cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-GG-I-174: Use of Line-Focus Principle to Increase the Beam Intensity While Maintaining a High Generalized MTF for the Microangiographic Fluoroscope (MAF) System

Purpose: Achieving superior GMTF for the micro‐angiographic fluoroscope (MAF) system requires a small focal spot which could limit the range of possible beam intensities. We take advantage of the Line‐Focus Principle by using the medium focal spot viewed from the anode side rather than the small focal spot at the central axis to enable increased tube loading with no compromise in resolution. Method and Materials: We have calculated the GMTF at five different positions along the anode‐cathode direction parallel to the tube axis for the newly developed high resolution MAF (35 micron pixel). Focal spot measurements were done with a pin‐hole assembly using the same technique parameters at all positions. Small and medium focal spots and different object magnifications were used for GMTF comparisons. X‐ray intensity was determined at different positions parallel to the tube axis. Results: The comparison between the small focal spot at the center and the medium focal spot toward the anode direction demonstrated that there was only as small difference in resolution between these locations with only a 20% decrease in x‐ray intensity toward the anode side. Despite this decrease in x‐ray intensity due to the Heel effect, since the maximum tube loads were 500 and 160 mA for the two focal spots, respectively, the total increase in intensity for the medium focal spot can be a factor of 2.5 times that of the small focal spot. Focal spot blooming with the higher tube current for the medium focal spot was found to be negligible. Conclusions: This work demonstrates that by using the Line‐Focus Principle and a medium focal spot instead of a small focal spot at the center, a substantial increase in x‐ray output can be realized with minimal loss of total system spatial resolution or GMTF. (Support from: NIH Grants R01EB002873 and R01EB008425)
Receptor tyrosine kinases: mechanisms of activation and signaling

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are essential components of signal transduction pathways that mediate cell-to-cell communication. These single-pass transmembrane receptors, which bind polypeptide ligands - mainly growth factors - play key roles in processes such as cellular growth, differentiation, metabolism and motility. Recent progress has been achieved towards an understanding of the precise (and varied) mechanisms by which RTKs are activated by ligand binding and by which signals are propagated from the activated receptors to downstream targets in the cell.
Influence curves of estimators for directional data

Much recent research has centred on the robustness of estimators, particularly estimators of location and scale for linear data. However, the robustness of estimators for directional data has not been investigated comprehensively. Mardia (1975) and discussants mentioned some aspects of robustness. Collett (1980) investigated outliers in circular data. In this note, we will use the influence curve introduced by Hampel (1974) as a heuristic tool in evaluating the robustness of some estimators of location for directional data discussed by Mardia (1972). Similar calculations can be used to obtain influence curves for scale estimators. For the location model, we consider a circular distribution F which is unimodal and symmetric about the unknown direction p. Let p be the known concentration parameter. The sample circular mean is the most commonly used measure of location. We express the circular population mean in functional form as
Solvent programmable polymers based on restricted rotation.

Solvent programmable polymers (SPPs) were developed that can modulate their recognition properties by heating in different solvents. These highly cross-linked polymer gels were able to respond to differences in solvent polarity at elevated temperatures via rotation about a Caryl−Nimide bond of a carboxylic acid monomer. When heated in polar solvents such as water, the number of solvent accessible carboxylic acids in the polymers increases. When heated in nonpolar solvents such as toluene, the number of solvent accessible carboxylic acids decreases. On cooling to rt, these changes are preserved and maintained even when the polymer is removed from the solvent imprinting environment. The solvent memory is due to the reestablishement of restricted rotation around that Caryl−Nimide bond, which locks the carboxylic acid recognition groups into either a solvent accessible or inaccessible orientation. The solvent programmability was also shown to be reversible. The fidelity of the SPP switching process did not de...
The fine structure of the axons and growth cones of the human fetal cerebral cortex

The fine structure of axon cylinders and growth cones has been examined in serial sections through the marginal zone of the human cerebral cortex from 10 to 22 weeks of gestation. Neurotubules, mitochondria, agranular reticulum, coated vesicles, and synaptic vesicles both of the translucent and dense core variety are found throughout the axon cylinders. At periodic intervals along the axons, bulged-out regions display accumulations of either synaptic vesicles or transversely oriented neurotubules. Prominent, growth cone varicosities are encountered at the distal segment of the axon cylinders. In these, mitochondria, channels of both tubular and dilated agranular reticulum, dense core vesicles, and multivesicular bodies lie in a finely filamentous matrix. Processes characterized by their content of either agranular reticulum and synaptic vesicles or a finely filamentous meshwork are infrequently continuous with these varicosities. Dense membrane thickenings are associated with some varicosities and their processes. The ultrastructural features of the human fetal growth cones have been compared to growth cones previously described in other mammalian and submammalian species.
Statistical methodology for screening studies with qualitative/quantitative mixtures

A statistical method for designing screening studies involving several experimental treatments compared to a standard treatment is developed. The screening study identifies the most promising experimental treatments, which then undergo more rigorous evaluation in a future, larger study. The technique is especially relevant for biopharmaceutical research and development in which phase II clinical trials are conducted to identify the most promising drug regimens, which then move on to phase III of clinical development. It is assumed that the underlying distribution of the primary efficacy random variable is a qualitative/quantitative mixture. The proposed methodology involves calculating the probability of accepting each experimental treatment compared to the standard treatment, where the criterion for acceptance is based on the proportion of qualitative observations and a measure of their location. The probability of acceptance is displayed in two dimensions using operating characteristic contour plots. The techniques are illustrated with some practical examples and some extensions are indicated.
Cyclic nucleotide concentrations in 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine induced rat colon adenocarcinoma

Summary The intracellular concentrations of adenosine 3′, 5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in colonic tumors induced in adult male Holtzman rats by 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) were found to be 1/2 the concentration found in normal large bowel tissue. Intracellular concentrations of guanosine 3′-5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) in the neoplastic cells were twice the normal colon level. The concentrations of these two cyclic nucleotides were relatively constant throughout the normal colon. Thus, the anomalous tumor cyclic nucleotide concentrations are attributed to the specific cell population of the lesion and not to the site of development within the colon.
Preprocessing method for DCT-based image-compression

This paper describes a preprocessing method for DCT-based image compression, which is independent of the compression process. The method predicts the likelihood that visible distortion appears at each location, and applies filtering accordingly. For prediction, an auto-correlation function is utilized as an index to estimate the distribution of the power spectrum. This process improves the image quality of the resulting compressed image by reducing the ringing distortions
MBE-grown buffer with high breakdown voltage for nitride HEMTs on GaN template

In the recent years very good power performance has been achieved from nitride-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) [1]. Since great efforts have been put into improving the material quality by reducing the number of defects, to develop an insulating buffer has been one of the most challenging problems.
Local unidirectional bias for cutsize-delay tradeoff in performance-driven bipartitioning

Traditional multilevel partitioning approaches have shown good performance with respect to cutsize, but offer no guarantees with respect to system performance. Timing-driven partitioning methods based on iterated net reweighting, partitioning, and timing analysis have been proposed (Ababei et al., 2002), as well as methods that apply degrees of freedom such as retiming (Cong et al., 2000), (Cong et al., 2002). In this paper, we identify and validate a simple approach to timing-driven partitioning based on the concept of "V-shaped nodes." We observe that the presence of V-shaped nodes can badly impact circuit performance, as measured by maximum hopcount across the cutline or similar path delay criteria. We extend traditional the Fiduccia-Mattheyses (FM) variant of the Kernighan-Lin (Kernighan and Lin, 1970) algorithm approaches to directly eliminate or minimize "distance-k V-shaped nodes" in the bipartitioning solution, achieving an attractive tradeoff between cutsize and path delay. Experiments show that in comparison to MLPart (Caldwell et al., 2000), our method can reduce the maximum hopcount by 39% while only slightly increasing cutsize and runtime. No previous method improves path delay in such a transparent manner. The new partitioner is incorporated into a placer (http://vlsicad.ucsd.edu/GSRC/bookshelf/Slots/Placement/Capo/) and circuit delay is evaluated by a commercial static timing analyzer (http://www.ece.uci.edu/eceware/cadence/spl I.bar/docs/pearluser/). The empirical results show that the delay is significantly reduced, at the cost of very acceptable impacts on wirelength and runtime.
Expression of dopaminergic receptors in the hypothalamus of lean and obese Zucker rats and food intake

As revealed by previous microdialysis studies, basal and food intake-accompanied dopamine release significantly differs in the hypothalamus of obese vs. lean Zucker rats. In the present study, we d...
Spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease characterised by degeneration of spinal cord motor neurons, atrophy of skeletal muscles, and generalised weakness. It is caused by homozygous disruption of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene by deletion, conversion, or mutation. Although no medical treatment is available, investigations have elucidated possible mechanisms underlying the molecular pathogenesis of the disease. Treatment strategies have been developed to use the unique genomic structure of the SMN1 gene region. Several candidate treatment agents have been identified and are in various stages of development. These and other advances in medical technology have changed the standard of care for patients with spinal muscular atrophy. In this Seminar, we provide a comprehensive review that integrates clinical manifestations, molecular pathogenesis, diagnostic strategy, therapeutic development, and evidence from clinical trials.
ALERT: An Anonymous Location-Based Efficient Routing Protocol in MANETs

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) use anonymous routing protocols that hide node identities and/or routes from outside observers in order to provide anonymity protection. However, existing anonymous routing protocols relying on either hop-by-hop encryption or redundant traffic, either generate high cost or cannot provide full anonymity protection to data sources, destinations, and routes. The high cost exacerbates the inherent resource constraint problem in MANETs especially in multimedia wireless applications. To offer high anonymity protection at a low cost, we propose an Anonymous Location-based Efficient Routing proTocol (ALERT). ALERT dynamically partitions the network field into zones and randomly chooses nodes in zones as intermediate relay nodes, which form a nontraceable anonymous route. In addition, it hides the data initiator/receiver among many initiators/receivers to strengthen source and destination anonymity protection. Thus, ALERT offers anonymity protection to sources, destinations, and routes. It also has strategies to effectively counter intersection and timing attacks. We theoretically analyze ALERT in terms of anonymity and efficiency. Experimental results exhibit consistency with the theoretical analysis, and show that ALERT achieves better route anonymity protection and lower cost compared to other anonymous routing protocols. Also, ALERT achieves comparable routing efficiency to the GPSR geographical routing protocol.
Bromine–Silver(I) Oxide

(Br2) [7726-95-6] Br2 (MW 159.81) InChI = 1S/Br2/c1-2 InChIKey = GDTBXPJZTBHREO-UHFFFAOYSA-N (Ag2O) [20667-12-3] Ag2O (MW 231.74) InChI = 1S/2Ag.O InChIKey = KHJDQHIZCZTCAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N (oxidant; used to form tetrahydrofurans from alcohols via insertion into unactivated CH bonds) Physical Data: none available; reagent generated in situ. Solubility: used as suspension in pentane, CHCl3, CCl4, or THF; marginally sol aqueous media. Form Supplied in: generated in situ from Bromine and Silver(I) Oxide. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: reagent is generated in situ. Carrying out reaction in the dark is recommended by some authors, but is apparently unnecessary. Freshly prepared Ag2O6 (from Ag2NO3 and aq. NaOH followed by drying at 40–45 °C) is preferred to commercial samples.
Mechanistic Features Associated With Improvement in Mitral Regurgitation After Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy and Their Relation to Long-Term Patient Outcome

Background— Mechanisms of mitral regurgitation (MR) reduction with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are complex, and their association with long-term outcome is unclear. We sought to elucidate mechanistic features of reduction in MR with CRT, which impact long-term patient survival. Methods and Results— A prospective longitudinal study of 277 patients with heart failure with QRS width ≥120 ms and ejection fraction ≤35% for CRT was performed. Quantitative echocardiography, including dyssynchrony analysis, was performed at baseline. MR was quantified by color Doppler before and 6 months after CRT. Predefined end points of death, transplant, or left ventricular assist device were tracked during 4 years. There were 114 (48%) patients with CRT with significant MR (≥moderate) at baseline; of whom 48 (42%) patients had MR improvement, and 24 (19%) patients had MR worsening after CRT. The 66 events (47 deaths, 10 transplantations, and 9 left ventricular assist devices) were strongly associated with significant MR after CRT (hazard ratio, 3.58; 95% confidence interval, 2.18–5.87; P 200 ms, lack of severe left ventricular dilatation (end-systolic dimension index <29 mm/m2), and lack of echocardiographic scar at papillary muscle insertion sites (all P <0.05) and, when combined, were additively associated with long-term survival ( P =0.0001). Conclusions— Significant MR after CRT was strongly associated with less favorable long-term survival. Echocardiographic mechanistic features were identified that were associated with improvement in MR after CRT and favorable long-term survival.
Research roadshow: research design beyond the ordinary

Research design is a vital consideration when embarking on any research venture. The careful selection of method (or combination of methods) and project design are integral to obtaining funding, completing a successful study, and having your research accepted for presentation and publication. This panel adopts a format similar to the Antiques Roadshow to focus on research design, with interactive audience participation. The show will begin with three experts (Connaway, Radford, and Wildemuth) briefly discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the design for a particular study they conducted. Another panelist (Shah) will present the panelists with a study that he would be interested in conducting, and describe one or more aspects of the research design (his treasure) that he has found to be challenging. The panelists will offer their advice and comment on any additional obstacles he might expect to face in conducting the study. Shah will then invite the audience to join in by presenting ideas for studies they'd like to conduct (i.e., the potential valuables sitting in their intellectual attics); the panelists will respond to and comment on each, appraising the value and prospects (for publication).
Solvent extraction of Sr2+ and Cs+ using protic amide-based ionic liquids

Sixteen protic amide-based ionic liquids (ILs) derived from N,N-dimethylformamide and other protophilic amide derivatives with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide or bis(perfluoroethylsulfonyl)imide as conjugated anions were synthesized in a one-pot reaction with very high yields. All sixteen of these protic ionic liquids (PILs) were characterized by NMR spectra, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. These protic amide-based ionic liquids were tested as extraction solvents using dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DCH18C6) as an extractant for separation of Sr2+ and Cs+ from aqueous solutions. The extraction efficiencies were studied in comparison with those derived from both imidazolium-based and ammonium-based IL extraction systems. Excellent extraction efficiencies were found for a number of these ILs using DCH18C6 as an extractant. Unlike findings for imidazolium-based and ammonium-based ILs, the observed enhancement trend for the extraction efficiency associated with our amide-based...
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: Considerations for DSM-V

With the upcoming release of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) there has been a necessary critique of the DSM-IV including questions regarding h...
Effects of quantization on neural spike sorting

Wireless neural recording systems require the data-acquisition and signal-processing hardware to be moved to the transmit side. The strict power-density constraints on implanted devices require new ideas for system power minimization. Minimizing the number of bits of the ADC would have a significant impact on the total system power by reducing the power of the ADC, the DSP, and the transmitter. In this paper we examine the effects of quantization on the performance of spike sorting. We derive the resolution required of uniform quantizers to ensure the most accurate spike detection and clustering, and compare this to simulation results. We then provide evidence that optimal quantizers are well suited for neural data, and show that optimal quantizers provide a savings of at least 2 bits compared to uniform quantizers.
Characterization of the Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Target Site in the Oxytocin Receptor Gene in Rabbit Amnion

Oxytocin (OXT) is a potent stimulator of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) synthesis by rabbit amnion cells obtained near the end of pregnancy. Coincident with a marked increase in sensitivity of PGE 2 synthesis to OXT, the concentration of OXT receptors (OXTRs) is abruptly upregulated about 200-fold at term. This increase can be mimicked in preterm amnion cells in primary culture by the synergistic action of agents that increase cAMP synthesis and by glucocorticoids. To elucidate the mechanism of cAMP action, we cloned the rabbit OXTR gene and isolated a 200-base pair (bp) forskolin-responsive region about 4.7 kilobase upstream from the transcriptional start site using transient transfection assays. This region corresponds to a DNase Ihypersensitive site that appears in amnion tissue only near the end of pregnancy, when OXTRs are upregulated. The effects of forskolin were mediated in part by cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), as coexpression of reporter constructs with dominant negative CREB inhibited reporter expression. In addition, CREB was cross-linked to sites in the 200-bp region only in chromatin isolated from cells near the end of pregnancy, as demonstrated by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Because the transient transfection results are consistent with work using tissue extracts (DNase I hypersensitivity and ChIP), we conclude that cAMP, acting through a specific upstream CREB binding site, is critical for the physiological upregulation of OXTRs in the amnion at the end of gestation. gene regulation, oxytocin, parturition, polypeptide receptors
Dentin Matrix Protein 1, a Target Molecule for Cbfa1 in Bone, Is a Unique Bone Marker Gene

Dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1), a phosphoprotein highly linked to dentin formation, has also been reported to be expressed in the skeleton. However, the role of Dmp1 in skeletal tissues remains unclear. To clarify the role of Dmp1 in bone formation, we characterized the expression profile of Dmp1 in bone and cartilage and examined whether Dmp1 expression was regulated by core-binding factor a1 (Cbfa1). Studies of fetal rat calvarial (FRC) cell cultures showed that the expression of Dmp1 was associated closely with "bone nodule" formation and mineralization in vitro. In situ hybridization studies were performed to examine the spatial and temporal expression patterns of Dmp1 during development in mouse embryos from 12.5 day postcoitus (dpc) to 8 weeks postnatal; these studies showed that Dmp1 first appeared in hypertrophic cartilage cells, followed by osteoblasts, and later was expressed strongly in osteocytes. The expression profiles of Cbfa1 and Dmp1 overlapped in both cartilage and bone during development, with Cbfa1 preceding Dmp1. Examination of Dmp1 expression in Cbfa1-/- mice revealed that Dmp1 was absent in the developing bones of Cbfa1-null mice, whereas there was essentially no change in Dmp1 expression in the arrested tooth bud. Transient transfection studies showed forced expression of Dmp1 under the control of Cbfa1 and gel shift data indicated the presence of a functional osteocalcin-specific element (OSE)-2 response element in the Dmp1 proximal promoter region. However, in vitro promoter studies suggested that regulation of Dmp1 by Cbfa1 was not mediated by direct binding of Cbfa1 to this site and may be through indirect mechanisms. These studies highlight Dmp1 as a unique marker gene for osteoblastic differentiation. The close association of Dmp1 and Cbfa1 in the developing skeleton suggests that Dmp1 may play an important role in bone formation.
Photofragment translational spectroscopy of allene, propyne, and propyne-d3 at 193¿nm

The dissociation dynamics of allene, propyne, and propyne-d3 at 193 nm were investigated with photofragment translational spectroscopy. Products were either photoionized using tunable VUV synchrotron radiation or ionized with electron impact. Product time-of-flight data were obtained to determine centre-of-mass translational energy (P(ET)) distributions, and photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves were measured for the hydrocarbon products. The two major product channels evident from this study are atomic and molecular hydrogen loss, with a H:H2 branching ratio of 90:10, regardless of precursor. The P(ET) distribution for each channel is also largely independent of precursor. Both channels appear to occur following internal conversion to the ground electronic state. The propyne-d3 results show that there is extensive isotopic scrambling prior to H(D) atom loss, and that the H:D product ratio is approximately unity. The PIE curves for H(D) atom loss from allene, propyne, and propyne-d3 indicate that the do...
Dislocation-Stacking Fault Tetrahedron Interactions in Cu

In copper and other face centered cubic metals, high-energy particle irradiation produces hardening and shear localization. Post-irradiation microstructural examination in Cu reveals that irradiation has produced a high number density of nanometer sized stacking fault tetrahedra. The resultant irradiation hardening and shear localization is commonly attributed to the interaction between stacking fault tetrahedra and mobile dislocations, although the mechanism of this interaction is unknown. In this work, we present results from a molecular dynamics simulation study to characterize the motion and velocity of edge dislocations at high strain rate and the interaction and fate of the moving edge dislocation with slacking fault tetrahedra in Cu using an EAM interatomic potential. The results show that a perfect SFT acts as a hard obstacle for dislocation motion and although the SFT is sheared by the dislocation passage, it remains largely intact. How-ever, our simulations show that an overlapping, truncated SFT is absorbed by the passage of an edge dislocation, resulting in dislocation climb and the formation of a pair of less mobile super-jogs on the dislocation.
A sampling method for improving the representation of spatially varying precipitation and soil moisture using the Simple Biosphere Model

[1] Representing spatially varying precipitation for current grid length scales used in General Circulation Models (GCMs) is a continuing challenge. Furthermore, to fully capture the hydrologic effects of nonuniform precipitation, a representation of soil moisture heterogeneity and distribution of spatially varying precipitation must exist within the same framework. For this study, the explicit and sampling methods of Sellers et al. (2007) are tested off-line using the Simple Biosphere Model (SiB3) in an arid, semiarid, and wet site, and are numerically compared to the bulk method, which is currently used in GCMs. To carry out the numerical experiments, an arbitrary grid area was defined by (1) a single instance of SiB3 (bulk method), (2) 100 instances of SiB3 (explicit method), and (3) less than 100 instances of SiB3 (sampling method). Precipitation was randomly distributed over fractions of the grid area for the explicit and sampling methods, while the standard SiB3 exponential distribution relating precipitation intensity to the grid area wet fraction was used in the bulk method. Comparing the sampling and bulk method to the explicit method indicates that 10 instances of SiB3 in the sampling method better captures the spatial variability in soil moisture and grid area flux calculations produced by the explicit method, and deals realistically with spatially varying precipitation at little additional computational cost to the bulk method.
Comparative Effectiveness Study of Proton Therapy Versus IMRT for Definitive Treatment of Prostate Cancer Based on Patient-Reported Outcomes

Chronic GU morbidity of Grade 3 was 7%, and 2% Grade 4. Chronic GI morbidity was Grade 3 in 1 patient, none grade 4. A statistically increased rate of late GU toxicity was found in patients undergoing brachytherapy (p < .0001). On multivariate analysis of outcome age, Karnofsky, XRT dose, Gleason, treatment technique and baseline PSA did not predict outcome. PSA nadir above 1 ng/mL was a statistically significant predictor of PSA failure (p < .0001). At the time of last follow-up 73% (n Z 230) of patients are alive and 70% (n Z 220) disease free. Conclusions: High grade, nonmetastatic at diagnosis, prostate cancer can be successfully treated by the combination of photon external beam radiation therapy in combination with androgen deprivation. The use of brachytherapy increases morbidity without additional disease control. Relatively high survival and disease control can be achieved with this strategy in the majority of patients. PSA nadir below 1 ng/mL may help predict improved outcome. This could be employed as a means to determine which patient is at higher risk for disease progression and possible additional intervention. Author Disclosure: R.R. Allison: None. A. Hnatov: None. S. Salenius: None. C. Ballenger: None. S. Finkelstein: None. C. Mantz: None. E. Fernandez: None. D. Dosoretz: None.
The utility of calretinin, inhibin, and WT1 immunohistochemical staining in the differential diagnosis of ovarian tumors

Calretinin has been proposed as a novel marker of ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (SCST); this study aims to determine whether calretinin can complement or supplant the established utility of inhibin in the differential diagnosis of SCST. WT1 has been shown to be expressed in ovarian serous, but not mucinous neoplasms; its expression in a variety of ovarian tumors is also examined. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues from 111 primary ovarian tumors were analyzed with commercially available antibodies using semi-automated immunohistochemistry. Results were graded on a 4-tiered scale with staining of more than 0 but less than 5% of cells considered focal. Of 27 SCST, 56% were calretinin and 56% inhibin positive overall; 90% of granulosa cell tumors, 57% of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, 33% of thecomas, and 14% of fibromas were calretinin positive. Inhibin was expressed in 60% of granulosa cell tumors, 71% of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, 43% of fibromas, and 33% of thecomas. Of 35 surface epithelial tumors (SET), 8% of serous papillary tumors were calretinin positive, whereas 8% of serous papillary tumors and 13% of poorly differentiated carcinomas expressed inhibin. WT1 was expressed in 29% of all endometrioid carcinomas, 10% of borderline mucinous tumors, and no mucinous carcinomas; however, most of the other SETs were positive (77% serous papillary and 88% poorly differentiated carcinomas). Among the SCST, WT1 stained only granulosa cell tumors (75%), though often weakly or variably. Calretinin has only slightly greater sensitivity (76% versus 65%) and equal specificity to inhibin (92%) in the differential staining of granulosa or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, that is, nonstromal SCST. Hence, calretinin cannot replace but could complement inhibin as part of an immunohistochemical panel used for diagnostically challenging SCST. Although WT1 should be reliably positive in non-mucinous SET, staining of granulosa cell tumors and lack of expression in a sizable subset of endometrioid carcinomas may confound interpretation.
Predictive Role of Admission Lactate Level in Critically Ill Patients with Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract Background The predictive role of lactate in critically ill patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) remains to be elucidated. Objective The primary objective of this study was to assess the value of lactate level on admission to predict in-hospital death in patients with UGIB admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The secondary objective was to assess whether lactate level adds predictive value to the clinical Rockall score in these patients. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study that included 133 patients with acute UGIB admitted to the ICU. Inclusion criteria were age > 18 years and presence of UGIB on admission to the ICU. Results Mean age was 55.4 years old and 64.7% were male. The most common cause of gastrointestinal bleeding was peptic ulcer disease, followed by erosive esophagitis/gastritis. The in-hospital mortality was 22.6%. Median lactate level in survivors and nonsurvivors was 2.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 1.2–4.2 mmol/L) and 8.8 (IQR 3.4–13.3 mmol/L; p Conclusions In patients admitted to the ICU with acute UGIB, lactate level on admission has a high sensitivity but low specificity for predicting in-hospital death. Lactate level adds to the predictive value of the clinical Rockall score. Given its high sensitivity, lactate level can be used in addition to other prediction tools to predict outcomes in patients with UGIB.
“Mixing rules” for estimating the hydraulic permeability of fiber mixtures

While theoretical results for the hydraulic permeability of fibrous media are typically based on a single type of fiber in an ordered array, many synthetic or biological materials are composed of fibers which differ in size, charge, orientation, or other characteristics. It is desirable to be able to estimate the permeability of such a mixture from its composition and the properties of the individual fiber types. Toward that end, we compared four “mixing rules” proposed in the literature, each based on differing approximations of the hydrodynamic interactions between multiple fiber types. To provide data for charged fibers, the open-circuit hydraulic permeabilities of periodic arrays of fibers with different surface charge densities and/or radii were computed using finite element methods. Based on these data for charged fibers, as well as published results for arrays of uncharged fibers of differing radii and/or orientation, we compared the four mixing rules for 64 cases. In some situations there were several-fold differences among the predicted hydraulic permeabilities. Nonetheless, a volume-weighted averaging of the resistivities of individual fiber types was found to be reasonably reliable, giving an overall root-mean-square error of 24%. This mixing rule was equally applicable to systems containing charged or neutral fibers. © 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2008
From the Ballot to the Blackboard: THE EXPANSION OF EDUCATION: HISTORICAL EVIDENCE

INTRODUCTION Statistical analysis in the previous chapter has confirmed a substantively strong and statistically robust relationship between public education spending and our two chief causal candidates: democracy and openness. However, even after running this battery of tests, our candidates remain just that ' correlations alone cannot directly test causation. To get a handle on the validity of the causal mechanisms developed in Chapter 2, we need to examine the historical experience of a variety of states in much greater detail. In this chapter, I provide an analysis of education policy across a broad array of states, both developed and developing, and from South Asia to Western Europe. The cases demonstrate a profound connection among political events, trade policies, and education provision and add both empirical richness and causal clarity to the quantitative analysis in Chapter 2. The chapter begins by examining changes in both democracy and globalization and their effects on education spending in the Philippines. We see firstly that the tumultuous experience with different political regimes in the Philippines since the sixteenth century has had very powerful effects on education funding, particularly during and following the period of martial law declared under Ferdinand Marcos. The volatility of political representation in the Philippines demonstrates both the positive effect on education that follows independence and democratization and the negative effects on education of colonialism, empire, and autocracy. The Philippines has also experienced significant vacillation in its degree of integration with the international economy.
Photocatalytic events of CdSe quantum dots in confined media. Electrodic behavior of coupled platinum nanoparticles

The electrodic behavior of platinum nanoparticles (2.8 nm diameter) and their role in influencing the photocatalytic behavior of CdSe quantum dots (3.4 nm diameter) has been evaluated by confining both nanoparticles together in heptane/dioctyl sulphosuccinate/water reverse micelles. The particles spontaneously couple together within the micelles via micellar exchange processes and thus facilitate experimental observation of electron transfer reactions inside the water pools. Electron transfer from CdSe to Pt is found to occur with a rate constant of 1.22 × 109 s−1. With the use of methyl viologen (MV2+) as a probe molecule, the role of Pt in the photocatalytic process is established. Ultrafast oxidation of the photogenerated MV+• radicals indicates that Pt acts as an electron sink, scavenging electrons from MV+• with a rate constant of 3.1 × 109 s−1. The electron transfer between MV+• and Pt, and a drastically lower yield of MV+• under steady state irradiation, confirms the ability of Pt nanoparticles to ...
Institutional Constraints and Enablers An Introduction to the Special Topic Forum on Extreme Operating Environments

This article is the guest editors’ introduction to the Special Topic Forum on Extreme Operating Environments appearing in Business & Society. The forum includes two articles accepted after review a...
Low-loss high-resolution silica image fiber fabricated by the new multiple-fiber method

Recently, a long low-loss silica image fiber has been developed by using the same fabrication technology as for optical fibers for communication.1 Fiberscopes, using the silica image fibers as Image transmission media, are now widely used in various kinds of visual monitoring in Industrial fields.2 However, the conventional fabrication method of Image fibers called the multiple-fiber method has difficulty in dealing with more than ~100,000 picture elements. In this paper we describe a new multiple-fiber method which makes It possible to fabricate low-loss high-resolution Image fibers with hundreds of thousands of picture elements
Biological studies of bud mining sawflies, Pleroneura spp. (Hymenoptera: Xyelidae), on white fir in the central Sierra Nevada of California. III. Mortality factors of egg, larval, and adult stages and a partial life table.

The mortality factors for three species of Pleroneura were identified for the egg, larval, and adult stages. Allophroides n.sp. and Scambus transgressus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) were observed parasitizing the larval stages and four spiders were found preying on Pleroneura adults. Quantitative assessments of mortality in the egg and larval stages were made and tabulated in the form of a partial life table. Allophroides n. sp. was the dominant mortality factor in the larval stage. Mortality of unknown cause also was a substantial mortality factor.
Functional brain imaging at cellular resolution with Compressive Light-Field Microscopy

We demonstrate a compressive light field microscopy method for 3D neural activity measurement. Individual neurons are identified computationally, without the intermediate step of reconstructing volume images. Results on Zebrafish show volume activity recording at 100fps.
THE VALID MEASURE TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL MORNITORING STATION'S STANDARD MANAGEMENT

Quality assurance for environmental monitoring is the life-blood of monitoring,it is the core elements of environmental monitoring's technical management.The basic objective of quality assurance is to ensure monitoring's data reach the required standard of representative,elaboration,accuracy,comparability and integrity.Practice proves that it can ensure quality assurance,improve efficiency,reduce uncertainty during a whole program by strengthen environmental mornitoring sations' standard management.It is the valid measure to improve environmental mornitoring station's standard management bye laboratory accreditation,quality managementsystem,perfect monitoring's technical specification,improve personnel training and strengthen a whole program quality assurance.
The Endpoint on Measuring the Clinical Effects of Renal Denervation: What Are the Best Surrogates

In the past several years, renal denervation has proven to be an effective treatment for resistant hypertension (HTN). Unfortunately the procedure does not always lower blood pressure and many patients continue to need drugs for HTN. While there are several potential explanations for this persistent elevation of blood pressure after renal denervation, one is that the renal nerves were not completely ablated. Another is that the HTN was not caused by increased sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) in the individual patient, and that other stimuli for HTN persists after renal denervation. In addition, accumulating evidence suggests that renal denervation also benefits other conditions including heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation and insulin resistance. Thus in the near future this procedure might be frequently employed for several common medical problems. A major problem is that it will not be sufficient to simply measure blood pressure to ascertain successful renal denervation. Given these considerations, it is apparent that we need surrogate measures of increased sympathetic activity and procedural success. In this chapter we will discuss direct and indirect methods for assessing SNA in humans, how these can be used to screen patients for renal denervation, how they could be used to gauge technical success and how these various methods might be used in specific diseases.
Evaluation of the deep vein recanalisation and function after low molecular weight heparin (calcium nadroparine) therapy of deep vein thrombosis. Preliminary report

Introduction. The standard treatment for acute episode of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) included at least five days administration of unfractionated heparin followed by oral anticoagulants (OAs) in the subsequent months. In the early 2000s the use of low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) was recommended and validated as the equivalent for the standard therapy of acute episode of DVT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patency of thrombotic venous segments and indirectly the function of valves after therapy with calcium nadroparine in the 10 days ambulatory treatment and three-month secondary prophylaxis of acute DVT. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 50 patients (10 females and 40 males), aged 33 to 92 years (mean age 62.3 years) with first episode of acute, symptomatic deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities, below the inguinal ligament, who were followed-up during their 10 days ambulatory treatment and three-month secondary prophylaxis with calcium nadroparine. Each patient had clinical examinations and ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities, using the colour-coded power Doppler ultrasound (CDU) performed by the same experienced physician, using TOSHIBA device (linear probe 6–12 MHz), on day 1 and 10 of the treatment period and after 1 and 3 months of secondary prophylaxis phase. All patients underwent the following laboratory tests: before treatment the coagulation profile, blood group and complete blood count; the control platelet count was performed after 7 to 10 days of LMWH treatment, and then every 10 days. Results. The thrombosis was revealed in the femoro-popliteal segment in 35 (70%) subjects and below the knee in the remaining 15 (30%) patients. There was no case of DVT recurrence, thromboembolic event or death in patients who received LMWH therapy during the 3-month follow-up period. No adverse effects of the treatment were observed. CDU revealed the complete venous recanalisation in 40 (80%) patients and partial recanalisation with residual thrombi and/or wall thickening in the remaining 10 (20%) subjects. After the 3-month treatment period deep vein reflux was not observed in 30 (60%) patients, whereas the remaining 20 (40%) were diagnosed with only an insignificant reflux (lasting 1–2 seconds). Conclusions. The calcium nadroparine therapy is an efficient, safe and well tolerated method of ambulatory treatment and secondary prophylaxis of the acute, symptomatic deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities. Further, longer and prospective, multi-centre studies are required for better evaluation of the early and late results of DVT treatment with LMWH. They would allow investigating their effect on venous recanalisation, its function and prevention of post-thrombotic syndrome.
Politics, Morality, Innovation, and Misrepresentation in Physical Science and Technology

The pressures of politics, the desire to be first in innovation, moral convictions, and the potential dangers of error are all factors that have long been at work in the history of science and technology. Every so often, the need to reach a result may require leaving out a few steps here and there. Historians think and argue best through stories, so what follows are several tales, each of which exemplifies one or more of these aspects, though some reach back nearly two hundred years. The first concerns the depletion of the ozone layer; the second involves the discovery of electric waves by Heinrich Hertz in 1888; the third concerns the controlled production of electromagnetic radiation by Guglielmo Marconi and John Ambrose Fleming in the early 1900s; the fourth portrays the circumstances surrounding Joseph von Fraunhofer’s discovery and use of the spectral lines in the 1810s; our final case involves a bitter controversy between the physicist Hermann von Helmholtz and the astronomer Friedrich Zollner in the 1890s.
A modal approach to shape synthesis and feed placement for planar MIMO antennas

We introduce a design methodology for planar MIMO antennas, including both shape synthesis and feed placement. Using characteristic mode theory (CMT), the planar MIMO antenna aperture is first optimized to support multiple self-resonant and low Q modes. Iterative mesh refinement is employed to improve the convergence speed. Optimal feed positions for the multi-port aperture are then selected based on a newly developed characteristic eigenfunction-based circuit model, which enables efficient calculation of S11 and S21 for all possible feed locations. A design example based on a rectangular aperture is provided to demonstrate the method.
Welfare for the Wealthy: Parties, Social Spending, and Inequality in the United States by Christopher G. Faricy

What if Democrats are not the big government social spenders and the Republicans the fiscally responsible, small government party? Faricy, assistant professor at Syracuse University, challenges the...
Happy Wife, Happy Life: Food Choices in Romantic Relationships

The authors extend research on dyadic decision making by examining how relationship partners influence consumer eating patterns. Using research from relationship science and evolutionary psychology, the authors find that romantic relationship motives of formation and maintenance influence eating behaviors. Specifically, females are influenced by the eating patterns (i.e., healthiness/unhealthiness) of males when relationship formation motives are active, while males are influenced by the eating patterns of females when relationship maintenance motives are active. Furthermore, perceptions of relational influence differ between relationship formation and maintenance, which underlies these observed effects. This research contributes to the consumer behavior literature by revealing the powerful influence of relationships on food consumption.