cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Succinate Enhances the Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate–Altered Intestinal Motility in the Rat

Hymenolepis diminuta infection can initiate a nonmigratory contractile pattern of the small intestine, called the sustained spike potential (SSP). These contractions slow the movement of material along the length of the small intestine. In the absence of a tapeworm infection, the SSP can also be induced by infusion of the cyclic nucleotide, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), into the duodenum of a rat. cGMP induces the SSP pattern of contraction in a dose-dependent fashion. The intestinal infusion of at least 200 nmol of cGMP alone is required to induce SSP. The infusion of succinate and cGMP together, effectively lowers the minimal-necessary concentration of cGMP required to induce SSP by 1 × 106 times. Succinate alone does not induce SSP; however, succinate acts cooperatively with cGMP, allowing the stimulation of SSP with as little as 560 fmol of cGMP. The amounts of succinate (2.4 μmol) and cGMP (560 fmol) in 0.2 ml infused in this study are the amounts reported by earlier studies to be present in...
On the biology of the polychaete Glycera alba, especially its burrowing and feeding

Asbtract Immature individuals of G. alba are predators waiting for prey while resting in their burrows. These are constructed of tubes serving different purposes. The species performs two types of burrowing movements, viz. proboscideal and parapodial-peristaltic burrowing. Chemical stimuli were found to be insufficient to evoke feeding behaviour in the worm. Observations show that receptors in the prostomial-peristomial region perceive pressure waves emitted by the prey and thus aid in prey detection and finding. Whether or not feeding behaviour can be induced in Glycera depends on the state of stimulation of other receptor systems. The spectrum of prey species is very broad predominantly consisting of unprotected invertebrates which move on or in the surface layer of the sediment. Feeding rate in nature seems to be half of maximum feeding, or less. Experimental data on growth indicate that G. alba has a potential for fast growth and very high growth efficiency, combined with very low maintenance requirem...
A binary consensus approach to decentralized coordination of nonholonomic sensor networks

In this paper we address a coverage control problem where a team of mobile sensors covers a chemical concentration defined by a distributed density function. The mobile sensors position themselves sub-optimally such that the larger the concentration over a specific area the greater the number of sensors over the area. We show the Lyapunov stability of an adaptive and decentralized version of the coverage control. This new coverage approach assumes nonholonomic sensors that synchronize themselves through a binary consensus protocol. The binary consensus protocol allows the compression of the data that every mobile sensor shares with its neighbors. Furthermore, we provide sufficient conditions to guarantee an uniform ultimate bound for the system when in presence of time-varying distributed density functions. The stability analysis of the coverage control is verified through simulation results.
Postbuckling and failure characteristics of selected flat rectangular graphite-epoxy plates loaded in compression

Results of an experimental study of the postbuckling response and failure characteristics of 16- and 24-ply quasi-isotropic and 24-ply orthotropic flat rectangular graphite-epoxy plates loaded in compression are examined. Some of the specimens had circular drilled holes or were subjected to low-speed impact damage. The ratio of failure load to buckling load was found to be higher for specimens with lower initial buckling strains than for specimens with higher initial buckling strains. Some specimens supported more than five times their initial buckling load before failing. The specimens failed along a nodal line of the buckling mode in an induced shear failure mode. Holes and impact damage had a more adverse effect on the postbuckling strength of specimens with high initial buckling strains than on the strength of specimens with lower initial buckling strains.
The Dual Chamber and VVI Implantable Defibrillator (DAVID) Trial: rationale, design, results, clinical implications and lessons for future trials.

The Dual Chamber and VVI Implantable Defibrillator (DAVID) trial randomized 506 patients and tested the hypothesis that the dual-chamber pacing mode would produce improved hemodynamics and would in turn reduce congestive heart failure, heart failure hospitalizations, heart failure deaths, atrial fibrillation, strokes, ventricular arrhythmias, and total mortality compared to backup ventricular pacing in patients indicated for implantable defibrillator therapy. Patients had either primary prevention indications (47%) or secondary prevention indications (53%) for implantable defibrillator therapy but had no indications for bradycardia pacemaker support. All the patients had moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction with a left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or less (mean = 27%) and were consistently treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (86%) and beta adrenergic blocking agents (85%). The primary combined endpoint of hospitalization for congestive heart failure or death was paradoxically increased and statistically significant (p = 0.03) at one year in the patients paced in the dual chamber mode (22.6%) compared to patients randomized to ventricular backup pacing (13.3%). Both heart failure hospitalization and mortality contributed outcome.
Nutrition and metabolism of methyl donors and related compounds in the blowfly, Phormia regina (Meigen).

Abstract In addition to carnitine and 2,2-dimethylaminoethanol, γ-butyrobetaine and O -acetylcarnitine are shown to be effective replacements for choline in the diet of P. regina , an organism which shows a choline requirement when grown on a chemically defined diet under sterile conditions. dl -Carnitine is shown to be approximately equivalent to choline in the diet on a molar basis and slightly more effective than γ-butyrobetaine. The choline inhibitor 2-amino-2-methylpropanol is shown to be effective in P. regina , and its effects can be reversed by those compounds which are able to replace choline in the diet as well as by choline itself. The order of effectiveness is choline > 2,2-dimethylaminoethanol > γ-butyrobetaine > carnitine. Phospholipides containing serine, ethanolamine, and choline are shown to be normal constituents of the third instar larvae. Formate although apparently not being used in the biosynthesis of methyl groups for choline synthesis is shown to be metabolized to CO 2 both by the whole organism and by larval homogenates. The biosynthesis of choline from ethanolamine is shown either not to occur or to be unimportant in P. regina .
Electrical impedance-based void fraction measurement and flow regime identification in microchannel flows under adiabatic conditions

Abstract Electrical impedance of a two-phase mixture is a function of void fraction and phase distribution. The difference in the specific electrical conductance and permittivity of the two phases is exploited to measure electrical impedance for obtaining void fraction and flow regime characteristics. An electrical impedance meter is constructed for the measurement of void fraction in microchannel two-phase flow. The experiments are conducted in air–water two-phase flow under adiabatic conditions. A transparent acrylic test section of hydraulic diameter 780 μm is used in the experimental investigation. The impedance void meter is calibrated against the void fraction calculated using analysis of images obtained with a high-speed camera. Based on these measurements, a methodology utilizing the statistical characteristics of the void fraction signals is employed for identification of microchannel flow regimes. A self-organizing neural network is used for classification of the flow regimes.
The role of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in monitoring the immunosuppressive therapy response of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor

Abstract Purpose To compare the pre and post treatment 2-deoxy-2-[ 18 F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging findings of an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) with its clinical response to immunosuppressive therapy. Procedure Forty-nine-year-old female presented with dyspnea, chest pain, and weight loss and underwent an FDG-PET/CT scan before and after mediastinal biopsy and treatment with dexamethasone and thalidomide. Results FDG-PET/CT scan demonstrated a hypermetabolic mediastinal mass. The biopsy of the lesion was consistent with IMT. Following immunosuppressive therapy, the patient's clinical findings resolved, and PET/CT showed a significant decrease in the FDG uptake and the size of the mass. Conclusion Pre-treatment imaging features and post-treatment imaging characteristics of IMT correlate with clinical findings and suggest that FDG-PET/CT may be useful as an adjunct to clinical evaluation in monitoring of immunosuppressive therapy of IMT.
Osteogenic sarcoma of the maxilla.

Abstract A case of osteogenic sarcoma of the left maxilla has been presented. The lesion was attended by ecchymoses in both lips and petechiae in the oral cavity. The clinical features were inconspicuous, and no abnormalities could be demonstrated in the x-ray films.
OPERATORS WHICH REMAIN CONVERGENT WHEN MULTIPLIED BY CERTAIN HERMITIAN OPERATORS

Abstract Let A denote a bounded linear operator on a Hilbert space. We study here those A's for which 1 exceeds the supremum of the spectral radius of the MA for M in three order intervals of Hermitian operators, [−I,I], [0,I] , and the invertible members of [0, I ].
The XY-model on a Pseudo-sphere: A Renormalization Group Analysis

We present some simple arguments to indicate that the XY model defined on a space of constant negative curvature is disordered at all non-zero finite temperatures. This corroborates a result which Wilczek and Callan arrived at recently.
Somatotopic organization of spider monkey somatic sensory cerebral cortex.

Organization of the tactile receiving area of the postcentral gyrus of the spider-monkey (Ateles) has been investigated using microelectrode recording procedures. The neocortical region in which single units or unit clusters respond to light mechanical region in skin (SmI) is smaller than the tactile receiving area as defined by earlier evoked potentials studies, failing to extend into sylvian sulcus or to the posterior margin of the postcentral gyrus. It forms a precise, detailed, and somatotopically organized pattern of representation of the complete contralateral body surface. The sensory sequence is orderly and continuous from tail to tongue with one exception, each body region in represented by a band of cortical tissue extending anteroposteriorly across SmI. The ratio, area of glabrous surface of the hand as it is for the glabrous tail pad, which correlates with the greater tactile acuity of the former.
Oldest fossil flowers of hamamelidaceous affinity, from the Late Cretaceous of New Jersey.

Abstract Exceptionally well-preserved staminate inflorescences, pistillate inflorescences, and detached stamens with important phylogenetic and paleoecological implications have been discovered from the Turonian (ca. 88.5-90.4 million years B.P.) Raritan Formation of New Jersey. The fossils have a combination of floral and pollen characters found in various genera of modern entomophilous and anemophilous Hamamelidaceae and anemophilous Platanus (Platanaceae). The floral characters of the fossils, including a sepal cup, staminal tube, and apparently nectariferous staminodes, indicate that this taxon was probably insect pollinated. The juxtaposition of character complexes in an extinct taxon from disparate modern taxa provides an interesting phylogenetic perspective on the origins of Hamamelidaceae and is a striking example of a fossil that is a mosaic of familial level characters relative to modern taxa. Of even broader interest, however, is the occurrence of staminodal nectaries that have structural characters intermediate between the fossil's functional stamens and modern hamamelidaceous petals. This transitional staminode morphology in the context of the other fossil characters suggests a staminodal origin of petals in the hamamelid-rosid lineage. This hypothesis is supported by the apparent staminode position within the fossil flowers where petals are found in modern genera. The character complex of morphologically transitional staminodes, a staminal tube, and sepal cup can be viewed as prehypanthial, lacking only fusion of the staminal tube to the sepal cup. The appearance of the character complex embodied in these flowers during the late mid-Cretaceous may signal the early stages of the relationship between specialized pollinators, such as bees, and the hamamelid-rosid-asterid lineage of angiosperms, arguably one of the most important events in angiosperm radiation.
VUV emission from solid krypton and xenon

Abstract We have measured the luminescence of solid noble gases in the vacuum-ultra-violet (VUV) during X irradiation. The emission consists of several bands whose intensities are dependent on temperature. If one assignes these bands to electron recombination with Vk centers like in alkali halides, one obtains reasonable Stokes shift energies for the relaxed excitons of a few eV.
Reflecting form over substance: the case of Enron Corp.

Abstract The spectacular rise and fall of Enron Corp. offers a vivid illustration of how companies can use the legal form of transactions to obscure the economic substance underlying those transactions. The purpose of this paper is to examine Enron’s use of misleading accounting practices in relation to: (1) off-balance-sheet financing; (2) revenue recognition; and (3) financial statement disclosures. In these three areas of accounting concern, the paper examines the relevant US GAAP requirements and the ways that Enron used US GAAP to conceal the economic substance underlying those transactions. It is the argument of this paper that had the concept of substance over form been applied at Enron, investors and creditors would have been provided with a more realistic view of the company’s financial position and its results of operations, potentially avoiding what became the one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in US history.
An interactive rectangle elimination method for biobjective decision making

This paper presents a new man-machine interactive method for biobjective decision making. It is specifically designed to cope with both the ill-defined nature of the decision problem and the high cost of computation points in the tradeoff (Pareto optimal) set. With this method, the decision maker may efficiently approximate the tradeoff set and/or estimate his preferred objective value. First, the notion of a rectangle representation of the tradeoff set by a set of points, called experiments, and a set of rectangles, defined by the experiments, is introduced. Next, a special class of decision makers is considered. For a decision maker in this special class, the rectangle representation of the tradeoff set defines a rectangle of uncertainty that contains the decision maker's preferred objective value. A measure of the worst ease uncertainity is formulated and minimized to yield an optimal strategy for interactively selecting experiments. Finally, this strategy is employed in a general interactive algorithm that works under minimal assumptions on the tradeoff set and on the decision maker.
ELASTICITY OF CAPITAL SUPPLY AND SECOND ORDER CONDITIONS: COMMENT

IN THE MARCH 1967 ISSUE of this Journal Douglas Vickers asserts that "The conditions describing an optimum corporate capital structure, defined as the degree of financial leverage which minimizes the weighted average cost of capital for any given level of capital employment, can be expressed in terms of the elasticities of the supply functions confronting the corporation in the debt and equity sections of the capital market."' This note will demonstrate that Vickers' analysis is misconceived. The results he obtains in terms of elasticities of supply in the debt and equity markets are just as likely to provide the worst capital structure as the optimum, and, in a wide range of cases, neither the worst nor the optimum capital structure can be specified in terms of his analysis. As the reader may well surmise already, Vickers' error rests in his failure to analyze second order conditions. Vicker's results may be obtained very simply by considering the problem of minimizing the cost of financing given assets, where the cost of finance, Cf, is defined as the total annual payments both to stockholders and bondholders necessary to obtain funds for financing the given assets. Since units of value measure are arbitrary we can let assets be assigned unity value. Total value of funds obtained is equal to the sum of the values of equity and debt securities issued, S plus B, and this in turn equals unity. Where Ki is yield on debt and Ke is yield on equity, the problem is to minimize
Some Correlates of Agency Ascription and Emotional Value and Their Effects on Decision-Making

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been investigated extensively with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and identified as a neural correlate of emotion regulation and decision-making, particularly in the context of moral utilitarian dilemmas. However, there are two limitations of previous work: (1) fMRI requires strict constraints on the physical experimental environment and (2) experimental manipulations have yet to consider the role of agency on the dilemma outcome and the corresponding neural activity. In this paper, we extend previous work by first evaluating an alternative neuroimaging technique, functional near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), for observing decision-making processes in a less-constrained environment. We then examine the role of agency in deciding emotional (moral) and non-emotional dilemmas through a 2-part, 20-subject preliminary investigation. Our findings are two-fold: they suggest (1) NIRS is a potential alternative to fMRI in this decision-making context and (2) agency shows some influence on prefrontal neural activity, making NIRS a promising method for objective evaluation of agency and emotional value in human-agent interactions.
A high-altitude barium radial injection experiment

Abstract On 16 March 1980 a rocket launched from Poker Flat, Alaska, carried a new type of high-explosive barium shaped charge to 571 km, where detonation injected a thin disk of barium vapor with high velocity nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field. The purpose of the experiment, named “King Crab,” was to advance knowledge of the instabilities, waves, and optical and magnetic effects produced. The TV images of the injection are spectacular, revealing three major regimes of expanding material which showed early instabilities in the neutral gas. The most unusual effect of the injection is a peculiar rayed barium-ion structure lying in the injection plane and centered on a 5 km “black hole” surrounding the injection point. Preliminary computer simulations show a similar rayed structure development due to an electrostatic instability.
A role of novel serpin maspin in tumor progression: The divergence revealed through efforts to converge

Maspin, a 42 kDa protein, belongs to the serine protease inhibitor (serpin) superfamily and is more closely related to the ovalbumin-like serpin subfamily (ov-serpins). More than a decade after the discovery of the maspin gene, our pursuit of the molecular mechanisms of maspin revealed a significant divergence of maspin from other serpins. This review article summarizes recent advances in the identification of maspin-binding proteins and the potential underlying molecular mechanisms of maspin in tumor progression. Specifically, the molecular interactions of maspin with the cell surface-associated pro-urokinase-type plasminogen activator (pro-uPA) and intracellular histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) are highlighted. Our new evidence suggests a new paradigm that maspin acts as a serpin-like molecule to inhibit serine protease-like targets. From an evolution point of view, the uniquely important function of maspin in development and tumor progression is likely due to its ancestral sequence code, and accordingly, its novel "meta"-serpin structure. It is reasonable to hypothesize that the conservation of a serine protease-like catalytic center in many molecules requires the co-existence of endogenous antagonists. The unique inhibitory interaction of maspin with both HDAC1 and pro-uPA might not be substituted by other serpins that have evolved to acquire higher target specificities. Thus, tumor suppressive maspin offers a unique therapeutic opportunity.
Cosmoids : solution to the Pioneer 10 and 11 meteoroid measurement enigma

Experimental results from the three dust experiments on the Pioneer 11 and 12 spacecraft are used here to define the distribution and structural characteristics of what is believed to be the dominant population of meteoroids in the inner solar system. No two experiments agreed on the dust distribution and only the Imaging Photopolarimeter experiment could be fitted to the prevailing model of dust spiraling inward from the asteroid belt. Meteoroid Detection Experiment data showed a nearly constant flux from 1 to 18 AU. Reexamination of Asteoroid/Meteoroid Experiment or 'Sisyphus' data shows that the instrument measured a population of long-period meteoroids called cosmoids, composed mainly of water which dominates the dust distribution. Once the prevailing short period dust model is discounted, the results from the three instruments are shown to agree.
Self-assembled macrocycles with pentavalent silicon linkages

Organic substrates containing two catechol (ortho-dihydroxybenzene) components at opposite ends self-assemble with a silicon substrate containing three nucleofugic groups (methoxy or ethoxy) under basic conditions to produce macrocycles ranging from monomers to pentamers. Silicon in all the macrocycles is pentacoordinate, negatively charged, and possessed of one organic monodentate ligand attached via carbon and two catechol bidentate ligands attached via oxygen. The organic materials with the two catechol structures thus serve as struts between the corners provided by the pentacoordinate silicon atoms.
Pancoast tumor: Radiation therapy alone versus preoperative radiation therapy and surgery

Abstract This is a retrospective analysis of 73 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung presenting as a Pancoast tumor. All patients were treated with curative intent between October 1964 and September 1987 (minimum follow-up 2 years). The treatment plan consisted of preoperative radiation therapy (usually 3000 cGy in 2 weeks or 4500 cGy in 5 weeks) in 41 patients and radiation therapy alone (usually 6500–7000 cGy in 6.5–8.0 weeks) in 32 patients. In general, radiation therapy alone was reserved for poor-prognosis patients (extensive disease or medical inoperability). Although 41 patients were initially scheduled to receive preoperative radiation therapy and surgery, the surgery was not performed in 12 cases (29%) because of patient refusal (4 patients), poor response to radiation therapy (4 patients), distant metastasis (2 patients), or debilitation (2 patients). Separate calculations were carried out for the patients who completed the surgery as planned (preoperative radiation therapy and surgery) and the entire group originally scheduled for combined-modality therapy. There was no significant difference in the absolute or cause-specific survival rates between treatment groups, but severe complications were significantly more common in patients receiving combined therapy.
The characteristics of dementia caregiving onset.

This study examined the characteristics of entry into the caregiving role for family and friends of older adults suffering from dementia. Using data from a large community survey of informal caregivers of patients who visited the University of Kentucky's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (n = 1055), respondents were classified into one of four onset sequences: recognition-diagnosis, care provision, recognition-care, and diagnosis dependent. A multinomial logistic regression identified several characteristics (i.e., caregiver income, time since onset, care recipient gender, care recipient living status, and primary caregiver identification) that were significantly associated with various caregiving onset patterns. The findings describe the complexity of the entry process and its potential association with health-related transitions in the caregiving career.
A model for the transient flow of thermoplastics in annular hot runners

Annular hot runner systems, in which the inner surface is heated and the outer surface cooled, are being used increasingly in the injection molding of thermoplastics. In this paper a computer model which has been developed to calculate transient pressure, temperature, and velocity fields is described. Using the properties of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene for illustration, some detailed temperature and velocity profiles computed with the model are presented for atypical hot runner section. The effects of a number of design and operating variables on the pressure drop are also presented.
Ability of stabilizer quantum error correction to protect itself from its own imperfection

The theory of stabilizer quantum error correction allows us to actively stabilize quantum states and simulate ideal quantum operations in a noisy environment. It is critical to correctly diagnose noise from its syndrome and nullify it accordingly. However, hardware that performs quantum error correction itself is inevitably imperfect in practice. Here, we show that stabilizer codes possess a built-in capability to correct errors not only on quantum information but also on faulty syndromes extracted by themselves. Shor's syndrome extraction for fault-tolerant quantum computation is naturally improved. This opens a path to realizing the potential of stabilizer quantum error correction hidden within an innocent-looking choice of generators and stabilizer operators that have been deemed redundant.
A motorcycle parking lot management system based on RFID

This study designs a management system for motorcycle parking lot. The means of transport are an important part in our daily lives. Because the convenience and lower cost, the motorcycles become the most common means of transport in Taiwan. Therefore the motorcycle parking lots are much-needed public facilities and the management system is an important issue. The designed system is based on the RFID(Radio Frequency IDentification) system, Visual Basic (VB) language and MySQL system. The MySQL is used to create a database for recording the parking information and the VB is adopted to design the software interface for accessing database. Then, the system uses PHP to create parking information page. The car owners can use RFID tag to record the parking information. The users can use browser or APP for mobile devices to query the parking information.
Arctic synoptic regimes: Comparing domain‐wide Arctic cloud observations with CAM4 and CAM5 during similar dynamics

[1] Arctic cloud properties, variability, and sensitivity to surface conditions are strongly dependent on the synoptic regimes in which they exist, and proper evaluation of modeled cloud properties against observations requires that the dynamic and thermodynamic environment be carefully accounted for. In this study, a k-means clustering algorithm is used to sort Arctic clouds observed by CALIPSO into four distinct synoptic regimes: three regimes largely associated with mid-tropospheric subsidence or very weak uplift and separated by differences in lower tropospheric stability; and one regime associated with mid-tropospheric uplift. Boundary layer clouds are present within the three subsidence regimes with increases in stability relating to lower altitudes of the maximum cloud percentage. In going from sea ice to open ocean, the cloud amount increases at the lowest atmospheric level for all subsidence regimes except the least stable regime, and the height of maximum low clouds rises for all subsidence regimes except the most stable regime. Within each synoptic regime, clouds diagnosed from the CALIPSO simulator in CAM4 and CAM5 forecast runs are then compared with observations. Compared with CAM4, CAM5 produces boundary layer clouds that are more similar to the observations, and more closely captures the observed sensitivity of cloud properties to the underlying surface type. However, CAM5 overestimates cloud percentages within the uplift regime. The improved boundary layer turbulence and cloud microphysical parameterizations in CAM5 yield a model that exhibits an improved sensitivity of Arctic low-level clouds to changes in lower tropospheric stability and surface type.
The use of birth certificate data to reconstruct and validate self-reported birth address in a study of breast cancer and environment.

Purpose We conducted a study comparing the location of addresses recorded on birth certificates with self-reported birth addresses provided by adults who were participants in the Western New York Exposure and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study. We also evaluated whether birth certificate residence data may be used to reconstruct missing self-reported birth residence information. Methods Subjects were selected from WEB study participants born in Western New York State between 1920 and 1964 for whom we were able to obtain a New York State birth certificate. Addresses were geocoded and mean distance and SD between self-reported and certificate addresses were calculated. Results Our findings indicate good agreement between self-reported and birth certificate addresses (77% are within 0.25 mile difference), and no difference in recall for cases compared with controls. Conclusions This study provides evidence that self-reported and birth certificate-based addresses may be used together to achieve increased accuracy of historical records in early life when place of birth is used as a proxy for early life environment in relation to the development of breast cancer or other chronic diseases.
Novel mechanism of premature battery failure due to lithium cluster formation in implantable cardioverter-defibrillators

Background Battery failure is an uncommon complication of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), but unanticipated battery depletion can have life-threatening consequences. Objective The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of a novel mechanism of battery failure in St. Jude Medical Fortify and Unify ICDs. Methods Cases of premature Fortify battery failure from a single center are reported. A search (January 1, 2010 through November 30, 2013) for Fortify and Unify premature batter failure was conducted of the Food and Drug Administration's Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience Database (MAUDE). These findings were supplemented with information provided by St. Jude Medical. Results Premature battery failure for 2 Fortify ICDs in our practice were attributed to the presence of lithium clusters near the cathode, causing a short circuit and high current drain. The prevalence of this mechanism of premature battery failure was 0.6% in our practice. A MAUDE search identified 39 cases of Fortify (30) and Unify (9) premature battery depletion confirmed by the manufacturer, representing a 0.03% prevalence. Four additional Fortify and 2 Unify cases were identified in MAUDE as suspected premature battery depletion, but in these cases the pulse generator was not returned to the manufacturer for evaluation. St. Jude Medical identified 10 cases of premature battery failure due to lithium clusters in Fortify devices (9) and Unify devices (1), representing a 0.004% prevalence. Conclusion The deposition of lithium clusters near the cathode is a novel mechanism of premature battery failure. The prevalence of this problem is unknown. Providers should be aware of this mechanism for patient management.
Equilibration Kinetics in Interstitially Doped a-Si:H

The time dependence of the dc conductivity of Li- and Be-doped a-Si:H after thermal quenching is reported. The equilibration kinetics, similar to that observed in substitutionally-doped a-Si:H, is characterized by stretched exponential decays and activated time constants. The equilibration times for Bedoped a-Si:H were too short (< 1 min) for the kinetics of equilibration to be accurately measured. In Li-doped a-Si:H, the equilibration time constants were longer than those in 1% P-doped a-Si:H, which is due to the smaller carrier concentrations in the Li-doped a-Si:H films.
DC breakdown and TDDB study of ALD SiO 2 on GaN

Dielectric and MOS interface properties of SiO 2 deposited with atomic layer deposition (ALD) on GaN with several surface treatment and oxide structures have been investigated via DC measurements. ALD SiO 2 on dry etch + NaOH-treated GaN surface exhibited higher breakdown voltage with small distribution, larger barrier height characteristic, and higher charge to breakdown characteristics when compared with un-etched surface condition and dry + TMAH wet etched surface condition, demonstrating the usability of NaOH post-etching treatment. Comparison was also made to a composite oxide of SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 /SiO 2 , showing different trap-related leakage conduction.
Nutrients from fruit and vegetable consumption reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease for which the role of dietary factors remains inconclusive. Our objective was to evaluate the risk of pancreatic cancer associated with nutrients found in fruits and vegetables and nutrient supplementation using a clinic-based case–control design. Our study included 384 rapidly ascertained cases and 983 controls frequency-matched on age at time of recruitment (in 5-year increments), race, sex, and region of residence. All subjects provided demographic information and completed a 144-item food frequency questionnaire in which they reported no change to their diet within 5 years prior to entering the study. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals, adjusted for age, sex, smoking, body mass index, energy intake, and alcohol consumption. Results show a significant (trend p value < 0.05) inverse association between pancreatic cancer and nutrient/supplement groupings in a dose-dependent manner including magnesium, potassium, selenium, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin, niacin, total alpha-tocopherol, total vitamin A activity, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Adjusting for diabetes or total sugar intake did not result in significant changes. We conclude that most nutrients obtained through consumption of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Antigen processing for presentation by MHC class I molecules.

Abstract The association of peptide fragments with MHC class I molecules is believed to be a requirement for the assembly of the MHC class I molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum, and transportation of the MHC molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell surface. Recently, investigators have begun to elucidate the mechanism of fragmentation and transport of peptide fragments within antigen-presenting cells, and to define size and structure of naturally processed peptides bound to MHC complexes.
On Fourier transform of generalized Brownian functionals

Abstract Let (L 2 ) B − and (L 2 ) b − be the spaces of generalized Brownian functionals of the white noises Ḃ and ḃ, respectively. A Fourier transform from (L 2 ) B − into (L 2 ) b − is defined by ϕ(ḃ) = ∫ S ∗ : exp[−i ∫ R ḃ(t) Ḃ(t) dt]: b ϕ( B ) dμ( B ), where : : b denotes the renormalization with respect to ḃ and μ is the standard Gaussian measure on the space S ∗ of tempered distributions. It is proved that the Fourier transform carries Ḃ(t)-differentiation into multiplication by iḃ(t). The integral representation and the action ofϕ as a generalized Brownian functional are obtained. Some examples of Fourier transform are given.
Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia in the elderly

This article describes herpes zoster (HZ), its cause, diagnosis, treatment, and associated complications. Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), the most common complication of HZ, is the primary focus of the discussion. PHN is defined broadly as chronic pain that persists after the characteristic vesicular rash of HZ has resolved.
Determinants of adherence to influenza vaccination among inner-city adults with persistent asthma

Aims Despite guideline recommendation, influenza vaccination rates among asthmatic patients remain low. The objective of this study was to identify health beliefs associated with vaccination adherence in asthmatic patients. Methods We surveyed 167 adults with persistent asthma undergoing follow-up at a hospital-based clinic. Vaccination beliefs questions were based on the Health Belief Model. Patients who reported receiving influenza immunisation most or every year were considered adherent to vaccination. Results Overall, 71% of patients were adherent to influenza vaccination. In multivariate analyses, doctor or nurse recommendation (odds ratio [OR]: 14.71, 95% CI 5.40-40.05), the belief that the vaccine protects against influenza (OR: 7.21, 95% CI 2.25-23.10), and the belief that the vaccine could cause a cold (OR: 0.46, 95% CI 0.19-1.13) were independent predictors of adherence. Conclusions Vaccination beliefs and physician recommendation were associated with influenza vaccination adherence among inner-city asthmatics. Future interventions should target these potentially modifiable factors.
Histochemical evidence of aldehyde blocking capacity of lathyrogenic agents.

SummaryThis study has demonstrated that compounds known to possess lathyrogenic properties may, or may not, block the periodic acid-Schiff reaction, and that for these compounds, no correlation exists between their aldehyde blocking capacity and their ability to produce lathyrism in tadpoles. The mechanism by which those compounds produce lathyrism therefore continues to be obscure.
T-lymphocytes from individuals with filarial inflammatory disease have increased transendothelial migration in vitro

The in vitro transendothelial migration of circulating filarial antigen-specific T-cells was examined in Wuchereria banerofti infection. Circulating T-cells from individuals with filaria-induced lymphatic pathology (LP) had significantly greater migration through unstimulated HUVEC monolayers than did T-cells from asymptomatic infected (MF) individuals (P = 0.04). In contrast to the MF individuals where no effect was seen, transendothelial migration of 48-hr filarial antigen stimulated T-cells from LP individuals was significantly (P = 0.01) greater than migration of 48-hr media-stimulated T-cells. In six of seven patients examined, inhibition of the VLA-4/VCAM-1 pathway resulted in greater than 50% inhibition of transendothelial migration of T-cells.
Estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) and beta (ER-β) mRNAs in normal ovary, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma and ovarian cancer cell lines : Down-regulation of ER-β in neoplastic tissues

The prognosis in ovarian carcinoma, the most lethal of the gynecologic neoplasms, is poor and has changed little in the last three decades. Only a small number respond to antiestrogen therapy, although the classic estrogen receptor, ER-alpha, has been identified in ovarian surface epithelium, from which approximately 90% of ovarian cancers originate. We have previously shown that ER-beta mRNA is most abundant in human fetal ovaries, suggesting that it might play an important role in ovarian development. Therefore, we investigated the mRNA levels of both ERs in normal ovaries, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinomas, granulosa cells from patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), the ovarian surface epithelium cell line IOSE-Van, and the ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3, HEY and OCC1. Northern blots of normal and neoplastic ovaries were hybridized with an ER-beta riboprobe that spans the A/B domain. We detected two major hybridizing bands at approximately 8 and 10 kb. An RNase protection assay using the same probe revealed a single band of the expected size. Hybridizing the same blot with an ER-alpha riboprobe showed a strong hybridizing band at approximately 6.5 kb. In ovarian cancer samples, ER-beta mRNA level was decreased when compared to normal ovaries. Using 25 cycles of RT-PCR followed by Southern blotting, we found equal amounts of ER-alpha and -beta mRNAs in normal ovaries in all age groups from 33 to 75 years; however, in ovarian cancer tissue, the level of ER-alpha mRNA was similar or slightly higher, comparable to 10(3) to 10(4) copies of plasmid DNA, but ER-beta mRNA levels were markedly decreased. Granulosa cells from IVF patients expressed high levels of ER-beta mRNA. The OSE cell line expressed a low level of ER-alpha, detectable after 40 cycles of RT-PCR and no ER-beta mRNA. SKOV3 showed a low level of ER-alpha and -beta mRNAs, whereas OCC1 showed a low level of ER-beta and a relatively high level of ER-alpha. HEY did not contain detectable amounts of either ER after 40 cycles of RT-PCR. We found no evidence of differential splicing or major deletions in almost the entire coding region of ER-beta in either normal ovaries or tumor samples.
Risk Group Assessment and Clinical Outcome Algorithm to Predict the Natural History of Patients With Surgically Resected Renal Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE: To create a comprehensive algorithm that can predict postoperative renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patient outcomes and response to therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed with outcome assessment on the basis of chart review of 814 patients who underwent nephrectomy between 1989 and 2000. At diagnosis, M1 or N1/N2M0 metastatic disease (M) was present in 346 patients (43%), whereas 468 patients had no metastatic disease (NM) (N0M0). On the basis of UCLA Integrated Staging System category and the presence of metastases, patients were divided into low-risk (LR), intermediate-risk (IR), and high-risk (HR) groups. Decision boxes integrating tumor-node-metastasis staging, tumor grade, and performance status were compiled for determining a patient’s risk group. RESULTS: NM-LR patients had 91% disease-specific survival at 5 years, lower recurrence rate, and better disease-free survival compared with NM-IR and HR patients. Disease progressed in 50% of NM-HR patients. Disease-spe...
Dynamics of nanoscale self-assembly of ternary epilayers

This paper models the self assembly dynamics of a ternary epilayer on an elastic substrate. The phases coarsen to reduce the phase boundary energy and refine to reduce the elastic energy. They may order into nanoscale patterns to minimize the total free energy. We combine the continuum phase field model of spinodal decomposition and the surface stress. A set of nonlinear diffusion equations couple the two concentration fields in the epilayer and the stress field in the substrate. Numerical simulations reveal remarkably rich dynamics and suggest the exciting possibility of controlling a nanoscale self-assembly process.
A New Differential Access Hypothesis: Exploring the Effect of Working Memory Demands on the Validity of Knowledge Acquisition Techniques

The differential hypothesis predicts that some knowledge acquisition techniques are most efficient at capturing either declarative or procedural knowledge. The type of knowledge captured may also b...
The Labor of Reflexivity

Reflexivity is examined as an act of labor. Employing Tami Spry and Della Pollock’s discretely different articulations of the “performative” and the “I,” reflexivity becomes a particular quality of labor that works to leave something behind, something that lingers, something that will remain long after our reflexive work takes form. What labor as reflexivity leaves behind both embraces and jettisons notions of hauntings and memories, because it contemplates its own contemplations within past and future contingencies of self and Other that are boundlessly committed to an enlivening present. Labor as reflexivity is enumerated as being constituted by materiality, futurity, and performative temporality.
Essential fatty acid availability and prostacyclin production by cultured human endothelial cells.

Abstract The purpose of this work was to determine whether changes in essential fatty acid availability can influence PGI2 production by the endothelium. We observed that primary monolayer cultures of human endothelium do not accumulate 20:4 when they are exposed to high concentrations of 18:2. Therefore, the endothelium probably has a limited capacity to convert 18:2 to 20:4. PGI2 release was inhibited when the cells became enriched with 18:2, probably because prostaglandin production was competitively inhibited. These findings suggest that changes in the essential fatty acid content of the plasma may have an effect on the capacity of the endothelium to produce and release PGI2.
Improved Erythropoietic Recovery in Lethally Irradiated Rats after Transfusion of Buffy Coat Cells from the Blood of Partially Shielded, Heavily Irradiated Donors

THIS communication is a preliminary one describing the advantageous effects of using buffy coat cells from blood of irradiated animals over normal bone marrow in order to promote haemopoietic recovery in lethally irradiated rats.
Retinal and other Manifestations of Incontinentia Pigmenti (Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome)

Background: One of the largest series of patients with incontinentia pigmenti who have undergone detailed ophthalmologic examination is reported here, including previously unrecognized findings with visually disabling consequences. Methods: Thirteen females with incontinentia pigmenti from eight unrelated families were evaluated. The diagnosis of incontinentia pigmenti had been established previously by a referring pediatrician or dermatologist in 12 patients and by the authors in one other patient on the basis of retinal findings and history of characteristic skin manifestations. Results: Abnormalities of the eye, central nervous system, skeleton, teeth, and hair develop in a majority of patients. The authors describe the evolution of retinal vascular abnormalities, and, for the first time, document foveal hypoplasia (in 4 of their 13 patients). The authors also provide the first report of a child with a normal brain shown on computed tomographic scan at 3 days old, which evolved to devastating cerebral ischemia, edema, and cortical blindness beginning at 6 days old. Conclusions: Incontinentia pigmenti should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with peripheral retinal vascular nonperfusion, preretinal neovascularization, infantile retinal detachment, or foveal hypoplasia, particularly if there is evidence of characteristic dermatologic or other systemic manifestations. In infants with incontinentia pigmenti, retinal vascular anomalies are best detected by examination under anesthesia using fluorescein angiography.