cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Localization of the carotid artery within the tonsillar fossa by doppler flow mapping

Injury to the internal carotid artery during procedures performed in the tonsillar fossa can be catastrophic. Ton-sillectomy or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty was performed on 32 patients at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania or the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Using Doppler ultrasonography, the course of the internal carotid artery in the postsurgical tonsillar fossa was mapped. The results indicate that, in the majority of patients, the internal carotid artery is located between 20% and 60% of the total width across the tonsillar fossa, as measured from the posterior pillar. Appreciation of the surgical anatomy of the tonsillar fossa with respect to the internal carotid artery should contribute to improved intraoperative judgment and further limit the risk of vascular injury during oropharyngeal procedures.
Energy optimal sizing of FinFET standard cells operating in multiple voltage regimes using adaptive independent gate control

FinFET has been proposed as an alternative for bulk CMOS in the ultra-low power designs due to its more effective channel control, reduced random dopant fluctuation, higher ON/OFF current ratio, lower energy consumption, etc. The characteristics of FinFETs operating in the sub/near-threshold region are very different from those in the strong-inversion region. This paper introduces an analytical transregional FinFET model with high accuracy in both subthrehold and near-threshold regions. The unique feature of independent gate controls for FinFET devices is exploited for achieving a tradeoff between energy consumption and delay, and balancing the rise and fall times of FinFET gates. This paper proposes an effective design framework of FinFET standard cells based on the adaptive independent gate control method such that they can operate properly at all of subthreshold, near-threshold and super-threshold regions. The optimal voltage for independent gate control is derived so as to achieve equal rise and fall times or minimal energy-delay product at any supply voltage level.
Survival of bisected rabbit morulae transferred to synchronous and asynchronous recipients

The rabbit was used as a model to test the concept that temporal asynchrony is required to establish physiological synchrony when embryos are bisected to produce demiembryos. In preliminary studies with intact embryos it was confirmed that embryos harvested on days 2,3,4, or 5 (day 0 = day of breeding) can be transferred with ± 1 day of asynchrony to the uteri of recipient rabbits. Three experiments were conducted with bisected embryos. In experiment 1, 192 bisected and 194 control day 3 embryos were transferred to uteri of day 2,2.5, and 3 recipients (ovulated 0, 12, and 24 h after the donors), with 14% of the bisected and 39% of the intact embryos (P < .05) resulting in young. Only 4% (2/48) of the day 3 bisected embryos vs. 39% (P < .05) of the intact day 3 embryos survived in the uteri of day 2 recipients. In experiment 2, day 3 bisected and intact embryos were transferred to the oviducts of day 3, 3.5, or 4 recipients, the speculation being that the oviduct might provide a more neutral enviroment than the uterus. However, embryo survival was very low, except for the intact embryos transferred to synchronized recipients (42% young born). In experiment 3, 150 intact and 162 (81 pairs) bisected day 3 embryos collected from uteri were transferred to uteri of day 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 recipient does. Significantly more pregnancies (100% vs. 47%, P < .01) and young born (56% vs. 19%, P < .01) resulted from intact embryos than from bisected embryos, irrespective of the uterine age. Asynchrony (±0.5 days) did not affect pregnancy rate or young born from day 3 intact embryos, but bisected embryos are more sensitive to uterine or oviductal environment than whole embryos; survival was higher (P < .05) when they were transferred to day 2.5 recipients.
INFLUENCE OF REPRODUCTIVE STAGE UPON THE FERTILITY OF GONADOTROPHINTREATED FEMALE RABBITS

Gonadotrophic preparations have been used experimentally to bring about the ovulation of fertilizable ova in mice (Engle, 1927) rats (Cole, 1937; Evans and Simpson, 1940) and rabbits (Pincus, 1940). No adequate estimates have been made, however, of the initial fertility of the eggs in these species. In some larger animals, there is the suggestion that the fertility of the eggs is affected by the stage of the reproductive cycle at the time of treatment. Cows treated in the early part of the estrous cycle yielded no fertilized eggs (Zavadovskii et al. 1935; Casida et al. 1940; Casida et al. 1943). but good fertility was obtained by the latter workers in those treated late in the cycle. Fertility has also been obtained in sheep treated in the follicular phase of the estrous cycle (Loginova and Lopyrin, 1938; Parkes and Hammond, 1940; Hammond et al. 1942).
Electron-Beam Sensitivity and Patterning of an Aqueous-Develop, Epoxy-Based Polynorbornene Dielectric Material

The lithographic characteristics of electron-beam (e-beam)-induced crosslinking of an epoxy–polynorbornene (PNB) mixture were studied in an effort to explore the feasibility of using this material as a high-contrast, high-sensitivity e-beam-imageable dielectric material. High resolution (for isolated lines) and e-beam sensitivity were obtained for specific mixtures of PNB– epoxy materials. The interaction of an electron beam with the PNB mixture, which includes epoxy cross-linkers, a photoacid generator (PAG), and a sensitizer, was investigated. The contribution of each of the components to the contrast, resolution for isolated lines, and e-beam sensitivity was evaluated. Cross-linking of the irradiated PNB polymer, by itself, was found to occur at relatively high e-beam doses. The primary route to high sensitivity was through epoxy ring-opening and PNB cross-linking by e-beam activation of the PAG. The effects of the post-exposure bake and aqueous-develop conditions on the lithographic characteristics were investigated. Physical structures with critical dimension of 100 nm to 500 nm were fabricated with line edge roughness of 13.5 nm. Contrast values as high as approximately 8 were obtained at doses as low as 0.38 lC/cm 2 .
Venous catheter based mapping of epicardial ectopic activation

Catheter based electrophysiological studies of the epicardium are limited to regions near the coronary vessels or require transthoracic access. We have developed a statistical approach by which to estimate high-resolution maps of epicardial activation from very low-resolution multielectrode venous catheter measurements. Essential components of this approach are the training data set composition and the catheter electrode locations used to determine the relationship between catheter sites and the remaining measurement sites on the epicardium. We report here on the methods we investigated to show the effect of the content of the training set. Our results showed that the closer the match between features of the maps to be reconstructed and the training data set. the more estimation accurately predicted the earliest site of activation. We also report results from two different approaches to leadset selection by which we obtained similar accuracy levels. The results of this study suggest that reconstructing complete epicardial activation maps from venous catheter based measurements is both feasible and practical for future clinical applications.
The calculated and observed ionospheric properties during Atmospheric Explorer-C satellite crossings over Millstone Hill

The Atmospheric Explorer-C (AE-C) satellite passed almost directly over the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar station on 14 February 1974 and passed within the near vicinity of the station on 15 February 1974. Measurements of ionospheric and atmospheric properties were made simultaneously by the incoherent scatter radar and the AE-C satellite instruments. The incoherent scatter radar measured vertical profiles of the electron and ion temperatures and electron density and these data were used to derive a neutral gas temperature profile. The AE-C satellite measured the electron and ion densities and electron and ion temperatures, neutral gas composition, solar EUV flux, photoelectron spectra, the 6300 A volume emission rate profile and the distribution of NO along the satellite path. These simultaneous measurements provide a consistent set of data to examine current F-region theory in the daytime ionosphere. We used a time-dependent coupled model of the ionospheric E- and F-region to calculate the ionospheric properties over Millstone Hill at the times of the AE-C crossings and then compared the calculated structure to the observed structure. The results show good agreement between the incoherent scatter radar measurements and the model calculations. There is also good agreement among satellite and incoherent scatter radar measurements and model calculations for the altitude of the satellite crossing, 161 km. The satellite measurements along the orbital path, however, reveal considerable horizontal gradients in the measured ionospheric properties.
Heat shock protein–peptide complex in the treatment of glioblastoma

Vaccination immunotherapies offer the promise of long-term tumor control, and preclinical trials have found promising results. Active immunotherapy uses the adaptive immune response to specifically kill tumor cells. Tumor-specific antigens are processed by antigen-presenting cells and recognized by specific effector lymphocytes. However, basic vaccination strategies with tumor lysates have been unsuccessful in inducing antiglioma immunity in clinical trials. Gliomas are known to modulate the activity of antigen-presenting cells to reduce antitumor immune activity. Recently, tumor-derived heat shock proteins have been found to more effectively activate the immune response. Widely expressed, heat shock proteins are thought to present protein peptide fragments in a format conducive to processing by antigen-presenting cells. As a part of the protein synthesis machinery, peptides complexed with heat shock proteins are effectively representative of antigens expressed by the cell; these peptides convey the specificity of this vaccination strategy. The heat shock protein-peptide vaccine is one of many promising immunotherapeutic strategies being evaluated in clinical trials. These can be broadly classified as active, passive and adoptive, each with advantages and disadvantages. Here, we compare and contrast heat shock protein-peptide vaccines with other immunotherapies and describe the outcomes of clinical trials to date.
WISQ: a restartable architecture using queues

In this paper, the WISQ architecture is described. This architecture is designed to achieve high performance by exploiting new compiler technology and using a highly segmented pipeline. By having a highly segmented pipeline, a very-high-speed clock can be used. Since a highly segmented pipeline will require relatively long pipelines, a way must be provided to minimize the effects of pipeline bubbles that are formed due to data and control dependencies. It is also important to provide a way of supporting precise interrupts. These goals are met, in part, by providing a reorder buffer to help restore the machine to a precise state. The architecture then makes the pipelining visible to the programmer/compiler by making the reorder buffer accessible and by explicitly providing that issued instructions cannot be affected by immediately preceding ones. Compiler techniques have been identified that can take advantage of the reorder buffer and permit a sustained execution rate approaching or exceeding one per clock. These techniques include using trace scheduling and providing a relatively easy way to “undo” instructions if the predicted branch path is not taken. We have also studied ways to further reduce the effects of branches by not having them executed in the execution unit. In particular, branches are detected and resolved in the instruction fetch unit. Using this approach, the execution unit is sent a stream of instructions (without branches) that are guaranteed to execute.
Use of antineoplastic agents in patients with cancer who have HIV/AIDS

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has substantially reduced morbidity and mortality of AIDS-related complications in patients with HIV; however, the prevalence of AIDS-defining cancers and non-AIDS-defining cancers has increased. In this Review we discuss the management of HAART pharmacotherapy in relation to cytotoxic chemotherapy or targeted antineoplastic agents. We will review potential pharmacological interactions between antiretroviral and antineoplastic therapies and consider how to combine antiretroviral and antineoplastic agents in patients with HIV who are receiving HAART therapy.
A biosensor assay for the detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in fecal samples.

A simple, membrane-strip-based lateral-flow (LF) biosensor assay and a high-throughput microtiter plate assay have been combined with a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the detection of a small number (ten) of viable Mycobacterium (M.) avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) cells in fecal samples. The assays are based on the identification of the RNA of the IS900 element of MAP. For the assay, RNA was extracted from fecal samples spiked with a known quantity of (10 1 to 10 6 ) MAP cells and amplified using RT-PCR and identified by the LF biosensor and the microtiter plate assay. While the LF biosensor assay requires only 30 min of assay time, the overall process took 10 h for the detection of 10 viable cells. The assays are based on an oligonucleotide sandwich hybridization assay format and use either a membrane flow through system with an immobilized DNA probe that hybridizes with the target sequence or a microtiter plate well. Signal amplification is provided when the target sequence hybridizes to a second DNA probe that has been coupled to liposomes encapsulating the dye, sulforhodamine B. The dye in the liposomes provides a signal that can be read visually, quantified with a hand-held reflectometer, or with a fluorescence reader. Specificity analysis of the assays revealed no cross reactivity with other mycobacteria, such
Psychiatric Management of Patients Who Threaten to Sign out against Medical Advice

Patients who are seriously ill are often unable to tolerate the stress of hospitalization and threaten to sign out against medical advice. Such a crisis often evolves because of inadequate or distorted communication with persons in the hospital environment such as physician and other patients. Physical illness, which stirs up issues of autonomy or loss of control, can compromise an individual's ability to cope. The patient, fearing loss of control, can utilize denial in his decision to leave the hospital prematurely. By exploring these factors, the psychiatric consultant can effectively evaluate and then manage this difficult situation, from his own position in the small group comprised of patient, staff and consultant. Case examples illustrate effective evaluation and management of the patient who threatens to sign out against medical advice.
Effect of Dietary Manganese and Age on Tissue Trace Mineral Composition of Broiler-Type Chicks as a Bioassay of Manganese Sources,

An experiment was conducted with 144 Cobb broiler-type chicks in a 4 X 3 factorial arrangement of treatments to investigate the effects of dietary manganese (Mn) and age on trace mineral composition in tissues. Day-old chicks were fed a basal corn-soybean meal diet (112 ppm Mn) supplemented with 0, 1000, 2000, or 3000 ppm Mn as manganese sulfate monohydrate (MnSO4 X H2O) for 1, 2, or 3 weeks. There were two pen replications per treatment combination and six chicks per pen. Liver, kidney, pancreas, skeletal muscle, and bone were excised from 4 chicks per replication. Plasma was pooled from the remaining 2 chicks, and all samples were frozen for subsequent mineral analysis. There was a reduction in average daily feed intake (P less than .05) at the 3000 ppm dietary level accompanied by a nonsignificant decrease in average daily gain and an increase in feed per unit gain. Tissue Mn increased (P less than .001) for all tissues as dietary Mn increased. Tissue Mn concentration was reduced with age in kidney, pancreas, muscle (P less than .001), and plasma (P less than .05). Manganese in bone was lowest (P less than .01) at 1 week of age. Of those ages tested, the optimum for bioassay based on lambda criterion values appeared to be 3 weeks. The highest lambda criterion values were obtained at 3 weeks of age in kidney followed by bone at 2 weeks. High dietary Mn increased copper (Cu) concentration in liver (P less than .05) and plasma (P less than .05) and reduced iron (Fe) in pancreas (P less than .001). Liver Fe was lower (P less than .001) at 3000 ppm than at 1000 or 2000 ppm dietary Mn. Plasma zinc (Zn) was higher (P less than .05) at all supplemental Mn levels than the unsupplemented control, and kidney Zn increased (P less than .001) at 3000 ppm dietary Mn.
Shifting Conceptions of Validity in Educational Measurement: Implications for Performance Assessment

Recent developments in the philosophy of validity, highlighting the importance of investigating the consequences of assessment use, provide theoretical support for the move toward performance assessment. The problem for validity researchers is finding the appropriate set of criteria and standards to simultaneously support the validity of an assessment-based interpretation and the validity of its impact on the educational system. My intent is to provide an integrative and critical review of the guidance available for conducting validity inquiry in the context of performance assessment. In the first section is a summary of the emerging consensus among measurement scholars—not reflected in the 1985 Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], & National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME])—about the centrality of construct validity to the evaluation of any assessment-based interpretation and about the i...
The First International Trading Agent Competition: Autonomous Bidding Agents

This article summarizes the bidding algorithms developed for the on-line Trading Agent Competition held in July, 2000 in Boston. At its heart, the article describes 12 of the 22 agent strategies in terms of (i) bidding strategy, (ii) allocation strategy, (iii) special approaches, and (iv) team motivations. The common and distinctive features of these agent strategies are highlighted. In addition, experimental results are presented that give some insights as to why the top-scoring agents' strategies were most effective.
Calcium signalling in salivary gland physiology and dysfunction

Studies over the past four decades have established that Ca(2+) is a critical factor in control of salivary gland function and have led to identification of the critical components of this process. The major ion transport mechanisms and ion channels that are involved in fluid secretion have also been established. The key event in activation of fluid secretion is an increase in [Ca(2+) ]i triggered by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3 )-induced release of Ca(2+) from ER via the IP3 receptor (IP3 R). IP3 Rs determine the site of initiation and the pattern of the [Ca(2+) ]i signal in the cell. However, Ca(2+) entry into the cell is required to sustain the elevation of [Ca(2+) ]i and fluid secretion and is mediated by the store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) mechanism. Orai1, TRPC1, TRPC3 and STIM1 have been identified as critical components of SOCE in these cells. Cells finely tune the generation and amplification of [Ca(2+) ]i signals for regulation of cell function. An important emerging area is the concept that unregulated [Ca(2+) ]i signals in cells can directly cause cell damage, dysfunction and disease. Alternatively, aberrant [Ca(2+) ]i signals can also amplify and increase the rates of cell damage. Such defects in Ca(2+) signalling have been described in salivary glands in conjunction with radiation-induced loss of salivary gland function as well as in the salivary defects associated with the autoimmune exocrinopathy Sjogren's syndrome. Such defects have been associated with altered function or expression of key Ca(2+) signalling components, such as STIM proteins and TRP channels. These studies offer new avenues for examining the mechanisms underlying the disease and development of novel clinical targets and therapeutic strategies.
Optimal Guard Synthesis for Memory Safety

This paper presents a new synthesis-based approach for writing low-level memory-safe code. Given a partial program with missing guards, our algorithm synthesizes concrete predicates to plug in for the missing guards such that all buffer accesses in the program are memory safe. Furthermore, guards synthesized by our technique are the simplest and weakest among guards that guarantee memory safety, relative to the inferred loop invariants. Our approach is fully automatic and does not require any hints from the user. We have implemented our algorithm in a prototype synthesis tool for C programs, and we show that the proposed approach is able to successfully synthesize guards that closely match hand-written programmer code in a set of real-world C programs.
Oncologists' Role in Patient Fertility Care: A Call to Action.

Oncofertility is a term coined just a few years ago to address the urgent, unmet needs of young cancer patients who were offered life-preserving but fertilitythreatening treatments. The issue for many oncologists was not that they did not want to provide options to their patients; rather, the option list and the physician groups on the fertility side were limited. This issue has largely been addressed and the remaining barriers are few. Here are answers to the questions most frequently asked of oncologists by patients. 1. Dopatientscareaboutfertilityinthefaceofacancer diagnosis? Yes, many studies conducted over the past 5 years have shown that young women and men are concerned about their endocrine health and the fertility consequences of cancer treatment. Patients who are not told about later fertility concerns at the time of diagnosis have stress levels in the range of posttraumatic stress disorder during survivorship. 1,2 Thus, oncologists are urged to provideafertilityconsultationtomitigatethelong-termhealth consequence associated with treatment. 2. What amount of time is necessary for women to leave oncology care, be assessed by a reproductive endocrinologist, decide what method to use for fertility preservation, go through the fertility care cycle, and return to oncology care? Five years ago, ovarian stimulation cycles could take up to 6 weeks to time the start of the cycle. This is no longer standard of care. “Random start” fertility cycles induce ovarian follicle development at anytime during the cycle and take about 2 weeks from the start of ovarian stimulation medications to oocyte retrieval. 3 This minimizes the time between diagnosis and cancer treatment. Moreover, egg cryopreservation is now standard of care, eliminating difficult decisions regarding use of a partner’s or donor’s sperm and long-term storage of embryos. 4
Effective Compensation of the Temperature Coefficient of Resonant Frequency in LTCC

The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) of a stripline (SL) ring resonator in a multilayer low temperature cofireable ceramic (LTCC) package can be adjusted towards zero by integrating a cofirable compensating dielectric with an opposite τf to that of the host dielectric. Studies on resonator panels with a compensating dielectric revealed that the most effective τf compensation is achieved when the compensating dielectric is integrated next to the SL conductor rings. Method of Momentum (MoM) electromagnetic simulations are consistent with the experimental observations. The results are further explained by the calculated effective dielectric constant of a heterogeneous layered dielectric structure using the transverse transmission line method combined with the variational technique.
Affecting Protein Charge State Distributions in Nano-Electrospray Ionization via In-Spray Solution Mixing Using Theta Capillaries

Borosilicate theta glass capillaries pulled to serve as nanoelectrospray ionization emitters are used for short time-scale mixing of protein and acid solutions during the electrospray process to alter protein charge state distributions (CSDs) without modifying the sample solution. The extent of protein CSD shifting/denaturing can be tailored by acid identity and concentration. The observed CSD(s) are protein dependent, and the short mixing time-scale enables the study of short-lived unfolding intermediates and higher charge states of noncovalent protein complexes, including those of holomyoglobin. Additionally, the theta tips provide a simple and inexpensive method for mixing nonvolatile reagents such as supercharging agents, which cannot be used with previously developed vapor leak-in techniques, with protein solutions during the electrospray process.
Generalized Engage or Retreat Differential Game with Escort Regions

This paper is motivated by the desire to develop optimal defensive control strategies that discourage an attacker from engaging in attack while simultaneously encouraging retreat. We develop a general, two-player, differential game in which one player represents an attacker and the opposing player represents the defender. The attacker possesses superior dynamics such that it is capable of terminating the game either in engagement or retreat as it so chooses. The defender is incapable of directly preventing engagement. Instead, the defender uses the manipulation of the attacker's utility function as a form of indirect control in an attempt to make retreat a more attractive option over engagement. The solution to the overall engage or retreat differential game is found by solving two related optimization problems: the differential game of engagement and the optimal constrained retreat. The equilibrium open-loop control strategies and resulting game values of the attack or retreat game are expressed in terms of the solutions to these subproblems. Within the optimal constrained retreat problem, a value function constraint is imposed in order to prevent the attacker from moving into regions where engagement becomes optimal. This leads to regions of constrained retreat which we refer to as escort regions.
Web-based Marine Natural Products Information Searching System

Marine natural products database(MNPD)consists of about 11,000 marine natural products with the information of molecular structures, biological resources, bioactivities, biological classes, physical and chemical parameters and references. The platform, technologies and Web-based application of marine natural products information searching system are introduced.
Epidemiological analysis of rubella in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County of Gansu Province in 2009

Objective To analyze epidemiology of rubella in Tianzhu County of Gansu Province in 2009 and to provide basis for rubells control.Methods Epidemiological analysis was taken to analyze the epidemic situation of rubella cases which were reported in Tianzhu in 2009.Results There were 417 cases with rubella reported in Tianzhu in 2009 with reported incidence of 178.06/100 000.84.41% of those cases were school students(352 cases) and 7.91% cases were kinder garden children(33 cases).The incidence peak was from April to July and 88.94% cases appeared in this period.67.15% cases were in 5-14-year-old group and 25.18% in 15-19-year-old group.There were totally 15 outbreaks of rubella,with 388 cases developed,which accounted for 93.05% of the total cases,including 6 cases with rubella vaccination history,occupying 1.44%,411 cases without the vaccination history or vaccination history unknown,accounting for 98.56%.Conclusions A low rate of rubella immunization is main reasons for the rubella outbreaks.5-19-year-old group is the most important group in the prevention and control of rubella.Comprehensive measures mainly including emergency rubella immunization can effectively control rubella outbreak.
The Non-Obstructive Ectopic Ureterocele

We have seen 5 children with a non-obstructive ectopic ureterocele associated with an undilated upper pole collecting system. Thus the telltale signs of renal duplication found with obstruction of the upper pole were absent. Cystoscopy confirmed the diagnosis when retrograde injection of the ureterocele outlined a narrow ureter and small dysplastic kidney. Because reflux usually was present in the ipsilateral lower pole ureter (86 per cent) surgical treatment consisted of excision of the ureterocele and common sheath ureteral reimplantation. Removal of the small non-functioning upper renal segment was not necessary in most instances. The embryology of this anomaly is discussed.
Do Mast Cells Play a Role in Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and Ulcerative Colitis

Concurrent association of neurofibromatosis type I and ulcerative colitis has been reported in one clinical case. Although this association may represent a casual finding, a common pathophysiology is postulated. Mast cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of both neurofibromatosis type 1 and ulcerative colitis. Mast cells are typically present in neurofibromas microenvironment where …
Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Disease

Abstract Oxidative stress occurs due to the imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the availability of antioxidants or radical scavengers. The excess ROS produced can either oxidize biomolecules or can structurally modify proteins and genes so as to trigger signaling cascades that can lead to the onset and progression of inflammatory diseases. ROS-induced activation of transcription factors and pro-inflammatory genes lead to the onset of inflammation. Inflammation causes immune cells to secrete various cytokines and chemokines in order to recruit various other immune cells to the site of oxidative stress/infection. Reflexively, an enhanced ROS generation by immune cells at the site of inflammation causes oxidative stress and tissue injury. This interrelation between oxidative stress and inflammation is discussed in the present chapter with a view to highlight the role of “ROS-induced-inflammation” pathways in the progression of several pathologies.
Cancer of the Hypopharynx

Squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx is relatively uncommon, accounting for about 4 % of all head and neck tumors, with approximately 3400 new cases diagnosed annually. However, these tumors are associated with the lowest survival rates when compared to squamous cell carcinomas in other subsites of the head and neck. This in part is due to the fact that tumors in this location tend to cause symptoms late in the course of the disease and, thus, tend to present in advanced stages. Another characteristic is their predilection for local aggressiveness, submucosal spread, and high metastatic potential.
The changing landscape of anticoagulant-related intracerebral hemorrhage

Hailed as a milestone in the management of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, new oral anticoagulants (NOACs) demonstrated comparable efficacy and similar or improved safety to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in randomized clinical trials.1 Their ensuing approvals by central regulatory agencies provoked reservations and caution by many in the medical community. Despite the consistent observation of a lower incidence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) among users of various NOACs,1 the unexplored questions regarding the natural course and prognosis of NOAC-associated ICH, combined with an absence of specific treatment and management options during the initial phases of marketing, heightened the concern related to the safety of these agents. However, a closer look into the trial data was suggestive of similar mortality rates among patients experiencing ICH while using VKAs or NOACs.2–4 Real-world data originating from small single-center studies5,6 and administrative databases7 also showed no sign of excess mortality in NOAC-related ICH. Moreover, hematoma volume, the imaging marker most closely associated with clinical outcome, was smaller in those treated with NOACs, and hence suggested a more favorable profile compared to VKA users.7,8
Remote-sensing based risk mapping for mosquito-borne diseases: a spatial modelling study

Abstract Background Within the USA, South Dakota is the state with the highest incidence rates of human West Nile virus disease. For effective disease prevention and mosquito control, it is crucial to identify potential transmission hot spots. Because disease occurrence is driven by the presence of avian hosts and mosquito vectors, understanding their habitats is important to predict the risk of cases of human West Nile virus. Geospatial environmental information about vegetation cover and water availability can help us to understand what drives the spatial distribution of disease outbreaks and to map the spatial pattern of the risk of West Nile virus. Methods In our study, we use Landsat imagery from 2003 to 2012 to predict the risk of West Nile virus transmission to human beings in South Dakota. We computed environmental indices such as the normalised differenced vegetation index (NDVI) and the normalised differenced water index (NDWI) as proxies for vegetation cover and water availability. For predictive mapping, we used boosted regression tree models to fit a model of disease risk based on geocoded human case data. Findings Indices that measured interannual variability in vegetation and surface water were important predictors of West Nile virus risk, and identified locations with temporary water bodies that provided habitat for vectors and hosts. The resulting risk map accurately highlighted the major areas of high West Nile virus risk across South Dakota. Interpretation We suggest that use of the temporal depth of the Landsat archive will help to develop more effective environmental metrics for mapping vector-borne diseases. Funding National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases NIH/NIAID (R01AI079411) and NASA Applied Science Public Health and Air Quality Programme.
An Interesting Method of Pollen Collecting by Bees from Flowers with Tubular Anthers

Varous plants have anthers which open by apical pores; in some (Cassia in the Leguminosae and Solal2u1n wendlandii in the Solanaceae) the pollen does not readily come out of these pores, yet is abundant and is collected and used by females of certain large and moderate sized bees. A bee obtains pollen by curling its body over the ends of the anthers and then vibrating its wings (wings held in folded position) . The vibrations, which produce a loud sound, cause the pollen grains to shoot out of the pores in the anthers; many of them lodge on the body of the bee from which they are transferred to the pollen-carrying scopal hairs. A vibrating knife blade touched to the anthers also causes palIen to be discharged through the pores.The bees concerned are all polylectic, i.e., they obtain pollen from many different plants. Most individuals of most of the species never have an opportunity to use the collecting method described above. The potentiality to learn this method must be inherent in a number of groups of bees, but so far as known is absent in others such as Apis.
Glucose starvation increases V-ATPase assembly and activity in mammalian cells through AMP kinase and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling

The vacuolar H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) is an ATP-driven proton pump involved in many cellular processes. An important mechanism by which V-ATPase activity is controlled is the reversible assembly of its two domains, namely the peripheral V1 domain and the integral V0 domain. Although reversible assembly is conserved across all eukaryotic organisms, the signaling pathways controlling it have not been fully characterized. Here, we identify glucose starvation as a novel regulator of V-ATPase assembly in mammalian cells. During acute glucose starvation, the V-ATPase undergoes a rapid and reversible increase in assembly and activity as measured by lysosomal acidification. Because the V-ATPase has recently been implicated in the activation of AMP kinase (AMPK), a critical cellular energy sensor that is also activated upon glucose starvation, we compared the time course of AMPK activation and V-ATPase assembly upon glucose starvation. We observe that AMPK activation precedes increased V-ATPase activity. Moreover, the starvation-induced increase in V-ATPase activity and assembly are prevented by the AMPK inhibitor dorsomorphin. These results suggest that increased assembly and activity of the V-ATPase upon glucose starvation are dependent upon AMPK. We also find that the PI3K/Akt pathway, which has previously been implicated in controlling V-ATPase assembly in mammalian cells, also plays a role in the starvation-induced increase in V-ATPase assembly and activity. These studies thus identify a novel stimulus of V-ATPase assembly and a novel signaling pathway involved in regulating this process. The possible function of starvation-induced increase in lysosomal V-ATPase activity is discussed.
Diffuse skin thickening, myalgias and joint stiffness in a 41-year-old man

A 41-year-old man presented with a history of myalgias and diffuse skin thickening that affected his arms, legs and abdomen. The patient was previously healthy, with no major medical illness of note. About a year before his presentation, he developed a flu-like illness and ankle edema. This was
Non-diagnostic fine needle aspiration biopsy: a dilemma in management of nodular thyroid disease.

The implications of a persistent «non-diagnostic» fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) has yet to be defined in patients with a solitary thyroid nodule. Four hundred and eleven patients from 1986 to 1990 with a solitary cold thyroid nodule underwent thyroidectomy, including 92 with a «non-diagnostic» FNAB, despite a minimum of two repeat samples. Pathology revealed cancer in eight (9%)-six papillary, one lymphoma, and one squamous cell-follicular adenoma in 38 (41%), Hurthle cell adenoma in two (2%), colloid nodule in 41 (45%), epithelial cyst in two (2%), and thyroiditis in one patient (1%). The operation was uncomplicated by hypoparathyroidism or nerve dysfunction. Age, sex, nodule size, and a history of neck irradiation were examined as possible predictors of cancer risk
Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Structural Health Monitoring

Structural heath monitoring (SHM) can provide an estimate of the state of damage in a structure, and of the remaining useful life of that structure. The work presented here is an investigation of a proposed new SHM technique for composite structures composed of carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymers (CFRP). Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is employed to estimate the damage state of the composite. No modification to current CFRP processing methods is required, nor is the proposed technique invasive or destructive. EIS interfaces can be either permanently attached or temporarily connected. We hypothesize that EIS has the potential to be more sensitive and selective for damage detection by using a full complex-plane analysis, considering both impedance magnitude and phase angle. This is in contrast to electrical SHM approaches employing resistance measurement, the real component of impedance, which ignores phase angle and reactance information. In order to test our hypothesis we implemented three different experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the EIS technique: (1) specimen load sensitivity; (2) specimen damage sensitivity; and (3) specimen fatigue sensitivity. Multiple electrical interrogation paths through the specimen are considered.
Control of mammalian sex ratio by sexing sperm.

Preselection of sex is discussed with emphasis on methods which have claimed success in separating X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm. Much of the recent experimental work in separating human X and Y sperm judges the success of enrichment solely by staining for the Y sperm with a quinacrine dye, which causes a bright fluorescence of the long arm of the Y chromosome. This method is questioned because the endpoint may be producing spurious results. Flow sorting is believed to be the first verified separation of mammalian sperm, but the sperm were nonviable. Flow cytometry can be used to quickly determine the success of other enrichment techniques. Bulk separation, as contrasted to separation based on determination of individual sperm characteristics, with 80% enrichment seems to be a reasonable future goal.
Stimulated Rayleigh-Brillouin Gain Spectroscopy in Pure Gases and Gas Mixtures

We recently reported the first known study of stimulated Rayleigh-Brillouin gain spectra of pure gases1 This was done by crossing two single-frequency laser beams in the gas samples of interest. As in Raman-gain techniques, the detected background light in stimulated Rayleigh-Brillouin gain spectroscopy is greatly reduced since the desired signal is emitted only along the probe beam. Thus, the stimulated Rayleigh-Brillouin gain spectroscopy reported is potentially a sensitive spectroscopic technique for probing the low-frequency excitations and fluctuations in systems with weak scatterers or with high background light.
Trustworthiness appraisal deficits in borderline personality disorder are associated with prefrontal cortex, not amygdala, impairment.

Abstract Background Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is associated with sensitivity to signals of interpersonal threats and misplaced trust in others. The amygdala, an integral part of the threat evaluation and response network, responds to both fear- and trust-related stimuli in non-clinical samples, and is more sensitive to emotional stimuli in BPD compared to controls. However, it is unknown whether the amygdalar response can account for deficits of trust and elevated sensitivity to interpersonal threat in BPD. Methods Facial stimuli were presented to 16 medication-free women with BPD and 17 demographically-matched healthy controls (total n = 33). Participants appraised fearfulness or trustworthiness of the stimuli while BOLD fMRI was obtained. Results Though BPD participants judged stimuli as less trustworthy compared to controls, trustworthiness did not correlate with amygdalar activity in either group. Trustworthiness correlated with prefrontal regional activity in the insula and lateral prefrontal cortex. Prefrontal BOLD activity while appraising trustworthiness was smaller in BPD compared to controls, and the size of the reduction was proportional to each participant's response bias. Conclusions Neural substrates of trustworthiness appraisal are associated with the lateral prefrontal cortex and insula, not amygdala, suggesting that untrustworthy stimuli do not elicit a subcortical threat response. Current models of BPD and its treatment may need to include a focus on improving impairments in frontally mediated trustworthiness appraisal in addition to amygdala- driven emotional hyper-reactivity.
Green’s functions for geophysics: a review

The Green's function (GF) method, which makes use of GFs, is an important and elegant tool for solving a given boundary-value problem for the differential equation from a real engineering or physical field. Under a concentrated source, the solution of a differential equation is called a GF, which is singular at the source location, yet is very fundamental and powerful. When looking at the GFs from different physical and/or engineering fields, i.e. assigning the involved functions to real physical/engineering quantities, the GFs can be scaled and applied to large-scale problems such as those involved in Earth sciences as well as to nano-scale problems associated with quantum nanostructures. GFs are ubiquitous and everywhere: they can describe heat, water pressure, fluid flow potential, electromagnetic (EM) and gravitational potentials, and the surface tension of soap film. In the undergraduate courses Mechanics of Solids and Structural Analysis, a GF is the simple influence line or singular function. Dropping a pebble in the pond, it is the circular ripple traveling on and on. It is the wave generated by a moving ship in the opening ocean or the atom vibrating on a nanoscale sheet induced by the atomic force microscopy. In Earth science, while various GFs have been derived, a comprehensive review is missing. Thus, this article provides a relatively complete review on GFs for geophysics. In section 1, the George Green's potential functions, GF definition, as well as related theorems and basic relations are briefly presented. In section 2, the boundary-value problems for elastic and viscoelastic materials are provided. Section 3 is on the GFs in full- and half-spaces (planes). The GFs of concentrated forces and dislocations in horizontally layered half-spaces (planes) are derived in section 4 in terms of both Cartesian and cylindrical systems of vector functions. The corresponding GFs in a self-gravitating and layered spherical Earth are presented in section 5 in terms of the spherical system of vector functions. The singularity and infinity associated with GFs in layered systems are analyzed in section 6 along with a brief review of various layer matrix methods. Various associated mathematical preliminaries are listed in appendix, along with the three sets of vector function systems. It should be further emphasized that, while this review is targeted at geophysics, most of the GFs and solution methods can be equally applied to other engineering and science fields. Actually, many GFs and solutions methods reviewed in this article are derived by engineers and scientists from allied fields besides geophysics. As such, the updated approaches of constructing and deriving the GFs reviewed here should be very beneficial to any reader.
Hypophysitis secondary to nivolumab and pembrolizumab is a clinical entity distinct from ipilimumab-associated hypophysitis.

Objective Little has been published describing hypophysitis after nivolumab or pembrolizumab treatment. We aimed to (i) assess the risk of hypophysitis following nivolumab or pembrolizumab treatment, (ii) characterize the clinical presentation and outcomes in these patients and (iii) compare these patients to hypophysitis following ipilimumab and ipilimumab plus nivolumab (combo). We hypothesized that headaches, pituitary enlargement on MRI and multiple anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies would occur less often in the nivolumab/pembrolizumab group versus ipilimumab or combo hypophysitis patients. Design and methods We conducted a multi-center retrospective review utilizing the Research Patient Database registry to evaluate individuals diagnosed with hypophysitis following treatment with nivolumab/pembrolizumab (n = 22), ipilimumab (n = 64) and combo (n = 20). Encounter notes, radiologic imaging and laboratory results for these patients were comprehensively reviewed. Results Hypophysitis was rare following treatment with nivolumab/pembrolizumab (0.5%, 17/3522) compared to ipilimumab (13.6%, 34/250), P < 0.0001. Hypophysitis was diagnosed later in nivolumab/pembrolizumab (median: 25.8 weeks, interquartile range (IR): 18.4-44.0) compared to ipilimumab (9.3, IR: 7.2-11.1) or combo patients (12.5, IR: 7.4-18.6), P < 0.0001 for both. Headache and pituitary enlargement occurred less commonly in nivolumab/pemrolizumab patients (23% and 5/18, respectively) compared to ipilimumab (75%, 60/61) and combo (75%, 16/17) treatment groups (P < 0.0001 versus ipilimumab and P = 0.001 versus combo for headache and P < 0.0001 for both for enlargement). Conclusions This study represents the first comprehensive cohort analysis of nivolumab or pembrolizumab-associated hypophysitis in a large patient group. Hypophysitis occurs rarely with these medications, and these patients have a distinct phenotype compared to hypophysitis after treatment with ipilimumab or ipilimumab plus nivolumab.