cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The enduring and evolving relationship between social class and breast cancer burden: A review of the literature

Abstract Introduction : Breast cancer in women has historically been seen as a "cancer of affluence" and there is a well-documented higher incidence among women of higher social class, as well as in societies with higher resources. However, the relationship between social class and breast cancer disease characteristics, especially those associated with poorer prognosis, is less well documented, and the overall relationship between breast cancer mortality and social class has been shown to vary. Furthermore, rapid changes in women's health and health-related behaviors in societies around the world may have an impact on both incidence and mortality patterns for breast cancer in the future. Methods : A PUBMED search on breast cancer and social class (incorporating the MeSH-nested concept of SES) yielded 403 possible studies published between 1978 and 2009, of which 90 met criteria for review. Our review discusses conceptualization and measurement of women's social class in each study, as well as findings related to breast cancer incidence, tumor biology or mortality, associated with social class. Findings : We found mostly consistent evidence that breast cancer incidence continues to be higher in higher social class groups, with some modification of risk with adjustment for known risk factors, including physical activity and reproductive history. However, biologic characteristics associated with poorer prognosis were negatively associated with social class (i.e., greater occurrence among disadvantaged women), and mortality from breast cancer showed inconsistent relationship to social class. Conclusions : We discuss these studies in relation to the growing burden of breast cancer among low resource groups and countries, and the need for cancer control strategies reflecting the emerging demographics of breast cancer risk.
The remarkable influence of Paul M. Doty on the heat shock field

We have lost a pioneer of molecular biology and a largerthan-life player on the world stage. Paul Mead Doty died on 5 December 2011 at the age of 91. Douglas Martin's article in The New York Times hits the high notes (Martin 2011). Here, I would like to add a few personal memories and thoughts about Paul along with his link to the origin of the Cell Stress Society International (CSSI). Paul's 1960 paper (Doty et al. 1960) describing some remarkable physical properties of double helical DNA that we know today by the heading nucleic acid hybridization and the even more remarkable property of specific recombination was required reading by graduate students in biochemistry and molecular biology when I was a graduate student. Now, this information is taught in high schools as part of the molecular basis of life. The Doty laboratory was centered on physical chemistry. The pioneering work of Paul and Helga Boedtker Doty included the gene structure of collagen as well as the properties of DNA. Several of the founding members of the CSSI studied in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology started at Harvard by Paul Doty. In the words of Richard I. Morimoto, “I had the good pleasure to work with Paul and Helga and published a paper with them (Wozney et al. 1981). I would wander frequently to the Doty tearoom at Harvard as they seemed to have better cookies. Moreover, to have Helga and Paul hold court was special as through him and Matt Meselson, I was exposed to the world of the scientist-public citizen. At that point in his career, Paul was deeply interested in world policy issues on disarmament and to hear him expound on this and other topics was inspiring.” Indeed, Paul Doty facilitated relations
Proton and carbon-13 chemical shifts: Comparison between theory and experiment

Abstract A series of ab initio 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts are presented for all molecules for which gas-phase experimental measurements exist. Quantitative agreement with this large set of data is achieved by the use of gauge-invariant atomic orbitals in an SCF perturbation theory approach. The effect of basis set completeness on these 1H and 13C chemical shifts is also examined. The 4-31G basis set is found to provide internally consistent results and give satisfactory agreement with gas-phase experimental data. Errors within 6% for 1H shifts and 3% for 13C shifts result. Increasing the basis set to the 6-31G* level does not significantly improve the agreement. For 1H shifts only, the 3-21G basis set is adequate. The validity of the particular computational approach employed here is further substantiated by comparison to another ab initio magnetic shielding method.
Effectiveness of external dampers for attenuating launch vehicle oscillations.

External damper effectiveness in attenuating vibration of launch vehicle near launch umbilical tower
A neurobiological strategy for exploring links between emotion recognition in music and speech

Are the neural systems involved in recognizing affective prosody in language also used for emotion recognition in instrumental music? One way to test this idea is to study musical affect perception in patients with receptive affective aprosodia (RAA). Music perception in RAA is totally unexplored and could provide a powerful way to test the idea that we perceive music as a kind of emotional voice.
Does plantation forestry restore biodiversity or create green deserts? A synthesis of the effects of land-use transitions on plant species richness.

Plantations are established for a variety of reasons including wood production, soil and water conservation, and more recently, carbon sequestration. The effect of this growing land-use change on biodiversity, however, is poorly understood and considerable debate exists as to whether plantations are ‘green deserts’ or valuable habitat for indigenous flora and fauna. This paper synthesizes peer-reviewed articles that provide quantitative data on plant species richness in plantations and paired land uses, most often representative of pre-plantation land cover. The results of this synthesis suggest that the value of plantations for biodiversity varies considerably depending on whether the original land cover is grassland, shrubland, primary forest, secondary forest, or degraded or exotic pasture, and whether native or exotic tree species are planted. The results of this study suggest that plantations are most likely to contribute to biodiversity when established on degraded lands rather than replacing natural ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, and shrublands, and when indigenous tree species are used rather than exotic species. These findings can help guide afforestation and reforestation programs, including those aimed at increasing terrestrial carbon sequestration.
Troubleshooting Wave Soldering Problems with Statistical Quality Control (SQC)

In an attempt to reduce the incidence of wave soldering defects on printed wiring assemblies, Boeing Electronics Systems Division (BESD) has been investigating and implementing SQC (Statistical Quality Control). The concept is introduced in its historical context, explained and its application by this company to troubleshoot wave soldering problems outlined. Detailed results are provided to illustrate the value of the technique and indicate the important variables influencing soldering quality.
A control suite to reduce roof bolting machine drilling noise.

Among underground coal miners, hearing loss remains one of the most common occupational illnesses. In response, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research to reduce the noise emission of various underground coal mining equipment, an example of which is a roof bolting machine. Field studies support the premise that, on average, drilling noise is the loudest noise that a roof bolting machine operator would be exposed to and contributes significantly to the operators’ noise exposure. NIOSH has determined that the drill steel radiates a significant amount of noise during drilling. NIOSH in collaboration with Corry Rubber Corporation has developed a suite of controls to reduce drilling noise which consists of a bit isolator, chuck isolator, and a Collabsible Drill Steel Enclosure. This control suite effectively reduces the noise radiated by the drill steel. Laboratory testing confirms that the control suite reduces sound pressure levels generated during drilling by 13 d...
A self-service PC-LAN-or-how many ways are there to insert a diskette in a drive?

Indiana University - Purdue University at Fort Wayne has established a self-service PC-LAN for use by faculty, students, and staff. The cluster consists of 15 IBM PS/2 Model 30's, 6 IBM XT's, and two IBM Proprinters. The machines all have IBM token ring cards with auto-boot ROMs from Novell. As in most public institutions, it is much easier to get funding for equipment than it is for personnel. We simply do not have the staff to check-out diskettes. The PC's are connected to a AT type server running Novell Netware. The auto-boot feature eliminates the need to supply boot disks. A student can come in at anytime to do a class assignment or word processing. The server truly is just that; it dishes out the software to the user via a menu. Students who wish to save data must use their own diskettes.Currently, all software selection is accomplished through Novell's “point and shoot” menuing system. A rich variety of software is available, including commercial applications, shareware, instructor developed programs, tutorials, demonstrations, and packages developed by various academic consortia. Our commercial applications include Lotus, WordPerfect and WordStar. Shareware programs include PC-Write, Express-Calc, File-Express and Express-Graph.The difficulties with hardware and software have been minor. Some programs, which run well in a stand-alone mode, do not work well on a network. This is especially true of programs which load their own DOS shell. Other programs, some advertised as network versions, were less than satisfactory. The hardware has been relatively trouble free. Two power supplies and one cable were replaced. The most significant problems concerned inadequate training. The cluster is designed to be self-documenting and easy to use. There are on-line tutorials that cover DOS, word processing, spreadsheets, etc. Manuals for all the popular software are located in racks in the room. Despite this, many people come into to the cluster (having been given a class assignment by an instructor) without the faintest idea how to proceed. Very few instructors have visited the cluster or discussed its use before unleashing their students. We underestimated the amount of hand-holding that this group would need. We also badly underestimated the volume of printing produced.
N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the expression of functionally associated molecules on human monocytes and inhibit antigen presentation in vitro

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-rich diets are associated with suppression of cell-mediated immune responses, but the mechanisms are unclear. Specific immune responses are initiated by antigen-presenting cells (APC). We have previously shown in vitro that the n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), inhibits the expression of HLA-DR, an MHC class II molecule required for normal APC function on human blood monocytes. In contrast, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) enhanced the expression of this molecule on unstimulated monocytes, but both n-3 PUFA suppressed its expression on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-activated monocytes. In the present study we show that when EPA and DHA were combined at the same ratio as is commonly found in fish oil supplement capsules (3:2) there was no significant effect in vitro on the expression of HLA-DR on unstimulated monocytes, but the expression on IFN-gamma-activated monocytes remained significantly inhibited. In the same in vitro system a significant reduction in the ability of IFN-gamma-activated monocytes to present tetanus toxoid antigen to autologous lymphocytes was observed following culture with the combined n-3 PUFA. These findings support previous animal studies which suggest that n-3 PUFA can inhibit the antigen-presenting function of mononuclear phagocytes.
Two unusual projection spaces

Two immersive projection environments, both unconventional, both exploring different methods of 3D and panoramic imaging, and both produced as art installations, are described. Displacements (1980-1984) recreated an interior living space using a panoramic motion picture method and relief projection. Be Now Here (1995-1997) recreated outdoor public plazas using a panoramic motion picture method, stereopsis, and four channel sound. Both installations were unusual in that no intentions existed for anything more general or useful than the installations themselves as individual artworks.
Strategic incentives under vertical integration: the case of wireline-affiliated wireless carriers and intermodal competition in the US

In its review of the Cingular/AT&T Wireless merger, the FCC noted the potentially conflicting incentives of wireline-affiliated (vertically integrated) versus independent (non-integrated) wireless carriers to act as intermodal competitors in the wireline exchange access market. Specifically, because Cingular and Verizon Wireless are owned by wireline carriers, they may have an incentive to compete “less aggressively” within their parents’ wireline territories while AT&T Wireless, an independent wireless carrier, would not. This paper examines these and other hypotheses by examining pre-merger data on the wireless plans offered by the three carriers. The empirical analysis suggests that AT&T Wireless did not design its plans based upon a regional strategy, whereas Cingular offered substantially smaller-minute wireless plans within its parents’ wireline territories. However, the results also suggest that Verizon Wireless did not design its plans in a markedly different fashion within and outside of its parent’s wireline region. It is posited that these findings might reflect the differing ownership and control structures of Cingular and Verizon Wireless.
Fluctuation contribution to sound attenuation in a clean type-II superconductor

The rounding in the ultrasonic attenuation in pure vanadium in magnetic fields near the upper critical field is interpreted as due to the excess sound attenuation associated with the fluctuation of the superconducting order parameter. It is shown that the field dependence of the rounding is well described in terms of scaling theory.
Something old, something new: attention in Wundt and modern cognitive psychology.

The theories of attention of Wundt and various contemporary psychologists are described, compared, and related to experimental findings. It is argued that Wundt's theory is a viable alternative to contemporary formulations and that differences between the old and modern theories are based on different experimental paradigms. The historical relationship between Wundt and modern researchers is explored, showing that modern psychologists are generally ignorant of Wundt's psychology even when they adopt an approach quite compatible with it.
Anti-oxidants from green tea and pomegranate for chemoprevention of prostate cancer.

Among males, prostate cancer has become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in North America, with similar trends in many Western and developing countries. One way to control prostate cancer is through chemoprevention, which refers to the administration of synthetic or naturally occurring agents to block, reverse, or delay the process of carcinogenesis. For a variety of reasons, the most important of which is human acceptance, for chemopreventive intervention, naturally occurring diet-based agents are preferred. Prostate cancer is an ideal candidate disease for chemopreventive intervention, because it grows very slowly, likely for decades, before symptoms arise and a diagnosis is finally established, it has a long latency period, and it is typically diagnosed in men >50 years of age. Most chemopreventive agents are antioxidant in nature. We have been defining the usefulness of dietary anti-oxidants for chemoprevention of prostate and other cancers. It is increasingly appreciated that some of these dietary anti-oxidants are nature’s gift molecules endowed with cancer preventive and therapeutic properties. This review will focus on prostate cancer chemopreventive effects of polyphenolic anti-oxidants derived from green tea and pomegranate. It is a challenge to custom-tailor these gift molecules as cocktails in concentrations that can easily be consumed by humans for delaying prostate and other cancers.
Depression Among African American Nursing Home Patients With Dementia

The authors compared 218 black and 68 white nursing home patients with dementia for differences in the prevalence, recognition, and treatment of depression. There were no racial differences in depressive symptoms, but whites were significantly more likely to receive a diagnosis of "possible depression" and there were few racial differences in clinical, social, or demographic factors associated with depression. Depression was often unrecognized and undertreated in both racial groups; several depression instruments developed for use in dementia had good reliability and validity among blacks; and there were no significant differences in depressive symptoms or diagnosis between U.S.-born and Caribbean-born black patients. The absence of any appreciable interracial or intraracial differences in depression symptoms or diagnoses may reflect uniformity in nursing home selection criteria or lessening of mood differences that may have existed before admission.
From kinetic theory to hydrodynamics: uniform anisotropic superfluids

Starting from kinetic theory, and neglecting dissipation, we derive the hydrodynamic equations for anisotropic superfluids. Only the case of a uniform texture in the absence of finite external fields is considered. Other than possessing a normal fluid density which is a diagonal tensor, anisotropic superfluids are characterized by the same hydrodynamics as in the isotropic case. These results constitute a generalization of the kinetic theory of Khalatnikov, which applies to the case of an isotropic quasiparticle spectrum dependent only on density.
On the statistical analysis of multiple-choice feeding preference experiments

A stopping rule for an experiment defines when (under what conditions) the experiment is terminated. I investigated the stopping rules used in numerous multiple–choice feeding-preference experiments and also examined a recently proposed method for analyzing the data arising from such experiments. All of the surveyed experiments imposed stopping rules which result in a random total food consumption. If an acceptable quantification of preference is relative consumption of different food types, then the proposed analysis will likely misstate the information about preference conveyed by the data. This is due to the fact that the method may confound differences in preferences among food types with differences in the total consumption across trials. I discuss this issue in detail and present an alternative procedure which is appropriate under all stopping regimes when preference is quantified through relative consumption. The procedure I suggest uses an index which is a multivariate generalization of the preference index suggested by Kogan and Goeden (Ann Entomol Soc 1970; 63: 1175–1180) and Kogan (Ann Entomol Soc 1972; 65: 675–683) and which is analogous to a selection index for discrete food units proposed by Manly (Biometrics 1974; 30: 281–294).
A field-approximation approach to the execution of motor plans

Considers the issue of transforming motor plans into control parameters as a field-approximation problem. The authors focus on the problem of trajectory formation within cluttered environments. On one hand, the planner represents obstacles and targets as patterns of force vectors over the manipulator's workspace. On the other hand, the manipulator is operated by a distributed system of controllers and spring-like actuators. Each controller modulates a field of end-point forces according to a predefined law. The problem of setting the controller parameters with such a system is solved as a least-square approximation of the planned force vectors. The authors discuss the relevance of this approach to robotics and to biological motor control. >
Image-guided Cancer Therapy Using Pet/ct

Functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) is playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and staging of malignant disease, image-guided therapy planning, and treatment monitoring. PET scanningwith the radiolabeled glucose analogue 1 8 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 1 8 FDG) is a relatively recent addition to the clinically available technology for imaging cancer, complementing the more conventional anatomical imaging modalities of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR). These modalities are complementary in the sense that CT provides accurate localization of organs and lesions while PET maps both normal and abnormal tissue function. When combined, the two modalities can identify and localize functional abnormalities. Attempts to align CT and PET data sets with fusion software are generally successful in the brain, whereas the remainder of the body is more challenging owing to the increased number of possible degrees of freedom between the two scans. Recently these challenges have been addressed by the introduction of the combined PET/CT scanner, a hardware oriented approach to image fusion. With this device, accurately registered anatomical and functional images can be acquired for each patient in a single scanning session. Currently, over 400 combined PET/CT scanners are installed in medical institutions worldwide, almost all of them for the diagnosis and staging of malignant disease. However, the real impact of this technology undoubtedly will be for cancer therapy, where PET/CT images will be used to guide biopsies and assist in surgical intervention, to define target volumes for radiation therapy and optimize dose, and to monitor response to chemotherapy and establish individualized patient treatment strategies (Cancer J 2004;10:221-233).
Polycyclooctatetraene (polyacetylene) produced with a ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst

The area of highly conjugated organic polymers has commanded interest for quite some time. Polyacetylene (PA) is the (structurally) simplest conjugated organic polymer; however, its intractable nature has made its characterization quite difficult. The first successful PA film was produced in 1971 by Shirakawa and Ikeda from acetylene monomer and a highly concentrated Ziegler–Natta catalyst. Over the last 30 years, several methods have been introduced which allow for the synthesis of a pre-cursor polymer that can subsequently be transformed into PA. Unfortunately, many of these techniques either involve the extrusion of large molecular fragments that can limit the processing of these polymers or produce very sensitive and even explosive materials. Therefore, a forgiving and direct route to PA and substituted PA, such as ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), which might lead to new substrates and amenable processing conditions is worth pursuing. The metathesis polymerization of 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene (COT) has been reported previously, however, the only successful routes to date have focused on early transition metal catalysts (tungsten) which are sensitive to air, moisture, and functional groups. It would be advantageous to use a late transition metal catalyst (ruthenium) which is more tolerant towards air, moisture and functional groups. Unfortunately, the RuCl_2(☐CHPh)(PCy_3)_2, catalyst 1, was not able to polymerize COT presumably due to its lower activity. Here, we report the ROMP of COT by a highly active well defined ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst, RuCl_2(☐CHPh)(PCy_3)(IMesH_2), catalyst 2, to produce films of polyacetylene (PA) with conductivities comparable to those first produced by Shirakawa.
TAXATION POLICY FOR AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS

Abstract The environmental impact of growing air traffic, especially the effect of aircraft operations in the upper atmosphere, has caused some concern. Consequently airlines may become the target for environmental taxes based on ‘polluter must pay’ principle. The aim of this paper is: (a) to investigate the likely reaction of airlines to emission taxes; (b) to assess the optimum tax level that minimizes the economic penalties on airlines whilst maximizing the reduction of fuel emission; and (c) to suggest how the taxes might be spent to be of benefit to both airlines and the environment. Of all the reactions to the tax, the one with the highest potential benefit to the environment was found to be the modernization on the aircraft engine. The optimum tax level that would encourage airlines to pursue such a policy would be very similar to that of the Swedish emissions tax imposed on domestic flights in 1989. The revenue generated out of emission taxes would be best spent on reinvesting in the aviation industry in areas where both airlines and the environment would benefit.
Diet-induced alterations in the discoid shape and phospholipid fatty acid compositions of rat erythrocytes.

For eight weeks young male rats were fed diets rich in 18∶2 (stock diet, or 10% corn oil, CO) or those devoid of 18∶2 (fat free, FF, or 10% hydrogenated coconut oil, HCNO). The CO and HCNO diets were fed in the absence or presence of eicosa-5,8,11,14-tetraynoic acid (TYA). When 18∶2 was excluded, an increase in the level of 16∶1, 18∶1 and 20∶3 and a decrease in 18∶2 was observed in the fatty acids of red cells. On feeding TYA, an increase in 18∶2 and in the case of the HCNO+TYA diet, a decrease of 12∶0 and 14∶0 was also observed. In all cases the levels of 20∶4 in erythrocyte fatty acids were similar. Saturated fatty acids were predominant in phosphatidyl choline (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine, (LPC) and sphingomyelin whereas unsaturated acids were predominant in phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), (PS), and phosphatidyl inositol (PI). Acids containing three or more double bonds comprised about 90% of the total acids in PI. In all the phospholipids, the characteristic changes in the composition of fatty acids were observed due to the exclusion of 18∶2 from the diet. However, changes due to the feeding of TYA were found only in PC and LPC. In rats fed the 18∶2-rich diet, about 60% of the red cells were discocytes. In those fed the 18∶2-free diet, the level of discocytes decreased to about 23%, and the levels of echinocytes II and III increased. The exclusion of 18∶2 for even a few days decreased the proportion of discocytes. The loss of discoid shape was reversed in a few days by feeding an 18∶2-rich diet. Fatty acid analysis of erythrocytes of rats of the various dietary manipulations showed that the change in the proportion of discocytes followed the change in the level of 18∶2.
CO2 Laser Chemical Vapor Deposition of Amorphous Silicon: Gas Phase Processes and Thin Film Properties

CW CO2 laser CVD of a-Si:H was performed in a parallel configuration of the substrate and a horizontal CO2 laser beam. During deposition in situ gas analysis was performed by sampling through an orifice in the substrate surface (Ts = 400 °C) using a molecular beam and mass spectrometry. Time resolved measurements revealed a start-up period of several minutes. Its influence onto the a-Si:H film quality was investigated with respect to the dark and photo conductivities, optical band gap, fermi level, hydrogen bonding in SiH and SiH2 groups, density of defects in the mobility gap, and Urbach energy.
To improve the "target" of transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization.

Sir, We read with interest the paper by Toh et al. [1]. This study was carried out with the critical attitude of those who want to improve a surgical treatment that is very effective but can still be improved. Our comments about the study results concern the ‘‘functional anatomy’’ of the lower rectum. Actually, in addition to the exact number of terminal branches of the higher rectal arteries, a fundamental factor in this surgical approach is the correct understanding of the topography of these branches and their relationship with the rectal wall. Hemorrhoidal dearterialization with transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) ensures an excellent control of rectal bleeding, and in most cases, the resolution of prolapse thanks to a ‘‘tailored mucopexy’’. The complex vascular network of the ‘‘corpus cavernosum recti’’ is the key to perfecting this therapeutic approach. According to our experience, there are always more than three (usually six) terminal branches of hemorrhoidal arteries to be ligated [2]. The target of therapy should be the point at which the arteries enter the submucosa of the low rectum, just before supplying blood to the ‘‘corpus cavernosum recti’’ [3]. In this way, an extraparietal arterial ligation can be avoided, and action can be taken right where the arterial hyperflow could have the greatest effect on the hemorrhoids. Use of Doppler-guided THD allows a detailed identification of the arteries and a rigorous and effective ligation of them. Moreover, the surgeon avoids taking big bites when suturing and making a ‘‘blind dearterialization’’ that would be at greater risk of bleeding and might partially alter both the anatomy and dynamics of the rectal wall, thus affecting rectal compliance and causing postoperative functional disturbances.
New Paradigms for Nutrient Control of Genome Translation

Organisms respond adaptively to changing environmental conditions by altering genome expression. Translational control of gene expression by nutrients and metabolites is one of the most robust biologic mechanisms that enable rapid alterations in the cellular proteome in response to changes in the local environment. Recently, investigators have identified new mechanisms for nutrient control of translation in mammals; evidence supports the conservation of translational control mechanisms in eukaryotes that heretofore had only been demonstrated in prokaryotes.
The Ins and Outs of Bcr-Abl Inhibition

The development of inhibitors against Abl has changed the landscape for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and cancer in general. Beginning with the monumental discovery and approval of imatinib for CML, a second generation of inhibitors, nilotinib and dasatinib, has now gained approval for the treatment of CML. Notably, these second-generation inhibitors are active against many of the mutations in the Abl kinase that confer resistance to imatinib. However, resistance remains a major problem, and new inhibitors such as ponatinib and GNF2/GNF5 have been developed, with activity towards the common gatekeeper T315I mutation. We review here the mechanisms of Abl inhibition with an emphasis on structural elements that are important for the selectivity and design of new molecules. In particular, we focus on how changes in the conformation of the P-loop, the activation loop, the DFG motif, and other structural elements of Abl have been instrumental in developing an understanding of inhibitor binding.
Interpleural analgesia: Its use, and a complication, in a quadriplegic patient with chronic benign pain

A 49-yr-old woman sustained a cervical spine fracture at the age of 21 yr as the result of a swimming accident. In 1986, she developed syringomyelia and underwent a C2-3 laminectomy, drainage of the syrinx, and placement of a syringo-subarachnoid shunt. At this time, she became ventilator dependent. Pain had been experienced in the right shoulder, neck, and lateral aspect of the forearm for 3 yr. A series of trigger point injections provided short-term relief, as did a series of stellate ganglion b:ocks. Several injections of steroid into the bursa of the shoulder joint also yielded no sustained relief, and further injections were refused. She was maintained on baclofen 100 mg daily, acetaminophen 350 mg four times daily, hydromorphone 3 mg every 3 hr, and amitriptyline 50 mg twice daily, but this regimen failed to provide adequate analgesia. When she came to the Pain Clinic, examination revealed a ventilated patient with a tracheostomy. There was limited range of motion of her neck, especially on rotation to the right. Neck movement was not painful. The neck was obese, and there was a posterior scar as a result of her previous laminectomy. Neurologic examination revealed flaccid quadriplegia, absent sensation ‘below C,, decreased reflexes in both upper and lower extremities, negative Babinski signs bilaterally, and finger contractures of both hands. Cervical spine radiographs showed demineralization of the lower cervical vertebrae, with no focal abnormality. The remainder of the examination was unremarkable. The right scapular pain was thought to be secondary to cervical osteoarthritis, and the shoulder pain was ascribed to bursitis. Cervical cpidural steroid injections were considered, but were then rejected due to the technical difficulties posed by a patient with an obese short neck, limited range of movement, prior neck surgery, and a tracheostomy band around the neck. A trial of interpleural analgesics was planned. With the patient in the left lateral position, a 17-gauge Tuohy needle was advanced at the T7-8 interspace. The interpleural space was identified using a “passive loss of resistance” technique. This method allows l-2 mI, of air from a syringe to be drawn into the interpleural
Reactions of the solvated electron in 1-butanol-silicone oil mixtures with phenanthrene

Abstract The absorption spectra of the solvated electron in the range 380–800 nm have been investigated in neat silicone oils and 1-butanol-silicone oil mixtures. Spectra were observed only in mixtures of greater than 30% butanol. Specific rates of the solvated electron reacting with phenanthrene in 30% 1-butanol mixtures with silicone oils of different viscosities were the same.
A Prototype for Smart Prosthetic Legs-Analysis and Mechanical Design

In this paper, we designed a prototype of powered above-knee prosthesis. Compared with other prototypes available in the literature, our designed prosthetic leg employs a redundant actuator concept to overcome the challenge faced by the single-motor transmission systems. The redundant actuator also enables the prosthesis to be partially functional when the prosthesis loses power. Finally, in order to provide optimal control parameters for designed above-knee prosthesis to perform a smooth level-ground walking task, an inverse dynamic model based on Kane’s method is constructed.
A coordination chemistry approach to a multieffector enzyme mimic.

A macrocyclic complex, formed via the weak-link approach, behaves as a multieffector enzyme mimic in the context of pseudorotaxane formation. The complex has Rh metal centers as regulatory sites, which can be used to change the size and charge of the cavity responsible for pseudorotaxane formation. The first binding events on the metal center (M) involving CO (the filled squares) change the shape of the molecule, while the second binding event involving Cl anion (the filled circles) changes the charge on the molecule and its ability to recognize and sequester a hexyl viologen guest molecule (G).
Nasal pit formation in the hamster: a transmission and scanning electron microscopic study.

Abstract The surface morphology of cells comprising the nasal placode and adjacent body surface was examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy during nasal pit formation in hamster embryos ranging in age from 8 1 4 to 9 1 2 days post coitum. A sharp distinction between the apical surface appearance of cells of the nasal epithelium and cells of the surrounding periderm develops at the periphery of the nasal placode. Periderm cells increase in surface area, exhibit a change in the distribution of surface microvilli, and many acquire a single cilium per cell. Cells of the nasal placode retain a dense surface coat of microvilli and exhibit relatively smaller apical surface areas. Olfactory rods can be positively identified on the basis of their ultrastructure at the nasal groove stage. The ventral margin of the nasal groove does not initially depend on the maxillary process, but is bounded by the lateral and medial nasal processes. From their earliest development the oral and nasal cavities appear to be separated in this species.
Analysis and Fabrication of Curved Multimorph Transducers That Undergo Bending and Twisting

Difference in strains in the layers of a multimorph beam causes it to curl, thereby leading to transduction. Straight multimorph beams have been widely used for thermal, piezoelectric, and shape-memory-alloy-based transducers that undergo out-of-plane bending, but curved multimorph beams have not been explored much. In this paper, we report thermal transducers based on curved multimorphs that have a nonzero curvature in the plane of the substrate. The distinguishing feature of curved multimorphs is that they undergo both out-of-plane bending and twisting deformations. We report the small-deformation analysis of curved multimorphs. The analytical expressions greatly expand the design space for microelectromechanical systems engineers and can lead to novel devices, including micromirrors and infrared sensors. The closed-form expressions were validated against finite-element (FE) simulation and experimental results. Experimental verification was done by monitoring a curved electrothermal multimorph beam at different temperatures. Good agreement between the analysis and experiments has been observed in the small-deformation range. At large deformations, in-plane displacement becomes significant. FE simulations and experiments are used to study large deformations.
Percutaneous treatment of a giant right coronary artery pseudoaneurysm in Adamantiades–Behçet's syndrome

A 30-year-old African-American woman with history of recurrent oral-genital ulcers, ‘fibromyalgia’, multiple deep venous thromboses, pulmonary embolism, and cerebral transverse sinus thrombosis presented with recurrent chest pain and mildly elevated troponin. A cardiac catheterization revealed a large pseudoaneurysm in the right coronary artery, associated with 90% stenosis ( Panel A , …
Structure-function studies of the myosin motor domain: importance of the 50-kDa cleft.

We used random mutagenesis to create 21 point mutations in a highly conserved region of the motor domain of Dictyostelium myosin and classified them into three distinct groups based on the ability ...
Lagrangian measurement of fluid and particle motion using a field‐deployable Volumetric Particle Imager (VoPI)

We describe the development of a field-deployable Volumetric Particle Imager (VoPI) and the methods that enable it to measure three-dimensional particle tracks in situ. The VoPI has the unique ability to obtain three-component particle velocity records in a volume. The device has a slender, single-camera design ideal for optically accessing study sites in the environment, including hard-to-reach places like the inside of coral reefs and marshes. Unlike other underwater measurement techniques, the VoPI implements a defocused imaging method that relies on ambient light in place of laser light for particle illumination. We describe the construction, calibration and validation of this device. We also demonstrate the VoPI&s abilities by measuring velocity statistics of passive tracer particles dispersed in a high-Reynolds-number turbulent flow. By measuring velocity variances and integral timescales from these Lagrangian velocity records, we can compute the turbulent diffusivity directly from the VoPI measurements.
Behavior of Oil Droplets on an Electrified Solid Metal Surface Immersed in Ionic Surfactant Solutions

The present study investigates the change in the shape of oil droplets immersed in an ionic surfactant solution when the droplets are in contact with metal surfaces to which an electrical potential is applied. The three-phase system of aqueous solution−oil−steel was subjected to low-voltage electric potentials, which resulted in sometimes dramatic changes in droplet shape and wetting. This electric potential was applied to the conductive steel surface directly, and the counter electrode was immersed in the solution. Changes in both the shape and wetting extent of hexadecane and phenylmethyl polysiloxane were observed for voltages between ±3.0 V in both sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide solutions. The droplets' behavior was opposite to what would be expected for traditional electrowetting. In one instance, hexadecane droplets in sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions with a voltage of −3.0 V, a rapid and repeating droplet elongation and detachment was observed. Additionally, the impact o...
The Relative Value of Skills, Knowledge, and Teaching Methods in Explaining Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program Return on Investment

In this article, the authors provide insight into alumni perceptions of Master of Business Administration (MBA) program return on investment (ROI). They sought to assess the relative value of skills, knowledge, and teaching methods in explaining ROI. By developing insight into the drivers of ROI, the real utility of MBA program ingredients can be used for program positioning. The use of ROI is increasing throughout marketing and other business units, and its application as an outcome metric in the academy has become increasingly overdue.
Effects of Al2O3 support modifications on MoOx and VOx catalysts for dimethyl ether oxidation to formaldehyde

Dispersed two-dimensional MoOx and VOx oligomers on Al2O3 and SnOx-modified Al2O3 supports were examined for selective dimethyl ether (DME) oxidation to HCHO and their structure and reduction rates in H2 were determined using Raman and X-ray near edge absorption spectroscopies (XANES), respectively. Modifying Al2O3 supports with SnOx or other reducible oxides (ZrOx, CeOx and FeOx) led to MoOx domains with higher rates for catalytic DME oxidation and for reduction in H2, while maintaining the high HCHO selectivity observed on MoOx/Al2O3 catalysts. This appears to reflect the higher reactivity of lattice oxygen atoms as Mo–O–M acquires more reducible M cations. On Al2O3 modified with SnOx species at near monolayer coverages (5.5 Sn nm−2) DME oxidation turnover rates (per Mo-atom) were approximately three times greater than on unmodified Al2O3 samples containing predominately polymolybdate domains (∼7 Mo nm−2). The rates of DME oxidation and of reduction by H2 increased in parallel with increasing Sn surface density. HCHO selectivities decreased slightly with increasing Sn surface density, but they were significantly higher than on MoOx domains supported on bulk crystalline SnO2. The use of more reducible VOx domains instead of MoOx also led to higher DME oxidation rates (per V or Mo atom) without significant changes in HCHO selectivity and to effects of Al2O3 modification by SnOx similar to those observed on MoOx-based catalysts. Al2O3 supports with higher surface area led to catalytic materials with similar rates per V or Mo atom and similar HCHO selectivities for a given surface density (∼7 V or Mo nm−2), because of the prevalence of accessible two-dimensional oligomeric domains of the active oxides on both Al2O3 supports at these surface densities. Higher surface area Al2O3 supports, however, led to proportionately higher rates per catalyst mass, as a result of the larger number of active domains that can be accommodated at higher surface areas. These studies provide a rationale for the design of more efficient catalysts for selective DME oxidation to HCHO and illustrate the significant catalytic productivity improvements available from support modifications in oxidation catalysts.
Defense Acquisition: New Insights from Transaction Cost Economics∗

∗ We are grateful to the editors of this journal, participants at the RAND sessions of theWestern Economic Association meetings, and colleagues at the Naval Postgraduate School for many helpful comments and suggestions.We would specifically like to thank our colleagues Dr Keith Snyder, John Dillard and Admiral James Greene of the Graduate School of Business and Public Policy for research sponsorship and for organizing a yearly Acquisition Research Symposium where we were invited to present this work. The usual disclaimers apply.
Some observations on the stochastic averaging method

Abstract Formulas required for the application of Stratonovich's stochastic averaging method are rederived using a mathematical procedure more appealing to engineers. By so doing the physical implications are made clear, allowing certain variations and relaxation of some restrictions. In particular, the time-averaging portion of the original method is removed so that it becomes applicable to non-stationary excitations as well as cases where deterministic time-varying properties must be preserved. A less restrictive general condition is proposed for this modified stochastic averaging method, and heuristic arguments are given for further relaxation of the condition in stability analyses. Application of this modified method is illustrated by a simple example.
Parallel lossless data compression on the GPU

We present parallel algorithms and implementations of a bzip2-like lossless data compression scheme for GPU architectures. Our approach parallelizes three main stages in the bzip2 compression pipeline: Burrows-Wheeler transform (BWT), move-to-front transform (MTF), and Huffman coding. In particular, we utilize a two-level hierarchical sort for BWT, design a novel scan-based parallel MTF algorithm, and implement a parallel reduction scheme to build the Huffman tree. For each algorithm, we perform detailed performance analysis, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and suggest future directions for improvements. Overall, our GPU implementation is dominated by BWT performance and is 2.78× slower than bzip2, with BWT and MTF-Huffman respectively 2.89× and 1.34× slower on average.
Concise Review: Deciphering the Mechanism Behind Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Generation

Regenerative medicine using spluripotent/multipotent stem cells holds a great promise in developing therapies for treating developmental abnormalities, degenerative disorders, and aging-related illness. However, supply and safety of the stem cells are two major problems with today's regenerative medicine. Recent development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has overcome the supply shortages by allowing the reprogramming of patients' body cells to embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like pluripotent cells. Still, the potential tumorigenicity of iPSCs remains as an obstacle. During early embryogenesis ESCs can be generated without tumor formation; therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying ESC generation may help us to prevent iPSC tumorigenicity. Previous studies have shown that an ESC-enriched noncoding RNA, miR-302, induces somatic cell reprogramming (SCR) to form iPSCs, suggesting its pivotal role in stem cell generation. Recent research further revealed that miR-302-induced SCR involves an epigenetic reprogramming mechanism similar to the natural zygotic reprogramming process in the two- to eight-cell-stage embryos. These findings indicate that miR-302, as a cytoplasmic gene silencer, inhibits the translation of multiple key epigenetic regulators, including AOF1/2, methyl-CpG binding proteins 1 and 2, and DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1, to induce global DNA demethylation, which subsequently triggers the activation of the previously defined factors Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog to complete the reprogramming process. The same mechanism was also found in the event of somatic cell nuclear transfer. Based on these advanced understandings, this review describes the currently established SCR mechanism—as compared to the natural process of early ESC formation—and demonstrates how stem cell researchers may use this mechanism to improve iPSC generation.