cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IgG4-related disease: an update on pathophysiology and implications for clinical care.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) has only existed as a unique disease entity since 2003, yet remarkable progress has already been achieved in describing the essential features of the disease. A framework for systematic clinical studies has been created by the development of a quantitative disease activity tool (the IgG4-RD Responder Index) and the validation of classification criteria, both of which were the products of international, multi-centre investigations. In addition, substantial strides have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of IgG4-RD. In particular, the central role of B cells in the disease has been demonstrated by both the robust clinical responsiveness of IgG4-RD to B cell depletion and by the identification of multiple self-antigens that promote B cell expansion. CD4+ T cells have also been investigated in detail; CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (suspected of promoting disease) and a specific T follicular helper cell subset that contributes to IgG4 isotype switching have both been defined by multiple groups. The mechanisms by which these immune cells converge on target tissues, interact with fibroblasts and promote tissue remodelling are beginning to be understood and will be an important research focus in the coming years. Over the past few years, considerable advances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of IgG4-related disease. Our increased knowledge of the important roles of B cells and T cells is now starting to make its way into the clinic.
Steep Subthreshold Switching With Nanomechanical FET Relays

We present a physical model for electronic switching in the cantilever-based nanoelectromechanical FETs, focusing on the steepness of its switching curve. We find that the subthreshold swing of the voltage transfer characteristic is governed by two separate considerations. The steepness of the curve is improved beyond the Boltzmann limit when several dipolar charges sitting on the relay move together and amplify the active torque. The steepness is also improved by electrostatic destabilization and pull-in forces that abruptly close the airgap between the tip of the cantilever and the drain, and exponentially enhance the tunnel current. For small sized relays, dipolar and short-range van der Waals sticking forces dominate, while for longer cantilevers the capacitive energy acquires a major role. The individual pull-in and pull-out phases demonstrate a remarkably low subthreshold swing driven by the capacitive forces, sharpened further by dipolar correlation. The sharp switching, however, comes at the expense of a strong hysteresis as the metastable and stable states interchange along the forward and reverse phases of the voltage scan.
Complex Management of Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty Prior to TAVR in Severe Calcific Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis

An 80-year-old male presented with presyncope and progressive shortness of breath on minimal exertion. A grade III/VI systolic ejection murmur was appreciated at the left sternal border. Transthora...
Dissecting the Market-to-Book Premium: Separating the Effects of Accounting Reserve and Economic Profits

This paper analyzes the market-to-book premium based on the accounting principles that govern the measurement of the book value. The premium is accordingly disaggregated into two components: one resulting from the conservatism principle that biases the measurement of assets-in-place; the other due to delayed recognition of unrealized profits from future investments and operations. The two are shown to have opposite relationships with future investments and stock returns. A modified market-to-book factor (HMLTOT) and a modified investment factor (INV) subsume the predictive power of the HML factor and the CMA factor of Fama and French (2015).
The Influence of Culture on Latino Fathers’ Parenting Styles

AbstractObjectives: Although Latina mothers have been studied extensively, less consideration has been given to the impact of culture on Latino fathers’ parenting. This study explores the relations...
Anthocyanidins and related compounds—VII : Reactions of flavylium salts with 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione at pH 5·8

Abstract Phenolic flavylium salts, substituted and unsubstituted at position 3, condense with 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione in aqueous methanolic solutions at pH 5·8 to form novel cyclic flavan derivatives of types Xa and XIa.
Specialization and Exchange

Exchange takes place when there is a difference in opportunity costs among traders. When one trading partner has an absolute advantage in the production of all goods, there can be a comparative advantage that makes trade beneficial. This difference makes specialization and exchange an efficient way to allocate the resources and achieve production and consumption combinations that are not possible without exchange. The distribution of the gain among trading partners depends on the exchange rate that prevails and the opportunity costs of the traders. Exchange leads to specialization. When exchange takes place, individuals, firms, and nations can achieve greater consumption combinations by specializing in the goods in which they have comparative advantage and then trading for other goods that they need. This specialization leads to greater total production. Incomplete specialization is common than complete specialization. The law of diminishing returns limits the extent to which producers can benefit from specialization. Money encourages exchange and increases the potential for specialization. Money lowers the amount of information that is needed for exchange and lessens the need for a coincidence of wants.
Postoperative complications in obese children undergoing adenotonsillectomy

Abstract Objective The incidence of obesity in the pediatric population is increasing. To date, data are limited regarding safety of adenotonsillectomy in this patient population. The purpose of this study is to assess perioperative outcomes of adenotonsillectomy in the obese pediatric patient. Methods A review of the 2012 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) was conducted to compare patients with clinical modification codes for adenotonsillectomy plus obesity to patients with clinical modification codes for adenotonsillectomy alone. Elements for comparison included patient demographics and concurrent discharge. An in depth review of risk factors associated with respiratory complications in obese patients was also conducted. Results A weighted total of 899 obese and 20,535 non-obese patients admitted after adenotonsillectomy were identified. When these two groups were compared, respiratory complications were found in 16.2% of obese and 9.6% of non-obese patients ( p p = 0.007). In obese patients, respiratory complications were associated with male gender, low income, and concomitant asthma on multivariate analysis ( p = 0.01, 0.004, and 0.007 respectively). Conclusion Performing adenotonsillectomy on the obese pediatric patient is safe. When performing adenotonsillectomy on this patient population, one must be aware that respiratory events are the most common type of complication and risk of respiratory complications is higher in males, patients of low socioeconomic status, and patients with comorbid asthma, regardless of race or insurance status.
Elastic and inelastic scattering of 0.8 GeV polarized protons from Mg 24 and Mg 26

Data on 800 MeV polarized proton scattering on /sup 24/Mg and /sup 26/Mg are presented. Angular distributions and analyzing power data have been extracted from fits to 26 peaks in the spectra for /sup 24/Mg and 23 peaks in /sup 26/Mg. Although there are a variety of shapes for the angular distributions, the analyzing power data for all states are positive and similar in magnitude and seem to be consistent with a two-body operator for the excitation with a spin structure much like that for the free proton-nucleon system. Evidence for a level in /sup 26/Mg at 8.03 MeV with J>4 is presented. Comparison between the observed angular distribution, coupled channels, and distorted wave Born approximation calculations, and the angular distributions of excited states in neighboring nuclei, support the assignment of J/sup ..pi../ = 5/sup -/ or 6/sup +/. Coupled channels calculations for the 0/sup +/, 2/sup +/, 4/sup +/, and 6/sup +/ members of the ground state rotational bands of /sup 24/Mg and /sup 26/Mg are compared to the data. Deformation parameters from distorted wave Born approximation calculations are determined for most of the angular distributions.
Review of Antony Flew & Roy A. Varghese's Book: There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind

Antony Flew's "There is a God" deserves a careful read by both believer and non-believer. Flew sews together an evidential tapestry, mostly by pointing to the work of others like Albert Einstein, Paul Davies, Gerald Schroeder, John Barrow, Richard Cameron, David Berlinski, and several others. Overall, I am impressed with Flew's thinking. You can find this book at Amazon: There Is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind .
Oestradiol Microimplants in the Ventromedial Preoptic Area Inhibit Secretion of Luteinizing Hormone via Dopamine Neurones in Anoestrous Ewes

Oestradiol exerts a season-specific negative feedback effect on the GnRH/LH neurosecretory system of the Suffolk ewe. This neuroendocrine suppression is mediated in part by dopamine A15 neurones, but these neurones do not possess the oestrogen receptor. Based on indirect evidence, we hypothesized that oestrogen receptor-containing neurones in the ventromedial preoptic area (vmPOA) may be the initial step in a neuronal system whereby oestradiol suppresses GnRH secretion during the non-breeding season. To test this, three experiments were conducted using ovariectomized ewes receiving either empty or oestradiol-containing bilateral microimplants directed at the vmPOA or s.c. subcutaneous oestradiol-containing implants. In the first experiment, LH pulse frequency was measured on days 0, 1, 7 and 14 of treatment during seasonal anoestrus. In vmPOA oestradiol and s.c. oestradiol groups only, LH pulse frequency was suppressed on days 7 and 14, with maximal suppression evident by day 7. In the second experiment, this protocol was repeated during the breeding season, with LH pulses examined on days 0 and 7; LH pulse frequency did not change in any group. The third experiment tested if the effect of vmPOA oestradiol during anoestrus could be overcome by an injection of the dopamine-D2 receptor antagonist (-)-sulpiride. The vmPOA microimplants and s.c. oestradiol implants again suppressed LH pulse frequency and this was reversed by sulpiride in vmPOA oestradiol ewes. We conclude that oestradiol acts on cells in the vmPOA to stimulate a system involving dopamine neurones that inhibits GnRH/LH pulsatility in the anoestrous ewe.
Hormones, Pituitary‐Like Hormones

Hormones with structural and functional similarities to the hormones of the anterior pituitary gland fall into two main categories, ie, proteins of the prolactin/growth hormone (PRL/GH) family, and glycoproteins. Anterior pituitary-like hormones are produced in the placenta by chorionic tissue, and so are normally found in the female during pregnancy. Placental lactogens, members of the PRL/GH family, support growth and development of mammary tissue in preparation for lactation. Chorionic gonadotropin is similar in structure to luteinizing hormone and supports the maintenance of early pregnancy. Chorionic gonadotropin is found in humans and lower primates, as well as in horses. Information on primary structure and commercial sources is provided when available. Keywords: Growth hormone family; Placental growth hormones; Lactogens; Chorionic somatomammotropin; Prolactin-like proteins; Glycoprotein family; Human chorionic gonadotropin; Equine chorionic gonadotropin
Geomorphic constraints on the age of the western Grand Canyon

Hypotheses for the age of the western Grand Canyon (WGC) range from younger than 6 Ma to older than 70 Ma. We study the relationships among topography, geology, and available erosion rates in space and time to place constraints on plausible canyon incision histories. Evidence suggests that lateral retreat of the Shivwits Plateau escarpment left a lithologically controlled bench on the Sanup Plateau, but the Hualapai Plateau is beveled indiscriminately across rock types of the Paleozoic stratigraphic section. A period of accelerated base-level fall in the Tertiary is implicated by the canyon incised into the beveled Hualapai Plateau surface, consistent with higher erosion rates observed in canyons than on the surrounding plateau. Streams draining the Hualapai Plateau preserve relict headwater segments that were equilibrated with a slower base-level-fall rate before canyon incision. These relict segments are now separated from the Grand Canyon by knickpoints indicative of a transient landscape. Relief production since the beveling of the Hualapai Plateau is ∼1000 m in the WGC. Comparison of hillslope and channel morphologies between the Grand Wash Cliffs and the WGC provides a test to distinguish hypothesized ages of canyon incision. The data strongly suggest that carving of the WGC is younger than relief production due to slip on the Grand Wash fault ca. 18–12 Ma. Thus the geomorphic data are only fully consistent with the late Tertiary, transient incision model of canyon incision beginning at integration after 6 Ma.
The Pineal Affects Life Span in Hamsters with Heart Disease

Cardiomyopathic hamsters (CMH) develop heart disease early in life which leads to congestive heart failure and death as these hamsters age. We have previously shown that living in constant light or other non-24-h light-dark (LD) cycles can increase longevity in these hamsters, and the current experiment examined potential mechanisms for this effect. Thus, CMH were orchidectomized, pinealectomized, or given melatonin treatment and then placed on either 1:23 or 1:23.6 LD cycles. Orchidectomy had no effect on longevity in either LD cycle, but in 1:23.6 it did lead to death with a greater degree of heart failure. On the other hand, pinealectomy of 1:23 CMH led to changes in life span similar to those produced by placing the hamsters in 1:23.6. Moreover, melatonin implant treatment of CMH in 1:23.6 led to changes in life span that were similar to those caused by life in 1:23, at least over the first half of the survival curves. Thus, it appears that the pineal gland and melatonin may be involved in mediating the effects of non-24-h LD cycles, whether these effects are beneficial or detrimental. In addition, the testes and testosterone appear to have no role in mediating these effects. These data suggest that inhibition, rather than stimulation, of pineal function might be beneficial for those with congestive heart failure, but further experiments are necessary to clarify when during the disease process potential treatments might be helpful.
Original Articles: Kidney Cancer: Renal Cell Carcinoma: Tumor Size, Stage and Survival

ABSTRACTIn an attempt to define the relationship among tumor size, stage and survival, the Cancer Incidence and End Results Committee of the American Cancer Society, Illinois Division, Inc.reviewed the records of 2,473 patients with a histological diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Tumor size was related to stage and survival. Larger tumors were generally associated with an increased stage (p <=0.0005) as well as poorer survival (p <=0.005). For Robson stages II, III and IV, tumor size may contribute additional prognostic information for patient survival.
Extending FEAST-METAL for analysis of low content minor actinide bearing and zirconium rich metallic fuels for sodium fast reactors

Abstract Computational models in FEAST-METAL fuel behaviour code have been upgraded to simulate minor actinide bearing zirconium rich metallic fuels for use in sodium fast reactors. Increasing the zirconium content to 20–40 wt.% causes significant changes in fuel slug microstructure affecting thermal, mechanical, chemical, and fission gas behaviour. Inclusion of zirconium rich phase reduces the fission gas swelling rate significantly in early irradiation. Above the threshold fission gas swelling, formation of micro-cracks, and open pores increase material compliancy enhance diffusivity, leading to rapid fuel gas swelling, interconnected porosity development and release of the fission gases and helium. Production and release of helium was modelled empirically as a function of americium content and fission gas production, consistent with previous Idaho National Laboratory studies. Predicted fuel constituent redistribution is much smaller compared to typical U–Pu–10Zr fuel operated at EBR-II. Material properties such as fuel thermal conductivity, modulus of elasticity, and thermal expansion coefficient have been approximated using the available database. Creep rate and fission gas diffusivity of high zirconium fuel is lowered by an order of magnitude with respect to the reference low zirconium fuel based on limited database and in order to match experimental observations. The new code is benchmarked against the AFC-1F fuel assembly post irradiation examination results. Satisfactory match was obtained for fission gas release and swelling behaviour. Finally, the study considers a comparison of fuel behaviour between high zirconium content minor actinide bearing fuel and typical U–15Pu–6Zr fuel pins with 75% smear density. The new fuel has much higher fissile content, allowing for operating at lower neutron flux level compared to fuel with lower fissile density. This feature allows the designer to reach a much higher burnup before reaching the cladding dose limit. On the other hand, in order to accommodate solid fission product swelling and to control fuel clad mechanical interaction of the stiffer fuel, the fuel smear density is reduced to 70%. In addition, plenum height is increased to accommodate for fission gases.
PVC/ABS Blends: Thermal and Morphological Studies

Poly(vinyl chloride) and acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene terpolymer blends made via melt blending were studied with respect to property enhancement, morphology, and physicochemical characterization. Blends were characterized by various thermal, morphological, and spectro‐chemical methods of analysis. Two distinct glass transitions were recorded by differential scanning calorimetry. This suggested the need for a compatibilizer. Thermal decomposition behavior of blends was analysed by thermogravimetric analysis. Incorporation of ABS had marginal effect on rate, chemistry, and overall pattern of decomposition of poly(vinyl chloride). Interaction of polar functional groups in the two blend components was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique. Scanning electron micrographs indicated uniform dispersion of rubber particles in the matrix, but poor interfacial adhesion between the two phases was noticed.
Induction of Testicular Aromatization by Luteinizing Hormone in Mature Rats

The hormonal regulation of testicular aromatization and the intratesticular site of estradiol synthesis was investigated in adult rats. To determine testicular aromatization, cell-free homogenates of whole testes, isolated interstitial tissue, and seminiferous tubules were incubated with [3H]testosterone. 3H-Labeled estrogens were isolated and final identity was established by recrystallization of the product with authentic 17β-estradiol or estrone. No 3H-labeled estrogens could be identified in testicular incubations from saline-treated rats. In contrast, similar incubations from rats treated for 6 days with hCG or LH had the capacity to aromatize testosterone to estradiol. Testicular homogenates from rats treated with 4.4 IU hCG/day synthesized 4.76 pg estradiol/mg protein, which represents approximately 280 pg estradiol synthesized/testis during a 3-h incubation. In incubations of cell-free homogenates of isolated testicular compartments from hCG-treated rats, aromatase activity was demonstrated only i...
Aurantiporus priscus (Basidiomycota), a New Polypore from Old Fallen Conifer Trees

A new species in Basidiomycota, Aurantiporus priscus Niemela, Miettinen & Manninen, growing on large, long-ago fallen and decorticated conifer trunks, is described from old virgin forests. We report it from Finland, Poland and Sweden. Its fresh tubes are fleshy, soft and pale salmon-coloured, contrasting with a cottony and orange- to tan-coloured subiculum. With KOH, the tubes only darken, while the subiculum and fruitbody margin of fully-grown basidiocarps become bright cherry-red. This species has been confused with Hapalopilus aurantiacus and H. ochraceolateritius, which have cylindrical spores, while the spores of A. priscus are ellipsoid. The type of Polyporus salmonicolor was reviewed.
Sentimental Rules: On the Natural Foundations of Moral Judgment

Sentimental Rules is an ambitious and highly interdisciplinary work, which proposes and defends a new theory about the nature and evolution of moral judgment. In it, philosopher Shaun Nichols develops the theory that emotions play a critical role in both the psychological and the cultural underpinnings of basic moral judgment. Nichols argues that our norms prohibiting the harming of others are fundamentally associated with our emotional responses to those harms, and that such "sentimental rules" enjoy an advantage in cultural evolution, which partly explains the success of certain moral norms. This has sweeping and exciting implications for philosophical ethics. Nichols builds on an explosion of recent intriguing experimental work in psychology on our capacity for moral judgment and shows how this empirical work has broad import for enduring philosophical problems. The result is an account that illuminates fundamental questions about the character of moral emotions and the role of sentiment and reason in how we make our moral judgments. This work should appeal widely across philosophy and the other disciplines that comprise cognitive science.
The national DBS brain tissue network pilot study: need for more tissue and more standardization

Over 70,000 DBS devices have been implanted worldwide; however, there remains a paucity of well-characterized post-mortem DBS brains available to researchers. We propose that the overall understanding of DBS can be improved through the establishment of a Deep Brain Stimulation-Brain Tissue Network (DBS-BTN), which will further our understanding of DBS and brain function. The objectives of the tissue bank are twofold: (a) to provide a complete (clinical, imaging and pathological) database for DBS brain tissue samples, and (b) to make available DBS tissue samples to researchers, which will help our understanding of disease and underlying brain circuitry. Standard operating procedures for processing DBS brains were developed as part of the pilot project. Complete data files were created for individual patients and included demographic information, clinical information, imaging data, pathology, and DBS lead locations/settings. 19 DBS brains were collected from 11 geographically dispersed centers from across the U.S. The average age at the time of death was 69.3 years (51–92, with a standard deviation or SD of 10.13). The male:female ratio was almost 3:1. Average post-mortem interval from death to brain collection was 10.6 h (SD of 7.17). The DBS targets included: subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus interna, and ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus. In 16.7% of cases the clinical diagnosis failed to match the pathological diagnosis. We provide neuropathological findings from the cohort, and perilead responses to DBS. One of the most important observations made in this pilot study was the missing data, which was approximately 25% of all available data fields. Preliminary results demonstrated the feasibility and utility of creating a National DBS-BTN resource for the scientific community. We plan to improve our techniques to remedy omitted clinical/research data, and expand the Network to include a larger donor pool. We will enhance sample preparation to facilitate advanced molecular studies and progenitor cell retrieval.
Low-Cost, High Resolution X-Band Laboratory Radar System for Synthetic Aperture Radar Applications

Entry into the field of radar cross section measurements or synthetic aperture radar (SAR) algorithm development is often difficult due to the cost of high-end precision pulsed IF or other precision radar test instruments. A low-cost entry-level alternative was developed in order to provide an intermediate step between high-end high precision radar systems and ad-hock spare parts systems. The system developed is a frequency modulated continuous wave radar utilizing a homodyne radar architecture. Transmit chirp covers 8 GHz to 10.5 GHz with 18 dBm of transmit power. Due to the fairly wide transmit bandwidth, this radar is capable of better than 12 inches of range resolution. The dynamic range of this system was measured to be 60 dB. Such a low-cost, high resolution X-band laboratory radar system could be utilized as a linear rail SAR, inverse SAR, or for motion compensation experiments.
A multiwavelength time-sharing dual beam spectrophotometer for biological tissues

The utility of the dual wavelength spectrophotometer is extended by providing the monochromators with stepping motors to control wavelength, and providing regulation of the photomultiplier gain to give constant output on one channel. Under control of a small microprocessor, the instrument can alternate rapidly between four pairs of wavelengths, giving a time-sharing presentation of the kinetics of four pigments during the same experimental run. Additionally, by driving the two wavelengths synchronously with a small offset, a wavelength derivative spectrum can be obtained, which can be integrated to produce a difference spectrum from a single piece of tissue. These techniques are especially applicable to epithelial tissue and other biological material not available as homogeneous suspensions.
β2-Adrenergic Receptor Polymorphisms and Signaling: Do Variants Influence the “Memory” of Receptor Activation?

Nonsynonymous, coding sequence single-nucleotide polymorphisms in β 2 -adrenergic receptors were first recognized almost 20 years ago, but a full understanding of their impact on signal transduction—especially on receptor abundance in native cells and their clinical importance—remains unclear. New evidence has revealed a feature of the Arg 16 Gly variant of β 2 -adrenergic receptors that has not been previously noted: a difference in the rate of response upon repeated stimulation of the receptors, such that the Arg 16 variant shows slower activation and the Gly 16 variant faster activation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) formation—a feature that the authors term “receptor memory.” This is an intriguing idea but will require confirmation and demonstration of its functional importance in vivo and its possible contribution to clinical responses, especially in terms of the administration of β 2 -adrenergic agonists.
Point-Wise Wind Retrieval and Ambiguity Removal Improvements for the QuikSCAT Climatological Data Set

In this paper, we introduce a reprocessing of the entire SeaWinds on QuikSCAT mission. The goal of the reprocessing is to create a climate data record suitable for climate studies and to incorporate recent algorithm improvements. Three different levels of QuikSCAT data are produced at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory: L1B, geolocated, calibrated, backscatter measurements in chronological order by acquisition time; L2A, backscatter measurements binned into a geographical grid; and L2B, gridded ocean surface wind vectors. This reprocessing only changes the L2A and L2B data; we have not changed the L1B processing at all. We introduce new algorithms used in the L1B to L2A processing and in the L2A to L2B processing. After introducing our new algorithms, we show the validation studies performed to date, which include comparisons to numerical weather products, comparisons to buoy data sets, comparisons to other remote sensing instruments, and spectral considerations.
Diagnostics in the Front Line against Infectious Disease

In spite of the terrible conflicts that currently plague our world, perhaps ironically, we have never been more interconnected. An old foe that we all share is the threat posed by dangerous pathogens, the spread of which is made infinitely easier by our ability to travel large distances in short time periods within our so-called global village. In 2014, the world health community appears to be losing the battle against infectious disease, largely from a failure to allocate adequate financial resources for diagnostics. Development of effective diagnostics for identification and surveillance of deadly pathogens is essential in preventing the spread across borders. This report, based on an article by Mark Kessel in Nature Biotechnology , …
Bleeding Risk and Outcomes of Bivalirudin Versus Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors With Targeted Low-Dose Unfractionated Heparin in Patients Having Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Either Stable or Unstable Angina Pectoris

For patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), procedural anticoagulation with bivalirudin was previously shown to significantly reduce bleeding complications at the cost of a modest increase in ischemic events compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs). However, the excess bleeding in patients treated with UFH and GPIs may have been caused by excessively high UFH doses and increased activated clotting times. This study sought to determine the bleeding risk of targeted low-dose UFH with GPIs compared with bivalirudin in patients undergoing elective PCI. Of 1,205 patients undergoing elective PCI, 602 underwent PCI with adjunctive UFH and GPIs with the UFH dose targeted to an activated clotting time of approximately 250 seconds, and 603 patients matched for baseline characteristics underwent PCI with bivalirudin. Outcomes were analyzed for major bleeding (hematocrit decrease >15%, gastrointestinal bleed, or major hematoma) and 6-month major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, and target-lesion revascularization). The maximum activated clotting time achieved was 261.7 ± 61.6 seconds in the UFH/GPI group and 355.4 ± 66.6 in the bivalirudin group (p
An Algorithm for the Computation of Preimages in Noninvertible Mappings

For discrete dynamical systems generated by iterating a diffeomorphism, every point in the phase space has a unique preimage and it is straightforward to compute geometric structures such as inverse orbits and one-dimensional stable manifolds of periodic points. For noninvertible mappings, however, some points have multiple preimages; others may have no preimages. This makes the computation of inverse orbits difficult, because accurate computations require global knowledge about the way the mapping folds and pleats phase space. In this article we use ideas from singularity theory to examine the geometry of noninvertible mappings. We use the geometry to derive a computational algorithm for efficiently computing preimages in noninvertible mappings.
Microleakage at the gingival wall with four Class V anterior restorative materials

R estoring Class V erosion and abrasion lesions is a problem that has plagued dentists for years. A cavity preparation with the incisal or occlusal margin on enamel and with the gingival margin on cementum or dentin presents a special challenge. Composite resins have been advocated to restore the lesions when they are visible. Even when the acid-etch technique is used, leakage at the gingival margin can be expected.’ Such leakage may result in postoperative sensitivity.2 Several studies have shown how microleakage around a composite resin restoration can be reduced or eliminated.7-” All these studies dealt with restorations in which the margins were entirely in enamel rather than with restorations that contained margins in enamel and cementum or dentin. In this study, the marginal leakage of four commercially available anterior restorative materials placed in regions of simulated cervical abrasion/erosion was evaluated. The manufacturers of two of the composite resin materials claim that they will bond to cementum and dentin.
Financial intermediation and fragility: the role of the periphery

A peculiar feature of the present international economy is that the leading ‘hegemonic’ country, USA, has a large and mounting external deficit which it finances by issuing debt in its own currency. The US can be seen to be at the apex of a pattern of triangular payments recycling the surpluses of creditor countries to debtor countries in the periphery. The paper shows, within a stock‐flow‐consistent framework, how capital flight from debtor periphery countries, by precipitating a shift from assets denominated in domestic currency to those denominated in dollars, acts like a safety valve for the international monetary system.
A Cautionary Note on Natural Hedging of Longevity Risk

In this article, we examine the so-called natural hedging approach for life insurers to internally manage their longevity risk exposure by adjusting their insurance portfolio. In particular, unlike the existing literature, we also consider a nonparametric mortality forecasting model that avoids the assumption that all mortality rates are driven by the same factor(s). Our primary finding is that higher order variations in mortality rates may considerably affect the performance of natural hedging. More precisely, although results based on a parametric single factor model—in line with the existing literature—imply that almost all longevity risk can be hedged, results are far less encouraging for the nonparametric mortality model. Our finding is supported by robustness tests based on alternative mortality models.
The use of single crystal rare gas lattices to study homogeneous lineshapes of impurities: SF6 in xenon

Abstract The IR absorption spectrum of SF6 in single crystal xenon has been studied as a function of temperature. Only one trapping site is stable in single crystal xenon and the v3 linewidth for this site is dominated by homogeneous broadening throughout the entire temperature range studied (14–160 K). The v3 linewidth shows an approximate eαT dependence which is inconsistent with either elastic phonon scattering or local phonon modes independently as the dominant dephasing mechanism. The results suggest that dephasing involves both site local and bulk phonon modes with the former dominating at low temperatures and the latter at higher temperatures.
Chemical modulation of chaperone-mediated autophagy by retinoic acid derivatives

Structure-based design of RARα antagonists leads to compounds that can selectively upregulate chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), yielding the first chemically tractable target for regulating CMA in cells.
Linking national standards: A reflective process

Abstract This article describes the reflective process used by a group of early childhood faculty members to study national standards in order to improve their teacher education program. The standards studied included those from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/ECE). The reflective process and study resulted in changes in field experiences, course requirements and activities and assisted in state and national accreditation.
Phase switching at low field and large sustainable strain output in domain engineered ferroic crystals

Fundamental shortcomings of ferroelectrics (FEs) are low induced strain and high electric field often required for practical application in actuation, sensors, and acoustics. Although domain engineered FE single crystals deliver an order of magnitude improvement, fatigue remains another drawback in achieving reliable multiple domain switching crucial for memory storage. We demonstrate that under specially compressive stresses FE relaxors exhibit low field induced reversible and sustainable strain associated with FE–FE phase switching and unusual and unexpected lack of fatigue after several millions cycles is believed due to strain accommodation occurring in ferroics. Polarized light microscopy and X-ray diffraction are in a very good agreement with macroscopic observation and phenomenological model confirming proposed transformational path. The phenomena presented in this work are envisioned to be universal in domain engineered ferroics enabling mechanical stress to be used for strain and polarization control of electromechanical energy conversion.
THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE URBAN HOMELESS: A CASE STUDY OF CHICAGO

The homeless emerged as a social problem in the 1980s because an increasing number of the destitute urban poor became visible. In earlier decades, the concentration and central location of the Skid Row hotels not only kept the very poor from public view, but fostered a variety of economic and social resources that enabled poor residents to obtain and protect a modest degree of autonomy. The destruction of Skid Row hotels to make way for new centercity development in the 1960s and 1970s virtually wiped out these vital, if unattractive, residential communities for the very poor. The poor today, lacking the geographic community resources of Skid Row, seek shelter throughout the city. Paradoxically, the location of emergency shelters in poverty areas institutionalizes this dispersal and promotes dependency.
True Amplitude One-way Propagators Implemented With Localized Corrections On Beamlets

The transmission coefficient and WKBJ approximation can be adopted for constructing the true amplitude propagators. For vertically inhomogeneous media, the WKBJ approximation or transmission coefficients can be applied on the plane waves at each depth to get the true amplitudes. While for the media with lateral variation, the correction coefficients vary with horizontal locations, and cannot be applied on the global plane waves. However, the beamlet propagators decompose the wavefield into localized beamlets, and the laterally varying WKBJ or transmission correction coefficients can be conducted on a localized basis at each depth. In this paper, the theory for the localized WKBJ and transmission corrections are proposed and implemented with the local cosine basis (LCB) beamlet propagator. Numerical examples of the impulse responses are calculated to demonstrate the feasibility of the local WKBJ and local transmission corrections.
LINEAR WAVES THAT EXPRESS THE SIMPLEST POSSIBLE PERIODIC STRUCTURE OF THE COMPRESSIBLE EULER EQUATIONS

Abstract In this paper we show how the simplest wave structure that balances compression and rarefaction in the nonlinear compressible Euler equations can be represented in a solution of the linearized compressible Euler equations. Such waves are exact solutions of the equations obtained by linearizing the compressible Euler equations about the periodic extension of two constant states separated by entropy jumps. Conditions on the states and the periods are derived which allow for the existence of solutions in the Fourier 1-mode. In [3, 4, 5] it is shown that these are the simplest linearized waves such that, for almost every period, they are isolated in the kernel of the linearized operator that imposes periodicity, and such that they perturb to nearby nonlinear solutions of the compressible Euler equations that balance compression and rarefaction along characteristics in the formal sense described in [3]. Their fundamental nature thus makes them of interest in their own right. Key words compressible Euler; periodic solutions; conservation laws
Does Prenatal Diagnosis Morally Require Provision of Selective Abortion

Ballantyne and colleagues (2009) argue that it is unjust to provide prenatal diagnosis and antenatal screening (PND/S) without also providing safe and legal access to selective abortion for these s...
Purification of FSH-releasing factor: its dissimilarity from LHRH of mammalian, avian, and piscian origin.

Abstract Sheep stalk median eminence fragments were lyophylized, extracted and filtered through a column of Sephadex G-25. The fractions were then assayed for the presence of LHRH by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and bioassayed for FSH and LH-releasing activity following their IV injection into ovariectomized, estrogen progesterone-blocked rats. The radioimmunoassayable LHRH emerged from the column at the same position from which it emerged many years before when LH was measured by bioassay. This same region also contained the LH-releasing activity as measured by bioassay. FSH-releasing activity was present in two tubes just preceding the emergence of the bio- and immunoassayable LHRH. The activity was highly significant and there was no LH- releasing activity in the fractions. They contained much less LHRH as determined by RIA than is sufficient to evoke LH release in this assay. The FSH-releasing activity was recovered in the same fractions in which it was found many years ago with this same assay but with measurement of plasma FSH by bio-rather than immunoassay as employed here. A dose-related release of LH was obtained by injection of LHRH in this assay but there was no significant FSH release even with a dose of 27 ng of LHRH per rat. To determine if one of the LHRHs of lower forms might be FSH-RF, Chicken I and II LHRH and Salmon LHRH were also assayed for FSH- and LH-releasing activity. Each of these peptide possessed LH-releasing activity, albeit much less than that of the mammalian peptide but had no FSH-releasing activity whatsoever. It is concluded that an FSH-RF probably mediates the selective hypothalamic control of FSH release. The structure of the presumed peptide remains to be determined.
Impact of REM sleep on distortions of self-concept, mood and memory in depressed/anxious participants.

Abstract Introduction We tested the hypothesis that REM sleep contributes to core features of cognitive dysfunction of anxious depression including negative self-appraisals, biased memory processing and unpleasant dream content. Methods After a habituation night in a sleep lab, a convenience sample of 35 healthy college students and 20 depressed/anxious students were awakened 10 min into a REM sleep episode and then 10 min into a NREM sleep episode. Awakenings were counterbalanced to control circadian effects. After each awakening participants reported a dream and then completed memory recall, mood and self-appraisal tasks. Results Self-appraisals of depressed/anxious participants were significantly less positive and significantly more negative after awakenings from REM sleep vs NREM sleep. Appraisal of the REM sleep dream self was negative for depressed/anxious subjects only. Recall of negative memories was significantly more frequent after REM vs NREM sleep awakenings for both depress/anxious and healthy participants. REM sleep dreams were associated with greater frequencies of negative emotion, greater aggression and victimization rates than dreams in NREM sleep for depressed/anxious participants. Limitations Depressed/anxious participants were classified as such on the basis of mood scales rather than clinical interview. All participants were drawn from a volunteer college student population and thus our results may not be applicable to some elderly clinical populations. Conclusions REM appears to facilitate cognitive distortions of anxious depression.
Designing CD8+ T cell vaccines: it's not rocket science (yet).

CD8+ T cells play important roles in clearing viral infections and eradicating tumors. Designing vaccines that elicit effective CD8+ T cell responses requires a thorough knowledge of the pathways of antigen presentation in vivo. Here, I review recent progress in understanding the activation of naive CD8+ T cells in vivo, with particular emphasis on cross-priming, the presentation of protein antigens acquired by dendritic cells from their environment. With the rapid advances in this area of research, the dawn of rational vaccine design is at hand.
Differences in the Function of Three Conserved E-boxes of the Muscle Creatine Kinase Gene in Cultured Myocytes and in Transgenic Mouse Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle

Abstract The 1256-base pair enhancer-promoter of the mouse muscle creatine kinase gene includes three CAnnTG E-boxes that are conserved among mammals and have flanking and middle sequences conforming to consensus muscle regulatory factor binding sites. This study seeks to determine whether these E-boxes are critical for muscle creatine kinase expression in physiologically distinct muscles. Mutations of the “right” and “left” E-boxes in the enhancer decreased expression in cultured skeletal myocytes ∼10- and 2-fold, respectively, whereas a “promoter” E-box mutation had little effect. In neonatal myocardiocytes, the left E-box mutation decreased expression ∼3-fold, whereas right or promoter E-box mutations had no effect. Very different effects were seen in transgenic mice, where the promoter E-box mutation decreased expression in quadriceps, extensor digitorum longus, and soleus ∼10-fold, and ∼100-fold in distal tongue, diaphragm, and ventricle. The right E-box mutation, tested in the presence of the other two mutations, caused a significant decrease in distal tongue, but not in quadriceps, extensor digitorum longus, soleus, or ventricle. Mutation of the left E-box actually raised expression in soleus, suggesting a possible repressor role for this control element. The discrepancies between mutation effects in differentiating skeletal muscle cultures, neonatal myocardiocytes, and adult mice suggested that the E-boxes might play different roles during muscle development and adult steady-state function. However, transgenic analysis of embryonic and early postnatal mice indicated no positive role for these three E-boxes in early development, implying that differences in E-box function between adult muscle and cultured cells are the result of physiological signals.
Intracavity Laser Raman Spectroscopy Using a Commercial Laser

The modification of a commercial laser for intracavity molecular scattering experiments is discussed. An improvement of almost 100 times in laser intensity is reported. Steps taken to eliminate an undesired secondary laser line produced by the laser because of the increase of laser intensity are presented.
Anion activation by catalysts used in phase transfer catalysis

Abstract The chemical kinetics of phase transfer catalyzed reactions depend primarily on several inter-related parameters: li]catalyst structure 1. reaction conditions and concentrations 2. type of reaction being catalyzed. From the kinetics one may often assess the relative importance of these parameters. Of particular interest is the effect of the molecular structure of the catalyst on its effectiveness. Molecular structure in anion transfer catalysts affects not only the ability of the catalyst to transfer anions from solid or aqueous phases into organic phases, but it also affects the ability of the catalyst to activate the anion for its reaction with the organic phase reactant. The lecture to be presented is a summary of work dealing with the dependence of the kinetics of some phase transfer catalyzed reaction system on catalyst structure, and of how these structures influence anion activation.
Effects of stimulus-independent oculomotor activity on the occipital EEG.

Abstract In order to assess the effects of oculomotor activity on the occipital alpha rhythm, 24 subjects performed each of 2 instructed tasks — random eye movement and eye movement suppression — under conditions of darkness (with eyes both open and closed) and illumination (eyes open in a Ganzfeld ). Recordings of the occipital EEG indicated a general blocking of alpha during periods of oculomotor activity for 2 dependent measures, percent time alpha and mean duration of alpha bursts, by comparison with baseline intervals of relaxation. These results are interpreted as support for the activating effects of efferent, oculomotor processes on the alpha component of the EEG.