cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of primitive streak regression controls the fate of neuro-mesodermal progenitors in the chicken embryo

In classical descriptions of vertebrate development, the segregation of the three embryonic germ layers is completed by the end of gastrulation. Body formation then proceeds in a head to tail fashion by progressive deposition of lineage committed progenitors during regression of the Primitive Streak (PS) and tail bud (Pasteels, 1937b; Stern, 2004). Identification of Neuro-Mesodermal Progenitors (NMPs) contributing to both musculo-skeletal precursors (paraxial mesoderm) and spinal cord during axis formation by retrospective clonal analysis challenged these notions (Henrique et al., 2015; Tzouanacou et al., 2009). However, in amniotes such as mouse and chicken, the precise identity and localization of these cells has remained unclear despite a wealth of fate mapping analyses of the PS region. Here, we use lineage tracing in the chicken embryo to show that single cells located in the SOX2/T positive anterior PS region contribute to both neural and mesodermal lineages in the trunk and tail, but only express this bipotential fate with some delay. We demonstrate that posterior to anterior gradients of convergence speed and ingression along the PS gradually lead to exhaustion of all mesodermal precursor territories except for NMPs where limited ingression and increased proliferation maintain and amplify this pool of axial progenitors. As a result, most of the remaining mesodermal precursors from the PS in the tail bud are bipotential NMPs. Together, our results provide a novel understanding of the contribution of the PS and tail bud to the formation of the body of amniote embryos.
Dynamic Distributed Computing for Infrastructure-Assisted Autonomous UAVs.

The analysis of information rich signals is at the core of autonomy. In airborne devices such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), the hardware limitations imposed by the weight constraints make the continuous execution of these algorithms challenging. Edge computing can mitigate such limitations and boost the system and mission performance of the UAVs. However, due to the UAVs motion characteristics and complex dynamics of urban environments, remote processing-control loops can quickly degrade. This paper presents Hydra, a framework for the dynamic selection of communication/computation resources in this challenging environment. A full - open-source - implementation of Hydra is discussed and tested via real-world experiments.
Wearable high-density diffuse optical tomography (WHD-DOT) instrument for mapping human brain activity

We developed a wearable HD-DOT instrument (WHD-DOT) that provides a safe and portable neuroimaging modality with enhanced image resolution and brain specificity. Our design replaces bulky fibers with smart electronic cylindrical source and detector modules that brush through hair and maintain stable optode-scalp coupling. Our current prototype has four independent WHD patches to create a system with 32 sources and 32 detectors at 13 mm optode spacing. Light level vs. distance curves confirm dynamic range and cross-talk specifications match fiber-based HD-DOT. We tested feasibility using retinotopic mapping of visual cortex. Optode location error between photometric measurements and MRI-based fiducials is <5mm.
Pathogenic and clinicopathologic study of invative mycosis in nose and paranasal sinus

Objective To investigate the mechanism of fungi invasion into the mucosal tissue, and to analyse the clinical pathological relationship Methods The clinical data of 16 patients with invasive mycosis in the nose and paranasal sinus proved by pathologic examination between Apr, 1984 and Aug, 2002 were reviewed retrospectively There were 7 males and 9 females with an average age of 48 6 years The pathologic morphology of fungi found in these patients was investigated Fourteen of 16 tissue samples from the paranasal sinuses obtained by endoscopic operation were cultivated for the fungi One sample of invasive mycosis was observed under electron microscope Results Fourteen cases were found to have following underlying conditions, including diabetes ( n =4), malignant tumor ( n =5) The infected sites were as follows: 7 cases presenting in unilateral maxillary sinus, 6 cases involving over two nasal sinuses, 8 cases invading the orbit Of all 16 patients, 15 were positive (93 7%) for the culture The positive rate of aspergillus was 62 5% and mucoraceae was 25 0% The overall mortality rate was 50 0% after investigation from 6 months to 5 years From 16 surgical specimens, hypha were proved in all cases for histopathologic methods All of the 16 granulomatous and crumbly materials from the paranasal sinuses were found that inflammatory responses were predominantly neutrophilic leucocytes invasion (100%), suppurative granuloma formed in 15 cases(93 7%) Invasive diseases were characterized by prominent infarcts (27 8%), angio invasion (100%), and surprisingly, prominent optic nervous invasion (16 7%) in biopsies Conclusions The incidence of invasive mycosis is correlated with patients who suffered from diabetes, malignant tumor and other basic diseases causing depression of immunological function The pathologic study shows that the fungi which invade the tissue are mostly aspergillus or mucoraceae, and the fungal vasculitis is the direct reason for tissue damage
Generational Power in Research with Children: Reflections on Risk and “Voice”

The assertion that children and adolescents will express their own views, in their own voice, when they are asked to do so, undergirds a significant amount of research and policy, as evidenced in Article 12 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. This assumption can lead to a homogenous rendering of children’s perspectives through the use of problematic concepts like “children’s voice,” which masks the variety and contradictions in their views. Differences in power between adult researchers and children are one of the forces that limit child respondents’ ability to openly express opinions or even factual knowledge. In this chapter, Bolgrien, Levison, and Vavrus discuss methodological approaches that strive to reduce generational power differences in research and thus allow for young people to express a wider range of perspectives. The authors also present practical strategies based on their research in Tanzania that can be used by researchers interested in learning about childhood from children themselves.
The Association of Mitochondrial Copy Number With Sarcopenia in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

BACKGROUND Adult childhood cancer survivors are at risk for frailty, including low muscle mass and weakness (sarcopenia). Using peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) as a proxy for functional mitochondria, this study describes cross-sectional associations between mtDNAcn and sarcopenia among survivors. METHODS Among 1762 adult childhood cancer survivors (51.6% male; median age = 29.4 years, interquartile range [IQR] = 23.3-36.8), with a median of 20.6 years from diagnosis (IQR = 15.2-28.2), mtDNAcn estimates were derived from whole-genome sequencing. A subset was validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and evaluated cross-sectionally using multivariable logistic regression for their association with sarcopenia, defined by race-, age-, and sex-specific low lean muscle mass or weak grip strength. All statistical tests were 2-sided. RESULTS The prevalence of sarcopenia was 27.0%, higher among female than male survivors (31.5% vs 22.9%; P < .001) and associated with age at diagnosis; 51.7% of survivors with sarcopenia were diagnosed ages 4-13 years (P = .01). Sarcopenia was most prevalent (39.0%) among central nervous system tumor survivors. Cranial radiation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32 to 2.59) and alkylating agents (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.72) increased, whereas glucocorticoids decreased odds (OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.56 to 0.93) of sarcopenia. mtDNAcn decreased with age (β = -0.81, P = .002) and was higher among female survivors (β = 9.23, P = .01) and among survivors with a C allele at mt.204 (β = -17.9, P = .02). In adjusted models, every standard deviation decrease in mtDNAcn increased the odds of sarcopenia 20% (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.34). CONCLUSIONS A growing body of evidence supports peripheral blood mtDNAcn as a biomarker for adverse health outcomes; however, this study is the first to report an association between mtDNAcn and sarcopenia among childhood cancer survivors.
Fitness Policies Within the Fire Service: A Pilot Investigation of Exercise Adherence on Fitness Outcomes Among Rural Firefighters

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adherence to departmental fitness policies and to evaluate the impact of on-duty firefighters’ adherence to fitness outcomes. This cross-sectional d...
Synthesis of 3-aryl-1-phosphinoimidazo[1,5- a ]pyridine ligands for use in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

3-Aryl-1-phosphinoimidazo[1,5-a]pyridine ligands were synthesized from 2-aminomethylpyridine as the initial substrate via two complementary routes. The first synthetic pathway underwent the coupling of 2-aminomethylpyridine with substituted benzoyl chlorides, followed by cyclization, iodination and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling phosphination reactions sequence to give our phosphorus ligands. In the second route, 2-aminomethylpyridine was cyclized with aryl aldehydes, followed by the iodination and palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling phosphination reactions to yield our phosphorus ligands. The 3-aryl-1-phosphinoimidazo[1,5-a]pyridine ligands were evaluated in palladium-catalyzed sterically-hindered biaryl and heterobiaryl Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions.
Rethinking Pulmonary Nodule Detection in Multi-view 3D CT Point Cloud Representation

3D CT point clouds reconstructed from the original CT images are naturally represented in real-world coordinates. Compared with CT images, 3D CT point clouds contain invariant geometric features with irregular spatial distributions from multiple viewpoints. This paper rethinks pulmonary nodule detection in CT point cloud representations. We first extract the multi-view features from a sparse convolutional (SparseConv) encoder by rotating the point clouds with different angles in the world coordinate. Then, to simultaneously learn the discriminative and robust spatial features from various viewpoints, a nodule proposal optimization schema is proposed to obtain coarse nodule regions by aggregating consistent nodule proposals prediction from multi-view features. Last, the multi-level features and semantic segmentation features extracted from a SparseConv decoder are concatenated with multi-view features for final nodule region regression. Experiments on the benchmark dataset (LUNA16) demonstrate the feasibility of applying CT point clouds in lung nodule detection task. Furthermore, we observe that by combining multi-view predictions, the performance of the proposed framework is greatly improved compared to single-view, while the interior texture features of nodules from images are more suitable for detecting nodules in small sizes.
The effect of contact load on CoCrMo wear and the formation and retention of tribofilms

Tribochemical reactions in a protein lubricated metal-on-metal (MoM) sliding contact may play a significant role for its wear performance. Such reactions lead to the formation of a carbonaceous 'tribofilm', which can act as a protective layer against corrosion and wear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of contact load on wear and the formation and retention of tribofilms. Wear tests were performed in a custom-made ball-on-flat testing apparatus that incorporated an electrochemical cell. A ceramic ball was used to articulate against low-carbon wrought CoCrMo alloy pins in bovine serum. Using a range of contact loads at a single potentiostatic condition (close to free potential), weight loss and changes in surface properties were evaluated. We determined that wear was influenced by the loading condition. As expected, wear increased with load, but the association between applied load and measured weight loss was not linear. In the intermediate load region, in the range of 32-48 N (~58-80 MPa), there was more than an order of magnitude drop in the wear per unit load, and the wear versus load data suggested an inflexion point at 49 N. Regression analyses yielded a cubic model (R2=0.991; p=0.0002), where the cubic term, which represents the inflexion, was highly significant (p=0.0021). This model is supported by the observations that the minimum in the friction versus load curve is at 52 N and the highest relative increase in polarization resistance occurred at 49 N. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy indicated the absence of a tribofilm for the low and within the contact area of the high load cases. Synergistic interactions of wear and corrosion seem to play an important role.
Genetic Basis of Social Anxiety Disorder

Publisher Summary There are several reasons to focus on a genetic basis for social anxiety disorder (SAD). First and foremost is the fact that SAD runs in families and is strongly believed to have a heritable basis. That is, genes account for at least some of the tendency for SAD to run in families. Second, the relationship between certain heritable quantitative traits (e.g., social interactional anxiety) and SAD provides an opportunity to find linkage and/or association to a phenotype that may be closer to biological reality than that provided by DSM-IV. Such traits are often called “endophenotypes” or “intermediate phenotypes.” There are several reviews recently published on the molecular genetics of anxiety disorders. Accordingly, this chapter focuses on the review that is on the small but growing literature suggesting a relationship between particular genes and SAD or related phenotypes such as introversion and BI.
Neonatal Outcomes by Mode of Delivery in Preterm Birth.

Objective We set out to test the hypothesis that infants born vaginally at ≤ 30 weeks gestation have less respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) than those born by cesarean delivery. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 652 infants born between 24 and 30 6/7 weeks gestation from March 31, 1996 to May 31, 2014. Comparisons of neonatal outcomes by intended and actual mode of delivery were made using chi-square and t-tests (α = 0.05). Multiple logistic regression was performed to control for confounding variables. Results Neonates born by cesarean delivery were more likely to have RDS (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–2.90), require intubation (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.12–2.88), and have longer neonatal intensive care unit stay (70.0 ± 37.1 vs. 57.3 ± 40.1 days, p = 0.02). Conclusion Compared with cesarean delivery, vaginal delivery is associated with a significant reduction in RDS among infants born at ≤ 30 weeks gestation.
Minimal training set size estimation for neural network-based function approximation

A new approach to the problem of n-dimensional continuous and sampled-data function approximation using a two-layer neural network is presented. The generalized Nyquist theorem is introduced to solve for the optimum number of training examples in n-dimensional input space. Choosing the smallest but still sufficient set of training vectors results in a reduced learning time for the network. Analytical formulas and algorithm for training set size reduction are developed and illustrated by two-dimensional data examples. >
Data Relationships and Multivariate Applications

Descriptive sensory tests are often performed to determine the effects of changes in raw material, processing, and packaging on the sensory qualities of products. It is also frequently desirable to relate the hedonic results of a study to the sensory and/or instrumental results of the same study. In all of these cases, multiple attributes on a single set of samples were evaluated and must now be related. To do this, one must use a group of analysis tools known as multivariate statistics. During the last 20 years, the widespread access to computers and the increasing sophistication in statistical packages have expanded the use and utility of multivariate statistical analyses. However, this “easy access” has tempted novices to use them with often surprising (and suspect) results. Before using any of these techniques, the user must be sure that the method is used appropriately and correctly. Many multivariate techniques require additional statistical assumptions beyond those of the simple univariate tests. This leads to additional liabilities and potential pitfalls when using multivariate methods.
Mechanisms of inhibition of endothelial cell migration by taxanes

Several antiangiogenic mechanisms have been proposed for the widely-used cancer chemotherapeutic drugs taxotere (docetaxel) and taxol (paclitaxel), but none has been definitively identified. We analyzed their effects at a range of concentrations on migration and mitosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) on microtubule and focal adhesion morphology and microtubule dynamic instability during migration. Both taxanes inhibited migration by inhibiting both maintenance of the forward direction of the cell and by slowing migration over the entire contorted path length. At low (but not all) taxane concentrations that inhibit HUVEC migration, the shortening rates and shortening lengths of microtubules at the leading edge were strongly inhibited; peripheral microtubules were reduced in number and fewer targeted focal adhesions; focal adhesions doubled in length and became ring-shaped, elongate, and reduced in number; and an increase in stabilized microtubules occurred centrally. HUVEC migration was 13-19-fold more sensitive to taxanes than was mitosis confirming that taxanes exhibit significant effects in addition to mitotic arrest that may contribute to their overall antitumor effects. No relationship was detected between centrosome position and migration characteristics. The data suggest that taxanes inhibit migration, at least in part, by inhibiting the dynamic instability of microtubules that possibly interact with guanine nucleotide exchange factors and thus with the focal adhesion-associated G-proteins that then lead to disruption of the regulated formation and turnover of focal adhesions. A mechanism is presented by which subcytotoxic concentrations of taxanes might stabilize dynamic instability of a few microtubules and thereby inhibit migration and angiogenesis.
Crack Initiation Under Generalized Plane-Strain Conditions

A method for estimating the decrease in crack-initiation toughness, from a reference plane strain value, due to positive straining along the crack front of a circumferential flaw in a reactor pressure vessel is presented in this study. This method relates crack initiation under generalized plane strain conditions with material failure at points within a distance of a few crack-tip-opening displacements ahead of a crack front, and involves the formulation of a micromechanical crack-initiation model. While this study is intended to address concerns regarding the effects of positive out-of- plane straining on ductile crack initiation, the approach adopted in this work can be extended in a straightforward fashion to examine conditions of macroscopic cleavage crack initiation. Provided single- parameter dominance of near-tip fields exists in the flawed structure, results from this study could be used to examine the appropriateness of applying plane strain fracture toughness to the evaluation of circumferential flaws, in particular to those in ring-forged vessels which have no longitudinal welds. In addition, results from this study could also be applied toward the analysis of the effects of thermal streaming on the fracture resistance of circumferentially oriented flaws in a pressure vessel. 37 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.
What I expect and fear next year: measuring new teachers’ possible selves

Possible selves theory describes the relation between self-concept and regulation of future-oriented behaviours. This theory helps conceptualise issues related to teacher development, including preparation and retention, but few researchers have done so. The validation of a Likert-type instrument intended to measure ‘new teacher possible selves’ is described. Student teachers in the United States (n = 335) completed the new measure in their final practicum semester. Results from two confirmatory factor analyses indicate that data fit well the models of new teacher expected and feared possible selves. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
Seismic and geodetic evidence for grounding‐line control of Whillans Ice Stream stick‐slip events

The tidally modulated, stick-slip events of Whillans Ice Stream in West Antarctica produce seismic energy from three locations near the grounding line. Using ice velocity records obtained by combining time series from colocated broadband seismometers and GPS receivers installed on the ice stream during the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 austral summers, along with far-field seismic recordings of elastic waves, we locate regions of high rupture velocity and stress drop. These regions, which are analogous to “asperities” in traditional seismic fault studies, are areas of elevated friction at the base of the ice stream. Slip events consistently initiate at one of two locations: near the center of the ice stream, where events associated with the Ross Sea high tide originate, or a grounding-line spot, where events associated with the Ross Sea low tide initiate, as well as occasional high-tide events following a skipped low-tide event. The grounding-line site, but not the central site, produces Rayleigh waves observable up to 1000 km away, through fast expansion of the slip area. Grounding-line initiation events also show strong directivity in the downstream direction, indicating initial rupture propagation at 1.5 km/s, compared to an average of 0.150 km/s for the entire slip event. Following slip initiation, additional seismic energy is produced from two sources located near the grounding line: first at the downstream end of Subglacial Lake Engelhardt and second toward the farthest downstream extent of the ice stream. This evidence suggests that the stronger, higher-friction material along the grounding line controls motion throughout the stick-slip region.
Atomistics of Fracture

Atomistic simulation studies of fracture are aimed at addressing both practical problems in materials engineering and providing basic understanding in fundamental issues in the science of solid mechanics. A practical goal is the development of computational tools to predict the fracture toughness of materials as a function of composition, microstructure, temperature, environment, and loading conditions. Such tools would be extremely useful in the engineering development of novel high-strength structural materials by identifying likely candidate formulations and reducing the number of laboratory trials needed for their testing and validation. As basic research, computer simulation of fracture in single crystals has provided new insight into the stability of crack propagation, the phenomenon of lattice trapping, and the origins of brittle and ductile behavior. Simulation studies of polycrystalline and particularly nanocrystalline solids are increasingly important research tools for investigating fracture and deformation mechanisms in these materials. Large scale simulations that are made possible by the increasing computational power available [1,2] can shed new light on phenomena that can now be compared with experimental observations. For recent reviews, see Refs. [3,4].
Aging and disability bridging experiments in the U.S.: Progress and challenges

The United States is ten years into a federally mandated long-term care ‘systems change’ requiring all persons with disabilities be offered the option of community-based services and care (instead of institutional care) when medically feasible. While compliance is mandatory, to facilitate development of model practices and programs and adoption of this ‘cultural change’, the federal government has implemented several policy demonstration programs including Aging & Disability Resource Centers, Money Follows the Person and Community Living (formerly known as Nursing Home Diversion). Each of these demonstrations requires organizational partnering across aging and disability entities. While the type, range, and scope of each demonstration initiative varies, there are several fairly universal challenges and opportunities for bridging across them including building sustainable cross-network collaborations, training professionals for new roles, developing information technology systems to seamlessly transfer information to partner organizations, and generating funding streams beyond the grant demonstration periods. To date government evaluation data suggests progressive success in structurally transforming historically aging-only service systems to be better positioned to help persons with disabilities (younger and older) to find and obtain community-based services. However, the nature of benefits available to persons still varies significantly by differing eligibility criteria for supports, services, and care. Additionally, there is currently limited external evaluation of ‘bridging’ programs permitting only a limited understanding of their effectiveness in meeting care needs of individuals. Finally, there remains a need to evaluate ‘cultural change’ to determine if in fact the new structures created through model programs not only modify systems of service delivery but advance greater understanding and appreciation of experiences of aging and disability among practice professionals and larger aging and disability communities.
Cost Effectiveness Enhancement Initiative For The Space Shuttle Contract

This paper will describe the partnership agreement with our NASA Customer and the process improvement techniques utilized to reduce the cost of performing integration tasks during a downturn of the business environment. It will cover a period of two years (FY91 & FY92). It will provide insight on the people's attitudes at the beginning of the initiative and where they are today. Lessons learned during this period will also be delineated which could be used to help others in starting up a similar program. A specific case study on establishment of metrics for a Shuttle Integration analysis operation will be presented and will include techniques and tools utilized to facilitate the people performing the task.
Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorders in DSM-IV: Scientific Basis and Implications for Education

The category of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) have undergone numerous revisions. The history of these revisions is briefly presented, followed by a summary of results of the Field Trials for the forthcoming fourth edition, the DSM-IV, regarding ADHD. The revised symptom list and empirical determination of symptom cutpoints resulted in increased reliability and predictive validity for educational impairment, as operationalized by measures of academic productivity and accuracy, for the new criteria. Three subtypes emerged, including a new subtype of predominantly hyperactive. The relevance, functions, and limitations of DSM-IV diagnosis for educational assessment of ADHD are discussed.
Knowledge-guided docking: accurate prospective prediction of bound configurations of novel ligands using Surflex-Dock.

Prediction of the bound configuration of small-molecule ligands that differ substantially from the cognate ligand of a protein co-crystal structure is much more challenging than re-docking the cognate ligand. Success rates for cross-docking in the range of 20–30 % are common. We present an approach that uses structural information known prior to a particular cutoff-date to make predictions on ligands whose bounds structures were determined later. The knowledge-guided docking protocol was tested on a set of ten protein targets using a total of 949 ligands. The benchmark data set, called PINC (“PINC Is Not Cognate”), is publicly available. Protein pocket similarity was used to choose representative structures for ensemble-docking. The docking protocol made use of known ligand poses prior to the cutoff-date, both to help guide the configurational search and to adjust the rank of predicted poses. Overall, the top-scoring pose family was correct over 60 % of the time, with the top-two pose families approaching a 75 % success rate. Correct poses among all those predicted were identified nearly 90 % of the time. The largest improvements came from the use of molecular similarity to improve ligand pose rankings and the strategy for identifying representative protein structures. With the exception of a single outlier target, the knowledge-guided docking protocol produced results matching the quality of cognate-ligand re-docking, but it did so on a very challenging temporally-segregated cross-docking benchmark.
Influential Factors Regarding the Career Development of African American College Students: A Focus Group Approach

Despite reporting greater needs for career planning information, African American students are often less likely to use the services available to them. Understanding the factors influencing the career development of African American students is therefore critical if these students are to succeed both academically and in theworld ofwork. This study explores the career influences of 13 African American college students in an attempt to gain knowledge about suggestions for improving career services for minorities at a large Midwestern university. Results also show that African American students would like to see more outreach, more peer guidance, and more visible and available career mentors. Results underscore the significance of mentors for African American students. Implications point to ways to strengthen career services for minority students in hopes that African American students will start to increase their use of these services.
Treatment of Burned Mice With Hyperbaric Oxygen Reduces Mesenteric Bacteria but Not Pulmonary Neutrophil Deposition

Objective: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is used but unproven for many conditions, including burns. We hypothesized that HBO therapy might increase oxygen delivery to intestine during burn shock and decrease mucosal injury. Setting: University research laboratory. Design and Study Participants: We studied the effects of HBO therapy (100% oxygen at 2.4 atm absolute) on mesenteric bacterial colonies (MBCs) in mice following 32% total body surface area burns. MBCs were counted 24 or 48 hours postburn by culturing mesenteric tissue. Intestinal histologic features were examined, acid-base balance was measured, and pulmonary neutrophil deposition was estimated by lung myeloperoxidase content. Interventions: HBO delivered in a compression chamber. Main Outcome Measure: Numbers of mice with MBCs. Results: With twice-daily HBO treatments, each treatment lasting 1.5 or 2 hours, fewer burned mice had MBCs. Three HBO treatments within 24 hours produced seizures, death, and increased numbers of mice with MBCs. Numbers of mice with MBCs were not influenced when compressed air (2.4 atm absolute) or 100% oxygen (1 atm absolute) was used. Villus histologic findings showed less damage in burned mice that received HBO therapy than in controls. Metabolic acidosis was not affected by HBO therapy, nor were lung myeloperoxidase levels. Conclusion: HBO therapy was associated with reduced numbers of mice with MBCs after burn injury and reduced histologic evidence of mucosal damage, but lung myeloperoxidase levels and metabolic acidosis were not affected. HBO therapy may increase oxygen delivery to ischemic intestine and improve cellular metabolism; alternatively, increased tissue oxygen may augment killing of translocated bacteria by phagocytic cells. HBO deserves further investigation for burn treatment, but because of the narrow therapeutic window and continued neutrophil sequestration in the lungs, we should proceed cautiously. (Arch Surg. 1994;129:1338-1342)
Optically driven surface reactions: Evidence for the role of hot electrons.

Evidence is presented for the role of excited conduction electrons in the laser-induced desorption of NO from Pt(111). State-specific detection of the desorbed NO establishes that the rotational distributions are non-Boltzmann, that the spin-orbit population is inverted, and that both the translational and vibrational distributions are uncorrelated with the laser-induced surface-temperature jump. The role of optically excited substrate electrons in driving the desorption process is evidenced by a dramatic dependence of the vibrational and translation energy distributions on the desorption-laser wavelength.
Influence of dimethylsulfoxide on RNA structure and ligand binding.

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is widely used as a cosolvent to solubilize hydrophobic compounds in RNA-ligand binding assays. Although it is known that high concentrations of DMSO (>75%) can significantly affect RNA structure and folding energetics, a thorough analysis of how lower concentrations (<10%) of DMSO typically used in binding assays affects RNA structure and ligand binding has not been undertaken. Here, we use NMR and 2-aminopurine fluorescence spectroscopy to examine how DMSO affects the structure, dynamics, and ligand binding properties of two flexible hairpin RNAs: the transactivation response element from HIV-1 and bacterial ribosomal A-site. In both cases, 5–10% DMSO decreased stacking interactions and increased local disorder in noncanonical residues within bulges and loops and resulted in 0.3–4-fold reduction in the measured binding affinities for different small molecules, with the greatest reduction observed for an intercalating compound that binds RNA nonspecifically. Our results suggest ...
An Anatomical and Biochemical Study of the Pituitary Proopiomelanocortin Systems in the Polypteriform Fish Calamoichthys calabaricus

Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses were performed on the pituitary Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) systems of the polypteriform fish Calamoichthys calabaricus. Immunohistochemical staining of the pituitary revealed a clustering of ACTH immunopositive cells within the rostral pars distalis. alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH)-related and beta-endorphin-related immunoreactivity were found colocalized in epithelial cells of the pars intermedia. Biochemical analyses included Sephadex G-50 column chromatography, reversed-phase HPLC, and cation exchange chromatography. These analyses revealed the presence of immunoreactive forms of ACTH which stimulated glucocorticoid release when tested on isolated Bufo marinus adrenocortical tissue. Three forms of alpha-MSH were detected, and the major form had the same HPLC chromatographic properties as synthetic monoacetylated alpha-MSH. Finally, five forms of beta-endorphin were detected, and all of these forms were N-acetylated. Based on these observations, it appears that N-acetylation is a major post-translational processing event within the melanotropic cells of C. calabaricus. Given the position of Order Cladistia in the phylogeny of actinopterygian fish, it appears that N-acetylation of POMC-related products is an ancestral trait of osteichthyean fish.
Organophosphorus hydrolase-based assay for organophosphate pesticides

We report a rapid and versatile organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH)-based method for measurement of organophosphates. This assay is based on a substrate-dependent change in pH at the local vicinity of the enzyme. The pH change is monitored using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), which is covalently immobilized to the enzyme. This method employs the use of poly(methyl methacrylate) beads to which the FITC-labeled enzyme is adsorbed. Analytes were then measured using a microbead fluorescence analyzer. The dynamic concentration range for the assay extends from 25 to 400 mM for paraoxon with a detection limit of 8 mM. Organophosphorus insecticides measured using this technique included ethylparathion, methylparathion, dursban, fensulfothion, crotoxyphos, diazinon, mevinphos, dichlorvos, and coumaphos. This technique was used to measure coumaphos in biodegradation samples of cattle dip wastes and showed a high correlation (r2 = 0.998) to an HPLC method.
A procedure for sampling specific portions of identified neurons for ultrastructural examination

A procedure is described which facilitates the ultrastructural examination of selected regions of a neuron identified because it is Golgi-impregnated for HRP-filled. The procedure involves assigning a two-dimensional coordinate to every point on a drawing of the neuron by superimposing a grid over the drawing. A complete series of thick sections through the block containing the identified cells can then be related to each point on the drawn cell. A thick section which contains a region of interest is remounted on a plastic blank. From this new block one obtains thin sections for ultrastructural examination.
Molecular Analysis of Arp2/3 Complex Activation in Cells

Many forms of cellular motility are driven by the growth of branched networks of actin filaments, which push against a membrane. In the dendritic nucleation model, Arp2/3 complex is critical, binding to the side of an existing mother filament, nucleating a new daughter filament, and thus creating a branch. Spatial and temporal regulation of Arp2/3 activity is critical for efficient generation of force and movement. A diverse collection of Arp2/3 regulatory proteins has been identified. They bind to and/or activate Arp2/3 complex via an acidic motif with a conserved tryptophan residue. We tested this model for Arp2/3 regulator function in vivo, by examining the roles of multiple Arp2/3 regulators in endocytosis in living yeast cells. We measured the molecular composition of the actin network in cells with mutations that removed the acidic motifs of the four Arp2/3 regulators previously shown to influence the proper function of the actin network. Unexpectedly, we did not find a simple or direct correlation between defects in patch assembly and movement and changes in the composition and dynamics of dendritic nucleation proteins. Taken together our data does not support the simple hypothesis that the primary role for Arp2/3 regulators is to recruit and activate Arp2/3. Rather our data suggests that these regulators may be playing more subtle roles in establishing functional networks in vivo.
The state of hormonal contraception today: overview of unintended pregnancy

Each year in the United States about 1 in 20 women experiences an unintended pregnancy. Understanding the impact of consistent, appropriate, and effective contraception on this major health care concern is key to overcoming this societal and economic burden. In addition to available family-planning services, women need ongoing support in choosing and using methods based on her overall life situation, as well as strategies to address the logistic and cost barriers to effective birth control.
Aiming accuracy in preferred and non-preferred limbs: implications for programing models of motor control

Most models of motor programming contend that one can easily perform learned actions with different muscle groups or limbs demonstrating the concept of motor equivalence. The goal of this review is to determine the generality of this concept within the context of aiming movements performed by both preferred and nonpreferred limbs. Theoretical approaches to motor programming are described, followed by a comparison of a variety of kinematic measures taken from preferred and nonpreferred limbs from simple and more complex aiming tasks. In general, the support for motor equivalency is strong for one- and two-dimensional aiming tasks and for simultaneous bimanual movements, but mixed for unconstrained throwing tasks and tasks that require feedback-based corrections.
Personality Characteristics of Certain Groups of Intercollegiate Athletes

Abstract Five scales from the Omnibus Personality Inventory were combined to form the Attitude Inventory administered to 230 athletes from a state university, a private university, and two state colleges. Scores on personality scales differentiated (a) among sports groups within the state university and the private university, but not within the state colleges, and (b) between athletes attending the private university and those attending each of the other three schools. When the 230 athletes were grouped by sports, irrespective of the school attended, no significant differences were observed.
From Product Dissection to Product Archaeology: Exposing Students to Global, Economic, Environmental, and Societal Impact Through Competitive and Collaborative “Digs”

Product dissection activities have been very successful used in engineering courses to help anchor the knowledge and practice of engineering in students’ minds. Unfortunately, most product dissection activities tend to stress form, functionality, and fabrication, missing opportunities to explore the broader impacts of engineering design decisions. In this paper, we present initial efforts to transform product dissection activities into product archaeology exercises wherein students “dig” to uncover not only the manufacturing (i.e., economic) issues of a product, but also the global and societal context that influenced its development as well as the environmental impact of the product during its life cycle. We introduce two new classes of exercises—competitive “digs” and collaborative “digs”—to engage students in similar, yet different, ways in product archaeology. Competitive “digs” pit teams of students in a time-based competition to unearth the global, societal, economic, and environmental impact of a product while collaborative “digs” allow students to work together to dig more deeply into these issues over an extended period of time. Results from pilot offerings of both of these types of exercises are summarized and discussed along with a preliminary educational assessment of one of the collaborative “digs”. Improvements to the exercises and future work to formalize this new paradigm of product archaeology are also discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Electron paramagnetic resonance and saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance studies on erythrocytes from goats with and without heritable myotonia

Erythrocytes from myotonic goats, an animal model of heritable myotonia, and normal goats were studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and saturation transfer electron paramagnetic resonance (ST-EPR) spin labeling techniques. Three fatty acid spin labels with the nitroxide moiety at progressively greater distances from the carboxyl group were used to monitor different regions within the erythrocyte membrane. Since spin labels have been shown to induce hemolytic and morphologic alterations in erythrocytes, conditions for minimizing these alterations were first defined by hemolysis studies and scanning electron microscopy. Using these defined conditions for our studies we observed no significant differences in any of the EPR or ST-EPR parameters for normal and myotomic goat erythrocytes with any of the fatty acid spin labels used. Our results do not support the theory that myotonia is the result of a generalized membrane defect characterized by increased membrane fluidity as determined by fatty acid spin labels.
Knowledge Preservation in Accounting: A Citational Study

This study explores knowledge preservation in accounting research through an examination of a sample of 428 published accounting articles and their nearly 11,000 citations. The examination shows that accounting scholars tend to cite very recent literature. The small volume of cited pre-1960 literature (preponderantly from non-accounting sources) and the low incidence of historical research articles in most non-historical journals suggests that earlier accounting knowledge may become lost to future generations of accounting scholars. This conclusion implies that accounting scholars can play an important role in the preservation and dissemination of previous generations of accounting knowledge.
Improving the quality of emergency medicine rotation/clerkship evaluations

The process of evaluating the performance of medical students and/or residents during emergency medicine clinical rotations is constrained by several potential shortcomings. These constraints can limit the quality of the information provided to the student/resident, as well as that provided to the sponsoring institution. During the course of an academic year at United States Air Force Medical Center, Wright-Patterson, a number of medical students, interns, and residents rotate through the emergency department. The limitations identified in the process of evaluating these trainees include the (1) retrospective nature of the data provided in evaluations; (2) the lack of clear pre-established performance criteria; (3) the time constraints placed on preceptors; and (4) the incremental nature of the observations of performance during emergency medicine rotations. The evaluation tool developed to address these limitations is presented as a mechanism to help improve the ability of educators to evaluate and record performance during emergency medicine rotations.
Integration of Surface Slip and Aftershocks to Constrain the 3D Structure of Faults Involved in the M 7.3 Landers Earthquake, Southern California

Investigation of the mechanics of complex earthquakes requires insight into fault geometry. We use linear‐elastic, quasi‐static mechanical models of faults involved in the M 7.3 Landers earthquake to test the influence of fault continuity, dip, and strike on fault slip and the perturbed stress field in regions of complex surface deformation and dense aftershock activity. Subsurface fault structure is constrained with both geological and geophysical data by comparing observed right‐lateral surface slip with slip along model faults and by comparing focal mechanisms with model Coulomb planes at the locations of large aftershocks. The refined structure of major faults at Landers includes a southward extension of the Johnson Valley fault (JVF) at depth, beyond the mapped fault trace, a 75° W dip along the central Johnson Valley fault, and a near‐surface discontinuity along the southern Homestead Valley fault (HVF). The final model better captures observed slip deficits along the Johnson Valley and Homestead Valley faults, improves quantitative fit to the observed offset data, and captures the local stress state in 9 of 12 locations studied. Relating aftershock orientations to local stresses resulting from mainshock fault slip provides a mechanical basis for deciphering between the two nodal planes provided by each focal mechanism. Slip along nonplanar faults with friction of 0.6 produces model failure planes in a variety of orientations, indicating that heterogeneous aftershocks do not necessarily result from low fault friction. Mechanical selection of nodal planes suggests that aftershocks do not consistently reflect the orientation of their cluster or the orientation and slip direction of mainshock faults.
An Analysis of CPC’s Operational 0.5-Month Lead Seasonal Outlooks

AbstractAn analysis and verification of 15 years of Climate Prediction Center (CPC) operational seasonal surface temperature and precipitation climate outlooks over the United States is presented for the shortest and most commonly used lead time of 0.5 months. The analysis is intended to inform users of the characteristics and skill of the outlooks, and inform the forecast producers of specific biases or weaknesses to help guide development of improved forecast tools and procedures. The forecast assessments include both categorical and probabilistic verification diagnostics and their seasonalities, and encompass both temporal and spatial variations in forecast skill. A reliability analysis assesses the correspondence between the forecast probabilities and their corresponding observed relative frequencies. Attribution of skill to specific physical sources is discussed. ENSO and long-term trends are shown to be the two dominant sources of seasonal forecast skill. Higher average skill is found for temperatur...