cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Meta-learning based classifier ensemble strategy and its application

A novel meta-learning based classifier ensemble model was presented.Four classifiers i.e.Generalized Winnow,support vector machine,conditional random fields,and maximum entropy were combined using two differ-ent meta-learning strategies.Various evidential features specified for the application of biomedical named entity recog-nition were incorporated into the system to help improve recognition performance.Experimental results show that the classifier ensemble strategy based on meta-learning is obviously superior to the individual classifier based method and superior to the arbitration rule based ensemble method.
A Surgical Treatment of Rectal Prolapse in Giant Panda

The young giant panda recovered well from rectal prolapse, after surgical operation,transfusion and special care.
Pynchon's V. and the Rhetoric of the Cold War

In these postmodern times, Marjorie Perl off argues, most critics have "tended to dismiss genre as a more or less anachronistic and irrelevant concept" (3). But we cannot do away with the notion of genre: "however 'irrelevant' generic taxonomies may seem in the face of the postmodern interdisciplinarity of the arts … [and] however pointless it may seem to classify and label texts that refuse to fit into the established categories, practically speaking, it is virtually impossible to read a given new 'text' without bringing to it a particular set of generic expectations" (Perloff 4).
"Cut-and-paste" manufacture of multiparametric epidermal electronic systems

Epidermal electronics is a class of noninvasive and unobstructive skin-mounted, tattoo-like sensors and electronics capable of vital sign monitoring and establishing human-machine interface. The high cost of manpower, materials, vacuum equipment, and photolithographic facilities associated with its manufacture greatly hinders the widespread use of disposable epidermal electronics. Here we report a cost and time effective, completely dry, benchtop “cut-and-paste” method for the freeform and portable manufacture of multiparametric epidermal sensor systems (ESS) within minutes. This versatile method works for all types of thin metal and polymeric sheets and is compatible with any tattoo adhesives or medical tapes. The resulting ESS are multimaterial and multifunctional and have been demonstrated to noninvasively but accurately measure electrophysiological signals, skin temperature, skin hydration, as well as respiratory rate. In addition, planar stretchable coils exploiting double-stranded serpentine design have been successfully applied as wireless, passive epidermal strain sensors.
Morbid obesity and use of second generation antipsychotics among adolescents in foster care: Evidence from Medicaid

Abstract Background Many adolescents enter foster care with high body mass index (BMI), and patterns of treatment further exacerbate the risk of morbid obesity. A principal risk factor for such exacerbation is the use of second generation antipsychotics (SGAs). We examine the association between receiving a morbid obesity diagnosis and SGA prescriptions among adolescents in foster care. Methods We analyzed claims from 36 states' Medicaid Analytic Extract (MAX) files for 2000 through 2003. Obesity diagnoses were ascertained through a primary or secondary diagnosis claim of morbid obesity. Covariates included gender, race/ethnicity. Age, insurance status, state obesity rate, and state fixed effects. We calculated relative risks of a diagnosis based upon four SGAs (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone) associated with obesity and a polypharmacy indicator. Results Of the 1,261,806 foster care adolescent-years in the MAX files, 6517 were diagnosed with morbid obesity, an annual prevalence of 0.5%. The risk of a morbid obesity diagnosis is much higher for female and non-white adolescents. The risk increases with age. Quetiapine and clozapine increased the risk of a morbid obesity diagnosis more than 2.5 times, and two or more psychotropic drugs (polypharmacy) increased the risk fivefold. Conclusions Adolescents in foster care are much more likely to be on SGA medications, and therefore may be more susceptible to weight gain and obesity. Given that SGA prescribing for younger populations has only expanded since these data were released, our study may actually understate the magnitude of the problem. Care is needed when prescribing SGAs for foster care adolescents.
Altered synthesis of proteoglycans by cyst-derived cells from autosomal-dominant polycystic kidneys.

Normal human renal epithelial cells (NK) and cells from cysts of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidneys (ADPKD) were radiolabeled with [35S]sulfate. A two- to three-fold decrease in the radioactivity incorporated into the proteoglycan (PG) fraction, as ascertained by tissue autoradiography and biochemical techniques, was observed in the ADPKD group. In subconfluent NK cells, PGs eluted as two peaks with different proportions of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and heparan sulfate (HS) in the cellular and media fractions. In the confluent stage, only a single major peak in the media and matrix fractions was seen and had variable proportions of CS and HS. In subconfluent ADPKD monolayers, cellular PGs eluted as two peaks, with the major peak of higher molecular weight compared with NK cells. In confluent stage, there was a single PG peak of a relatively higher molecular weight, with a variable increase in the proportions of CS vs. HS and lower charge-density characteristics. These findings indicate that size and spe...
Nutritional and socioeconomic implications Health food users in two Texas cities

Growth of the market for “health foods’ is accelerating. Who are the people who make up this market? What motivates them to buy health foods?
Services in the United States

This chapter focuses on the effects that liberalization of trade in services may have on the United States. It examines US “revealed” comparative advantage in services as indicated by the available trade data, barriers to exports of US services abroad, and restrictions on imports of services into the United States. It concludes with a discussion of the position taken by the US government and private interests with regard to liberalization of trade in services.
Worked to Death: The Relationship of Job Demands and Job Control Factors with Mortality

Despite recent calls in the literature to examine the role of the occupational context in predicting distal human physiological outcomes, such as mortality, little research has accumulated on this ...
Plasminogen-receptor KT : plasminogen activation and beyond.

The cell surface orchestrates plasminogen activation through the concomitant binding of plasminogen and plasminogen activators to specific receptors. In this issue, Miles and colleagues describe their detailed phenotypic characterization of mice deficient in Plg-RKT, a key plasminogen receptor expressed in numerous tissues, but highly expressed by proinflammatory macrophages. The analysis provides critical and surprising new insights into the biology of this receptor. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Speaking Up: Empowering Individuals to Promote Tolerance in the Academic Library

Diversity issues are taking on increased significance and are being included as a part of academic libraries’ strategic plans, often with the goal of improving the overall climate for diversity. Empowering employees to discuss and resolve diversity-related conflicts themselves and offering them some practical strategies to do so are activities the literature supports for improving climate. Members of the Penn State University Libraries Diversity Committee created an interactive workshop using media and discussion to address these issues based on and adapted from Speak Up!, a program from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Other libraries can use this program as a model for meeting diversity objectives in their strategic plans.
Antecedents of Gray Divorce: A Life Course Perspective.

Objectives Increasingly, older adults are experiencing divorce, yet little is known about the risk factors associated with divorce after age 50 (termed "gray divorce"). Guided by a life course perspective, our study examined whether key later life turning points are related to gray divorce. Method We used data from the 1998-2012 Health and Retirement Study to conduct a prospective, couple-level discrete-time event history analysis of the antecedents of gray divorce. Our models incorporated key turning points (empty nest, retirement, and poor health) as well as demographic characteristics and economic resources. Results Contrary to our expectations, the onset of an empty nest, the wife's or husband's retirement, and the wife's or husband's chronic conditions were unrelated to the likelihood of gray divorce. Rather, factors traditionally associated with divorce among younger adults were also salient for older adults. Marital duration, marital quality, home ownership, and wealth were negatively related to the risk of gray divorce. Discussion Gray divorce is especially likely to occur among couples who are socially and economically disadvantaged, raising new questions about the consequences of gray divorce for individual health and well-being.
Primitive and Definitive Erythropoiesis

Abstract SCI-37 Studies in mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrate embryos indicate that erythropoiesis comes in two flavors: primitive and definitive. The primitive erythroid lineage in mammalian embryos is characterized by a transient wave of lineage-committed progenitors that emerge from the yolk sac and generate a wave of precursors that synchronously mature in the bloodstream. Primitive erythroid precursors dynamically regulate embryonic globin gene expression and ultimately enucleate to form erythrocytes. Primitive erythropoiesis is superseded by definitive erythroid cells that mature extravascularly in association with macrophage cells. Studies in the mouse embryo indicate that definitive erythropoiesis has two distinct developmental origins. The first is a transient wave of erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMP) that emerge from the yolk sac and seed the early fetal liver. The second is a long-term program of erythropoiesis derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Erythropoietin is the central regulator of definitive erythropoiesis, in part by regulating the survival of committed progenitors. In contrast, the role of erythropoietin in primitive erythropoiesis remains poorly understood. Recent studies indicate that erythropoietin does not regulate the primitive erythroid progenitor compartment, but rather plays a critical role in establishing an antiapoptotic state during the terminal maturation of primitive erythroblasts. EMP-derived proerythroblasts are capable of extensive self-renewal in vitro, while primitive erythroid progenitors are incapable of self-renewal under the same conditions. These studies, taken together, indicate that the primitive and definitive forms of erythropoiesis have fundamental differences in the regulation of red cell output. The overlapping emergence of primitive and definitive erythroid lineages in differentiating embryonic stem cells suggests that the transient yolk-sac-derived primitive and EMP-derived definitive erythroid programs are recapitulated in vitro. These studies offer the hope that human embryonic stem cells can serve as a source of functional definitive erythroid cells for transfusion therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Photoredox Generation of Carbon‐Centered Radicals Enables the Construction of 1,1‐Difluoroalkene Carbonyl Mimics

Described is a facile, scalable route to access functional-group-rich gem-difluoroalkenes. Using visible-light-activated catalysts in conjunction with an arsenal of carbon-radical precursors, an array of trifluoromethyl-substituted alkenes undergoes radical defluorinative alkylation. Nonstabilized primary, secondary, and tertiary radicals can be used to install functional groups in a convergent manner, which would otherwise be challenging by two-electron pathways. The process readily extends to other perfluoroalkyl-substituted alkenes. In addition, we report the development of an organotrifluoroborate reagent to expedite the synthesis of the requisite trifluoromethyl-substituted alkene starting materials.
Substantial Identity, Rational Nature, and the Right to Life

In various places many natural law theorists, including Joseph Boyle, have defended the position that every human being is valuable as a subject of rights in virtue of the fundamental or substantial kind of being he or she is, rather than in virtue of additional, accidental attributes, that may be acquired (and then lost) later in life.
A Transient-Enhanced Fully-Integrated LDO Regulator for SoC Application

A fully integrated low-dropout regulator (LDO) with ultra-fast transient settling is proposed to provide a clean supply for digital circuits in nano-scale technology. A super source follower (SSF) is inserted into the cascode flipped voltage follower (FVF) topology to drive the power transistor for fast turn-on. The proposed positive transient detection (PTD) circuit drive a NMOS transistor for fast pull-down. The combined effects of these two techniques significantly attenuate the load transient induced voltage spikes. The LDO is designed in a 130 nm CMOS process and consumes 100 μ, A quiescent current with 1.2 V regulated output and 200 mV dropout voltage. For large load transient of 100 μA to 20 mA and back to 100 μA, the simulated undershoot and overshoot is less than 95 mV with 150 ns recovery time, demonstrating a glitch peak reduction of 6 times and a glitch settling time reduction of 5 times.
Organizational impact of component-based systems development

This paper presents a unique perspective of the software development process and its impact on the relationships between the information systems (IS) personnel and the business users. It investigates the key determinants of enhanced cooperation between the information systems (IS) department and the business user departments. It suggests methods by which the software development process can be re-engineered in order to enhance these relationships. The use of component-based systems development will result in a shift of a significant part of the software development effort for non-mission-critical applications from the IS department of the organization to the business user departments. This will result in personnel from different departments working together as a team and will facilitate a dramatic cycle time reduction in application delivery. They will deliver more efficient information systems in a shorter time frame to the business users. These benefits will be realized by using component assembly, through which business users will be able to assemble desktop applications by integrating software components.
Spinoza on Human Freedom: The free man

Having examined, in the previous three chapters, Spinoza's view on reason's practical guidance, we can now consider how this guidance translates into practice, or, to rephrase in the light of Spinoza's eudaimonism, what a life in accordance with reason's guidance looks like. In taking up this question, the traditional starting place has been Spinoza's account of the free man (4p66s–4p73). This way of thinking is justified on the grounds that the free man is the model of human nature from 4pref and, thus, the goal of a free life. This approach, paradoxically, has been as much of an end point as a starting point: since the free man, according to most of Spinoza's remarks, enjoys a life of perfect freedom, which humans cannot attain, this reading gives the impression that he has little assistance to offer in envisioning a good life for us, ordinary humans. While the remaining chapters will pursue more promising routes to understanding the good life, this chapter aims to show that it is a mistake to look to Spinoza's free man as providing significant guidance on the matter. This is because the free man is best understood as a thought experiment demonstrating reason's guidance and rational emotions, rather than providing a realistic example of human freedom. This is perhaps the most controversial aspect of my view, because it denies the nearly universally accepted reading, that the free man is the model of human nature.
Conrad Berens Lecture. Chronic cicatricial conjunctivitis.

PURPOSE To describe the spectrum of problems that can result in chronic cicatricial conjunctivitis, and acquaint the reader with strategies for definitively establishing a diagnosis and instituting treatment. METHODS Case studies, with emphasis on extensive general medical history taking, ocular and general physical examination, laboratory testing, and biopsy of inflamed conjunctiva. RESULTS Chronic cicatricial conjunctivitis can be grouped into the classic broad categories of infectious, malignant, traumatic, autoimmune, and miscellaneous. Mismanagement and poor outcomes may occur as a consequence of misdiagnosis of the underlying etiology. Arriving at the correct diagnosis and choosing the best therapy will generally require a systematic and multi-disciplinary approach. CONCLUSIONS The elements that are most helpful in achieving the goal of specific etiologic diagnosis of chronic cicatrizing conjunctivitis include exhaustive history and review of systems elicitation, detailed ocular examination, careful extraocular examination, and immunohistopathologic study of biopsied inflamed conjunctiva.
Abstract TMP98: Aspirin and Anticoagulant Usage on Outcomes After Ruptured Arteriovenous Malformation: A Nationwide Sample Analysis

Title: Aspirin and anticoagulant usage on outcomes after ruptured arteriovenous malformation: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample analysis Background: Recently in nationwide study, neither long-term aspi...
Subinhibitory concentrations of tedizolid potently inhibit extracellular toxin production by methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Purpose. Potent extracellular toxins including alpha-haemolysin, Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and toxic-shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) significantly contribute to Staphylococcus aureus pathogenesis, thus, toxin suppression is a primary focus in treatment of staphylococcal disease. S. aureus maintains complex strategies to regulate toxin expression and previous data have demonstrated that subinhibitory concentrations of beta-lactam antibiotics can adversely increase S. aureus exotoxin production. The current study evaluates the effects of subinhibitory concentrations of tedizolid, a second-generation oxazolidinone derivative, on expression of staphylococcal exotoxins in both methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus . Methodology. S. aureus exotoxin expression levels were compared at 12 and 24 h following treatment with tedizolid, linezolid, nafcillin or vehicle control. Results. Our findings show that the level of antibiotic required to alter toxin production was strain-dependent and corresponds with the quantity of toxin produced, but both tedizolid and linezolid could effectively reduce expression of alpha-haemolysin, PVL and TSST-1 toxin at subinhibitory concentrations. In contrast, nafcillin showed less attenuation and, in some S. aureus strains, led to an increase in toxin expression. Tedizolid consistently inhibited toxin production at a lower overall drug concentration than comparator agents. Conclusion. Together, our data support that tedizolid has the potential to improve outcomes of infection due to its superior ability to inhibit S. aureus growth and attenuate exotoxin production.
Canagliflozin Prevents Intrarenal Angiotensinogen Augmentation and Mitigates Kidney Injury and Hypertension in Mouse Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Background Hypertension and renal injury are common complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Hyperglycemia stimulates renal proximal tubular angiotensinogen (AGT) expression via elevated oxidative stress contributing to the development of high blood pressure and diabetic nephropathy. The sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) in proximal tubules is responsible for the majority of glucose reabsorption by renal tubules. We tested the hypothesis that SGLT2 inhibition with canagliflozin (CANA) prevents intrarenal AGT augmentation and ameliorates kidney injury and hypertension in T2DM. Methods We induced T2DM in New Zealand obese mice with a high fat diet (DM, 30% fat) with control mice receiving regular fat diet (ND, 4% fat). When DM mice exhibited > 350 mg/dL blood glucose levels, both DM- and ND-fed mice were treated with 10 mg/kg/day CANA or vehicle by oral gavage for 6 weeks. We evaluated intrarenal AGT, blood pressure, and the development of kidney injury. Results Systolic blood pressure in DM mice (133.9 ± 2.0 mm Hg) was normalized by CANA (113.9 ± 4.0 mm Hg). CANA treatment ameliorated hyperglycemia-associated augmentation of renal AGT mRNA (148 ± 21 copies/ng RNA in DM, and 90 ± 16 copies/ng RNA in DM + CANA) and protein levels as well as elevation of urinary 8-isoprostane levels. Tubular fibrosis in DM mice (3.4 ± 0.9-fold, fibrotic score, ratio to ND) was suppressed by CANA (0.9 ± 0.3-fold). Furthermore, CANA attenuated DM associated increased macrophage infiltration and cell proliferation in kidneys of DM mice. Conclusions CANA prevents intrarenal AGT upregulation and oxidative stress and which may mitigate high blood pressure, renal tubular fibrosis, and renal inflammation in T2DM.
The University of New England Tooth Fairies on the Ferry Oral Health NCOHF Project

The University of New England Tooth Fairies on the Ferry project was created to improve oral health literacy in children of school grades K-5 on the Maine seacoast and Casco Bay Island schools off the coast of Portland. Through a generous grant from the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation we have …
Modeling UT Through-Transmission Immersion Inspections at Oblique Incidence

A topic of ongoing interest to the manufacturing community is the development of models to simulate ultrasonic (UT) inspections of manufactured parts. In previous work [1] we presented a model approach for predicting the effects of internal flaws upon throughtransmitted UT signals. This approach, which combines Auld’s reciprocity formula and a Kirchhoff approximation, proved very successful in simulating normal-incidence inspections of graphite/composite plates containing seeded delaminations. A key ingredient of our approach is the Gauss-Hermite (GH) model for the propagation of bulk ultrasonic waves in homogeneous media [2,3]. This beam model, in which one expands a time-harmonic displacement field in terms of a truncated set of Gauss-Hermite basis functions, has a number of desirable features. The ultrasonic transducer generating the waves may be planar, focussed, or of unusual design. The expansion coefficients which multiply the basis functions are obtained by numerical integrations over the face of the transducer. Once these transducer-dependent constants have been calculated, displacement fields can be rapidly computed. Paraxial approximations are available which describe how a given expansion function is modified by passage through a planar or curved interface. The use of these approximations makes the model especially well suited for problems in which a beam is being propagated through successive layers of material: computation times are nearly identical for single-layer and multi-layer problems. The layers can be either isotropic or anisotropic in nature, although in the current formulation of the model there are some restrictions on the direction of propagation for anisotropic materials [3]. Because the model employs paraxial approximations it is not appropriate for highly divergent beams, or for beams striking interfaces near the critical angle of incidence.
Exposure of the Third and Fourth Portions of the Duodenum

Because the third portion of the duodenum is located behind the superior mesenteric vessels and transverse mesocolon, a direct approach to it would be hazardous. Liberating the right colon and small bowel mesentery from their attachments to the posterior abdominal wall permits the surgeon to elevate the right colon and entire small bowel to a position over the patient’s thorax. This changes the course of the superior mesenteric and middle colic vessels so that they travel directly cephalad, leaving the transverse portion of the duodenum completely exposed.
Quality improvement for rheumatoid arthritis care: results from a focus group.

Objectives Complex treatment decisions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affect aspects of patients' physical, psychological and emotional well-being. We aimed to identify key attributes of patient-centered rheumatologic care for adults with RA through a qualitative study using patient focus group discussions in order to guide quality improvement efforts around optimisation of disease management. Methods Patients with RA were recruited from a large academic medical centre rheumatology clinic and its affiliate sites over one month and allocated into focus groups led by an experienced moderator. Focus groups were held until thematic saturation was reached. Patients' responses were examined, categorised into themes, and codified independently by three reviewers. We extracted statements identifying common themes from transcripts. Results Thirteen patients with RA were recruited and allocated into three focus groups. Mean age was 59.1±10.1 years and average RA disease duration was 17.8 years. All participants had experience taking at least one disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). Following reviewer analysis of patients' responses, six common themes about quality RA care were identified including: the role and use of self-management strategies, the clinical environment, the health care delivery process, attitudes towards medication, insurance and medication access issues, and the impact of disease on lifestyle. Conclusions Themes uncovered in focus group discussions related predominantly to the clinical environment and patient-provider communication. These preliminary results identified the need to incorporate operational aspects of health care delivery into our assessment of the RA patient experience and formed the basis of a RA quality improvement programme targeting medication optimisation.
Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties: Mike Davis and Jon Wiener. New York, NY: Verso, 2020. xii and 788 pp., epilogue, acknowledgments, notes, index. $34.95 cloth (ISBN 9781784780227).

It’s good news that Mike Davis has written a new book about Los Angeles! He is joined by Jon Wiener; both have been scholar-activists since the early days of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)...
A Stochastic Variance-reduced Accelerated Primal-dual Method for Finite-sum Saddle-point Problems

In this paper, we propose a variance-reduced primal-dual algorithm with Bregman distance for solving convex-concave saddle-point problems with finite-sum structure and nonbilinear coupling function. This type of problems typically arises in machine learning and game theory. Based on some standard assumptions, the algorithm is proved to converge with oracle complexity of $O\left(\frac{\sqrt n}{\epsilon}\right)$ and $O\left(\frac{n}{\sqrt \epsilon}+\frac{1}{\epsilon^{1.5}}\right)$ using constant and non-constant parameters, respectively where $n$ is the number of function components. Compared with existing methods, our framework yields a significant improvement over the number of required primal-dual gradient samples to achieve $\epsilon$-accuracy of the primal-dual gap. We tested our method for solving a distributionally robust optimization problem to show the effectiveness of the algorithm.
Tractable Global Solutions to Bayesian Optimal Experiment Design

Optimal experiment design (OED) aims to optimize the information content of experimental observations for various types of applications by designing the experimental conditions. In Bayesian OED for parameter estimation, the design selection is based on an expected utility metric that accounts for the joint probability distribution of the uncertain parameters and the observations. This work presents an approximation of the Bayesian OED problem based on Kullback–Leibler divergence that is amenable to global optimization. The experiment design adopts a parsimonious input parametrization that reduces the number of design variables. This leads to a tractable polynomial optimization problem that can be solved to global optimality via the concept of sum-of-squares polynomials.
Organized Activity Involvement Predicts Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Adolescence

Despite the expected benefits of organized activity involvement (e.g., sports, clubs), inconsistencies in associations between activity involvement and internalizing and externalizing problems may be explained in part by limitations of measurements and variations between individuals. To address these gaps, a latent variable of organized activity participation was tested as a predictor of internalizing and externalizing problems, and initial child adjustment was tested as a moderator of the outcomes from activity participation. Participants included 431 adolescents (52.2% female; ages 12-13 in seventh grade) from the Child Development Project. Adolescents self-reported activity involvement (seventh grade) and internalizing problems (seventh and ninth grades); mothers reported on adolescents' externalizing problems (seventh and eighth grade). Structural equation models showed that an activity involvement latent variable predicted lower internalizing problems. The interaction between activity involvement and initial level of externalizing problems predicted externalizing problems. Specifically, higher levels of activity involvement predicted lower levels of externalizing problems at initially lower levels of externalizing problems. However, at higher levels of initial externalizing problems, higher levels of activity involvement predicted higher levels of externalizing problems. The results suggest that activity involvement reduces risk for subsequent internalizing problems but could increase or decrease risk for subsequent externalizing problems depending on initial levels of externalizing problems.
An online home for the homeless: A content analysis of the subreddit r/homeless:

There is currently a little observational work exploring homeless peoples’ digital networking behaviors, with previous research relying on limited self-report data. This study fills this gap throug...
Coastal wetland response to sea level rise in Connecticut and New York

Abstract The persistence of salt marshes in the landscape depends on their ability to accommodate rising sea level and minimize additional flooding stress. We use sediment cores and water level data from 14 marshes in Connecticut and New York to evaluate how marsh accretion, mineral and organic accumulation, carbon storage, and hydroperiod have changed from 1900 to 2012. We observe a regional acceleration in marsh accretion beginning around 1940, although marsh accretion did not reach parity with sea level rise for several additional decades. Despite a rise in marsh accretion from 1.0 mm yr−1 circa 1900 to 3.6 mm yr−1 at present, the marsh surface has lost elevation relative to tidal datums. Declining relative elevations have led to increased tidal flooding, particularly in high marsh settings. As flooding increased, organic matter accumulation accelerated at all marshes. Accelerating mineral deposition was only observed in areas of short-form Spartina alterniflora. Mineral and organic sediment accumulation co-limit accretion, but organic accumulation was the stronger limiting factor, suggesting that marsh response to sea level rise in the region is sensitive to processes affecting rates of belowground production and decomposition. Marsh carbon storage over the period of study averaged 84 g C m−2 yr−1, increasing as accretion accelerated. If marshes remain spatially intact as sea levels rise, these results suggest that marshes have the capacity to become even greater C sinks.
Characterization of graphite/epoxy laminates for aeroelastic tailoring

A study of interaction between wing bending and twist by graphite/epoxy anisotropic laminates used in aircraft wing skins is presented. The laminates were used as covers for subscale box beams supported as a cantilever and tested in tip shear and tip torque, measuring beam response with a reflected light technique. The results indicated that the in-plane stiffness properties of anisotropic laminates can be predicted if the layer properties of the composite materials are known; thus, the coupled bending/twist response of wing type structures made from these laminates can be determined provided the limits of the laminate linear behavior are not significantly exceeded.
A Nearly Asynchronous Parallel Lp-Based Algorithm for the Convex Hull Problem in Multidimensional Space

The convex hull of a set A of n points in ℜm generates a polytope P. The frame F of A is the set of extreme points of P. The frame problem, the identification of F given A, is central to problems in operations research and computer science. In OR it occurs in specialized areas of optimization theory: stochastic programming and redundancy in linear programming. In CS it is an important problem in computational geometry. The problem also appears in economics and statistics. The frame problem is computationally intensive and this limits its applications. The standard LP-based approaches for identifying F solve several linear programs with m rows and n — 1 columns, one for each element of A. In this paper we report on a parallel procedure for identifying F using a new LP-based approach. The new approach also uses linear programs with m rows, but the linear programs which must be solved begin with a small number of columns and grow in size, never exceeding the number of points of F. On a small set of test problems, the serial time to identify F varied from one-half to two-thirds that of an enhanced implementation of the standard approach. We dis cuss parallelization of this algorithm for the MIMD environment. On a suite of test problems, our parallel MIMD nearly asynchronous implementation on the Sequent Symmetry S81 achieved a speedup factor of 7 to 13 using up to 16 processors. These developments will permit the solution of problems previously considered too large.
Examining Distress of Parents of Children With and Without Special Needs

This study was designed to examine differences between parents of children with special needs and parents of children without special needs in levels of distress and community resource engagement. There were 29 participants. No significant differences were found between the two groups with respect to individual and marital distress, but parents of children with special needs had significantly more engagement with community resources. When analyzing parent total visits (PTV) and child total visits (CTV), the CTV for parents of children with special needs averaged just over 50 visits for a six-month period compared to 0.29 for the comparison group. Implications for practice, such as use of transdisciplinary teams, and for future research are discussed.
Are The Costs of Proposed Environmental Regulations Overestimated? Evidence from the CFC Phaseout

Benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analysis are often advocated fordecision making about environmental, health, and safety regulations, butthere has been little research evaluating the accuracy of prospectiveestimates of regulatory costs and benefits. Prospective estimates of themarginal cost of limiting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) consumption in theUnited States, published shortly before and after the September 1987adoption of the Montreal Protocol, are compared with retrospectiveestimates based on realized market prices. Estimates published beforeinternational regulations were adopted (in May 1986) substantiallyoverestimate the marginal costs of limiting CFC-11 and CFC-12consumption but modestly underestimate the costs of limiting CFC-113consumption. In contrast, estimates published shortly after adoption of theProtocol (in August 1988) appear to underestimate the marginal cost oflimiting CFC consumption.
Dorsolateral striatum is critical for the expression of surprise-induced enhancements in cue associability.

The dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is frequently implicated in sensory-motor integration, including the performance of sensory orienting responses (ORs) and learned stimulus–response habits. Our laboratory previously identified a role for the DLS in rats’ performance of conditioned ORs to Pavlovian cues for food delivery. Here, we considered whether DLS is also critical to another aspect of attention in associative learning, the surprise-induced enhancement of cue associability. A large behavioral literature shows that a cue present when an expected event is omitted enters into new associations more rapidly when that cue is subsequently paired with food. Research from our laboratory has shown that both cue associability enhancements and conditioned ORs depend on the function of a circuit that includes the amygdala central nucleus and the substantia nigra pars compacta. In three experiments, we explored the involvement of DLS in surprise-induced associability enhancements, using a three-stage serial prediction task that permitted separation of DLS function in registering surprise (prediction error) and enhancing cue associability, and in using that increased associability to learn more rapidly about that cue later. The results showed that DLS is critical to the expression, but not the establishment, of the enhanced cue associability normally produced by surprise in this task. They extend the role of DLS and the amygdalo-nigro-striatal circuit underlying learned orienting to more subtle aspects of attention in associative learning, but are consistent with the general notion that DLS is more important in the expression of previously acquired tendencies than in their acquisition.
2‐Amino‐6‐hydroxypyrimidine‐4(3H)‐one

[56-09-7][125037-36-7] [4425-67-6] C4H5N3O2 (MW 127.10) InChI = 1S/C4H5N3O2/c5-4-6-2(8)1-3(9)7-4/h1H,(H4,5,6,7,8,9) InChIKey = AUFJTVGCSJNQIF-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used as a ligand for transition metal-catalyzed cross-couplings, as well as a building block for a wide array of heterocyclic compounds) Alternate Names: 2-amino-4,6-pyrimidinediol(ADHP); 2-amino-4,6-dioxypyrimidine; 2-amino-6-hydroxypyrimidin-4(3H)-one. Physical Data: mp >300 °C; UV (0.1 N HC1) λmax: 255 nm (log e 4.03),1 (0.1 N HC1) λmax: 256 nm (log e 3.98).2 Solubility: soluble in water as a sodium salt.3 Form Supplied in: white to slight pink granular solid. Preparative Method: condensation between guanidine and diethyl malonate under basic conditions (eq 1).1, 4 (1) Purification: crystallization as a salt from water (pH adjusted to ∼6 with acetic acid).1 Handling, Storage, and Precautions: avoid contact with eyes and skin.
Mammary stem cells, self-renewal pathways, and carcinogenesis

The mammary gland epithelial components are thought to arise from stem cells that undergo both self-renewal and differentiation. Self-renewal has been shown to be regulated by the Hedgehog, Notch, and Wnt pathways and the transcription factor B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 (Bmi-1). We review data about the existence of stem cells in the mammary gland and the pathways regulating the self-renewal of these cells. We present evidence that deregulation of the self-renewal in stem cells/progenitors might be a key event in mammary carcinogenesis. If 'tumor stem cells' are inherently resistant to current therapies, targeting stem cell self-renewal pathways might provide a novel approach for breast cancer treatment.
Wild-Type p53 and v-Src Exert Opposing Influences on Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Expression

Angiogenesis, the development of new capillaries, is tightly controlled by the balance of positive and negative regulatory pathways. A newly described angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF/VPF), binds exclusively to endothelial cells and promotes their proliferation. Here we have studied the role of p53, a tumor suppressor, and v-Src, an oncogene on VEGF regulation. Wild-type p53 down-regulated endogenous VEGF mRNA level, as well as VEGF promoter activity, in a dose-dependent manner, whereas mutant forms of p53 had no effect. Overexpression of v-Src, known to up-regulate VEGF expression, activated a VEGF promoter-luciferase construct in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, v-Src, in the presence of wt-p53, was unable to activate transcription of the VEGF promoter. Collectively, these data suggest that wild-type p53 may play a role in suppressing angiogenesis.
Segmentation and visualization of multivariate features using feature-local distributions

We introduce an iterative feature-based transfer function design that extracts and systematically incorporates multivariate feature-local statistics into a texture-based volume rendering process. We argue that an interactive multivariate feature-local approach is advantageous when investigating ill-defined features, because it provides a physically meaningful, quantitatively rich environment within which to examine the sensitivity of the structure properties to the identification parameters. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach by applying it to vortical structures in Taylor-Green turbulence. Our approach identified the existence of two distinct structure populations in these data, which cannot be isolated or distinguished via traditional transfer functions based on global distributions.
The Role of Trees and Pastures in Organic Agriculture

Environmental concerns associated with annual row crop grain production – including soil erosion, soil carbon loss, intensive use of chemicals and petroleum, limited arable land, among others – could be addressed by converting conventional livestock production to an organic pasture based system. The inclusion of tree crops would further enhance the opportunity for feeding pasture- raised livestock by providing shelter and alternative feed sources. Biodiversity is an essential aspect of an organic farm plan. The idea of including tree crops and other perennials into the vision of an organic farm as a “living system” is very much compatible with the goals and philosophy of organic farming. Before modern no-till farming systems were developed, tree crops and pasture systems were found to provide similar benefits for controlling soil erosion and conserving soil carbon. For example, J. Russell Smith’s Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture (Smith, 1950) and pioneered tree crop agriculture as the alternative to annual row crops for protecting soils from erosion while producing livestock feed such as acorns, nuts, and fodder. A survey of Mid-Atlantic USA soils under pasture found 60% higher soil organic matter content than cultivated fields. Because United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (USDA-NOP) standards require dairy cattle consume pasture forage and limited grain (7 C.F.R. pt. 206), organic milk contains higher concentrations of omega-3 and fewer omega-6 fatty acids than conventional milk. Organic standards also state “the producer must not use lumber treated with arsenate or other prohibited materials for new [fence posts] installations or replacement purposes in contact with soil or livestock.” Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is a fast growing renewable alternative to treated lumber with many attributes compatible with organic farming. This versatile tree fixes nitrogen (N), provides flowers for honey bees and other pollinators, and produces a highly durable dense wood ideal for fence posts useable for up to 50 year.
Abstract 779: Role of CD44 in LAK cell-mediated killing of melanoma

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Lymphokine-activated killer cells play an important role in various immunologically-based treatments of cancer, including in the use of IL-2 therapy for the treatment of malignant melanoma. In previous studies, we demonstrated that the expression of CD44 on splenocytes is significantly elevated following exposure to IL-2. Therefore, in the current study we examined the potential significance of CD44 expression on lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells in their interaction and killing of melanoma cells. Stimulation of splenocytes with IL-2 led to a significant increase in the expression of CD44 on T cells, NK cells and NKT cells. Treatment of melanoma bearing CD44WT mice with IL-2 led to a significant reduction in the local tumor growth while treatment of melanoma bearing CD44KO mice with IL-2 was ineffective at controlling tumor growth. Furthermore, the ability of splenocytes from IL-2 treated CD44KO mice to kill melanoma tumor targets was significantly reduced when compared to the anti-tumor activity of splenocytes from IL-2 treated CD44WT mice. The importance of CD44 expression on the LAK cells was further confirmed by the observation that adoptively transferred IL-2-activated splenocytes from CD44KO mice were significantly less effective at controlling tumor growth in vivo. Next the significance of the increased expression of CD44 in tumor killing was examined and showed that following stimulation with IL-2, distinct populations of cells with low (CD44lo) or elevated (CD44hi) expression of CD44 are generated and that the CD44hi cells are responsible for killing of the melanoma cells. The reduced killing activity of the CD44KO LAK cells did not result from reduced activation or expression of effector molecules but was due, at least in part, to a reduced ability to adhere to B16F10 tumor cells. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 779. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-779
Impaired potassium-induced insulin secretion in chronic renal failure.

Impaired potassium-induced insulin secretion in chronic renal failure. Extrarenal disposal of potassium load is impaired in chronic renal failure (CRF). This has been attributed to excess PTH since extrarenal disposition of potassium is normal in CRF-PTX animals. Insulin augments potassium entry into cells and hyperkalemia stimulates insulin secretion. Since glucose-induced insulin secretion is impaired in CRF and normal in CRF-PTX, it is possible that K + -induced insulin secretion is also impaired in CRF due to excess PTH. Such a defect would contribute to the abnormality in extrarenal disposal of potassium in CRF. We examined K + -induced insulin secretion, cytosolic calcium ([Ca 2+ ]i) and the changes in [Ca 2+ ]i in response to 20mM KCl of islets from normal, CRF, and CRF-PTX rats; and normal and CRF animals treated with verapamil (normal-V and CRF-V). K + -induced insulin secretion by islets isolated from CRF rats was significantly (P 2+ ]i in islets of CRF rats was significantly (P 2+ ]i) and the Δ[Ca 2+ ]i/basal [Ca 2+ ]i ratio in response to 20mM KCl observed in islets from CRF rats were significantly lower than in the other four groups of animals. The data indicate that: 1) K + -induced insulin secretion in islets of CRF is impaired, most likely, due to elevated basal level of [Ca 2+ ]i and reduced calcium signal and/or smaller Δ[Ca 2+ ]i/basal [Ca 2+ ]i ratio in response to KCl; 2) the defect in K + -induced insulin secretion may contribute to the impaired extrarenal potassium disposal in CRF; and 3) the abnormalities in pancreatic islets may be mediated by the chronic excess of PTH in CRF.