cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acetylcholine receptor synthesis in retina and transport to optic tectum in goldfish

Previous studies have suggested that the retinotectal system of the goldfish contains a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) that is sensitive to alpha-bungarotoxin. Extracellularly recorded field potentials elicited in response to visual stimulation can be blocked by alpha-bungarotoxin, and alpha-bungarotoxin can interfere with the maintenance of retinotectal synaptic connections. Whether the transmission between the retinal ganglion cells and the tectal cells is mediated by acetylcholine and whether nAChR's exist on the dendrites of tectal cells are questions that remain. The experiments described in this report were designed to determine the site of synthesis of the nAChR's associated with the goldfish retinotectal projection. Radioactive (35S-labeled) methionine was injected into either the eye or the tectal ventricle, and the incorporation of radioactivity into the nAChR was measured by immunoprecipitation. The use of this technique provides evidence that an nAChR associated with the goldfish retinotectal projection is synthesized in the retina and transported to the optic tectum, which suggests a presynaptic site of acetylcholine action on retinal terminals.
Nonlinear dynamic response of anisotropic, arbitrarily laminated shell panels: An asymptotic analysis

Abstract An asymptotic procedure is used to derive the nonlinear equations of motion governing the forced dynamic response of an arbitrarily laminated slightly compressible composite shell panel in cylindrical bending. A combination of the Galerkin procedure and the method of multiple time scales is used to construct a uniformly valid asymptotic expansion for the dynamic response of the panel under near-resonant external excitation, and in the presence of a two-to-one internal resonance condition. A qualitative analysis shows that there is a threshold value for the amplitude of excitation, above which the panel exhibits the saturation phenomenon in which the amplitude of the directly excited mode saturates and the coupled mode starts to respond nonlinearly and eventually dominates the response. The force-response curve also exhibits the jump phenomenon.
Progesterone reduces the inhibitory effect of a serotonin 1B receptor agonist on lordosis behavior

Ovariectomized Fischer inbred rats were hormonally primed with 10μg estradiol benzoate and sesame seed oil (EO rats) or with estradiol benzoate and 500μg progesterone (EP rats). Four to six hours after progesterone or oil, rats were pretested for sexual behavior and then infused bilaterally into the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus with 0, 50, 100 or 200ng of the 5-HT(1B) receptor agonist, 1,4-dihydro-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyridinyl)-5H-pyrrol[3,2-bi]pyridin-5-one-dihydrochloride (CP 93129). Sexual receptivity was monitored by the lordosis to mount (L/M) ratio. EO rats showed a transient decline in lordosis behavior following infusion with the saline vehicle and this was amplified by CP 93129. There were no effects of any infusion in EP rats. These findings are discussed in terms of the possible stress effect of the intracranial infusion in EO rats and their implications for a role of 5-HT(1B) receptors in the response to a mild stress.
Development of a custom high-throughput preparative liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer platform for the preparative purification and analytical analysis of compound libraries.

Solution-phase parallel synthesis has had a profound impact on the speed of compound synthesis delivering relatively pure compounds (>80%) in short order. However, to develop structure activity rel...
Capital utilization and investment when capital depreciates in use: some implications and tests

Abstract This paper develops and tests two models of capital utilization and investment when capital depreciates in use. I show that there are restrictions on technology that allow optimality conditions independent of the capital stock to be found. The optimality conditions are based on the observation that, if capital depreciates in use, a firm has two ways of acquiring capital-lower utilization or higher investment—and will equate the marginal cost of each. While I am unable to reject the implied restrictions on data for one of the models, the parameter estimates suggest that depreciation-in-use is not an important source of fluctuations in utilization.
High performance SIMD marching cubes isosurface extraction on commodity computers

Abstract Approaches to achieve high performance for volume visualization via the popular Marching Cubes algorithm on commodity x86 personal computers are described. The approaches utilize Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) Within A Register (SWAR) capabilities available in the streaming media extensions of recent-generation x86 CPUs. The SWAR capabilities are exploited in a manner that enables simultaneous processing of multiple volume data points, edges, and cells. In addition, the approach maintains the rendering quality of a standard serial implementation of the Marching Cubes. An average overall speedup of nearly four times is achieved (compared to an unoptimized standard implementation that uses conventional serial processing).
The muscle integrin binding protein (MIBP) interacts with α7β1 integrin and regulates cell adhesion and laminin matrix deposition

Integrins are αβ transmembrane receptors that function in key cellular processes, including cell adhesion, differentiation, and extracellular matrix deposition through interactions with extracellular, membrane, and cytoplasmic proteins. We previously identified and cloned a muscle β1 integrin cytoplasmic binding protein termed MIBP and found that the expression level of MIBP is critical in the decision-making process of terminal myogenic differentiation. We report here that MIBP interacts with the α7β1 integrin but not the α5β1 integrin in C2C12 myoblasts, suggesting an important role of integrin α chains in the regulation of the β1-MIBP interaction. Furthermore, consistent with its selective binding activity toward the α7β1 laminin receptor, we have found that overexpression of MIBP in C2C12 myoblasts resulted in a significant reduction of cell adhesion to laminin and inhibition of laminin matrix deposition. By contrast, neither cell adhesion to fibronectin nor fibronectin matrix deposition was significantly altered in cells overexpressing MIBP. Finally, we show that both the protein level and tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin, a key signaling molecule involved in the cellular control of myogenic differentiation, are increased by MIBP. These results suggest that MIBP functions in the control of myogenic differentiation by regulating α7β1 integrin-mediated cell interactions with laminin matrix and intracellular signaling through paxillin.
Identification of endangered Hawaiian ducks (Anas wyvilliana), introduced North American mallards (A. platyrhynchos) and their hybrids using multilocus genotypes

Hawaiian ducks (Anas wyvilliana), or koloa, are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands and are listed as a federal and state endangered species. Hybridization between koloa and introduced mallards (A. platyrhynchos) is believed to be a primary threat to the recovery of koloa. We evaluated the utility of two sets of nuclear markers (microsatellite loci and amplified fragment length polymorphisms) and a variable portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region to distinguish among koloa, mallards, and hybrids. We show that microsatellite and AFLP markers can be used to distinguish between koloa and mallard-koloa hybrids with a high degree of confidence. For all but one of the putative koloa in our sample, the posterior probability of belonging to the koloa category was >0.90. Similarly all but one of the mallard-koloa hybrids were assigned to the hybrid category with posterior probabilities >0.98. Subsets of markers led to poorer resolution among koloa, mallard and hybrid categories. Among a sample of 61 koloa, hybrids and mallards, we found 25 different mtDNA haplotypes, belonging to two groups of haplotypes (A and B) identified previously in mallards and their relatives. All putative koloa samples exhibited group B haplotypes, of which 65% comprised one haplotype, while the rest were divided among four haplotypes. All Hawai’i mallard samples exhibited haplotypes that belonged to group A. Hybrids and California mallards exhibited haplotypes belonging to both groups, but a majority were of group A, suggesting that hybridization may more commonly involve mating between Hawai’i mallard females and koloa males.
Laboratory implementation of a neural network trajectory controller for a DC motor

The laboratory implementation of a neural network controller for high performance DC drives is described. The objective is to control the rotor speed and/or position to follow an arbitrarily selected trajectory at all times. The control strategy is based on indirect model reference adaptive control (MRAC). The motor characteristics are explicitly identified through a multilayer perceptron type neural network. The output of the trained neural network is used to drive the motor in order to achieve a desired time trajectory of the controlled variable. The neural network controller is assembled in a commercially available PC-based real-time control system shell, using software subroutines. An H-bridge, DC/DC voltage converter is interfaced with the computer to generate the specified terminal voltage sequences for driving the motor. All software and hardware components are off the shelf. The versatility of the motor/controller arrangement is displayed through real-time plots of the controlled states. >
'Recado a Victoria Ocampo, en la Argentina', de Gabriela Mistral

Resumen es: "Recado a Victoria Ocampo, en Argentina" es una carta poetica mixta. La hospedada escribe haciendo el elogio del lugar y de la casa donde se hospeda. Una...
The ratio between tetrahydrobiopterin and oxidized tetrahydrobiopterin analogues controls superoxide release from endothelial nitric oxide synthase: an EPR spin trapping study.

Augmentation of superoxide levels has been linked to impaired relaxation in hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia. Purified endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) generates superoxide under limited availability of 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)). Thus alterations in endothelial BH(4) levels have been postulated to stimulate superoxide production from eNOS. This possibility was examined by determining the concentration-dependent effects of BH(4), and its analogues, on superoxide formation by eNOS. Superoxide was quantified by EPR spin trapping, which is the only available technique to quantify superoxide from eNOS. Using 5-ethoxycarbonyl-5-methyl-pyrroline N-oxide, we show that only fully reduced BH(4) diminished superoxide release from eNOS, with efficiency BH(4)>6-methyl-BH(4)>5-methyl-BH(4). In contrast, partially oxidized BH(4) analogues, 7,8-dihydrobiopterin (7,8-BH(2)) and sepiapterin had no effect. Neither l-arginine nor N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) abolished superoxide formation. Together, BH(4) and l-arginine stimulated .NO production at maximal rates of 148 nmol/min per mg of protein. These results indicate that BH(4) acts as a "redox switch", decreasing superoxide release and enhancing .NO formation. This role was verified by adding 7,8-BH(2) or sepiapterin to fully active eNOS. Both 7,8-BH(2) and sepiapterin enhanced superoxide release while inhibiting (.)NO formation. Collectively, these results indicate that the ratio between oxidized and reduced BH(4) metabolites tightly regulates superoxide formation from eNOS. The pathological significance of this scenario is discussed.
Item Response Theory Fundamentals, Applications, and Promise in Psychological Research

Item response theory (IRT) is an increasingly popular approach to the development, evaluation, and administration of psychological measures. We introduce, first, three IRT fundamentals: (a) item response functions, (b) information functions, and (c) invariance. We next illustrate how IRT modeling can improve the quality of psychological measurement. Available evidence suggests that the differences between IRT and traditional psychometric methods are not trivial; IRT applications can improve the precision and validity of psychological research across a wide range of subjects.
Funding for Disaster Recovery: Increased Taxes or Charitable Donations to Nonprofits?

Abstract Governments oftentimes fail to satisfy high demanders of public services, leaving room for the nonprofit sector. How can the government deal with this government failure? Must it resort to tax increases or should it engage the nonprofit sector? Using the public polls conducted in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, this study aims to explore an empirical answer to this question. In particular, we contrast the determinants of the willingness of an individual to pay more tax with those of the willingness to make more voluntary donations for the disaster recovery purposes. The results show that attitudes on governments' roles in disaster recovery are not consistent with charitable giving behavior and are affected more by the survey respondents' political orientation than voluntary motivation. We discuss this finding's implication for designing a more effective disaster response system.
Agency and Communication Challenges in Discussions of Informed Consent in Pediatric Cancer Research

In this article we examine the discourse of four focus groups we conducted at a pediatric research hospital in which we queried teenage patients, parents, nurses, and physicians about their perceptions of the informed consent process in research. Autonomy, as the goal of informed consent, is a murky concept, with some ethicists questioning the possibility that it can ever be attained. We argue that it might be more productive to consider agency, which we define as language and action that are constructed, negotiated, and maintained through effective communication. Our goal was to understand how individuals rhetorically constructed agency in discussions of informed consent experiences. After transcribing and coding the focus group interviews, we identified six aspects of agency in participants' discourse: (a) defining roles, (b) seeking information, (c) providing information, (d) supporting others, (e) making decisions, and (f) claiming agency for self. Examining these aspects of agency indicated that efforts to improve the informed consent process must address: (a) status differentials, (b) role definitions, (c) information flow, and (d) relationships.
Diets of Darkling Beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Within a Shrub-Steppe Ecosystem

The diets of 13 species of darkling beetles inhabiting shrub-steppe communities of southcentral Washington were analyzed. Forty-seven vascular plant species, including 7 grasses, 34 forbs, and 6 shrubs, were fed upon. Cluster analysis was used to determine the extent of overlap in food habits among beetle species. The beetle species were separated into five food preference groups. Partitioning of food resources may act to refine niche space of these beetles.
Association of CHADS2, CHA2DS2-VASc, and R2CHADS2 scores with left atrial dysfunction in patients with coronary heart disease (from the Heart and Soul study).

The predictive ability of the CHADS 2 index to stratify stroke risk may be mechanistically linked to severity of left atrial (LA) dysfunction. This study investigated the association between the CHADS 2 score and LA function. We performed resting transthoracic echocardiography in 970 patients with stable coronary heart disease and normal ejection fraction and calculated baseline LA functional index (LAFI) using a validated formula: (LA emptying fraction × left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral)/LA end-systolic volume indexed to body surface area. We performed regression analyses to evaluate the association between risk scores and LAFI. Among 970 subjects, mean CHADS 2 was 1.7 ± 1.2. Mean LAFI decreased across tertiles of CHADS 2 (42.8 ± 18.1, 37.8 ± 19.1, 36.7 ± 19.4, p 2 remained associated with the lowest quartile of LAFI (odds ratio 2.34, p = 0.001). In multivariable analysis of component co-morbidities, heart failure, age, and creatinine clearance 2 , the LAFI decreased by 4.0%. Secondary analyses using CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc and R 2 CHADS 2 scores replicated these results. Findings were consistent when excluding patients with baseline atrial fibrillation. In conclusion, CHADS 2 , CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc, and R 2 CHADS 2 scores are associated with LA dysfunction, even in patients without baseline atrial fibrillation. These findings merit further study to determine the role of LA dysfunction in cardioembolic stroke and the value of LAFI for risk stratification.
Shape deformation: SVM regression and application to medical image segmentation

This paper presents a novel landmark-based shape deformation method. This method effectively solves two problems inherent in landmark-based shape deformation: (a) identification of landmark points from a given input image, and (b) regularized deformation the shape of an an object defined in a template. The second problem is solved using a new constrained support vector machine (SVM) regression technique, in which a thin-plate kernel is utilized to provide non-rigid shape deformations. This method offers several advantages over existing landmark-based methods. First, it has a unique capability to detect and use multiple candidate landmark points in an input image to improve landmark detection. Second, it can handle the case of missing landmarks, which often arises in dealing with occluded images. We have applied the proposed method to extract the scalp contours from brain cryosection images with very encouraging results.
The mechanics of composite strength evolution

Abstract The present paper investigates the concept of evolution of strength in fibrous composite systems. In particular, the conceptual foundations of the ‘critical-element method,’ developed by the authors, are defined and systematically combined to construct a philosophy for the prediction of remaining strength and life of composite materials in the presence of combined mechanical, thermal, and environmental applied conditions that may produce concomitant fatigue, creep, and stress rupture. This philosophy, developed and applied over a fifteen year period, has not been presented in collected form in previous publications. Since Dr. Pagano was a contributor to some of the micromechanical concepts used in the philosophy, the present volume was judged to be an appropriate place for a statement of the philosophy.
Algebraic Models For Detection Probability And False Alarm Rate

AbstractThe problem of characterizing detection system performance presents the followingdilemma: On the one hand, if the system is good, then performance failures will beextremely rare events. But on the other hand, if the occurrence of rare events is to becharacterized, then reliance entirely on Monte Carlo simulation would require an enormousnumber of runs, and the expense would be prohibitive.Algebraic models contribute a complementary approach to circumvent the problem. Suchmodels can augment the simulation approach in a variety of ways. This paper discussesseveral such models, focussing particularly on models for detection probability and falsealarm rate. Numerical results confirming specific models are presented.IntroductionThe capability for event detection and false alarm supression are important performancecharacteristics for detection systems of all types. Examples include systems for detection of: Moving objects in a two dimensional image observed by a focal plane.Changes in atmospheric conditions relevant to biosphereParameter exceedences in nuclear power plantTool wear in manufacturing systemOthers TBDThe first of these examples provides the context in which the present work was done.Assume that the detection system has a focal plane comprised of numerous sensor pixels, anda signal processor that interprets the output of those pixels. The event that the signalprocessor tries to detect is the appearance of a moving object.For this process, satisfactory performance constitutes success in detecting the objectand in rejecting false tracks. Neither of these tasks can be performed with certainty, so aprobabilistic description is required. Object detection can appropriately be described interms of a probability of detection. False alarms of a continuously operating system can beassessed in terms of a probability of occurrence in a specified time interval, but it ismore convenient and customary to use the false alarm rate.Assessing the performance of any detection system presents these same problems. Thus wehave the following basic analysis problem to solve:GivenStatistics on phenomena to be detectedStatistics on background confusionCharacteristics of system
True versus Pseudo-Intestinal Malrotation: Case Series and Review.

Intestinal malrotation is an anomaly of fetal intestinal rotation that can present with symptoms after birth or in early childhood, but is rarely diagnosed in adults. Patients who have symptomatic presentations require surgery. Other entities may mimic intestinal malrotation and respond to non-surgical management. We present 2 adult cases with the radiological diagnosis of intestinal malrotation: one with true malrotation presenting as a duodenal mass, and another with “pseudo-malrotation” due to altered anatomy. These cases illustrate the importance of recognizing and differentiating these rare adult presentations of true malrotation from “pseudo-malrotation” in regards to their acute management.
Development of an IT equipment lumped capacitance parameter database for transient data center simulations

The transient behavior of IT equipment can be represented by a lumped thermal capacitance for use in data center level transient thermal simulations. Previous work has proposed a mathematical methodology to extract the necessary lumped capacitance parameters, the server's time constant and heat transfer effectiveness, via air temperature measurements. This work describes and experimentally tests that proposed methodology to introduce a possible approach for developing an easy-to-use database of lumped capacitance characteristics for use in transient thermal simulations. The database will allow the user to select the appropriate transient parameters based on characteristics that do not require an “autopsy” of each-and-every server in the data center. Experiments are conducted to provide representative transient parameters which classify the servers by mass density and operating air flow rate. The paper describes the experimental methodology in detail to allow for the easy addition of other IT equipment or future server generations.
The in vivo replication origin of the yeast 2μm plasmid

Abstract We have used two-dimensional neutral/alkaline agarose gel electrophoresis to separate the nascent strands of replicating yeast 2μm plasmid DNA molecules according to extent of replication, away from nonreplicating molecules and parental strands. Analysis of the lengths of nascent strands by sequential hybridization with short probes shows that replication proceeds bidirectionally from a single origin at map position 3700 ± 100, coincident with the genetically mapped ARS element. The two recombinational isomers of 2μm plasmid (forms A and B) replicate with equal efficiency. These results suggest that ARS elements may prove to be replication origins for chromosomal DNA.
Microbial Influences in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The predominantly anaerobic microbiota of the distal ileum and colon contain an extraordinarily complex variety of metabolically active bacteria and fungi that intimately interact with the host's epithelial cells and mucosal immune system. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and pouchitis are the result of continuous microbial antigenic stimulation of pathogenic immune responses as a consequence of host genetic defects in mucosal barrier function, innate bacterial killing, or immunoregulation. Altered microbial composition and function in inflammatory bowel diseases result in increased immune stimulation, epithelial dysfunction, or enhanced mucosal permeability. Although traditional pathogens probably are not responsible for these disorders, increased virulence of commensal bacterial species, particularly Escherichia coli, enhance their mucosal attachment, invasion, and intracellular persistence, thereby stimulating pathogenic immune responses. Host genetic polymorphisms most likely interact with functional bacterial changes to stimulate aggressive immune responses that lead to chronic tissue injury. Identification of these host and microbial alterations in individual patients should lead to selective targeted interventions that correct underlying abnormalities and induce sustained and predictable therapeutic responses.
The Requirements Apprentice: automated assistance for requirements acquisition

An automated tool called the Requirements Apprentice (RA) which assists a human analyst in the creation and modification of software requirements is presented. Unlike most other requirements analysis tools, which start from a formal description language, the focus of the RA is on the transition between informal and formal specifications. The RA supports the earliest phases of creating a requirement, in which ambiguity, contradiction, and incompleteness are inevitable. From an artificial intelligence perspective, the central problem the RA faces is one of knowledge acquisition. The RA develops a coherent internal representation of a requirement from an initial set of disorganized imprecise statements. To do so, the RA relies on a variety of techniques, including dependency-directed reasoning, hybrid knowledge representations and the reuse of common forms (cliches). An annotated transcript showing an interaction with a working version of the RA is given. >
Mechanisms of Microtubule-Based Kinetochore Positioning in the Yeast Metaphase Spindle

It has been hypothesized that spatial gradients in kMT dynamic instability facilitate mitotic spindle formation and chromosome movement. To test this hypothesis requires the analysis of kMT dynamics, which have not been resolved at the single kMT level in living cells. The budding yeast spindle offers an attractive system in which to study kMT dynamics because, in contrast to animal cells, there is only one kMT per kinetochore. To visualize metaphase kMT plus-end dynamics in yeast, a strain containing a green fluorescent protein fusion to the kinetochore protein, Cse4, was imaged by fluorescence microscopy. Although individual kinetochores were not resolvable, we found that models of kMT dynamics could be evaluated by simulating the stochastic kMT dynamics and then simulating the fluorescence imaging of kMT plus-end-associated kinetochores. Statistical comparison of model-predicted images to experimentally observed images demonstrated that a pure dynamic instability model for kMT dynamics in the yeast metaphase spindle was unacceptable. However, when a temporally stable spatial gradient in the catastrophe or rescue frequency was added to the model, there was reasonable agreement between the model and the experiment. These results provide the first evidence of temporally stable spatial gradients of kMT catastrophe and/or rescue frequency in living cells.
Contribution of nerve growth factor to augmented TRPV1 responses of muscle sensory neurons by femoral artery occlusion

In rats, hindlimb muscle ischemia induced by femoral artery occlusion augments the sympathetic nervous response to stimulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) by injection ...
A New BEAST: Bayesian Software Tools for Ecological Trend Analysis

Many software tools available to biologists are either case-specific or require the ability to write computer programs. The learning curve for newer Bayesian approaches is much steeper than traditional approaches, often requiring an investment of several years. This article introduces a new free software package, BEAST (Bayesian Ecological Analysis of Statistical Trends), for Bayesian estimation of population trends, which requires the user to do no programming. A wide range of single-species population dynamics models are supported, including single-stage population models, stage-structured population models, and age-structured population models. In addition to Bayesian parameter estimation, this software allows users to do population projections, and may be used as a teaching tool by agencies and universities. I provide an example of a theta-logistic population model of stock pigeon (Columba oenas) breeding pairs. The degree of density dependence for this population was found to be stronger when compared to maximum likelihood parameter estimates available from the literature. Short-term population projections indicate that the number of breeding pairs is relatively stable, indicating that the population is at (or near) carrying capacity. This result is in agreement with the most recent data available, which indicate the breeding counts have remained relatively constant.
Coupling of Extratropical Mesoscale Eddies in the Ocean to Westerly Winds in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Abstract The sea surface temperature (SST) signature in mesoscale eddies in the western boundary current extensions around the globe and in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current are found to alter the surface stress associated with background westerly winds, producing wind stress curl (WSC) residuals of eddy scale that are capable of modifying the eddy dynamics. This is revealed by examining satellite-derived mesoscale sea level height (SLH), SST, and neutrally stable zonal surface wind (ZSW) residuals together for 18 months. In the presence of background westerly winds on basin scales, warm mesoscale eddies reduce the stability of the marine atmospheric boundary layer, increasing the zonal air–sea momentum flux measured by satellite scatterometry. Warm SST residuals of ∼0.8°C are capable of producing westerly ZSW residuals of ∼1.2 m s−1 under background westerly winds of ∼6 m s−1. Alternatively, this means increasing the otherwise neutrally stable drag coefficient by ∼40%, consistent with in situ measurement...
The impact of new financial reporting standards on revenue management

The requirements of external financial reporting often influence management actions and decisions. A comprehensive new standard on reporting of revenues, issued jointly by the International Accounting Standards Board and the (US) Financial Accounting Standards Board, makes significant changes to the presentation of revenues on company financial statements. This article outlines the new requirements and considers possible implications for revenue-management decisions.
Cylindrocopturus adspersus in Sunflower: Overwintering and Emergence Patterns on the Texas High Plains

Overwintering larvae of Cylindrocopturus adspersus (LeConte) in roots and lower stalks of cultivated sunflower began pupating from early to mid-March in 1978 to 1980 at Bushland, Tex. Eclosion to adults occurred from late March to early April. Adult emergence from sunflower began in mid-March in 1978, and early April in 1979 and 1980. Mass emergence of adults occurred in early May each year and was completed by mid-June. Overwintering populations of C. adspersus averaged 38.1 and 19.7 larvae per plant during winters 1975–1979 and 1979–1980, respectively. Overwintering mortality from unknown causes ranged from 6 to 15%, and that from parasitism ranged from 2.8 to 5.3%, during winters 1975–1979 and 1979–1980.
AN ENTOMOPHTHORALEAN FUNGUS FROM DOMINICAN AMBER

(1982). An Entomophthoralean Fungus from Dominican Amber. Mycologia: Vol. 74, No. 2, pp. 332-334.
Moving sphere simulations using the chimera grid approach

Steady and unsteady cases with moving spheres were computed using the Chimera Grid Approach and OVERFLOW, a compressible Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes flow solver. The cases modeled situations encountered with agricultural seeding machines. Central differencing with scalar TLNS3D dissipation for spatial terms and implicit Euler time advancement were used. First, a sphere moving with a constant velocity away from a suction orifice was computed and the resulting forces were compared with experimental values. Second, one sphere was dropped and allowed to move under the influence of aerodynamic and gravitational forces with six degrees of freedom. Third, two spheres were dropped similar to the second case this time taking collisions between the two spheres into account. The force data compared with experimental data averaged an 8% error for 3.5 kPa suction out of the orifice, and 13% for 1.75 kPa suction out of the orifice, and 4% error for a 3.5 kPa suction case with second order dual time stepping. For the sphere drop cases, the desired behavior was known by experimentalists, and was achieved with minimal error. Testing on 8 to 96 processors with a 6.616 million grid point mesh demonstrated nearly linear speedup. Through the investigation, it was shown that the Chimera Grid Approach used with OVERFLOW is a valid choice for moving mesh applications.
Surgical treatment of pancreatic head cancer and perioperative management in high thromboembolic risk patients with recent drug-eluting coronary stent implantation

Patients with multiple coronary artery diseases, especially with recent implantation of a drug-eluting coronary stent (DES), require strong dual antiplatelet therapy and regarded as those with very high thromboembolic risks. When these patients undergo major abdominal surgery for malignancy, perioperative risks including bleeding and thromboembolic risks have to be balanced against oncological radicality. We performed successful management of 81-year-old man suffering locally advanced pancreatic head cancer detected just after recent DES implantation. Curative-intent pancreaticoduodenectomy under preoperative continuation of aspirin monotherapy is safe and feasible, and is considered to be one of the promising options for the treatment of such complicated patients.
Strong Coupling between Mid-Infrared Localized Plasmons and Phonons

We numerically and experimentally demonstrate strong coupling between the mid-infrared localized surface plasmon resonances supported by plasmonic metamaterials and the phonon vibrational resonances of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) molecules. The plasmonic resonances are tuned across the phonon resonance of PMMA molecules at 52 THz to observe the strong coupling, which manifests itself as an anti-crossing feature with two newly formed plasmon-phonon modes. It is also shown that the forbidden energy gap due to mode splitting is proportional to the overlapped optical power between the plasmonic resonance mode and the PMMA molecules, providing an effective approach for manipulating the coupling strength of light-matter interaction.
Differential pulse polarographic determination of iodine in thyroid tablets: collaborative study.

A differential pulse polarographic (DPP) method for the determination of iodine in thyroid and thyroid preparations was collaboratively studied by 8 laboratories. The overall concentration of iodine in commercial thyroid tablets containing 1/4, 1,2, and 5 gr. of declared thyroid was 0.196%. The overall repeatability and reproducibility standard deviations were 0.0043 and 0.0067, respectively, and the corresponding coefficients of variation were 2.18 and 3.41%, respectively. The results obtained by the DPP method agreed with those obtained by the U.S. Pharmacopeia XX method at the various concentrations of declared thyroid studied. The DPP method has been adopted official first action.
Reported violations of rationality may be aggregation artifacts.

In PNAS, Tsetsos et al. (1) report intransitive preferences consistent with selective integration (SI) theory. The Condorcet paradox warns that aggregating transitive (rational) preferences readily creates intransitive (irrational) collective preferences (2). Therefore, any study reporting intransitive behavior must guard against aggregation artifacts (3). In experiments 1–3, Tsetsos et al. (1) reported significant evidence against a null and in favor of F W : P A B > 1 / 2 and P B C > 1 / 2 and P C A > 1 / 2 (Fig. 1), in data aggregated across participants to infer intransitive “frequent-winner” (FW) effects for “cyclic trials.” In experiment 4, they supported SI theory indirectly through significant violations of weak stochastic transitivity (WST) … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: stoberc{at}missouri.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Clinicians' conflicting emotional responses to high suicide-risk patients—Association with short-term suicide behaviors: A prospective pilot study

Abstract Background Clinician's emotional responses to patients have been recognized as potentially relating to treatment outcome, however they have received little attention in the literature on suicide risk. We examine the relationship between a novel targeted measure of clinicians' emotional responses to high-risk psychiatric inpatients and their short-term post-discharge suicide behavior. Methods First-year psychiatry residents' emotional responses to their patients were assessed anonymously with the novel self-report ‘Therapist Response Questionnaire-Suicide Form’ (TRQ-SF). Patient outcomes were assessed at 1–2 months post-discharge, and post-discharge suicide outcomes were assessed with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Following exploratory factor analysis of the TRQ-SF, scores on the resultant factors were examined for relationships with clinical and demographic measures and post-discharge suicide behavior. Results A two-factor model fit the data, with factors reflecting dimensions of affiliation/rejection and distress/non-distress . Two items that did not load robustly on either factor had face validity for hopefulness and hopelessness and were combined as a measure along a hopefulness/hopelessness dimension. The interaction Distress × Hopefulness, reflecting a conflicting emotional response pattern, significantly predicted post-discharge suicide outcomes even after covarying for depression, entrapment, and suicidal ideation severity. Conclusion Clinicians' conflicting emotional responses to high-risk patients predicted subsequent suicidal behavior, independent of traditional risk factors. Our findings demonstrate the potential clinical value of assessing such responses.
SUICIDAL IDEATION IN MEDICALLY ILL OLDER ADULTS: THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTROL STRATEGIES

Suicide rates are elevated among older men globally. Suicides in this age group often reflect concerns about threats to the older adult’s independence and sense of control. Physical illness and associated functional limitations are common in late life, but most individuals adapt by altering their strategies for exerting control (Heckhausen et al., 2010). Evidence suggests that those who do not adapt may be at risk for depression and suicidal thinking (Fiske et al., 2013). In this pilot study, N = 7 adults aged 50–85 with a heart attack or a new diagnosis of heart failure within the past six months were assessed for health-related limitations, control strategies, and affective states at baseline and 6-week follow up. The Wilcoxson sign rank test was used to test the hypothesis that more limited use of control strategies would be associated with greater risk of depressive symptoms, hopelessness and suicidal ideation. At baseline, 87% of participants endorsed clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms (CESDR) and 14% scored above the recommended cutoff on the Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale. Results indicated that both Selective Primary Control (SPC) strategies and Compensatory Primary Control (CPC) strategies (e.g., getting help from others or modifying the task) were significantly linked to hopelessness and suicidal ideation at baseline. At the 6-week follow up, both SPC and CPC were associated with depressive symptoms and hopelessness. These findings suggest that it may be important to focus on strategies older adults may use to cope with functional impairments.
HexCell: a Hexagonal Cell for Evolvable Systolic Arrays on FPGAs: (Abstract Only)

This paper presents a novel cell architecture for evolvable systolic arrays. HexCell is a tile-able processing element with a hexagonal shape that can be implemented and dynamically reconfigured on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The cell contains a functional unit, three input ports, and three output ports. It supports two concurrent configuration schemes: dynamic partial reconfiguration (DPR), where the functional unit is partially reconfigured at run time, and virtual reconfiguration circuit (VRC), where the cell output port bypasses one of the input data or selects the functional unit output. Hence, HexCell combines the merits of DPR and VRC including resource-awareness, reconfiguration speed and routing flexibility. In addition, the cell structure supports pipelining and data synchronization for achieving high throughput for data-intensive applications like image processing. A HexCell is represented by a binary string (chromosome) that encodes the cell's function and the output selections. Our developed evolvable HexCell array supports more inputs and outputs, a variety of possible datapaths, and has faster reconfiguration, compared to the state-of-the-art systolic array while maintaining the same resource utilization. Moreover, by using the same genetic algorithm on the two systolic arrays, results show that the HexCell array has higher throughput and can evolve faster than state-of-the-art array.
Use of the Godin leisure-time exercise questionnaire in multiple sclerosis research: a comprehensive narrative review.

Purpose: The Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire has been a commonly applied measure of physical activity in research among persons with multiple sclerosis over the past decade. This paper pr...
Ion beam analysis of laser-deposited high Tc YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting thin films

We have performed Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, non-Rutherford proton elastic scattering, and axial ion channeling analysis to determine the composition, the crystallinity, and the epitaxial quality of YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting thin films on (100) SrTiO3 and (100) yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates. YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting thin films were fabricated both by high and low temperature laser ablation techniques. The former method requires high temperature annealing in oxygen to recover the superconducting properties, whereas in the latter method as-deposited in situ superconducting thin films are formed at low processing temperatures (500 °C–650 °C). Helium ions in the energy range of 2.0–2.5 MeV were used to determine the relative stoichiometries of the heavier atomic number elements (Y, Ba, Cu) in the film, but are not sensitive enough to determine the relative amount of oxygen in the superconducting phase. The detection sensitivities to oxygen can be greatly enhanced by using the proton elastic scattering [16O(p,p) 16O] reaction, which was found to increase the scattering cross section by a factor of 3 to 5 relative to the Rutherford scattering cross section. The ion-channeling of YBa2Cu3O7 superconducting thin films on (100) SrTiO3 substrates showed excellent minimum channeling yields corresponding to epitaxial growth, but the presence of defects increased the channeling yields for films deposited on (100) YSZ substrates. The ion channeling yields are compared with the microstructure of the films determined by transmission electron microscopy.
Fire-air and dephlogistication. Revisionisms of oxygen's discovery.

Americans are taught that Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen in 1774 and promptly brought that news to Lavoisier. Lavoisier proved that air contained a new element, oxygen, which combined with hydrogen to make water. He disproved the phlogiston theory but Priestley called it dephlogisticated air until his death 30 years later. Scandanavians learn that a Swedish apothecary Carl Wilhelm Scheele beat Priestley by 2 years but was deprived of credit because Lavoisier denied receiving a letter Scheele later claimed to have sent in September 1774 describing his 1772 discovery of “fire air”. His claim was unconfirmed because Scheele first published his work in 1777. However, Scheele’s missing letter was made public in 1992 in Paris, 218 years late, and now resides at the French Academie de Sciences. Lavoisier received it on Oct 15, 1774. His guilt was kept secret in the effects of Madame Lavoisier. He failed on several occasions to credit either Priestley or Scheele for contributing to the most important discovery in the history of science. Priestley was a teacher, political philosopher, essayist, Unitarian minister and pioneer in chemical and electrical science. He discovered 9 gases including nitrous oxide. He invented soda water, refrigeration, and gum erasers for which he coined the term “rubber”. He discovered photosynthesis. He was humorless, argumentative, brilliant and passionate, called a “furious free-thinker”. While his liberal colleagues Josiah Wedgwood, Erasmus Darwin, James Watts, and others of the Lunar Society were celebrating the 2nd anniversary of the French revolution, a Birmingham mob, supported by the royalists and the established church, destroyed Priestley’s home, laboratory and church. Driven from England, he emigrated to Pennsylvania where he built a home and laboratory and collected a 1600 volume library, then among the largest in America. He is regarded as a founder of liberal Unitarian thinking. He was friend and correspondent of Thomas Jefferson. His philosophy and insight persuaded Jefferson to initiate what Americans call a liberal arts education. Scheele was later recognized as a brilliant and productive pioneer in chemistry although he died at age 44 of tasting his own arsenic compounds. In the new time-lapse play “Oxygen” set in Stockholm in both 18th and 21st centuries, in 1774, blame falls on Lavoisier’s wife who hid Scheele’s letter in hopes of giving her husband sole credit for discovering oxygen. In 2001, four Nobel committee panelists cannot agree which should receive the first “Retro-Nobel Prize” for the greatest discovery of all time: Priestley, Scheele or Lavoisier or all three. The audience is asked to choose.
Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Human Posterior Cruciate Ligament

With the significant amount of research directed towards the anterior cruciate Hgament (ACL) over the last two decades, the functional importance of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) has also become evident. As is true for the ACL, PCL insufficiency can lead to progressive laxity of secondary stabilizers of the knee, resulting in localized pain, swelling, and joint instability, and long-term degenerative changes. While surgical reconstruction is often performed in active patients, a better understanding of both the anatomy and biomechanics of the PCL is required in order to ensure the proper selection of appropriate structure and material for the graft, as well as the optimal graft placement. This chapter will attempt to review, quantify, as well as compare the basic anatomical and biomechanical properties of the PCL (and its subportions) and meniscofemoral ligaments (MFLs). In considering PCL anatomy, the midsubstance cross-sectional and insertion site areas of the PCL and MFLs will be compared and contrasted with those of the ACL. The tensile properties of these tissues, i.e., the structural and mechanical properties, will then be addressed. The information reviewed should provide a better understanding of the structure-function relationship of the PCL and supply initial basic science data to assist in guiding PCL reconstruction.