cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MBoC improves recognition of co–first authors

I like to tell students and postdocs “There is no ‘I’ in research.” Teamwork and collaborations accelerate scientific progress by expanding the effort, ideas, and expertise applied to a research problem. However, an impediment to realizing some of the benefits of working together to solve research problems is the sober reality that securing employment, funding, and honors requires that individuals receive credit for their work. Removing impediments to collaborative research is widely acknowledged as important for promoting progress in research. How then should individual contributions be acknowledged in publications when it is not possible to distinguish among the complementary contributions of collaborators? Increasingly, a solution of choice is to designate two or more individuals as “co–first authors” or “equal contributors.” While this practice can be helpful, it is nevertheless a source of frustration that one individual will be listed first on the author list when the paper is cited, and only that person is listed in citations within the text of manuscripts (e.g., Smith et al.), giving undue credit to the first listed author. MBoC is excited to announce the following changes designed to improve recognition of co–first authors for papers published in MBoC or cited in MBoC papers: 1) For MBoC papers that have co–first authors, the co–first authors will be listed together in the footer of the article PDF (e.g., J. Smith, C. J. Jones, et al.). 2) For cited papers that have co–first authors, the names of the co–first authors will be printed in boldface in the References and a statement at the top of the References will explain why the names are in boldface. 3) For citations in the body of MBoC papers, all co–first authors will be listed (e.g., Flannagan, Canton et al., 2014 ). Implementing recognition of co–first authors for papers cited in an MBoC article will require that our authors identify papers in their reference list that were co–first authored. We are aware of one other journal, Gastroenterology, that has introduced a similar practice (Dubnansky, 2012 ) We hope that scientists will be more inclined to join forces in research collaborations as a result of these new MBoC practices. David Drubin Editor-in-Chief
Gα13 Stimulates the Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Ric-8A

The G12 family of heterotrimeric G proteins is defined by their α-subunits, Gα12 and Gα13. These α-subunits regulate cellular homeostasis, cell migration, and oncogenesis in a context-specific manner primarily through their interactions with distinct proteins partners that include diverse effector molecules and scaffold proteins. With a focus on identifying any other novel regulatory protein(s) that can directly interact with Gα13, we subjected Gα13 to tandem affinity purification-coupled mass spectrometric analysis. Our results from such analysis indicate that Gα13 potently interacts with mammalian Ric-8A. Our mass spectrometric analysis data also indicates that Ric-8A, which was tandem affinity purified along with Gα13, is phosphorylated at Ser-436, Thr-441, Thr-443 and Tyr-435. Using a serial deletion approach, we have defined that the C-terminus of Gα13 containing the guanine-ring interaction site is essential and sufficient for its interaction with Ric-8A. Evaluation of Gα13-specific signaling pathways in SKOV3 or HeyA8 ovarian cancer cell lines indicate that Ric-8A potentiates Gα13-mediated activation of RhoA, Cdc42, and the downstream p38MAPK. We also establish that the tyrosine phosphorylation of Ric-8A, thus far unidentified, is potently stimulated by Gα13. Our results also indicate that the stimulation of tyrosine-phosphorylation of Ric-8A by Gα13 is partially sensitive to inhibitors of Src-family of kinases, namely PP2 and SI. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Gα13 promotes the translocation of Ric-8A to plasma membrane and this translocation is attenuated by the Src-inhibitors, SI1 and PP2. Thus, our results demonstrate for the first time that Gα13 stimulates the tyrosine phosphorylation of Ric-8A and Gα13-mediated tyrosine-phosphorylation plays a critical role in the translocation of Ric-8A to plasma membrane.
BracNet - Bridging the Digital Divide

Similar to GrameenPhone, BracNet strategically envisions the digital divide as a business opportunity. Aiming to create shared value, BracNet serves as an example of a business at the base of the pyramid, successfully creating social and economic value. In this case study the beginnings of the organization are traced, the obstacles discussed and potential keys for success identified.
A proline-based phosphine template for Staudinger ligation

A proline-based phosphine template enabling a rapid Staudinger ligation of azide-containing substrates under mild conditions is reported. This reaction has a second-order rate constant of 1.12 M(-1) s(-1). It is expected that the proline-based Staudinger ligation strategy will be a useful method for bioconjugation and proline based peptide coupling.
CULPRIT ONLY VERSUS MULTIVESSEL PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOGENIC SHOCK COMPLICATING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: A META-ANALYSIS OF OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

In patients with cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI), current guidelines allow for multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (MV-PCI) during the primary procedure as a strategy to potentially improve outcomes. However, only limited observational data support this
Equivalence Analysis of Dielectric Loss Test Value of Capacitive Devices under Different Voltage

The equivalence relation between the live testing and offline testing of dielectric loss in capacitive devices was studied. The dielectric losses of three replaced CTs were measured with using live testing device,the dielectric losses of three CTs were obtained under different voltages. The difference between the live testing and offline testing of dielectric loss was also analyzed. The results shows that different sample voltage might cause different measurement results of dielectric losses. The mechanism of this phenomenon was analyzed in theory,which showed that the measurement results of dielectric losses under equipment operation voltage might be more reasonable for accurately determining equipment insulation status.
Using Prosodic and Spectral Features in Detecting Depression in Elderly Males.

As research in speech processing has matured, there has been much interest in paralinguistic speech processing problems including the speaker’s mental and psychological health. In this study, we focus on speech features that can identify the speaker’s emotional health, i.e., whether the speaker is depressed or not. We use prosodic speech measurements, such as pitch and energy, in addition to spectral features, such as formants and spectral tilt, and compute statistics of these features over different regions of the speech signal. These statistics are used as input features to a discriminative classifier that predicts the speaker’s depression state. We find that with an N -fold leave-one-out cross-validation setup, we can achieve a prediction accuracy of 81.3%, where random guess is 50%.
Identification of vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity in lung type II cells but not in lung macrophages.

Fluorography of 14C-labelled glutamic acid residues in vitamin K-dependent protein precursors in lung microsomes (microsomal fractions) shows that the lung has several substrates that are not found in the liver. These precursor proteins unique to the lung have apparent molecular masses of 65, 53, 50, 36, 31 and 13 kDa. Type II epithelial cells appear to synthesize most of the vitamin K-dependent proteins in the lung. The 36 and the 31 kDa precursors also found in Type-II-cell microsomes have a similar molecular mass to those of surfactant-associated proteins, and we have previously shown [Rannels, Gallaher, Wallin & Rannels (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84, 5952-5956] that the 36 kDa protein is one of the precursors for these proteins. Immunoblotting of membrane fragments of Type-II-cell microsomes with plasma prothrombin antibodies identified two prothrombin-like antigens of apparent molecular masses 68 and 65 kDa. This raises the question as to whether Type II cells are also a potential site for synthesis of prothrombin and possibly other vitamin K-dependent clotting factors. Pulmonary macrophages appear to be devoid of vitamin K-dependent carboxylase activity. However, Type II epithelial cells have significant activity, and this activity was unaltered when these cells were maintained in primary culture for 3 days, suggesting that carboxylase activity is expressed in lung alveolar epithelium independently of culture-induced changes in cellular differentiation. Carboxylase activity in Type II cells was enhanced 2-fold when cells were cultured for 24 h in the presence of 50 microM-warfarin. Type II cells, therefore, resemble hepatocytes with regard to their response to coumarin anticoagulant drugs.
SU-F-J-205: Effect of Cone Beam Factor On Cone Beam CT Number Accuracy

Purpose: To examine the suitability of a Catphan™ 700 phantom for image quality QA of a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) system deployed for proton therapy. Methods: Catphan phantoms, particularly Catphan™ 504, are commonly used in image quality QA for CBCT. As a newer product, Catphan™ 700 offers more tissue equivalent inserts which may be useful for generating the electron density – CT number curve for CBCT based treatment planning. The sensitometry-and-geometry module used in Catphan™ 700 is located at the end of the phantom and after the resolution line pair module. In Catphan™ 504 the line pair module is located at the end of the phantom and after the sensitometry-and-geometry module. To investigate the effect of difference in location on CT number accuracy due to the cone beam factor, we scanned the Catphan™ 700 with the central plane of CBCT at the center of the phantom, line pair and sensitometry-andgeometry modules of the phantom, respectively. The protocol head and thorax scan modes were used. For each position, scans were repeated 4 times. Results: For the head scan mode, the standard deviation (SD) of the CT numbers of each insert under 4 repeated scans was up to 20 HU, 11 HU, and 11 HU, respectively, for the central plane of CBCT located at the center of the phantom, line pair, and sensitometry-and-geometry modules of the phantom. The mean of the SD was 9.9 HU, 5.7 HU, and 5.9 HU, respectively. For the thorax mode, the mean of the SD was 4.5 HU, 4.4 HU, and 4.4 HU, respectively. The assessment of image quality based on resolution and spatial linearity was not affected by imaging location changes. Conclusion: When the Catphan™ 700 was aligned to the center of imaging region, the CT number accuracy test may not meet expectations. We recommend reconfiguration of the modules.
Data-Driven Methods for SMS-Based FAQ Retrieval

SMS text messaging is one of the most popular data applications on mobile phones these days. Other than personal communication, text messaging can also be used for various purposes like bill payment, banking, inquiry, etc. However these messages are extremely noisy and contain misspellings, abbreviations, transliterations, etc. Keeping this in mind, FIRE 2011 introduced a new retrieval task called SMS-based FAQ retrieval in English, Hindi and Malayalam. Within-language and cross-language tasks were designed for this retrieval problem. As solutions we propose various data-driven retrieval techniques that includes noise reduction in the SMS queries and the FAQ corpora. Overall, we find that our methods work well for the retrieval experiments in the different languages. For English, the use of Google Spelling Suggestions and term expansion strategies improve retrieval scores. For Hindi and Malayalam retrieval experiments, we find that translation of queries and corpus to English increases retrieval accuracy.
Tres casos teratológicos en Ligeidos (Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea) chilenos Three teratological cases on Chilean Lygeids (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae)

Se describen tres casos teratologicos en ejemplares de Lygaeidae de Chile. El primer caso corresponde a una hemiteria pronotal en Syzygitis poecilus (Spinola, 1852); el segundo caso corresponde a una oligomeria simple en la antena derecha de un ejemplar de S. poecilus; finalmente el tercer caso corresponde a una atrofia con anartrogenesis en Lygaeus alboornatus Blanchard, 1852. Se comentan y discuten las posibles causas de estas malformaciones. Abstract Three teratological cases are described for species in the family Lygaeidae from Chile. The first case belongs to a pronotal hemitery in Syzygitis poecilus (Spinola, 1852). The second case belongs to a simple oligomery in the right antenna of a S. poecilus specimen. The third case belongs to an antennal atrophy with anarthrogenesis in Lygaeus alboornatus Blanchard, 1852. The possible causes of these teratosis are commented and discussed.
Gender and Job Satisfaction in a Self-managed Work Team Environment

This study examines the determinants of job satisfaction for women and men working in self-managed work teams. The data used are from a 1990 survey sample of 99 production employees in an electronics manufacturing plant. A model that integrates past theories using factors from job design, interpersonal and personal levels is tested. Workers' positions in the organizational hierarchy were controlled in order to clarify gender differences in predictors of job satisfaction. The model explained 67% of the variance for men and 55% of the variance for women. Women and men were found to have two predictors in common: Cooperation and commitment. Additionally, women's job satisfaction was affected by task significance and task identity. Men's job satisfaction was also affected by role clarity and skill variety.
Psychiatric Disorders and Function in Adolescents with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Objectives To assess psychiatric disorders and function in adolescents with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) without and with a genetic diagnosis and to evaluate associations of functioning with medical factors, IQ, and demographics. Study design Adolescents with TOF (n = 91) and 87 healthy referents completed a clinician-rated structured psychiatric interview, parent-/self-report measures of psychopathology, and brain magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-three of the adolescents with TOF had a known genetic diagnosis. Results The prevalence of anxiety disorders did not differ significantly between adolescents with TOF without genetic diagnosis (n = 68) and referents. Adolescents with TOF and a genetic diagnosis showed an increased lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorder (43%) and lower global psychosocial functioning (median, 70; IQR, 63-75) compared with adolescents with TOF without genetic diagnosis (15% and 83; IQR, 79-87, respectively; P = .04 and P = .001 and P = .04 and .002, respectively) and worse outcomes on parent-/self-report ratings of anxiety and disruptive behavior compared with referents. Risk factors for anxiety, ADHD, and lower psychosocial functioning for adolescents with TOF without a genetic diagnosis included older age, male sex, and low IQ. Medical variables were not predictive of psychiatric outcomes. Conclusion Adolescents with TOF, particularly those with a genetic diagnosis, show increased rates of psychiatric disorder and dysfunction. Continued mental health screening and surveillance into young adulthood is warranted for adolescents with TOF.
Stabilization of expansive Belle Fourche shale clay with different chemical additives

Abstract Improving the engineering properties of expansive soils is very important in northern plains, Texas and mid-west regions of the United States. In this study, expansive Belle Fourche clay (B) from South Dakota, was mixed with the class C fly ash (FC), class F fly ash (FF) and lime. Swelling pressure (SWP) and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted on samples that were cured at different periods (0, 7 and 28 days). Furthermore, freeze and thaw (F-T) effects on the swelling and strength properties of the clay and selected mixtures were investigated. Results showed that the SWP of the Belle Fourche clay (B) decreased significantly with addition of lime 4% by dry weight of soil from 235 kPa to almost 0 kPa. Mixing fly ashes also reduced the SWP to 47 kPa and 100 kPa with class C and class F fly ashes, respectively. Increase in F-T cycles reduced the SWP, whereas the SWP increased with 2 and 4 F-T cycles for the mixtures with the fly ashes. However, after 4 cycles, the pressure of the same mixtures decreased. On the contrary, to the clay-fly ash mixtures, F-T did not affect the SWP of the clay-lime mixtures. In terms of strength, chemical treatment increased UCS. The overall effectiveness of the treatment under the curing and F-T was in the order of FC, lime, and FF. The UCSs of the clays treated with these additives were 3.58, 1.82, and 1.63 times higher than the non-treated clay. F-T reduced the UCS of the clay and the clay treated with FF. Although the UCS of the FC and lime mixtures increased within 2 cycles of F-T, they did not show the same strength improving performance with more F-T cycles. It was observed that mixtures with higher liquid limit and plasticity index (PI) tended to have higher SWP and lower UCS. This study claimed that chemically stabilized soils with high CaO content, CaO/SiO2, CaO/Al2O3, and CaO/(SiO2 + Al2O3) ratios had higher potential to decrease SWP of expansive soils and increase UCS of weak soils.
Contingent authority and youth influence: When youth councils can wield influence in public institutions

Studies of youth public participation have dealt with varied conceptions of citizenship that emerge from literatures on human rights, civic engagement, youth development, and youth organizing and activism. Where those conceptions rely on developmental logics that limit or exclude youth participation, young people’s attempts to gain authority reveal concurrent ways they navigate these multiple conceptions of participation. Drawing on an 18-month ethnographic study, the analysis presented here focuses on a specific venue for youth participation: a student advisory board. Data includes participant observation, interviews, and artifacts including resolutions and emails. Twenty-one of 27 students, representing roughly 15 high schools in their school district, participated in the study. When students attended to paperwork like bylaws and the state education code, they gained access to contingent authority, a limited but influential form of Weberian authority. Key implications of the study indicate that while youth advisory councils can reliably produce exclusion on developmental grounds, they can also provide the parameters for establishing contingent authority. Paperwork is a key to accessing this form of bureaucratic authority, but exercising it requires sustained, public practice. This article contributes to literatures on youth studies, public participation and more broadly to sociology of education.
Marrow Adipose Tissue: Skeletal Location, Sexual Dimorphism, and Response to Sex Steroid Deficiency

Marrow adipose tissue (MAT) is unique with respect to origin, metabolism, and function. MAT is characterized with high heterogeneity which correlates with skeletal location and bone metabolism. This fat depot is also highly sensitive to various hormonal, environmental, and pharmacologic cues to which it responds with changes in volume and/or metabolic phenotype. We have demonstrated previously that MAT has characteristics of both white (WAT) and brown (BAT)-like or beige adipose tissue, and that beige phenotype is attenuated with aging and in diabetes. Here, we extended our analysis by comparing MAT phenotype in different locations within a tibia bone of mature C57BL/6 mice and with respect to the presence of sex steroids in males and females. We report that MAT juxtaposed to trabecular bone of proximal tibia (pMAT) is characterized by elevated expression of beige fat markers including Ucp1, HoxC9, Prdm16, Tbx1 and Dio2, as compared to MAT located in distal tibia (dMAT). There is also a difference in tissue organization with adipocytes in proximal tibia being dispersed between trabeculae, while adipocytes in distal tibia being densely packed. Higher trabecular bone mass in males correlates with lower pMAT volume and higher expression of beige markers in the same location, as compared to females. However, there is no sexual divergence in the volume and transcriptional profile of dMAT. A removal of ovaries in females resulted in decreased cortical bone mass and increased volume of both pMAT and dMAT, as well as volume of gonadal WAT. Increase in pMAT volume was associated with marked increase in Fabp4 and Adiponectin expression and relative decrease in beige fat gene markers. A removal of testes in males resulted in cortical and trabecular bone loss and the tendency to increased volume of both pMAT and dMAT, despite a loss of gonadal WAT. Orchiectomy did not affect the expression of white and beige adipocyte gene markers. In conclusion, expression profile of beige adipocyte gene markers correlates with skeletal location of active bone remodeling and higher trabecular bone mass, however bone loss resulted from sex steroid deficiency is not proportional to MAT expansion at the same skeletal location.
Characterization and modeling of sediment settling, consolidation, and suspension to optimize coastal Louisiana restoration

Abstract Many research efforts have been undertaken over many decades in the field of Louisiana coastal restoration, but long-term experiments for sediment suspension and consolidation in diversion-receiving basins are still limited, despite significance of this topic to ongoing restoration strategies. Sediment samples were collected from two active diversions on the Mississippi River: West Bay, a semi-enclosed bay located on the Mississippi River Delta and fed by the West Bay Diversion, and from Big Mar pond, a receiving basin of the Caernarvon freshwater diversion from the lower Mississippi River, Louisiana, USA. A dual-core Gust Erosion Microcosm System was used to measure time-series (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-months after initial settling) erodibility at seven shear stress regimes (0.01–0.60 Pa) using experimental cores prepared with two initial sediment concentrations (60 and 120 kg m−3). A 230-cm tall settling column with nine sampling ports was used to measure the consolidation rates for initial sediment concentrations ranging from fluid mud (10 kg m−3) to dredge effluent (120 kg m−3), in combination with two levels of salinity (1 and 5). The erodibility of West Bay sediment decreased with increasing time of consolidation. The critical shear stress for resuspension increased from 0.2 Pa after 2 months to 0.45 Pa after 4 months of consolidation. The consolidation rates were inversely and exponentially related to initial sediment concentrations. Consolidation tests in salinity of 1 generally settled faster than that in salinity of 5, and consolidation tests with low sediment concentration tests generally settled faster than high-concentration tests. An exponential coefficient was added in the Sanford (2008) model to better predict the consolidation profile of both rapid early settling and slow self-weight consolidation processes. Our study suggests that enclosed basin, low salinity, relatively low sediment concentration and minimized disturbance for 4 months all favor of mud deposition and retention, and these factors should be considered in the design of coastal restoration projects such as dredging effluent placements and sediment diversions.
Nonlinear development of hydrodynamically-unstable flames in three-dimensional laminar flows

Abstract The hydrodynamic instability, which results from the large density variations between the fresh mixture and the hot combustion products, was discovered by Darrieus and Landau over seventy years ago, and has been named after its inventors. The instability, which prevents flames from being too flat, was thought to lead immediately to turbulent flames. Recent studies, initiated by weakly nonlinear analyses and extended by two-dimensional simulations suggest that this is not the case. It was established that the flame beyond the onset of instability, develops into a cusp-like structure pointing towards the burned gas region that propagates at a speed substantially larger than the laminar flame speed. In this work, we present for the first time a systematic study of the bifurcation phenomena in the more realistic three-dimensional flow. The computations are carried out within the context of the hydrodynamic theory where the flame is treated as a surface of density discontinuity separating burned gas from the fresh mixture, and propagates at a speed that depends on the local curvature and hydrodynamic strain rate. A low Mach-number Navier–Stokes solver modified by an appropriate source term is used to determine the flow field that results from the gas expansion and the flame is tracked using a level-set methodology with a surface parameterization method employed to accurately capture the local velocity and stretch rate. The numerical scheme is shown to recover the known exact solutions predicted in the weak gas expansion limit and corroborates the bifurcation results from linear stability analysis. The new conformations that evolve beyond the instability threshold have sharp crest pointing towards the burned gas with ridges along the troughs, and propagate nearly 40% faster than planar flames. Indeed, the appearance of sharp folds and creases, which are some manifestations of the Darrieus–Landau instability, have been observed on the surface of premixed flames in various laminar and turbulent settings.
How to Use This Atlas

The incidence of skin cancer continues to rise and with it there is an increasing focus on the need to treat malignant skin tumors in an effective and cost-efficient fashion. Mohs surgery, more specifically referred to as Mohs microscopically controlled surgery, is a tissue sparing method for the stepwise removal of skin cancer. The approach, performed in the office setting under local anesthesia, permits maximal normal tissue preservation while optimizing the cure rate. It is the treatment of choice for a variety of skin cancers on the face, head and neck, trunk and extremities. Originally developed at the University of Wisconsin by Frederick Mohs, the method used a fixed tissue approach through the application of zinc chloride. In the early 1970s, this method gave rise to the frozen section Mohs technique. This book focuses exclusively on the frozen section method. We do not discuss special stains and limit our discussion to hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue. While some Mohs surgeons may use other methods, in order to make this text applicable most broadly we have focused on the most commonly used method of tissue preparation. Ultimately, as the reader will see, Mohs histopathology is much more about pattern recognition and understanding cellular features than about the particular stain that is used.
The Surgeon’s Expertise

In this chapter, I outline some perceived parallels between findings on expert performance in surgery and those in other domains. Analyses of superior performance of experts from traditional domains, such as chess, sports, and music, have uncovered evidence for the acquired mediating mechanisms of expertise: very complex skills, highly refined representations, and extreme physiological adaptations to physical domains. I review published evidence to show how the acquisition of superior performance in surgery is closely related to the extent of engagement in practice with feedback during medical training and residency. On a more speculative note, I discuss how continued access to conditions for deliberate practice as well as feedback on daily medical practice might allow doctors, especially specialists, to keep improving their performance after the completion of medical training.
Understanding the Role of Superior and Self Perceptions of Fit on New Executive Adjustment

Drawing on person-organization fit (P-O fit) and socialization theories, we proposed that newcomers’ adjustment to a new workplace depends on both their own (self-perceptions) and their superiors’ ...
Combining Slow Flow Techniques With Adaptive Demodulation for Improved Perfusion Ultrasound Imaging Without Contrast

Noncontrast perfusion ultrasound imaging remains challenging due to spectral broadening of the tissue clutter signal caused by patient and sonographer hand motion. To address this problem, we previously introduced an adaptive demodulation scheme to suppress the bandwidth of tissue prior to high-pass filtering. Our initial implementation used single plane wave power Doppler imaging and a conventional tissue filter. Recent advancements in beamforming and tissue filtering have been proposed for improved slow flow imaging, including coherent flow power Doppler (CFPD) imaging and singular value decomposition (SVD) filtering. Here, we aim to evaluate adaptive demodulation in conjunction with improvements in beamforming and filtering using simulations, single-vessel phantoms, and an in vivo liver tumor embolization study. We show that simulated blood-to-background contrast-to-noise ratios are highest when using adaptive demodulation with CFPD and a 100-ms ensemble, which resulted in a 13.6-dB average increase in contrast-to-noise ratio compared to basic IIR filtering alone. We also show that combining adaptive demodulation with SVD and with CFPD + SVD results in 9.3- and 19-dB increases in contrast-to-noise ratios compared to IIR filtering alone at 700- and 500-ms ensembles for phantom data with 1- and 5-mm/s average flows, respectively. In general, combining techniques resulted in higher signal-to-noise, contrast-to-noise, and generalized contrast-to-noise ratios in both simulations and phantoms. Finally, adaptive demodulation with SVD resulted in the largest qualitative and quantitative changes in tumor-to-background contrast postembolization.
Viruses in Aerosols at a Wastewater Spray Irrigation Site

ABSTRACT Aerosol samples were collected at the Muskegon County, Michigan, Wastewater Management System agricultural spray irrigation site, using the XM2 Biological Sampler/Collector. Air and water samples were assayed for animal virus by the plaque method and for coliphages by the overlay and MPN methods. Although no animal viruses were found in the aerosols, 0 to 9 coliphage per cubic meter of air sampled were recovered from the air samples. Virus and coliphage levels decreased as the wastewater progressed through the treatment facility.
Potential Pitfalls in Private Aid: A Cautionary Note for Non-Governmental Assistance

This chapter highlights the increasing utilization of private aid in economic development. While there is a broad appeal for using private development assistance over official development assistance, limitations to effectiveness do remain. Those who view private aid as a cure-all for development and humanitarian projects may assume too much. Private aid faces many of the same or similar issues as official aid. An understanding of these particular challenges is important for those who desire to improve the condition of those abroad, and a cautious approach is advised.
Prediction of Early Season Beet Leafhopper Populations in Southern New Mexico

Curly top is an important widespread disease in semiarid regions that can be caused by several Curtovirus and Becurtovirus species. The strains of beet curly top virus (BCTV) have been some of the ...
Zmat2 in mammals: conservation and diversification among genes and Pseudogenes

Recent advances in genetics and genomics present unique opportunities for enhancing our understanding of mammalian biology and evolution through detailed multi-species comparative analysis of gene organization and expression. Yet, of the more than 20,000 protein coding genes found in mammalian genomes, fewer than 10% have been examined in any detail. Here we elucidate the power of data available in publicly-accessible genomic and genetic resources by querying them to evaluate Zmat2, a minimally studied gene whose human ortholog has been implicated in spliceosome function and in keratinocyte differentiation. We find extensive conservation in coding regions and overall structure of Zmat2 in 18 mammals representing 13 orders and spanning ~ 165 million years of evolutionary development, and in their encoded proteins. We identify a tandem duplication in the Zmat2 gene and locus in opossum, but not in other monotremes, marsupials, or other mammals, indicating that this event occurred subsequent to the divergence of these species from one another. We also define a collection of Zmat2 pseudogenes in half of the mammals studied, and suggest based on phylogenetic analysis that they each arose independently in the recent evolutionary past. Mammalian Zmat2 genes and ZMAT2 proteins illustrate conservation of structure and sequence, along with the development and diversification of pseudogenes in a large fraction of species. Collectively, these observations also illustrate how the focused identification and interpretation of data found in public genomic and gene expression resources can be leveraged to reveal new insights of potentially high biological significance.
Growth and transgenerational acclimatization of juvenile Pocillopora damicornis

Global carbon emissions and associated increase in ocean temperatures are understood to be the main driving force in the degradation of coral reefs. Elevated temperatures impact various life stages of scleractinian corals, from the free-floating planulae of brooding corals to older, sexually viable individuals. With global warming, questions have arisen over whether organismal adaptation will be enough to keep up with the pace of environmental change. Researchers have pursued investigations of whether or not rapid acclimatization, through transgenerational plasticity, can help protect populations until genetic adaptation occurs. Acclimatization in corals has been widely studied in all life stages of corals, with the important exception of recently settled juveniles. In this study, I built upon past research by exposing adult Pocillopora damicornis colonies to elevated (28.5oC) or ambient (25.5oC) temperatures and examining the settlement ability and growth of their planulae ex situ . Juveniles from preconditioned parents fared better in higher temperatures compared to their naive counterparts. Lunar timing of planula release between treatments peaked at different times in the lunar cycle. Peak planula release occurred on lunar day 23 for prestressed corals and on lunar day 7 for corals from ambient temperature seawaters. While future projects should follow up on these preliminary trials with in situ experiments to assess this phenomenon in the field, this study represents an important step in understanding how corals may be able to acclimatize and eventually adapt to climate change.
Entrepreneurial Ability, Venture Investments and Risk Sharing

This study seeks to fill a gap in the research on the behavior of entrepreneurs, their decisions to develop their firms independently or with venture capitalists, and the relation to their abilities and to the value in making that ability known, even at a cost. Information asymmetry exists when venture capitalists find it difficult to assess the founder's entrepreneurial skills and abilities, which can impact the decision of entrepreneurs to seek venture capitalists, and the price that those investors may be willing to pay. A model is developed based on the principal-agent framework, which focuses on a risk-adverse entrepreneur in an independent setting, and is used to address three different situations concerning outside knowledge of an entrepreneur's abilities. The model shows that when the ability of entrepreneurs is common knowledge, they choose to involve risk-neutral venture capitalists. When the entrepreneur knows his or her skill level, but the venture capitalist does not, the less profitable ventures are the ones that are sold. The more skillful entrepreneurs retain their ventures. In situations where asymmetric information exists, it is possible for the entrepreneur to invest in information that makes his skill level known to the venture capitalists. When this happens, some less skillful entrepreneurs will still sell. An examination of equilibrium prices under this set of circumstances shows that the price for those ventures that are sold without using an available signal will be less than, or equal to, the prices of the ventures that are sold when a signal is not available. Highly-skilled entrepreneurs do not necessarily either generate a signal or develop their venture alone. The results of this analysis help to explain Bygrave's work that highlighted the poor return of venture capital investments. (SRD)
Anesthesia for a Patient With Aicardi-Goutières Syndrome: A First Case Report.

We present a case of a child with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS) undergoing general anesthesia for placement of a laparoscopic gastrostomy tube. AGS is a rare genetic leukodystrophy that can affect most organ systems with extensive neurologic effects. These changes potentially have great anesthetic implications. We describe our anesthetic management and discuss these implications. The patient had a prolonged duration of action of rocuronium and an otherwise uneventful anesthetic course.
The Control of Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases Using International Law

This article reviews the international law aimed at controlling traditional air pollution as well as the efforts to address climate change. It covers transboundary air pollution litigation and the treaties dealing with conventional and toxic air pollutants. It discusses the Montreal Protocol and the continuing efforts to protect stratospheric ozone. It covers the control greenhouse gas emissions based on the Kyoto Protocol and the subsequent meetings of the parties. Finally, it discusses the international efforts to control black carbon. It concludes with an evaluation of these international efforts and recommendations for future negotiations.
Online Mentoring with the Math Forum: A Capstone Experience for Preservice K-8 Teachers in a Mathematics Content Problem-Solving Class.

This article describes how the Problem of the Week Environment at the Math Forum online mathematics resource allows K-8 preservice teachers who are enrolled in mathematics content problem solving-classes to experience the process of reading, evaluating, and replying to young problem solvers' work with thoughtful comments and effective hints. This online project includes the training of college-student mentors, the assignment of problems, and the approval of replies. This article focuses on the twofold purpose of the mentoring project: first, to give preservice teachers a special type of field experience by guiding K-8 students to write better solutions via questions and helpful suggestions; and second, to allow preservice teachers the opportunity to reflect upon the variety and richness of approaches generated by a rich mathematical problem.
Cancer stem cells, self-seeding, and decremented exponential growth: theoretical and clinical implications.

The cancer stem cell hypothesis, for all of its biological intricacy, lends itself to a simple mathematical model with intriguing theoretical and practical implications. Models of this type are neither esoteric nor computation-intensive. Indeed, they can often be expressed in words and images rather than mathematical symbols. This essay will build such a model from basic, experimentally-derived postulates and show how it could explain all of the classical features of epithelial breast cancer: histologic disorganization (dysplasia, anaplasia), rapid growth, large tumor size, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. The model could also explain why anti-mitotic therapy fails to cure most malignant diseases including stage IV breast cancer, and suggests alternative and perhaps superior therapeutic approaches.
A multi-parameter, feedback-based electrical stimulation system for cardiomyocyte cultures

Cardiac myocytes are cultured to confluency on a 36-element planar microelectrode array. Spontaneously-active cardiomyocyte cultures are electrically stimulated, eliciting action potentials (APs), and the resulting data is amplified, filtered, and stimulation artifacts are removed during data acquisition. Stimulation circuitry allows real-time control of stimulation waveform amplitude, duration, and rate via 10-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs). By extracting artifacts and processing AP properties in real time, we incorporate these properties into real-time stimulation algorithms, creating a sensitive feedback-regulated myocyte-based transducer of cell electrophysiological properties. Applications of this technology include toxin detection, automated pharmaceutical screening, and basic cardiac electrophysiology.
A Survey of Neuropsychologists’ Practices and Perspectives Regarding the Assessment of Judgment Ability

Judgment is an important aspect of cognitive and real-world functioning that is commonly assessed during neuropsychological evaluations. This study utilized a brief, online survey to examine neuropsychologists' practices and perspectives regarding available judgment instruments. Participants (n = 290, 17% response rate) were randomly selected members of the International Neuropsychological Society and the National Academy of Neuropsychology. Respondents rank-ordered the following issues that should be incorporated into assessments of judgment (from most to least important): safety, ability to perform activities of daily living, and problem solving/decision making about medical, financial, social/ethical, and legal matters. A majority of respondents reported that they "often" or "always" assessed judgment when evaluating patients with traumatic brain injury (89%), dementia (87%), and psychiatric disorders (70%). Surprisingly, the top-ranked instruments were not tests of judgment per se, and included the WAIS-III Comprehension, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and WAIS-III Similarities. Further, 61% of respondents were slightly confident, and only 23% were very confident, in their ability to assess a patient's judgment skills with their current tests. The overwhelming majority (87%) of respondents perceived a need for improved measures. Overall results indicate use of varied techniques by neuropsychologists to evaluate judgment and suggest the need for additional tests of this cognitive domain.
On a multiple correlation ratio

Abstract A squared multiple correlation ratio of a random vector y on another random vector x is defined by η 2 (y,x)=|V(E(y|x))|/|V(y)|. The advantages of the present multiple correlation ratio over the one defined by Sampson (1984) are pointed out.
Radar attenuation tomography using the centroid frequency downshift method

A method for tomographically estimating electromagnetic (EM) wave attenuation based on analysis of centroid frequency downshift (CFDS) of impulse radar signals is described and applied to cross-hole radar data. The method is based on a constant-Q model, which assumes a linear frequency dependence of attenuation for EM wave propagation above the transition frequency. The method uses the CFDS to construct the projection function. In comparison with other methods for estimating attenuation, the CFDS method is relatively insensitive to the effects of geometric spreading, instrument response, and antenna coupling and radiation pattern, but requires the data to be broadband so that the frequency shift and variance can be easily measured. The method is well-suited for difference tomography experiments using electrically conductive tracers. The CFDS method was tested using cross-hole radar data collected at the U.S. Geological Survey Fractured Rock Research Site at Mirror Lake, New Hampshire (NH) during a saline-tracer injection experiment. The attenuation-difference tomogram created with the CFDS method outlines the spatial distribution of saline tracer within the tomography plane.
On energy focusing with multiple sources in an inviscid field

A concept has been proposed for focusing underwater energy. An array of independently detonated spherical TNT charges has been suggested to achieve this aim. The goal of the present research effort is to model this system and identify optimal array geometry and detonation timing. A reduced-order model must be developed due to the highly iterative nature of most optimization algorithms. The fast computational speed required by the optimization problem renders the use of the sophisticated numerical solvers impractical. An analytical, physics-based model must be developed to satisfy the computational time and accuracy demands of the multiple charge problem. This model must capture shock propagation speed, pressure–time histories throughout the fluid domain, and shock wave interaction phenomena. Such a model is presented herein.
Avoidance box for mice.

Abstract An inexpensive and easily constructed apparatus for training mice to quickly acquire an avoidance response is described. Mice are trained to jump on a platform and are automatically returned to the grids.
Electrocardiographic Manifestations of Dual Atrioventricular Node Conduction During Sinus Rhythm

Abstract Objectives. The objective of this study was to correlate electrocardiographic (ECG) PR interval changes during normal sinus rhythm with recent observations regarding the anatomy and physiology of the dual, slow and fast atrioventricular (AV) pathways. Background. The least common manifestation of dual AV conduction is an abrupt PR interval change in the setting of sinus rhythm. Whereas isolated cases of this phenomenon have been reported, the relatively large series we have collected makes it possible to correlate the ECG findings with the anatomy, composition and electrophysiology of the dual AV pathways. Methods. The ECGs of 21 patients with sinus rhythm and PR interval changes consistent with dual AV node physiology were studied. Observations include duration of the short and long PR intervals, the difference between the two and the events responsible for the PR interval change. Results. Eighteen of the 21 ECGs exhibited an abrupt and persistent PR interval change. Two of the other three ECGs manifested PR interval alternans, with slow and fast pathway, and a Wenckebach type I AV block; in the third ECG, findings compatible with simultaneous conduction along both pathways in response to a single stimulus were noted. Events responsible for the PR change included atrial premature complexes, atrial tachycardia, interpolated ventricular premature complexes and interpolated junctional premature complexes. In two the PR interval change appeared during a regular sinus rhythm. Conclusions. The behavior of the PR interval is consistent with dual AV conduction. The PR interval duration hypothesized to represent slow pathway conduction is in keeping with the calculated anatomic length of the slow pathway. The Wenckebach type I block in the slow and fast pathways, as well as the altered conduction time in the slow pathway parallel with changing sinus rate, is evidence that the pathway is influenced by autonomic (?parasympathetic) innervation, supporting the premise that the pathways contain AV node-like tissue. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:1015–22) © 1997 by the American College of Cardiology