cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nanobacteria and calcinosis cutis.

Background: The nanobacteria are a recently characterized group of extremely small bacteria capable of precipitating calcium salts implicated in the pathogenesis of urinary calculi and calcific atherosclerosis. The pathogenesis of calcinosis cutis and its significance in conjunction with a variety of unrelated scarring and pre-existing cutaneous entities are incompletely understood. Methods: A series of cases, including basal cell carcinoma with dystrophic calcification, subepidermal calcified nodule, pilomatricoma, and tumoral calcinosis, were ultrastructurally examined for the presence of Nanobacteria sp. Results: All cases, including three basal cell carcinomas, two subepidermal calcified nodules, three cases of pilomatricoma, and two cases of tumoral calcinosis, were negative for Nanobacteria. Conclusions: The dystrophic calcification that occurs in conjunction with the above entities does not likely involve a bacterial-induced etiology. The cause of these entities remains unknown.
Boundary heat fluxes for spectral radiation from a uniform temperature rectangular medium

The effect of spectral behavior is analytically shown for radiation in a 2D rectangular geometry. The solution provides exact boundary heat flux values that can be used for comparison with values obtained from general computer programs. The spectral solution presented can be easily evaluated by numerical integration for complex variations of the spectral absorption coefficient with wavelength.
The effects of direct foreign investment in the presence of increasing returns due to specialization

Abstract This paper studies the external effects generated by foreign capital inflows in a small open economy, modeling explicitly the nature of the increasing returns involved. The focus is on the role played by specialized, differentiated business services in manufacturing production and how foreign investment - through its ability to increase the extent of the market and induce greater specialization in producer services - enhances the productivity of nationally-owned industry and raises national welfare. The gains yielded by foreign capital inflows within this context are shown to operate whether the economy is at full-employment or under unemployment. In the latter case, it turns out to be critical that one consider not only the direct industrial employment created by foreign investment but also the induced secondary employment generated in the service sector.
Trace surface analysis: 30 ppb analysis with removal of less than a monolayer. Fe and Ti impurities in the first atomic layer of Si wafers

Abstract Recent trends, exemplified by the stringent demands of the semiconductor industry, demonstrate a need for surface analysis at progressively lower impurity levels. Because the total number of impurity atoms available for measurement in the first atomic layer is severely limited, a successful trace analysis technique must efficiently utilize the impurity atoms available as well as achieve good signal to noise. We report here the results of a new Surface Analysis by Resonant Ionization of Sputtered Atoms (SARISA) apparatus which has a demonstrated ability to measure Ti and Fe impurities in the surface atomic layer of a Si wafer at the 30 ppb level. The Fe results are particularly instructive since Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS), because of the isobaric overlap of Fe and Si2, has achieved no better than 200 ppb with removal of nearly 100 atomic layers. The measurements were made with a 2 mm2 ion spot. A measured collection efficiency of 1 Fe atom counted per 100 Fe atoms sputtered could also be achieved. Apparatus improvements will be described which should increase the collection efficiency to 1 atom counted per 10 sputtered.
Nonlinear Dynamics of Forced Transitional Jets: Periodic and Chaotic Attractors

Conclusive experimental evidence is presented for the existence of a low-dimensional temporal dynamical system in an open flow, namely the near field of an axisymmetric, subsonic free jet. An initially laminar jet (4 cm air jet in the Reynolds number range 1.1 × 10 4 [Lt ] Re D × 9.1 × 10 4 ) with a top-hat profile was studied using single-frequency, longitudinal, bulk excitation. Two non-dimensional control parameters – forcing frequency St D (≡ f ex D/U e , where f ez is the excitation frequency, D is the jet exit diameter and U e is the exit velocity) and forcing amplitude a f (≡ u ’ f /U e , where u ’ f is the jet exit r.m.s. longitudinal velocity fluctuation at the excitation frequency) – were varied over the ranges 10 -4 a f St D f ex in u -spectra, large closed loops in its Poincare sections, correlation dimension v ∼ 2 and largest Lyapunov exponent λ 1 ∼ 0. But investigations at smaller scales (i.e. distances greater than, but of the order of, trajectory separation) in phase space reveal chaos, as shown by v > 2 and λ 1 > 0. The other chaotic attractor, near SDP, results from nearly periodic modulations of the first vortex pairing but chaotic modulations of the second pairing and has a broadband spectrum, a dimension 2.5 [Lt ] v [Lt ] 3 and the largest Lyapunov exponent 0.2 [Lt ] λ 1 [Lt ] 0.7 bits per orbit (depending on measurement locations in physical and parameter spaces). A definition that distinguishes between physically and dynamically open flows is proposed and justified by our experimental results. The most important conclusion of this study is that a physically open flow, even one that is apparently dynamically open due to convective instability, can exhibit dynamically closed behaviour as a result of feedback. A conceptual model for transitional jets is proposed based on twodimensional instabilities, subharmonic resonance and feedback from downstream vortical structures to the nozzle lip. Feedback was quantified and shown to affect the exit fundamental–subharmonic phase difference ϕ – a crucial variable in subharmonic resonance and, hence, vortex pairing. The effect of feedback, the sensitivity of pairings to ϕ, the phase diagram, and the documented periodic and chaotic attractors demonstrate the validity of the proposed conceptual model.
Collision-Induced Light Scattering in Gaseous Ar and Kr

Light scattering attributable to a change in polarizability produced in colliding pairs of atoms is observed in gaseous Ar and Kr. The experimental results are qualitatively accounted for by relations between the integrated intensity and the collision-induced polarizability.
On the consistent specification of asset markets in macroeconomic models

Abstract The standard IS LM model has been criticized in recent years for an alleged neglect of portfolio balance and government financing constraints. Examination of the structure of the bond market implicit in a simple IS LM model shows that these criticisms are misdirected. We find that portfolio adding-up restrictions do not provide additional comparative static information in an IS LM context and may be harmful if imposed on the model. In addition, the IS LM framework is seen to be complete and logically consistent even in the absence of explicit financing constraints.
Lessons from large-scale gene profiling of the liver in alcoholic liver disease

This review examines the studies pertaining to large-scale gene profiling of liver cells and the whole liver as performed with the aid of macro- or microarray gene detection technology under the conditions of alcohol-induced liver injury. The review emphasizes the variability of the data as a function of strain, species, and model of alcohol-induced liver injury employed in different studies. Further, the review highlights the importance of determining if changes in transcriptome expression are parallelled by changes in proteome and metabolome of the liver. On the basis of such data, models can be constructed to unravel new mechanistic aspects of alcohol-induced liver injury and to design novel therapies for alcoholic liver disease.
Implications of Complex Response of Drainage Systems for Quaternary Alluvial Stratigraphy

The interpretation and correlation of Holocene alluvial deposits in south-western United States is difficult. “Late Recent time is represented by epicycles of erosion and alluviation in the canyons and valleys of the south-west; however, the number, magnitude and duration of the events differ from basin to basin and along reaches of the same stream” (ref. 1).
Role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse frequency in differential regulation of gonadotropins in the gilt.

We tested the hypothesis that different GnRH pulse frequencies will affect serum LH and FSH differently. Ovariectomized gilts (n = 6), immunized against GnRH, were given 200-ng pulses of GnRH agonist (GnRH-A) every 180 min for 3 days (pretreatment), followed by GnRH-A pulses every 30, 60, or 180 min for 3 days (treatment) in a Latin rectangle design. Mean gonadotropin concentrations did not change over time when GnRH pulses were administered every 180 min. Initiation of high GnRH-A pulse frequency (30 min) caused a robust increase in serum LH to 265% of the pretreatment level (p < 0.007) and a more moderate increase in serum FSH to 127% of pretreatment level (p - 0.02). After 66 h of frequent pulsing, desensitization had occurred and serum LH concentrations were similar to pretreatment concentrations, but serum FSH had decreased to 53% of pretreatment levels (p < 0.0008). After 72 h of treatment, 5 pFg GnRH-A was infused to estimate residual releasable pools of LH and FSH, and the amounts of LH and FSH released were negatively correlated with GnRH-A pulse frequency. The results of this study imply that the LH surge is terminated because the pituitary gland becomes incapable of responding to an otherwise adequate stimulus, and not because of exhaustion of releasable LH pools. Our results confirm that in the pig the response to altered GnRH-A pulse frequency differs between LH and FSH. High GnRH pulse frequency is more effective in acutely releasing LH than FSH. Low pulse frequency of GnRH supports FSH synthesis and release, but is not as effective in increasing LH concentrations, while high GnRH pulse frequency inhibits FSH synthesis and release.
Evaluation of Voltage Sag Ride-Through of a Doubly Fed Induction Generator Wind Turbine with Series Grid Side Converter

With steadily increasing wind turbine penetration, regulatory standards for grid interconnection have evolved to require that wind generation systems ride- through disturbances such as faults and support the grid during such events. Conventional ride-through accommodations result in high currents and torque or are unable to ride-through down to zero volts. This paper explores two DFIG configurations in which a series grid side converter (SGSC) is employed exclusively for voltage sag ride-through. A control strategy applicable to both configurations is developed whereby the SGSC engages to stabilize the stator flux at the beginning and resolution of the sag event. Simulation results show excellent zero voltage ride-through response.
Comparison of Fetotoxic Effects of a Dermally Applied Complex Organic Mixture in Rats and Mice

Abstract A high-boiling (288–454°C), coal-derived complex organic mixture (COM) has been shown to be teratogenic in rats following inhalation and oral routes of exposure. To determine whether similar changes also occur after dermal exposure to this COM, pregnant rats and mice were exposed during periods of organogenesis (Days 11 to 15 of gestation). Shaved backs were painted with 0, 500, or 1500 mg/kg of the COM (control, low, or high dose, respectively); the exposed area was not occluded. Maternal weight gain during the gestation period decreased with increasing dose in rats but not in mice. Examination of rat fetuses on Day 20 of gestation showed that resorptions had occurred in more than 90% of low-and high-dose litters (vs 6% in the control group). In mice, fetal examinations on Day 18 of gestation showed that resorptions occurred in 71% of litters from both exposure groups (vs 14% in the controls). Fetal measurements indicated that both the weight and the length of rat fetuses decreased with increasing dose, but mouse fetuses were unaffected. Cleft palates, absent in the control groups, were observed in 50 to 55% of the high-dose group and 5 to 8% of the low-dose fetuses of both species. Small fetal lungs occurred in nearly 100% of the exposed rat fetuses and in 25% of the high-dose mice; the incidence of small lungs was 1% in control animals. Other variations observed in exposed groups included edema and reduced ossification in the rat and renal pelvic cavitation in the mouse. In conclusion, dermal exposure of dams to COM resulted in life-threatening morphological alterations in fetuses of both species similar to those seen following exposure by other routes.
Expression profiling identifies a novel alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase exon with fumarate hydratase homology.

Human α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) was overexpressed in prostate cancer compared with nonmalignant tissues. The Gene Logic Inc. BioExpress database containing Affymetrix U133 GeneChip expression profiles of 4400 human normal, benign, diseased, and tumor samples from >60 tissue types was examined to determine the specificity of AMACR mRNA expression. One particular AMACR probeset was derived from an alternatively spliced exon with 88% identity to a 521-bp sequence that spans four exons of the fumarate hydratase. The predicted protein sequence revealed a novel GLGELIL peptide shared by both proteins. Whether the mitochondrial and peroxisomal AMACR described previously are distinct products from alternatively spliced transcripts remains to be determined. The determination of the cellular location and function of the altered AMACR will be critical in the elucidation of the role of AMACR in prostate cancer diagnosis and pathogenesis.
An iterative edge linking algorithm with noise removal capability

A linking algorithm to fill gaps between edge segments is presented. The gap filling operation is performed in an iterative manner rather than a single step. During each iteration, the noises are also removed gradually. The proposed algorithm starts with connecting the tip ends of two (line or curve) segments with a line segment and then tries to modify the resulting segment by straight-line fitting. The two major phases of the algorithm are detailed step by step. The advantages of using the algorithm are also discussed. >
Development of Poliovirus Extraction Method from Stool Extracts by Using Magnetic Nanoparticles Sensitized with Soluble Poliovirus Receptor

A method for extracting poliovirus (PV) from stool extracts was developed. Magnetic nanoparticles sensitized with soluble PV receptor efficiently extracted PV pseudovirus (>99% extraction) or endogenous infectious PVs (>90% extraction) from stool extracts. This method would be useful for extraction of PV from crude biological samples.
Variability in the inorganic element content of U.S. coals including results of cluster analysis

Abstract Patterns of variability in trace element and major inorganic element content of 335 U.S. coal samples were investigated using the multivariate statistical techniques of principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Whole-coal basis values contain different information from ash basis values; therefore data expressed on each basis were treated separately. For each basis, major elements grouped together according to their occurrence in dominant inorganic groups in coal (aluminosilicates, sulfides, and elements organically bound or in carbonates), and relationships of trace elements to these groups were shown. Cluster analysis grouped samples based on their inorganic content. For data expressed on an ash basis, either three or four clusters were indicated. The three-cluster partition was similar to a partition into Eastern, Interior, and other (western) provinces. The partition into four clusters was more complex; is showed that samples from the Eastern and Interior provinces taken as a group can be divided into three clusters. One, characterized by low aluminosilicate and sulfur levels, contains both Interior and Eastern province samples. Thus not all Interior province samples are characterized by high levels of iron sulfide and associated elements; some are more similar to many Eastern province samples than to other Interior province samples.
Neuroprotection After Major Cardiovascular Surgery

Neurologic injury is a common complication of major cardiovascular procedures including coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, coronary valve replacement, and aortic aneurysm surgery. However, despite ongoing research in the field of neuroprotection, there are currently few pharmacologic and interventional options to effectively protect the brain and spinal cord in the postoperative period. CSF drainage after aortic surgery currently stands as the only neuroprotective intervention that has been consistently shown to protect the spinal cord from ischemic injury, leading to significantly fewer patients with paraplegia and paraparesis. There is promising but conflicting evidence about the potential benefits of agents such as dexmedetomidine, lidocaine, magnesium, and erythropoietin in preventing postoperative stroke and cognitive dysfunction. Postoperative hypothermia has also been studied in preventing neurologic injury after cardiopulmonary bypass. With the rate of cardiovascular surgeries increasing yearly, further investigations are needed to validate many of these therapies and discover new ways to protect the brain and spinal cord from intraoperative and postoperative injuries in this high-risk population.
Politically Charged Issues in Nursing’s Teaching-Learning Environments

Many people, depending on different times of the year, become exhausted hearing about politics. Yet, politics can no more be avoided than traffic on a freeway. It always exists. Nursing education then is also infused with politically-driven ideas and trends which can influence program success and quality. The author focuses on and explores some of the ever-present politically charged issues involving degree requirements for nurses, general political issues for nursing programs, and promotion and tenure. The author concludes with a discussion on Parse’s teaching-learning model as a means for nurse educators to transcend political turmoil.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Hafnium(IV) Oxide on Graphene Oxide: Probing Interfacial Chemistry and Nucleation by using X‐ray Absorption and Photoelectron Spectroscopies

Interfacing graphene with metal oxides is of considerable technological importance for modulating carrier density through electrostatic gating as well as for the design of earth-abundant electrocatalysts. Herein, we probe the early stages of the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of HfO2 on graphene oxide using a combination of C and O K-edge near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopies and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Dosing with water is observed to promote defunctionalization of graphene oxide as a result of the reaction between water and hydroxyl/epoxide species, which yields carbonyl groups that further react with migratory epoxide species to release CO2. The carboxylates formed by the reaction of carbonyl and epoxide species facilitate binding of Hf precursors to graphene oxide surfaces. The ALD process is accompanied by recovery of the π-conjugated framework of graphene. The delineation of binding modes provides a means to rationally assemble 2D heterostructures.
Seneca's Scientific Fictions: Models as Fictions in the Natural Questions.

Seneca's Naturales Quaestiones explains the causes and functional mechanisms of natural phenomena, from common sights like rainbows to exotically out-of-reach ones like comets. The vividness with which he brings them all within the reader's grasp is certainly a literary feat as much as a scientific one, but the rhetorical power of his explanations does not cost them their epistemological validity. Analyses drawn from current philosophy of science reveal elements of fictionality omnipresent in scientific models and experiments, suggesting an approach to Seneca's ‘scientific fictions’ not as failed analogies but as a sophisticated expansion of the tradition of analogical scientific explanation.
Order Reduction for Dynamical Systems Describing the Behavior of Complex Neurons

We have devised a scheme to reduce the complexity of dynamical systems belonging to a class that includes most biophysically realistic neural models. The reduction is based on transformations of variables and perturbation expansions and it preserves a high level of fidelity to the original system. The techniques are illustrated by reductions of the Hodgkin-Huxley system and an augmented Hodgkin-Huxley system.
Modeling controls of phytoplankton production in the southwest Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean

Abstract The Southern Ocean is the largest high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll region in the world's ocean and a potentially important site for the sequestration of carbon. We present a one-dimensional physical/biogeochemical model that integrates biogeochemical measurements obtained during the AESOPS (U.S. JGOFS) study in the southwest Pacific sector to elucidate the controls of primary productivity and export. The model is applied to a series of four stations along 170°W spanning the different biogeochemical subsystems in the Polar Frontal Zone, the Polar Front, and the Seasonal Ice Zone south of the Polar Front. Since horizontal fluxes of heat, freshwater and nutrients are found to be important but cannot be resolved explicitly in a one-dimensional model, we employ a restoration of temperature, salinity and nutrients. The surface fluxes of light and momentum are modified during ice-covered periods to account for the effects of sea ice. The biological model component includes the elemental cycles of nitrogen and silica. Diatoms are represented as a separate phytoplankton group, and small phytoplankton and zooplankton are tightly coupled. The effect of the low iron availability in the region is implicitly taken into account by using typical phytoplankton growth rates and a typical, high Si:N stoichiometry of 4 for the diatoms. The model captures the essential features of the distinct subsystems including the low-chlorophyll condition north of the Polar Front, the diatom blooms in the vicinity of the Polar Front and to its south, the differential drawdown of nitrate and silicic acid, and the seasonal patterns of biogenic silica, primary production and vertical particle flux. “Top-down” control of the small phytoplankton by efficient microzooplankton grazing and “bottom-up” control of diatoms by light and silicic acid are the main factors for the simulated behavior. A sensitivity analysis of the biological model component shows that the growth parameters for the two phytoplankton groups are most important in constraining primary productivity and overall model behavior. This implies that changes in growth rates induced by variations in iron supply as assumed over glacial–interglacial transitions can affect primary and export production substantially.
Effects of ammonium and nitrate salts on ion transport across the excised canine trachea

The effects of ammonium and sodium salts of nitrate, nitrite, and chloride on bioelectric properties and unidirectional Na and Cl fluxes across canine trachea were examined. Na salts of nitrate and nitrite (100 mmol/liter) had little effect. NH4NO3 or NH4Cl (100 mmol/liter) reduced short-circuit current (Isc), Na+ absorption, and Cl− secretion. Exposure of the luminal surface led to approximately 50% reductions in Isc and potential difference (PD). Submucosal exposure to either salt completely abolished Isc, PD, and ion transport. The effects of luminal or submucosal exposure were reversed by washing the tissue with Kreb's bicarbonate Ringer solution. In Hepesbuffered solutions, submucosal exposure induced a poorly reversible loss of ion transport. Furthermore, 30 mmol/liter NH4 salt solutions buffered by Hepes and 100 mmol/liter NH4+ in bicarbonate Ringer were equipotent. The potency of luminal NH4+ solutions was unaffected by solution buffer. We propose that the NH3 in NH4+ solutions alkalinizes the epithelial cytoplasm. The extent of alkalinization may depend on the NH4+ permeability of the surface exposed to the salt. NH4+ entry across the luminal cell membrane could limit the alkalinization of cell contents by dissolved NH3.
Development of an OpenSim Shoulder Model for Manual Wheelchair Users With Tetraplegia

Extended manual wheelchair use has been associated with repetitive strain injuries in the shoulder and has been identified as a contributing factor to upper limb pain experienced by manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) [1]. Due to the nature of their SCI, individuals with tetraplegia (formerly quadriplegia) may be at an even greater risk for developing shoulder injuries because they often have only partial innervation of their shoulder, scapular, and thoracohumeral muscles [2].Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Thyroid Hormone Receptor-β Is Associated with Coronary Angiogenesis during Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy

Insufficient angiogenesis is one of the causes leading to tissue ischemia and dysfunction. In heart failure, there is increasing evidence showing decreased capillary density in the left ventricle (LV) myocardium, although the detailed mechanisms contributing to it are not clear. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) in the coronary microvascular rarefaction under pathological cardiac hypertrophy. The LV from hypertrophied/failing hearts induced by ascending aortic constriction (AAC) exhibited severe microvascular rarefaction, and this phenomenon was restored by chronic T(3) administration. Coronary endothelial cells (ECs) isolated from AAC hearts expressed lower TRbeta mRNA than control ECs, and chronic T(3) administration restored TRbeta mRNA expression level in AAC hearts to the control level. Among different TR subtype-specific knockout mice, TRbeta knockout and TRalpha/TRbeta double-knockout mice both exhibited significantly less capillary density in LV compared with wild-type mice. In vitro, coronary ECs isolated from TRbeta knockout mice lacked the ability to form capillary networks. In addition, we identified that kinase insert domain protein receptor/fetal liver kinase-1 (vascular endothelial growth factor-2 receptor) was one of the angiogenic mediators controlled by T(3) administration in the AAC heart. These data suggest that TRbeta in the coronary ECs regulates capillary density during cardiac development, and down-regulation of TRbeta results in coronary microvascular rarefaction during pathological hypertrophy.
Screening of RAPD Markers Linked to the Photoperiod-Sensitivity Gene in Rice Chromosome 6 Using Bulked Segregant Analysis

Bulked segregant analysis was used to determine randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers in a specific interval in the middle of chromosome 6 of rice for tagging the photoperiod sensitivity gene. Two pools of F2 individuals (japonica cv. Nipponbare and indica cv. Kasalath) were constructed according to the genotypes of three restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers located at both ends and the middle of the targeted interval. Then another pair of pools were constructed based on the "graphical genotype," which was made with our high density linkage map. RAPD analysis was performed using these DNA pools as templates, and polymorphic fragments were detected and mapped. Using 80 primers, either singly or pairwise, we tested 2,404 primer pairs and established 14 markers tightly linked to the photoperiod sensitivity gene. The obtained RAPD markers were converted into sequence-tagged sites by cloning and sequencing of the polymorphic fragments and they can be used directly for construction of physical maps. This bulked segregant method can be applied for any species and any region of interest in which detailed linkage maps or physical maps are needed.
Telecommunications issues of intelligent database management for ground processing systems in the EOS era

Future NASA earth science missions, including the Earth Observing System (EOS), will be generating vast amounts of data that must be processed and stored at various locations around the world. Here we present a stepwise-refinement of the intelligent database management (IDM) of the distributed active archive center (DAAC - one of seven regionally-located EOSDIS archive sites) architecture, to showcase the telecommunications issues involved. We develop this architecture into a general overall design. We show that the current evolution of protocols is sufficient to support IDM at Gbps rates over large distances. We also show that network design can accommodate a flexible data ingestion storage pipeline and a user extraction and visualization engine, without interference between the two.
Carrot Eaters or Moving Heads Inductive Inference Is Better Supported by Salient Features Than by Category Labels

How do words affect generalization, and how do these effects change during development? One theory posits that even early in development, linguistic labels function as category markers and thus are different from the features of the stimuli they represent. Another theory holds that early in development, labels are akin to other features, but that they may become category markers in the course of development. We addressed this issue in two experiments with 4- to 5-year-olds and adults. In both experiments, participants performed a categorization task (in which they predicted a category label) and an induction task (in which they predicted a missing feature). In the latter task, the category label was pitted against a highly salient feature, such that reliance on the label and reliance on the salient feature would result in different patterns of responses. Results indicated that children relied on the salient feature when performing induction, whereas many adults relied on the category label. These results suggest that early in development, labels are no more than features, but that they may become category markers in the course of development.
Regulatory Policy Round Table: A Dialogue between Telecommunications and Antitrust Authorities

The chapter on regulatory policy has the objective of promoting a debate among the main authorities involved in the formulation and implementation of the telecommunications policy and its interaction with the antitrust policy. Evidently, the choice of the Brazilian jurisdiction was somehow arbitrary. Our intent to shed light on its experience was also to provide a contribution to the telecommunications and antitrust policies in Brazil. Since 2003, its antitrust policy has been much focused on cartels and leniency. More recently, with the enactment of the new Brazilian antitrust law, the same can be stated regarding the adoption of the pre-merger review system. It is about time to lead Brazilian antitrust policy to a higher level. The following authorities contributed to this chapter: the Secretariat of Telecommunications of the Ministry of Communications (STE/MiniCom); the Secretariat for Economic Monitoring of the Ministry of Finance (SEAE/MF); the National Agency of Telecommunications (ANATEL), and; the CADE's General Superintendence (SG/CADE).
Extracellular matrix mediators of metastatic cell colonization characterized using scaffold mimics of the pre-metastatic niche.

Abstract Metastatic tumor cells colonize the pre-metastatic niche, which is a complex microenvironment consisting partially of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. We sought to identify and validate novel contributors to tumor cell colonization using ECM-coated poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds as mimics of the pre-metastatic niche. Utilizing orthotopic breast cancer mouse models, fibronectin and collagen IV-coated scaffolds implanted in the subcutaneous space captured colonizing tumor cells, showing a greater than 2-fold increase in tumor cell accumulation at the implant site compared to uncoated scaffolds. As a strategy to identify additional ECM colonization contributors, decellularized matrix (DCM) from lungs and livers containing metastatic tumors were characterized. In vitro, metastatic cell adhesion was increased on DCM coatings from diseased organs relative to healthy DCM. Furthermore, in vivo implantations of diseased DCM-coated scaffolds had increased tumor cell colonization relative to healthy DCM coatings. Mass-spectrometry proteomics was performed on healthy and diseased DCM to identify candidates associated with colonization. Myeloperoxidase was identified as abundantly present in diseased organs and validated as a contributor to colonization using myeloperoxidase-coated scaffold implants. This work identified novel ECM proteins associated with colonization using decellularization and proteomics techniques and validated candidates using a scaffold to mimic the pre-metastatic niche. Statement of Significance The pre-metastatic niche consists partially of ECM proteins that promote metastatic cell colonization to a target organ. We present a biomaterials-based approach to mimic this niche and identify ECM mediators of colonization. Using murine breast cancer models, we implanted microporous PCL scaffolds to recruit colonizing tumor cells in vivo . As a strategy to modulate colonization, we coated scaffolds with various ECM proteins, including decellularized lung and liver matrix from tumor-bearing mice. After characterizing the organ matrices using proteomics, myeloperoxidase was identified as an ECM protein contributing to colonization and validated using our scaffold. Our scaffold provides a platform to identify novel contributors to colonization and allows for the capture of colonizing tumor cells for a variety of downstream clinical applications.
Refining the Structural Model of a Heterohexameric Protein Complex: Surface Induced Dissociation and Ion Mobility Provide Key Connectivity and Topology Information

Toyocamycin nitrile hydratase (TNH) is a protein hexamer that catalyzes the hydration of toyocamycin to produce sangivamycin. The structure of hexameric TNH and the arrangement of subunits within the complex, however, have not been solved by NMR or X-ray crystallography. Native mass spectrometry (MS) clearly shows that TNH is composed of two copies each of the α, β, and γ subunits. Previous surface induced dissociation (SID) tandem mass spectrometry on a quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) platform suggests that the TNH hexamer is a dimer composed of two αβγ trimers; furthermore, the results suggest that α–β interact most strongly (Blackwell et al. Anal. Chem. 2011, 83, 2862–2865). Here, multiple complementary MS based approaches and homology modeling have been applied to refine the structure of TNH. Solution-phase organic solvent disruption coupled with native MS agrees with the previous SID results. By coupling surface induced dissociation with ion mobility mass spectrometry (SID/IM), further information o...
The germicidal action of milk.

The so called germicidal action of milk has given rise to much discussion and controversy as to its extent, significance and even its existence. All workers are in agreement that the germicidal effect, if such exists, is only slight in action and transitory in occurrence after the milk is drawn from the animal. Some doubt its existence at all; some believe it to be effective so far as some organisms are concerned but to have no effect upon the typical milk bacteria; others believe in a bactericidal action, but hold that it may occur in the milks of some cows and not in others, and may or may not appear in the milk of the same cow at different times.Studies made by measuring the rate of increase in the natural fortuitous flora of fresh milk have, quite obviously, given contradictory results. When fresh milk is inoculated with known pure cultures, the results are still not definite as the germicidal effect is here complicated by the presence of the natural lag period, in the culture used as the inoculum, be...
Biotite dissolution in brine at varied temperatures and CO2 pressures: its activation energy and potential CO2 intercalation.

For sustainable geologic CO2 sequestration (GCS), it is important to understand the effects of temperature and CO2 pressure on mica’s dissolution and surface morphological changes under saline hydr...
Influence of donor age on mouse islet characteristics and transplantation.

Old donor age has been considered as a risk factor and relative contraindication for transplantation. This study was designed to investigate the influence of donor age on islet characteristics and transplantation. Islets isolated from 8 (I-A)-, 32 (I-B)-, or 64 (I-C)-week-old C57BL/6 mice were studied for number, size, insulin content, and secretion. After syngeneically transplanting 300 islets under the kidney capsule of strep-tozotocin-diabetic mice (R-A, R-B, and R-C, respectively), we measured recipients' metabolic parameters as well as the β-cell mass and insulin content of the graft. Eight-week-old donors had better glucose tolerance than 32- and 64-week-old donors. However, 64-week-old donors had more pancreatic insulin content than 8- and 32-week-old donors. I-B and I-C were greater in number, larger in size, and higher in insulin content than I-A. But perifusion study showed I-C secreted less insulin, albeit with a similar stimulation index compared with that of I-A and I-B. After transplantation, the fall of blood glucose in R-C was faster than that in R-A and R-B. At 12 weeks, the recipients' blood glucose, body weight, HbA1c, and the β-cell mass and insulin content of the graft were comparable in all groups. However, R-C had better glucose tolerance than R-A. During follow-up, R-A and R-B maintained lifelong normoglycemia and their glucose tolerance did not deteriorate. These data indicate that islets isolated from donors with different ages have different characteristics and effects on transplantation. The islets isolated from aged donors are functioning well and can be a potential source for transplantation; however, because we transplanted a large islet mass from the aged donors, the role of the islet dose needs to be further clarified.
Common Grounding Electrode Schemes for Multi-terminal MMC-based HVDC

In a multi-terminal MMC-HVDC(MMC-MTDC)system,if some converters are grounded,the voltages of the other converters can be specified through the DC power lines.In order to reduce the number of grounding electrodes and to lower the requirements of MMC-MTDCs in planning,design,operation and cost,we studied a common grounding strategy of the system through scanning the most severe overvoltage in some specified grounding schemes.Moreover,we established a 5-terminal MMC-HVDC system in PSCAD/EMTDC,and studied 4types of grounding schemes.The simulation results show that the overvoltage in converter stations is influenced by the common grounding electrode scheme,and the maximum overvoltage is closely related to station control strategies.When the maximum overvoltage and the number of grounding electrodes are taken into consideration,installing grounding electrodes in the master converter stations is the best common grounding scheme.
Scaphoid Nonunion Treated with Iliac Crest Structural Autograft

A healthy 22-year-old right-hand dominant professional mountain biker sustained a left scaphoid waist fracture after a fall from his mountain bike. He initially presented to an outside hospital where he was treated with cast immobilization for 4 weeks. He went on to develop a scaphoid nonunion that was subsequently treated with open reduction and internal fixation using distal radius bone graft. He presented 2 years after his injury with persistent radial-sided wrist pain limiting his ability to ride his bicycle competitively. There is no relevant past medical history and the patient denied tobacco use.
Load the edges you need: a generic I/O optimization for disk-based graph processing

Single-PC, disk-based processing of big graphs has recently gained much popularity. At the core of an efficient disk-based system is a well-designed partition structure that can minimize random disk accesses. All existing systems use static partitions that are created before processing starts. These partitions have static layouts and are loaded entirely into memory in every single iteration even though much of the edge data is not changed across many iterations, causing these unchanged edges to have zero new impact on the computation of vertex values. This work provides a general optimization that removes this I/O inefficiency by employing dynamic partitions whose layouts are dynamically adjustable. Our implementation of this optimization in GraphChi -- a representative out-of-core vertex-centric graph system -- yielded speedups of 1.5-2.8× on six large graphs. Our idea is generally applicable to other systems as well.
The effects of sacral denervation on bladder and urethral function.

Complete sacral denervation resulted in loss of anal sphincter, detrusor and urethral skeletal muscular activity, but resting urethral smooth muscular sphincter tone was unaffected. The Crede and Valsalva maneuvers in the patients studied did not produce voiding. Spinal anesthesia, however, resulted in a loss of urethral smooth muscular activity. These results affirm the importance of an intact sympathetic nerve supply in maintaining urinary continence.
Development of retrotransposon-based molecular markers and their application in genetic mapping in chokecherry ( Prunus virginiana L.)

Retrotransposons are the largest group of transposable elements (TEs) that are ubiquitous and well dispersed in plant genomes. Transposition/insertion of TEs on chromosomes often generates unique repeat junctions (RJs) between TEs and their flanking sequences. Long terminal repeats (LTR) are well conserved and abundant in plant genomes, making LTR retrotransposons valuable for development of TE junction-based markers. In this study, LTR retrotransposons and their RJs were detected from chokecherry genome sequences generated by Roche 454 sequencing. A total of 1246 LTR retrotransposons were identified, and 338 polymerase chain reaction primer pairs were designed. Of those, 336 were used to amplify DNA from chokecherry and other rosaceous species. An average of 283 of 336 (84.2 %) LTR primer pairs effectively amplified DNA from chokecherries. One hundred and seventeen chokecherry LTR primers also produced amplification in other Prunus (99) or rosaceous species (19). A total of 59 of 78 polymorphic LTR markers were qualified for linkage map construction according to the segregation distortion Chi-square (χ 2) test. Forty-eight LTR markers were successfully located on a previously constructed chokecherry map. The majority of the LTR markers were mapped on LG XI of the chokecherry map. Our results suggest that LTR marker development using random genome sequences is rapid and cost-efficient. Confirmed applicability of LTR markers in map construction and genetic mapping will facilitate genetic research in chokecherry and other rosaceous species.
Casting Cathleen: Femininity and Motherhood on the Contemporary Irish Stage

On 3 December 1911, Lady Augusta Gregory informed The New York Times Magazine that she did not believe “Ireland has ever had a genius for the novel. Of course, there were plenty of Irish novels, but I don’t think that was ever the natural means of expression for the Irish. What makes Ireland inclined toward the drama is that it’s a great country for conversation. Oscar Wilde said: ‘We are the best talkers since the Greeks’” (Mikhail 1977, 58). While her comments were polemic, according to Gregory an Irish gift for gab unquestionably yielded a national affinity to drama. But was this correlation simply a symptom of her investment in Yeats, Synge and the budding national theater or was there any substance in her claims? Gregory’s statements pre-date Joyce’s Ulysses and the relative flood of Irish novels of the late twentieth century but her advocacy of the notion of a gift for conversation as essentially Irish was certainly in keeping with her relationship to language systems as they were spoken in Ireland.
Recovery From Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa at 22-Year Follow-Up

Objective: The course of eating disorders is often protracted, with fewer than half of adults achieving recovery from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Some argue for palliative management when duration exceeds a decade, yet outcomes beyond 20 years are rarely described. This study investigates early and long-term recovery in the Massachusetts General Hospital Longitudinal Study of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. Methods: Females with DSM-III-R/DSM-IV anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa were assessed at 9 and at 20 to 25 years of follow-up (mean [SD] = 22.10 [1.10] years; study initiated in 1987, last follow-up conducted in 2013) via structured clinical interview (Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation of Eating Disorders [LIFE-EAT-II]). Seventy-seven percent of the original cohort was re-interviewed, and multiple imputation was used to include all surviving participants from the original cohort (N = 228). Kaplan-Meier curves estimated recovery by 9-year follow-up, and McNemar test examined concordance between recovery at 9-year and 22-year follow-up. Results: At 22-year follow-up, 62.8% of participants with anorexia nervosa and 68.2% of participants with bulimia nervosa recovered, compared to 31.4% of participants with anorexia nervosa and 68.2% of participants with bulimia nervosa by 9-year follow-up. Approximately half of those with anorexia nervosa who had not recovered by 9 years progressed to recovery at 22 years. Early recovery was associated with increased likelihood of long-term recovery in anorexia nervosa (odds ratio [OR] = 10.5; 95% CI, 3.77-29.28; McNemar χ2 1 = 31.39; P <.01) but not in bulimia nervosa (OR = 1.0; 95% CI, 0.49-2.05; McNemar χ2 1= 0; P = 1.0). Conclusion: At 22 years, approximately two-thirds of females with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were recovered. Recovery from bulimia nervosa happened earlier, but recovery from anorexia nervosa continued over the long term, arguing against the implementation of palliative care for most individuals with eating disorders.
Everything Must Be Argued: Rhetorical Theory and Pedagogical Practice in Cicero's "De Oratore.".

The method of Cicero's practice and pedagogy in De Oratore is explicitly designed to allow for the comparative estimate of competing positions and represents a salutary effort to discover in any co...
Interneuronopathies and their role in early life epilepsies and neurodevelopmental disorders

GABAergic interneurons control the neural circuitry and network activity in the brain. The advances in genetics have identified genes that control the development, maturation and integration of GABAergic interneurons and implicated them in the pathogenesis of epileptic encephalopathies or neurodevelopmental disorders. For example, mutations of the Aristaless-Related homeobox X-linked gene (ARX) may result in defective GABAergic interneuronal migration in infants with epileptic encephalopathies like West syndrome (WS), Ohtahara syndrome or X-linked lissencephaly with abnormal genitalia (XLAG). The concept of "interneuronopathy", i.e. impaired development, migration or function of interneurons, has emerged as a possible etiopathogenic mechanism for epileptic encephalopathies. Treatments that enhance GABA levels, may help seizure control but do not necessarily show disease modifying effect. On the other hand, interneuronopathies can be seen in other conditions in which epilepsy may not be the primary manifestation, such as autism. In this review, we plan to outline briefly the current state of knowledge on the origin, development, and migration and integration of GABAergic interneurons, present neurodevelopmental conditions, with or without epilepsy, that have been associated with interneuronopathies and discuss the evidence linking certain types of interneuronal dysfunction with epilepsy and/or cognitive or behavioral deficits.