apomorphine-induced hyperthermia was antagonized by p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA), cyproheptadine and cinanserin and was restored in pCPA-pretreated rabbits by regeneration of central serotonin levels. d-Amphetamine-induced hyperthermia was reduced by pCPA; restored in pCPA-pretreated animals by regeneration of central serotonin levels; and was uninfluenced by cyproheptadine and cinanserin. Apomorphine-induced locomotor stimulation was unaltered by serotonergic antagonists; however, these same doses of anti-serotonergic agents all markedly reduced d-amphetamine-induced hyperkinesia. Serotonergic antagonists also failed to affect apomorphine-induced compulsive gnawing but did significantly enhance d-amphetamine-induced compulsive gnawing. It is concluded from these data that the neuropharmacological activities of apomorphine and d-amphetamine in the rabbit differ in their dependence upon central serotonergic mechanisms.
Relations between brain tissue loss, CSF biomarkers, and the ApoE genetic profile: a longitudinal MRI study

Previously it was reported that Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have reduced beta amyloid (Abeta(1-42)) and elevated total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau(181p)) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), suggesting that these same measures could be used to detect early AD pathology in healthy elderly individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that there would be an association among rates of regional brain atrophy, the CSF biomarkers Abeta(1-42), t-tau, and p-tau(181p) and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 status, and that the pattern of this association would be diagnosis-specific. Our findings primarily showed that lower CSF Abeta(1-42) and higher tau concentrations were associated with increased rates of regional brain tissue loss and the patterns varied across the clinical groups. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that CSF biomarker concentrations are associated with the characteristic patterns of structural brain changes in healthy elderly and mild cognitive impairment subjects that resemble to a large extent the pathology seen in AD. Therefore, the finding of faster progression of brain atrophy in the presence of lower Abeta(1-42) levels and higher tau levels supports the hypothesis that CSF Abeta(1-42) and tau are measures of early AD pathology. Moreover, the relationship among CSF biomarkers, ApoE epsilon4 status, and brain atrophy rates are regionally varying, supporting the view that the genetic predisposition of the brain to beta amyloid and tau mediated pathology is regional and disease stage specific.
Diagnosis and treatment of fluid-filled renal structures in children with ultrasonography and percutaneous puncture

The application of ultrasonographic and percutaneous needle puncture techniques in the diagnosis of various fluid-filled renal anomalies has permitted rapid delineation of anatomic detail, more definitive physiologic evaluation, and drainage, when necessary, in a safe and cost-effective manner. Its usefulness in children is emphasized in 6 illustrated cases of male infants with minimally or nonopacified renal anomalies, one of the more difficult diagnostic problems in pediatric urology.
Determination of total sulfur in soils and plant materials by ion chromatography

Abstract An accurate and precise ion Chromatographie (IC) method is described for determination of total S in soils and plant materials. It involves ignition of a mixture of soil and NaHCO3or plant material and NaHCO3containing Ag2O at 550°C for 3 h. The residue is dissolved in 1MHOAc, diluted with deionized water, filtered, and analyzed for S02‐ 4by a Dionex model 2002i ion Chromatograph. Results by the IC method of seven Iowa soils, three Chilean soils, and 10 plant materials agreed closely with those obtained by the methylene blue method after alkaline oxidation with NaOBr. In general, the IC method was more precise than the methylene blue method. The method is simple and requires a minimum of analytical skill. A single operator can analyze 30–40 soil or plant samples in a normal working day.
Promoter recognition by sigma-37 RNA polymerase from Bacillus subtilis☆

Abstract Bacillus subtilis possesses at least five different forms of RNA polymerase holoenzyme which are distinguished by their sigma subunit and their promoter recognition specificity. Sigma-37 RNA polymerase, a minor form of RNA polymerase, recognizes a class of promoters, which includes promoters for genes transcribed early during endospore formation. We have used site-directed bisulfite mutagenesis to construct a series of single and multiple base substitutions in a promoter recognized by sigma-37 RNA polymerase. In vitro transcription analysis of this series of mutant promoters demonstrated that single base substitutions at positions −36, −16, −15 and −14 most dramatically reduced the efficiency of promoter utilization by sigma-37 RNA polymerase. These results support a model in which sigma-37 RNA polymerase recognizes its cognate promoters by interacting with a sequence of nucleotides near the −10 region and the −35 region of the promoter—a sequence not recognized by B. subtilis sigma-55 RNA polymerase or Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.
Evaluation of a novel knotless self-anchoring suture material for urinary tract reconstruction

Abstract Objectives To evaluate a novel prototype self-anchoring suture (SAS) material that incorporates unidirectional “barbs” designed to grip and approximate tissue without the need for suture ligation for urinary tract reconstructive procedures. Methods The in vitro failure strength of various porcine tissue approximations with SAS was compared with the strength of similar approximations with standard ligated suture. For in vivo analysis, 3 pigs underwent laparoscopic pyeloplasty with SAS on one side and 2-0 Vicryl suture on the contralateral side. Nine pigs underwent bladder neck anastomoses (BNA) performed with SAS (n = 3) and standard ligated interrupted suturing (n = 3) or standard ligated running suturing (n = 3). The operative times were compared. One week after surgery, the integrity of each anastomosis was evaluated radiographically and histopathologically. Results The in vitro analysis revealed no statistically different ( P = 0.22) failure forces between the approximations performed with SAS (13.2 ± 2.6 N) and standard suture (14.1 ± 3.1 N). The in vitro analysis revealed no difference in operative times for the pyeloplasties ( P = 0.72) or BNA ( P = 0.31). None of the 1-week postoperative radiographic studies revealed extravasation. The histopathologic analysis revealed more fibrotic reaction associated with the SAS BNA procedures ( P Conclusions Self-anchoring suture secures tissue approximations at loads equivalent to tissue approximations with standard tied suture. Self-anchoring suture obviates the need for knot tying and provides a watertight anastomosis. With laparoscopic knot tying experience, anastomotic time with SAS and standard suture do not differ. Self-anchoring suture might induce more fibrosis. Long-term follow-up evaluation will be required before clinical application.
Using organizational commitment and job involment to predict budgetary slack: A research note

Abstract This paper provides empirical evidence that the two motivational factors of organizational commitment and job involvement might be important factors in explaining managers' propensities to create budgetary slack. The results indicate that for highly committed managers, job involvement is associated with decreased propensity to create budgetary slack. For managers who have low levels of commitment to organization's goals and values, job involvement is associated with increased propensity to create budgetary slack.
Biological control in temporary agroecosystems

The attributes of both natural enemies and pest species in temporary agroecosystems are discussed. Analysis of natural biological control of noctuid pests in California cotton provides empirical support for the view that certain natural enemies are well adapted to habitats of low durational stability and that such enemies are fully capable of effecting pest suppression in these habitats.
The influence of gravity on crystal defect formation in InSb-GaSb alloys

Abstract In x Ga 1− x Sb melts with x = 0.5, 0.3 and 0.1 were solidified by a gradient freeze technique on earth and in Skylab 3 and Skylab 4. The three ingots processed in Skylab 3 had diameters less than those of their carbon-coated silica ampoules, while those processed in Skylab 4 (with a higher initial heater temperature) completely filed their ampoules. All six of the earth-processed ingots were sufficiently bireflectant that grains and twins were easily observed with incident polarized light. This was true of only space-processed ingot, the others requiring sandblasted surfaces and oblique lighting to observe twins and grains. Twinning was 70% less in the six Skylab ingots than in the corresponding six earth-processed ingots. Microcracks were more numerous in inhomogeneous regions of the ingot. The number of grain boundaries (exclusive of twin boundaries) was about 18% less in the Skylab ingots. The distribution of voids was more uniform in the Skylab ingots.
Massive cluster impact ionization on a four sector tandem mass spectrometer

High energy glycerol cluster ions from an electrohydrodynamic ion gun have been used as a primary ion beam to generate secondary ions of proteins with molecular weights up to 29 kDa and oligonucleotides. The technique not only demonstrated good performance in the picomole/nanomole range for the desorbtion of highly polar and fragile molecules such as proteins and deoxyoligonucleotides, but it also allowed the observation of a non-covalent complex in the form of a deoxyoligonucleotide duplex. We have also shown that it is feasible to carry out structural analysis of oligonucleotides by collisional activation in a four sector tandem instrument
Nanoscale Coherent Perfect Absorber of Light

Based on the concept of time-reversing a laser, we develop two schemes of 100% coupling of light into individual nanoparticles, either a dielectric nanoparticle buried in a scattering medium or a single metallic nanoparticle in vacuum.
Control of renal perfusion and function in congestive heart failure.

The force that shaped the evolution of the kidney, anatomically and functionally, has been defense of extracellular fluid volume. Similarly, the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in normal physiology involves volume homeostasis rather than blood pressure control. When a volume deficit occurs, e.g., by restriction of sodium intake or through hemorrhage, a substantial part of the renal vasoconstriction that occurs is due to angiotensin II. In this context, the renal response to congestive heart failure resembles the response to a volume deficit, with angiotensin-mediated renal vasoconstriction contributing to the decrease in blood flow, glomerular filtration rate and to sodium retention. Thus, converting-enzyme inhibition improves renal perfusion and function, including sodium, potassium, magnesium and water handling, as a major part of its therapeutic contribution in congestive heart failure.
Discretion, punishment, and juvenile justice

(1991). Discretion, punishment, and juvenile justice. Criminal Justice Ethics: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 3-7.
Role of beam orientation optimization in intensity-modulated radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the role of beam orientation optimization in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and to examine the potential benefits of noncoplanar intensity-modulated beams. Methods and Materials: A beam orientation optimization algorithm was implemented. For this purpose, system variables were divided into two groups: beam position (gantry and table angles) and beam profile (beamlet weights). Simulated annealing was used for beam orientation optimization and the simultaneous iterative inverse treatment planning algorithm (SIITP) for beam intensity profile optimization. Three clinical cases were studied: a localized prostate cancer, a nasopharyngeal cancer, and a paraspinal tumor. Nine fields were used for all treatments. For each case, 3 types of treatment plan optimization were performed: ( 1 ) beam intensity profiles were optimized for 9 equiangular spaced coplanar beams; ( 2 ) orientations and intensity profiles were optimized for 9 coplanar beams; ( 3 ) orientations and intensity profiles were optimized for 9 noncoplanar beams. Results: For the localized prostate case, all 3 types of optimization described above resulted in dose distributions of a similar quality. For the nasopharynx case, optimized noncoplanar beams provided a significant gain in the gross tumor volume coverage. For the paraspinal case, orientation optimization using noncoplanar beams resulted in better kidney sparing and improved gross tumor volume coverage. Conclusion: The sensitivity of an IMRT treatment plan with respect to the selection of beam orientations varies from site to site. For some cases, the choice of beam orientations is important even when the number of beams is as large as 9. Noncoplanar beams provide an additional degree of freedom for IMRT treatment optimization and may allow for notable improvement in the quality of some complicated plans.
Neutral information structure for manufacturing simulations: a neutral information model for simulating machine shop operations

Small machine shops typically do not have the resources to develop custom simulations of their operations or data translators to import their data from other manufacturing software applications. This paper presents an overview of an information model currently under development at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to address this problem. The model provides neutral data interfaces for integrating machine shop software applications with simulation. The information model provides mechanisms for describing data about organizations, calendars, work, resources, schedules, parts, process plans, and layouts within a machine shop environment. The model has been developed using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML).
Clever and crude but not kind: narcissism, self-esteem, and the self-reference effect

According to the agency model of narcissism (Campbell, Brunell, & Finkel, 2006) narcissists view themselves as high on agentic traits but low on communal traits. To test if this self-view extends to recall, two experiments examined the extent to which narcissism was associated with self-ratings and recall of agentic and communal traits that varied in valence. Across both experiments a trait description task was followed by a surprise recall task for the trait words and then completion of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Terry, 1988). Within the self-reference condition narcissism was related to higher selection in the trait description task and to higher recall of positive-agentic (e.g., clever) traits. This general pattern of results occurred for narcissism even while controlling for the related personality variables of self-esteem, agency, and communion. In contrast to narcissism, within the self-referent group self-esteem predicted higher recall for positive-communal traits (e.g., kind) but lower recall for negative-communal traits, a finding consistent with mnemic neglect. Overall, results supported the agency model of narcissism and extended this model to suggest that narcissists rate themselves more highly not only on positive-agentic traits but also on negative-communal traits.
A spline framework for ECG analysis

In this effort we introduce a spline framework for ECG waveform analysis, with initial application to the ECG delineation (segmentation) problem. The framework comprises knot initialization, spline interpolant, error metric, and knot location optimization to parametrically represent the waveform for analysis, classification, or compression. Choice of these constituents is driven by the application of the framework. For our initial application of ECG delineation, we use the framework to identify characteristic points corresponding to waveform onset and offset times, peak values, and junction points. These are represented mathematically as critical points and points of inflection, which serve as knot locations for linear or cubic Hermite interpolants in the framework. Preliminary tests on a limited but diverse set of morphologies from the European ST-T database indicate that the framework obtains knot locations corresponding to characteristic points, and the resultant interpolated waveform represents the original signal well with low mean squared error.
Some information on the sampling performance of Stein's new estimator

Abstract This paper considers the sampling performance of Stein's modified version of the James-Stein estimator under both normal and non-normal specification.
Paramagnetic centres associated with bonding defects in v-SiO2

Abstract Paramagnetic centres are produced in vitreous (v)-SiO2 by the trapping of photogenerated electrons and holes at the intrinsic bonding defect centres associated with over- and under-coordinated oxygen atoms, C3 + and C1- respectively. Capture of a hole by the C1- converts that centre to C1 0, the oxygen hole centre (OHC), whilst the capture of an electron by the C3 + centre converts it to a C3 0 which reconstructs forming the E′ centre, a threefold coordinated neutral silicon atom T3 0. The C3 +, C1- bonding defects occur as near neighbours in the network structure, so-called intimate valence-alternation pairs or I.V.A.P.s, so that an I.V.A.P. centre may trap either a hole or an electron, or both carriers. The unusual annealing behaviour of the OHC E.S.R. signal is shown to be related to centres which initially capture both an electron and a hole, and then convert from a spin-inactive configuration (T3 +, Cl −) to the spin-active configuration (T3 +, C1 0) through the thermal release of one electron.
Nonprofit Boards of Directors and Lobbying: Are We Allowed to Do That?

The goal of this research is to qualitatively explore the role, function, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs about lobbying and social welfare nonprofit boards. Focus groups and telephone interviews were conducted with 53 nonprofit leaders. The findings suggest that nonprofit leaders understand the need for lobbying but barriers included fear, lack of resources, and inadequate knowledge of nonprofit lobbying laws. Board members experienced ambiguity about the lobbying process, and executive directors often orchestrated the board's lobbying activities. However, boards have opportunities to engage in the relationship-building and capacity-enhancing activities to promote social justice using lobbying as a strategy.
Decadal variations in the California Current upwelling cells

uted to anomalous changes in the nutrient content of waters brought to the euphotic zone caused by a deeper thermocline [Roemmich and McGowan, 1995], this study focuses purely on changes in coastal upwelling (i.e., vertical velocities) as a potential mechanism for the aforementioned ecosystem changes. The goal of this study is to understand how climate variations in the North Pacific, specifically the PDO, influence the upwelling cell and the vertical fluxes of important tracers along the coast in the northeastern Pacific and to explore the potential impacts on coastal ecosystems. In this study, we use model adjoint passive tracers to elucidate how different phases of the PDO alter the threedimensional upwelling cells in the CCS.
A game tree strategy for automated negotiation

Chess playing programs running on small computers, such as PocketPCs,can beat most human players. This paper reports a feasibility studyto determine if the techniques programs use to play chess can beapplied to the more economically interesting problem of negotiation.This study allowed us to identify the essential differences betweenplaying chess and negotiating and to demonstrate possible solutions tothe problems we encountered.
Renal Artery Coverage During Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair: Proximal Migration or Misplacement of the Stent-Graft?

Partial or complete coverage of the renal arteries by the stent-graft during endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is a serious problem. We present two cases with this complication; both were successfully managed using renal artery stents. To minimize the risk of renal artery coverage, completion aortography with good visualization of the renal arteries is recommended. Even a slight increase in serum creatinine after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair can be a sign of renal artery coverage due to early proximal migration or misplacement during deployment. Computed tomographic scan with and without intravenous contrast is recommended to establish the right diagnosis. Early stenting of the renal arteries is usually possible and associated with an excellent prognosis.
Antiangiogenic nanotherapy with lipase-labile Sn-2 fumagillin prodrug

Background: The chemical instability of antiangiogenic fumagillin, combined with its poor retention during intravascular transit, requires an innovative solution for clinical translation. We hypothesized that an Sn-2 lipase-labile fumagillin prodrug, in combination with a contact-facilitated drug delivery mechanism, could be used to address these problems. Methods: αvβ3-targeted and nontargeted nanoparticles with and without fumagillin in the prodrug or native forms were evaluated in vitro and in vivo in the Matrigel™ (BD Biosciences, CA, USA) plug model of angiogenesis in mice. Results: In vitro experiments demonstrated that the new fumagillin prodrug decreased viability at least as efficacious as the parent compound, on an equimolar basis. In the Matrigel mouse angiogenesis model, αvβ3-fumagillin prodrug decreased angiogenesis as measured by MRI (3T), while the neovasculature was unaffected with the control nanoparticles. Conclusion: The present approach resolved the previously intractable problems of d...
Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Pharmacological Inhibition Ameliorates Experimental Acute Pancreatitis in Mice

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease, and is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH; encoded by Ephx2) deficiency and pharmacological inhibition have beneficial effects in inflammatory diseases. Ephx2 whole-body deficiency mitigates experimental AP in mice, but the suitability of sEH pharmacological inhibition for treating AP remains to be determined. We investigated the effects of sEH pharmacological inhibition on cerulein- and arginine-induced AP using the selective sEH inhibitor 1-trifluoromethoxyphenyl-3-(1-propionylpiperidin-4-yl) urea (TPPU), which was administered before and after induction of pancreatitis. Serum amylase and lipase levels were lower in TPPU-treated mice compared with controls. In addition, circulating levels and pancreatic mRNA of the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin Il-1β, and Il-6 were reduced in TPPU-treated mice. Moreover, sEH pharmacological inhibition before and after induction of pancreatitis was associated with decreased cerulein- and arginine-induced nuclear factor-κB inflammatory response, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and cell death. sEH pharmacological inhibition before and after induction of pancreatitis mitigated cerulein- and arginine-induced AP. This work suggests that sEH pharmacological inhibition may be of therapeutic value in acute pancreatitis.
Distributed bearing estimation via matrix completion

We consider bearing estimation of multiple narrow-band plane waves impinging on an array of sensors. For this problem, bearing estimation algorithms such as minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR), multiple signal classification, and maximum likelihood generally require the array covariance matrix as sufficient statistics. Interestingly, the rank of the array covariance matrix is approximately equal to the number of the sources, which is typically much smaller than the number of sensors in many practical scenarios. In these scenarios, the covariance matrix is low-rank and can be estimated via matrix completion from only a small subset of its entries. We propose a distributed matrix completion framework to drastically reduce the inter-sensor communication in a network while still achieving near-optimal bearing estimation accuracy. Using recent results in noisy matrix completion, we provide sampling bounds and show how the additive noise at the sensor observations affects the reconstruction performance. We demonstrate via simulations that our approach sports desirable tradeoffs between communication costs and bearing estimation accuracy.
High performance control for graceful motion of an intelligent wheelchair

To be acceptable to human drivers, the motion of an intelligent robotic wheelchair must be more than just collision-free: it must be graceful. We define graceful motion as being safe, comfortable, fast and intuitive. In this paper, we quantify these properties of graceful motion, providing formal evaluation criteria. We propose a method for graceful motion and present implementation results for the task of driving through a narrow doorway, evaluated on a simulated model of the wheelchair. We use B-splines to specify an intuitive path to a goal, and then describe path-following control law for a differential- drive wheeled vehicle to follow that path within velocity and acceleration bounds. Existing methods typically respond to tight clearances with very slow motion which is not graceful. Our results show that, starting from a set of representative poses, the wheelchair passes through the door at near maximum speed, staying close to the mid-line of the doorway. The velocity of the wheelchair reflects the curvature of the path rather than the closeness of the door edges, so it can move smoothly, safely, and quickly through the doorway. Thus, this paper makes two contributions - first it introduces the concept of graceful motion and provides quantitative measures for the same, and second, it proposes a method for graceful motion and demonstrates it on a specific task.
The incidence of symptomatic lower-extremity lymphedema following treatment of uterine corpus malignancies: a 12-year experience at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Abstract Objectives. To describe the incidence of symptomatic postoperative lower-extremity lymphedema in women treated for uterine corpus cancer, and to evaluate its relationship to regional lymph node removal and postoperative therapy. Methods. A retrospective chart review of all patients with uterine corpus cancer managed over a 12-year period (1/93–12/04). All patients had a hysterectomy as part of their therapy. We identified patients with leg lymphedema – as described by the physician or reported by the patient – through medical records. We excluded cases of leg edema that developed secondary to medical conditions such as cardiovascular and renal disease, venous thrombosis, and end-stage recurrent malignancy. Lymphedema dermal changes and related fibrosis were graded using the common terminology criteria for adverse events. Results. In all, 1289 patients with uterine corpus malignancy were evaluated. We excluded other chronic lower-extremity edema that was related to a variety of medical conditions in 74 patients (5.7%). With a median follow-up of 3 years (interquartile range, 1.1–5.4 years), new symptomatic post-treatment lower-extremity lymphedema was noted in 16 patients. Patients who had lymph nodes removed at initial surgery had a higher rate of developing lymphedema (16/670, 2.4%) than those who did not (0/619, 0%) ( P = 0.0001). Furthermore, symptomatic lymphedema was limited to patients who had 10 or more regional lymph nodes removed 16/469 (3.4%). Lymphedema was noted at a median of 5.3 months after surgery (range, 1–32 months). Lymphedema was unilateral in 11 patients (69%) and bilateral in 5 (31%); moreover, it was considered grade 1 in 12 patients (75%) and grade 2 in 4 (25%). Age, weight, stage, type of hysterectomy, and type of postoperative adjuvant therapy were not associated with lymphedema. Conclusions. To date, this is the largest series evaluating symptomatic lower-extremity lymphedema in women with uterine corpus cancer. Patients who had 10 or more regional lymph nodes removed at initial surgery appeared to be at higher risk for developing new symptomatic leg lymphedema. Patients undergoing surgery with lymphadenectomy for uterine corpus malignancy should be informed about the possibility of postoperative new symptomatic leg lymphedema. A prospective evaluation of leg lymphedema is needed to accurately determine the incidence, severity, and risk factors of this complication.
EHMTI-0184. Ictal adiponectin levels are modulated by pain severity and treatment response in episodic migraineurs

Results A total of 34 participants (17 responders, 17 nonresponders) were included. In all participants, for every 1 point increase in the HMW:T-ADP ratio, pain severity increased by 4.11 (CI: 0.44, 7.77; p = 0.028). In responders (n = 17), crude T-ADP levels were reduced at 30 min (11.49 ± 3.7; p = 0.001), 60 min (11.54 ± 3.2; p = 0.001) and 120 min (11.39 ± 3.7; p = 0.001) after treatment as compared to onset (12.47 ± 3.6). In non-responders (n = 17), crude T-ADP levels were unchanged after treatment. After adjustments, T-ADP levels remained decreased 30120 min after treatment in responders; additionally, HMW-ADP, and the HMW:T-ADP ratio were decreased and LMW-ADP and the LMW:T-ADP ratio (coeff 0.04; CI: 0.01, 0.07; p = 0.043) were increased 120 min after treatment in responders. In non-responders, the adjusted LMW-ADP (coef -0.45; CI: -0.77, -0.14; p = 0.005) and the LMW:T-ADP ratio (coef -0.04; CI: -0.07, -0.01; p = 0.018) were decreased at 60 min as well as at 120 min after treatment. Unadjusted and adjusted LEP levels were not modulated by changes in pain severity or treatment response.
Oldest Old Long-Term Care Recipients: Findings From the National Center for Health Statistics’ Long-Term Care Surveys

The purpose of this study was to examine socio-demographic and health characteristics of the oldest old receiving services from three types of long-term care (LTC) providers. About 45% of nursing home residents in 2004 and 22% of home health care patients and 38% of discharged hospice care patients in 2007 were 85 years and older. The oldest old across the three LTC settings were predominantly White and women. More than two thirds of oldest old nursing home residents, home health care patients, and discharged hospice care patients needed assistance in performing three or more activities of daily living (ADLs) and were bladder incontinent. Hypertension and heart disease were the two most common chronic health conditions that the oldest old LTC recipients had across the care settings. Results provide a baseline that can be used to make comparisons with other new and emerging LTC providers like residential care and home care.
Social rearing effects on HPA axis activity over early development and in response to stress in rhesus monkeys.

Previous studies have found evidence of behavioral and psychophysiological differences between nonhuman primates reared in different social environments, however, few of these have employed longitudinal study of the animals over early development. In this study, HPA axis activity was assessed via measurement of ACTH and cortisol values over the first 6 months of life and in response to two stressful housing transitions in 48 infant rhesus monkeys that were either mother- or peer-reared. ACTH and cortisol values declined over the first 6 months in both rearing groups. Peer-reared monkeys showed lower levels of ACTH over the first 6 months of life than mother-reared, but the rearing groups did not differ in basal cortisol values over this period. Mother-reared animals showed a greater ACTH response to the mild stress of being moved to a new cage, and male monkeys showed higher values than females. Mother-reared animals showed the largest cortisol increase in response to the caging transition. Both groups showed increases in ACTH and cortisol in response to the more severe stress of separation from their rearing partners and housing with unfamiliar agemates. Mother-reared animals again showed the largest increase in ACTH in response to these events, but increases in cortisol were similar among both sexes and rearing groups. These results suggest an interaction of sex and rearing history in response to stressful events. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Effect of triiodothyronine augmentation on rat lung surfactant phospholipids during sepsis

Ksenzenko, Sergey M., Scott B. Davidson, Amer A. Saba, Alexander P. Franko, Aml M. Raafat, Lawrence N. Diebel, and Scott A. Dulchavsky. Effect of triiodothyronine augmentation on rat lung surfactan...
Accelerating coupled circuit-EM simulation in the frequency and time domain

An accelerated, full-wave, coupled electromagnetic circuit simulation methodology is described. The simulator enables rapid modeling of high-speed effects in mixed-signal and RF circuits, and captures effects in both frequency and time domains.
A Snooki effect? An exploration of the surveillance subgenre of reality TV and viewers’ beliefs about the “real” real world.

Taking a cultivation approach, this study uses content analyses, entertainment journalists, and critical theorists to make the case that patterns of content appear in “surveillance” reality TV programs. Survey data collected from 145 young adults reveal that beliefs about the real world often match these content patterns. Heavy viewers of surveillance programs were more likely to think females in the real world engage in inappropriate behaviors (e.g., arguing, gossip) more than males. Exposure to surveillance programs also positively predicted beliefs about the prevalence of relationship discord in the real world. Implications for cultivation research, reality TV, and accessibility are discussed.
The time-course of processing syntactic dependencies: Evidence from eye movements

The current study used headmounted eyetracking to examine the time course and nature of processing filler-gap relations in WH-questions, and the role of verb argument frame information. Subjects listened to a short narrative while viewing pictures of entities mentioned in the story. At the end of the story, they were required to answer an auditorily presented question; eye movements in response to these questions were recorded. Subjects heard WH-questions such as ‘‘What did Jody squash the spider with?’’ contrasted with yes/no question questions with no gap (e.g., ‘‘Did Jody squash a spider with her shoe?’’). Results showed that subjects anticipate a gap site at the verb only for Wh-questions. These results provide converging evidence for active on-line resolution of syntactic dependencies and introduce an important methodological tool for investigating processes that underlie syntactic dependencies.
Childhood functional status, family stressors, and psychosocial adjustment among school-aged children with disabilities in the United States.

Background: During the last 30 years, several studies have indicated that children with disabilities are at increased risk for emotional and behavioral morbidity. Populationbased studies are needed to understand the relationship between functional status, family stressors, and the psychosocial adjustment of children with disabilities. Methods: Using data from the 1994 and 1995 National Health Interview Surveys, Disability Supplement, this study examines the associations between children’s functional status, family stressors, and the psychosocial adjustment of school-aged children with disabilities. Results: Regression analyses indicate that children’s functional impairments in the areas of communication or learning, poor maternal health and mental health, family burden, and poverty are significantly and positively associated with psychosocial maladjustment among children with disabilities. Conclusions: Children’s functional activity limitations and family stressors are significant correlates of psychosocial adjustment among children with disabilities. These data indicate a need for routine screening for mental health problems among children with disabilities, as well as a family-oriented approach to their medical care. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2003;157:687-695
Recent and Future Improvements in Automated Icing Algorithms

The goal of icing forecasting research being conducted at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Aviation Weather Research Program (AWRP) is to provide timely and accurate forecasts of inflight icing conditions. The flying public wants to know not only where icing conditions are likely to reside, but also the probability of their occurrence and expected severity. Automated diagnosis and forecast icing products have been developed at NCAR and deployed at the Aviation Weather Center (AWC), where they provide this information to pilots, forecasters, and dispatchers. These products, known as the Current and Forecast Icing Products (CIP and FIP, respectively), have been approved for operational decision making by these groups. Recently, changes were made to both algorithms to accommodate the transition in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, from the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) to the Weather Research and Forecasting Rapid Refresh (WRF-RAP). This transition required some changes to the algorithms to handle updated model information and a verification of the results. The verification study confirmed that the new model had the desired effects on the icing products and also brought to light some interesting information on the handling of convection and supercooled large drops (SLD). During this transition other upgrades and changes were also made to the algorithms dealing with icing severity at night, the use of radar data, and the development of an algorithm testbed.
The associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, vitamin D binding protein gene polymorphisms, and race with risk of incident fracture-related hospitalization: Twenty-year follow-up in a bi-ethnic cohort (the ARIC Study).

Abstract Background Deficient levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] have been associated with increased fracture risk. Racial differences in fracture risk may be related to differences in bioavailable vitamin D due to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in the vitamin D binding protein (DBP). Methods We measured 25(OH)D levels in 12,781 middle-aged White and Black participants [mean age 57 years (SD 5.7), 25% Black] in the ARIC Study who attended the second examination from 1990–1992. Participants were genotyped for two DBP SNPs (rs4588 and rs7041). Incident hospitalized fractures were measured by abstracting hospital records for ICD-9 codes. We used Cox proportional hazards models to evaluate the association between 25(OH)D levels and risk of fracture with adjustment for possible confounders. Interactions were tested by race and DBP genotype. Results There were 1122 incident fracture-related hospitalizations including 267 hip fractures over a median of 19.6 years of follow-up. Participants with deficient 25(OH)D ( Conclusions Deficient 25(OH)D levels are associated with higher incidence of hospitalized fractures. Marginal effects were seen in Whites for the DBP genotype associated with lower bioavailable vitamin D, but result inconclusive. Further investigation is needed to more directly evaluate the association between bioavailable vitamin D and fracture risk.
Minimap and miniasm: fast mapping and de novo assembly for noisy long sequences

Motivation: Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing technology and Oxford Nanopore technologies (ONT) produce reads over 10 kb in length, which have enabled high-quality genome assembly at an affordable cost. However, at present, long reads have an error rate as high as 10–15%. Complex and computationally intensive pipelines are required to assemble such reads. Results: We present a new mapper, minimap and a de novo assembler, miniasm, for efficiently mapping and assembling SMRT and ONT reads without an error correction stage. They can often assemble a sequencing run of bacterial data into a single contig in a few minutes, and assemble 45-fold Caenorhabditis elegans data in 9 min, orders of magnitude faster than the existing pipelines, though the consensus sequence error rate is as high as raw reads. We also introduce a pairwise read mapping format and a graphical fragment assembly format, and demonstrate the interoperability between ours and current tools. Availability and implementation: https://github.com/lh3/minimap and https://github.com/lh3/miniasm Contact: gro.etutitsnidaorb@ilgneh Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.