cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Laser speckle contrast imaging of blood flow in rat retinas using an endoscope

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) offers a cost-effective means to image blood flow in vivo. However, it is not commonly used to image rodent retinas because of the challenges associated with imaging through the curved cornea and delivering light through the highly scattering lens. A solution to overcome these problems by using LSCI in conjunction with an endoscope to obtain high spatiotemporal blood flow images is described. Its utility is demonstrated by imaging blood flow changes in rat retinas using hyperoxic, hypercapnic, and visual (flicker) stimulations. Hypercapnia increases blood flow, hyperoxia decreases blood flow, and visual stimulation increases blood flow in the retina relative to basal conditions. The time-to-peak of the LSCI response to visual stimulation is also measured. This approach may prove useful to investigate dysregulation in blood flow-evoked responses in retinal diseases and to evaluate treatment strategies in rodents.
Adaptation to a Click-Counting Task and its Use in the Simulated Group:

Lower- and middle-class preadolescent girls counted metronome clicks presented in 12 trials under conditions of independent judgment. The lower-class group made substantially more counting errors over the first 9 trials, but counting ability of the two groups was equated after 12 warm-up trials. The results have methodological implications for the use of the click stimulus in simulated group research on social conformity behavior.
HLSL shader model 4.0

HLSL Shader Model 4.0 (Michael Oneppo): Learn about advancements in the HLSL language to support the more general and robust programming model in Shader Model 4.0. This talk covers use of geometry shaders, integer instructions, new texture intrinsics and flow control mechanisms. Techniques for developing shader content to be shared between Direct3D9 and 10 are also discussed. [60 minutes]
Intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) expression and soluble ICAM‐1 (sICAM‐1) production by cytokine‐activated human aortic endothelial cells: a possible role for ICAM‐1 and sICAM‐1 in atherosclerotic aortic aneurysms

The interactions of inflammatory cells, cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules (CAM) may be important in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases such as abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), in which inflammation plays a role. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathogenic role of ICAM-1, a molecule involved in leucocyte-endothelial interactions, in vascular inflammation. ELISA of human explant culture supernatants revealed a four-fold increase in sICAM-1 production by AAA (n = 9) versus normal (n = 8) aortic explants. Human aortic endothelial cell (hAEC) culture was used for further studies as an in vitro model for aortic inflammatory conditions. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or IL-1 beta treatment of hAEC resulted in an up to 1.8-fold significant increase in sICAM-1 production compared with resting cells. In addition, the expression of ICAM-1 on cytokine-stimulated versus resting hAEC was measured by radioimmunoassay. TNF-alpha significantly induced ICAM-1 expression on these cells. These results suggest that different forms of ICAM-1, present on or released by the activated aortic endothelium, may be involved in leucocyte adhesion to and migration into the vessel wall.
Prevalence and risk factors for multiple simultaneous intracerebral hemorrhages.

Background: Multiple simultaneous intracerebral hemorrhages (MSICH) are rare. We aimed to describe the frequency and potential risk factors for MSICH. Methods: We
Chronic pain management by ethnically and racially diverse older adults: pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain therapies

SUMMARY Aims: Exploration of racial and ethnic group differences in noncancer chronic pain management in older adults. Participants & methods: Qualitative data, which were collected in semistructured face-to-face interviews with 44 racially and ethnically diverse community-dwelling older adults (ten African–Americans, ten Hispanics, 12 Afro–Caribbeans and 12 non-Hispanic whites), were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Results: The three racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to use culturally based treatments (e.g., herbal tea and avocado leaves), home remedies and folk medicine, and/or psychological therapies (e.g., distraction and relaxation) than non-Hispanic whites to manage chronic pain. African–Americans relied on religious coping methods. Non-Hispanic whites were more likely to use physical interventions such as massage and chiropractic treatment. Conclusion: Study findings suggest differences by ethnicity in preferred pain interventions for an older adult population.
ROLE OF LATERAL PARABRACHIAL OPIOID RECEPTORS IN EXERCISE-INDUCED MODULATION OF THE HYPOTENSIVE HEMORRHAGE RESPONSE IN CONSCIOUS MALE RATS

Abstract Some of the benefits of exercise appear to be mediated through modulation of neuronal excitability in central autonomic control circuits. Previously, we identified that six weeks of voluntary wheel running had a protective effect during hemorrhage (HEM), limiting both the hypotensive phase of HEM and enhancing recovery. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of opioid release in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) on the response to severe HEM in chronically exercised (EX, voluntary) versus sedentary (SED) controls. Male Sprague Dawley rats were allowed either free access to running wheels (EX) or normal cage conditions (SED). After 6 weeks of “training” animals were instrumented with a bilateral cannula directed toward the dorsolateral pons and arterial catheters. After a recovery period, animals underwent central microinjection of either vehicle (VEH; n = 3/group) or the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone (NAL; n = 6/group) followed by withdrawal of 30% of their total estimated blood volume. Following VEH injection, the drop in MAP during and following HEM was significantly attenuated in the EX vs SED animals. Alternatively, NAL microinjection in the dorsolateral pons (20 μM, 200–500 nl) reversed the beneficial effect of EX on the HEM response. NAL microinjection in SED rats did not significantly alter the response to HEM. These data suggest chronic voluntary EX has a beneficial effect on the autonomic response to severe HEM which is mediated, in part, via EX-induced plasticity of the opioid system within the dorsolateral pons.
Enzymatic Gating of Voltage-Activated Calcium Channels

The model of calcium-channel gating described above, although almost certainly too simple, suggests a direct role for protein kinases and phosphatases in determining the kinetics of calcium channel gating on a subsecond time scale. In addition, it provides a unique perspective for understanding studies of calcium channel gating under widely different metabolic and pharmacological conditions. Although many of these effects may be specific to the dihydropyridine-sensitive or L-type calcium channel, they give an indication of the range of possibilities for integrating calcium-channel activity with cellular biochemistry.
Surrogate Markers for Cardiovascular Disease Functional Markers

The endothelium constitutes the largest organ system in the body. “Endothelial function” refers to a multitude of physiological functions of the vascular endothelium that are achieved via secretion of diverse bioactive substances. This renders the endothelium an active participant in healthy homeostasis of the vascular wall that includes normal vasomotion, inhibition of platelet aggregation and thrombus generation, and maintenance of relative impermeability. Cardiovascular risk factors activate a number of pro-oxidative genes in the vascular wall resulting in generation of reactive oxygen species that ultimately promote endothelial release of transcriptional and growth factors, proinflammatory cytokines, chemoattractant substances, and adhesion molecules.1–3 This complex cascade of events underlies the transition from normal endothelial function to endothelial dysfunction. One of the earliest manifestations of increased vascular oxidant stress is the reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) as a result of inhibition and uncoupling of endothelial NO synthase, the enzyme responsible for generation of NO, and from rapid catabolism of available NO by reactive oxygen species to peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide that can further amplify vascular oxidative stress. The resulting functional consequences include abnormal vasomotor activity, development of a procoagulant endothelial surface, inflammation, and, ultimately, plaque formation. Clinical measurements of endothelium-dependent vasodilation (NO-mediated process) by a variety of different techniques provide a marker of endothelial integrity. Almost all conventional risk factors for atherosclerosis are associated with endothelial dysfunction. These include sedentary lifestyle and obesity, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, insulin resistance, smoking, and aging. The extent of endothelial dysfunction appears to correlate with the traditional risk factor “burden,” thus implying that combined or repeated injury to the vascular endothelium results in greater dysfunction. Nevertheless, there is considerable heterogeneity in the magnitude of dysfunction observed in individuals with similar risk factor profiles.4,5 Novel risk factors such as infections, hyperhomocystinemia, genetic heterogeneity, and the variable duration of …
Fault diagnosis of discrete time linear systems using transmission zeros and zero directions

In this paper, we present a new algorithm to generate a class of input signals corresponding to which the combination of outputs of a discrete time plant in its output zero direction is always zero irrespective of time. Using the above mentioned result and the output zeroing result of Tokarzewski (1999) we propose two tests to find the fault indicating row and fault indicating column of the plant transfer function matrix. Our fault detection scheme is based on the following triple: the output zero direction of the plant, the transmission zero of the plant, and the input zero direction of the plant. Based on the fault indicating rows and columns we identify those elements of the plant transfer function matrix which have undergone changes. The test is also applicable to those cases which have multiple fault indicating rows, columns and elements of the plant transfer function matrix. A system of four interconnected water tanks with two multivariable zeros was used to illustrate the results.
Changes in light and nitrogen availability under pioneer trees may indirectly facilitate tree invasions of grasslands

Summary 1 The first trees establishing in grasslands may indirectly favour their seedlings in competition with neighbouring herbaceous vegetation by increasing soil fertility with nitrogen-rich litter and by reducing light levels under their canopies. It is predicted that increasing soil nitrogen availability will accelerate invasion of trees by stimulating their growth more than that of herbaceous species. Decreasing light availability is predicted to increase tree invasion by limiting the growth of herbaceous vegetation more than that of trees (competitive release). 2 We tested these predictions using Chinese tallow tree ( Sapium sebiferum ), which is an aggressive alien invader of grasslands in the southern USA, and Hackberry ( Celtis laevigata ), which is a native tree common in these grasslands. 3 Nitrogen and light were manipulated in two factorial field experiments in grasslands in Texas, USA. In the first, nitrogen was increased and light was decreased in plots with planted Celtis or Sapium seedlings. In the second experiment, light availability to planted Celtis or Sapium seedlings was increased by holding back prairie vegetation. 4 In the first experiment, growth of Celtis and Sapium seedlings increased with nitrogen fertilization while the above-ground biomass of prairie vegetation did not change. Prairie vegetation biomass decreased and tree seedling growth increased under shading. Sapium ’s growth increased dramatically in the treatment with combined nitrogen and shade. Sapium survival decreased when shade was applied. 5 In the second experiment, Sapium growth increased with increased light. Thus, increased Sapium growth at low light levels in the shade experiment was probably a consequence of decreased competitive interference from prairie vegetation, rather than better absolute performance of Sapium in low light levels. 6 These results provide evidence for facilitation as a mechanism involved in tree invasions of grasslands. Changes in resource levels, perhaps in combination with other factors, may explain rapid conversion of grassland communities to woodlands after the first pioneer trees are established. The marked response of Sapium to the combination of nitrogen and shade suggests that these positive feedbacks may be particularly strong for this alien plant species.
Inhibition of Autoimmune Diabetes by Oral Administration of Anti-CD3 Monoclonal Antibody

Anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) has been shown to induce tolerance and to be an effective treatment for diabetes both in animal models and in human trials. We have shown that anti-CD3 mAb given orally is biologically active in the gut and suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalitis by the induction of a regulatory T-cell that expresses latency-associated peptide (LAP) on its surface. In the present study, we investigated the effect of oral anti-CD3 mAb on the prevention of autoimmune diabetes in AKR mice in which the low-dose streptozocin (STZ) model induces autoimmunity to the beta-cells of the islets. We found that oral anti-CD3 mAb given at doses of 50 and 250 microg/feeding suppressed the incidence of diabetes in this model with the best effects seen at the 50 microg/dose. Associated with suppression, we observed decreased cell proliferation in the spleen and conversion of T-helper (Th)1 responses into Th2/Th3 responses in the periphery, including the pancreatic lymph nodes. Oral anti-CD3 mAb increased the expression of LAP on CD4(+) T-cells, and these cells could adoptively transfer protection. Protection by oral anti-CD3 was transforming growth factor-beta dependent. Our results demonstrate that oral anti-CD3 is effective in the model of STZ-induced diabetes and may be a useful form of therapy for type 1 diabetes in humans.
Growth kinetics of non‐competitive product inhibition in batch cultures

This paper develops the kinetics of a substrate-limited batch culture of bacteria subject to non-competitive product inhibition. The equation of growth is solved exactly. The expression which represents, growth is shown to consist of the sum of three terms. These correspond to three successive phases: exponential in near-optimal conditions, linear growth which reflects product inhibition and finally decelerating growth arising from substrate depletion. The extent and distinguishability of the three phases is dependent on the relative values of the growth parameters.
Plant diversity enhances ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition

Human actions are causing declines in plant biodiversity, increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and increases in nitrogen deposition; however, the interactive effects of these factors on ecosystem processes are unknown. Reduced biodiversity has raised numerous concerns, including the possibility that ecosystem functioning may be affected negatively, which might be particularly important in the face of other global changes. Here we present results of a grassland field experiment in Minnesota, USA, that tests the hypothesis that plant diversity and composition influence the enhancement of biomass and carbon acquisition in ecosystems subjected to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations and nitrogen deposition. The study experimentally controlled plant diversity (1, 4, 9 or 16 species), soil nitrogen (unamended versus deposition of 4 g of nitrogen per m2 per yr) and atmospheric CO2 concentrations using free-air CO2 enrichment (ambient, 368 micromol mol-1, versus elevated, 560 micromol mol-1). We found that the enhanced biomass accumulation in response to elevated levels of CO2 or nitrogen, or their combination, is less in species-poor than in species-rich assemblages.
Women who drink heavily during pregnancy have increased stillbirth risk.

Commentary on: O'Leary C, Jacoby P, D'Antoine H, et al. Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and increased risk of stillbirth. BJOG 2012;119:945–52.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] The context of this study is particularly important because this article relates to long-held concerns about the effect of maternal alcohol use during pregnancy and significant health disparities between Aboriginal and non-aboriginal women and children in Australia. Stillbirth … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBJOG%2B%253A%2B%2Ban%2Binternational%2Bjournal%2Bof%2Bobstetrics%2Band%2Bgynaecology%26rft.stitle%253DBJOG%26rft.aulast%253DO%2527Leary%26rft.auinit1%253DC.%26rft.volume%253D119%26rft.issue%253D8%26rft.spage%253D945%26rft.epage%253D952%26rft.atitle%253DHeavy%2Bprenatal%2Balcohol%2Bexposure%2Band%2Bincreased%2Brisk%2Bof%2Bstillbirth.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fj.1471-0528.2012.03333.x%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22568788%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03333.x&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22568788&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F16%2F3%2F76.atom
The Activity of Immobilized Heparin via Long Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Spacers

Heparin was immobilized onto BrCN-activated Sepharose gel us ing α,ω-diaminopoly(ethylene oxide) (diamino PEO) with various chain lengths as a spacer. The heparin activity was measured on the basis of prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). The activity of immobilized heparin was observed after the amino groups at the terminal end of the spacer molecule, not used for immobilization of heparin, were blocked with formalde hyde. The flexible PEO spacer appeared to relieve the steric hindrance by the carrier to the formation of a heparin complex with cofactor AT III. The activity of immobilized heparin increased with elongation of the spacer chain and the highest activity was obtained when the chain length of the spacer was between 10 to 20. Longer spacer groups decreased the activity because the high mobil ity of the hydrated PEO chain hindered AT III access to the immobilized heparin.
Common Facets of Religion, Unique Facets of Religion, and Life Satisfaction Among Older African Americans

Objectives. Common facets of religion are those aspects of religion that can be shared by people from any racial group. In contrast, unique facets of religion are available only to people in specific racial groups. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the interface among common facets of religion, unique facets of religion, and life satisfaction in a nationwide sample of older Black people. Methods. Interviews were conducted with a nationally representative sample of older African Americans. Survey items were administered to assess common religious factors (e.g., the frequency of church attendance) and unique religious factors (i.e., the belief that religion sustains Black people in the face of racial adversity). Subjective well-being was measured with a life satisfaction index. Results. The findings reveal that both the common and the unique aspects of religion contribute to life satisfaction among older African Americans. Discussion. Most studies on race differences in religion focus solely on common religious factors that may enhance the subjective well-being of older Whites as well as older Blacks. The findings from this study are important because they call attention to the insight that can be obtained by also taking the unique facets of religion for older Black people into consideration.
And the Dead Shall Rise: Actin and Myosin Return to the Spindle

The spindle directs chromosome partitioning in eukaryotes and, for the last three decades, has been considered primarily a structure based on microtubules, microtubule motors, and other microtubule binding proteins. However, a surprisingly large body of both old and new studies suggests roles for actin filaments (F-actin) and myosins (F-actin-based motor proteins) in spindle assembly and function. Here we review these data and conclude that in several cases the evidence for the participation of F-actin and myosins in spindle function is very strong, and in the situations where it is less strong, there is nevertheless enough evidence to warrant further investigation.
Stress Response Pathways in Ameloblasts: Implications for Amelogenesis and Dental Fluorosis

Human enamel development of the permanent teeth takes place during childhood and stresses encountered during this period can have lasting effects on the appearance and structural integrity of the enamel. One of the most common examples of this is the development of dental fluorosis after childhood exposure to excess fluoride, an elemental agent used to increase enamel hardness and prevent dental caries. Currently the molecular mechanism responsible for dental fluorosis remains unknown; however, recent work suggests dental fluorosis may be the result of activated stress response pathways in ameloblasts during the development of permanent teeth. Using fluorosis as an example, the role of stress response pathways during enamel maturation is discussed.
Trypanosomatid transcription factors: Waiting for Godot

Kinetoplastid protozoa include the parasites Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, and various species of Leishmania that are responsible for African trypanosomiasis, Chagas' disease, and leishmaniasis, devastating diseases that afflict millions of victims largely in the tropical regions of the globe. In addition to eliciting long-standing interest from medical microbiologists, these intriguing protists have become more recently the objects of intense scrutiny by cellular and molecular biologists. Because these single-cell eukaryotes occupy a very ancient position on the evolutionary tree (1), they exhibit many unusual biological characteristics that distinguish them from their mammalian hosts and from many other organisms used as model systems by biologists. The increasing number of molecular, genetic, and cellular studies on these unusual protozoa have thus allowed a window into various biological phenomena that have often been obscured in the more routinely studied organisms. In some cases, the apparent peculiarities of these protists have served simply to highlight phenomena that are widespread within the biological universe. Accordingly, glycosylphosphatidyl inositol (GPI) membrane anchors were first discovered in T. brucei (2, 3); their discovery was facilitated by the abundance of the variant surface glycoproteins that cover the surface of this parasite, and which are involved in antigenic variation and tethered into the extracellular face of the plasma membrane by GPI moieties. Subsequent studies revealed that many eukaryotes, including mammalian cells, also express a plethora of GPI-linked membrane proteins. In other cases, the idiosyncrasies have proven to be more esoteric, one example being the astonishing RNA editing that extensively alters the sequence of many mitochondrial transcripts (4) and which has correlates among other protozoa, though not, apparently, among higher eukaryotes. An article by Das and Bellofatto (11) in this issue of PNAS now advances our rather rudimentary knowledge of transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) in the …
Individual and Collective Identity and Nation-Building

PROFESSOR Lucian W. Pye succeeds brilliantly in Politics, Personality, and Nation Building in explaining why at least one country, Burma, has encountered some of the difficulties it has in creating an effective, modern state system. Proclaiming at the start of his study the need for a doctrine of democratic development, Pye deals primarily with the related search for individual and collective identity by a people unprepared in many of their sentiments and attitudes for the tasks that now weigh so heavily upon their shoulders. The most revealing section of his book, that dealing with the attitudes of various members of Burma's political elite on such matters as power and action and the nature of Burmese politics, is based mainly on 79 interviews (34 with administrative officials, 27 with politicians, and i8 with "observers and critics of the political scene such as journalists, educators and businessmen"). Disguised sketches of some of the persons interviewed follow Pye's analysis; of the views of these Burmese. The results of Professor Pye's interviews are skillfully interpreted and made more meaningful by his illuminating survey of the main elements of traditional and contemporary Burmese political culture. He correctly emphasizes the effects of various aspects of Burmese political behavior that are rooted in the past upon the contemporary problem of creating a modern state system. Such behavior, Professor Pye states, stems in significant measure from the nature of Burma's response to the diffusion of what he calls the world culture. He is concerned not only with the consequences of this acculturation process for Burma and other newly independent states but also with the disruptive effects it may have on any new pattern of inter-state relations. According to Pye, the "ultimate test of development is the capacity of a people to establish large, complex, but flexible organizational forms" (p. 5i). Thus, development, as he sees it, requires not only acquisition of many necessary skills and the presence of motivations to shape the use of these skills but also a "capacity to relate to others." One of Burma's
Extraretinal Eye Position Signals Determine Perceived Target Location when they Conflict with Visual Cues

To examine the role of extraretinal eye position information (EEPI) in visual perception of target location in normal room illumination, subjects participated in experiments in which EEPI was manipulated using the eye press maneuver with either monocular or binocular viewing. The viewing condition and eye press caused EEPI and retinal information about target location to conflict. Pointing responses in eye press trials were all in the direction of EEPI showing that EEPI is the dominant source of information in egocentric visual space perception. In binocular viewing, version and vergence occur in response to the eye press to maintain fusion and EEPI based on these movements also determine perceived location. An unanticipated finding was that the eye press was variable in its effectiveness in rotating the eye, which contributed to large variability in pointing errors and suggested the method would be a poor choice for future work.
Electrostatic-comb drive of lateral polysilicon resonators

This paper mvestlgates the elcctrostatlc dnve and sense of polynhcon resonators parallel to the substrate, using an mterdlgtated capacitor (electrostatic comb) Three expenmental methods are used nucroscoplc observation mth contmuous or stroboscopic iummatlon, capacltlve sensing using an amphtude-modulation technique and SEM observation The mtnnslc quality factor of the phosphorus-doped low-pressure chemlcal-vapordeposited (LPCVD) polyslhcon resonators is 49 000 + 2000, whereas at atmosphenc pressure, Q < 100 The finger gap IS found to have a more pronounced effect on comb charactenstlcs than finger width or length, as expected from simple theory
Poxvirus Complement Control Proteins Are Expressed on the Cell Surface through an Intermolecular Disulfide Bridge with the Viral A56 Protein

The vaccinia virus (VACV) complement control protein (VCP) is an immunomodulatory protein that is both secreted from and expressed on the surface of infected cells. Surface expression of VCP occurs though an interaction with the viral transmembrane protein A56 and is dependent on a free N-terminal cysteine of VCP. Although A56 and VCP have been shown to interact in infected cells, the mechanism remains unclear. To investigate if A56 is sufficient for surface expression, we transiently expressed VCP and A56 in eukaryotic cell lines and found that they interact on the cell surface in the absence of other viral proteins. Since A56 contains three extracellular cysteines, we hypothesized that one of the cysteines may be unpaired and could therefore form a disulfide bridge with VCP. To test this, we generated a series of A56 mutants in which each cysteine was mutated to a serine, and we found that mutation of cysteine 162 abrogated VCP cell surface expression. We also tested the ability of other poxvirus complement control proteins to bind to VACV A56. While the smallpox homolog of VCP is able to bind VACV A56, the ectromelia virus (ECTV) VCP homolog is only able to bind the ECTV homolog of A56, indicating that these proteins may have coevolved. Surface expression of poxvirus complement control proteins may have important implications in viral pathogenesis, as a virus that does not express cell surface VCP is attenuated in vivo. This suggests that surface expression of VCP may contribute to poxvirus pathogenesis.
The building of the “four freedoms” speech

(1955). The building of the “four freedoms” speech. Speech Monographs: Vol. 22, No. 5, pp. 266-283.
Estimation of mean rain rate through censoring

Abstract A mixed lognormal distribution is fit to rain-rate data to estimate the space–time average. To mitigate problems associated with biased data, data below a minimum and above a maximum threshold are treated as if they are at the respective threshold, and thus in a sense, are censored. The asymptotic variability of the estimate is computed using Fisher information. Computations of asymptotic variance over a portion of the parameter space show that estimates from censored data are more efficient than those from the minimum chi-square and least squares methods. The censoring, minimum chi-square, and least square methods are applied to simulated data to illustrate their usefulness in estimating rain rate.
Iterated Analytical Solution to the Restricted Problem of Three Bodies

This paper explores the analytical solution propert ies surrounding a hypothetical orbit in an invariant plane perpendicular to the line joinin g the two primaries in the circular restricted three body problem. Assuming motion can be maintained in the plane, Jacobi’s integral equation can be analytically integrated, y ielding a closed-form expression for the period and path of the third body expressed with el liptic integral and elliptic function theory. In this case, the third body traverses a ci rcular path with nonuniform speed. In a strict sense, the in-plane assumption can not be ma intained naturally. However, there may be cases where the assumption is approximately maintained over a finite time period. More importantly, the hypothetical solution can be used as the basis for an iterative analytical solution procedure for the three dimensional trajec tory where corrections are computable in closed-form. In addition, the in-plane assumption c an be strictly enforced with the application of a modulated thrust acceleration. In this case, results are similar to those of Tsien for continuous radial thrust.
Corn Seedling Growth Stage and Black Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Damage

Black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel, attack during the coleoptile to one-leaf stage of corn development caused significant loss of plants (27%) and yield (2,900 kg/ha) if there was just one insect of cutting age (4th instar and older) per m of row (24 insects per 24 m). Essentially, the decrease in percent plant stand and yield was directly proportional to the increase in larval density; however, the yield loss attributed to 2 insects per m (48 insects per 24 m) was similar to that of one insect because of yield compensation by uncut plants. When corn was attacked by black cutworm during the two-leaf to three-leaf stage of development, there was not a significant decrease in potential yield until there were three insects per m of row (72 insects per 24 m). Black cutworm attack during four-leaf to five-leaf stage of corn development usually did not cause declines in plant stand or potential yield. When conditions were dry (9.6 cm of accumulated precipitation)during the period of black cutworm attack, 60% cutting affected the potential yield as much as 87% cutting affected the potential yield when conditions were damp (28 cm of accumulated precipitation).
Global Minimization of an Infinite Collection of Instances of the Total Annualized Cost Problem for Compressor Sequences

In this work, a novel hybrid method is proposed for the global solution of an infinite collection of instances of the minimum total annualized cost (TAC) problem for a series of gas compressors and coolers that brings a gas from a given pressure and temperature to a specified final pressure and the same temperature. The gas is considered to possess a constant compressibility factor, and a constant, ideal gas, constant pressure, heat capacity. The collection of TAC problem instances considered is parametrized by the overall compression ratio. The proposed method combines the TAC problem’s first and second order necessary conditions of optimality with interval analysis, to determine converging upper and lower bounds to the globally optimal solution and associated optimal solution vector components, for all considered instances of the TAC problem. Two case studies are presented to illustrate the novel solution method and the impact of economies of scale on the global optimum.
Reconstructing professional ethics and responsibility: Implications of critical systems thinking

Historians and sociologists remind us that it is disingenuous to ignore the fact that despite differences in research practices as well as the degree of scientization and compartmentalization of the social sciences between the United States and Europe there have been continuous communications between Europeans and Americans over their meaning, purpose, and methods (Mancias, 1987; Wagner et al., 1991). A similar observation about the field of evaluation is warranted, not least since the advent of Evaluation founded in 1995 as ‘an international journal with strong European roots, but with a commitment to encourage dialogue between European, Scandinavian, Northern American, Asian, Australasian and other existing and emergent evaluation communities’ (Stern, 1995: 6). One issue of growing concern in the transnational evaluation conversation that Evaluation encourages, and one that has received a fair amount of attention from European contributors1 to Evaluation in the past 20 years, is the relevance of the scientific study of complex systems (i.e. complexity science) and systems approaches to managing complex issues (i.e. systems thinking) to the theory and practice of evaluation. Looking forward, I offer a few comments on one key idea in this conversation. Evaluation scholars and others have argued that value is not inherent in an intervention (object or activity) being evaluated, but rather is something ascribed to it by those involved in observing it (Stake and Schwandt, 2006; Wadsworth, 1997). Scholar-practitioners working in the tradition of critical systems thinking and specifically in critical systems heuristics (CSH) (e.g. Midgley, 2007; Reynolds, 2014; Ulrich and Reynolds, 2010; Williams, 2015) have expanded this insight by developing a particular approach to making value judgments called boundary critique. Following a brief sketch of this approach, I turn specifically to its implications for the current transnational conversation on the competencies, capabilities, and professional obligations demanded of evaluators. While judging value is presumably the very purpose of evaluation, evaluators have long struggled with multiple issues surrounding making judgments or appraisals of the value (merit, worth, significance) of an intervention (e.g. activity, policy, program, and so on). Debates have centered on how explicit an evaluator must be about the criteria employed for judgment – compare for example the fairly precise approach to identifying criteria and performance on those criteria as advocated by Scriven (1994) and Davidson (2005) to Stake’s (Stake et al., 1997) wholesale
Neuroinflammation Regulates Cognitive Impairment in Socially Defeated Mice

Impairments in memory and cognitive function are characteristic symptoms of stress-related disorders, but the relationship between stress and memory is complex. Recent findings suggest that hippocampal inflammatory processes contribute to spatial memory deficits in the rodent social defeat model that can be reversed by anti-inflammatory treatment with minocycline.
Study on antimicrobial resistance of E.Coli in children with urinary tract infection

Objective To investigate the new trend of antimicrobial resistance of pathogens of urinary tract infection(UTI) in children. Methods The distribution of the antimicrobial resistance of pathogens was analyzed in hospitalized children with UTI caused by E.coli from 2000 to 2005. Results There were 234 strains of E.coli out of 582 isolations in 326 UTI cases, and 17.1% of which were the ESBLs producing strains. The antibiotic sensitivity tests showed that E.Coli had high prevalence of resistance to piperacillin, cefazolin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, ampicillin(46.5%～84.9%)and had low resistance rate to nitrofurantoin, cefuroxime, cefepime, cefoperazone and ceftazidime (29.0%～39.7%). The E.coli strains showed lower resistance rate towards the antibiotics combined with beta-lactamases inhibitor(P0.01). Conclusions E.coli is the main pathogenic bacterium in children with UTI and there is a high resistant rate to common antibiotics. Antimicrobial therapy should be initiated under the guidance of anti-microbial sensitivity test if possible.
Getting better together? Opportunities and limitations for technology-facilitated social support in cardiac rehabilitation

Social support has long been positively correlated with cardiac outcomes. However, sources of tension surrounding peer-involvement in the period following acute cardiac events are well documented. Informed by a previous study of patient perspectives of peer-involvement in cardiac rehabilitation, this paper draws from the cardiac and computing literature to provide actionable insights into how technology could be designed to promote appropriate peer-involvement and the challenges that may be faced when designing technologies to support the unsupported.
Outcome Of Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia/High Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome Based On Bone Mineral Density: Data From a Single center 2000-2012

Abstract Background Acute myeloid leukemia results from clonal proliferation of myeloid precursors, resulting in accumulation of leukemic blasts in the bone marrow. The effect of leukemic blasts in the bone have not been well studied. It is hypothesized that leukemic blasts may affect the osteoblast and osteoclast balance. Aim The aim of this study is to describe the effect of osteoporosis/osteopenia on the survival of patients with AML/ high risk MDS Methods A retrospective study of all AML and high-risk MDS patients treated at Akron General Medical Center, Ohio during 2001-2012. Following IRB approval, patients' charts were reviewed for information on demographics, cytogenetics, and treatment. Patients were classified into low risk, intermediate risk and high risk MDS based on WHO criteria. Charts were reviewed for a diagnosis of osteoporosis/osteopenia. Overall survival rates were determined by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Patients were classified into osteopenia/osteoporosis based on bone density scans. An additional three patients were identified with osteopenia on the basis of lumbar X rays and one patient was diagnosed with osteoporosis on the basis of typical compression fracture for osteoporosis. Results During the study period, 187 patients were identified with AML/high risk MDS. A total of 31 patients were found to have osteopenia/osteoporosis based on radiological findings. Eight patients had osteoporosis and 24 patients had osteopenia. A survival analysis was performed on the study population based on bone mineral density. Group one (osteoporosis) included eight patients; group two (osteopenia) included 23 patients and group three (no radiological evidence of osteoporosis/osteopenia) included 156 patients. Results are depicted in the survival curve below. Table 1 . Group Number failed Number censored Mean Std Error 1 8 0 40.625 21.3742 2 17 6 113.862 37.558 3 123 33 105.084 14.2582 Combined 148 39 102.268 12.5375 Table 2 . Group Median Time Lower 95% Upper 95% 25% Failures 75% Failures 1 20 1 53 9.5 40 2 52 7 119 7 119 3 40 21 61 6 136 Combined 40 23 58 6 136 Table 3 . Test ChiSquare DF Prob>ChiSq Log-Rank 1.9128 2 0.384 Wilcoxon 1.1936 2 0.550 Download : Download high-res image (27KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions Bone mineral density remains an unidentified factor in patient's survival, suffering from AML/ High risk MDS. It appears that patients with normal bone density may live longer than patients with osteopenia/osteoporosis, but this is not confirmed here statistically. Future studies with a larger patient sample may be helpful in further exploring this aspect and the role of bisphosphonates in patients with AML/high risk MDS. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Detectors for the ultraviolet through the infrared

Basic properties of photodetectors For nearly a century, photography was central to huge advances in astronomy. Photographic plates were the first detectors that could accumulate long integrations and could store the results for in-depth analysis away from the telescope. They had three major shortcomings, however: (1) they have poor DQE; (2) their response can be nonlinear and complex; and (3) it is impossible to obtain repeated exposures with the identical detector array, an essential step toward quantitative understanding of subtle signals. The further advances with electronic detectors arise largely because they have overcome these shortcomings. Modern photon detectors operate by placing a bias voltage across a semiconductor crystal, illuminating it with light, and measuring the resulting photo-current. There are a variety of implementations, but an underlying principle is to improve the performance by separating the region of the device responsible for the photon absorption from the one that provides the high electrical resistance needed to minimize noise. Nearly all of these detector types can be fabricated in large-format two-dimensional arrays with multiplexing electrical readout circuits that deliver the signals from the individual detectors, or pixels, in a time sequence. Such devices dominate in the ultraviolet, visible, and near- and mid-infrared. Our discussion describes: (1) the solid-state physics around the absorption process (Section 3.2); (2) basic detector properties (Section 3.3); (3) infrared detectors (Section 3.4); (4) infrared arrays and readouts (Section 3.5); and charge coupled devices (CCDs – Section 3.6). This chapter also describes image intensifiers as used in the ultraviolet, and photomultipliers (Section 3.7). Heritage detectors that operate on other principles are discussed elsewhere (e.g., Rieke 2003, Kitchin 2008).
Attention Deficits and Thyroid Function

The relation between attention and thyroid function was examined in 85, 7-year-old, children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Variation and change in the nominal pitch-accent system of South Kyungsang Korean*

This paper considers whether the phonology of the lexical pitch accent of Kyungsang Korean is being maintained by younger innovative speakers. We examine the pitch-accent patterns of nouns with various suffixes by comparing the speech of innovative Kyungsang speakers to that of older conservative speakers. It will be shown that while innovative speakers maintain the underlying distinction in the lexical pitch accent found with conservative speakers, the acoustic difference across the contrastive accent classes is substantially weaker in the speech of innovative speakers, for both noun stems and suffixes. Observation of individual differences in the phonetic realisation of the pitch accent and comparison with tonal patterns of Seoul Korean provide an insight into this sound change, offering evidence for how and why the acoustic distinction has weakened. This study thus documents a process of diachronic change in the prosody of Kyungsang Korean.
Engaged Advocacy and Learning To Represent the Self: Positioning People of Color in Our Contemporary Food Movement

Issues with access to food access are not solely that people of color are not included in the happenings of the food movement; it is also problematic just how our inclusion happens. Our issues within the movement are as diverse as we are, and there is no one particular narrative that can illustrate these sets of dilemmas easily. The solutions are even more difficult to generate and institute. Within these many complexities, however, both in addressing the problem and in finding positive results, there is also the problem of the lack of involvement within the community in a critical dialogue. Without a dialogue about these diverse sets of problems, working together to solve them seems a distant possibility.
Why the History of CUNY Matters: Using the CUNY Digital History Archive to Teach CUNY’s Past

This article describes the newly launched CUNY Digital History Archive (CDHA), a project of the American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning at the CUNY Graduate Center. The CDHA is designed to provide open, online access to a rich array of digitized historical sources that detail the important history of the City University of New York (CUNY). The article reviews that history, focusing on the postwar expansion of the city’s tuition free municipal college system and the subsequent birth of the CUNY system in 1961. CUNY’s growth helped launch a student-led fight for open admissions at various CUNY campuses in 1969-70, which resulted in the dramatic expansion of the undergraduate student body, including the admission of large numbers of working-class students of color in the early 1970s. The article ends with a discussion of impact of New York City’s 1976 fiscal crisis, which led to the elimination of free tuition and a cutback in CUNY’s plans for expansion and growth, a consequence that CUNY still has to deal with.
Keats’s Sense of Family History: Isabella and The Eve of St. Agnes

ABSTRACTRomantic impulses govern the fraught, family histories in these poems on conflicts that disrupt or threaten loss to lovers. In Isabella Keats explores a young woman’s resistance to her brot...
The ER Effect: How Medical Television Creates Knowledge for American Audiences

This research presents a new way of thinking about how medical information is both created and distributed to audiences on medical fictional television. Based on the accepted idea of the CSI Effect, this chapter proposes the creation of the ER Effect. The ER Effect posits that since the mid-1990s, when ER was created, medical television has included more technical jargon, medical graphic realism and more bloody, gory scenes from which audiences are watching and drawing knowledge. Using medical journal reports about the effects of ER’s medical knowledge, as well as interviews with actors, producers, writers, consultants, physicians and nurses on staff, and directors of ER and other medical shows, will show the knowledge processes through which audiences learn from medical fictional television.