cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association of plasma endotoxin, inflammatory cytokines and risk of colorectal adenomas

Background: Recent studies suggest that bacterial endotoxins may be associated with various chronic diseases, including colorectal adenomas and cancer. Given the evidence linking inflammation and colorectal cancer, we sought to determine if plasma endotoxin concentrations are associated with indicators of systemic or local inflammation and colorectal adenomas. Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of participants who underwent screening colonoscopies and included adenoma cases (n=138) and non-adenoma controls (n=324). Plasma concentrations of endotoxin were measured with Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay. We quantified concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in plasma by ELISA and mRNA expression levels in rectal mucosal biopsies by quantitative RT-PCR. Interleukin-17 was evaluated only in the rectal mucosa. Results: Compared to subjects with low plasma endotoxin concentrations, those with higher concentrations were more likely to have adenomas (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.1). Among subjects with adenomas, those with villous histology were more likely to have higher endotoxin concentrations (5.4 vs. 4.1EU/mL, p=0.05) and lower plasma IFN-γ (0 vs. 1.64 pg/mL, p=0.02) compared to those with only tubular adenomas. Cases showed a trend of having higher plasma TNF-α levels than controls (p=0.06), but none of the other plasma or rectal mucosal cytokine levels differed between cases and controls. Elevated mucosal IL-12 levels were associated with having multiple adenomas (p=0.04). Higher concentrations of plasma endotoxin predicted increased plasma IL-12 levels (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.2) and rectal mucosal IL-12 (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0-3.7) and IL-17 gene expression (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.0-4.6). Conclusions: These findings suggest that interactions between elevated plasma endotoxin concentrations and inflammatory cytokines may be relevant to the development of colorectal adenomas.
Studies on phenolic steroids in human subjects. XVI. Role of the kidney in the disposition of estriol.

Results obtained in human subjects following the administration of labeled estriol by single injection or continuous infusion into a renal artery and a peripheral vein indicated strongly that the human kidney possesses the capability to 16-glucosiduronidate this steroid Hence, homogenates of human kidney were incubated with estriol and UDPGA and facile glucosiduronidation of the steroid was demonstrated. The conjugate was shown to be the 16α-glucosiduronate by its identity with standard compoundin its behavior in countercurrent distribution (CCD), chromatography, and following various hydrolytic procedures. To extend the human studies, baboon kidney was also shown to be capable of glucosiduronation of estriol, on the basis of estriol-16α-glucosiduronate obtained following the incubation of baboon kidney homogenates and perfusion of the kidney in vitro with estriol. The importance of the 16-glucuronidation of estriol is pointed to by the inability of the human kidney to significantly affect the disposition...
Factors associated with clinical dental faculty research productivity.

The purpose of this study was to determine factors that are associated with increased individual research productivity among clinical faculty in 67 United States and Canadian schools of dentistry. Individual faculty research productivity was defined as the total number of articles in refereed journals and book chapters published during an academic career. The 328 respondents represented a response rate of 62.8 percent from a 25 percent stratified random sample of faculty who (1) had full-time appointments and held at least the D.M.D./D.D.S. or foreign equivalent, (2) taught in a clinical department of the dental schools, and (3) were not department chairpersons and did not hold administrative positions (assistant dean, associate dean, or dean) within the dental school. Respondents reported a mean of 9.9 years in full-time dental education, a mean of 10.8 publications, and a mean of 7.5 hours spent in research per week. Forward addition multiple regression analysis demonstrated that five predictor variables, from a total of 20 variables evaluated, accounted for 59.9 percent of the variance in individual faculty research productivity. These predictor variables were total dollar amount of past research funding, career age, training status, colleague utilization in conducting research, and conducting research from planned goals.
Energy-constrained scheduling for weakly-hard real-time systems

In this paper, we explore performance optimization problems for real-time systems that have to rely on a fixed energy budget during an operation/mission. We adopt the weakly-hard realtime scheduling paradigm to ensure a predictable performance for all the tasks: Our aim is to minimize the number of dynamic failures (in terms of (m, k)-firm deadline constraints) while remaining within the energy budget. We prove that this problem is NP-hard in the strong sense even for an ideal DVS architecture with continuous speed spectrum. We propose techniques to statically compute the speed of the CPU in order to meet the (m, k)-firm deadline constraints. We present on-line speed adjustment algorithms to exploit the slack time of skipped and completed jobs. Through extensive simulations, we show how the performance can be significantly improved by selectively dispatching jobs by considering their energy costs as well as their contribution to the system performance
Online Search Evaluation with Interleaving

Online evaluation allows information retrieval systems to be assessed based on how real users respond to search results presented. Compared with traditional offline evaluation based on manual relevance assessments, online evaluation is particularly attractive in settings where reliable assessments are difficult or too expensive to obtain. However, the successful use of online evaluation requires the right metrics to be used, as real user behaviour is often difficult to interpret. I will present interleaving, a sensitive online evaluation approach that creates paired comparisons for every user query, and compare it with alternative A/B online evaluation approaches. I will also show how interleaving can be parameterized to create a family of evaluation metrics that can be chosen to best match the goals of an evaluation.
The effects of dietary amino acid density in broiler feed on carcass characteristics and meat quality

SUMMARY The advantages to broiler performance of feeding increased amino acid (AA) densities have been well documented, but minimal research has been reported on the effects of AA density on meat quality. In the current study, Ross × Ross 308 male broiler chicks were obtained from a commercial hatchery and fed diets with either deficient, low, high, or excessive dietary AA density during the finisher phase (28 to 42 d, in pellets). Broilers were slaughtered at 42 d of age and evaluated for live performance, carcass traits, breast and thigh composition, and breast and thigh meat quality. As expected, FCR decreased (P 0.05) existed among treatments with regard to final pH, cooking loss, shear force, proximate analysis, and average consumer acceptability of breast meat. The deficient AA diet yielded thigh meat with less (P < 0.05) moisture, less protein (P < 0.05), and more fat (P < 0.05) than thigh meat from all other treatments. In addition, the high and excessive AA treatments had higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of linoleic and linolenic acids in the thigh meat when compared with the deficient and low AA treatments, and thigh meat from the excessive AA treatment was more susceptible to oxidation (P < 0.05) than that from the deficient and low AA treatments. Overall, all 4 AA diets yielded high-quality breast and thigh meat, whereas the high AA diet yielded broilers with excellent live performance, carcass traits, and meat quality.
A DFT study of the hyperfine coupling constants of triplet carbenes and biradicals

Motivated by our recent investigation of spin‐orbit mixing in the simplest singlet carbene, HCF, we report Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations of the isotropic and anisotropic hyperfine coupling constants (HFCCs) of HCF ! ~ a 3 A 00 " and other important triplet carbenes and biradicals. We conducted extensive DFT calculations on the prototypical triplet carbene, CH2, and compare our results with experimental constants determined from Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and microwave spectroscopy. We subsequently report DFT calculations of the HFCCs of other prototypical triplet carbenes and biradicals including HCF, HCCN, and C3H2, and the arylcarbenes diphenylmethylene (DPM; C13H10) and fluorenylidene (C13H8). The calculated HFCCs are compared in each case with experimental ESR and microwave data. This study provides an example of the utility of DFT for the calculation of HFCCs of open-shell species. q 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Anesthesia for Craniofacial Surgery in Infancy

Anesthetic management of infants undergoing craniofacial surgery can be challenging. Primary concerns for the anesthesiologist include blood loss and its management. The evolution of procedures to treat craniosynostosis has resulted in improvements in perioperative morbidity, including decreased blood loss and transfusion, shorter operations, and shorter hospital stays. An understanding of the procedures performed to treat craniosynostosis is necessary to provide optimal anesthetic management. Descriptions of current surgical techniques and approaches to anesthetic care are presented in this review.
Resolved: Academic Debate Should Be a Part of Political Science Curricula.

Should political science educators use debate for teaching their undergraduate students? This article argues for incorporation of academic debate into curriculum of undergraduate courses. It demonstrates the process of arriving at a decision favorable of debate through exploration and analysis of competitive reasons, arguments, and evidence for and against using academic debate as a method of teaching and learning. Empirical evidence for assessing strengths and limitations of academic debate was collected in the undergraduate political science classes by means of educational action research. A corollary of the study is that potential problems of debates should not deter educators from using this instructional technique. The knowledge of debate's weaknesses can assist in improving the effectiveness of this teaching strategy in promoting students’ skills of critical thinking, and understanding of complex political issues. Awareness of obstacles to academic debate can help to implement this method of instruc...
Macrobend loss reduction of a fiber interferometer using graded-index multimode fiber

An optical fiber interferometer can be used to measure the pressure change between adjacent locations along a capillary tube without disturbing the fluid flow within the tube. The current work demonstrates that a novel configuration of a concatenated SM-MM-SM fiber structure, named SMS, can be used to minimize the macrobend loss of an interferometer that senses pressure changes in small capillary tubes.
A clustering based area I/O planning for flip-chip technology

The complexity of nanometer SoC design requires the codesign and development of circuit design and packaging technology to enable a successful 'total integrated solution'. In this paper we introduce a new area I/O algorithm for the recent flip-chip packaging technology. The algorithm combines a clustering technique with area I/O planning algorithm to avoid iterations during "placement and area I/O pad assignment". Experiment results show that the total interconnect length (including both on-chip and off-chip parts) and delay are reduced by 10-15% comparing with traditional algorithms.
Non‐Muslim minorities in an Islamic state

(1986). Non‐Muslim minorities in an Islamic state. Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs. Journal: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 13-24.
HR 8257: A Three-Dimensional Orbit And Basic Properties

We have used interferometric and spectroscopic observations of HR 8257 to determine a three-dimensional orbit of the system. The orbit has a period of 12.21345 days and an eccentricity of 0.2895. The masses of the F0 and F2 dwarf components are 1.56 and 1.38 M☉ , respectively, with fractional errors of 1.4%. Our orbital parallax of 13.632 ± 0.095 mas, corresponding to a distance of 73.4 ± 0.6 pc, differs from the Hipparcos result by just 2% and has a significantly smaller uncertainty. From our spectroscopic observations and spectral energy distribution modeling we determine the component effective temperatures and luminosities to be T_eff(A) = 7030 ± 200 K and T_(eff)(B) = 6560 ± 200 K and L_A = 9.4 ± 0.3 L☉ and L_B = 4.7 ± 0.2 L☉ . The primary rotates pseudosynchronously, while the secondary is not far from its pseudosynchronous rotational velocity. Although both early-F stars are slowly rotating, neither component of this close binary is an Am star. A comparison with evolutionary tracks indicates that the stars are slightly metal poor, and although the components have evolved away from the zero-age main sequence, they are both still dwarfs.
Endothelial cell dysfunction occurs very early following trauma-hemorrhage and persists despite fluid resuscitation

Although hemorrhage produces alterations in hemodynamics and cellular functions, it remains unknown if endothelial cell function is depressed in a nonheparinized model of trauma-hemorrhage and resuscitation. To study this, rats underwent a 5-cm midline laparotomy (i.e., trauma induced) and were bled to and maintained at a mean arterial pressure of 40 mmHg until 40% of maximal bleed-out volume was returned in the form of Ringer lactate (RL). They were then resuscitated with four times the volume of the shed blood with RL over 60 min. At the time of maximal bleed out (approximately 50 min from the onset of hemorrhage), 1.5, and 4 h after the completion of resuscitation, aortic rings (approximately 2.5 mm in length) were isolated and mounted in organ chambers. Dose responses for an endothelium-dependent vasodilator (acetylcholine) and endothelium-independent vasodilator (nitroglycerin) were determined. The results indicate that endothelium-dependent relaxation was depressed at the time of maximal bleed out and persisted even after resuscitation. However, there was no significant difference in nitroglycerin-induced relaxation at any point during the study period. In addition, hypoxia-induced contraction, a process mediated by endothelium-derived contracting factor, decreased significantly following hemorrhage and resuscitation. Thus endothelial cell dysfunction (i.e., reduced release of endothelium-derived relaxing and contracting factors) occurs very early after trauma-hemorrhage and persists despite fluid resuscitation.
An emission-constrained approach to power system expansion planning

Abstract In view of recent regulations concerning emission reduction, electric utility industries have been required to reduce, monitor and control emissions from fossil fuelled generating units. This paper presents a method of power system expansion planning based on sensitivity analysis, considering the constraints of CO 2 emissions. The method presented here uses a linearised power flow representation in the form of a linear programming (LP) model similar to those frequently used in power system studies to minimise the total operation cost and is applied to both generation and transmission expansion planning. The cost of the fuel, the cost/benefit of purchasing/selling emission allowances are combined to develop a piecewise linear objective function. This objective function is used to calculate the sensitivity of the operation cost with respect to emission limits. This work also utilises the concept of shadow price to perform sensitivity analysis of the objective function value with respect to the operation constraints to identify the most cost effective generation and transmission expansion plan. The dual solution of the LP provides the shadow prices that are used for determining the sensitivity of the minimum cost with respect to power generation. Also, an explicit development of linearised power flow is provided. The method is demonstrated on the IEEE Reliability Test System (IEEE-RTS).
Exploring Use Cases of Smart Presence for Retirement Communities

The goal of this study was to understand what employees of continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) think about the smart presence technology. To better understand their perceptions of the benefits, concerns, and adoption criteria for smart presence systems we have conducted a needs assessment with CCRC employees (N = 23) who were given first-hand experience operating the smart presence system, BEAM, as a local and a pilot user. From the interview data, the most commonly mentioned use case was interaction with others such as doctors, staff, and patients, family, friends, and guests and conduct/attend meetings. From the questionnaire data, the highest uses cases were entertainment (e.g. playing games), interaction for CCRC group activities, and receive remote visits and tours. Findings from this study can guide designers in identifying ways in which smart presence can be integrated into a CCRC environment and used by the employees. Future directions are also considered.
Cost and Time-Scaled Networks: Graphical Model

The CPM type network solution developed in this paper extends the known time-scaled representation of networks, which uses the horizontal axis as a time scale, by incorporating the cost of the activities using the vertical axis for cost. Each activity within the network is described in its entirety, including its normal and crash characteristics and its time-cost trade-off curve which may be of any shape. A simple graphical procedure to generate, for a given project, the minimum cost crash solution and the optimum time-cost trade-off curve is outlined. The method applies to condensed networks or to small projects where computerized techniques would be too costly and otherwise would not be followed. As it is graphical, it can be used as an effective means of communication and to implement at the less-specialized user's level, the principles involved in the planning and control of projects.
IMPS-34INNATE IMMUNOLOGICAL COMPENSATORY CONTROL OF GLIOMAGENESIS AND MALIGNANT TRANSFORMATION IN MURINE CD8α KNOCKOUT MODELS

BACKGROUND: The extent of CD8+ T cell infiltration has been shown to correlate with improved survival in patients with high-grade glioma. However, it is unknown how the CD8 effector cells influences gliomagenesis or the progression from low- to high-grade glioma. In this study we eliminated CD8 T cells in an otherwise immunocompetent model of glioma to study their effect on the initiation and malignant progression of glioma. METHODS: We backcrossed CD8α KO mice into the Ntv-a background and then induced endogenous gliomas in CD8α−/−/Ntv-a and CD8+/+/Ntv-a mice using co-expression of PDGFB and STAT3. Immune compensatory mechanisms were studied using ex vivo immune functional assays, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: We verified the absence of CD8α T cells in CD8−/−/Ntv-a mice in peripheral blood, spleen and brain. Mice lacking CD8α T cells demonstrated no increase in glioma formation or grade compared to wild-type mice. The lack of CD8α T cells did not impact symptom free survival or the incidence of malignant degeneration. A compensatory increase of cytotoxic CD4+ T cells, CD19+ B cells, and NK 1.1+ cells was found systemically but did not traffic to the glioma microenvironment. In contrast, in the glioma-bearing CD8α−/−/Ntv-a mice, CD11b+ monocytes and Iba1+ macrophages were found to be over represented in the tumor microenvironment relative to glioma-bearing CD8 wild-type mice (P = 0.0001). The macrophages in the tumors from CD8α−/−/Ntv-a mice demonstrated increased TNF-alpha expression compared to those from wild-type mice indicating they are polarized to the M1 phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of the CD8α T cell population does not influence glioma formation or survival in an immunocompetent model. A compensatory increase in M1 macrophages was identified in tumor-bearing mice. These results indicate that the innate immune system effector response may play a key role in the control of gliomagenesis and the process of malignant degeneration.
Religion and Election Day: Voting Patterns*

Following Bush’s re-election in 2004, much was made of the “God gap” in American politics. In response, both the Democratic Party and Democratic presidential candidates sought to de-couple the linkage between the Republican Party as the party of religious people and the Democratic Party being composed of secularist. Barack Obama employed religious rhetoric as well as a religious strategy in seeking to win the nomination of his party, while John McCain was more reticent to use religious language and focused more on social conservatives than religious groups (e.g., evangelical Protestants) in his campaign effort. And, in the fall election, Obama easily defeated McCain. But, did the election of Obama marginally or substantially change the “God gap” in American politics? To what extent, are we likely to continue to see sharp religious differences in voting patterns, or will such difference be more likely to dissipate with time. This paper seeks to address these particular questions. The paper will examine the voting decisions and partisanship of the American electorate in the 2008 election - and do so primarily in terms of how such decisions and partisanship vary by membership within different religious traditions and along lines of traditionalism within such tradition. First, it examines how members of such religious groups voted for McCain or Obama. It then compares such patterns to those found in the 2004 presidential elections. Second, it examines how such partisanship varies within religious traditions in terms of generational cohorts, gender differences, educational attainment, and religious characteristics. Finally, the paper concludes with a multivariate analysis that seeks to assess the relative importance of religious traditions in shaping electoral decisions within the 2008 presidential election. The study is to be based primarily on the Henry Institute National Survey of Religion and Public Life in which respondents were interviewed in the spring of 2008 (N=3002), and then re-interviewed after the presidential election (N=1515).
Identification and Correction of Misspelled Drugsź Names in Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

Medications are an important element of medical records but they usually contain significant data errors. This situation may result from haphazardness or possibly careless storage of valuable information. In either case, this misspelled data can cause serious health problems for the patients and can put their life at a major risk. Thus, the correctness of medication data is an important aspect so that potential harms can be identified and steps can be taken to prevent or mitigate them. In this paper, a novel and practical method is proposed for automated detection and correction of spelling errors in electronic medical record (EMR). To realize this technique, major relevant aspects is taken into consideration with the help of Parts-of-Speech tagging and Regular Expressions. The paper concludes with recommendations and future work for giving a new direction to the emendation of drug nomenclature.
Nutrient Intake of an Ultraendurance Cyclist

Meeting the energy demands of ultraendurance cycling requires careful planning and monitoring of food and fluid intake. This case study presents the nutrient intake of a cyclist while training for and competing in the Race Across AMerica (RAAM). Carbohydrate accounted for 65% of the calories consumed during training (4,743 kcal), 75% during 24-hr races (10,343 kcal), and 78% during RAAM (8,429 kcal). Gastrointestinal complaints during RAAM included nausea, feeling of fullness, and abdominal distension. Although probably exacerbated by sleep deprivation, these problems were all diet related. Based on this experience, it appears that by controlling the carbohydrate concentration of beverages, limiting dietary fiber, and relying on carbohydrate as the primary energy source, one could both control gastrointestinal symptoms and promote optimal performance in training and in ultramarathon cycling.
Electrophysiologic effects of left ventricular hypertrophy in the intact cat.

Electrophysiologic abnormalities have been described in isolated, hypertrophied left ventricular tissue removed from animals exposed to a chronic pressure load. However, changes in electrical properties of intact hypertrophied hearts have not been described. To study this question, 15 cats underwent supraventricular aortic banding and five underwent a sham procedure. After ten weeks, the animals were anesthetized and instrumented using paired transmural plunge electrodes and endocardial quadripolar pacing catheters. Measurement of pacing threshold, refractoriness, inducibility of ventricular arrhythmias (using programmed electrical stimulation), and vulnerability to ventricular fibrillation (ventricular fibrillation threshold) were made in both groups. Mean left ventricular mass was significantly greater in the banded compared with sham-operated animals (2.5 +/- 0.9 v 2.1 +/- 0.5 g/kg body weight; P less than .05). Pacing thresholds and refractory periods measured at multiple left and right ventricular sites were similar in both groups, and there was no difference in the extent of site-to-site differences in refractoriness (dispersion). Six banded but no sham animals had inducible ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation using programmed stimulation. Furthermore, left ventricular mass was significantly greater in animals with inducible arrhythmias compared with those noninducible (P less than .05). Ventricular fibrillation thresholds, measured in milliamperes (mA), in the banded animals were significantly lower in the left ventricle (13.5 +/- 1.3 mA) than in the right (21.7 +/- 3.2 mA; P less than .05) and was also lower than the thresholds obtained in either the left or right ventricle of the sham-operated animals (18.3 +/- 1.9 mA and 20.1 +/- 1.1 mA, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Understanding the essentials of economic evaluation.

Economic evaluation (EE) answers the following simple question: "From which course of action do we get the most value for our money?" We ask this question because resources are always limited, i.e., we never have enough money to do all the things we would like to do. Three types of economic evaluations are used: cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-utility analysis, and cost-benefit analysis. Although all involve a monetary and outcome comparison of two or more courses of action, the methodologies and outcomes of each type vary, making each one particularly suited for specific and different indications. Although the performance of an EE may be complex, its concept is intuitively simple. Understanding the basic elements of economic analysis is more and more important to all health-care providers because health-care policy makers at all levels are increasingly using EE for allocating resources.
Meteorological Aspects of Propagation Problems

We shall be concerned with the branch of radio- meteorology that deals with refraction of radio waves in the atmosphere. Refraction phenomena depend mainly on the profiles of temperature and humidity near, or comparatively near, the earth’s surface. The first section is a description of the phenomenon of extra downward refraction, or superrefraction, as experienced at radar stations. The second section explains in broad outline how superrefraction comes about, while the third section focuses attention on the meteorological phenomena mainly responsible for it. In the last section some meteorological investigations that have been made especially in connection with radio propagation are discussed.
Solar and wind forecasting by NARX neural networks

The nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous input (NARX) is used to perform hourly solar irradiation and wind speed forecasting, according to a multi-step ahead approach. Temperature has been considered as the exogenous variable. The NARX topology selection is supported by a combined use of two techniques: (1) a genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization technique and (2) a method that determines the optimal network architecture by pruning (optimal brain surgeon (OBS) strategy). The considered variables are observed at hourly scale in a seven year dataset and the forecasting is done for several time horizons in the range from 8 to 24 h ahead.
Consequences of degeneracy in network function

Often distinct elements serve similar functions within a network. However, it is unclear whether this network degeneracy is beneficial, or merely a reflection of tighter regulation of overall network performance relative to individual neuronal properties. We review circumstances where data strongly suggest that degeneracy is beneficial in that it makes network function more robust. Importantly, network degeneracy is likely to have functional consequences that are not widely appreciated. This is likely to be true when network activity is configured by modulators with persistent actions, and the history of network activity potentially impacts subsequent functioning. Data suggest that degeneracy in this context may be important for the creation of latent memories, and for state-dependent task switching.
Effectiveness of Large-Scale, State-Sponsored Language and Literacy Professional Development on Early Childhood Educator Outcomes

ABSTRACTThe current study investigated the effectiveness of large-scale, state-sponsored language and literacy professional development (PD) intended to improve early childhood educators' knowledge, beliefs, and practices. PD was offered in a real-world context and delivered at-scale across the state, implemented by an independent contractor. Educators (n = 535) were randomly assigned to participate in one of three types of PD: 30 hrs of language and literacy PD presented in a workshop format, 30 hrs of language and literacy PD plus monthly coaching, or PD on alternative topics (comparison). Baseline and outcome measures were collected by an independent research team to determine PD effectiveness. Growth curve analyses showed little change in educator outcomes over an 18-month period, with no differences among conditions or evidence of moderation by educator or classroom characteristics. Explanations for lack of PD impacts and the importance of evaluating educational investments are discussed.
The effects of salinity and hormonal treatments on growth and ion uptake of Salicornia europaea

Salicornia europaea growth is facilitated by salt increments of 170 and 340 meq/l sodium chloride. Sodium chloride treatments of 510 meq/l inhibited growth of this species, however lowest dry weigh...
Preliminary Report: Initial explorations into the feeding ecology of the invasive small Indian mongoose in the Caribbean using stable isotope analyses

Abstract The small Indian mongoose, Herpestes auropunctatus, was intentionally introduced throughout the tropics over the past 140 years. This pervasive omnivore continues to have an impact on the structure of food webs throughout the world, and may be exerting top-down controls to ecosystems on islands throughout the Caribbean. Critical examinations of mongoose diets are scarce; therefore, their trophic role is poorly understood. To preliminarily estimate the degree to which H. auropunctatus is exerting trophic control on the ecological processes of this region, we examined the stable isotopic signature (δ13C and δ15N) from the hair of mongoose trapped in southern St. John, United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Results suggest geographic differences in consumption by mongoose inhabiting similar localities. In addition, mongoose captured at the peninsular Yawzi Point show consumption differing among ages, with older individuals likely relying more heavily on marine-derived nutrients. This preliminarily sug...
Measurement of the Cosmic Optical Background using the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager on New Horizons

The cosmic optical background is an important observable that constrains energy production in stars and more exotic physical processes in the universe, and provides a crucial cosmological benchmark against which to judge theories of structure formation. Measurement of the absolute brightness of this background is complicated by local foregrounds like the Earth’s atmosphere and sunlight reflected from local interplanetary dust, and large discrepancies in the inferred brightness of the optical background have resulted. Observations from probes far from the Earth are not affected by these bright foregrounds. Here we analyse the data from the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) instrument on NASA’s New Horizons mission acquired during cruise phase outside the orbit of Jupiter, and find a statistical upper limit on the optical background’s brightness similar to the integrated light from galaxies. We conclude that a carefully performed survey with LORRI could yield uncertainties comparable to those from galaxy counting measurements. The cosmic optical background is an important cosmological observable. Here the authors show that a direct observation of the background brightness from the outer solar system can be obtained by the LORRI instrument aboard the New Horizons mission, on the basis of data acquired between Jupiter and Uranus.
Multi-transmitter neurons in the mammalian central nervous system

It is firmly established that many mammalian neurons release various combinations of amino acids, their derivatives, and other small molecules from presynaptic terminals in order to signal to their postsynaptic targets. Here we discuss recent findings about four types of multi-transmitter neurons-those that release GABA and acetylcholine (Ach); dopamine (DA) and GABA or glutamate; and glutamate and GABA. The mechanisms of co-release in each class differ and highlight the complex and dynamic nature of neurotransmitter release. Furthermore, identifying the neurotransmitter signature of each neuron and the post-synaptic targets of each neurotransmitter remain challenging. The existence of multi-transmitter neurons complicates the interpretation of connectomic wiring diagrams and poses interesting challenges for our understanding of circuit function in the brain.
The mouse thermoregulatory system: Its impact on translating biomedical data to humans

The laboratory mouse has become the predominant test species in biomedical research. The number of papers that translate or extrapolate data from mouse to human has grown exponentially since the year 2000. There are many physiological and anatomical factors to consider in the process of extrapolating data from one species to another. Body temperature is, of course, a critical determinant in extrapolation because it has a direct impact on metabolism, cardiovascular function, drug efficacy, pharmacokinetics of toxins and drugs, and many other effects. While most would consider the thermoregulatory system of mice to be sufficiently stable and predictable as to not be a cause for concern, the thermal physiology of mice does in fact present unique challenges to the biomedical researcher. A variable and unstable core temperature, high metabolic rate, preference for warm temperatures, large surface area: body mass ratio, and high rate of thermal conductance, are some of the key factors of mice that can affect the interpretation and translation of data to humans. It is the intent of this brief review to enlighten researchers studying interspecies translation of biomedical data on the salient facets of the mouse thermal physiology and show how extrapolation in fields such as physiology, psychology, nutrition, pharmacology, toxicology, and pathology.
The Role of Cultural Values in the Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Problems

The psychotherapist is often perceived as an objective, dispassionate arbiter of mental health, free of cultural biases. In point of fact, however, the psychotherapist is influenced by the culture in which he or she lives (London, 1964). The therapist’s conceptualization of human personality is inevitably shaped by the values of the dominant elements of his or her society. The danger in this cultural bias of therapists is that psychotherapy may become nothing more than an acculturation process. Culturally valued behavior may become synonymous with “mental health,” and culturally disapproved behavior may be labeled “mental illness,” a point that has been made repeatedly by Szasz (1960). In such a situation, the psychotherapist may tend to emphasize cultural conformity at the expense of the client’s individual needs.
Guest Editor's Introduction: Selected Papers from ACM-BCB 2014

The papers in this special issue were presented at the 5th ACM Conference on Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Health Informatics, held in Newport Beach, CA in September 2014, The papers address the use of computational modeling in the biological and health research fields. With the new high throughput devices, such as sequencers and imaging devices, and ubiquitous sensor technologies, the landscape of how we do biomedical research; how the knowledge is curated; and results are delivered to stake holders are constantly changing.
A nonlinear multigrid method for inverse problem in the multiphase porous media flow

Abstract In this paper, we consider a parameter identification problem for the nonlinear convection–diffusion equation in the multiphase porous media flow. A nonlinear multigrid method is proposed for the recovery of permeability. This method works by dynamically adjusting the objective functionals at different grids so that they are consistent with each other, and ultimately reduce, the finest grid objective functional. In this manner, the nonlinear multigrid method can efficiently compute the solution to a desired fine grid inverse problem. Numerical results illustrate that the proposed multigrid approach both dramatically reduces the required computation and improves the reconstructed image quality.
Evidence for an Intracellular Ryanodine- and Caffeine-Sensitive Calcium Ion-Conducting Channel in Excitable Tissues

In skeletal and cardiac muscle, an action potential triggers the release of calcium ions from the intracellular membrane compartment, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), via a ligand-gated, high-conductance “Ca2+ release” channel. This channel has been identified as the receptor for the plant alkaloid ryanodine and also shown to be morphologically identical with the large protein structures (“feet”) that span the gap between junctional SR and the muscle surface membrane and T-tubule. The detergent-solubilized Ca2+ release channel has been purified from skeletal and cardiac muscle as a tetrameric 30 S protein complex and reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. The skeletal and cardiac channels conduct monovalent cations in addition to Ca2+, are activated by Ca2+, and modulated by ATP, Mg2+, calmodulin, and the two Ca2+ releasing drugs caffeine and ryanodine. Ruthenium red, a polyvalent cation, inhibits the channels at micromolar concentrations. Recently, our laboratory has also obtained evidence for the presence of a 30 S mono- and divalent cation-conducting channel complex in canine and porcine aorta and rat and bovine brain. A similar high molecular weight Ca2+ release channel complex may be present therefore, in most, if not all, mammalian excitable tissues.
ANTAGONISM OF MORPHINE ACTION BY CEREBROSIDE SULFATE ANTIBODY

Summary Antisera against cerebroside (C) and cerebroside sulfate (CS) were obtained from rabbits. Antibodies were purified from these antisera by an immunoabsorption technique and characterized. Specificity was demonstrated for the respective lipid haptens and neither antibody preparation showed any immunoreactivity against morphine or synthetic human β-endorphin (β h EP). A single injection of 1 μ1 of C or CS antibodies into the periaqueductal grey (PAG) region of rat brain did not alter the shaking response of the rats to an ice water stimulus. Administration of morphine or β h tEP into the PAG inhibits the shaking response. Pretreatment of the PAG with antibodies against CS antagonizes the inhibitory effects of morphine and β h EP. Pretreatment with antibodies against C, heat denatured antibodies against CS or a non-immune rabbit serum did not prevent the pharmacological effects of morphine and β h EP. These results suggest CS could be an integral component of the opiate and β-endorphin receptor(s).
Probabilistic Methods in Structural Design and Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the probability-based load and resistance factor design (LRFD) codes and presents a probabilistic analysis of structural loads. The current generation of probability-based code procedures was spawned by the activities of the ASCE Safety Committee activities in the late 1960s. It was developed to its present state by researchers worldwide. Current LRFD code developments are virtually based on the best estimates of probability distributions and their parameters. With the exception of the EPRI Design Guide Effort, they generally neglect the second-order uncertainty; this is the often-major uncertainty associated with both the form of probability distributions and the values of their parameters at a specific site. Probabilistic analysis of structural load or structural loads engineering is the discipline of preparing descriptions of loads for structural analysis and design purposes. The fundamental characteristic of most interesting loads is that they are time varying. Therefore, they are properly represented by the random process theory rather than the random variable analyses that characterize LRFD. The simple random variable representations fail fundamentally to capture a time-varying process; at a minimum, they must be derived from process theory. The chapter discusses the attempts to find simple, tractable, practical schemes for dealing with these processes with acceptable accuracy.
Eda-activated RelB recruits an SWI/SNF (BAF) chromatin-remodeling complex and initiates gene transcription in skin appendage formation.

Ectodysplasin A (Eda) signaling activates NF-κB during skin appendage formation, but how Eda controls specific gene transcription remains unclear. Here, we find that Eda triggers the formation of an NF-κB–associated SWI/SNF (BAF) complex in which p50/RelB recruits a linker protein, Tfg, that interacts with BAF45d in the BAF complex. We further reveal that Tfg is initially induced by Eda-mediated RelB activation and then bridges RelB and BAF for subsequent gene regulation. The BAF component BAF250a is particularly up-regulated in skin appendages, and epidermal knockout of BAF250a impairs skin appendage development, resulting in phenotypes similar to those of Eda-deficient mouse models. Transcription profiling identifies several target genes regulated by Eda, RelB, and BAF. Notably, RelB and the BAF complex are indispensable for transcription of Eda target genes, and both BAF complex and Eda signaling are required to open chromatin of Eda targets. Our studies thus suggest that Eda initiates a signaling cascade and recruits a BAF complex to specific gene loci to facilitate transcription during organogenesis.
Uncertainty quantification for Gamma-ray spectroscopy using the Library-Least Squares technique

Abstract This work explores aspects of uncertainty quantification for inverse gamma-ray problems that use the Library Least Squares method by analyzing a simple example. Two uncertainty quantification techniques (first-order propagation and forward Monte-Carlo) are used in this work. The effects of resolution are explored by comparing results found with NaI and HPGe detectors. These results are confounded with the effects of total counts and binning. A conclusion is established that in some, very-specific cases, there is no reduction in uncertainty from using better-resolution detectors. The limitations of this conclusion and of the uncertainty quantification techniques used are discussed at length.
Cellular immune responses in peripheral blood lymphocytes of Giardia infected squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis boliviensis) treated with Fenbendazole

Cellular immune responses were tested to determine the effect of fenbendazole on the function of lymphocytes from Bolivian squirrel monkeys (Samiri boliviensis boliviensis). Giardia-infected squirrel monkeys were treated with commercially available fenbendazole (FBZ)-medicated monkey chow. Immune responses were compared between historical controls (Giardia naive, untreated with FBZ (control animals)) and Giardia-infected, FBZ-treated squirrel monkeys (study animals). Peripheral blood lymphocytes from study monkeys had significantly lower stimulation indices compared to control animals when cultured in vitro with concanavalin A (Con A) (p<0.0001), phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) (p<0.0001) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (p<0.0001). PBMCs were also analyzed for IFN-γ producing cells in response to stimulation with Con A, PHA, PWM, and LPS by the cytokine ELISPOT assay. Significantly higher responses to Con A- (p<0.0001), and PHA- (p<0.001) stimulated cultures from Giardia-infected and fenbendazole treated compared to controls. Flow cytometric analysis for expression of cell surface markers revealed a significant increase in B- and NKT-lymphocytes and significant decrease in CD14+CD16+ monocytes after FBZ treatment. Also, circulating plasma cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-12p40, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-13, IL-1ra, IL-6 and IL-4 were significantly decreased after FBZ treatment. Comparison of hematologic parameters between controls and FBZ-treated squirrel monkeys revealed significantly lower numbers of total leukocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, and eosinophils compared to controls. However, erythrocyte indices (red cell count, hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly higher in FBZ-treated monkeys. Our findings suggest that fenbendazole treatment may alter sensitive immune and molecular measures of inflammation. Postponing the experimental use of squirrel monkeys until at least 6 weeks after FBZ treatment should be considered.
Real-virtual bridge: a modular mechanism to mediate between real and virtual objects

The practical use of virtual reality (VR) is expected to be extended to a wide range of applications after its successful deployment in the entertainment sector. Currently, the domain of VR applications crosses the boundary between the real world and the virtual world. Therefore, we propose a real-virtual bridge, a conceptual model that can be used to mediate between real and virtual objects. We introduce the concept and architecture of a real-virtual bridge and describe two implementations of the bridge on smartphones and microscopes. Although concepts simlar to a real-virtual bridge exist in science fiction works, we explicitly define its architecture in this paper. We believe that a real-virtual bridge promotes emerging applications by integrating real and virtual objects.