cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
50 Years Ago in CORR: X-ray Projections of Anatomic Structures in the Cervical and Lumbar Vertebrae Raymond G. Tronzo MD CORR 1960;16:249–263

In contrast to the long bones, the spine consists of complex anatomic shapes. On plain radiographs, all three-dimensional shapes are projected, so that unrelated features will be superimposed and create images that may be confusing to interpret. The well-known “teardrop” on an anteroposterior projection of the pelvis is, in fact, a projection of the superior margin of the obturator foramen and the inner and outer tables of the pelvis. An example from the spine is the well-known, “Scottie dog” sign in which the “neck” is “broken” in the case of a defect of the pars interarticularis; the dog, however, is not an anatomic reality, but rather reflects superimposed unrelated shadows. Sometimes these projected images may give the impression of abnormalities (eg, lytic lesions) that in fact do not exist. Tronzo, in 1960, recognized the difficulty of interpreting these planar projections from the spine [1]. He obtained dry bone specimens of the cervical and lumbar spines and painted key features with a lead-based paint to make them more apparent on the radiographs. He commented, “It was impractical to differentiate the finer details of the vertebrae because they appeared as superimposed shadows that were of little clinical value. Therefore, in some areas, only the gross parts were outlined by the lead paint.” By comparing the bony specimens with the correlating radiographs, he was able to label all major structures as they appeared on the radiographs (Figs. 3 and ​and4).4). He also noted a case of a fracture-subluxation of C2 (Fig. 13), where “an experienced radiologist…(interpreted the image)…as a ‘fracture through a cyst of C2.’ The cyst is the transverse foramen of C2, which appears as an avoid radiolucency on roentgenograms. It does not always show up on lateral roentgenograms unless C2 itself is set perpendicular to the x-ray cone. Such a condition would happen by chance.” He notes other situations where apparent cystlike defects could be misinterpreted as Schmorl’s nodes. Even today, Tronzo’s article provides an excellent reference for those interpreting plain radiographs of the spine and makes a key point of the need for understanding detailed anatomy when interpreting such images. Fig. 3 Lateral view cervical vertebrae. (Reprinted with permission and ©Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, from Tronzo G. X-ray projections of anatomic structures in the cervical and lumbar vertebrae. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1960;16:249–263.) Fig. 4 Lateral view cervical vertebrae. (Reprinted with permission and ©Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, from Tronzo G. X-ray projections of anatomic structures in the cervical and lumbar vertebrae. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1960;16:249–263.) Fig. 13 Fracture through pars of C-2 with subluxation of the body. (Reprinted with permission and ©Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, from Tronzo G. X-ray projections of anatomic structures in the cervical and lumbar vertebrae. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1960;16:249–263.) ...
An Exploratory Investigation of the Ethical Behavior of Engineering Undergraduates

Background Recent national reports have indicated the need for an increased emphasis on the ethical development of engineering undergraduates. Despite this call for increased focus on ethical development, little is known about how engineering students make ethical decisions or how these decisions are related to personal differences and environmental influences. Purpose (Hypothesis) This is an exploratory investigation to determine which demographic, academic, moral reasoning, and decision-making variables are predictive of the extent of test cheating among engineering undergraduates. Rather than beginning with a particular hypothesis, the study investigates predictive relationships between the variables described above and self-reported rates of test cheating among engineering undergraduates. Design/Method Three hundred and eighty eight engineering undergraduates from three Midwestern U.S. institutions completed a survey based on a modified version of the theory of planned behavior as a conceptual framework. The three institutions are of different Carnegie classifications, sizes, missions, and institutional cultures. Results Results indicate that our proposed model of ethical decision-making was successful in predicting the behavioral outcome with regard to college test cheating and there were observed significant differences in the level of cheating between institutions. However, institution as a variable was not a predictive of behavior. Conclusions The effect of institution on cheating was mitigated through other measured variables including past high school cheating, involvement in Pan-Hellenic groups, moral obligation, and perceived behavioral control. It is these underlying predictive variables that need to be addressed when engineering educators and student affairs staff consider the issue of unethical undergraduate behavior.
Vocal fundamental frequency in a twin sample: Looking for a genetic effect

Summary Many complex, quantitative traits are the result of genetic and environmental interactions. The production of the human voice is such a trait and therefore can be examined for the action of genetic factors. In this study, the twin method was utilized in order to test for the presence of a genetic component in vocal fundamental frequency (VFF). The voices of 122 adult twins from the Midwest Twin Register (University of Kansas) were analyzed for VFF. The twins read the first paragraph of the Rainbow Passage, and the resulting recording was analyzed for the vocal fundamental frequency by means of a specialized computer program. Zygosity of these twins was determined by their genotypic comparisons based upon 18 different genetic markers. Preliminary analysis of data resulted in computation of intraclass correlations. The high intraclass correlations (r = 0.621 for female and r = 0.845 for male twin pairs) reflect the high degree of familial resemblance of the twins compared to randomly matched pairs in the sample. After adjustment of the raw values of VFF for age and weight, these coefficients were lowered (r = 0.516 for females and r = 0.690 for males) but still remained significant. The application of the twin model to female twins (41 pairs of monozygotic and eight pairs of dizygotic) allowed comparisons of the correlation coefficients between both types of twins. For raw VFF data no differences were found (r = 0.609 for MZ twins and r = 0.669 for DZ twins). After adjustment for age and weight, the correlation coefficient for dizygotic twins became lower (r = 0.338) than that for monozygotic twins (r = 0.539). This difference between the monozygotic and dizygotic twins is suggestive of the important role of genetics in the production of voice. These results also suggest that the VFF may be a useful phenotype that can be utilized for the assessment of genetic involvement in voice production.
Subcooled Boiling of PF-5060 Dielectric Liquid on Microporous Surfaces

Presented are the results of experiments that investigated nucleate boiling of PF-5060 on microporous Cu surface layers at saturation and 10 K, 20 K, and 30 K subcooling. The three microporous layers, electrochemically deposited on 10 × 10 mm 2 Cu substrates and investigated herein, are ∼139 μm, 171 μm, and 220 μm thick. The critical heat flux increases linearly with increased subcooling, ΔT sub , at an average rate of 4.5%/K. For the 171 μm thick, Cu microporous surface, saturation boiling CHF of 27.8 W/cm 2 increases to 63.25 W/cm 2 at ΔT sub =30 K, while the saturation h MNB of 13.5 W/cm 2 K decreases slightly to 12.7 W/cm 2 K at ΔT sub = 30 K. The values of the surface superheat, ΔT sat , at h MNB and CHF increase from 2.0 K and 2.16 K at saturation to 4.2 and 6.42 K at 30 K subcooling.
Does NCLB Improve the Achievement of Students With Disabilities? A Regression Discontinuity Design

Abstract The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) holds public schools accountable for the academic achievement of student subgroups that are larger than the state minimum-subgroup-size threshold. In 2004, California added students with disabilities to the NCLB subgroup categories. Using a regression discontinuity design, this study compared the academic achievement of students-with-disabilities subgroups that were just above the minimum-subgroup-size threshold to those just below the threshold. The results showed no effects of holding schools and teachers accountable for the achievement of students with disabilities after controlling for student performance and school characteristics of the previous academic year. Policy implications are discussed.
Exponential and polynomial methods for applying tension to an interpolating spline curve

Abstract Two approaches are explained for the application of tension to a cubic interpolating spline curve. This was first accomplished by Schweikertusing an exponential-based formulation, the spline under tension , and later Nielson developed a polynomial alternative called the v-spline . A generalized form of the spline under tension and the v -spline are juxtaposed in a comparative, unified fashion, deriving each one from a variational principle. The v -spline is derived using Hermite basis functions, to emphasize its relation to the conventional cubic interpolatory spline. The derivation of each formulation is completed for two different choices of end conditions and the matrix corresponding to each of these conditions is analyzed. Various desirable properties are shown to be possessed by the matrices for the spline under tension for all tension values, and by the matrices for the v -spline for certain ranges of tension values, which are derived.
Dapsone penetrates cerebrospinal fluid during Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia prophylaxis.

Abstract Dapsone has been proposed as a prophylactic agent for both Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and reactivation cerebral toxoplasmosis. To determine whether dapsone penetrates the central nervous system, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples were drawn from patients taking dapsone for PCP prophylaxis. These samples were quantitatively assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Five AIDS patients and one cardiac transplant patient had CSF assayed for dapsone. Only one had evidence of CSF inflammation, resulting from a paraspinal abscess. Doses ranged from 50 mg 3 days/week to 100 mg/day, and levels were 0.30–1.61 μg/ml, which are in the range of inhibition of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites. This is the first report to demonstrate that dapsone enters the CSF, and supports preliminary clinical evidence that dapsone may have protective activity against cerebral toxoplasmosis when used for PCP prophylaxis.
Constraint propagation neural networks for Huffman-Clowes scene labeling

The authors propose a three-layered constraint satisfaction neural network to perform Huffman-Clowes scene labeling. Given a line drawing the network establishes a consistent labeling for all the edges or detects that it is physically unrealizable. Experimental results show that this approach exploits the parallel architecture inherent in the network and is faster than the conventional algorithmic method. >
The effects of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the emotion-induced memory trade-off

Many past examinations of memory changes in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have focused on changes in memory for trauma. However, it is unclear if these mnemonic differences extend beyond the memory of the trauma to memory for other positive and negative information and if they are specific to individuals with PTSD or extend to other individuals who have experienced trauma. The present study examined the influences of trauma exposure and PTSD on an effect that may parallel tunnel memory in PTSD: the emotion-induced memory trade-off, whereby emotional aspects of an experience are remembered at the expense of the nonemotional context. Three groups of participants (25 with current PTSD, 27 who had experienced trauma but did not have current PTSD, and 25 controls who had neither experienced significant trauma nor met criteria for current PTSD) were shown complex visual scenes that included an item (positive, negative, or neutral) placed on a neutral background. Forty-five minutes later, participants underwent a recognition memory test for the items and backgrounds separately. An emotion-induced memory trade-off was said to occur when there was a significant difference in item and background memory for emotional scenes, but not for neutral scenes. Results indicated that people with PTSD, like the other groups, were more likely to remember positive and negative items than neutral items. Moreover, people with PTSD exhibited a memory trade-off comparable in magnitude to that exhibited by the non-trauma control group. In contrast, trauma-exposed people without a current diagnosis of PTSD did not show a trade-off, because they remembered items within scenes better than their accompanying contexts not only for emotional but also for neutral scenes. These results suggest that (1) the effect of emotion on memory for visual scenes is similar in people with PTSD and control participants, and (2) people who have experienced trauma, but do not have PTSD, may have a different way of attending to and remembering visual scenes, exhibiting less of a memory trade-off than either control participants or people with PTSD.
Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Human Emotions

Neuroimaging studies with positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have begun to describe the functional neuroanatomy of human emotion. Taken separately, specific studies vary in task dimensions and in type(s) of emotion studied, and are limited by statistical power and sensitivity. By examining findings across studies in a meta-analysis, we sought to determine if common or segregated patterns of activations exist in different emotions and across various emotional tasks. We surveyed over 55 positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging activation studies, which investigated emotion in healthy subjects. This paper will review observations in several regions of interest in limbic (eg, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex) and paralimbic (eg, medial prefrontal cortex, insula) brain regions in emotional responding.
The Influence of Exploration on External Corporate Venturing Activity

We utilize the exploration/exploitation framework to examine how a firm’s engagement in exploration influences its portfolio of external corporate venturing (ECV) activities. Three forms of equity-based ECV are considered: corporate venture capital investments, joint ventures, and acquisitions. The organizational learning literature is used to investigate how a firm’s engagement in exploration influences its usage of acquisitions relative to its overall portfolio of ECV activities. The investing firm’s industry technological dynamism is posited as a moderator of the relationship between exploration and the relative usage of acquisitions. Utilizing a sample of 1,326 firm-year observations between 1996 and 2008, we find that exploration is positively related to the relative usage of acquisitions, though this relationship is moderated by the investing firm’s industry technological dynamism.
Linguistically Responsive Teacher Education Preparing Classroom Teachers to Teach English Language Learners

Students who speak languages other than English are a growing presence in U.S. schools. As a result, many mainstream classroom teachers are finding that they have English language learners in their...
GPU-Based PostgreSQL Extensions for Scalable High-Throughput Pattern Matching

Numerous fields require large-scale pattern matching to achieve a variety of computational goals. Herein, we present novel graphics processing unit (GPU) extensions that facilitate high-throughput pattern matching in a PostgreSQL database. We have developed an extension framework to perform data block processing of large pattern data sets, using a stream processing design that results in global k-nearest neighbor matches. This framework was specifically designed to support pattern matching on GPU from within the database environment. This approach avoids the necessity of storing an entire data set onto GPU hardware, which facilitates significant scale-up of pattern databases. This provides enormous potential to incorporate or exploit auxiliary (meta)data as part of the pattern matching process, as well as pipelining the results into traditional relational algebra expressions. By pipelining pattern matching results into a relational expression, the power of the database can be leveraged to build result sets based on various parameterized correlations between the query pattern(s) and the results. In this preliminary work, we have integrated GPU-based high-throughput p-norm metric functions into the database server. This allows one to design heterogeneous data processing techniques that combine large-scale content-based image retrieval (CBIR) with traditional data processing capabilities of the database such as relational, spatial, or text search. We present timing characteristics for various pattern sizes and metric combinations, as well as address the balancing of database and GPU parameterization. Our feature vector datasets range from 18 to 85 GB in database table storage size, reaching 100 million 128 dimensional vectors. We are able to efficiently execute global top k searches from within the database.
Barrel‐Valve Assembly Affects Twin‐Screw Extrusion Cooking of Corn Meal

The effects of a barrel-valve assembly on extrusion system dynamics and product properties with various screw speeds and specific feeding loads (SFL) were studied using an APV Baker twin-screw extruder. Turning the barrel-valve from the open to closed position resulted in a convex response of die pressure due to the axial offset of paired orifice plugs, with concomitant changes in system responses and extrudate properties. Variations in SFL by changing feed rate or screw speed caused more pronounced effects on product properties compared with barrel-valve control.
The Circumcision and the Uncircumcision in Rome

In a recently-published article, P. Stuhlmacher has outlined three major contemporary theories of the occasion of Paul's letter to the Romans: 1) Romans is addressed to a specific situation within the Roman community itself, 2) it is composed primarily with Paul's forthcoming delivery of the collection to Jerusalem in mind, and 3) it emerges from a convergence of the first two motivations. While not wishing to deny that the Jerusalem trip was a preoccupation of Paul as he composed Romans (see Romans 15. 25, 30–32), I intend in this study to strengthen the Roman side of the equation, first by surveying a range of arguments about the Roman situation as it relates to the letter, then by suggesting a new approach to the question.
Note to Instructors on Entrepreneurial Risk: Jordan Baltimore and Oyster Digital Media

The article offers information on the aspects of venture capital (VC) funding in the economic downturn in the last quarter of 2009. It states that Jordan Baltimore, an entrepreneur, unexpectedly had to consider alternative funding sources. It further highlights that VC funding at 1 million dollars and Angel investor LP or Friends-and-Family funding of 360,000 dollars are considered for the financial and strategic effects.
Candida-Specific Systemic Cell-Mediated Immune Reactivities in Human Immunodeficiency Virus—Positive Persons with Mucosal Candidiasis

Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), as opposed to vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), is a common opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive persons that correlates with reduced CD4 T cell counts. Although cell-mediated immunity (CMI) by CD4 Th1-type cells is considered to be the predominant host defense against mucosal candidiasis, the immune factors associated with susceptibility to OPC in HIV-positive persons are not well understood. This study investigated Candida-specific systemic CMI in HIV-positive persons with OPC and/or VVC. Reductions in delayed skin test reactivity to Candida antigen were observed in HIV-positive persons with CD4 cell counts <200 cells/microL, irrespective of the presence of mucosal infection. Likewise, despite the correlate of OPC with reduced CD4 cell counts in HIV-positive persons, differences in Candida-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation and Th1/Th2 cytokine production between HIV-positive and HIV-negative persons were not consistent in a manner to suggest that deficiencies in Candida-specific systemic CMI account solely for the susceptibility to OPC.
Streaming queries over streaming data

Recent work on querying data streams has focused on systems where newly arriving data is processed and continuously streamed to the user in real-time. In many emerging applications, however, ad hoc queries and/or intermittent connectivity also require the processing of data that arrives prior to query submission or during a period of disconnection. For such applications, we have developed PSoup, a system that combines the processing of ad-hoc and continuous queries by treating data and queries symmetrically, allowing new queries to be applied to old data and new data to be applied to old queries. PSoup also supports intermittent connectivity by separating the computation of query results from the delivery of those results. PSoup builds on adaptive query processing techniques developed in the Telegraph project at UC Berkeley. In this paper, we describe PSoup and present experiments that demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Preparation of a polypentenamer having pendant ionic groups and its hydrogenated derivatives

Polypentenamers having pendant carboxylate groups including esters, acids, and salts and their hydrogenated derivatives have been prepared and characterized, and some of their properties investigated. Reaction conditions were established to control the amount of pendant thioglycolate groups incorporated into the polypentenamer by the free-radical addition reactions of thioglycolic acid derivatives and subsequently to completely hydrogenate the polymers so formed, which contained thioglycolate contents ranging from less than 1 mole-% to about 16 mole-%, without backbone degradation and crosslinking reactions. The glass transition temperatures and the melting points of these polymers were observed to depend upon the pendant group content, as expected, but there appears to be little difference within these properties between polymers in which the pendant groups were in the salt form as compared to those of the corresponding carboxylic acid form. The thermal stabilities of the polymers having the pendant groups were somewhat lower than those of the parent polymers, apparently because of side reactions involving the thioglycolate groups. The calcium salt derivative showed a particularly low thermal stability compared to that of polymers with monovalent salts.
Co-constrained handles for deformation in shape collections

We present a method for learning custom deformation handles for an object, from a co-analysis of similar objects. Our approach identifies the geometric and spatial constraints among the different parts of an object, and makes this information available through abstract shape handles. These handles allow the user to prescribe arbitrary deformation directives including free-form surface deformations. However, only a subset of admissible deformations is enabled to the user as learned from the constraint space. Example applications are presented in shape editing, co-deformation and style transfer.
Comparative Developmental Genetics and the Evolution of Arthropod Body Plans

AbstractThe arthropods display a wide range of morphological diversity, varying tagmosis, as well as other aspects of the body plan, such as appendage and cuticular morphology. Here we review the roles of developmental regulatory genes in the evolution of arthropod morphology, with an emphasis on what is known from morphologically diverse species. Examination of tagmatic evolution reveals that these changes have been accompanied by changes in the expression patterns of Hox genes. In contrast, review of the modifications to wing morphology seen in insects shows that these body plan changes have generally favored alterations in downstream target genes. These and other examples are used to discuss the evolutionary implications of comparative developmental genetic data.
Requirement for TRAF3 in signaling by LMP1 but not CD40 in B lymphocytes.

CD40, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, and the Epstein-Barr virus–encoded oncoprotein latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) share several tumor necrosis factor receptor–associated factor (TRAF) adaptor proteins for signaling. Among these, TRAF3 was the first identified to directly bind both receptors, yet its role remains a mystery. To address this, we generated B cell lines deficient in TRAF3 by homologous recombination. We found that CD40 signals were normal in the absence of TRAF3, with the exception of moderately enhanced c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and antibody secretion. In sharp contrast, LMP1 signaling was markedly defective in TRAF3−/− B cells. LMP1-induced activation of JNK and nuclear factor κB, up-regulation of CD23 and CD80, and antibody secretion were substantially affected by TRAF3 deficiency. Reconstitution of TRAF3 expression decreased CD40-induced JNK activation and antibody secretion, and fully restored LMP1 signaling. Although TRAF2 is widely believed to be important for LMP1 function, LMP1 signaling was intact in TRAF2−/− B cells. Our data reveal that CD40 and LMP1 unexpectedly use TRAF3 in different ways, and that TRAF3 is required for LMP1-mediated activation of B cells.
A Student Development Theory to Practice Workshop

This article describes a workshop designed to introduce Chickering's theory to paraprofessional staff.
Aneuploidy-induced cellular stresses limit autophagic degradation

An unbalanced karyotype, a condition known as aneuploidy, has a profound impact on cellular physiology and is a hallmark of cancer. Aneuploid cells experience a number of stresses that are caused by aneuploidy-induced proteomic changes. How the aneuploidy-associated stresses affect cells and whether cells respond to them are only beginning to be understood. Here we show that autophagosomal cargo such as protein aggregates accumulate within lysosomes in aneuploid cells. This causes a lysosomal stress response. Aneuploid cells activate the transcription factor TFEB, a master regulator of autophagic and lysosomal gene expression, thereby increasing the expression of genes needed for autophagy-mediated protein degradation. Accumulation of autophagic cargo within the lysosome and activation of TFEB-responsive genes are also observed in cells in which proteasome function is inhibited, suggesting that proteotoxic stress causes TFEB activation. Our results reveal a TFEB-mediated lysosomal stress response as a universal feature of the aneuploid state.
Topography and Diffusion of Kinks in Incommensurate Insulators: Relationship Between Phase Conjugation and Thermal Hysteresis in Incommensurate Phases, and a Physical Analog for Circadian Biorhythms

In this paper I attempt to describe the role of nonequilibrium defects in incommensurate insulators. I confine my discussion primarily to two systems: BaMnF4 and Ba2NaNb5O15. These two materials have formed the basis for studies in my own laboratory over the past ten years and are particularly suitable for this review because of the large number of experimental techniques used to elucidate the statics and dynamics of their incommensurate (IC) phases.
Measuring the effect of pay-for-performance financial incentives on hospital efficiency in the military health system

ABSTRACTThe U.S. military health system implemented a pay-for-performance financial incentive program in 2007 in an effort to stimulate patient quality, access, and satisfaction improvements. This study measures the effect of the monetary incentive model on hospital efficiency and outcomes. Using a retrospective, quasi-experimental design, the empirical analysis incorporates data envelopment analysis with time windows and difference-in-differences estimation. Hospitals are evaluated in the U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy during the period of 2001–2012. The results indicate a statistically significant reduction in technical efficiency for the hospitals that received pay-for-performance financial incentives. The healthcare policy implications of this study are applicable in light of the national healthcare debate and may assist healthcare policy makers in determining the efficacy and associated trade-offs of pay-for-performance financing models.
Effect of extended postmortem aging and steak location on myofibrillar protein degradation and Warner-Bratzler shear force of beef M. semitendinosus steaks.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of steak location and postmortem aging on cooked meat tenderness and myofibrillar protein degradation of steaks from M. semitendinosus (ST). Following harvest and a 6 d chill period, the left ST was removed from carcasses of crossbred feedlot steers ( = 60, average hot carcass weight 427 ± 24 kg). Each ST was fabricated into ten 2.54-cm thick steaks originating from the proximal to distal end of the muscle. Steaks cut adjacent to each other were paired, vacuum packaged, and randomly assigned to 7, 14, 21, 42, or 70 d of aging at 2 ± 1°C. After aging, within each steak pair, steaks were randomly assigned to Warner-Bratzler shear force or myofibrillar proteolysis analysis (calpain activity and desmin and troponin-T degradation). Muscle fiber type and size were also determined at the 2 ends of the muscle. There was no location × d of aging interaction ( = 0.25) for ST steak WBSF. Steak location affected (quadratic, 0.13). Type I, IIA, and IIX muscle fibers were larger at the proximal end of the muscle than the distal end ( < 0.01). Increasing d of aging improved WBSF (quadratic, < 0.01) for the duration of the 70 d postmortem period. As d of aging increased, intact calpain-1 activity decreased (quadratic, < 0.01) with activity detected through 42 d. Day of aging affected autolyzed calpain-1 (linear, < 0.01) and calpain-2 activity (quadratic, < 0.01). Through d 70 of aging, the intensity of intact 55 kDa desmin band decreased (linear, < 0.01), while there was an increase (linear, < 0.01) in the degraded 38 kDa band. Similarly, d of aging increased troponin-T proteolysis, indicated by a decrease (quadratic, < 0.01) in intensity of the intact 40 kDa band and an increase (linear, < 0.01) in the 30 kDa degraded band. Intramuscular WBSF differences are not due to proteolytic activity or myofibrillar degradation and seem related to muscle fiber size. The improvement of ST steak WBSF through 70 d of aging is partly due to continued degradation of desmin and troponin-T. Calpain proteolytic analysis indicates that autolyzed calpain-1 and calpain-2 may be involved in extended postmortem myofibrillar protein proteolysis.
Optimal persistent surveillance using coordinated soaring

Coordinated soaring by a flock of small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAVs) provides a means of conserving fuel while performing aerial tasks. The ability to exploit thermal columns in the atmospheric boundary layer allows sUAVs to remain airborne without expending any onboard sources of energy, i.e., soaring flight. This paper presents an analysis of the cruising phase during coordinated soaring where a flock of sUAVs relies on thermal exploitation to maximize endurance for monitoring-type missions. To this end, a maneuver is investigated that involves each sUAV repeating a round-trip between a thermal and a monitoring/surveillance target so as to maintain continuous monitoring of the target. The focus is on minimizing the number of agents required to maintain continuous, persistent surveillance of the target for given atmospheric conditions (thermal strength and distance between the thermal and monitoring target) and on maximizing a free parameter (time or distance) when the number of agents is specified. It will be shown that the optimal cruising speed for maximizing the endurance of monitoring-type missions varies between the best L/D speed and the MacCready speed and depends on the “aggregate thermal strength” of a given cycle, or equivalently, the ratio of the time that one sUAV spends away from the target to the time that it spends at the target. An examination of multiple-thermal exploitation is then presented, followed by an evaluation of the flight simulations used to support the results.
Phonotaxis in flying crickets. I. Attraction to the calling song and avoidance of bat-like ultrasound are discrete behaviors

The steering responses of three species of field crickets, Teleogryllus oceanicus, T. commodus, and Gryllus bimaculatus, were characterized during tethered flight using single tone-pulses (rather than model calling song) presented at carrier frequencies from 3-100 kHz. This range of frequencies encompasses the natural songs of crickets (4-20 kHz, Fig. 1) as well as the echolocation cries of insectivorous bats (12-100 kHz). The single-pulse stimulus paradigm was necessary to assess the aversive nature of high carrier frequencies without introducing complications due to the attractive properties of repeated pulse stimuli such as model calling songs. Unlike the natural calling song, single tone-pulses were not attractive and did not elicit positive phonotactic steering even when presented at the calling song carrier frequency (Figs. 2, 3, and 9). In addition to temporal pattern, phonotactic steering was sensitive to carrier frequency as well as sound intensity. Three discrete flight steering behaviors positive phonotaxis, negative phonotaxis and evasion, were elicited by appropriate combinations of frequency, temporal pattern and sound intensity (Fig. 12). Positive phonotactic steering required a model calling song temporal pattern, was tuned to 5 kHz and was restricted to frequencies below 9 kHz. Negative phonotactic steering, similar to the 'early warning' bat-avoidance behavior of moths, was produced by low intensity (55 dB SPL) tone-pulses at frequencies between 12 and 100 kHz (Figs. 2, 3, and 9). In contrast to model calling song, single tone-pulses of high intensity 5-10 kHz elicited negative phonotactic steering; low intensity ultrasound (20-100 kHz) produced only negative phonotactic steering, regardless of pulse repetition pattern. 'Evasive', side-to-side steering, similar to the 'last-chance' bat-evasion behavior of moths was produced in response to high intensity (greater than 90 dB) ultrasound (20-100 kHz). Since the demonstration of negative phonotactic steering did not require the use of a calling song temporal pattern, avoidance of ultrasound cannot be the result of systematic errors in localizing an inherently attractive stimulus when presented at high carrier frequencies. Unlike attraction to model calling song, the ultrasound-mediated steering responses were of short latency (25-35 ms) and were produced in an open loop manner (Fig. 4), both properties of escape behaviors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The White-Eye as an Interspecific Feeding Helper

The Palila is found at elevations between about 7000 and 9500 ft, the approximate elevation of the present treeline. The forest extended to nearly 10,000 ft before feral horses, cattle, and sheep destroyed it. The last wild horses and cattle were not exterminated from Mauna Kea until the 1930’ s. At the present time feral sheep, especially, are a serious threat to any significant regeneration of this interesting native forest (see R. E. Warner, Pacific Discovery 13:6, 1960). Hordes of pigs and smaller numbers of goats add to the problem. Much of the Palila’ s habitat lies within the Kaohe Game Management Area and the contiguous Mauna Kea Game Management Area, both of which are owned and controlled by the State of Hawaii. The two areas contain about 10,000 acres of mamane-naio forest. Unfortunately, political pressure by a small group of hunters and other uninformed people have made it impossible for the professionally trained personnel of the State Division of Fish and Game to set adequate hunting seasons and bag limits, or to put into practice other wise management practices. Consequently, sheep and pig populations build up to the point where it can be stated emphatically that the Palila do, indeed, inhabit a dying forest, as Warner pointed out several years ago. Contributing to the
An Epigenetic Clock Measures Accelerated Aging in Treated HIV Infection

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Gross et al. (2016) find a CpG DNA methylation signature in blood cells of patients with chronic well-controlled HIV infection that correlates with accelerated aging.
Bracing of the trunk and neck has a differential effect on head control during gait

During gait, the trunk and neck are believed to play an important role in dissipating the transmission of forces from the ground to the head. This attenuation process is important to ensure head co...
“We love this land, and we want to take care of this land”: Iowa women farmland owners constructing and contesting narratives

This qualitative dissertation studies how Iowa women farmland owners construct their experiences as landowners. I focus on the reflexivity between individual narratives of women farmland owners and cultural narratives of farmland ownership to better understand narrative reflexivity and thereby contribute to “a better understanding of how narratives work and the work narratives do” (Loseke 2007). I identify how cultural narratives influence interactional processes, such as decision-making and conservation implementation, and inform the legitimacy of landownership and land use. How women farmland owners construct meaning about their farmland and use this to navigate decision-making with their co-owners and others has significant impact upon the future of conservation and farmland tenure. Women own or coown 47 percent of Iowa’s farmland and 52 percent of its leased farmland (Duffy and Johanns 2012), yet we know little about them (Eells and Soulis 2014). I collected data from ten women farmland owner meetings in Iowa and 26 in-depth interviews with women who own Iowa farmland. I used grounded and feminist standpoint theory methodology to identify how women farmland owners construct meaning about their place within existing agricultural narratives and how these narratives influence their decision-making about their farmland. These gendered narratives have both social and ecological costs, posing challenges to the legitimacy of women farmland owners and presenting barriers as they try to actively manage their land and implement conservation. In the first paper, I analyze how women farmland owners experience social control processes and the role of homosocial spaces in leading to the implementation of change on their farmland. In the second paper, I identify the function and importance of women as placeholders within gendered cultural narratives. In the third paper, I analyze how women
Suspended Load Prediction for Sucker Rod in Oilfield Based on LMBP Algorithm

Basing on the test data for sucker rod suspension load and the improved LMBP neural network algorithm,a prediction model for sucker rod suspension load influenced by rod stroke,stroke frequency,rod diameter,pump diameter,submergence depth,pump setting depth and water ratio was established.The simulation results prove its feasibility.
Transcervical Approach to the Superior Mediastinum

Mediastinoscopy through a small incision in the neck gives access to many structures on both sides of the trachea, enabling diagnostic studies to be carried out far more definitively in many diseases and creating an easier pathway for surgery in some. In lung cancer, it minimizes useless thoracotomies; in myasthenia gravis, it provides an opportunity for complete thymectomy through the neck.
Cerebral Vasoconstriction with Fluosol-DA as a Means of Acutely Reducing ICP

Reduction of cerebral blood volume (CBV) through vasoconstriction is an important means for reducing high intracranial pressure (ICP). The ICP-reducing effect of hyperventilation is thought to be mediated completely by vasoconstriction. We have shown in normal cats that the intravenous administration of mannitol causes cerebral vasoconstriction similarly in magnitude as that brought about by vigorous hyperventilation (Muizelaar et al. 1983). We reasoned that the decreased blood viscosity and the shift in the 02 dissociation curve after mannitol treatment would result in increased 0 2 delivery to the brain; this, in turn, results in vasoconstriction if autoregulation is intact. Indeed, in head-injured patients we have found that the responses of ICP and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were related to the autoregulatory status of those patients (Muizelaar et al. 1984). Thus, autoregulatory vasoconstriction might be a mechanism at least equally important as dehydration of the brain for the ICP-reducing effects of osmotic agents.
Growth factor signal transduction in human intestinal cells.

One of the basic biological problems in the area of developmental gastroenterology is to understand the factors and mechanisms controlling the intestinal epithelial cell growth and differentiation. Enterocytes are the type of cells undergoing a rapid turnover during development and mature life. Cells in the crypt are rapidly dividing and less differentiated, whereas cells at the villus tip are terminally differentiated. Furthermore, there is a differential gene expression in both crypt cells and villus cells between the neonatal and adult intestine. Increasing evidence indicates that the control of enterocyte proliferation and differentiation appears to be mediated not only by endocrine or paracrine but also by autocrine mechanisms1,2. Table 1 lists several growth factors that may potentially target at the human intestinal cells. No matter how the production of growth factors are regulated, they must interact with their specific cell-surface receptors. Ligand-receptor interaction on the cell surface is then translated into activation of intracellular signaling pathways, triggering a sequence of events that eventually leads to cell division or differentiation.
Genetic Information Privacy in the Age of Data-Driven Medicine

As the costs for genomic sequencing continue to decrease, genetic testing is increasingly being used to confirm or assist in detection and treatment of many diseases. Companies such as 23andMe and Navigenics offer genetic tests using genome-wide technology direct to consumers over the Internet. As sources of genetic information proliferate, issues of privacy protection are increasingly problematic in relation to the use and disclosure of genetic information. This paper aims to identify the most important privacy threats to genetic information, and explain how to use privacy techniques and policies to mitigate the threats. This paper first describes the problem of genetic information privacy in the age of data-driven medicine. It then identifies the most important threats to genetic information and presents a case study that demonstrates how these threats might be intrinsic to genetic testing entities. Since existing privacy protection approaches are inadequate to address the threats, we develop a comprehensive privacy and security framework that integrates policy considerations and innovative data anonymization technologies and sketch countermeasures which can be taken to protect genetic privacy. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the study and directions of future research.
Medical management of vascular anomalies.

Abstract We have entered an exciting era in the care of patients with vascular anomalies. These disorders require multidisciplinary care and coordination and dedicated centers have emerged to address this need. Vascular tumors have been treated with medical therapies for many years, while malformations have been historically treated with endovascular and operative procedures. The recent serendipitous discoveries of propranolol and sirolimus for vascular anomalies have revolutionized this field. In particular, sirolimus responses are challenging the dogma that vascular malformations are not biologically active. While initially explored for lymphatic anomalies, sirolimus is now being used broadly throughout the spectrum of vascular anomalies. Whether medical therapies are reserved for refractory patients or used first line is currently dependent on the experience and availability of alternative therapies at each institution. On the horizon, we anticipate new drugs targeting genes and pathways involved in vascular anomalies to be developed. Also, combinations of medications and protocols combining medical and procedural approaches are in development for refractory patients.
An intelligent sensor network system coupled with statistical process model for predicting machinery health and failure

Application of statistical process for the purpose of health monitoring of machinery and system is the main purpose of this paper. The system has two main parts. The first, sensing and transmitting of variable by a network of intelligent sensors and transducers. The second, analysis and prognosis of machinery health by a two-step statistical process model (SPM). Most contemporary intelligent sensors have signal-conditioning circuit integrated within the sensor as a single chip device. In many instances sensor and signal conditioning circuit are packaged together as one unit. However, intelligent sensors are becoming increasingly important for many critical applications. An intelligent sensor network system can perform sensing and transmitting of variables for the process controller and can also locally store and transmit sensed variable over wireless link to remote central processing computer. The central processing computer is used for continuous statistical analysis of multiple variables and can be used for predicting machinery failure. Operators at remote location can review processed information at any instant of time and determine imminent and prospective condition of the machinery. Currently we are researching to develop an intelligent sensor network system that will sense and temporarily store process variables and periodically transmit them to a remote location for processing, analyzing, and storing. The process variables are transmitted to the central computer as well as to the controller for continuous control of the process. The statistical process model (SPM) located in the central computer system will analyze the related data for predicting machinery failure and prognostic maintenance.
Cellular immunity and pathogen strategies in combative interactions involving Drosophila hosts and their endoparasitic wasps

Various cellular innate immune responses protect invertebrates from attack by eukaryoticpathogens. In insects, assessments of the factor(s) causing, or contributing to, pathogen mortality have long considered as toxic components certain molecules associated with enzyme-mediated melanogenesis. In Drosophila hosts, observations that have prompted additional or alternative considerations are those that document either the survival of certain endoparasitic wasps despite melanotic encapsulation, or the destruction of the parasite with no evidence of this type of host response. Investigations of the production of some reactive intermediates of oxygen and nitrogen during infection provide a basis for proposing that these molecules constitute important elements of the immune arsenal of Drosophila. Studies of the target specificity of virulence factors injected by female wasps during infection that suppress the host immune response will likely facilitate identification of the toxic host molecules, and contribute to a more detailed understanding of the cellsignaling pathways that regulate their synthesis.