cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
It's in the Field of View! Coronary Artery Analysis on Chest Computed Tomographic Angiography.

Several questions of great importance to the cardiovascular community loom large in chest CT imaging: 1. Is the imager responsible for reporting all relevant cardiovascular findings in the field of view? 2. If imaging of the requested organs (aorta and pulmonary arteries) on computed tomographic angiography is enhanced by simple techniques that enable analysis of the coronary arteries, should the acquisition standard of care be changed to permit coronary analysis and reporting? The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and Society of Thoracic Radiology have answered the first question in the 2016 SCCT/STR Guidelines for Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring of noncontrast noncardiac chest CT scans.1 Because Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring analysis is always feasible and the information provides robust prediction of cardiovascular events in asymptomatic patients, the guideline states that Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring by quantitative or semiquantitative analysis should be part of every noncontract chest CT analysis and report, whether gated or nongated, even though it has not been requested by the referring physician. The second question, which has not been addressed by any guideline, relates to coronary artery analysis and reporting on contrast CT scans ordered for the acute scenarios of aortic dissection (AD) and pulmonary embolus (PE) and for the chronic surveillance of thoracic aortic aneurysms, both before and after repair. This should be differentiated from the triple rule out in ED chest pain patients with clinical presentations consistent with coronary artery disease (CAD) in which AD and PE are also of concern. In this ED setting, in 1555 patients, 15.5% had >50% coronary diameter stenosis, 1.1% had PE and 0.4% had AD.2 In a second series of 1192 patients, significant CAD was found in 11.7%, PE in 2.3%, and AD in 0.3%.3 As with all imaging paradigm changes, technical feasibility and a favorable benefit to risk …
Best care paradigm to optimize functionality after extra-articular distal humeral fractures in the young patient

For younger patients with extra-articular distal humerus fractures closed management is plagued with high rates of malunion, suboptimal functional outcomes, extended immobilization with loss of early motion, a delay in return to work, and a general period of lost productivity. Surgical management offers an appealing alternative. Maintaining respect for the triceps musculature and minimizing iatrogenic injury to the radial nerve are primary concerns with operative treatment. Accordingly, use of a triceps-sparing approach and single column plating may be the optimal treatment paradigm in the young patient presenting with an extra-articular distal humerus fracture.
"I've learned to just go with the flow": Family caregivers' strategies for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

Background and objectivesBehavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are highly prevalent, stressful, and challenging to manage. Caregivers’ approaches for handling these behaviors have impli...
Diagnostic criteria for persistent vegetative state.

An analysis of the diagnostic and clinical criteria for persistent vegetative state. Virtual Mentor is a monthly bioethics journal published by the American Medical Association.
A novel pathway of Stat3 interaction with the Rho GTPases

297 Unlike cultured cells, cells in a tumor have extensive opportunities for adhesion to their neighbors in a three-dimensional structure, therefore in the study of signal transduction it is important to take into account the effect of surrounding cells. Stat3 has emerged as an important signal transducer with a role in the etiology of many cancers. In resting cells, Stat3 is inactive in the cytoplasm but following receptor activation it is phosphorylated at tyr-705, dimerizes and migrates to the nucleus where it activates transcription from a number of genes involved in cell division and survival. Our lab has demonstrated that cell-to-cell adhesion, as observed in confluent cultured cells, can lead to a dramatic increase in Stat3 activity, which peaks at 2-4 days post-confluence. Most importantly, this Stat3 activation required Calcium but was found to be resistant to inhibition of a number of tyrosine kinases, including the Src family, IGF1-R, EGFR and Fer individually, often activated in a variety of cancers (Oncogene 23:2600, Mol.Biol.Cell 16:3832). It has recently emerged that engagement of cadherins, surface receptors responsible for the formation of cell-to-cell adhesion junctions, results in the rapid activation of the Rac1 and Cdc42, Rho family GTPases. Furthermore, expression of activated forms of the Rho GTPases leads to Stat3, ptyr705 and pser727 phosphorylation and activation. In an attempt to investigate whether the Rho GTPases might be mediating the Stat3 activation we observe at post-confluence, we examined their activity in extracts from sparse vs confluent mouse normal breast epithelial HC11 cells and NIH3T3 fibroblasts. In agreement with previous results, a modest increase in Rac1 activity was noted as cells approached confluence. However, examination of the levels of Rac1, as well as Cdc42 and RhoA by Western blotting revealed a dramatic increase in total levels of these proteins, starting at confluence, which could be due to an increase in protein stability. This increase preceded the increase in Stat3-ptyr705 by approximately 24 hours. Moreover, inhibition of Rac1, RhoA and cdc42 activity with dominant-negative mutants or pharmacological inhibitors prevented the cell-to-cell adhesion-mediated, Stat3 activation, indicating that these GTPases could be responsible for the dramatic increase observed at post-confluence. Most importantly, inhibition of Rac1, RhoA and cdc42, or Stat3 at post-confluence induced apoptosis, while inhibition in sparsely growing cultures caused merely a growth retardation. These findings reveal demonstrate the existence of a novel mechanism of upregulation of the Rho GTPases which is engaged following extensive cell-to-cell adhesion. This pathway leads to Stat3 upregulation and cellular survival, and is present both in epithelial cells as well as fibroblasts.
Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity and Inflation Dynamics During and After the Great Recession

I develop a New Keynesian model that embeds heterogeneous workers with asymmetric wage adjustment costs in order to address two inflation puzzles: missing deflation during the Great Recession and the subsequent missing inflation. When the wage adjustment costs are estimated according to U.S. micro wage data, downward nominal wage rigidity emerges, inducing the flattening of the observed price Phillips curve during and after recessions. Moreover, endogenous evolution of the cross-sectional wage distribution generates nonlinear dynamics such as the sign-, size-, and state-dependence. These nonlinearities help the model address the inflation puzzles as well as matching micro evidence on wage adjustments.
Debris properties and mass-balance impacts on adjacent debris-covered glaciers, Mount Rainier, USA

The north and east slopes of Mount Rainier, Washington, are host to three of the largest glaciers in the contiguous United States: Carbon Glacier, Winthrop Glacier, and Emmons Glacier. Each has an ...
Software Preservation: An Introduction to Issues and Challenges

Many Libraries, Archives, and Museums (LAMs) have undertaken digital preservation initiatives. Recently increased attention has been placed on expanding this efforts beyond preserving textual docum...
Expression of different ParE toxins results in conserved phenotypes with distinguishable classes of toxicity.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are found on both chromosomes and plasmids. These systems are unique in that they can confer both fatal and protective effects on bacterial cells-a quality that could potentially be harnessed given further understanding of these TA mechanisms. The current work focuses on the ParE subfamily, which is found throughout proteobacteria and has a sequence identity on average of approximately 12% (similarity at 30%-80%). Our aim is to evaluate the equivalency of chromosomally derived ParE toxin activity depending on its bacterial species of origin. Nine ParE toxins were analyzed, originating from six different bacterial species. Based on the resulting toxicity, three categories can be established: ParE toxins that do not exert toxicity under the experimental conditions, toxins that exert toxicity within the first four hours, and those that exert toxicity only after 10-12 hr of exposure. All tested ParE toxins produce a cellular morphologic change from rods to filaments, consistent with disruption of DNA topology. Analysis of the distribution of filamented cells within a population reveals a correlation between the extent of filamentation and toxicity. No membrane septation is visible along the length of the cell filaments, whereas aberrant lipid blebs are evident. Potent ParE-mediated toxicity is also correlated with a hallmark signature of abortive DNA replication, consistent with the inhibition of DNA gyrase.
Modeling and simulation of biopolymer networks: Classification of the cytoskeleton models according to multiple scales

We reviewed numerical/analytical models for describing rheological properties and mechanical behaviors of biopolymer networks with a focus on the cytoskeleton, a major component of a living cell. The cytoskeleton models are classified into three categories: the cell-scale continuum-based model, the structure-based model, and the polymerbased model, according to the length scales of the phenomena of interest. The criteria for classification of the models are modified and extended from those used by Mofrad [M. R. K. Mofrad, Annual Rev. Fluid Mech. 41, 433 (2009)]. The main principles and characteristics of each model are summarized and discussed by comparison with each other. Since the stress-deformation relation of cytoskeleton is dependent on the length scale of stress elements, our model classification helps systematic understanding of biopolymer network modeling.
Influence of field technique, density, and sex on home range and overlap of the southern red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi)

Home range is shaped by an individual’s interactions with the environment and conspecifics, and both size and placement may vary in response to population fluctuations. The method used to collect l...
Routine Robotic Inguinal Hernia Repair

The use of the robotic technology in the repair of inguinal hernia has grown significantly over the last few years. The robotic method in nearly all cases requires the transabdominal preperitoneal approach (rTAPP). This chapter provides a very detailed description of the rTAPP. The various modifications that have been noted are discussed. Postoperative expectations and outcomes are also reviewed. The reader should understand this rTAPP approach to inguinal hernia repair.
Improving Lithium Metal Composite Anodes with Seeding and Pillaring Effects of Silicon Nanoparticles

Metallic lithium (Li) anodes are crucial for the development of high specific energy batteries yet are plagued by their poor cycling efficiency. Electrode architecture engineering is vital for main...
Home Bias, an Academic Puzzle

Only 16% (23%) of all empirical studies published in the top four (fourteen) Finance journals examine non-US markets, a fraction that is well below measures reflecting their economic importance. This “home bias” measure fluctuates across years with a weakly declining trend. There is also a “foreign bias” in which some non-US countries are more frequently the subject of published papers than others. I am able to explain only a small fraction of either the home-bias or the foreign-bias puzzles. Surprisingly, there are on average 2.01 higher annual cumulative citations per non-US paper published relative to cohort-matched US-focused papers.
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma of the chest wall in an adolescent patient: A case report and brief review of the literature.

BACKGROUND Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare and aggressive bone tumor with few reports of primary tumor in the chest wall. CASE We report a case of a 17-year-old male presenting with back pain and a posterior mediastinal mass. Imaging demonstrated what was thought to be a benign chondral tumor. The patient underwent resection which confirmed extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. The patient declined proposed adjuvant chemotherapy and underwent multiple resections for rapid local reoccurrence. He ultimately elected for hospice care. CONCLUSION The case highlights the importance of close disease monitoring and exploration of treatment options, given lack of established guidelines and consistent tumor features.
Surgical management of recurrent idiopathic pneumatosis intestinalis in the pediatric population

Abstract Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is the presence of air in the bowel wall that can occur as the result of many different etiologies. PI remains difficult to treat as it can indicate severe compromise of the intestine, such as occurs in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature infants, or it can be a relatively benign finding with little clinical sequelae. In general, PI is treated with bowel rest and broad-spectrum antibiotics regardless of the underlying etiology. This approach leads to resolution of PI in the majority of cases. However, in some cases, the PI recurs despite repeated or prolonged medical therapy and bowel rest. There are no standard guidelines to facilitate management in these cases. This is a case series of children with neurologic impairment who had recurrent PI. Each of these children were successfully treated with operative intervention in the form of diverting ileostomy (n = 2) or colectomy with ileostomy (n = 2)
Purchase Behavior by Commodities Buyers; Some Strategic and Tactical Insights

This study sought to examine differences in vendor selection attributes within a context, the wholesale neat industry, not previously examined. Purchasing, in this industry, is done by agents and traders, who have different objectives and would thus be expected to value attributes differently. Nine attributes taken from other studies, but modified to have meaning within the wholesale meat business were used in this study. Six of the nine attributes were valued differently and the set as a whole was ranked differently. Based on these findings various strategic and tactical considerations are posed.
The dual AngII/AVP receptor gene N119S/C163R variant exhibits sodium-induced dysfunction and cosegregates with salt-sensitive hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive hypertensive rat model.

Essential hypertension is a prevalent complex polygenic disease and a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in developed countries. Because of its complex and multifactorial nature, its genetic determinants still remain largely unknown. The Dahl saltsensitive hypertensive rat model exhibits impaired sodium handling, which is hypothesized to play a key role in the pathophysiology of polygenic hypertension. Thus, genes associated with renal regulation of salt and water balance are a priori likely candidates for a causative role in hypertension pathogenesis. The functional properties and renal-specific expression of the recently characterized AngII/AVP receptor suggest a putative modulator role in tubular sodium and fluid reabsorption. Based on these observations, we investigated the potential involvement of the AngII/AVP receptor in salt-sensitive hypertension. We performed cosegregation analysis of the AngII/AVP receptor locus with salt-sensitive hypertension in an F2 (Dahl S × Dahl salt-resistant [R]) hybrid male cohort characterized for blood pressure by radiotelemetry after 8 weeks of high salt challenge. Further molecular analysis was done to identify putative AngII/AVP receptor molecular variants that could account for the AngII/AVP receptor involvement in salt-sensitive hypertension pathogenesis. The AngII/AVP receptor was mapped to rat chromosome 1, 1.7 cM centromeric to the D1Rat188 marker by radiation hybrid mapping analysis. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis detected a highly significant linkage of the AngII/AVP receptor locus with high blood pressure (LRS = 13.8, p = 0.0002). Molecular characterization of the Dahl S and Dahl R AngII/AVP receptor cDNAs revealed two amino acid substitutions in the Dahl S AngII/AVP receptor (N119S, C163R) when compared to the Dahl R AngII/AVP receptor. These mutations are associated with an increased receptor affinity for both ligands (AVP and AngII) and an enhanced Gs-coupling by the receptor resulting in increased activation of adenylate cyclase with concomitant increase in cAMP production. The observed molecular dysfunction in the Dahl S AngII/AVP receptor is consistent with increased tubular sodium and fluid reabsorption observed in Dahl S rats. Interestingly, the AngII/AVPr locus is within the narrowed chromosome 1 QTL region for blood pressure detected in different rat intercross linkage analyses. Altogether, the data strongly suggest that the AngII/AVP receptor is a hypertension susceptibility gene in the Dahl S rat model, as well as raises the hypothesis that it too underlies the chromosome 1 blood pressure QTL identified in other hypertension rat models.
Audit Flexibility and Information Technology Infrastructure Complexity: Effects on Internal Control Systems

The introduction of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 that was driven by the changed financial reporting environment in the last few years has created new dynamics in the external audit environment. These new environmental constraints have necessitated the development of guidelines by the PCAOB that would be useful to auditors in planning and carrying out audit engagements. Most recently, auditing standard number 5 (AS5) has been developed and adopted so as to facilitate the application of auditor judgment in audit engagements. At the same time, there has been some criticism expressed in the professional literature about the effectiveness of AS5 to address the limitations of prior standards (such as AS2) and whether this enhanced latitude in audit judgment would lead to more effective audits (Libenson, 2008). In addition, the auditor's capacity to adequately evaluate systems of internal control when information technology is present has been questioned both in the professional (e.g., Libenson, 2008) as well as in the academic (e.g., Hunton, Wright and Wright 2004) literatures. For these reasons, it is important to examine the effects of audit flexibility and the complexity of information technology infrastructure on the effectiveness of auditors to properly assess internal control systems in business organizations. We thus attempt to study audit related variables that have not been adequately researched in literature. The variables include audit quality, IT capability, and internal control weakness. Recent literature has begun to study the effect of firm characteristics such as CFO quality on internal control weakness. There is some evidence that IT capability leads to increased audit quality. In addition, we propose a new variable which we label audit flexibility. This variable effectively captures the leeway that auditors have, when they use 'principles based accounting' as specified in AS5. In spite of a general sentiment that this approach is superior to 'rules based accounting' there are skeptics who believe that audit quality is not adequately affected by either approach. We use AS5 implementation as a proxy for audit flexibility, in the sense that audits after the introduction of AS5 are presumed to be done with greater 'flexibility'. We study the joint effect of audit flexibility and IT capability on audit quality. Finally, we propose that audit quality affects internal control weakness (ICW). We discuss implications for theory and practice.
The distribution of chromium 51-labelled lymphoid cells in the mouse: A survey of anatomical compartments

Abstract 51Cr-labeled lymphoid cells derived from lymph node, peripheral blood, spleen, Peyer's patches, and thymus migrate distinctively into syngeneic recipients. Each compartment segregates in different ratios into lymph node, spleen, and liver-seeking components. The lymph node-seeking population is believed to represent a pure component of recirculating lymphocytes, while the spleen-seeking population represents recirculating and nonrecirculating cells, as well as hematopoietic precursors. It is proposed that the liver component probably consists of macrophages and dead and dying cells. The functional cell types which these subpopulations may represent is discussed, and quantitive estimations of the size of the recirculating and nonrecirculating compartmental components are made.
Sensors in the Measurement of Toxic Gases in the Air

The use of sensors to measure toxic gases and vapors in air has increased rapidly due to several factors, including a growing public awareness of the hazards associated with many airborne chemicals, increasing regulatory requirements for industries using hazardous chemicals, and continuous advancements in the technology and instrumentation available to measure these compounds. The principal advantage of sensor systems for toxic gases and vapors relative to traditional sampling and analytical methods, is the ability to measure chemicals over short time periods, that is, in a matter of seconds or minutes, thus providing the information necessary to protect workers from acute health effects. Modern sensor-based instrumentation provides many options for processing and storing measurements, thereby allowing extreme flexibility in evaluating exposures to toxic gases and vapors relative to ceiling limits, short-term exposure limits (STELs), or longer term average concentrations based on user selectable time periods. This extreme range of options for processing data makes sensors an attractive, and in some cases, the only alternative for measuring toxic gases and vapors in air. Most of these devices can be broadly categorized as: (1) electrochemical sensors which constitute the vast majority of devices currently available for detection of toxic gases and vapors; (2) mass sensors that are based on piezoelectric materials including surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices; or (3) optical sensors that rely on the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with an analyte, resulting in some alteration of the properties of the radiation. The most common applications of sensors for measuring toxic gases and vapors in air include industrial hygiene monitoring, confined space monitoring, process emission monitoring, and leak detection.
Isotopic diffusion in polar firn: implications for interpretation of seasonal climate parameters in ice-core records, with emphasis on central Greenland

If it were possible to properly extract seasonal information from ice-core isotopic records, paleoclimate researchers could retrieve a wealth of new information concerning the nature of climate changes and the meaning of trends observed in ice-core proxy records. It is widely recognized, however, that the diffusional smoothing of the seasonal record makes a “proper extraction" very difficult. In this paper, we examine the extent to which seasonal information (specifically the amplitude and shape of the seasonal cycle) is irrecoverably destroyed by diffusion in the firn. First, we show that isotopic diffusion firn is reasonably well understood. We do this by showing that a slightly modified version of the Whillans and Grootes (1985) theory makes a tenable a priori prediction of the decay of seasonal isotopic amplitudes with depth at the GISP2 site, though a small adjustment to one parameter significantly improves the prediction. Further, we calculate the amplitude decay at various other ice-core sites and show that these predictions compare favorably with published data from South Pole and locations in southern and central Greenland and the Antarctic Peninsula. We then present numerical experiments wherein synthetic ice-core records are created, diffused, sampled, reconstituted and compared to the original. These show that, alter diffusive mixing in the entire fini column, seasonal amplitudes can be reconstructed to within about 20% error in central Greenland but that all information about sub-annual signals is permanently lost there. Furthermore, most of the error in the amplitude reconstructions is due to the unknowable variations in the sub-annual signal. Finally, we explore how these results can be applied to other locations and suggest that Dye 3 has a high potential for meaningful seasonal reconstructions, while Siple Dome has no potential at all. An optimal ice-core site for seasonal reconstructions has a high accumulation rate and a low temperature.
Determining Software Investment Lag

The investments needed to bring a software project to the market are substantial and can extend over several years. Managing software development requires not only technical expertise, but communication with funders and economists. This paper presents methods to estimate a parameter which captures the effective investment time, lag. The lag parameter is useful in assessing progress towards the goal of having a quality product, while scheduling resources, assessing the risk, considering options, capitalization of investments, and predicting taxation consequences. The paper presents the lag estimation methods for a new product, for additional versions of a product, and for complete product replacement.
Purification, composition, and some properties of rat liver carbamyl phosphate synthetase (ammonia)☆

Abstract A procedure for the purification of rat liver carbamyl phosphate synthetase (ammonia) to homogeneity is described. The molecular weight of isolated active enzyme is 222,000 ± 10,000; that of the subunits obtained by denaturation with sodium dodecyl sulfate in the presence of dithiothreitol is 120,000 ± 5,000. The enzyme appears to be composed of two subunits of identical size. The amino acid composition of the rat liver enzyme is reported and shown to be very similar to that of the bovine enzyme. The concentration of carbamyl phosphate synthetase I in the matrix of rat liver mitochondria is about 5 × 10 −4 m , very similar to that of acetylglutamate; on this basis, it is suggested that one-third to one-half of the total enzyme may be in the active form in the matrix. Calculations also indicate that normally, ATP is unlikely to limit the rate of carbamyl phosphate synthesis in vivo . Carbamyl phosphate synthetase I appears to constitute 22 to 26% of the total matrix protein of liver mitochondria; the significance of this fact is briefly examined.
p53 Nuclear overexpression may not be an independent prognostic marker in early colorectal cancer

AbstractPURPOSE:This study was designed to determine if p53 nuclear overexpression, as detected by immunohistochemistry, is a marker of prognostic significance in early (Stage I) colorectal cancer (CRC).METHODS:Tissue sections obtained from archival blocks of 66 patients with surgically treated Stag
Erythema multiforme as a complication of BCG scarification technique.

Erythema multiforme occurred in a 31-year-old woman as a complication of BCG immunotherapy administered by scarification for a Clark's level IV malignant melanoma. This is an unusual complication of the scarification technique. (Arch Dermatol115:614-615, 1979)
Mechanism of blood coagulation. Newer aspects of anticoagulant and antithrombotic therapy

Hemostasis as defined by Virchow in the last century is a fine balance between blood flow, humoral factors, and cellular elements of the vascular system. Today, biotechnology has advanced our understanding of the thrombotic process and its regulation. Whereas in the past, heparin and warfarin have been the sole antithrombotic agents available, specific sites in the thrombotic network at both plasmatic and cellular sites can now be targeted. Antibodies against specific platelet receptors as well as specific antithrombin and anti-Xa agents are being developed. Mutations of endogenous inhibitors have been identified as causes of congenital thrombophilias. The use of heparin has also advanced. Heparin is no longer solely a surgical anticoagulant, but is used to treat a variety of conditions including venous thrombosis, unstable angina, and myocardial infarction and is used in procedures such as angioplasty and stent implantation. The mechanism of heparin’s action has become more complex with the discovery of tissue factor pathway inhibitor, selectins, and other cellular targets where the drug is able to produce its effects.
Post-crisis economic policies

Following is the text of the letter that Edmund Phelps, the Director of the Center on Capitalism and Society at Columbia, sent to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on February 2010 to report to the G20 on the conference “Post-Crisis Economic Policies” that the Center held on 11–12 December 2009 in Berlin. The letter makes a special contribution to the topic of this Special Issue on “Growth or Stagnation after Recession?” and so it is reproduced in its entirety without any editorial change. As Director of the Center on Capitalism and Society at Columbia University, I want to report to the G20 on the conference “Post-Crisis Economic Policies” the Center held on 11–12 December 2009 in Berlin. Last year I reported to the G20 on our conference “Emerging from the Financial Crisis” held 20 February 2009 in New York. At this recent conference, as at the previous one, a great many renowned policymakers, bankers, regulators and scholars joined forces with members of the Center to discuss key issues and come up with proposals on how to improve economic performance in the advanced economies in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Paul Volcker, chairman of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, and Josef Ackerman, Chairman of Deutsche Bank, were dinner speakers. Lucas Papademos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank, Sir Howard Davies, Director of the London School of Economics and former Chairman of the Financial Services Authority, Dr. Joachim Faber, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE, and two Nobel laureates – Robert Mundell and I – each spoke in a panel as did the chair of the Center’s Advisory Board Peter Jungen. We convened to discuss ways to raise radically our post-crisis prospects – to boost our nations’ normal prosperity levels and to buttress their prosperity from severe swings brought by speculative
Organolanthanide-catalyzed synthesis of phosphine-terminated polyethylenes.

Organolanthanide-mediated hydrophosphination and ethylene polymerization are coupled in a catalytic cycle to produce diphenylphosphine-terminated polyethylenes. The resulting polymers were characterized by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR, GPC, and DSC and compared spectroscopically to the model compound, 1-eicosyldiphenylphosphine oxide. High activities (107 g polymer/(mol Ln·atm ethylene·h)) and narrow polydispersities were observed in the polymerization/chain transfer process. Polyethylene molecular weights were found to be inversely proportional to diphenylphosphine concentration, supporting a chain transfer mechanism. The present discovery represents the first case in which an electron-rich phosphine functions efficiently as a chain transfer agent in a single-site fn/d0-mediated olefin polymerization process.
MglA/SspA complex interactions are modulated by inorganic polyphosphate.

The transcription factors MglA and SspA of Francisella tularensis form a heterodimer complex and interact with the RNA polymerase to regulate the expression of the Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI) genes. These genes are essential for this pathogen’s virulence and survival within host cells. Our goal was to determine if an intracellular metabolite modulate these protein/protein interactions. In this study, we identified inorganic polyphosphate (polyP) as a signal molecule that promotes the interaction of MglA and SspA from F. tularensis SCHU S4. Analysis of the Mgla/SspA interaction was carried out using a two-hybrid system. The Escherichia coli reporter strain contained a deletion on the ppK-ppX operon, inhibiting polyP synthesis. The interaction between MglA and SspA was significantly impaired, as was the interaction between the MglA/ SspA complex and the regulatory protein, FevR, indicating the stabilizing effect of polyP. In F. tularensis, chromatin immune precipitation studies revealed that in the absence of polyP, binding of the MglA/SspA complex to the promoter region of the pdpD, iglA, fevR and ppK genes is decreased. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) indicated that polyP binds directly to the MglA/SspA complex with high affinity (KD=0.3 mM). These observations directly correlated with results obtained from calorimetric scans (DSC), where a strong shift in the mid-transition temperature (Tm) of the MglA/SspA complex was observed in the presence of polyP.
In vitro re-expression of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) in cultured Ahr-deficient mouse antral follicles partially restores the phenotype to that of cultured wild-type mouse follicles

Background The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) mediates the toxic effects of various endocrine disrupting chemicals. In female mice, global deletion of the Ahr (AhrKO) results in slow growth of ovarian antral follicles. No studies, however, have examined whether injection of the Ahr restores the phenotypes of cultured AhrKO ovarian antral follicles to wild-type levels.
Evaluating removal of steroid estrogens by a model alga as a possible sustainability benefit of hypothetical integrated algae cultivation and wastewater treatment systems

The wastewater treatment field is increasing its emphasis on energy and resource recovery, while still prioritizing environmental protection. In this vein, there is growing interest in integration of algae cultivation and wastewater as a means to produce bioenergy while also removing dissolved nutrients. This paper assesses algae-mediated removal of estrogenic steroid hormones, which is an important but previously undocumented water quality benefit for municipal and livestock waste treatment facilities, because these entities discharge significant amounts of estrogens and nutrients. Bench-scale experiments were used to investigate apparent removal of four steroid hormones by a model alga, Scenedesmus dimorphus. Removal efficiencies were roughly 85% for 17α-estradiol and estrone and 95% for 17β-estradiol and estriol over eight days. Sorption, direct-photolysis, and algae-mediated biotransformation were evaluated as possible removal mechanisms. Removal was mainly achieved by algae-mediated biotransformation...
Supercomputers for Quantum Chemistry, Statistical Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics of Biological Systems

An experimental parallel computer system which is expected to achieve supercomputing performance is described. This system allows the execution of single large jobs on multiple processors. The system hardwares and softwares will be briefly described. The validity of this approach to performing large scale simulations of biological systems is verified by analyzing the performance results of a variety of application programs. Among the applications to be discussed are programs in quantum chemistry, statistical mechanics and fluid dynamics. Specific examples of large biological systems which have been studied shall also be discussed.
Exact derivation of the modified Young equation for partial wetting

We examine a planar wetting model which exhibits a sessile drop and microscopic droplets. The contact angle of the sessile drop obeys the modified Young equation. The microscopic droplets diverge in size and the contact angle vanishes at a single wetting temperature.
DISCURSIVE FLIGHTS: STRUCTURING STORIES IN THE SHUYI JI 述異記

The Shuyi ji 述異記 (Notes Relating the Extraordinary), an anomaly account traditionally attributed to Ren Fang 任昉 (460–508), has received little attention, with most research focused on questions of authorship and dating, and rarely on the content itself. Despite its wealth of information about local geographic and cultural curiosities, the Shuyi ji contains relatively few stories, per se, and offers limited immediate literary appeal. The present study, however, argues that a reading of the work that focuses on structure reveals new possibilities about the value of this under-studied text. In the textual world of the Shuyi ji, distinct discursive strategies for recording anomalies emerge. Analysis of the relationship between the types of phenomena and the rhetoric of their representation uncovers a close connection between the nature of the extraordinary and the structure of its portrayal to raise new questions about the implications of the work’s categorization of knowledge.
Structural characterization of U(VI) in apatite by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the local structure of U(VI) within synthetic fluorapatite at a concentration of 2.3 wt %. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure indicates that U(VI) substitutes into the Ca1 site. To accommodate this substitution the apatite structure significantly distorts such that the Ca1 site approximates octahedral coordination, with six uniform U−O distances of 2.06 A. An X-ray adsorption edge structure, with two inflection points, and optical emission spectra are consistent with 6d orbital crystal field splitting. These results indicate that significant amounts of U(VI) can be accommodated in the apatite structure but with an unexpected coordination, which may bear on the ultimate development of apatite-hosted nuclear-waste forms.
Atmospheric Circulation and Variations in Scandinavian Glacier Mass Balance

Mountain glaciers in Scandinavia are currently advancing while most of the monitored mountain glaciers of the world are retreating. We examine atmospheric circulation variability and compare changes in air pressure indices to changes in the mass balance of glaciers in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The glacier mass balance correlates well with the strength of maritime flow in both winter and summer, the presence of high pressure over the Barents Sea being a critical factor in summer. The advance of Scandinavian glaciers is due partly to persistently strong westerlies over the northeastern Atlantic during post-1980 winters and partly to cold summertime flow, which together have helped maintain positive glacier net balance by decreasing ablation since 1980.
A practical synthesis of 2-amino-2'-hydroxy-1,1'-binaphthyl (NOBIN)

Abstract A practical synthesis of 2-amino-2′-hydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl (NOBIN) was realized from BINOL through a single step. Its facile purification procedure makes the process amenable for large scale synthesis of NOBIN.
PAX6 gene dosage effect in a family with congenital cataracts, aniridia, anophthalmia and central nervous system defects

The human eye malformation aniridia results from haploinsufficiency of PAX6, a paired box DNA-binding protein. To study this dosage effect, we characterized two PAX6 mutations in a family segregating aniridia and a milder syndrome consisting of congenital cataracts and late onset corneal dystrophy. The nonsense mutations, at codons 103 and 353, truncate PAX6 within the N-terminal paired and C-terminal PST domains, respectively. The wild-type PST domain activates transcription autonomously and the mutant form has partial activity. A compound heterozygote had severe craniofacial and central nervous system defects and no eyes. The pattern of malformations is similar to that in homozygous Sey mice and suggests a critical role for PAX6 in controlling the migration and differentiation of specific neuronal progenitor cells in the brain.
A successive projection method

It is of both theoretical and practical interest to find the projection of a point to the intersection of a finite number of closed convex sets by a sequence of projections to the individual sets successively. In this paper we study such a method and analyze its convergence properties. A main feature of the method is its capability to decompose the projection problem into several small ones. For some structured sparse problems these small subproblems can be solved independently and the presented method has a potential use in parallel computation.
Popular Culture and the Rituals of American Football

In his article, "Popular Culture and the Rituals of American Football," Mark Axelrod reflects on meanings of cultural practice in American popular culture. Before globalization -driven by economics -became a fact of life with profound implications, there were myths and rituals that provided a kind of insulation from the mysteries of life. These practices were ritualized by "primitive" men and women who, seemingly, did not understand the universe as well as we moderns do. But in fact one only needs to witness throngs of Baltimoreans rushing after a caravan of cars attempting to kiss the Vince Lombardi Trophy as if it were a passing Torah and genuflecting to their NFL Ravens to realize that very little has changed since the days of pine and mosses. In American scholarship, one of the most fascinating areas of myth and ritual, and one of the least explored, is that dealing with American football. Drawing on the thought of Arnold van Gennep, C.G. Jung, and Mircea Eliade among others, Axelrod raises the ritual of the sport from the baseness of physical contact and violence to the level of cultural practice, replete with all the sacred mysteries of any other ritual, past or present. Mark Axelrod, "Popular Culture and the Rituals of American Football" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 3.1 (2001):
Magnetic structures of Y6(Fe1−xMnx)23 compounds

Neutron diffraction studies of eleven compounds across the compositional range of the Y6(Fe1−xMnx)23 system reveal the presence of substantial preferential atomic ordering of Fe and Mn atoms on the four transition metal crystallographic sites. Throughout the entire compositional range, Mn atoms prefer to occupy the f2 site and Fe atoms the f1 site. Neutron diffraction profile refinements show no long range magnetic ordering occurring in the compositional range from x = 0.4 to 0.75 as a consequence of the sharply reduced exchange interactions in the ternary compounds. The average Fe moments on each of the sites are reduced in the Fe‐rich ternaries. The manganese atoms are nonmagnetic. In the Mn‐rich ternaries the Fe atoms have no spontaneous moments and the Mn moments are decreased dramatically from Y6Mn23.
Microphase structure and properties of polyurethane/polyvinyl interstitial composites

Interaction et interpenetration d'un certain nombre de melanges (polymethacrylonitrile et copolymere, polyacenaphtylene et copolymere)
Surgery of osteoarthritis.

Abstract Osteoarthritis is a common ailment that afflicts a major portion of our older generation, producing a great deal of pain and suffering. In the past, a conservative course was advised as the treatment of choice. This is no longer true in many cases, and with the great advances in all fields of medicine, patients are living longer and can successfully undergo most surgical procedures. These patients wish to be free of pain and to be able to remain independent. Please think seriously before you say to your patient, “you have arthritis and there is nothing that can be done, you will just have to live with it and perhaps get a wheelchair.” If man can walk on the moon he should at least be able to walk on earth.
Dependence of ultrasonic nonlinear parameter B/A on fat

Abstract This study deals with the relationship between the magnitude of acoustic nonlinearity, sound speed of tissues and the amount of fat present in them. A two-component model, i.e., nonfat and fat, has been assumed and equations that relate the nonlinear parameter ( B A ) of a medium to the properties of its components have been derived for two cases. In the first case, the density and sound speed are the same for the two components; B A is a linear function of fat concentration. To represent this case, mixtures of egg white and yolk were studied. Even though the differences in density and sound speed of the two egg components were within 1 percent of each other, B A showed a deviation from linearity. In the second case, i.e., when the density and sound speed of the two components are not equal, a quadratic equation has been derived using mixture laws. Livers, fats, egg mixtures, and oil data were used to represent this case. B A increased quadratically with fat concentration. The presence of proteins on the binary aqueous/fat mixtures modified the quadratic rule.
Developmental changes in the electrophysiologic properties of rabbit papillary muscles.

ABSTRACT: We studied the electrophysiological properties of adult (AD) and newborn (NB) rabbit papillary muscles in vitro with superfusion of normal Tyrode's solution, solutions with elevated [K+]o, and in solutions with various concentrations of tetrodotoxin. In control solutions, the NB papillary muscles had a more negative resting membrane potential (−83.6 ± 1.2 versus−80.0 ± 1.5 mV), a higher rate of rise of phase 0 (134± 5 versus 120± 5 V/S) and a higher, longer-lasting action potential plateau than the AD papillary muscles. Exposure to elevated [K+]o led to a significant post-repolarization refractoriness in AD papillary muscles that was more than that for NB papillary muscles even when NB papillary muscles were depolarized to the same resting membrane potential as the AD papillary muscles. The NB papillary muscles were comparatively resistant to tetrodotoxin in terms of percent reduction of conduction velocity and percent rise in the current threshold for excitation. The conduction velocity for AD papillary muscles in control solution (66± 6 cm/s) was more than for NB papillary muscles (44 ±4 cm/s), which would not be expected from the data on the rate of rise of the action potential, suggesting that the cable properties of NB papillary muscles (specifically a greater surface to volume ratio of the ventricular cells) are also significantly different from the AD papillary muscles.
A note on degrees of presentation of games as relational structures

Abstract This paper considers concepts of recursion-theoretic complexity in terms of the structure of Turing degrees of unsolvability for abstract games of the form: Γ = A ,⦔〉, where A is a space of outcomes for a von Neumann cooperative game with arbitrary cardinality of players, and ⦔ is a dominance relation defined on pairs of outcomes in the space A . Weak versus strong concepts of recursive presentation are defined using the R.E. degress and it is proved that no structure of the form: Γ = A ,⦔〉 which is isomorphic to the space of primitive recursive reals when the dominance relation defined by the ordering on the positive part of A can be recursively presented in the strong sense, despite the fact that the dominance relation in this case is recursive. The notion of weak presentation coincides with R.E. presented, and in the special case when the dominance relation is extended to a linear ordering we show that a countable abstract game Γ = A ,⦔〉 possesses a degree of its isomorphism class only if that degree is 0 and thus the game Γ = A ,⦔〉 is isomorphic to some game Γ 0 = A ,⦔ 0 〉 whose degree of presentation is strongly recursive.
Measurement of eye velocity using active illumination

With speeds measured in hundreds of degrees per second, measurement of saccadic velocities can be a challenging problem, usually solved by the application of high-frame-rate cameras or high-bandwidth analog systems. This paper describes a novel approach utilizing a standard NTSC video camera coupled with an array of near-infrared light-emitting diodes that are flashed at various times within a single frame. The principle has been demonstrated with a prototype apparatus consisting of 4 16-cell linear arrays ("light sticks"). The cells of each light stick are energized sequentially during each video field, while a camera captures their images reflected in the cornea. When the eye is still, the four line segments are aligned with the vertical and horizontal directions, but when the eye is in motion they appear tilted. Opposite light sticks are cycled in opposite directions, producing opposite tilts. Thus, the measurement of velocity is transformed to a measurement of the angle between two line segments. Preliminary results from a prototype system show a noise level of approximately 20 deg/sec.