cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exercise after diagnosis and metabolic syndrome among breast cancer survivors: a report from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Limited data are available on the prevalence of MetS and its association with exercise among breast cancer survivors. The present study included 1,696 breast cancer survivors from the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study, a population-based prospective cohort study conducted between April 2002 and October 2011 in Shanghai, China. All women had a physical examination taken at study clinic approximately 60 months post-diagnosis. Exercise was assessed at approximately 6, 18, 36, and 60 months post-diagnosis. Information on medical history, tumor characteristics, cancer treatment, anthropometrics, and lifestyle was collected at study enrollment. Associations between exercise and MetS at 60 months post-diagnosis were evaluated with multivariable logistic regression models. The mean age of the study population was 56.68 at 60-month survey, and the mean follow-up since cancer diagnosis was 63.66 months. The prevalence of MetS using National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria at approximately 60 months after diagnosis was 33.14 %. Among overweight and obesity breast cancer survivors (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2 at baseline), the prevalence was 55.18 %. The most common type of exercise in this population was walking (45.40 %) at baseline. Exercise participation between 6 and 60 months post-diagnosis was inversely associated with the prevalence of MetS with the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for exercise participation of ≥3.5 h/week (30 min/day) being 0.69 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.48–0.98). In addition consistent exercise participation reduced the prevalence of MetS (adjusted OR 0.70 (95 % CI 0.50–1.00). Associations of exercise with MetS were not modified by baseline waist circumference, BMI, comorbidity, baseline menopausal status, TNM stage, cancer treatment, or ER/PR status (p interactions >0.05). Regular and persistent exercise after cancer diagnosis, even at low-to-moderate intensity level, decreases the prevalence of MetS among long-term breast cancer survivors.
HIF-1: A Target For Cancer, Ischemia and Inflammation—Too Good to be True?

The histone H2A variant, H2AX, is a core component of chromatin that is phosphorylated in chromatin flanking DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). Here, we summarize H2AX functions and outline a specific "anchoring" model, that can explain the translocation prone phenotype of H2AX-deficient and H2AX/p53-deficient mice. We also discuss how this model of H2AX function could account for some aspects of the genomic instability and cancer prone human phenotypes associated with Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT), Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome (NBS), Ataxia Telangiectasia Like Disorder (ATLD), and Bloom's Syndrome (BS).
De l’insularité à la globalité : subjectivité et discours humaniste chez Édouard Glissant

La trajectoire intellectuelle d’Edouard Glissant aura ete le reflet d’un engagement qui, a l’origine insulaire, depassa vite les confins de sa Martinique natale, debouchant sur un projet humaniste original. Si les premiers ecrits de Glissant prennent un accent fanonien dans l’urgence du sujet colonial de s’affirmer, la maturation de sa pensee denote cependant une reevaluation du discours de Fanon, de meme qu’un rejet de l’humanisme rationaliste de la Modernite auquel Aime Cesaire adhera. Progressivement, le « lieu » (terre natale) devient la matrice a partir de laquelle s’elabore la « poetique de la relation » qui ouvre sur le monde, porteuse d’un nouvel humanisme.
Sympathogenic origin and antiadrenergic prevention of stress-induced myocardial lesions∗

Abstract Moderate to nearly complete protection of the heart muscle against stress-induced necrotizing myocardial lesions in corticoid- or dihydrotachysterol-preconditioned rats was achieved through administration of drugs with direct or indirect antiadrenergic properties: reserpine, guanethidine (catecholamine depletion); mecamylamine (ganglionic blockade); chlorpromazine (inhibition of sympathetic-stimulating reflexes at the hypothalamic level), and Dibenamine (blockade of circulating catecholamines). In otherwise untreated animals, the norepinephrine content of the heart muscle was increased by injection of norepinephrine as well as by its liberation under stress. In corticoidpretreated rats, by contrast, both norepinephrine injection and stress were followed by losses of norepinephrine from the heart, presumably due to the extensive destruction of myocardial tissue under these conditions. Antiadrenergic drugs produced intermediary effects upon the cardiac content of norepinephrine by counteracting its accumulation as well as its depletion resulting from tissue necrosis. It is concluded that the stress-induced severe myocardial structural lesions in hormone-preconditioned animals are directly attributable to the reflex liberation of potentially cardiotoxic adrenosympathogenic catecholamines which accompanies all stressful situations.
Natural enemies of the convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville: Their inadvertent importation and potential significance for augmentative biological control

Abstract Each year, Hippodamia convergens adults are collected from their overwintering sites in California and made commercially available for aphid control in agriculture and in home gardens. This study examines the prevalence of natural enemies encountered in commercially available H. convergens from three commercial suppliers. Microsporidia were detected in individuals from 13 of 22 shipments (0.9% prevalence, range 0–3%). Spore dimensions (3.9 ± 0.1 × 2.5 ± 0.1 μm; n = 50) were similar to those of Nosema hippodamiae (reported previously from H. convergens ), Nosema tracheophila and Nosema coccinellae (reported from other coccinellids). Because H. convergens are sold in large quantities, thousands of microsporidia-infected beetles could be released each time H. convergens are used. Three distinct eugregarines were observed in H. convergens (0.2% prevalence) but none were similar in size to Gregarina barbarara , the only eugregarine reported from H. convergens. Although eugregarines are usually considered as mutualist symbionts or weak pathogens, the relationship between eugregarines and coccinellids is not fully understood. The hymenopteran parasitoid, Dinocampus coccinellae , was found in beetles from all shipments (8% mean parasitism, range: 3–15%). Significantly more females were parasitized than males. The importation and release of D. coccinellae undermine the success of biological control programs and may artificially increase the number of parasitoids in an area where H. convergens are released. Verticillium sp. (2% prevalence; range: 0–9%) was also observed but its role is unknown. Beetle quantities and sex ratios were also assessed.
Spectral Separation of the Turbofan Engine Coherent Combustion Noise Component

The core noise components of a dual spool turbofan engine (Honeywell TECH977) were separated by the use of a coherence function. A source location technique based on adjusting the time delay between the combustor pressure sensor signal and the far-field microphone signal to maximize the coherence and remove as much variation of the phase angle with frequency as possible was used. While adjusting the time delay to maximize the coherence and minimize the cross spectrum phase angle variation with frequency, the discovery was made that for the 130 microphone a 90.027 ms time shift worked best for the frequency band from 0 to 200 Hz while a 86.975 ms time shift worked best for the frequency band from 200 to 400 Hz. Since the 0 to 200 Hz band signal took more time to travel the same distance, it is slower than the 200 to 400 Hz band signal. This suggests the 0 to 200 Hz coherent cross spectral density band is partly due to indirect combustion noise attributed to hot spots interacting with the turbine. The signal in the 200 to 400 Hz frequency band is attributed mostly to direct combustion noise.
Problem-oriented patient record summary: An early report on a Watson application

As the use of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) becomes widespread, the amount of data in an EMR becomes a challenge for its comprehension. We developed problem-oriented EMR summarization to address this issue, as a part of a larger effort of adapting IBM Watson to the medical domain. The problem-orientation refers to the central role of a patient's medical problems in the summary. The summarization uses a generated problem list, relates these generated medical problems to relevant clinical data, and organizes the clinical data in a medically meaningful manner. Watson analytics are used for creating the summarization. This is a step in building the next generation EMR, one that is based not on just keeping record but instead on a conceptual understanding of medicine, thereby crossing the threshold from record storage to an intelligent entity for clinical decision making.
Earnings management and the allocation of net periodic pension costs to interim periods

We examine the pattern of reported quarterly net periodic pension costs. Quarterly pension costs are one of the largest single expense items for firms with pension plans (around 15% of income before extraordinary items in our sample). Under ASC 270, net pension costs should be recognized as incurred, or as the benefit provided by the expense is realized. We find that over the period of 2004–2010, there is significant variation in the amount of quarterly pension cost firms report. In addition, we find that income-increasing changes in pension costs are significantly associated with meeting or beating analysts' forecasts in a given quarter. We also show that income-decreasing changes to net periodic pension costs that would cause a firm to miss its earnings forecast are extremely rare. Finally, we find evidence that income-increasing and income-decreasing changes in quarterly pension costs are “settled up” in the fourth quarter (e.g., they are reversed).
Studies on the chronic oral toxicity of monomeric ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate

Abstract Ethyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate have been added to the drinking water of rats in concentrations of 0, 6–7, 60–70, and 2000 ppm for a period of two years. On the basis of fluid and food consumption observations, these concentrations of the test materials were estimated to be equivalent to about 10, 100, and 3000 ppm in the food. Mortality was unaffected. Body weights of female rats receiving 2000 ppm of ethyl acrylate in the water were significantly depressed or bordered on this throughout the study, and this concentration also significantly depressed body weights of males through the first year. Similar depression among rats receiving 2000 ppm of methyl methacrylate did not last beyond the first few weeks. Depressed food consumptions tended to parallel the periods of depressed growth. For both materials, fluid consumptions were significantly lower in rats receiving 2000 ppm. Hematologic values and urine concentrations of protein and reducing substances varied within normal limits for all groups of rats. Organ to body weight ratios were comparable for all groups except for significantly elevated kidney ratios in female rats receiving 2000 ppm of methyl methacrylate. Histopathologic findings revealed no lesions attributable to either test material. Ethyl acrylate, dissolved in corn oil, was administered to beagle dogs in gelatin capsules for a period of two years in amounts equivalent to the following concentrations in the diet: 0, 10, 100, and 300–1000 ppm. Doses equivalent to 1000 ppm, attempted at the outset, caused emesis. After the dose was lowered to 300 ppm and gradually raised to 1000 ppm over the first 16 weeks, no further difficulty was encountered. Methyl methacrylate was similarly administered to beagle dogs in amounts equivalent to 0, 10, 100, and 1000–1500 ppm in the diet (emesis did not occur and the 1000 ppm level was raised stepwise to 1500 by the ninth week). Dogs receiving the high level of either material achieved slightly lesser weight gains than the controls, but the difference was not statistically significant. Hematologic values and urine concentrations of protein and reducing substances were comparable in all groups. Organ to body weight ratio measurements for test animals differed from controls only in statistically significantly lower spleen ratios for dogs receiving 100 ppm of methyl methacrylate; the biologic significance of this, if any, is not apparent. Histopathologic findings revealed no lesions attributable to either test material.
Review of No Virtue in Accident: Behavioral Analysis and Utopian Literature, by Bobby Newman

Readers of Behavior and Social Issues will likely find this an interesting little book. It is 100 word processed pages long, not formally typeset, and is in part a collection of the author's previously published essays which appeared in The Behavior Analyst. Two reciprocal themes are present: how behavior analysts and humanists have interacted with each other in print, and how behavior analysts and commentators on utopian writing have had similar exchanges. As Newman has ably argued at greater length elsewhere (Newman, 1992), to a great extent, behavior analysis is the application of humanistic philosophy. Unfortunately influential segments within the humanistic camp are either unfamiliar with, or reject, the compelling parallels between the two fields, and behaviorism has fared less well at the pens of the humanists than the latter have at those of the former. One thing I learned from this book is that humanists, like members of many disciplines, can be divided into hard and soft varieties, with the former stressing reason, science, and critical thinking, (materialists and realists, in a philosophical sense) and the latter holding the view that humanity is a more elevated aspect of the universe than can be accounted for by science. Most (but not all) of the criticisms of behaviorism come from the latter group. Behaviorists (notably Skinner) have contributed numerous constructive applications to the literature on utopian cultures. Regrettably, commentators on this literature have often chosen to interpret these contributions as either satire, as dystopian, or in the worst case as the foundation for a totalitarian state ruled by skilled behavioral manipulators, a regime made more pernicious by the fact that
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma: A flow cytometric analysis of 29 cases

We report our experience with flow cytometric (FC) analysis of 29 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Morphologic analysis of processed cytocentrifuged preparations demonstrated neoplastic cells in 28 cases. In 25 of these, an aberrant lymphoid population was detected by FC analysis. The majority showed high orthogonal light scatter, similar to monocytes or granulocytes. Of the antigens CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, and CD7, 5 cases expressed 1, 8 expressed 2, 6 expressed 3, 3 expressed 4, and 3 expressed all 5. CD4 was expressed most commonly (20/25 [80%]), followed by CD2 (18/25 [72%]), CD3 (10/25 [40%]), and CD5 and CD7 (8/25 [32%] each). CD45 was expressed in 23 of 25 cases and CD13 in 7 of 9. Of 21 cases, 13 were anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)+, all of which were CD4+, vs 5 of 8 ALK - cases (P = .042). Most ALCLs can be detected and characterized by multiparameter FC analysis. However, light scatter gating on typical lymphoid regions may yield false-negative results in a substantial number of cases.
In vitro studies of the mechanism of inhibition of rat liver uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity by ferrous iron under anaerobic conditions

Abstract Human porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is an unusual consequence of common hepatic disorders such as alcoholic liver disease and iron overload, where hepatic iron plays a key role in the expression of the metabolic lesion, i.e., defective hepatic decarboxylation of porphyrinogens. In this investigation, kinetic studies on a partially purified rat liver Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase have been conducted under controlled conditions to determine how iron perturbs porphyrinogen decarboxylation in vitro . The enzyme, assayed strictly under anaerobic conditions in the dark, was inhibited progressively by ferrous iron. Approximately 0.45 mM ferrous ammonium sulfate was required to observe about 50% inhibition of enzyme activity measured with uroporphyrinogen I as substrate. We showed that (a) all the steps of enzymatic decarboxylation (octa-, hepta-, hexa-, and pentacarboxylic porphyrinogen of isomer I series) were inhibited by ferrous iron. The inhibition was competitive with respect to uroporphyrinogen I and III substrates; (b) the cations, e.g., Fe 3+ and Mg 2+ , had no effect, whereas sulfhydryl group specific cations and compounds such as Hg 2+ , Zn 2+ , p -mercuribenzoate, and 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) all inhibited the enzyme; (c) the enzyme could be protected from inhibition by Fe 2+ and p -mercuribenzoate by preincubation with pentacarboxylic porphyrinogen, a natural substrate and competitive inhibitor. These data suggest for the first time a direct interaction of ferrous iron with cysteinyl residue(s) located at the active site(s) of the enzyme.
Petrogenesis of Mount Rainier andesite: Magma flux and geologic controls on the contrasting differentiation styles at stratovolcanoes of the southern Washington Cascades

Quaternary Mount Rainier (Washington, USA) of the Cascades magmatic arc consists of porphyritic calc-alkaline andesites and subordinate dacites, with common evidence for mingling and mixing with less evolved magmas encompassing andesites, basaltic andesites, and rarely, basalts. Basaltic andesites and amphibole andesites (spessartites) that erupted from vents at the north foot of the volcano represent some of Mount Rainier’s immediate parents and overlap in composition with regional basalts and basaltic andesites. Geochemical (major and trace elements) and isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb, O) compositions of Mount Rainier andesites and dacites are consistent with modest assimilation (typically ≤20 wt%) of evolved sediment or sediment partial melt. Sandstones and shales of the Eocene Puget Group, derived from the continental interior, are exposed in regional anticlines flanking the volcano, and probably underlie it in the middle to lower crust, accounting for their assimilation. Mesozoic and Cenozoic igneous basement rocks are unsuitable as assimilants due to their high 143 Nd/ 144 Nd, diverse 206 Pb/ 204 Pb, and generally high δ 18 O. The dominant cause of magmatic evolution at Mount Rainier, however, is inferred to be a version of in situ crystallization-differentiation and mixing (Langmuir, 1989) wherein small magma batches stall as crustal intrusions and solidify extensively, yielding silicic residual liquids with trace element concentrations influenced by accessory mineral saturation. Subsequent magmas ascending through the intrusive plexus entrain and mix with the residual liquids and low-degree re-melts of those antecedent intrusions, producing hybrid andesites and dacites. Mount St. Helens volcanic rocks have geochemical similarities to those at Mount Rainier, and may also result from in situ differentiation and mixing due to low and intermittent long-term magma supply, accompanied by modest crustal assimilation. Andesites and dacites of Mount Adams isotopically overlap the least contaminated Mount Rainier magmas and derive from similar parental magma types, but have trace element variations more consistent with progressive crystallization-differentiation, probably due to higher magma fluxes leading to slower crystallization of large magma batches, allowing time for progressive separation of minerals from melt. Mount Adams also sits atop the southern projection of a regional anticlinorium, so Eocene sediments are absent, or are at shallow crustal levels, and so are cold and difficult to assimilate. Differences between southwest Washington stratovolcanoes highlight some ways that crustal geology and magma flux are primary factors in andesite generation.
Action representation in the superior temporal sulcus in children and adults: an fMRI study.

The superior temporal sulcus (STS) plays an important role in the perception of biological motion and in the representation of higher order information about other's goals and intentions. Using a rapid event related functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm (fMRI), children (n = 37, mean age 11.0) and adults (n = 17, mean age 25.3) viewed congruent or incongruent actions. Congruency (and incongruency) of a reach toward an object was a function of whether the object had just previously received positive or negative regard. Relative to congruent trials, both children and adults showed an increase in activation in the posterior STS bilaterally, in response to incongruent trials. In children, these STS regions exhibited developmental changes. Specifically, the differential response to incongruent trials relative to congruent trials was larger in older children in both hemispheres.
LAS POLÍTICAS DE SALUD DEL BANCO MUNDIAL

El Banco Mundial es un importante agente financiero externo en el area de la salud paralos paises en vias de desarrollo. Sin embargo, muchos estudios acerca de las reformas enel sector de la salud en estos paises, no toman en cuenta el papel que las institucionesfinancieras internacionales pueden tener en estos casos. En este articulo, se analizan laspoliticas de salud que ha implementado el Banco Mundial desde 1975, analizando el rol queha ejercido en la salud global y en su politica de salud. Asimismo, se estudia la evidenciaempirica sobre el efecto del Banco Mundial en el sector de la salud en los paises en desarrollo,centrandose en las experiencias de paises en America Latina.
Prevalence of impaired gastric emptying of solids in systemic sclerosis : Diagnostic and therapeutic implications

The aims of this study were to evaluate the gastric emptying of solids in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, correlate the esophageal motility abnormalities with their gastric emptying status, delineate the symptoms suggestive of abnormal gastric emptying, and assess the effect of metoclopramide in patients with abnormally slow gastric emptying. Twenty patients underwent esophageal motility evaluation and gastric emptying studies with a radiolabeled solid meal. Gastric emptying was also measured in 13 healthy volunteers. Four patients in whom esophageal motility was normal also had an accompanying normal rate of gastric emptying. In 16 patients with abnormal esophageal motility, mean gastric emptying was significantly delayed as compared with that in normal subjects (67.4% vs 49.8% retention of isotope at 2 hours, P +2 SD). However, only postprandial bloating and early satiety were symptoms that accurately predicted slow radionuclide emptying. In four of these patients in whom gastric emptying was slow, 10 mg intramuscular metoclopramide significantly (P < .05 vs baseline) accelerated the gastric emptying of the same test meal. We conclude that (1) gastric emptying of solids was delayed in approximately two thirds of patients with abnormal esophageal motility, whereas it was normal in patients with normal esophageal motor function; (2) metoclopramide significantly accelerated this slow gastric emptying; and (3) delayed gastric emptying contributes to the severity of the gastroesophageal reflux frequently present in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, and promotility agents offer a valuable therapeutic approach.
Inadvertent Intravenous Administration of Enteral Diet

Needle catheter jejunostomy feedings were instituted in a 64-yr-old man on postoperative day 1 following subtotal gastrectomy for carcinoma of the antrum. Several days later, the enteral tube catheter was inadvertently connected to the patient's peripheral intravenous cannula which resulted in the intravenous administration of the enteral formula solution. The administration was stopped immediately when recognized, but 4 hr later the patient became febrile, hypotensive, and tachycardic. Cultures from the enteral solution demonstrated Streptococcal viridans and yeast; the patient's blood cultures similarly demonstrated S. viridans. Broad spectrum antibiotics, hemodynamic monitoring, and intravascular support with crystalloid solutions resulted in a favorable outcome. Prevention of the complication could be assured by adopting luer connectors for enteral feeding sets which cannot be connected to intravenous cannulas. Until these are available, the addition of methylene blue to the tube feeding formula or utilization of color coded distal connecting tubing may prevent accidental intravenous administration of tube feeding formulas. The potential for this complication must be recognized by those dealing with enteral feeding.
Development of Ribulose 1,5-Diphosphate Carboxylase in Nonphotosynthetic Endosperms of Germinating Castor Beans

Ribulose 1,5-diphosphate (RuDP) carboxylase has been partially purified from dark-grown nonphotosynthetic endosperms of germinating castor beans (Ricinus communis var. Hale). The Km values for RuDP, HCO3−, and Mg2+ are 0.51, 33, and 1.78 mm, respectively. The pH optimum for the carboxylation reaction is pH 7.5. Germination is required for the development of the carboxylase in the endosperms. The enzyme reaches a maximal activity in 4- to 5-day-old dark-grown seedlings (which have an endosperm weight of approximately 0.75 g fresh weight/bean) and then declines. Total endosperm carboxylase activity is 1230 nmoles/min·g fresh weight which is 25 and 50% of the total activity developed in soybean and maize leaves, respectively. Specific activity of the carboxylase in crude soluble endosperm preparations (which contain enzymic and storage protein) is 0.05 μmole/min·mg protein. This is 5 times greater than the specific activity of RuDP carboxylase in soluble preparations from etiolated leaves. During germination the Vmax of the endosperm carboxylase for RuDP increases 10-fold. Development of the enzyme is inhibited 90% by the exposure of the endosperm to 2 μg/ml cycloheximide or 50 μg/ml chloramphenicol. Light (or phytochrome Pfr) is not required for the synthesis of the enzyme. Electron photomicrographs of dark-grown endosperm cells (with peak RuDP carboxylase activity) show proplastids with several invaginations of the inner membrane but no prolamellar-like structures.
Highly regioselective anaerobic photocyclization of 3-styrylpyridines.

The photochemical behavior of the cis isomers of the three isomeric styrylpyridines and two (aminostyryl)pyridines has been investigated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Both 3-styrylpyridine and its 3‘-amino derivative undergo highly regioselective formation of 2-azaphenanthrene products under anaerobic conditions. In the presence of oxygen, mixtures of 4- and 2-azaphenanthrene products are obtained. The formation of 2-azaphenanthrenes in the absence of oxygen is attributed to conversion of the 4a,4b-dihydroazaphenanthrene primary photoproduct to a 1,4-dihydropyridine intermediate by means of a formal 1,7-hydrogen shift. This intermediate is moderately stable in the absence of oxygen and has been characterized by comparison of its 1H NMR and electronic absorption spectra with calculated spectra. This intermediate is converted to the 2-azaphenanthrene in both the absence and presence of oxygen. The regioselectivity of photocyclization of 3-substituted stilbenes and related diarylethylenes is sugges...
Gold Nanoparticles with a Polymerizable Surfactant Bilayer: Synthesis, Polymerization, and Stability Evaluation

Gold nanoparticles were synthesized using a seed-mediated wet chemical approach with a polymerizable surfactant, 11-(acryloyloxy)undecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The polymerizable surfactant forms a bilayer on the surface of the gold nanoparticles with the quaternary positive head groups facing the bulk water, and the polymerizable groups reside in the hydrophobic region. Evidence for on-particle polymerization using a cationic free radical initiator was confirmed by NMR and FTIR analyses. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering measurements showed no particle aggregation after polymerization. In contrast to the nanoparticles before polymerization, the nanoparticles with a polymerized bilayer showed remarkable stability against dialysis, centrifugation-resuspension cycles, and extraction with organic solvent. This enhanced stability was linked to the decrease in surfactant desorption from the surface of the gold nanoparticles as evident from mass spectrometry analysis of supernatants. Our results indicate that the use of a polymerizable surfactant as a directing agent to prepare gold nanoparticles and subsequent "fixing" the surfactant bilayer by polymerization is an effective approach to enhance the stability of the final nanoparticles.
n‐type GaAs photoanodes in acetonitrile: Design of a 10.0% efficient photoelectrode

n-type GaAs semiconductor/liquid junctions have been studied in acetonitrile (ACN) solvent with the ferrocene/ferricenium redox couple. Previously reported inefficiencies in this system are demonstrated to be due to bulk electron-hole recombination and not to recombination at the junction. Increases in minority-carrier collection length lead to increases in short circuit current of the n-GaAs/ferrocene/ferricenium cell in ACN, with photocurrent densities in excess of 21 mA/cm^2 at 88 mW/cm^2 of ELH-type tungsten-halogen irradiation. Properly prepared n-GaAs samples yield photoelectrode efficiencies of 10.0%±0.5% for conversion of natural sunlight (65 mW/cm^2) to electricity, with open circuit voltages Voc of 0.70–0.72 V, short circuit currents of 16–17 mA/cm^2, and fill factors of 0.52–0.56, when measured relative to the potential of a reversible reference electrode in the same solvent/redox couple/electrolyte solution.
Cross-reactivity among conifer pollens

Background There are increasing reports of Cupressaceae pollinosis from various geographic areas. Cross-reactivity among a limited number of species within the Cupressaceae family has been suggested. Juniperus ashei (mountain cedar) is the leading cause of respiratory allergy in South Texas. Objective This study examines in vivo and in vitro cross-reactivity among 12 Cupressaceae species, one Taxodiaceae species, one Pinaceae species, and an angiosperm. Methods Cross-reactivity among pollen extracts of mountain cedar (MC) and the other 14 trees was investigated by: (1) prick skin testing of each tree pollen extract in ten patients with MC pollinosis. (2) Ouchterlony gel immunodiffusion employing rabbit antisera to MC. (3) IgE immunoblotting using high-titer MC pooled human sera, and immunoblot inhibition after pre-incubation with MC protein. (4) Monoclonal antibody immunoblotting using a murine monoclonal antibody with strong affinity for the gp40 major allergen of MC. Results Positive skin wheal-and-flare responses occurred to all 12 Cupressaceae and Japanese cedar (the Taxodiaceae), but not to the Pinaceae or the angiosperm. In Ouchterlony gels, lines of identity or partial identity formed between MC and all pollens except the Pinaceae and the angiosperm. Immunoblots demonstrated IgE binding to the 40 to 42 kD protein in each Cupressaceae, and to a parallel band in Japanese cedar at 43 to 46 kD. Immunoblot inhibition by MC pollen was complete for all trees. The monoclonal bound both the 40 to 42 kD protein in 11 of 12 Cupressaceae species and the 46 kD band in Japanese cedar, but bound no protein bands in the Pinaceae or the angiosperm. Conclusion Pollen proteins of the 12 Cupressaceae (including MC) and the Taxodiaceae (Japanese cedar) are extensively cross-reactive. In particular, the MC major allergen, gp40, is cross-reactive with 40 to 42 kD proteins of the other Cupressaceae and with the Japanese cedar major allergen of 46 kD. Component-based immunotherapy may someday allow a standard treatment for both Juniper-allergic and C. japonica -allergic patients.
Identities in conflict: The Aboriginal question and the politics of recognition in Quebec

Abstract The will to have one's own particular identity universally acknowledged and respected is now one of the most significant determinants of the sociopolitical dynamic of contemporary modern societies. However, the actual recognition of difference is more often than not an unsatisfactory and disappointing experience for many of the groups and communities striving for that recognition. The recent experience of Canadian Aboriginal peoples is a case in point. This article looks at the struggle of Aboriginal nations for recognition in one particular region of Canada, the province of Quebec. Indeed, Quebec offers a revealing case‐study of the peculiarities of the politics of recognition. For over three decades now, the French‐speaking majority of Quebec has striven to assert its ethnocultural distinctiveness and laid claims to a special status within the Canadian political and constitutional framework. Today, both Quebecers and Aboriginals are recognition seekers within the Canadian polity. As a result, t...
Post-treatment surveillance of breast cancer patients in an organized, multidisciplinary setting.

Post-treatment surveillance protocols should include early detection of local, regional, and systemic recurrence, new primary tumors and should address treatment complications and psychosocial needs. In addition to annual mammography, history and physical examination in the treated, asymptomatic breast cancer patient surveillance visits should occur every 3–4 months for 3 years, every 6 months for the next 2 years, and annually thereafter. Scans and other tests should be reserved for high risk or symptomatic patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 103:358–361. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Student Assistant Training in a Small Academic Library

At Valparaiso University's main library, the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources (formerly the Moellering Library), student employees are an integral part of day-to-day operations. Students work at the reference desk and must be able to handle reference questions. Since the fall 2000 semester, the Reference Services Librarian has been creating a training program for the student assistants, consisting of an initial training period and a series of quizzes combined with review sessions. Student assistants are also indispensable in Instruction Services. These students are charged with library web site and instruction materials' updates. Methods, lessons learned throughout the process, and quiz questions are used to illustrate the development of the training program. Student performance evaluations and feedback are positive.
Fine-needle aspiration cytology of prostatic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: A case report

Fine-needle aspiration of the prostate has recently gained popularity as a reliable technique in the evaluation of prostatic nodules for malignancy. The cytologic features of adenocarcinoma have been described, but the features of other more unusual tumors have not been widely publicized. We report a case of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the prostate gland with epithelioid cytologic features. Diagn Cytopathol 1987;3:163–165.
Insect fluid-feeding on Upper Pennsylvanian tree ferns (Palaeodictyoptera, Marattiales) and the early history of the piercing-and-sucking functional feeding group

We document the presence of the piercing-and-sucking functional feeding group and the dietary targeting of vascular tissue (phloem and xylem) in marattialean tree-fern rhachises from a Late Pennsylvanian (302 Ma) coal-swamp forest in the Illinois Basin. Our evidence originates from permineralized peat that exhibits cellular-level preservation of tissues from whole Psaronius tree-fern rhachises; it includes 3 stylet probes, each of which traverses epidermal tissues and parenchyma, and terminates in a distinctive feeding cavity within phloem and xylem of a vascular strand. The stylet probes are lined with an opaque, sheathlike material, and are principally intracellular, although large gum sac cells are avoided. One of their most diagnostic features is 1 or 2 ridges occurring on the inner surface of each stylet probe, paralleling most of the probe length. These ridges, documented by light and scanning electron microscopy, are interpreted as host tissue casts of interstyletal sulci. From these and other features of stylet-trace morphology, we conclude that the herbivore was an insect of the order Palaeodictyoptera rather than an hemipteroid insect. Well developed reaction tissue surrounding the stylet trace developed while the plant host was alive, demonstrating herbivory. Previous studies have documented piercing-and-sucking in several examples of plant damage from the Early Devonian to Late Pennsylvanian (395–290 Ma). The oldest credible examples are plant lesions indicating piercing-and-sucking arthropods from 2 Lower Devonian deposits. We hypothesize that in later Middle Pennsylvanian, equatorial, coal-swamp forests of Euramerica, the dominant arborescent plants possessed vascular tissues largely unavailable to insects, because they were either deeply embedded in thick cortical tissues or protected by outer indurated, peridermal tissues. Subsequent tree-fern forests of the Late Pennsylvanian provided accessible vascular and other tissues to surface-dwelling insects with stylate mouthparts–a condition which continued into the Permian and propelled the hemipteroid radiation.
Fast radiative processing of titanium silicides under vacuum

Abstract Titanium disilicide thin films were obtained after fast radiative processing of Ti metal thin films deposited on singlecrystal silicon wafers. The driving force for the reaction was provided by radiation from a bank of high-intensity quartz— halogen tungsten lamps, while the samples were kept in a vacuum of 10 −7 Torr. The samples, processed for 1 to 15 s, were characterized by four-point probe, X-ray diffraction, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These measurements showed that the sheet resistance increased in the first 2 s. After 3 s the disilicide film started to form quickly and the reaction was completed after 5 to 8 s. No appreciable surface contamination layer was detected. The quality of the disilicide film is demonstrated by its low resistivity of 14 μΩ cm and its smooth surface with feature size of 0.5 μm.
T-cell regulation: Thy-1 – hiding in full view

Thy-1 is a highly abundant glycoprotein on the surface of thymocytes and neurons. A null mutation in the gene encoding Thy-1 deregulates T-cell receptor signaling and causes abnormal thymocyte development; does this mean that Thy-1 has a signaling function?
Inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts with ozone and free chlorine

Abstract The objective of this study is to investigate the synergy involved in the sequential inactivation of C. parvum oocysts with ozone followed by free chlorine at 1–20°C. Primary ozone and free chlorine inactivation curves are characterized by an initial lag-phase, followed by one or two post-lag-phase segments, the first segment at a faster rate than the second, of pseudo-first-order inactivation. The kinetics of primary inactivation with ozone and free chlorine has a relatively strong temperature dependence, and vary both with oocyst lot and oocyst age. Synergy is observed for the sequential inactivation of C. parvum oocysts with ozone/free chlorine. Ozone pre-treatment results in the disappearance of the lag-phase and the occurrence of a secondary free chlorine inactivation curve with generally two pseudo-first-order segments, the first segment at a faster rate than the second. The kinetics of both secondary segments is significantly faster than the post-lag-phase rate of inactivation with free chlorine alone. The temperature dependence for both phases of the secondary free chlorine inactivation kinetics is weaker compared to that for primary inactivation with ozone or free chlorine. As a result, the level of synergy in sequential disinfection with ozone/free chlorine increases with decreasing temperature within the range relevant to drinking water utilities. Good agreement is found between the kinetics determined using the modified in-vitro excystation method of viability assessment and animal infectivity data recently reported in the literature for both primary inactivation with ozone, and sequential disinfection with ozone/free chlorine.
Heterodyne swept-source optical coherence tomography for complete complex conjugate ambiguity removal

Fourier domain techniques have increasingly gained attention in the optical coherence tomography field. This is mainly due to demonstrated sensitivities of two to three orders of magnitude greater than conventional time domain techniques. FDOCT images are plagued with two sources of ambiguity and artifact. First, complex conjugate ambiguity arises from the Fourier transform of the real-valued interferometric signal. This ambiguity causes a superposition of reflectors at positive and negative pathlength differences between the sample and reference reflectors. Secondly, the source spectral shape and sample autocorrelation terms appear at DC, there by obscuring reflectors at zero pathlength difference. In this paper, we show that heterodyne detection in swept-source OCT (SSOCT) allows for the resolution of complex conjugate ambiguity and the removal of spectral and autocorrelation artifacts. We show that frequency shifting of the reference arm optical field, by use of acousto-optic modulators, upshifts the cross-interferometric signal to a user-tunable electronic frequency that corresponds to a adjustable electronic pathlength mismatch between the interferometer arms. This electronic pathlength mismatching recenters the A-scan at an offset that can be far from DC, which effectively resolves the complex conjugate ambiguity problem. Additionally, spectral and autocorrelation terms still reside near DC, which allows them to be removed by high-pass filtering. We also show that complex conjugate ambiguity resolution via frequency shifting is immune to falloff induced by finite source linewidth in SSOCT.
Novel tricontinuous hydrophilic–lipophilic–oxyphilic membranes: Synthesis and characterization

Novel tricontinuous membranes consisting of well-defined hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and lipophilic polyisobutylene (PIB) segments crosslinked by oxyphilic poly(pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane) (PD5) domains have been synthesized and characterized. Tricontinuity arises because the three membrane constituents—PEG, PIB, and PD5—are mutually incompatible and give rise to three independent cocontinuous phases (channels). The continuous PEG segments impart swelling in water (hydrogel character), the rubbery PIB moieties provide strength, and the PD5 domains provide crosslinking and enhanced O2 permeability. The synthesis involves the random cohydrosilation of various lengths (number-average molecular weights) of α,ω-diallyl-PEG and α,ω-diallyl-PIB segments by pentamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5H) followed by water-mediated oxidation of the SiH groups of the D5H to SiOH groups, which immediately polycondense to PD5 domains. Membranes containing about equal amounts of PEG, PIB, and PD5 give rise to tricontinuous morphologies that allow the simultaneous permeation of water, heptane, and oxygen via three cocontinuous channels. The number-average molecular weight of the PEG segment, that is, the number-average molecular weight of the hydrophilic segment between two PD5 crosslink sites, determines the dimensions (pore sizes) of the channels through which water can permeate. A method has been developed for studying the oxygen permeability of membranes. The microarchitecture of the membranes has been investigated with selective swelling experiments and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, their mechanical properties have been examined in the water-swollen state with Instron measurements, and their bulk morphologies and thermal degradation have been determined with differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. The findings have been interpreted in terms of phase-separated PEG, PIB, and PD5 microdomains. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1209–1217, 2002
Whiteness as Stigma: Essentialist Identity Work by Mixed-Race Women

Historically, in both the social sciences and the general public, racial mixing has been stigmatized. This stigmatization was fueled by whites' desire to protect their racial privileges as well as the belief that hybridization between “pure” and superior white racial stocks and inferior non-white stocks produces an inferior being. While this view has been challenged within the social sciences, the general public's sentiment toward racial mixing remains consistently negative. The low interracial marriage rate, particularly among blacks and whites, points to the lack of popular acceptance of racial mixing. This article reveals an unusual and creative reversal of the racial mixing problem by historically stigmatized mixed-race women. The women in this study reject dominant patterns of stigma by reassigning stigma to their European ancestry. Given this reversal, women articulate and embrace non-white identities. This article explains the reversal of the racial mixing problem as well as the identity work of women as they rearticulate the meaning of race and racial belonging within dominant racial logic. The identification of macro constraints and the illustration of individual agency in the negotiation of identity extends the symbolic interactionist perspective on identity formation.
Effect of chilling and gibberellic acid on growth potential of excised embryos of Ruellia humilis

Dormancy in intact seeds of Ruellia humilis is broken by chilling or by treatment with gibberellic acid (GA3). Embryos are nondormant and will grow when the seed coat is removed completely. Embryos from chilled or GA3-treated seeds have more growth potential than embryos from nontreated seeds. Dormancy is ascribed to the mechanical restriction of the embryo by the seed coat. Chilling and treatment with GA3 break dormancy by increasing the expansive force of the embryo; thus, chilled or GA3-treated embryos exert enough expansive force to break through the seed coat, whereas nontreated embryos do not.
SOURCE–SINK DYNAMICS IN A TEMPORALLY HETEROGENEOUS ENVIRONMENT

In traditional source–sink models, vital rates and movement probabilities are assumed to be temporally homogeneous. Numerous studies, however, have demonstrated that temporal heterogeneity is the rule rather than the exception in natural systems. A case of particular interest is an expanding and contracting population where determination of source and sink populations is dependent on the timing and duration at which population growth rates are measured. Thus, ecologists have been perplexed about what is the proper scale to test for source–sink dynamics. In this study, I present a temporally variable source– sink dynamic driven by flooding disturbance. I measured population growth rates of an herbivorous neotropical rolled-leaf beetle, Cephaloleia fenestrata (Chrysomelidae), at different temporal scales in this expanding and contracting population. I demonstrate that flooding created a strong sink, but the system lacked source–sink dynamics during nonflood periods. The sink is caused by a flood-related sevenfold decrease in survival probability. There was no evidence for effects of flooding on recruitment. Migration was directional from the upland to the flood zone habitat, supporting the conclusion that the population in the flood zone is a sink. A Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated that whether the population in the flood zone is a sink, and the intensity of the sink, ultimately depend on the flooding frequency. Given an observed flood frequency of approximately once per year, the flood zone population was determined to be a long-term sink. This study provides evidence of high temporal variability resulting in fluctuations in and out of a source–sink dynamic and implicates a causal factor (increased mortality due to flooding). These results illustrate the importance of considering temporal variability in source–sink dynamics, and in choosing the proper temporal scale at which to test for source–sink dynamics.