cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential limitations of recrystallization for the definitive identification of radioactive steroids

The usefulness of recrystallization in establishing the radiochemical purity of steroids is widely recognized, but the potential limitations of the technique have received little attention. The current study reports the failure of standard recrystallization procedures using methanol/water as the solvent pair to separate contaminating 14C-17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3, 20-dione) from 3H- and 14C-labeled 11-deoxycortisol (17,21-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione) despite ten serial crystallizations. The standard criteria of radiochemical purity were met despite gross impurity of the crystals as evidenced by thin layer chromatography. Thus, recrystallization may, under certain conditions, yield misleading results when employed as the only method for identifying radioactive steroids. These observations illustrate the importance of an optimal choice of solvent and crystallization conditions, and emphasize the need for confirmation by derivative formation and chromatography.
From childhood to the later years: Pathways of human development

Are family experiences early in life related to patterns of adjustment and functioning in later life? This study builds on past research with the decades-spanning Terman sample of talented children to explore this basic question. Multinomial logistic models identified three family experiences in childhood and adolescence—socio-economic status of the family of origin, early parental divorce, parent-child attachment—that predicted membership in holistic profiles of aging in the later years, as generated by cluster analysis of five social psychological factors. These associations from early to later life reflected both mediational pathways (adult experiences and current circumstances explained the observed influence of early experiences) and supplemental pathways (the significance of experiences in each stage were independent of each other).
Micro-neutralization test for identification of rhinovirus serotypes.

SummaryA micro method for rhinovirus neutralization has been described using glass containers and early refeeding of cells to control cytotoxicity associated with highly concentrated antisera pools. Satisfactory motion for the growth of all rhinoviruses tested was supplied by slight modification of a standard roller drum. The micro technique compared favorably with one using standard screw cap tubes, and permitted a large saving in material costs and time.
Mechanical properties and area retention of leather dried with biaxial stretching under vacuum

The conversion of animal hides to leather involves many complicated chemical and mechanical operations. Drying is one of the mechanical operations, and plays a key role in determining the physical properties of leather. It is where leather acquires its final texture, consistency, and flexibility. We have investigated a drying method using a combination of vacuum and biaxial stretching. Total area loss often accompanies drying of leather; however, by adding a stretching action during vacuum drying one may significantly increase the area retention and dimensional stability. Moreover, this method is particularly advantageous to heat-vulnerable organic tanned leathers because vacuum drying offers fast moisture removal at a low temperature. We investigated this dual functional drying method and observed how drying variables affected the mechanical properties and area retention of chrome-free leather. We used a central composite experimental design to formulate the relationship between drying variables and resultant leather properties into second-order polynomial equations. Results showed that the stretching applied in a drying operation significantly affects mechanical properties, area retention, and thickness of leather. Moreover, studies showed that biaxial stretching increased the tensile strength but had less effect on fracture energy. A significant area increase of 16% can be achieved by using this combined drying (vacuum plus stretching) method compared to the regular vacuum dried leather without stretching.
Insights into the potential aggregation liabilities of the b12 Fab fragment via elevated temperature molecular dynamics.

Aggregation is a common hurdle faced during the development of antibody therapeutics. In this study, we explore the potential aggregation liabilities of the Fab (fragment antigen-binding) from a human IgG1k antibody via multiple elevated temperature molecular dynamic simulations, analogous to accelerated stability studies performed during formulation development. Deformation and solvent exposure changes in response to thermal stress were monitored for individual structural domains (VH ,V L ,C H1 and CL), their interfaces (VH:VL and CH1:CL), edge beta-strands and sequence-predicted aggregation-prone regions (APRs). During simulations, domain interfaces deformed prior to the unfolding of individual domains. However, interfacial beta-strands retained their secondary structure and remained solvent protected longer than all other strands or loops. Thus, APRs located in interfacial beta-strands are effectively blocked from self-association. Structural deformations were also observed in complementarity-determining regions, edge beta-strands and adjoining framework betastrands, which increased their solvent-accessible surface area and exposed APRs in these regions. From the analysis of these structural changes, two potential aggregation liabilities were identified in the VH domain of this Fab. Insights gained from this investigation should be useful in devising a rational structure-based strategy for the design and selection of antibody candidates with high potency and improved developability.
The effects of neurotransmitters and other cellular modulators and factors on hypothalamic and anterior pituitary Δ4 -steroid (progesterone) 5α-reductase activity

A number of diverse biological compounds involved in the regulation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-ovarian axis have been examined for effects on the conversion of 3H-progesterone to 3H-5 alpha-dihydro-progesterone and 3H-3 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one by female rat hypothalamus and/or anterior pituitary. Broken cell preparations were incubated with 3H-progesterone and NADPH, and product 5 alpha-reduced progestins were quantitated by reverse isotopic dilution analysis. Progesterone 5 alpha-reductase activity was reduced up to 50% in the presence of 10(-2) to 10(-3) M serotonin in both preparations. At 10(-3) M, various indoles including n-acetylserotonin, melatonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptophol, and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid decreased by 10 to 30% 5 alpha-reduced product formation. At 10(-2) M, carbamylcholine and norepinephrine were without effect, while 10(-2) M dopamine reduced by 20% the 5 alpha-reduction of progesterone only in pituitary homogenates. The LHRH protease inhibitor bacitracin (2 X 10(-3) M) decreased by 10 to 40% progesterone 5 alpha-reductase activity in both tissues. By itself, LHRH did not affect the 5 alpha-reduction of progesterone nor did it potentiate the bacitracin effect. In the presence of 1 mM ATP, 100 micronM cAMP and 100 micronM cGMP increased 5 alpha-reduced product formation in the hypothalamus by 19 and 14%. The gonadotropins LH and FSH and the prostaglandins E1, E2, F1 alpha, and F2 alpha were without effect. Thus, these results and others indicate that a number of cellular components and other factors can affect the in vitro 5 alpha-reduction of progesterone in broken cell preparations.
SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RACIAL SEGREGATION: Understanding Variation in the Representation of Black Students in Educable Mentally Handicapped Programs

The disproportionate representation of black students in special education programs has been well documented, yet explanations for the overrepresentation are rare. Using a unique sample of U.S. public school districts (N = 981), this article examines the effects of local racial and political-economic structures, school district characteristics, and school desegregation politics on the representation of black students in educable mentally handicapped (EMH) programs. The findings demonstrate that a minority presence in the school district and economic resources and black political resources in the community as well as various dimensions of school desegregation politics are associated with the representation of black students in EMH programs. This research provides further evidence that racial differences in educational placement are related to structures of opportunity in school districts and the communities they serve and that the placement process should be the focus of continued study.
Very Long-Term Users of Marijuana in the United States: A Pilot Study

The authors recruited a sample of 37 Americans, aged 30-74, who had smoked marijuana on at least 5,000 separate occasions. These subjects were found to span a wide range of ethnic groups, educational backgrounds, occupations, and annual income; they did not display any obvious features which distinguished them from the population as a whole. They typically began smoking in the 1960s or early 1970s, and then continued to smoke heavily into middle adulthood because they felt that marijuana relieved unpleasant feeling states such as anxiety or depression. To our knowledge, individuals of this type have not previously been examined; further studies of older, long-term American marijuana users are needed.
A Novel Survivable Routing Algorithm With Partial Shared-Risk Link Groups (SRLG)-Disjoint Protection Based on Differentiated Reliability Constraints in WDM Optical Mesh Networks

Previous research on survivability with differentiated reliability in wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) optical mesh networks mostly considered the failure probability of a fiber link with the link length that may not be a good solution for consideration of shared-risk link groups (SRLGs). In this paper, we propose a new model of failure probability with the SRLG constraints in WDM optical mesh networks. Based on this model, we present the backup resources assignment and the routing selection method with the differentiated reliable requirements of users. To evaluate the performances of this model, we propose a novel survivable routing algorithm called partial SRLG-disjoint protection (PSDP) to tolerate the single-SRLG failure. Compared with the previous algorithm, PSDP can obtain a better resource utilization ratio and lower blocking probability. Simulation results are shown to be promising.
Laser pediatric Class II composites utilizing no anesthesia

Interproximal lesions can now be restored without local anesthesia and removing unnecessary healthy tooth structure. This paper will focus on a new ultra-conservative technique in Class II composites utilizing the laser, a new technique in cavity preparation.
Channel intrinsic randomness

We study channel intrinsic randomness, defined as the maximum random bit rate that can be extracted from a channel output independently of an input with known statistics. Independence and uniformity of the extracted process are measured by means of the variational distance between distributions. We obtain an expression for channel intrinsic randomness in terms of the statistics of the channel and its input process, which holds for arbitrary discrete channels and arbitrary discrete inputs. We discuss the connection between channel intrinsic randomness and secret-key distillation, and show that channel intrinsic randomness appears as the natural operation behind key distillation. As a supporting result, we obtain achievable secret-key rates for compound sources.
Gender and the Erotics of Nationalism in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's Drama

At the intersection of symbolic language, gender, and national politics, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o uses sexual puns as a metaphor for land and political independence. Performance is central to all of Ngũgĩ's writing, and his oral performances in praise of his wife, Njeeri, mark the acme of his gendered use of language for political ends. Ngũgĩ's practice raises the question of whether the use of indigenous languages in African drama is liberating in and of itself, even when representations of gender roles are regressive.
Contaminant Transport in the Subsurface: Sorption Equilibrium and the Role of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids

In this discussion the sources of nonequilibrium during contaminant transport are reviewed and the effects of contaminant solubility and geologic material organic carbon content on sorption equilibrium are reported. For experimental work with three neutral organic compounds (NOC’s) and geologic material from the saturated zone (TOC = 0.33 g kg−1), unsaturated zone (TOC = 2.6 g kg−1), and surface soil (TOC = 6.9 g kg−1), sorption nonequilibrium during solute transport through columns was detectable for contaminant-geologic material combinations yielding retardation factors >2.
Reduced order models of transient CO2 and brine leakage along abandoned wellbores from geologic carbon sequestration reservoirs

•Reduced-order model development for CO2 and brine leakage along abandoned wellbores.•Coupled leakage effects are incorporated into ROMs intended for decoupled systems models.•Octree mesh refinement and sculpting reduces nodes and minimizes mesh effects.
Fame of Thrones: Seats, Sights, and Sanctity among the Inka

AbstractThe Inka of Andean South America regarded as sacred those seats reserved for the divine head of state. The most famous of such seats was known to the Inka as the Sapaqurinka; today it is more commonly known as the Throne of the Inka. It was hewn from a rock outcrop located atop a promontory overlooking the Inka’s capital city of Cuzco. Attending closely to its specific parts, as well as to its overall aspect, location, and medium, this paper elucidates the principles evoked when the Inka ruler sat on stone, saw what was there to be seen, and assumed the role of divine overseer. The petrous materiality of the Throne, its fixed location, and the ways in which it was carved, combined to enable the deific leader of the Inka state to become simultaneously a living ruler and an extension of the sacred landscape. By sitting, the Inka ruler not only inhabited a sacred topography, but merged with it, his body composed of vital but impermanent flesh and also – in deliberate complementarity – petrous fixity ...
A CASE REPORT OF METACHRONOUS BILATERAL BREAST CANCER ARISING FROM FAMILIAL BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer has various risk factors including a hereditary factor. We have experienced a case of metachronous bilateral breast cancer in a 59-year-old women from a cancer family which had breast cancers over 4 generations. Standard radical mastectomy and oophorectomy were performed for her left breast 14 years ago, which was diagnosed as T2aN1aMO in stage II according to General Rules for Cancer of the Breast by Japan Breast Society. In 1986, the patient had another cancer at the C area of the right breast, which was diangosed as T1aN0M0 in stage I. Modified radical mastectomy (Auchincloss method) was performed for her right breast. Histological diagnosis of both the 1st and 2nd cancer was solid-tubular adenocarcinoma. The family history of this patient is very interesting. There could be seen breast cancers in her grandmoter, mother, herself and two daughters. Her mother also had metachronous breast cancer. Added to this her father died of rectal cancer. So it is strongly suspisious that development of her cancer was concerned with the hereditary factor. The patient was so carefully followed up due to the high risk of cancer arising after the first operation that the second breast cancer in the opposite side could be diagnosed in an early stage.
Investigation of the conserved glutamate immediately following the DEAD box in eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4AI

The DExD-box family (DEAD-box) of proteins was surveyed for eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A-specific sequences surrounding the DEAD box. An eIF4A-unique glutamate residue (E186 in eIF4A...
Difference in Personal Noise Exposure Levels between Workers Exposure to Continuous and Non-continuous Noise

[Objective]To observe and compare personal noise exposure level variations between workers and workdays. [Methods]Four textile workers and four mechanical manufacture workers were selected to measure personal noise exposure level in eight hours(LAeq.8h)with dosimeter for three workdays.[Results]The result showed that the textile workers exposed to continuous noise,and the mechanical manufacture workers exposed to non-continuous noise. The maximum,minimum and range of twelve LAeq.8h measurements in textile workers were 99.2,92.8 and 6.4 dB(A),and those in mechanical manufacture workers were 89.9,83.1 and 6.8 dB(A). The maximum and minimum for mean of LAeq.8h in each shift workday in textile workers were(98.0± 1.1)and(94.3±1.5)dB(A),and those in each workday in mechanical manufacture workers were(87.9±1.0)and(85.1±1.5) dB(A). The maximum and minimum for mean of LAeq.8h in each textile worker were(96.2±2.2)and(95.8±2.0)dB(A),and those in mechanical manufacture worker were(87.1±3.0)and(86.1±2.1)dB(A). The results showed that the level of personal noise exposure for one worker in one day or more than one day could not accurately represent one group workers’noise exposure,but the results from four workers in one day could.[Conclusion]It suggested that the results of personal noise exposure for a few workers within one day could be used to assess the noise exposure level of one group workers.
The clinical effect observation of hypothyroidism

Objective To investigate the research progress of clinical treatment of hypothyroidism.Methods 83 primary hypothyroidism patients during 2009 August to 2012 August in our hospital were selected.The patients were divided into group A and group B,according to age,severity of disease and individual differences,group A was given euthyrox treated and group B was given hormone treated.40 patients contained 14 patients of A group and 26 patients of B group were selected to receive traditional Chinese medicine.The overall curative effects of different therapy methods were assess by observed the changes of serum T3,T4 and TSH.Results The total efficiency of group combined with traditional Chinese medicine was markedly higher than the group uncombined of traditional Chinese medicine group(P 0.05);The FT3 and FT4 of group A and group B were significantly increased,TSH decreased significantly after treatment(P 0.01).Conclusion The combination of Chinese medicine can improve patient′ s clinical symptoms and the life quality;Two groups of different hormone replacement therapy can mediate the FT3,FT4 and TSH to suitable range,which improve the patient′s condition.
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum).

Flax, an annual plant believed to have originated in Egypt, is cultivated around internationally and is among the world’s oldest crops.
Sharing Lessons Learned to Prevent Incorrect Surgery

The purpose of this report is to discuss surgical adverse event lessons learned and to recommend action. Examples of incorrect surgical adverse events managed in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patient safety system and results of a survey regarding the impact of the surgery lessons learned process are provided. The VHA implemented a process for sharing deidentified stories of surgical lessons learned. The cases are in-operating room selected examples from lessons learned from October 1, 2009, to June 30, 2011. Examples selected illustrate helpful human factors principles. To learn more about the awareness and impact of the lessons learned, we conducted a survey with Chiefs of Surgery in the VHA. The types of examples of adverse events include wrong eye implants, incorrect nerve blocks, and wrong site excisions of lesions. These are accompanied by human factors recommendations and change concepts such as designing the system to prevent mistakes, using differentiation, minimizing handoffs, and standardizing how information is communicated. The survey response rate was 76 per cent (88 of 132). Of those who had seen the surgical lessons learned (76% [67 of 88]), the majority (87%) reported they were valuable and 85% that they changed or reinforced patient safety behaviors in their facility as a result of surgical lessons learned. Simply having a policy will not ensure patient safety. When reviewing adverse events, human factors must be considered as a cause for error and for the failure to follow policy without assigning blame. VHA surgeons reported that the surgery lessons learned were valuable and impacted practice.
Stemless constrained total knee arthroplasty: An obsolete concept or a contemporary solution?

Abstract Achieving a balanced total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be challenging when addressing fixed deformities with bone deficiencies and a compromised soft issue envelope. Efforts to achieve ligamentous stability without violating the medullary canal led to the introduction of stemless constrained implants. While a stemless constrained implant is bone conserving and efficient, there are biomechanical concerns of higher failure rates due to increased stresses at the bone–implant interface. The purpose of this study is to review the current literature on stemless constrained implants in TKA and address the controversy around their use.
A numerical investigation of wear caused by dilute slurry injected into an annulus through rectangular apertures

Abstract Slurries conveyed in conduits generate erosion caused by particle impacts on the walls. Those impacts result from the average velocity and the turbulence of the carrying liquid. We investigate the erosion and relevant flow features, when the dilute slurry passes from the inner to the outer annulus through four equally spaced rectangular apertures on the periphery of the tube dividing these two conduits. The flow of dilute slurry was solved numerically. A consideration was given to the effects of particle size on erosion rate and statistical distribution of impact velocity, angle, and total erodent mass inducing wear. In addition, the numerical solution of the continuous phase velocity was validated with measurements. A confined trailing vortex forms at the longitudinal edge of the aperture, amplifying the erosive wear on the outer wall of the annulus. A large amount of particles passes near the aperture׳s horizontal downstream edge and intensifies the erosion rate above it. The effect of these flow features becomes more pronounced for larger particles. The statistical analysis of impact velocity, angle, and mass showed that the mean velocity in the channel dominates erosion caused by impacts of large particles. On the other hand, the near-wall turbulence mainly affects the erosion resulting from impacts by small particles.
A numerical analysis of the nodal Discontinuous Galerkin scheme via Flux Reconstruction for the advection-diffusion equation

Abstract A von Neumann analysis of the Flux Reconstruction (FR) formulation is performed for the linear advection-diffusion equation to investigate the stability, dissipation and dispersion associated with the nodal Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) scheme. We show that the maximum stable time step for advection-diffusion is stricter than that for pure-advection or pure-diffusion individually. However, the simple harmonic sum of the maximum stable time steps for advection and diffusion provides a suitable estimate for the linear advection-diffusion and Navier–Stokes equations on unstructured, tensor product elements. The estimates are accurate within 50% error on all test cases and are conservative on tests with Cartesian grids but not always on unstructured grids. We show that the CFL limit is strongly influenced by the choice of interface fluxes and, in general, the limit for a scheme using centered values is much higher than that which has one-sided values. We also verify that schemes with centered values produce less error for well resolved solutions while schemes with one-sided values produce less error for solutions that are under-resolved.
Tweet Sentiment Analysis by Incorporating Sentiment-Specific Word Embedding and Weighted Text Features

Previous studies have used many manually identified features and word embeddings for tweet sentiment classification. In this paper, we propose a new approach, which incorporates sentiment-specific word embeddings (SSWE) and a weighted text feature model (WTFM). WTFM produces features based on text negation, tf.idf weighting scheme, and a Rocchio text classification method. Compared to other tweet sentiment feature generation approaches, WTFM is easy to build, simple, yet effective. Experiments show that the proposed approach outperforms the two state-of-the-art tweet sentiment classification methods, SSWE and National Research Council Canada's (NRC) model.
Synthesis and Characterization of Four Diastereomers of Monorhamnolipids.

Rhamnolipids are amphiphilic glycolipids biosynthesized by bacteria that, due to their low toxicity and biodegradability, are potential replacements for synthetic surfactants. The previously limited access to pure materials at the gram scale has hindered extensive characterization of rhamnolipid structure–performance behavior. Here, we present an efficient and versatile synthetic methodology from which four diastereomers of the most common monorhamnolipid, α-rhamnopyranosyl-β-hydroxydecanoyl-β-hydroxydecanoate, are prepared and subsequently characterized. Exploration of their behavior at the air–water interface is reported and analyzed in terms of the absolute configuration of the lipid tail carbinols at pH 4.0 and 8.0. All diastereomers exhibit a minimum surface tension of about 28 mN/m without a significant difference between the protonated (nonionic) or deprotonated (anionic) states. At pH 4.0 (nonionic), all diastereomers have a critical micelle concentration (CMC) in the micromolar range. At pH 8.0 (...
Detailed modeling and integrated solution of electrical motor driven system

Electrical system has become a growing trend in the past decades. Electrical motors are the central components that convert electrical power into mechanical power in motor-driven systems. Computer based simulation is used widely in motordriven system design due to the increase of system complexity. This paper presents an integrated solution to design and simulate complex, system level motor system with consideration of detailed device level dynamics. A system level power system library is developed using VHDL-AMS for the designer to easily prototype and analyze high level electrical power distribution and control problems. On the other hand, device level power semiconductor models and characterization are provided for accurate simulation of power electronics. Higher frequency noise and parasitic effects are also brought into the system with reduced order model (ROM) from finite element analysis (FEA) tools for noise spectrum analysis. Finally, a demonstrative example of motor drive system speed control for EMC analysis is presented with reasonable results.
On Desmond: the limits of spontaneous sociology

Matthew Desmond’s “Relational ethnography,” is a manifesto for a relational turn in ethnography, liberating it from the “substantialism” of bounded places, processed people and group culture. Substantialism, however, proves to be a largely mythical category that obscures two types of relational ethnography: Desmond’s empiricist transactional ethnography and an alternative, theoretically driven structural ethnography. Drawing on Desmond’s own ethnographies, On the Fireline and Evicted, I explore the limitations of his transactional ethnography—a “spontaneous sociology” that rejects the theoretical engagement and comparative logic. I elaborate and illustrate structural ethnography, drawing out the implications for public and policy sociology.
Improving the Quality of Life in a City of Phoenix, Arizona Neighborhood Through Collaborative Investment

In 2005, the FireStar Fund was established as a collaborative venture between the Valley of the Sun United Way, Stardust Foundation, United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association, City of Phoenix Fire Department, City of Phoenix Mayor’s Office and other community partners. This fund committed $150,000 over the course of a two-year period to “improve the lives of people and communities in the Phoenix-metro region, who are in social and economic distress.” This fresh approach to community building utilized the volunteer resources of the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association and their connections with other organizations and resources within the Phoenix metropolitan area to conduct revitalization efforts in a specific community. Destined to be a model for future FireStar Fund projects, the first year was dedicated to community building efforts within the City of Phoenix’s Maryvale Village. Utilizing past studies done in the neighborhood by other agencies and developing a set of “community health indicators,” Arizona State University’s Partnership for Community Development (PCD) worked collaboratively with neighborhood citizens and FireStar Fund partners to develop an investment action plan based on the citizens’ vision. First, the FireStar Fund partners developed a set of 18 indicator variables for defining neighborhood stability. Through interviews and focus groups, the PCD was able to document the neighborhood’s assets and the citizens’ collective vision for improving the quality of life in their community along each of these 18 indicators. Next, the FireStar Fund partners prioritized needed action not only in the context of this “organic” approach, but also in the context of insights available from the literature on community health. In this way, the residents and the FireStar Fund partners became the primary drivers of investment in their neighborhood but insights from the literature provided a structure for interpreting and organizing action. This process demonstrates the uniqueness of an approach to improve the quality of life in a neighborhood long-term that could well serve as a model for other communities.
The psychology of inflation on commitment bonds and citizenship intent: the case of Ghana

This study investigated the moderating effect of perceived inflation, an economic volatility construct, on the relation between commitment bonds and citizenship behaviour in the organisation and the union. A survey questionnaire was used to elicit perceptual responses from respondents in multiple unionised organisations in Ghana. Moderated multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesised relationships that perceived inflation differentially moderates the bond-citizenship relationships. After achieving conceptual fit of the multidimensional constructs, the inflation construct had an interactive effect on the organisational model but did not affect the union model. Perceived inflation moderates the effect of the affective bond on citizenship intent. The finding contributes to the literature on the psychology of inflation and the understanding of the impact of economic volatility on attitudes in the emerging economy of Ghana. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.
Die Anziehungskraft des Essens

Die notfallmassige Vorstellung des 17-jahrigen Patienten mit Prader-Willi-Syndrom in Begleitung der Eltern erfolgte aufgrund diffuser Bauchschmerzen seit wenigen Stunden.
MR Spectroscopy and the Early Detection of Cancer in Human Subjects

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is used to produce metabolic profiles of cancer tissue. The large amounts of data acquired necessitate the use of sophisticated statistical methods for analysis. We apply a Statistical Classification Strategy, developed in our institute, to data for fine needle aspirate biopsies of breast tumours, tissue biopsies from the prostate gland, and head and neck tumours. In all cases the diagnostic accuracy for cancer is very high (>95%). For the breast biopsies we can also diagnose if the cancer has spread to the lymphatic system, and if the tumour has established a vascular system. For the head and neck tumours we can predict which will respond to radiation therapy. We propose that high field (>/ = 3 Tesla) in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy will play a significant role in the non-invasive diagnosis of cancer.
Narcissistic Qualities and Infidelity

There are various theoretical reasons to expect narcissistic qualities to predict own and partner infidelity. Nevertheless, as we review here, research has been inconsistent in documenting such links, with some studies providing evidence suggesting a link between narcissism and infidelity and other studies failing to document significant associations. As we also review, subsequent research has documented more consistent links between narcissistic qualities and infidelity using a measure of sexual narcissism that assesses the extent to which narcissistic qualities are activated by the sexual domain. These latter findings suggest that the inconsistent associations that emerge using global assessments of narcissism may emerge because such assessments are too coarse and thus fail to capture important nuance important to the link between narcissistic qualities and infidelity. Future research may clarify such links even further by examining the role of partner narcissism, the facets of narcissism, the specific mechanisms through which such links emerge, and the various moderators of these links.
Correction: Electrostatics at the nanoscale.

Correction for ‘Electrostatics at the nanoscale’ by David A. Walker et al., Nanoscale, 2011, 3, 1316–1344.
IGBT Applications: Medical

The insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is used in the power supplies for medical diagnostic equipment such as X-ray machines and CT scanners. The quality of the images is enhanced by the excellent regulation of the voltage delivered to the X-ray tube by the IGBT-based power supply. It is used to drive the gradient coils in the MRI machines to obtain sectional images of the body. It drives the transducers in ultrasound machines used for neonatal care. The power supplies for lasers used for LASIK surgery utilize IGBTs. It enabled the creation of portable defibrillators for resuscitation of victims of cardiac arrest. The biphasic voltage waveform applied to the victim is controlled by the IGBT.
A Miniaturized UWB Microwave Dual-Comb Dielectric Spectroscopy System

This article presents a miniaturized microwave dual-comb spectroscopy (DCS) system for the characterization of materials in an ultrawideband (UWB) frequency range. The proposed UWB DCS system consists of two comb generators, a sensor, a mixer, a low-pass filter, and an oscilloscope. The output of the DCS system is generated by mixing of two frequency combs with slightly different repetition rates, while one of the combs contains UWB dielectric properties of the material under test (MUT). Thus, the microwave UWB properties of the MUT is mapped to the baseband frequency significantly reducing the receiver complexity. All the sources and the oscilloscope are phase-locked to enable the measurement of both magnitude and phase of the system output. To decrease the averaging time and increase the system calibration accuracy while maintaining the system sensitivity, only nine samples of the system output in the time domain are captured and used for calibration. Through calibration, the DCS system behavior is described with the magnitude and phase responses of 13 reference MUTs. Using such system description, $\epsilon '$ and $\epsilon ''$ of six unknown MUTs are estimated with errors less than $0.055|\epsilon ^{*}|$ in the frequency range from 3 to 10 GHz. This proposed DCS system is accurate, fast, and low cost with the possibility of being self-sustained and independent of the laboratory facility.
Lemon Socialism and the Federal Guaranty of Private Pension Obligations

For more than 30 years, the federally created Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ("PBGC") has guarantied private pension obligations. If a defined-benefit pension plan is terminated without enough assets to pay promised benefits, the PBGC steps in to cover most of the shortfall. Hammered in recent years by claims arising from bankrupt airlines and steel companies, the PBGC projected a deficit of $23.1 billion at the end of its 2005 fiscal year. These woes reflect the fact that the PBGC cannot charge a sufficient premium for its guaranty. The effect of the PBGC guaranty is to subsidize underfunded pension plans, possibly at taxpayer expense. Should the PBGC actually fail, most observers believe the federal government (i.e., taxpayers) would bail it out, rather than allowing it to default on pension payments to retirees. A taxpayer bailout would potentially be expensive, forcing Congress to choose between cutting other spending, raising taxes, and increasing government debt. For many, avoiding the fiscal impact is a sufficient imperative for putting the PBGC on stronger footing. The contribution of this Article is to identify another reason for reform beyond avoiding the fiscal impact. The PBGC-guaranty subsidy directly interferes with capital-market mechanisms. Pension plans are essentially corporate debt obligations that allow employers to finance their labor costs. Employers who finance these costs (or any other costs) through outside creditors must subject their business operations to the discipline of the capital markets. Outside creditors will attempt to minimize default risk by demanding restrictive covenants and security, and they will demand default premiums for any remaining risk of default. These demands are useful, as they ensure that scarce capital is allocated to the most worthy projects. In contrast, pension creditors (i.e., employees) are plagued by a moral-hazard problem. They have no incentive to make these demands, as the PBGC guaranties payment of their pensions. The moral hazard of employees suggests the true problem with the PBGC guaranty: it insulates employers from the discipline of capital markets when they borrow from their employees through pension plans. Since the tax code encourages financially strong employers to contribute to their pension plans and secure their pension obligations, financially strong firms do not benefit from the PBGC-guaranty subsidy. Financially weak firms are the primary beneficiaries. Because the PBGC-guaranty subsidy undermines capital-market discipline, it allows these weak firms to pursue risky, wasteful projects. Thus, the PBGC-guaranty subsidy can be seen as a form of "lemon socialism," whereby economically weaker firms are systematically aided by a federal loan guaranty at the expense of stronger firms and possibly the taxpayers.
Impacts of targeted education programs on the adoption of residential best management practices (BMP) to combat non-point source pollution

This study presents findings from a residential survey that examines education and outreach programs and their impacts on adoption of best management practices (BMPs). Findings indicate that specif...
The effects of acute water ingestion on body composition analyses via Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry.

Summary Background & aims To assess the influence of acute water ingestion on body composition analyses via Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA). Methods One hundred (44 females; 56 males; Age = 24.2 ± 6.7 yrs; Height = 175.8 ± 12.1 cm; Body Mass = 76.1 ± 16.5 kg) volunteers took part in this study. Participants underwent an initial DXA scan. Immediately following the DXA scan, each participant consumed 500 ml of water. Participants body mass was assessed again and immediately completed a second DXA scan. Total body fat mass, fat free mass, and percent body fat were quantified. Paired sample t-test and Pearson correlations were utilized to determine mean differences and the relationship between initial and secondary measures. Results Paired sample t-test analyses revealed significant a increase in body mass of 0.46 ± 0.1 kg [t(99) = 42.6, p Conclusions Results indicate that acute water ingestion before a DXA analysis will significantly influence body composition. More precisely, acute ingestion of 500 ml of water will significantly inflate fat free mass as well as lower percent body fat. While the values were of small magnitude, these results highlight the importance of the control of liquid ingestion prior to DXA scans for body composition measurement.
Chapter 5 – TRANSPORT COEFFICIENTS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the anisotropic part of the distribution function from which the appropriate net motion or drift of electrons and hence, the transport coefficients can be derived. The Boltzmann equation is used to solve the electrical conductivity of an ionized medium under the influence of an externally applied alternating current (AC) electric field. There is a direct conversion possible between conductivity and mobility; therefore, the mobility can be directly determined from the conductivity. The chapter presents some equations to calculate ion mobilities. The ion–molecule interaction is usually simpler than that for electrons because at low energies the polarization interaction potential applies, and the collision frequency and mobility are independent of electron energy. At higher energies, the ion–molecule interaction becomes a hard sphere interaction and the collision frequency increases with ion velocity; therefore, the mobility decreases. If a plasma is nonuniform in space, then there will be a diffusion of particles from regions of high density to areas of low density. This process can be characterized by a diffusion coefficient, and the diffusion coefficient can be determined using the Boltzmann equation expansion.
A study of the dosimetric impact of daily setup variations measured with cone-beam CT on three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy for early-stage breast cancer delivered in the prone position.

PURPOSE To evaluate the dosimetric impact of daily positioning variations measured with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) on whole-breast radiotherapy patients treated in the prone position. METHODS Daily CBCT was prospectively acquired for 30 consecutive patients positioned prone. Treatment for early-stage (≤II) breast cancer was prescribed with standard dose (50 Gy/25 fractions) or hypofractionation (42.56 Gy/16 fractions) for 13 and 17 patients, respectively. Systematic and random errors were calculated from the translational CBCT shifts and used to determine population-based setup margins. Mean translations (±one standard deviation) for each patient were used to simulate the dosimetric impact on targets (PTV_eval and lumpectomy cavity), heart, and lung. Paired Student's t tests at α = 0.01 were used to compare dose metrics after correction for multiple testing (P < 0.002). Significant correlation coefficients were used to identify associations (P < 0.01). RESULTS Of 597 total fractions, 20 ± 13% required patient rotation. Mean translations were 0.29 ± 0.27 cm, 0.41 ± 0.34 cm, and 0.48 ± 0.33 cm in the anterior-posterior, superior-inferior, and lateral directions leading to calculated setup margins of 0.63, 0.88, and 1.10 cm, respectively. Average three-dimensional (3D) shifts correlated with the maximum distance of breast tissue from the sternum (r = 0.62) but not with body-mass index. Simulated shifts showed significant, but minor, changes in dose metrics for PTV_eval, lung, and heart. For left-sided treatments (n = 18), mean heart dose increased from 109 ± 75 cGy to 148 ± 115 cGy. Shifts from the original plan caused PTV_eval hotspots (V105%) to increase by 5.2% ± 3.8%, which correlated with the total MU of wedged fields (r = 0.59). No significant change in V95% to the cavity was found. CONCLUSIONS Large translational variations that occur when positioning prone breast patients had small but significant dosimetric effects on 3DCRT plans. Daily CBCT may still be necessary to correct for rotational variations that occur in 20% of treatments. To maintain planned dose metrics, unintended beam shifts toward the heart and the contribution of wedged fields should be minimized.
Planar Multi-broadband Antenna for LTE/5G/GPS/GSM/UMTS and WLAN/WiMAX Wireless Applications

In this paper, a simple planar multiband antenna design for wireless handsets is introduced. The proposed antenna can support four broad frequency bands, covering LTE/WWAN/GNSS/WiMAX/WLAN and several bands that are suggested for 5G systems. The proposed antenna design consists of a folded driven monopole strip, and a parasitic ground connected to the main ground with several etched slots on the ground plane. The parasitic ground in conjunction with the driven monopole slot helps to cover the lower band, including LTE700 and GSM bands, while the slots at the parasitic ground help to fully cover and tune other desired bands. The antenna is printed on a low-cost ultra-thin FR-4 substrate with a compact size of 135 mm $$\times$$ 60 mm $$\times$$ 0.5 mm, suitable for the state-of-the-art wireless handsets, such as smart-phones. The design procedure and measurement results of the antenna have been presented and discussed.
Quantized Higher-Order Tensor Recovery by Exploring Low-Dimensional Structures

This paper considers the recovery of higher-order tensor with intrinsic low-dimensional structure from quantized measurements. By introducing the low CANDE-COMP/PARAFAC (CP) rank constraint, we propose nonconvex models for both the general tensor recovery and the recovery of the tensors with tensor singular value decomposition (TSVD). We prove that the recovery errors for both optimization models go to zero when the dimension lengths of tensors go to infinity, and tensors with TSVD can theoretically reach a lower error. This paper also establishes a lower bound for any tensor recovery algorithm. Subsequently, a tensor-based alternating proximal gradient descent algorithm (TBAPGD) and a TSVD-based projected gradient descent algorithm (TSVD-PGD) are proposed to solve the nonconvex optimization problems. We provide a convergence guarantee for the former algorithm, and demonstrate the effectiveness of the latter through simulations. We empirically extend both algorithms to scenarios of missing data and without quantization rule information. Finally, we present experimental results on both synthetic data and real datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods.
BCG therapy is associated with long-term, durable induction of Treg signature genes by epigenetic modulation.

Induction of immunosuppressive T-regulatory cells (Tregs) is a desirable goal in autoimmunity, and perhaps other immune diseases of activation. One promising avenue is with the bacille-calmette-guerin (BCG) vaccine in autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). Its administration is associated with gradual clinical improvements in human autoimmunity over a 2-3 year post-vaccination period. We hypothesize that those improvements, and their unusually long time course to fully materialize, are partially attributable to BCG's induction of Tregs. Here we report on a 3 year-long longitudinal cohort of T1Ds and examine the mechanism by which Treg induction occurs. Using the Human Infinium Methylation EPIC Bead Chip, we show that BCG vaccination is associated with gradual demethylation of most of 11 signature genes expressed in highly potent Tregs: Foxp3, TNFRSF18, CD25, IKZF2, IKZF4, CTLA4, TNFR2, CD62L, Fas, CD45 and IL2; nine of these 11 genes, by year 3, became demethylated at the majority of CpG sites. The Foxp3 gene was studied in depth. At baseline Foxp3 was over-methylated compared to non-diabetic controls; 3 years after introduction of BCG, 17 of the Foxp3 gene's 22 CpG sites became significantly demethylated including the critical TSDR region. Corresponding mRNA, Treg expansion and clinical improvement supported the significance of the epigenetic DNA changes. Taken together, the findings suggest that BCG has systemic impact on the T cells of the adaptive immune system, and restores immune balance through Treg induction.
Scientists Under Siege

The Animal Research War . By P. Michael Conn and James V. Parker . Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2008. 219 pp. $34.95, £22.99. ISBN 9780230600140. This expose of tactics used by animal rights extremists spotlights the efforts of those who wish to abolish all experimental work with animals.