cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
First-principles study of bubble nucleation and growth behaviors in α U–Zr

Bubble nucleation and growth is responsible for swelling in metallic fuels such as U–Zr. Computational modeling is useful for understanding and ultimately developing mitigation strategies for the swelling behavior of the fuel. However, the relevant fundamental parameters are not currently available. In our previous work, the formation energy and migration barrier of uranium vacancies and interstitials in α U have been obtained by first-principles calculations, and the calculated diffusion activation energy agrees reasonably well with the experimental results, within 0.1 eV (Huang and Wirth 2011 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 23 205402). In this paper, the formation energy and migration barrier of Xe, Zr, Pu, in addition to the binding energy of small vacancy clusters, Xe-vacancy clusters, and small interstitial clusters are investigated. These are among the essential data essential for the analysis and computational modeling of swelling in metallic nuclear fuel.
Effect of phenolic compounds in Lycopersicon esculeutum on the synthesis of ethylene

Abstract Caffeic, coumaric, sinapic and ferulic acids and naringenin were found in green tomato fruit, Chlorogenic acid accounted for 75% of the total phenolics in mature green fruit but only 35% in ripe fruit. There was very little change in the phenolic composition of the flesh of the fruit during ripening, whereas in the skin, naringenin increased markedly at the onset of the climacteric and three unidentified compounds increased during the climacteric rise. The increase in the concentration of naringenin was accompanied by an increase in the production of ethylene in the skin. Investigation of three systems producing ethylene from 4-methylmercapto-2-oxobutyric acid in the presence of peroxidase, showed that only p `-coumaric acid or naringenin were capable of acting as phenolic substrates, the other phenolic compounds being inhibitory.
Digitalis Toxicity: A Case Report

Digitalis has a clinically useful therapeutic ratio (LD50/ED50), but doses must be carefully adjusted for each patient to avoid manifestations of toxicity. This paper reviews the pharmacology and toxicology of digitalis and reports an occurrence in which lifethreatening cardiac dysrhythmias occurred as a result of digitalis toxicity in a patient undergoing full mouth gingival curettage. In addition, some recommendations for prevention and management of this problem are discussed.
Vasoactive agents and the gastric microcirculation

Abstract The primary flow regulating mechanism in the gastric microcirculation of the rat was investigated using an in vivo microscopic technique. The effect of different vasoactive agents on the reactivity of submucosal and mucosal vessels to topically applied epinephrine was observed. Topically administered acetylcholine, histamine, serotonin, and compound 48 80 inhibited epinephrine induced vasoconstriction of small arterioles in the submucosa. Inhibition by compound 48 80 was associated with submucosal mast cell degranulation. Much larger doses of epinephrine (180 times that required for submucosal effects) applied to the mucosa resulted in slowing of flow and finally blanching but not constriction of mucosal vessels. The latter findings suggest that epinephrine diffused through the mucosa to constrict supplying arterioles in the submucosal plexus. Conclusions: (1) regulation of gastric mucosal blood flow is primarily via vasomotor effects on submucosal arterioles and not on mucosal microvessels; (2) no mucosal or submucosal arteriovenous anastomoses were seen; and (3) submucosal mast cells, through release of vasodilator amines, may modulate sympathetic vasoconstriction and thus may play a role in the local regulation of blood flow.
Determinants of Nest Survival in a Managed Florida Scrub-Jay Population

Abstract. Bird populations occupying managed transitional habitats often have low nest success because optimal habitat conditions are not maintained. In such cases, quantifying determinants of nest survival provides information for habitat maintenance or restoration. Our goal was to determine the current factors affecting nest survival in a managed but declining population of the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. We used an information-theoretic approach and nest-survival models in program MARK to test a priori hypotheses for survival of Florida Scrub-Jay nests. Failure of Florida Scrub-Jay nests was common; only 35% of 614 were successful in producing at least one fledgling. Ninety-four percent of 399 nest failures were due to predation. Nest survival was highest in oak-dominated territories, varied by population center, and decreased with proximity to forest edges, as the season progressed, and with increasing accumulated rainfall prior to the nestin...
The intrinsic energy of the gating isomerization of a neuromuscular acetylcholine receptor channel.

I N T R O D U C T I O N Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are ligandgated ion channels that regulate the flux of cations across cell membranes by switching between closed- and openchannel conformations. This global change in AChR structure (“gating”) occurs both with and without activating ligands (“agonists”) present at the two extracellular transmitter binding sites. However, the gating equilibrium constant increases in the presence of agonists because these ligands bind with a higher affinity to the open-channel conformation of the protein. To understand the energy that agonists provide for the full AChR gating isomerization, it is essential to link measurements of the equilibrium constants in both unliganded and fully liganded conditions in a thermodynamic cycle (Monod et al., 1965; Karlin, 1967; Jackson, 1986; Auerbach, 2010). The unliganded gating equilibrium constant (E0) quantifies the tendency of the protein to adopt the high affinity/open conformation when no agonists are present at the binding sites, and the logarithm of E0 gives the intrinsic energy of the gating conformational change. The extent to which each agonist molecule increases the gating equilibrium constant above this level is a measure of the energy it contributes toward the global conformational change of the protein. Having accurate estimates of this energy is one key to understanding how ligand binding and conformational change are coupled.
Inventing the American presidency

Now widely regarded as the best available guide to the study of the Founding, the first edition of Interpreting the Founding provided summaries and analyses of the leading interpretive frameworks that have guided the study of the Founding since the publication of Charles Beard's An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution in 1913. For this new edition, Gibson has revised and updated his study, including his comprehensive bibliography, and also added a new concluding chapter on the "Unionist Paradigm" or "Federalist Interpretation" of the Constitution. As in the original work, Gibson argues in the new edition that scholarship on the Founding is no longer steered by a single dominant approach or even by a set of questions that control its direction. He features insightful extended discussions of pioneering works by leading scholars of the Founding including Louis Hartz, Bernard Bailyn, Gordon Wood, and Garry Wills that best exemplify different schools of interpretation. He focuses on six approaches that have dominated the modern study of the Founding-Progressive, Lockean/liberal, Republican, Scottish Enlightenment, multicultural, and multiple traditions approaches before concluding with the Unionist or Federalist paradigm. For each approach, Gibson traces its fundamental assumptions, revealing deeper ideological and methodological differences between schools of thought that, on the surface, seem to differ only about the interpretation of historical facts. While previous accounts have treated the study of the Founding as the sequential replacement of one paradigm by another, Gibson argues that all of these interpretations survive as alternative and still viable approaches. By examining the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and showing how each has simultaneously illuminated and masked core truths about the American Founding, he renders a balanced account of the continuing and very vigorous debate over the origins and foundations of the American republic. Brimming with intellectual vigor and a based on both a wide and deep reading in the voluminous literature on the subject, Gibson's new edition is sure to reinforce this remarkable book's reputation while winning new converts to his argument."
Editorial Focus: Oxygen sensors and mediators of the contractile responses of smooth muscle to hypoxia. Focus on: “Hydrogen sulfide mediates hypoxic vasoconstriction through a production of mitochondrial ROS in trout gills”

smooth muscle cells (smcs) in vascular and other tissues reversibly change their tone in response to acute variations in oxygen tension, and this results in important physiological and pathophysiological responses of the organ or system. The best studied example includes the changes in blood vessel
The spectrophotometric determination of micromolar concentrations of Co2+ using o-phenanthroline

Abstract Co2+ and o-phenanthroline formed a 1:3 complex with absorption maxima at 346, 332, 313, and 301 nm. The complex obeyed Beer's Law at the first three maxima. Standard curves constructed by monitoring the E346 at different concentrations of Co2+ had a maximum sensitivity of about 1 μ m Co2+. At this concentration of Co2+ the ΔE346 was 0.003 absorption units. This assay was not affected greatly by Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, or Tris. Erbium ions (Er3+) produced a small, nonspecific increase in absorbance at all wavelengths. Zn2+ also formed a complex with o-phenanthroline with maxima at 343, 328, and 313 nm. The absorbance of the Zn2+-o-phenanthroline complex was about 10% that of the Co2+-o-phenanthroline complex at 346 nm, but was still sufficient to cause interference at Zn2+ concentrations above 10 μ m .
Theory of Mind: An Overview and Behavioral Perspective

Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability of an individual to make inferences about what others may be thinking or feeling and to predict what they may do in a given situation based on those inferences. Discussions of ToM focus almost exclusively on inferred cognitive structures and processes and shed little light on the actual behaviors involved. In this article, I (a) selectively overview the literature on ToM, (b) suggest that the behavioral relations referred to by ToM scholars can be described and explained parsimoniously within the theoretical framework of behavior analysis, (c) argue that the verbal behaviors that define most ToM tasks are acquired as a function of the language environment of the young child, and (d) point out that B. F. Skinner (1945) proposed what amounts to a ToM more than 60 years ago.
Toward Realistic and Practical Ideal Observer (IO) Estimation for the Optimization of Medical Imaging Systems

The ideal observer (IO) employs complete knowledge of the available data statistics and sets an upper limit on observer performance on a binary classification task. However, the IO test statistic cannot be calculated analytically, except for cases where object statistics are extremely simple. Kupinski et al. have developed a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based technique to compute the IO test statistic for, in principle, arbitrarily complex objects and imaging systems. In this work, we applied MCMC to estimate the IO test statistic in the context of myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS). We modeled the imaging system using an analytic SPECT projector with attenuation, distant-dependent detector-response modeling and Poisson noise statistics. The object is a family of parameterized torso phantoms with variable geometric and organ uptake parameters. To accelerate the imaging simulation process and thus enable the MCMC IO estimation, we used discretized anatomic parameters and continuous uptake parameters in defining the objects. The imaging process simulation was modeled by precomputing projections for each organ for a finite number of discretely-parameterized anatomic parameters and taking linear combinations of the organ projections based on continuous sampling of the organ uptake parameters. The proposed method greatly reduces the computational burden and allows MCMC IO estimation for a realistic MPS imaging simulation. We validated the proposed IO estimation technique by estimating IO test statistics for a large number of input objects. The properties of the first- and second-order statistics of the IO test statistics estimated using the MCMC IO estimation technique agreed well with theoretical predictions. Further, as expected, the IO had better performance, as measured by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, than the Hotelling observer. This method is developed for SPECT imaging. However, it can be adapted to any linear imaging system.
Predicting shrimp disease occurrence: artificial neural networks vs. logistic regression

Abstract Predicting the occurrence of disease outbreaks in aquacultural farms can be of considerable value to the long-term sustainable development of the industry. Prior research on disease prediction has essentially depended upon traditional statistical models with varying degrees of prediction accuracy. Furthermore, the application of these models in sustainable aquaculture development and in controlling environmental deterioration has been very limited. In an attempt to look for a more reliable model, we developed a probabilistic neural network (PNN) to predict shrimp disease outbreaks in Vietnam using farm-level data from 480 Vietnamese shrimp farms, including 86 semi-intensive and 394 extensive farms. We also compared predictive performance of the PNN against the more traditional logistic regression approach on the same data set. Disease occurrence (a 0–1 variable) is hypothesized to be affected by a set of nearly 70 variables including site characteristics, farming systems, and farm practices. Results show that the PNN model has a better predictive power than the logistic regression model. However, the PNN model uses significantly more input (explanatory) variables than the logistic regression. The logistic regression is estimated using a stepwise procedure starting with the same input variables as in PNN model. Adapting the same input variables found in the logistic regression model to the PNN model yields results no better than the logistic regression model. More importantly, the key factors for prediction in the PNN model are difficult to interpret, suggesting besides prediction accuracy, model interpretation is an important issue for further investigation.
Temsirolimus and rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma: a phase 2 study

Summary Background Temsirolimus is a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor with single-agent antitumour activity in patients with mantle cell lymphoma. We therefore tested its efficacy and toxicity in combination with rituximab (an antiCD20 antibody) in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma. Methods In a phase 2 study, patients (aged ≥18 years) at 35 centres in the USA were given temsirolimus 25 mg/week, and rituximab 375mg/m 2 per week for 4 weeks during the first cycle and thereafter a single dose of rituximab every other 28-day cycle. Both drugs were administered intravenously. Responding patients after six cycles could continue treatment for a total of 12 cycles, and were then observed without additional maintenance treatment. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with either rituximab-sensitive or rituximab-refractory disease who had at least a partial response. The analyses were done on all patients who were treated. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00109967. Findings 71 patients with mantle cell lymphoma were enrolled and 69 were assessable and were included in the final analysis. The overall response rate (ORR) was 59% (41 of 69 patients)—13 (19%) patients had complete responses and 28 (41%) had partial responses. The ORR was 63% (30 of 48; 95% CI 47–76) for rituximab-sensitive patients, and 52% (11 of 21; 30–74) for rituximab-refractory patients. The most common treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events in rituximab-sensitive and rituximab-refractory patients were thrombocytopenia (eight [17%] and eight [38%], respectively), neutropenia (ten [21%] and five [24%], respectively), fatigue (eight [17%] and two [10%], respectively), leucopenia (six [13%] and three [14%], respectively), pneumonia (five [10%] and two [10%], respectively), lymphopenia (five [10%] and two [10%], respectively), pneumonitis (four [8%] and none, respectively), oedema (four [8%] and none, respectively), dyspnoea (three [6%] and two [10%], respectively), and hypertriglyceridaemia (three [6%] and two [10%], respectively). Interpretation mTOR inhibitors in combination with rituximab could have a role in the treatment of patients with relapsed and refractory mantle cell lymphoma. Funding National Institutes of Health and the Predolin Foundation.
Bilateral lung collapse in an asthmatic patient during thoracotomy

Abstract Bilateral sequential pulmonary atelectasis occurred during median sternotomy for metastasis resection in a 19-year-old woman with asthma. Collapse was secondary to mucus plugging and resolved with mechanical ventilation, suctioning, and treatment for bronchospasm.
A Highly Conserved Sequence Essential for Translational Repression of the Protamine 1 Messenger RNA in Murine Spermatids

Translational regulation of the protamine 1 mRNA is mediated by sequences in its 3' untranslated region. In this study, we demonstrate that a highly conserved sequence, the translational control element, is solely responsible for protamine 1 translational regulation. Mutation of the conserved sequence causes premature translation of a transgene containing a fusion between the human growth hormone coding sequence and the protamine 1 3' untranslated region. Temporal expression of the transgene was monitored in prepubertal animals by Northern and Western blotting and in adult animals by immunocytochemistry. Messenger RNAs lacking the translational control element sediment in the messenger ribonucleoprotein particle and ribosomal fractions of polysome gradients, suggesting that the translational control element is required for translational repression but not for incorporation of mRNAs into ribonucleoprotein particles.
A machine vision approach to detect and categorize hydrocarbon fires in aircraft dry bays and engine compartments

In this paper, a machine approach is applied to detect hydrocarbon fires in aircraft dry bays and engine compartments. The inputs to the machine vision system consist of a set of statistical measures derived from the histogram and image subtraction analyses of successive image frames. Specifically, heuristic rules based on the median, standard deviation and normalized first-order moment statistical measures of histogram data and the mean statistical measure of image subtraction data of successive frames are used to compute the likelihood of a fire event. This machine vision system is also tested for false alarms such as those due to flashlights and high-power halogen lights.
Tutorial 6: Enhancing Yield through Design for Manufacturability (DFM)

Summary form only given. This part of the tutorial will discuss in detail the manufacturing challenges in nanoscale VLSI and consequent design for manufacturability (DFM) approaches by taking a holistic approach in analyzing and addressing different process variability effects. We review the dominant process variations in semiconductor manufacturing process that affect the design yield, show their impact on layout quality, and present currently practiced DFM techniques to mitigate the effect of these variations. We also discuss various manufacturing-aware physical and circuit design methodologies and techniques for parametric yield improvement. This includes correct-by-construction methodologies such as Restricted Design Rules (RDRs) as well as manufacturing aware design approaches. In addition, we will briefly mention some of the many accepted and possible mitigation techniques in design post processing (after tape-out) and will introduce the concept of manufacturing for design (MFD) through design-intent processing.
Optimized norm-conserving Hartree-Fock pseudopotentials for plane-wave calculations

We report Hartree-Fock (HF)-based pseudopotentials suitable for plane-wave calculations. Unlike typical effective core potentials, the present pseudopotentials are finite at the origin and exhibit rapid convergence in a plane-wave basis; the optimized pseudopotential method [A. M. Rappe et al., Phys. Rev. B 41, 1227 (1990)] improves plane-wave convergence. Norm-conserving HF pseudopotentials are found to develop long-range non-Coulombic behavior which does not decay faster than $1∕r$, and is nonlocal. This behavior, which stems from the nonlocality of the exchange potential, is remedied using a recently developed self-consistent procedure [J. R. Trail and R. J. Needs, J. Chem. Phys. 122, 014112 (2005)]. The resulting pseudopotentials slightly violate the norm conservation of the core charge. We calculated several atomic properties using these pseudopotentials, and the results are in good agreement with all-electron HF values. The dissociation energies, equilibrium bond lengths, and frequencies of vibration of several dimers obtained with these HF pseudopotentials and plane waves are also in good agreement with all-electron results.
Looking to the hands: Where we dwell in complex manual sequences

We investigated how processing unfolds across time as adults view novel manual activity. Adults advanced through slideshows of an actor performing sleight-of-hand manoeuvres; dwell times were recorded to each slide. As in past work involving larger-scale intentional action scenarios, adults allocated more attention to slides depicting breakpoints—transitions from one event segment to the next—than slides displaying mid-stream action, indicating that dwell times are sensitive to adults' recovery of segmental structure in intricate manual activity. Adults also allocated increased attention towards slides indicative of causal structure, indicating that dwell times index processing of causally relevant information as well as segmental structure. We were additionally curious if adults' learning outcomes would differ as a function of whether they paced themselves or watched slideshows advance at a computer-controlled pace. Memory did not differ, but adults viewing computer-controlled slideshows displayed an adv...
Emotion and the Human Brain

: Emotion and feeling are no more elusive than any other complex biological phenomena and can be studied objectively. They play a critical role in cognitive processes such as perception, learning, and decision-making and are equally critical in the maintenance of health.
Stress imaging in renal transplant candidates.

To the Editor: I read with interest the recent paper published by De Lima et al.1 A recent meta-analysis by Rabbat et al2 casts doubt on one conclusion of De Lima et al, as Rabbat et al found that noninvasive stress imaging was predictive of acute myocardial infarction and cardiac death in renal transplant candidates. De Lima et al’s findings regarding the accuracy of dipyridamole single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) thallium for prediction of coronary anatomy are generally concordant with previous publications (with the notable exception of Dahan et al,3 who employed a novel stress protocol utilizing combined dipyridamole and exercise thallium imaging in hemodialysis patients). The findings of De Lima et al regarding dobutamine stress echocardiography are difficult to accept in the context of conventional clinical practice. Specifically, the authors in the present study did not administer atropine to augment the heart rate response during the administration of dobutamine. It would be helpful for …
Improved estimation of P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity, and attenuation factor by iterative structural joint inversion of crosswell seismic data

Abstract We present an iterative joint inversion approach for improving the consistence of estimated P-wave velocity, S-wave velocity and attenuation factor models. This type of inversion scheme links two or more independent inversions using a joint constraint, which is constructed by the cross-gradient function in this paper. The primary advantages of this joint inversion strategy are: avoiding weighting for different datasets in conventional simultaneous joint inversion, flexible for incorporating prior information, and relatively easy to code. We demonstrate the algorithm with two synthetic examples and two field datasets. The inversions for P- and S-wave velocity are based on ray traveltime tomography. The results of the first synthetic example show that the iterative joint inversion take advantages of both P- and S-wave sensitivity to resolve their ambiguities as well as improve structural similarity between P- and S-wave velocity models. In the second synthetic and field examples, joint inversion of P- and S-wave traveltimes results in an improved Vs velocity model that shows better structural correlation with the Vp model. More importantly, the resultant V P /V S ratio map has fewer artifacts and is better correlated for use in geological interpretation than the independent inversions. The second field example illustrates that the flexible joint inversion algorithm using frequency-shift data gives a structurally improved attenuation factor map constrained by a prior V P tomogram.
Current status of robotic and laparoscopic techniques in radical cystectomy and diversion procedures for bladder cancer: review.

Abstract Across the world there has been an increased interest in minimally invasive approaches in extirpative and reconstructive surgery for bladder cancer. Minimally invasive approaches i.e. robotic and pure laparoscopic radical cystectomy have the greatest advantage of reduced blood loss, postoperative pain, quicker recovery of bowel function and earlier convalescence. Compared to established open techniques, there have been increasing reports of equivalent oncologic out comes and reduced complication rates in short and intermediate follow-ups. There have been several reports on urinary diversions achieved through minimal invasion and there is increasing interest to perform with robotic assistance. This review aims to review the currently published literature, technical aspects of the procedure, perioperative, oncologic and functional outcomes.
TCGA2STAT: simple TCGA data access for integrated statistical analysis in R

Motivation Massive amounts of high-throughput genomics data profiled from tumor samples were made publicly available by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results We have developed an open source software package, TCGA2STAT, to obtain the TCGA data, wrangle it, and pre-process it into a format ready for multivariate and integrated statistical analysis in the R environment. In a user-friendly format with one single function call, our package downloads and fully processes the desired TCGA data to be seamlessly integrated into a computational analysis pipeline. No further technical or biological knowledge is needed to utilize our software, thus making TCGA data easily accessible to data scientists without specific domain knowledge. Availability and implementation TCGA2STAT is available from the https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/TCGA2STAT/index.html Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. Contact zhandong.liu@bcm.edu.
Dynamic Equilibria of Short-Range Electrostatic Interactions at Molecular Interfaces of Protein-DNA Complexes.

Intermolecular ion pairs (salt bridges) are crucial for protein–DNA association. For two protein–DNA complexes, we demonstrate that the ion pairs of protein side-chain NH3+ and DNA phosphate groups undergo dynamic transitions between distinct states in which the charged moieties are either in direct contact or separated by water. While the crystal structures of the complexes show only the solvent-separated ion pair (SIP) state for some interfacial lysine side chains, our NMR hydrogen-bond scalar coupling data clearly indicate the presence of the contact ion pair (CIP) state for the same residues. The 0.6-μs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirm dynamic transitions between the CIP and SIP states. This behavior is consistent with our NMR order parameters and scalar coupling data for the lysine side chains. Using the MD trajectories, we also analyze the free energies of the CIP–SIP equilibria. This work illustrates the dynamic nature of short-range electrostatic interactions in DNA recognition by proteins.
A parallel time-domain wave simulator based on rectangular decomposition for distributed memory architectures

Abstract We present a parallel time-domain simulator to solve the acoustic wave equation for large acoustic spaces on a distributed memory architecture. Our formulation is based on the adaptive rectangular decomposition (ARD) algorithm, which performs acoustic wave propagation in three dimensions for homogeneous media. We propose an efficient parallelization of the different stages of the ARD pipeline; using a novel load balancing scheme and overlapping communication with computation, we achieve scalable performance on distributed memory architectures. Our solver can handle the full frequency range of human hearing (20 Hz–20 kHz) and scenes with volumes of thousands of cubic meters. We highlight the performance of our parallel simulator on a CPU cluster with up to a thousand cores and terabytes of memory. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fastest time-domain simulator for acoustic wave propagation in large, complex 3D scenes such as outdoor or architectural environments.
Parasitization of Heliothis virescens and H. virescens– H. subflexa Backcross (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Ovipositional acceptance tests with Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) were conducted in the laboratory using Heliothis virescens (F.) and the H. virescens-H. subflexa back cross. No differences in parasitism rates of the two host types were observed in petri dish bioassays. A similar lack of difference in parasitization of H. virescens and H. virescens-H. subflexa larvae was observed in field studies where hosts and parasitoids were released on caged cotton plants. Mean longevity and fecundity of female M. croceipes were not significantly different between H. virescens and the backcross. Also, there were no differences in developmental times for males and females between the two host types. Thus, augmentative releases of M. croceipes during or following a sterile backcross release should not adversely affect the backcross release ratio so the two control measures possibly could be used effectively together in an area-wide management program for control of H. virescens
Notes on a New Approach to U.S. Economic Foreign Policy

THE purpose of this article is to outline a fresh approach to America's economic relations with the non-Communist world. These proposals envisage a direct attack by the United States and its allies on the structural distortions which have persisted since 1945 in the non-Communist world economy. The chronic dollar shortage of our major allies is taken to be, essentially, a symptom of these more basic structural distortions. The proposals would end, after a transition period, the system of annual Congressional grants to our allies and would substitute for it the combined operation of investment and financial pools. These pools might be built up from the present International Bank and the International Monetary Fund, although they would require operations different in scale and purpose from those now conducted by these institutions. The proposals would apply a common approach to the problems of both the industrialized portions of the non-Communist world and the underdeveloped regions, and would thus combine or coordinate U.S. economic efforts in Europe, Japan, and in underdeveloped areas. It is believed, also, that they would mitigate some of the more serious political friction between the United States and other non-Communist countries and strengthen the non-Communist world as against the Soviet bloc.
Intracuspal hematomas in implanted porcine valvular bioprostheses: Clinical and experimental studies

Intracuspal hematomas were found in three of 57 porcine valvular bioprostheses implanted as substitute cardiac valves in 50 patients and in 11 of 29 similar bioprostheses implanted in sheep. The three values implanted in patients had been in the mitral position for 27, 65, and 107 months. Of the valves implanted in sheep, six had been in the mitral position and five in the tricuspid position for periods of time ranging from 20 minutes to 7 months. In each patient and in four of 11 sheep, the hematomas involved more than one cusp. These lesions were localized in the spongiosa, extended from the basal region toward the free edge of the cusp, and formed a plane of dissection which involved the spaces left in the spongiosa by the removal of proteoglycan material during preimplantation commercial processing. In one patient, the hematomas limited the mobility of the cusps and appeared to have been the cause of clinically significant prosthetic mitral stenosis; in the other two patients and in the experimental animals, the hematomas were smaller and of uncertain hemodynamic significance. Intracuspal hematomas may become sites of eventual formation of calcific deposits. The pathogenesis of intracuspal hematomas is related to the entry of blood into the space between the sewing ring and the most basilar region of the bioprosthetic tissue. This space extends throughout the circumference of the bioprosthesis and is continuous with the spongiosa, the layer in which the hematoma develops. The blood penetrates into this space through the suture line between bioprosthetic tissue and sewing ring on the inflow surface of porcine valvular bioprostheses which have been mounted on atrioventricular type stents. Intracuspal hematomas were not found in bioprostheses mounted on aortic type stents, in which these sutures are more protected and more closely spaced, or in pericardial bioprostheses, which do not have a spongiosa.
Analysis on optical bistability parameters in photonic switching devices

An investigation has been done on the parameters of a hysteretic bistable optical Schmitt trigger device. From a design point of view, it is important to know the regions where this bistability occurs and is fully functional with respect to its subsystem parameters. Otherwise experimentally reaching such behavior will be very time-consuming and frustrating, especially with multiple devices employed in a single photonic circuit. A photonic Schmitt trigger consisting of two feedbacked inverting amplifiers, each characterized by − m (slope), A ( y -intercept), and B (constant base) parameters is considered. This system is investigated dynamically with a varying input to find its stable and unstable states both mathematically and with simulation. In addition to a complete mathematical analysis of the system, we also describe how m , A , and B can be properly chosen in order to satisfy certain system conditions that result in bistability. More restrictions are also imposed to these absolute conditions by the system conditions as will be discussed. Finally, all results are verified in a more realistic photonic simulation.
Expert Systems and the Basics of Fuzzy Logic

This lesson describes an area from Artificial Intelligence: expert systems. We describe the essentials of fuzzy logic in modeling of expert knowledge. We also touch upon the field of fuzzy control; the general methodology of fuzzy control will be given in the next Lesson 14.
The epidermal growth factor receptor in Drosophila eye development.

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (Egfr) has been implicated in an extraordinarily vast number of developmental processes during the development of both invertebrates such as the fruit fly and vertebrates such as mouse and man. Hardly a month goes by without a new report surfacing that describes hitherto unknown roles for the Egfr pathway in new developmental contexts. The Egfr pathway has been shown to function in (among other things) cell fate specification, cell proliferation, cell cycle control, cell maintenance, programmed cell death, pattern formation and organ development. Furthermore, mutations that alter the activity and/or expression of this pathway have been shown to be the underlying cause for a wide ranging field of cancers within humans. This myriad of roles for the Egfr pathway is both a blessing and a curse in that, while it seemingly provides an unending set of opportunities to study the receptor, it is often difficult to attribute which function of the receptor is responsible for the observed phenotype. The simple structure and stereotyped development of the fly compound eye makes it an attractive model system for studying the Egfr pathway and untangling each of its many functions from one another. The goal of this review is to (1) summarize what is known about the established roles of Egfr signaling in cell fate specification and cell death and (2) to describe recent exciting results on the role of the Egfr in early eye development.
Self-Management of Unreported Musculoskeletal Injuries in a U.S. Army Brigade.

ABSTRACTBackground: There is a paucity of literature describing the accuracy of musculoskeletal injury reporting in the U.S. Army. Purpose: To investigate symptom-management behaviors as well as factors associated with seeking medical treatment among active duty Soldiers who reported that they had concealed at least one musculoskeletal injury. Methods: Anonymous surveys were completed by Soldiers (N = 1,388; 1,269 males, 74 females, and 45 no response) assigned to an Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Soldiers were asked to self-report injuries sustained in the last 12 months and whether or not they reported those injuries to a medical provider. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze treatment alternatives. Chi-square test was used to assess any significant relationships between injury and various demographics. Results: There were 808 (58%) Soldiers who stated they had an injury that they did not report. Over-the-counter pain relief medication (81%) was the most commonly selected alternative treatment. Co...
Sucrose, Motor Activity, and Learning

The effects of sugar (sucrose) on the behavior of 30 preschool children (20 boys and 10 girls, mean age 5 years 4 mos) and 15 elementary school children (6 boys and 9 girls, mean age 7 yrs 2 mos) were investigated by psychologists from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, and the Univ of Mississippi Med Cntr, Jackson, MS.
UroLift in Place of Fiducial Markers for Patients With Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Undergoing External Beam Radiation Therapy.

Objective To investigate if using a novel treatment for obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia (UroLift) to relive lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) prior to external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) could also supplant the use of fiducial markers obviating the need for a second transrectal procedure while facilitating symptom-free voiding during and after EBRT a series of patients are reported on. Methods The medical records of 7 consecutive patients who underwent placement of UroLift for simultaneous treatment of obstructive LUTS due to benign prostatic hyperplasia and targeting of EBRT for treatment of prostate cancer between September and December of 2015 were reviewed. Results The UroLift clips were sufficiently radiopaque to make targeting possible for EBRT. All patients were able to complete a full course of radiotherapy without placement of fiducial markers. No patient experienced complications that could be attributed to the UroLift implants or procedure during their course of radiotherapy. None of the patients required additional alpha-blockers during radiation therapy. Conclusion The UroLift system can serve as fiducial markers in patients undergoing EBRT. Although the current clip utilized in the UroLift system is generally radiopaque, it does not project well on the sagittal plane and would be significantly enhanced if a more strongly opaque substance was incorporated. It remains to be proven if the UroLift system can significantly reduce the symptoms of LUTS during and post EBRT.
A Pilot Study To Test the Efficacy of a Combination of Gleevec with Thalidomide in Patients with Idiopathic Primary Myelofibrosis, Myelofibrosis with Myeloid Metaplasia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes Who Present with Myelofibrosis.

Abstract Purpose: Prompted by the finding that Gleevec can reduce marrow fibrosis in patients with CML who present with myelofibrosis, we sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel combination of thalidomide and imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®) for treatment of patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia and myelodysplastic syndrome who presented with Grade 3/4 myelofibrosis. The rationale for this combination is that the anti-angiogenic and anti-TNF effects of thalidomide may be potentiated by the anti-TGF-b, anti-PDGF effects of Gleevec to reduce marrow fibrosis in this group of patients. Methods: We enrolled and treated 19 patients with MDS, (RA: 9, RAEB: 9, CMMoL:1) with IPSS score (Low: 3, Int-1: 11, Int-2: 4, High: 1) fulfilling the inclusion criteria. 7 patients had a normal karyotype, 2 patients with del 5q alone, 3 patients with del 5 q with other abnormalities, 2 patients with complex karyotype, and 5 with others. In this study we treated patients with Thalidomide starting at a dose of 100 mg per day escalating to 400 mg per day and Gleevec at 600 mg per day. Treatment was continued for one year or until disease progression. Response to treatment was assessed at 16 weeks of treatment according to the International Working Group (IWG) criteria, and dose modifications were employed according to set criteria per protocol. Results: Three of nineteen patients responded, with overall response rate of 15.8%. Two patients (10.5%) had complete response. One patient (RAEB-I, del 5q and trisomy 8) achieved CR at 16 weeks and continued to be in CR for 9 months with a follow up bone marrow biopsy showing no overt evidence of the previously diagnosed myelodysplastic syndrome by morphology or flow cytometry. The second patient (RAEB-II, normal karyotype) achieved CR at 1 year of treatment, however developed grade 3 peripheral neuropathy and subsequently, Thalidomide was held; this patient continues to be in CR todate while on Gleevec monotherapy. Finally, one patient (5.3%) had a partial response at 16 weeks for 5 months. Four patients died during treatment due to progressive disease; all other patients did not respond. Most patients tolerated that treatment well, three patients developed grade 3 neutropenia, one patient developed grade 3 pulmonary toxicity, and one patient developed grade 3 peripheral neuropathy, these adverse events were managed by dose reduction/interruption. Conclusion: Thalidomide and Gleevec is a relatively well-tolerated regimen that can be considered for treatment of a small subset of patients with myelofibrosis and MDS. The finding that the combination led to reduction of bone marrow fibrosis in responding patients is intriguing and warrants further investigation.
Functional evidence that progenitor cells near sites of inflammation are precursors for aggressive prostate cancer

While chronic inflammation has been causally associated with several epithelial malignancies, whether it causally contributes to the development of prostate cancer has remained unclear. We recently reported that progenitor-like inflammation-associated luminal cells marked by low expression of Cluster of Differentiation 38 (CD38) can initiate human prostate cancer and predict poor outcome.
The effect of ortho-fluorination on intermolecular interactions of pyridine: Microwave spectrum and structure of the CO2-2,6-difluoropyridine weakly bound complex

Abstract The weakly bound complex formed from CO 2 and 2,6-difluoropyridine (2,6-DFP) has been observed by chirped pulse and conventional cavity Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. As in the related complexes with pyridine and 3,5-difluoropyridine, the carbon of the CO 2 approaches the nitrogen of the heterocycle in the plane of the ring. However, the CO 2 −2,6-DFP complex is found to differ from the pyridine and 3,5-DFP analogues in several respects. First, the data indicate that the N⋯C weak bond distance is 2.9681(32) A, a value that is ∼0.17 A longer than that previously determined for CO 2 −pyridine (2.798 A) and 0.14 A longer than that in CO 2 −3,5-difluoropyridine (2.825 A). Second, unlike the pyridine and 3,5-difluoropyridine complexes, the CO 2 oxygens in CO 2 −2,6-DFP do not lie in the plane of the ring, i.e., fluorination of the pyridine in the ortho positions causes the CO 2 to rotate 90° out of plane. Moreover, the observed rotational constants indicate that the CO 2 moiety undergoes large amplitude vibrational motion with an average bending amplitude of ∼31° off this perpendicular geometry. Third, M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,3pd) and MP2/6-311++G(3df,3pd) calculations both indicate that in the equilibrium configuration, the carbon of the CO 2 is displaced from the C 2 axis of the 2,6-DFP such that axis forms an angle of 20–23° with the line joining the nitrogen and the CO 2 carbon. The current results support the previous conjecture that the anomalously short N⋯C distances in CO 2 −pyridine and CO 2 −3,5-difluoropyridine result from secondary attractive interactions between the oxygen atoms and the ortho hydrogens. These interactions are eliminated in the 2,6-DFP system by fluorination in the ortho positions, causing the weak bond distance to increase and the CO 2 to rotate out of the plane.
The Sacroiliac Joint

Many old editions of Gray’s Anatomy described the sacroiliac joint as diarthrodial but partly united by patches of soft fibrocartilage and fine interosseous fibres. Later editions described it as being a synovial joint marked by a number of irregular elevations and depressions, providing a locking device restricting movement and contributing to the stability of the joint. Only in the elderly, and particularly in the male, is it usual to find that the joint cavity is at least partly obliterated by the presence of fibrous or fibrocartilaginous adhesions. This change of attitude ascribing a certain amount of movement to the joint followed reports in the 1920s which clearly showed movement of a gliding and rotatory nature. By the 1950s Weisl (1955) had investigated the movements of the sacroiliac joint by radio-graphic methods in the living subject. He identified the axis of rotation and showed that its site was variable. Pitkin and Pheasant (1936) described the movement of the ilia about the symphysis pubis causing torsion of the pelvis thought to occur during walking. The innominate on one side is rotated backwards on the sacrum and that on the other side, forwards. In order for this movement to take place, sometwisting must take place atthe symphysis pubis. As the range of movement of the sacroiliac joint is small and varies according to the circumstances and to the subject, it is not surprising that there has been little agreement regarding the function of this joint and the significance of its movement. There is no evolutionary evidence from other species of a tendency towards fusion of these joints. Helfet and Lee (1978) believe that the main function of the joint is probably as a shock-absorber, to prevent reactive forces from the limbs reaching the spinal column.