cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond Bones: Assessing Whether Ultrasound‐Aided Instruction and Practice Improve Unassisted Soft Tissue Palpation Skills of First‐Year Medical Students

OBJECTIVES Our purpose was to determine whether ultrasound (US)-aided instruction and practice on musculoskeletal anatomy would improve first-year medical students' ability to locate and identify specific soft tissue structures by unaided palpation in the upper and lower extremities of healthy human models. METHODS This study was a randomized crossover design with 49 first-year medical students randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. Each group was provided expert instruction and hands-on practice using US to scan and study soft tissue structures. During session 1, group A learned the anatomy of the upper extremities, whereas group B learned the lower. Students were then tested on their proficiency in locating 4 soft tissue structures (2 upper and 2 lower extremities) through palpation of a human model. During session 2, group A learned lower extremities, and group B learned upper. At the end of session 2, students repeated the assessment. RESULTS After the first instructional session, neither group performed significantly better on identifying and locating the soft tissue landmarks they learned aided by US. After the second instructional session, however, scores for both groups increased approximately 20 percentage points, indicating that both groups performed significantly better on palpating and identifying both the upper and lower extremity soft tissue landmarks (Cohen d = 0.89 and 0.82, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Time and practice viewing soft tissue structures with US assistance seems to have a "palpation-with-eyes" effect that improves students' abilities to correctly locate, palpate, and identify limb-specific soft tissue structures once the US assistance is removed.
SERIAL ANGIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS OF SCAD PRESENTING AS STEMI IN A YOUNG MALE

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a rare cause of acute coronary syndrome. It is associated with females, peri- or postpartum status and autoimmune disease. Presentation includes isolated angina, ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), cardiogenic shock and sudden death. Intimal
Inflammasome Activation Promotes Deep Vein Thrombosis through Pyroptosis

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is one of the most common causes of cardiovascular death worldwide. Monocytic cells (including monocytes/macrophages) and their derived tissue factor have been reported to play important roles in the development of DVT. However, the mechanism by which monocytes contribute to the development DVT is not well elucidated. In this study, we reported a critical role of inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in the development of DVT. Using a flow restriction-induced mouse DVT model in the inferior vena cava, we show that deficiency of caspase-1 protected against flow restriction-induced DVT. Inflammasome activation leads to interleukin (IL)-1b and IL-18 maturation/release and pyroptosis. Recent studies show that caspases-1 cleaves Gasdermin D (GSDMD) and triggers pyroptosis-a form of programmed cell death with similar morphology to necrosis. We tested the hypothesis that GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis drives inflammasome-induced coagulation and DVT using Gsdmd-/- mice. Indeed, flow restriction-induced DVT was inhibited by GSDMD deficiency. After induction of DVT, fibrin was deposited in the vein as detected by Western blot with a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes mouse fibrin, which were inhibited in the caspase-1 deficient mice and GSDMD deficient mice. IL-1b was also increased in tissue of vein following induction of DVT, which was inhibited by caspase-1 or GSDMD deficiency. Following inflammasome activation, pyroptotic macrophages release tissue factor (TF), an essential initiator of coagulation cascades. Consistently, flow restriction-induced DVT was flow restriction-induced DVT inhibited in inducible TF deficient mice. Our data reveal a critical role of inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in the development of DVT. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 909: The role of checkpoints in Rituximab-mediated NK cell activation

Purpose: Despite the remarkable clinical success of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy, the mechanisms of action by which such mAb mediate their anti-tumor effects are not completely understood. This includes a need to better understand the role of various NK cell subtypes and checkpoint molecules in anti-CD20 mAb therapy. Experimental procedures: Raji B cell lymphoma cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from normal donors (n=21) were co-cultured with rituximab (RTX) or trastuzumab as a control mAb for up to 15 days. Analysis included assessment of proliferation, remaining viable cells and phenotype of various cell types. Results: As expected, RTX was superior to trastuzumab in eliminating Raji cells. RTX also induced proliferation of NK cells and a shift of NK cells from a CD56dim to CD56bright population. Both NK cell proliferation and the increase in the CD56bright population occurred at day 5-7 when elimination of Raji cells was largely complete. Addback of additional Raji cells at day 5 delayed proliferation of NK cells and the shift from a CD56dim to CD56bright population suggesting this shift occurs once activation of the NK cell via Fcγ;;R is complete. Evaluation of checkpoint molecule expression by NK cells demonstrated RTX, in the presence of Raji target cells, upregulates NK cell expression of TIGIT and TIM3, but not PD1, CTLA-4, or LAG-3. This upregulation was maintained for the full duration of incubation (up to 15 days). The level of expression of TIGIT and TIM3 on NK cells induced by RTX was dose dependent and peaked at 1-5 ug/ml. NK cells induced by RTX to express TIGIT or TIM3 degranulated (CD107a), produced cytokines (IFNγ, TNFα) and expressed activation markers (CD69 and CD25) to a greater degree than did TIGIT or TIM3 negative NK cells. Anti- TIGIT mAb enhanced CD107a expression and TNFα production by RTX-activated NK cells. Conclusion: NK cells proliferate and shift from CD56dim to CD56bright population after being activated and eliminating RTX-coated target cells. TIGIT and TIM3 are biomarkers for RTX-mediated NK cell activation. Blocking TIGIT can enhance RTX-mediated NK cell degranulation and cytokine production. Citation Format: Zhaoming Wang, George J. Weiner. The role of checkpoints in Rituximab-mediated NK cell activation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 909.
Important updates from the AACR virtual meeting: COVID-19 and cancer

In this article, we present the pivotal abstracts presented at the ‘AACR Virtual Meeting: COVID-19 and Cancer’ held in July 2020. Much is unknown regarding the effect of COVID-19 on cancer patients...
Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Screening Modalities in Firefighters

Within the field of primary care, preventative medicine represents a novel approach to medical care that promotes health and well-being while simultaneously attempting to prevent disease, disability and death. Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of medical morbidity and mortality in the United States. Certain lifestyle factors have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and, as such, are topics of focus for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Various studies show that firefighters have an increased risk for premature cardiovascular disease compared to the general public. Risk assessment remains a paramount focus for the family physician so screening modalities are needed that accurately depict each patient’s risk without performing unnecessary testing. Specific testing modalities that should be considered are coronary artery calcium scoring, carotid artery ultrasound and EKG assessment.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass Mean Global Oxygen Delivery May Be Associated with Neurocognitive Preservation during Hypothermic Aortic Surgery.

The purpose of this retrospective research was to investigate the relationship between mean global oxygen delivery (DO2) and neurocognitive function in adult patients who presented for aortic surgery with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). From a pool of 132 patients, data from 100 CPB patients from 2012 to 2014 aged 50 years or older were randomly selected and analyzed, and global DO2 on CPB was used to categorize patients into those for whom the mean indexed cerebral oxygen delivery (DO2i) was either ≥272 mL O2/min/m2 (critical DO2 [DO2crit]) or less than DO2crit. Ten patients experienced either stroke or expired in the perioperative course. The proportion of patients with evidence of neurocognitive preservation was 98.3% in the group in which the DO2crit was met, compared with 80.6% in the group where DO2crit was not met (X 2 [1, 100] = 3.27, p = .07). Potentially, because of causes other than DO2, the subset of patients with stroke and/or death were removed, and data from 90 cases were analyzed, and a global mean DO2i value of 239.9 mL O2/min/m2 was identified. A larger sample size with controls may yield deeper insights into the hypothesis that a mean global CPB DO2i of 239.9 mL O2/min/m2 may play a role in predicting neurocognitive preservation in this patient population.
Electrocatalytic H2 Evolution Promoted by a Bioinspired (N2S2)Ni(II) Complex at Low Acid Concentration

The electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great interest to advance fuel cell technologies. Although heterogeneous HER electrocatalysts are desired for practical energy devices, the development of molecular electrocatalysts is important to elucidate the mechanism and improve the activity of state-of-the-art HER catalysts. Inspired by the enzymatic HER process promoted by [NiFe] hydrogenases, we synthesized a bioinspired NiII electrocatalyst that produces H2 from CF3CO2H at low acid concentrations (<0.043 M) in MeCN. Under these conditions, the turnover frequency for HER achieved herein is ~200,000 s–1. We propose that our NiII electrocatalyst follows a novel HER mechanism by undergoing a 2e– transfer process in a single step, followed by stepwise H+ transfer at low acid concentrations, while the increase in acid concentration changes the HER mechanism toward a concerted H+/e– transfer. Finally, we evaluated the HER activity of our catalyst by benchmarking its kinetic and thermodynamic parameters vs. other reported HER electrocatalysts.
Categorization of Financial Transactions in QuickBooks

This paper shares our work on building a machine learning system to categorize transactions for Intuit's QuickBooks product. Transaction categorization is challenging due to the complexity of accounting, the need for personalization, and the diversity of customers. We have broken down this monolithic problem into smaller pieces based on customers' life-cycle stages, and tailored solutions to address customer pain-points for each. Modern machine learning technologies such as deep neural networks, transfer learning, and few-shot learning are adopted to enable accurate transaction categorization. Furthermore our system learns user actions in real-time to provide relevant and in-time category recommendations. This in-session learning capability reduces user workload, improves customer experience, and helps to cultivate confidence.
Vertex labeling of a half-cube to induce face labels in arithmetic progression

A plane, passing through the center and orthogonal to a diagonal, slices a cube into two identical halves each having three triangles, three pentagons and a hexagon. If you label the ten vertices of a half-cube with numbers, then each face is said to receive an induced face label given by the sum of all vertices around it. Label the ten vertices of a half-cube with digits 0 through 9 so that the induced labels of the three triangles and the three pentagons constitute six consecutive multiples of a fixed number, or more generally six numbers in arithmetic progression.
Learning from Our Mistakes: Conversation Analysis Reveals Best Practices for a Student-Staffed Pro Bono Project

Law schools make “pro bono” opportunities available to students to introduce them to the responsibilities of the profession. Often these pro bono law students help in “brief advice” projects staffed by volunteer attorneys. This staffing-supervision structure presents challenges in ensuring clients receive competent, individualized advice and the students receive adequate oversight so that this is a positive learning experience for them. This paper analyzes transcripts from 46 recorded student-client interviews and 35 student-attorney consultations. It focuses on those cases where there were “errors or omissions” -- either the client got some erroneous advice or the client did not receive complete, personalized advice -- and asks why. Conversation Analysis allows a fine-grained analysis of the interview, the student-supervisor consultation, and the final client counseling. This analysis shows where the break-downs occurred and theorizes why. The paper ultimately proposes techniques to improve the operation of a brief advice site staffed by students.
Exposure to E-Vapor Extracts Alters Platelet Aggregation, Adhesion and Activation

Cardiovascular diseases remain to be the leading cause of death in the Western world. Tobacco smoke is a well-known instigator of cardiovascular diseases, primarily through the delivery of fine particulate matter and oxidative stressors. The effects of e-cigarettes, a relatively new source of both fine particulate matter and oxidative stressors, on cardiovascular health has not been investigated thoroughly. Here, we aimed to elucidate if the exposure to physiologically relevant levels of e-vapor can alter platelet functions. To accomplish this aim, we exposed platelets to e-vapor extracts and quantified platelet aggregation, expression of adhesion, activation and aggregation markers and participation in coagulation based reactions. Platelet aggregation was enhanced after exposure to e-vapor extracts and for the e-juice formulations with the highest concentration of nicotine, this enhancement mirrored the effects of mainstream and sidestream tobacco smoke extracts. Altered platelet aggregation was partiall...
Computer Perceptual Organization in Computer Vision

This book describes the design of a complete, flexible system for perceptual organization in computer vision using graph theoretic techniques, voting methods, and an extension of the Bayesian networks called perceptual inference networks (PINs). The PIN, which forms the heart of the algorithm, is based on Bayesian probabilistic networks and has potential for being used in other spatial information tasks. The book also has a comprehensive review of the prior work in the area. It not only classifies the prior work but also identifies some areas of future work.
Romantic Egypt, Monumentality and Shifting Sands

This essay explores an Egypt that is otherwise and elsewhere as what is always prior, serving as an originary vortex, an abyss that is yet a starting point. The unknowable, unverifiable things that Kant labels “cosmological ideas” are precisely the grounding concepts of an occulted Egypt, where it was believed the power of the Logos could be reconstructed, origin could be determined, divine revelation first occurred, and matter, essence, and freedom were part of esoteric teachings. My underlying argument is that Romantic artists and scholars were drawn to Egyptian monuments as spirit-tombs for the same reason they returned to the problem of decoding the hieroglyph: to make Egypt legible and to find in Egypt's trace the origin – thus translating that which is unlocatable, a vanishing point, into an origination story. To set forth these ideas I use an unorthodox history coupled with a way to come at that subterranean history; I then turn to a late Romantic-period manuscript of amateur hieroglyphic study tha...
Thrombolytic Therapy in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Coronary artery disease is a major public health problem in the United States, resulting in 550,000 deaths annually.(1) A similar number of patients who survive myocardial infarction vary in disease severity and prognosis and require application of a wide variety of therapeutic maneuvers ranging in cost and complexity from risk factor modification through antianginal medication, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery.(2) About a quarter million Americans underwent PTCA or CABG in 1984. It is estimated that approximately 10% of the $1 billion per day expended for health care in the United States is applied to patients with cardiovascular diseases, and patients with myocardial infarction require a substantial part of this large sum.
Bitonal membrane systems

Inspired by the alternating orientations of cellular membranes, we describe a structure of nested membranes that are colored in two alternating tones. We investigate a class of reactions that maintain the colored regions largely invariant at each step (bitonal reactions). These coloring constraints guide us towards a small and non-obvious set of basic reactions that are both realistic and complete. They are realistic because bitonality is related to an independent notion of locality, and because similar reactions are implemented by molecular machinery. They are complete because any bitonal reaction can be obtained from them. Such a set of reactions can then be used as the basis for descriptions of biological processes, and in particular for the description of transport networks in cellular biology.
Microwave spectroscopy of autoionizing Ba 5d 3/2 nl states

We have observed microwave resonance transitions between the autoionizing Ba $5{d}_{3∕2}ng$ $J=2$ and $5{d}_{3∕2}(n+1)h$ $J=3$ states for $45\ensuremath{\leqslant}n\ensuremath{\leqslant}49$. These measurements, made between 50 and $75\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GHz}$, lead to quantum defects of $+0.019(2)$ and $+0.003(2)$ for this pair of $ng$ and $nh$ states. These measurements demonstrate that the core polarization model, widely used to characterize nonpenetrating Rydberg states, fails to describe Rydberg states converging to anisotropic or non $s$ cores. In particular, the second order quadrupole interaction cannot, in general, be represented in this manner.
THE ONE PLACE ON EARTH: A TALE OF FIVE ARCHIVES AND HENRY DAVID THOREAU

I recount these brief stories of acquisition because I think they are in their different ways interesting, unusual, and even entertaining, at least to RBM’s distinctive audience. As I retired in September 2001, this essay is also a look back over what was, for me, the most enjoyable, rewarding, and often surprising aspect of a 23 year career heading Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of Rochester Library—the acquisition of significant collections and the development of durable friendships with writers, collectors, and others in books. If a didactic strain has infiltrated these pages, it urges what most rare . . .
The identification of hydrophobic sites on the surface of proteins using absorption difference spectroscopy of bromophenol blue

Abstract Hydrophobic sites on the surface of protein molecules are thought to have important functional roles. The identification of such sites can provide information about the function and mode of interaction with other cellular components. While the fluorescence enhancement of polarity-sensitive dyes has been useful in identifying hydrophobic sites on a number of targets, strong intrinsic quenching of Nile red and ANSA dye fluorescence is observed on binding to a cytochrome c ′ . Fluorescence quenching is also observed to take place in the presence of a variety of other biologically important molecules which can compromise the quantitative determination of binding constants. Absorption difference spectroscopy is shown not to be sensitive to the presence of fluorescence quenchers but sensitive enough to measure binding constants. The dye BPB is shown to bind to the same hydrophobic sites on proteins as polarity-sensitive fluorescence probes. The absorption spectrum of BPB is also observed to be polarity sensitive. A binding constant of 3×10 6 M −1 for BPB to BSA has been measured by absorption difference spectroscopy. An empirical correlation is observed between the shape of the absorption difference spectrum of BPB and the polarity of the environment. The results indicate that absorption difference spectroscopy of BPB provides a valuable supplement to fluorescence for determining the presence of hydrophobic sites on the surface of proteins as well as a method for measuring binding constants.
Thermal Property Testing of Nitrate Thermal Storage Salts in the Solid-Phase

Implementation of molten salt compounds as the heat transfer fluid and energy storage medium provides specific benefits to energy collection and conversion. Nitrate salts have been identified as a strong candidate for energy transfer and storage and have been demonstrated for use in these applications over time. As nitrate salts have solidification temperatures above ambient, concern for recovery from salt freezing events has instigated efforts to understand and predict this behavior. Accurate information of salt property behavior in the solid-phase is necessary for understanding recovery from a freeze event as well as for phase change thermal energy storage applications. Thermal properties for three representative salts (that span the range of melting temperatures from approximately 90–221 °C), have been obtained. These properties include specific heat, coefficient of thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity. Specific heat and thermal conductivity were measured using differential scanning calorimetry.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
What does the hippocampus really do

Much of the evidence used to implicate the hippocampus in learning and memory has been obtained from clinical cases and/or experimental studies with animals where the damage is extensive and includes more than just the hippocampus. When the damage is limited to the cells that comprise the hippocampus (CA1-CA3 pyramidal cells, hilar and granule cells in the dentate gyrus) the effect on behavior in the rat is more limited than what is usually reported. Selective, axon-sparing ibotenic acid lesions of the hippocampus were used in the experiments that are reviewed to study the effects of removing the hippocampus on: (1) the acquisition of spatial and non-spatial information; (2) complex, non-spatial representational learning; and (3) acquisition and utilization of contextual information. The results indicated that rats with the hippocampus removed were impaired on those tasks that require the utilization of spatial and contextual information but performed like controls in learning about and handling (even complex) non-spatial information. Future research utilizing selective lesions of the hippocampus and sensitive behavioral testing techniques should help clarify the extent to which the impairments in the acquisition of spatial information and the ability to utilize contextual, background cues can be reduced to a single, underlying learning process.
Demoralization in modern society: The experiential dilemma

The signs and symptoms of personal demoralization are everywhere in modern post-industrial society, particularly the U.S. In an increasing number of instances the result is frank psychopathology, often with serious and wide-reaching social consequences. We are bombarded daily with descriptions and statistical reports of escalating crime of all kinds, alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce, child abuse, vandalism, absenteeism from work, and innumerable other forms of psycho-social deterioration. Just this morning a flyer from the local County Mental Health Association soliciting donations crossed my desk. Some of the points concerning mental illness were:
Tunable spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (TSHS): a new technique for broadband visible interferometry

In the study of faint, extended sources at high resolving power, interferometry offers significant etendue advantages relative to conventional dispersive grating spectrometers. A Spatial Heterodyne Spectrometer (SHS) is a compact format two-beam interferometer that produces wavenumber dependent 2-D Fizeau fringe pattern from which an input spectrum can be obtained via a Fourier transform. The sampled bandpass of SHS is limited by the highest spatial frequency that can be sampled by the detector, which is typically less than 10 nm. This limitation has made these instruments useful primarily for studies of single emission line features or molecular bands. To date there have been few broadband implementations. We describe here continuing progress toward development of a broadband tunable SHS (TSHS) that is based on an all-reflective format where a single grating operates simultaneously as a beam-splitter, dispersive element, and beam combiner. The narrow spectral coverage of the TSHS is moved to different tuning wavenumbers by adjusting the angle of the pilot mirrors that guide the interfering beams through the optical path, thus slewing the acceptance band over a much broader spectral range. Our present effort involves a breadboard laboratory prototype of a secondgeneration TSHS in which we address several technical limitations of an earlier version. In particular the new design reduces wavefront distortions on the pilot mirrors, solves problems with magnification and focus of the fringe localization plane onto the detector, and addresses the variability in sensitivity and resolving power limitations of using a single grating over a large bandpass.
Retardation of the Growth of Transplanted Apothecia: A Manifestation of Vegetative Incompatibility in Ascobolus stercorarius (Bull.) Schröt.

Abstract Bistis, G. N. 1994. Retardation of the growth of transplanted apothecia: A manifestation of vegetative incompatibility in Ascobolus stercorarius (Bull.) Schrot. Experimental Mycology 18, 103-110. Two loci, C and D , each with at least two alleles, C 1 , C 2 and D 1 , D 2 , control a system of apothecium-transplant incompatibility in the fungus Ascobolus stercorarius . The recognition appears to occur between the sterile tissue of the transplanted apothecium and the vegetative hyphae of the recipient mycelium. When these carry similar C and D alleles the transplanted apothecium grows at a normal rate. If they carry different D alleles the apothecium grows at a subnormal rate. If they carry different C alleles (with like or different D s) the apothecium grows at a sub-subnormal rate. The C locus, but not the D , also has a detectable effect in vegetative heterokaryons. Two auxotrophic mutants will complement only if they carry like C factors. The two mating-type alleles, A , a , also function as transplant and vegetative incompatibility factors.
On connections between boundary integral equations and T-matrix methods

Abstract Acoustic scattering by three-dimensional obstacles is considered, using boundary integral equations, null-field equations and the T-matrix. Connections between these techniques are explored. It is shown that solving a boundary integral equation by a particular Petrov–Galerkin method leads to the same algebraic system as obtained from the null-field equations. It is also emphasised that the T-matrix can be constructed by solving boundary integral equations rather than by solving the null-field equations.
Piecewise smooth approximations of functions

A variational formulation for piecewise smooth approximation of functions which smooths out small discontinuities while retaining larger ones is analyzed. An elliptic approximation of the formulation is developed for practical applications to the segmentation problem in computer vision.
ANALYZING CORRELATIONS BETWEEN STREAM AND WATERSHED ATTRIBUTES1

: Bivariate correlation analysis has been widely used to explore relationships between stream and watershed attributes that have all been measured on the same set of watersheds or sampling locations. Researchers routinely test H0: ρ= 0 for each correlation in a large table and then go on to discuss only those that are declared “significant.” Such test results are inaccurate because no allowance is made for multiple testing, and also because the tests are not mutually independent. This paper reviews the Bonferroni approach to controlling the overall error rate in multiple testing and shows how the approach becomes impractical for large correlation tables. The Hotelling/Williams test is introduced for comparing two dependent correlations that share a variable, and numerical constraints for two such correlations are illustrated. References are also given for testing other hypothesized patterns among dependent correlations, and links to dependent correlation software are provided. The methods are illustrated for watershed and stream variables sampled in 23 small agricultural watersheds of the Willamette Valley, Oregon.
Evidence for Multiple Modes of Uranium Immobilization by an Anaerobic Bacterium

Abstract Microbial reduction of hexavalent uranium has been studied widely for its potential role in bioremediation and immobilization of soluble U(VI) in contaminated groundwater. More recently, some microorganisms have been examined for their role in immobilization of U(VI) via precipitation of uranyl phosphate minerals mediated by microbial phosphate release, alleviating the requirement for long-term redox control. Here, we investigated the mechanism of U(VI) removal mediated by an environmental isolate, strain UFO1, that is indigenous to the Field Research Center (FRC) in Oak Ridge, TN and has been detected in U(VI)-contaminated sediments. Changes in U(VI) speciation were examined in the presence and absence of the electron-shuttling moiety, anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS). Cell suspensions were capable of nearly complete removal of 100 μM U(VI) from solution within 48 h; U(VI) removal was not dependent on the presence of an exogenous electron donor or AQDS, although AQDS increased the rate of U(VI) removal. X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopic measurements indicated that U(IV) was the predominant oxidation state of uranium in cell suspensions in both the absence and presence of 100 μM AQDS. Interestingly, 17% of the cell-associated precipitates in a U(VI)-treated suspension that lacked AQDS had spectral characteristics consistent with a uranyl phosphate solid phase. The potential involvement of phosphate was consistent with observed increases in soluble phosphate concentrations over time in UFO1 cell suspensions, which suggested phosphate liberation from the cells. TEM-EDS confirmed the presence of uranyl phosphate with a U:P ratio consistent with autunite (1:1). EXAFS analyses further suggested that U(IV) was bound to low-Z neighbors such as C or P, inferred to be present as functional groups on biomass. These results suggest that strain UFO1 has the ability to facilitate U(VI) removal from solution via reductive and phosphate precipitation mechanisms. Both mechanisms offer potential for the remediation of U-contaminated sediments at the FRC or elsewhere.
Radiative heat transfer analysis from a heated airport runway to fog

Abstract Radiative heat transfer between a plane source and an aerosol is investigated through the Monte Carlo method. Thermal energy is transferred from a long rectangular source to monodisperse natural fog models. The analysis is only for radiative transport and does not include convection which would be coupled in a complete analysis. Direct energy transfer to the droplets of the aerosol is investigated for values of extinction coefficient of 10 km−1 and 80 km−1, absorption coefficient to extinction coefficient ratios of 0·4 and 0·5, and scattering functions of the strong forward and isotropic types. Monochromatic radiation at a wave length of 10 μ is used and multiple independent scattering is included. The numerical results are illustrated in a manner which expresses the spatial distribution of radiative interactions and exposes the implications of this mode of energy exchange as a means of fog dispersal over airport runways.
Fertilization and forb:graminoid ratio affect arbuscular mycorrhiza in seedlings but not adult plants of Plantago lanceolata

Nutrients play a key role in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. We quantified the response of AM symbiosis of seedlings and adult plants of Plantago lanceolata to fertilization under field conditions in managed grasslands differing in nutrient availability and soil moisture. The AM symbiosis was measured as the total extent of AM fungal colonization and frequency of arbuscules or vesicles, and as the relative proportions of morphotypes. We further examined the effects of the surrounding vegetation upon AM symbiosis. Fertilization decreased total AM colonization and relative arbuscular frequency of the whole mycorrhizal community and of Acaulospora and “fine endophyte” morphotypes in seedling roots, but it had no effect upon the mycorrhiza in adult plants. The decline in arbuscular frequency in seedling roots due to fertilization was greater at the sites with higher nutrient availability and lower N:P ratio. Seedlings surrounded by more forbs had a greater total AM colonization and higher vesicular frequency. Increased nutrient availability in the initial stages of seedling development has a prominent effect upon AM symbiosis development, but these effects seem to diminish over the long term, as evidenced by the results obtained for adult plants and from the limited effects of parameters characterizing long-term nutrient availability.
Grounded Theory and Qualitative Methodology

Le but de cet article est de suggerer que la definition de la recherche doit incorporer a la fois les methodes qualitatives et quantitatives. L'argument presente est que, meme s'il existe une place definie pour le quantitatif, il y a egalement une invitation explicite a faire usage des methodes qualitatives. En fait, la nature de la decouverte elle-meme fournit une base conceptuelle au developpement de la theorie comme strategie de recherche. L'article analyse de facon plus detaillee comment la theorie et la methode qualitative peuvent etre effectivement utilisees dans un projet de recherche
Encouraging Friendships in Preschool Classrooms.

This article reviews the findings from our research in Head Start classrooms and their potential theoretical importance. Practical suggestions are offered to administrators and teachers as to ways ...
Effects of Photoperiod on Mammary Development and Concentration of Hormones in Serum of Pregnant Dairy Heifers

Beginning at 128 d of pregnancy, Holstein heifers were exposed to 16 h light, 8 h dark (long days; n = 10) or 8 h light, 16 h dark (short days; n = 10) until 35 d before calving when they were killed. Photoperiod had no effect on weight or proportion of extraparenchymal fat or parenchyma in the mammary gland or on amount of fat, DNA, or RNA in mammary parenchyma. Serum prolactin concentration was 1.7-fold greater under long than under short days. Concentration of melatonin in serum was 2.4-fold greater during dark than light periods. Duration of elevated serum melatonin concentration in the dark period was longer in heifers given short days, but magnitude of this increase was lower than that in heifers exposed to long days. In a second experiment, peak amplitude and area of the periparturient surge of serum concentration of prolactin were 1.8-fold and 1.7-fold greater, respectively, in six Holstein heifers exposed to long days than in six heifers exposed to short days. We conclude that photoperiod had no effect on mammary development during pregnancy, but relative to short days, long days increased serum concentration of prolactin during pregnancy, including the period of the periparturient surge of prolactin.
Strike-slip faults on Europa: Global shear patterns driven by tidal stress

Abstract Diurnal tides due to orbital eccentricity may drive strike–slip motion on Europa through a process of “walking” in which faults open and close out of phase with alternate right- and left-lateral shear. Mapping of five different regions on Europa has revealed 121 strike–slip faults, including Astypalaea Linea, a 800-km-long fault with 42 km of right-lateral offset. At high southern latitudes near Astypalaea Linea all of the strike slip faults identified were right-lateral. Europa appears to preferentially form right-lateral faults in the southern hemisphere and left-lateral faults in the northern hemisphere, consistent with tidal walking. At the five locations, nonsynchronous rotation explains the azimuthal orientations and distribution of sense of shear, which fit formation ∼60° to 90° west of their current positions. Alternatively, stress due to differential rotation might also explain the observed shear patterns. Nearly all identified strike–slip faults were associated with double ridges or bands, but few were detected along ridgeless cracks (even older ones). Thus, cracks without ridges may not have penetrated to a decoupling layer, consistent with the models for ridge formation that require cracks to penetrate to a liquid water ocean.
M/G/1/K queues with N -policy and setup times

A steady-state analysis is given for M/G/1/K queues with combinedN-policy and setup times before service periods. The queue length distributions and the mean waiting times are obtained for the exhaustive service system, the gated service system, the E-limited service system, and the G-limited service system. Numerical examples are also provided.
Centrally mediated effects of angiotensin II in the unanesthetized rat

Abstract Effects of intraventricular (IVT) angiotensin II (ANG) administration on the pituitary-adrenal system were investigated in unanesthetized, unrestrained rats. Twenty-four hr after lateral ventricular cannula implantation, IVT injections of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or ANG (0.25 μg in 5 μl CSF) were given. Plasma and adrenal glands taken after decapitation of the animals were assayed fluorometrically for corticosterone. Plasma corticosterone levels in animals given ANG were significantly higher than controls 30 and 60 min after injection; adrenal corticosterone levels were significantly higher at 60 min. No differences occured in similarly treated groups of hypophysectomized animals. In addition, within one min after receiving ANG, rats exhibited marked drinking behavior. CSF-treated animals did not drink. In unanesthetized, unrestrained rats, centrally administered ANG produced marked elevations in plasma and adrenal corticosterone levels by direct and/or indirect mechanisms that were pituitary dependent and that evoked drinking behavior independent of the pituitary.
The Cytoskeletal Adaptor Protein Band 4.1B Is Required for the Maintenance of Paranodal Axoglial Septate Junctions in Myelinated Axons

Precise targeting and maintenance of axonal domains in myelinated axons is essential for saltatory conduction. Caspr and Caspr2, which localize at paranodal and juxtaparanodal domains, contain binding sites for the cytoskeletal adaptor protein 4.1B. The exact role of 4.1B in the organization and maintenance of axonal domains is still not clear. Here, we report the generation and characterization of 4.1B -null mice. We show that loss of 4.1B in the PNS results in mislocalization of Caspr at paranodes and destabilization of paranodal axoglial septate junctions (AGSJs) as early as postnatal day 30. In the CNS, Caspr localization is progressively disrupted and ultrastructural analysis showed paranodal regions that were completely devoid of AGSJs, with axolemma separated from the myelin loops, and loops coming off the axolemma. Most importantly, our phenotypic analysis of previously generated 4.1B mutants, used in the study by [Horresh et al. (2010)][1], showed that Caspr localization was not affected in the PNS, even after 1 year; and 4.1R was neither expressed, nor enriched at the paranodes. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis of these 4.1B mutants showed destabilization of CNS AGSJs at ∼1 year. We also discovered that the 4.1B locus is differentially expressed in the PNS and CNS, and generates multiple splice isoforms in the PNS, suggesting 4.1B may function differently in the PNS versus CNS. Together, our studies provide direct evidence that 4.1B plays a pivotal role in interactions between the paranodal AGSJs and axonal cytoskeleton, and that 4.1B is critically required for long-term maintenance of axonal domains in myelinated axons. [1]: #ref-20
Manipulation of the delayed rectifier Kv1.5 potassium channel in glial cells by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides

Glial cells have been shown to express several biophysically and pharmacology distinct potassium channel types. However, the molecular identity of most glial K+ channels is unknown. We have developed an antibody specific for the Shaker type potassium channel Kv1.5 protein, and demonstrate by immunohistochemistry the presence of this channel in glial cells of adult rat hippocampal and cerebellar slices, as well as in cultured spinal cord astrocytes. Immunoreactivity was particularly intense in the endfoot processes of astrocytes surrounding the microvasculature of the hippocampus. The specific contribution of this channel protein to the delayed rectifying K+ current of spinal cord astrocytes was determined by incubating these cells with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides complementary to the mRNA coding for Kv1.5 protein. Such treatment reduced delayed rectifier current density and shifted the potassium current steady-state inactivation, without altering current activation, cell capacitance, or cell resting potential. The tetraethylammonium acetate (TEA) sensitivity of astrocytic delayed rectifier current was enhanced following antisense oligodeoxynucleotide treatment, suggesting that Kv1.5 channel protein may provide a significant component of the TEA-insensitive current in this preparation. Our results suggest that Kv1.5 is widely expressed in glial cells of brain and spinal cord and that delayed rectifying K+ currents in astrocytes are largely mediated by Kv1.5 channel protein. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Optical wavelet processor for producing spatially localized ring-wedge-type information

Ring-wedge detectors are known to produce a useful feature set for certain types of pattern recognition. Their major shortcoming is that they measure global features. We present an optical processor, based upon the computation of a two-dimensional wavelet transform, which overcomes this limitation. By using wavelet functions that are essentially compact in the space domain we generate an output that consists of a mosaic of spatially localized bandpass components. Consistent with the nature of wavelets, the radial (ring) frequency components, are organized into constant-Q (f0/(Delta) f) bands. The angular (wedge) frequency content is divided into a number of equal-width bands which cover the full 0 - 180 degree(s) range. The radial information is obtained by using a feedback iteration loop which scales the input image by a fixed factor for each time around the loop. By introducing a tilt in the Fourier plane of the feedback loop, we arrange for the space-domain representations of each scaled input to be spatially separated without altering the position of their Fourier transforms. In this way, all of the radial frequency bands can be extracted with a single wavelet filter. A diffraction grating is introduced into the optical path after the scaling loop to replicate the Fourier information M times. The angular information is extracted using M filters in parallel-- one for each wedge component. The filter outputs are minified consistent with Nyquist theory for their reduced bandwidths to produce an output whose space-bandwidth product is roughly the same as that of the input image. We present the design of the optical system along with some initial experimental results.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Partial left ventriculectomy and limited heart transplantation availability.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Partial left ventriculectomy, a novel cardiac volume reduction operation, is applied in countries without a developed heart transplantation program. We sought to determine its impact in our population of patients. METHODS Partial left ventriculectomy was performed in 38 patients during the last 4 years. Basic inclusion criteria were nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and poor response to medical therapy for heart failure. Hemodynamic evaluation was carried out before and after operation. A modified surgical technique of mitral valve repair and ventricle suturing was applied. RESULTS Thirty-day, 6-month, and 2-year survival rates were 82% +/- 7%, 65% +/- 8%, and 61% +/- 9%, respectively. Duration of heart failure symptoms was the only predictor of survival (p = 0.042). A high proportion of noncardiac causes of death was noted. Functional capacity in surviving patients improved at every successive measurement up to 1 year postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS The introduction of partial left ventriculectomy in a country with limited heart transplantation availability had a great impact on the management of end-stage heart failure and may represent the only surgical option for some patients. The average cost per patient was substantially lower when compared to heart transplantation.
Multi-source streaming-based data accesses for MapReduce systems

The MapReduce programming model, along with its open-source implementation – Hadoop – has provided a cost effective solution for many data intensive applications. Hadoop stores data distributively and exploits data locality by assigning tasks to where data is stored. In many cases, however, accessing remote data (rack-local and off-rack) is inevitable. In this paper we are evaluating the possibility of improving the remote data accessing performance by streaming data from multiple available replicas. The proposed design consists of a circular buffer, a slice reader and an enhanced DataNode. Such system is capable of adapting to both the static performance variance caused by network topology as well as dynamic variance caused by congestion. Extensive experiments show that multisource streaming can significantly improve the throughput of remote data access and accelerate the related map tasks by 10%–20%. For systems with heterogenous network links, upto 4× speedup was observed.
Semiempirical and ab initio study of 1,3-dipolar addition of azide anion to organic cyanides

Abstract The 1,3-polar azide anion cyloaddition to nitriles was studied by semiempirical and ab initio methods. Two mechanisms were considered: a concerted and a two-step mechanism. AM1 strongly supports the two-step mechanism that involves a nucleophilic attack of the azide ion on the carbon of the nitrile group (formation of iminoazide intermediate) followed by tetrazole ring closure. The calculated activation energies are in good agreement with the experimentally obtained reactivity of the nitriles. The calculations agree with the fact that electron-withdrawing substituents on the nitrile group decrease the activation barrier and facilitate the reaction. Although RHF/3-21G was unable to locate the first transition state in all cases of the two-step mechanism, its concerted transition state structures are very unsymmetrical. The distortion depends much more on the polarity of the substituents than on their size.
Anomalous portal venous connection to the suprahepatic vena cava: sonographic demonstration

The authors report a congenital portosystemic shunt which was detected with ultrasound in an infant with a fatal congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. An aberration in primitive vitelline venous development may have contributed to the formation of this unusual vessel.