cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and radiological outcomes of acute ischemic stroke patients without angiographic occlusion on digital subtraction angiogram. A pooled analysis of case series

Approximately 20–30% of the patients with acute ischemic stroke do not have any occlusion demonstrated on initial digital subtraction angiography (DSA). We sought to determine the risk and rates of cerebral infarction and favorable neurological outcome in this group of acute ischemic stroke patients. Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained stroke database and from literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, and Cochrane databases. All patients had initial neurological assessment on National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Patients then underwent DSA after initial head computed tomography (CT) scans. Follow-up radiological assessment at 24–72 h was performed with CT and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Association of stroke risk factors with clinical and radiological outcomes was estimated. A total of 81 patients was analyzed (mean age 63 years; 28 were women). The median NIHSS score was 8 (range 2–25). None of the patients received either intravenous or intra-arterial thrombolytic. Cerebral infarction was detected in 62 (76%) of the 81 patients. Twenty-four to 48-h NIHSS was available for 51 patients only. Neurological improvement was observed in 22 (43%) of the 51 patients. Favorable outcome ascertained at 3-month follow-up was seen in 48 (59%) of the 81 patients. After adjusting for age, sex, and baseline NIHSS, male patients [odds ratio (OR) 4.5 (1.4–14.3), p value = 0.01] and patients with age ≥65 [OR 4.3 (1.2–16.2), p value = 0.03] have a higher risk of cerebral infarcts on the follow-up imaging. Similarly, patients who presented with 10 NIHSS [OR 0.21 (0.08–0.61), p value = 0.004]. Ischemic stroke patients without arterial occlusion on DSA have a higher risk of cerebral infarction and disability particularly in men, patients over 65 years of age and with NIHSS ≥10. The cause of infarction may have been arterial obstruction with spontaneous recanalization or small vessel occlusion not visible on DSA.
Neuron-enriched cultures derived from spinal cord of 10-day-old chick embryos: influence of neuropeptides on neuronal survival, proliferation and cholinergic expression.

Abstract The developmental regulation of cell proliferation, survival and cholinergic expression by growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SRIF) was investigated in neuronenriched cultures derived from 10-day-old embryonic chick spinal cord. In this study, 3 H-thymidine incorporation into DNA was assessed, using two different applications, in order to determine both cellular proliferation and survival. The rate of neuroblast proliferation in both control and neuropeptide-treated cultures increased or remained the same up to day 6. However, in neuropeptide-treated cultures the magnitude of cell proliferation remained at levels higher than those observed in controls through day 6 and was most significant in SRIF-treated cultures at C4. In all groups, proliferation markedly declined by day 8. Survival of neuronal cells labelled at C4 remained high up to day 12 in all three groups, then drastically declined by day 17. Neuronal survival in the neuropeptide-treated cultures was also higher than in controls. Cholinergic expression, as assessed by activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), responded differentially to neuropeptide treatment. Cultures treated with GHRH (100 nM) exhibited a long term significant enhancement in ChAT activity throughout the culture period, whereas those treated with SRIF (50 nM) expressed a transient decline in ChAT activity. Videometric analysis showed that both neuropeptides enhanced neuronal aggregation, neuritic arborization and neuritic length. These findings lead us to suggest that GHRH and SRIF may provide neurotrophic signals important not only for neuronal proliferation and survival but also for cholinergic neuronal expression. Furthermore, we propose that GHRH possesses specific cholinotrophic properties, whereas SRIF may act as a general neurotrophic factor.
A New Staining Dish for Handling Cover-Glass Preparations

The fixing, staining, dehydrating and clearing of preparations, which are made, for reasons of convenience or necessity, on cover-glasses rather than slides, are operations with which almost all technical workers sooner or later have to deal. Such preparations are in constant use by protozoologists and are occasionally employed by cytologists1 and specialists in several other lines of biological study. Nevertheless, up to the present time all sorts of inconvenient, makeshift devices have been used for handling the cover-glasses, usually resulting in the use of unnecessary amounts of reagents and general dissatisfaction with the added difficulties in manipulation.
Sexual Peak: Socially Shared Cognitions About Desire, Frequency, and Satisfaction in Men and Women

Is a man’s sexual peak earlier than a woman’s? Three studies were conducted to examine (a) whether the perception that men achieve their sexual peak at a younger age than do women is shared across individuals of different ages and sexes, (b) whether sexual peak is defined differently for men and women, and (c) whether differences between definitions contribute to differences in the age at which men and women are perceived to reach sexual peak. Study 1 suggested that participants believed that females reach their sexual peak at an older age than do males. Study 2 indicated that the defining feature of sexual peak for males was sexual desire and for females was sexual satisfaction. Study 3 suggested that predictions of male sexual peak coincided with participants’ predictions of male age of highest desire and frequency, but not satisfaction, and that female sexual peak coincided with participants' predictions of female age of highest satisfaction but not frequency or desire. Discussion focuses on potential reasons for differences between the perception of male and female sexuality, as well as the social and evolutionary importance of each of the dimensions of sexuality for both males and females.
Effect of Total Cardiopulmonary Bypass on Human Lung Elastic Properties

Quasi-static elastic properties and dynamic compliances were measured in a series of patients undergoing open-heart surgery with total cardiopulmonary bypass for periods up to 2 hours. The data revealed that in half of the patients no alterations occurred, and in the other half there appeared a distinct improvement in lung mechanics, as indicated by the elastic properties. The reasons for this improvement are not known but may be related in part to changes in pulmonary blood volume. Artificial perfusion per se for around 2 hours causes no significant impairment in the elastic component of lung mechanics.
Quine and his critics on truth-functionality and extensionality

Quine argues that if sentences that are set theoretically equivalent are interchangeable salva veritate, then all transparent operators are truth-functional. Criticisms of this argument fail to take into account the conditional character of the conclusion. Quine also argues that, for any person P with minimal logical acuity, if ‘belief’ has a sense in which it is a transparent operator, then, in that sense of the word, P believes everything if P believes anything. The suggestion is made that he intends that result to show us that ‘believes’ has no transparent sense. Criticisms of this argument are either based on unwarranted assertions or on definitions of key terms that depart from Quine’s usage of those terms.
Stimulant Medications Decrease Energy Expenditure and Physical Activity in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

Stimulant Medications Decrease Energy Expenditure and Physical Activity in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)
Modeling behavior in competition: The analytic hierarchy process

This paper offers an approach for dealing with prediction of the outcome of World Chess Championship matches based on players experience and attitude towards the game. The paper deals with both the overall outcome and the sequence of game by game outcomes. A method for predicting the overall outcome is advanced and illustrated. Methods for predicting game by game outcomes are examined and compared according to strengths and weaknesses. The analysis is supported by the data on World Championship matches since their beginning 125 years ago.
Specific heat of superconducting PdH alloys

Abstract The low temperature specific heat of a series of superconducting Pd-H alloys ( H Pd ∼ 0.83 5 –0.87 5 ) has been measured; broad yet very pronounced peaks whose widths are a function of hydrogen concentration are observed. An interesting scaling feature and a theoretical fitting of the data are discussed. A few results of some associated electrical resistance measurements are mentioned, and the possible role of Fe impurities in suppressing superconductivity in PdH alloys is considered.
RELIABILITY OF THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE FOR CHILDREN

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) has become widely used since its inception in 1949. The popularity of the WISC is, in part, due to the supposed useful clinical features which are not found in the Stanford-Binet. These clinical features refer specifically to analysis of subtest patterns. Pattern analysis has been used by school psychologists for such signs as brain damage, emotional disturbance, and other clinical diagnoses as well as educational indicators of reading problems, arithmetic problems and perceptual difficulties that might be related to educational difficulties. Discrepancies between the Verbal Scale and the Performance Scale have been considered when planning for the curricular emphasis. (For example, should a student consider an academic curriculum or a vocational curriculum.)
STEREO REPRESENTATION OF ATOMIC FORCE MICROGRAPHS OPTIMIZING THE VIEW

Summary The usefulness of stereographs for atomic force microscopy (AFM) is discussed and illustrated with AFM stereo images of biological macromolecules. The three-dimensional nature of AFM data makes such display particularly appropriate, as it contains the information in an optimal format for creating stereographs suitable for direct evaluation by the human observer. We describe a simple procedure that employs standard functions in a commercial AFM for creating such stereographs.
Stabilization of the murine gut microbiome following weaning

Ecologists hypothesize that community structure and stability affect productivity, sensitivity to invasion and extinction, and resilience and resistance to perturbations. Viewed in the context of the gut microbiome, the stability of the gut community is important for understanding the effects of antibiotics, diet change and other perturbations on host health and colonization resistance. Here we describe the dynamics of a self-contained community, the murine gut microbiome. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal samples collected daily from individual mice, we characterized the community membership and structure to determine whether there were significant changes in the gut community during the first year of life. Based on analysis of molecular variance, we observed two community states. The first was observed in the 10 days following weaning and the second was observed by 15 days following weaning. Interestingly, these two states had the same bacterial populations, but those populations had different relative abundances in the two states. By calculating the root mean squared distances between samples collected in the early and late states for each mouse, we observed that the late state was more stable than the early state. This increase in stability was not correlated with increased taxonomic richness, taxonomic diversity, or phylogenetic diversity. In the absence of an experimentally induced perturbation, the second community state was relatively constant through 364 days post weaning. These results suggest a high degree of stability in the microbiome once the community reached the second state.
Biology of simian virus 40 (SV40) transplantation antigen (TrAg). IV. Inhibition by human interferon of expression of SV40 TrAg in SV40-infected monkey cells.

Abstract Human interferon inhibits the synthesis of SV40 transplantation rejection antigen (TrAg) in SV40-infected but not in SV40-transformed monkey cells. The synthesis of SV40 tumor antigen as detected by the indirect immunofluorescence test and the large and small T antigens as detected by the immunoprecipitation with sera from tumor-bearing hamsters and electrophoresis in SDS-gels was similarly affected in SV40-infected monkey cells. These results suggest that the induction of SV40-specific TrAg in the cytolytic cycle depends upon a viral, rather than a host, message.
Realization, determination, and mechanisms

Several philosophers (e.g., Ehring (Nous (Detroit, Mich.) 30:461–480, 1996); Funkhouser (Nous (Detroit, Mich.) 40:548–569, 2006); Walter (Canadian Journal of Philosophy 37:217–244, 2007) have argued that there are metaphysical differences between the determinable-determinate relation and the realization relation between mental and physical properties. Others have challenged this claim (e.g., Wilson (Philosophical Studies, 2009). In this paper, I argue that there are indeed such differences and propose a “mechanistic” account of realization that elucidates why these differences hold. This account of realization incorporates two distinct roles that mechanisms play in the realization of mental (and other special science) properties which are implicit, but undeveloped, in the literature—what I call “constitutive” and “integrative” mechanisms. I then use these two notions of mechanism to clarify some debates about the relations between realization, multiple realizability, and irreducibility.
Along the Domestic-Foreign Frontier: Exploring Governance in a Turbulent World

In this book James Rosenau explores the enormous changes which are currently transforming world affairs. He argues that the dynamics of economic globalization, new technologies, and evolving global norms are clashing with equally powerful localizing dynamics. The resulting encounters between diverse interests and actors are rendering the boundaries between domestic and foreign affairs ever more porous and creating a political space, designated as the 'Frontier,' wherein the quest for control in world politics is joined. The author contends that it is along the Frontier, and not in the international arena, that issues are contested and the course of events configured. The book examines a number of contexts and agents through which local, national, and international affairs are woven together. Rosenau's recurring theme is the challenge of achieving governance along the turbulent domestic-foreign Frontier.
A Blessing to Our Declining Years: Feminine Response to Filial Duty in the New Republic.

This article examines the ties that bound adult daughters to their aged parents in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Despite the increasingly domestic nature of woman's sphere during this period, women frequently acknowledged ambivalence towards some aspects of filial responsibility. Adult daughters considered such duty as both appropriate and deserved, yet sometimes found the burdens of parental care overwhelming. Aged mothers, while believing that daughters were well-suited to the task, often regretted the demands placed upon younger women. Resulting anxiety could manifest itself in both generations. Clearly, the contemporary dilemma involving the peculiarly feminine nature of filial duty has long roots. Now, as then, the growing bonds between different generations of women offer both explanation and hope for future resolution to the problems accompanying filial duty.
Ionizing Radiation Hardness of GaAs Technologies

The radiation response of several GaAs technologies to ionizing radiation has been investigated. Self-aligned gate (SAG) E/D GaAs Metal Semiconductor FET (MESFET), SAG AlGaAs/GaAs Modulation Doped FET (MODFET), and complementary-AlGaAs/GaAs Heterostructure Insulated Gate FET (C-HIGFET) devices and circuits all demonstrated minimal sensitivity to total dose effects to 250 Mrad(GaAs). The heterostructure based technologies showed superior tolerance to high dose rate exposures, with upset levels exceeding 1×1010 rads(GaAs)/s.
A Subspace Error Estimate for Linear Systems

This paper proposes a new method for estimating the error in the solution of linear systems. A condition number is defined for a linear function of the solution components. This definition of the condition number is quite versatile. It reduces to the component condition number proposed by Chandrasekaran and Ipsen [SIAM J. Matrix Anal. Appl., 16 (1995), pp. 93--112] and to Skeel's definition of condition number [J. ACM, 26 (1979), pp. 494--526] in some special cases, and it can be used to estimate the error in a subspace. The estimate is based on the adjoint equation in combination with small sample statistical theory. It can be implemented simply and is inexpensive to compute. Numerical examples are presented which illustrate the power and effectiveness of this error estimate.
Random invariant measures for Markov chains, and independent particle systems

Let P be the transition operator for a discrete time Markov chain on a space S. The object of the paper is to study the class of random measures on S which have the property that MP=M in distribution. These will be called random invariant measures for P. In particular, it is shown that MP=M in distribution implies MP=M a.s. for various classes of chains, including aperiodic Harris recurrent chains and aperiodic irreducible random walks. Some of this is done by exploiting the relationship between random invariant measures and entrance laws. These results are then applied to study the invariant probability measures for particle systems in which particles move independently in discrete time according to P. Finally, it is conjectured that every Markov chain which has a random invariant measure also has a deterministic invariant measure.
Automatic evaluation of machine translation quality using n-gram co-occurrence statistics

Evaluation is recognized as an extremely helpful forcing function in Human Language Technology R&D. Unfortunately, evaluation has not been a very powerful tool in machine translation (MT) research because it requires human judgments and is thus expensive and time-consuming and not easily factored into the MT research agenda. However, at the July 2001 TIDES PI meeting in Philadelphia, IBM described an automatic MT evaluation technique that can provide immediate feedback and guidance in MT research. Their idea, which they call an "evaluation understudy", compares MT output with expert reference translations in terms of the statistics of short sequences of words (word N-grams). The more of these N-grams that a translation shares with the reference translations, the better the translation is judged to be. The idea is elegant in its simplicity. But far more important, IBM showed a strong correlation between these automatically generated scores and human judgments of translation quality. As a result, DARPA commissioned NIST to develop an MT evaluation facility based on the IBM work. This utility is now available from NIST and serves as the primary evaluation measure for TIDES MT research.
Photonic crystals and their potential applications

A new class of composite materials has emerged which provides a means to control and manipulate light. These materials, known as photonic crystals, are periodic arrays of dielectric scatterers in homogeneous dielectric matrices. They affect the properties of photons in much the same way semiconductors affect the properties of electrons. As a result, photons display similar features such as band structures, localized defect states, and surface states. The ability to design the properties of electromagnetic states will lead to many applications in the control of spontaneous emission and in the fabrication of novel optoelectronic devices.
Probing boundary layer turbulence with data assimilation on lidar measurements

This study represents an integrated research capability based on (1) data from a scanning water vapor lidar, (2) a hydrodynamic model (HIGRAD) with a observing routine (VIEWER) that simulates the lidar scanning, and (3) an extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm for data assimilation which merges data into a model for the best estimate of the system under study. The purpose is to understand the degree to which the lidar measurements represent faithfully the atmospheric boundary layer's spatial and temporal features and to extend this utility in studying other remote sensing capabilities employed in both field and laboratory experiments. Raman lidar water vapor data collected over the Pacific warm pool and the HIGRAD simulations were first compared with each other. Potential aliasing effects of the measurements are identified due to the relatively long duration of the lidar scanning. The problem is being handled by the EKF data assimilation technique which incorporates measurements, that are unevenly distributed in space and time, into a model that simulates the flow being observed. The results of this study in terms of assimilated data will help to resolve and describe the scales and mechanisms that govern the surface evaporation.
A Spectrophotometry Analysis of Tissue Staining

By comparing spectral absorption curves of representative staining solutions and of substances stained with these solutions it is shown that information may be obtained regarding chemical changes associated with the staining process. The stains used in these determinations were acid fuchsin, anilin blue, azo-carmine G, basic fuchsin, eosin Y, orange G, picric acid and Sudan IV. The substrates stained were gelatin, tendon, blood plasma, thymus gland and fat.Aqueous basic fuchsin and fuchsin-sulfurous reagent to which formalin was added (Setoff reaction) are different stains. The spectral absorption curves for staining solutions and substances stained with the solutions were comparable. Within the limitations of the spectrophotometry methods and stains employed, there was no evidence of significant chemical alteration in the chromophore radicals of the stains associated with the process of tissue staining.
Cooperative and active assistance based interactive therapy

The control of a rehabilitation robot for stroke should be designed to promote active participation of patients in the therapy process. This goal can be achieved by performance based assistance control to provide assistance only when needed and where it is needed. This control philosophy is implemented on Robot for Upper Extremity Repetitive Therapy (RUPERT), a wearable robotic exoskeleton powered by pneumatic muscle actuators. Therapy of stroke survivors under this control using RUPERT has been carried out on 6 patients. Some preliminary analysis of the performance outcome after the therapy is presented in this report. The result is promising though a controlled study has to be done to illustrate the real advantage of the adaptive performance based control.
Purification of rat liver lysosomal cholesteryl ester hydrolase.

Abstract An acidic cholesteryl ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.13) from rat liver lysosomes was purified approximately 120-fold with 5% recovery of the original homogenate activity. The sequential steps were: digitonin solubilization, agarose gel filtration, DEAE-agarose and CM-agarose column chromatography. The enzyme was at least 90% pure as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It exhibited a molecular weight of about 60 000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis and gel filtration. The soluble enzyme required substrate which was incorporated into phospholipid vehicles for optimal activity. On the contrary, aggregates of the enzyme required a substrate preparation that involved the direct addition of cholesteryl ester in acetone. The enzyme also catalyzed the hydrolysis of emulsions of triacylglycerol. The ratio of the two activities remained almost constant during purification suggesting that the two activities (EC 3.1.1.13 and EC 3.1.1.3, respectively) may be the result of the broad specificity of one enzyme. The effects of some inhibitors and some properties of the enzyme have been studied and discussed.
Radial basis functions: Developments and applications to planetary scale flows

Radial basis functions (RBFs) can be seen as a major generalization of pseudospectral (PS) methods, abandoning the orthogonality of the basis functions and in return obtaining much improved simplicity and geometric flexibility. Spectral accuracy becomes now easily available also when using completely unstructured node layouts, permitting local node refinements in critical areas. The first major PDE applications for which RBFs have been shown to compete successfully against the best currently available numerical approaches can be found in the geosciences. Examples that are discussed here include translating vortex roll-ups (cyclogenesis), nonlinear flows on the sphere modeled by the shallow water equations, and 3D convection in the earth’s mantle.
The Rotating Presidency of the European Council as a Search for Good Policies

The rotating presidency of the European Council is a curious, and unusual, institutional feature. I propose a formal theoretic model that compares a variety of decision-making procedures, including rotating the leadership position in a decision-making council, referendums on each policy issue, and electing a Council president. From the results of the model I conclude that the current version of the rotating presidency has a lot to recommend it. Rotating agenda-setting authority allows for the exploration of new mixtures of policies that might not be discovered or tried under other kinds of procedures. However, I also argue that, once the European Union expands to over 20 members, the procedure may no longer be sustainable.
Time-lapse (4D) seismic effects: Reservoir sensitivity to stress and water saturation

Summary Knowledge of reservoir saturation variation is vital for in-fill well drilling, while information on reservoir stress variation provides a useful guide for sand production management, casing design, injector placement and production management. Interpreting time-lapse difference is enhanced by decomposing time-lapse difference into saturation, pressure effects and changes in rock properties (e.g. porosity change in chalk reservoirs). We analyze the stress and saturation sensitivity of the reservoir and overburden shale of Forties Field, located in the UK sector of the North Sea. While pore pressure variations have not been significant in most parts of the field, a slightly high decrease in pore pressure in a region of the reservoir has had a profound effect on both reservoir and overlying caprock. We find that strain development in the field accounts, in part, for increased reservoir sand production. We use changes in the AVO intercept and gradient calibrated with laboratory measurements to invert the time-lapse (4D) difference for saturation and pressure changes.
Robust Control for Automatic Steering

Robust control problems in automatic steering are due to the wide range of velocity, mass and road conditions under which such vehicles operate. In earlier design studies and road tests for a bus it has been shown that it is possible to design a fixed gain controller such that the automatic steering operates satisfactorily over the entire range of parameters. In the present paper it is shown that the performance of such a robust automatic steering system can be considerably improved by the addition of a gyro measuring the yaw rate and feeding it back into the controller.
The New Negro and Social Democracy during the Harlem Renaissance, 1917–37

This essay focuses on the conception of social justice devised by A. Philip Randolph, noted socialist, co-founder of The Messenger, and organizer of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Frank R. Crosswaith, a general organizer for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and one-time Messenger correspondent, in the aftermath of World War I. Weaving together a socialist critique of modern industrial society with a powerful vision of human freedom and equality, Randolph and Crosswaith articulated a distinctly egalitarian conception of social justice that asserted the equal right of all to benefit from society's advances. Arguing that genuine social justice was predicated on the open participation of all, they fashioned a program of reform that drew on black racial identity to frame their vision of class consciousness and, in so doing, planted the roots of an independent strain of black radicalism that was not intellectually beholden to whites. Although historical writing on the New Negro recognizes the importance of Randolph and to a lesser degree Crosswaith, this writing overlooks their innovative thought and its philosophical and political basis.
A one-step conversion of isoquinolinium salts into naphthalene derivatives

Abstract Berberine chloride ( 1 ) upon treatment with NaOAc-Ac 2 O yields naphthalene derivatives 4 and 5 In like fashion, 8 gives naphthalene 10 ; isoquinoline methiodide leads to β-naphthyl acetate; and 12 provides 14 . The reaction has been extended to the 3-carbonyl pyridinium series where 3-acetylpyridine methiodide and 3-pyridinecarboxaldehyde methiodide furnish lactones 16 and 17 , respectively. All these transformations proceed by initial nucleophilic attack of the acetic anhydride anion on the immonium carbon atom.
Functional necessity of the cytoskeleton during cleavage membrane development and zoosporogenesis in Allomyces macrogynus.

Cleavage membrane development and cy- tokinesis were examined in zoosporangia of Allomyces macrogynus treated with cytoskeletal inhibitors and compared to zoosporogenesis under control condi- tions. Developing membranes were visualized in liv- ing zoosporangia with laser-scanning confocal mi- croscopy using the lipophilic membrane dye FM4-64. Under control conditions, cleavage membranes de- veloped in four discrete stages, ultimately intercon- necting to delimit the cytoplasm into polygonal uni- nucleate domains of near uniform size. Disruption of microtubules did not impede the normal four-stage development of cleavage membranes, and cytokinesis occurred with only minor detectable anomalies, al- though zoospores lacked flagella. Disruption of actin microfilaments did not inhibit membrane formation but blocked nuclear migration and significantly dis- rupted membrane alignment and cytoplasmic delim- itation. This resulted in masses of membrane that re- mained primarily in cortical regions of the zoospo- rangia, as did nuclei, throughout zoosporogenesis. Zoospores formed in the absence of microtubules had only a slightly larger mean diameter than control zoospores, although nearly 50% of spores contained two or more nuclei. Microfilament inhibitor treat- ments produced spores with substantially larger mean diameters and correspondingly larger numbers of nuclei per spore, with greater than 85% contain- ing three or more nuclei. These results showed that a functional actin microfilament cytoskeleton was re- quired for proper alignment of cleavage elements
Response of the Upper Esophageal Sphincter to Esophageal Distension Is Affected by Posture, Velocity, Volume, and Composition of the Infusate

Background & Aims Studies of the pressure response of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) to simulated or spontaneous gastroesophageal reflux have shown conflicting results. These discrepancies could result from uncontrolled influence of variables such as posture, volume, and velocity of distension. We characterized in humans the effects of these variables on UES pressure response to esophageal distension. Methods We studied 12 healthy volunteers (average, 27 ± 5 years old; 6 male) using concurrent esophageal infusion and high-resolution manometry to determine UES, lower esophageal sphincter, and intraesophageal pressure values. Reflux events were simulated by distal esophageal injections of room temperature air and water (5, 10, 20, and 50 mL) in individuals in 3 positions (upright, supine, and semisupine). Frequencies of various UES responses were compared using χ 2 analysis. Multinomial logistical regression analysis was used to identify factors that determine the UES response. Results UES contraction and relaxation were the overriding responses to esophageal water and air distension, respectively, in a volume-dependent fashion ( P P Conclusions The UES response to esophageal distension is affected by combined effects of posture (spatial orientation of the esophagus), physical properties, and volume of refluxate, as well as the magnitude and rate of increase in intraesophageal pressure. The UES response to esophageal distension can be predicted using a model that incorporates these factors.
Patterns of Hospital Utilization for Head and Neck Cancer Care: Changing Demographics

Importance The care of patients with head and neck cancer (HNCA) is becoming increasingly regionalized to high-volume, more effective centers. However, it remains uncertain whether such care is equally distributed. Increasing our understanding of how HNCA treatment is utilized among different sectors should improve strategy designs aimed at ensuring optimized quality of care. Objective To determine which patient- or treatment-associated factors may account for increased regionalization of HNCA care. Design, Setting, and Participants Secondary analysis of all inpatient records of hospital admissions with a primary HNCA diagnosis contained within the Nationwide Inpatient Sample during the calendar years 2000, 2005, and 2010. Main Outcomes and Measures Influence of comorbidities, payer, radiation therapy, and case complexity on regionalization of HNCA care to teaching institutions. Results In the years 2000, 2005, and 2010, there were an estimated mean (SE) 28 862 (2067), 33 517 (3080), and 37 354 (4194) inpatient hospital HNCA stays, respectively, in the United States. Over time, the respective Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores (4.4 and 4.0) and Van Walraven scores (10.0 and 8.9) for nonteaching and teaching institutions were increasingly higher ( P P ≥ .63), but the proportion of Medicaid patients did increase over time for nonteaching institutions (10.2% vs 15.8%) ( P = .002). Both teaching and nonteaching institutions saw an increase in proportion of prior irradiated cases (7.6% and 4.6% vs 3.4% and 1.9%, respectively) ( P ≤ .02). The proportion of major ablative procedures was stable for teaching institutions over time (46.5% vs 43.3%) ( P = .57) but decreased for nonteaching institutions (27.2% vs 32.6%) ( P = .01). The proportion of flap reconstruction procedures increased over time for teaching institutions (8.6% vs 4.1%) ( P P = .21). Conclusions and Relevance Despite the demonstrated link between excellence and outcomes and specialized resource-intensive care, the regionalization of head and neck oncologic treatment is becoming increasingly divergent, and the neediest, sickest patient groups are receiving less than optimal care.
An artificial intelligence system for power system contingency screening

The power system security assessment problem is considered. The objective is to investigate the extent to which a computer program with knowledge and inference capabilities can assist a human operator in this task. A rule-based system for screening the consequences of single outages was developed which can be extended to deal with multiple outages. The rules are independent of the size of the power system and derive partly from human operator expertise and partly from simulation models. Results show that such systems can be very effective in focusing attention on a much-reduced number of the more critical contingencies. The expert system was demonstrated using a power system model of moderate size (25 buses, 35 lines). This approach is cost effective and can be applied to online operation. >
Improved power hardware-in-the-loop interface algorithm using wideband system identification

Power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation techniques are being increasingly applied in the power system field for novel equipment testing and validation. To ensure the accuracy and stability of the overall simulation, special care must be taken in the control of the virtual power interface between the hardware under test and software simulated system. The application of wideband system identification techniques to the Damping Impedance Method (DIM) interface algorithm is investigated in this paper. Knowledge of the hardware under test impedance over a wide frequency range improves the simulation accuracy and ensures interface stability under dynamic and transient conditions. A small-signal, white noise perturbation is injected into the hardware under test using the switching converter acting as the power interface between software and hardware. Cross correlation methods are then used to construct a wideband estimation of the hardware impedance. This information is used to update the interface algorithm and guarantee simulation accuracy and stability. Simulation results are provided for two PHIL test scenarios, demonstrating the improvements afforded by the augmented DIM interface. In each case, initial mismatch between a model of the hardware under test and the actual component degrades the performance and stability of the PHIL interface. Employment of the proposed identification technique to update the interface controller mitigates stability issues and improves the simulation accuracy.
Reversal of Spontaneous Autoimmune Insulitis in Nonobese Diabetic Mice by Soluble Lymphotoxin Receptor

One striking feature of spontaneous autoimmune diabetes is the prototypic formation of lymphoid follicular structures within the pancreas. Lymphotoxin (LT) has been shown to play an important role in the formation of lymphoid follicles in the spleen. To explore the potential role of LT-mediated microenvironment in the pathogenesis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), an LTβ receptor–immunoglobulin fusion protein (LTβR–Ig) was administered to nonobese diabetic mice. Early treatment with LTβR–Ig prevented insulitis and IDDM, suggesting that LT plays a critical role in the insulitis development. LTβR–Ig treatment at a late stage of the disease also dramatically reversed insulitis and prevented diabetes. Moreover, LTβR–Ig treatment prevented the development of IDDM by diabetogenic T cells in an adoptive transfer model. Thus, LTβR–Ig can disassemble the well established lymphoid microenvironment in the islets, which is required for the development and progression of IDDM.
On Generalizing the Cut-off Phenomenon for Random Walks on Groups

There has been a lot of recent work on the convergence of random walks on finite or compact groups to their stationary, uniform distribution. Particular emphasis has been placed on the rate of convergence, i.e. on estimates of the number of iterations until the random walk is “close” to uniformity. The best-known examples come from the cardshuffling analyses of Diaconis and co-workers; see [D] for an extensive introduction. The most striking fact to emerge from these analyses is the existence of the “cut-off phenomenon” (see [DS], [AD], [D]) in certain examples, meaning that the variation distance to uniformity remains close to 1 for a large number of iterations, and then decreases to close to 0 in a relatively small number of further iterations. Precise definitions are given in Section 2. The cut-off phenomenon has been observed in a number of specific examples, including Random Transpositions [DS], Top-to-Random Shuffles [AD], Riffle Shuffles [BD], Random Transvections [H], Random Rotations [R], and Random Reflections [P]. The known examples are all very specific, and it is reasonable to ask whether this phenomenon occurs more generally. On the other hand, the cut-off phenomenon does not occur for all random walks on finite and compact groups: One counter-example is simple random walk on Z/(n) (see [D], Section 3C, Theorem 2). This paper presents a first step towards a more general result about the cut-off phenomenon. A large class of measures on a fairly large collection of groups (both finite and compact) are considered. The measures are still required to be conjugate-invariant, but they are defined much more generally than in the previous specific examples. For these measures, we prove the “easier half” of a cut-off phenomenon. Specifically, we provide the lower-bound part of the argument, proving that the variation distance stays close to 1 until
Device Applications of Rapid Thermal Processing

The potential of rapid thermal processing for applications in silicon integrated circuit technology, silicon microwave bipolar technology and GaAs FET technology is explored.In addition, two novel applications for GaAs processing are described.
Snapshots of Water at Work

The behavior of ions in water--an essential aspect of many chemical processes--is usually deduced from highly averaged measurements of viscosity and reaction rate. In their Perspective, [ Robertson et al ][1]. highlight two reports that elucidate the molecular details of such processes. [ Omta et al ][2]. show that a solvated anion only affects the structure of water in its immediate vicinity. And [ Rini et al ][3]. demonstrate how water in the hydration shell of two anions participated in the chemical reaction between the anions. The results should help to test models of aqueous chemistry. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/301/5631/320 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/301/5631/347 [3]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/301/5631/349
Quasi 2D Ultrahigh Carrier Density in a Complex Oxide Broken‐Gap Heterojunction

Two-dimensional (2D) ultra-high carrier densities at complex oxide interfaces are of considerable current research interest for novel plasmonic and high charge-gain devices. However, the highest 2D electron density obtained in oxide heterostructures is thus far limited to 3×1014 cm-2 (½ electron/unit cell/interface) at GdTiO3/SrTiO3 interfaces, and is typically an order of magnitude lower at LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. Here we show that carrier densities much higher than 3×1014 cm-2 can be achieved via band engineering. Transport measurements for 3 nm SrTiO3/t u.c. NdTiO3/3 nm SrTiO3/LSAT (001) show that charge transfer significantly in excess of the value expected from the polar discontinuity model occurs for higher t values. The carrier density remains unchanged, and equivalent to ½ electron/unit cell/interface for t < 6 unit cells. However, above a critical NdTiO3 thickness of 6 u.c., electrons from the valence band of NdTiO3 spill over into the SrTiO3 conduction band as a natural consequence of the band alignment. An atomistic model consistent with first-principle calculations and experimental results is proposed for the charge transfer mechanisms. These results may provide an exceptional route to the realization of the room-temperature oxide electronics.
Sus scrofa (European wild boar)

One pair of small metacentrics bears a secondary constriction on the short arm near the centromere. The X also has a secondary constriction.
Quantitative Assessment of the Heterogeneity of PD-L1 Expression in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Importance Early-phase trials with monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) and PD-L1 (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) have demonstrated durable clinical responses in patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, current assays for the prognostic and/or predictive role of tumor PD-L1 expression are not standardized with respect to either quantity or distribution of expression. Objective To demonstrate PD-L1 protein distribution in NSCLC tumors using both conventional immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative immunofluorescence (QIF) and compare results obtained using 2 different PD-L1 antibodies. Design, Setting, and Participants PD-L1 was measured using E1L3N and SP142, 2 rabbit monoclonal antibodies, in 49 NSCLC whole-tissue sections and a corresponding tissue microarray with the same 49 cases. Non–small-cell lung cancer biopsy specimens from 2011 to 2012 were collected retrospectively from the Yale Thoracic Oncology Program Tissue Bank. Human melanoma Mel 624 cells stably transfected with PD-L1 as well as Mel 624 parental cells, and human term placenta whole tissue sections were used as controls and for antibody validation. PD-L1 protein expression in tumor and stroma was assessed using chromogenic IHC and the AQUA (Automated Quantitative Analysis) method of QIF. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were scored in hematoxylin-eosin slides using current consensus guidelines. The association between PD-L1 protein expression, TILs, and clinicopathological features were determined. Main Outcomes and Measures PD-L1 expression discordance or heterogeneity using the diaminobenzidine chromogen and QIF was the main outcome measure selected prior to performing the study. Results Using chromogenic IHC, both antibodies showed fair to poor concordance. The PD-L1 antibodies showed poor concordance (Cohen κ range, 0.124-0.340) using conventional chromogenic IHC and showed intra-assay heterogeneity (E1L3N coefficient of variation [CV], 6.75%-75.24%; SP142 CV, 12.17%-109.61%) and significant interassay discordance using QIF (26.6%). Quantitative immunofluorescence showed that PD-L1 expression using both PD-L1 antibodies was heterogeneous. Using QIF, the scores obtained with E1L3N and SP142 for each tumor were significantly different according to nonparametric paired test ( P P = .007) and SP142 ( P = .02). Conclusions and Relevance Objective determination of PD-L1 protein levels in NSCLC reveals heterogeneity within tumors and prominent interassay variability or discordance. This could be due to different antibody affinities, limited specificity, or distinct target epitopes. Efforts to determine the clinical value of these observations are under way.
Doing It Again: Repeating Methodology from Published Literature to Learn Field Biology

Abstract Repeatability underpins a basic assumption in science which students must learn in order to evaluate others' research findings as well as to communicate the results of their own research. By attempting to repeat the methods of published studies, students learn the importance of clear written communication, while at the same time developing research skills. I describe three examples of published field studies that can be used as the basis for course exercises on the repeatability of methodology, as well as field sampling techniques, all grounded in the overall topic of environmental change. Two of the exercises returned students to the exact location of the past research that they had previously read from the primary literature, making it possible to clarify the difference between reproducibility and repeatability in field-based research. When student-collected data differed from published results, students explored, through both post-project discussions and written work, factors that could explai...