cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance Analysis of a Novel Microprocessor-Based Controller for a Phase-Controlled Rectifier Connected to a Weak AC System

The performance analysis of a novel fast-response micro-processor-based firing and control scheme for a phase-controlled rectifier is presented. Controller performance and stability analysis are emphasized, particularly when the converter operates in a closed loop fed by a weak ac system. The firing angle control scheme, which relies on real-time projection of the firing delay angle, has been implemented and tested. In this implementation the controller responds within 20? s its to a change in the desired output voltage. The controller is synchronized to the line through a software phase-locked loop (PLL), which adapts to large variations in the line frequency. With this controller the bridge rectifier can operate properly, with a constant steady-state open-loop gain, even when a weak ac system with unregulated frequency feeds the converter. The operation and performance of the microprocessor-based converter with a current feedback loop are described. Two simple stability analyses, one based on system function simplification and the other based on exact system representation, are discussed and experimentally verified. The generation of subharmonics caused by the line inductance and the reference zero-crossing detection circuit is also studied. Experimental results are reported.
Controlling plasma protein binding: structural correlates of interactions of hydrophobic polyamine endotoxin sequestrants with human serum albumin.

Hydrophobically substituted polyamine compounds, particularly N-acyl or N-alkyl derivatives of homospermine, are potent endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) sequestrants. Despite their polycationic nature, the aqueous solubilites are limited owing to the considerable overall hydrophobicity contributed by the long-chain aliphatic substituent, but solubilization is readily achieved in the presence of human serum albumin (HSA). We desired first to delineate the structural basis of lipopolyamine−albumin interactions and, second, to explore possible structure−activity correlates in a well-defined, congeneric series of N-alkyl and -acyl homospermine lead compounds. Fluorescence spectroscopic and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) results indicate that these compounds appear to bind to HSA via occupancy of the fatty-acid binding sites on the protein. The acyl and carbamate compounds bind HSA the strongest; the ureido and N-alkyl analogues are significantly weaker, and the branched alkyl compound is weaker still. I...
Progressive specific immune attrition after primary, secondary and tertiary immunizations with bacteriophage φX174 in asymptomatic HIV-1 infected patients

BACKGROUND Antibody responses to immunization are often compromised in patients infected by HIV-1, and the use of childhood immunization in affected children is controversial. We investigated whether multiple immunizations with a T cell-dependent neoantigen, bacteriophage phiX174, induce selective immune attrition and post-vaccination viremia. METHODS Seventeen asymptomatic, antiretroviral therapy-naive HIV-1-infected patients with a CD4 cell count of 450 cells/microl or greater were immunized in 1990/1991 with three intravenous doses of bacteriophage phiX174. Group 1 received zidovudine (ZDV) during the primary and secondary immunization. Group 2 received ZDV exclusively during the tertiary immunization. Bacteriophage-specific antibodies of the IgM and IgG class, lymphocyte phenotypes (CD4+, CD8+, CD4+DR+, CD8+DR+, CD4+CD45RO+ and CD4+45RA+, CD4+CD45RO+DR+) and HIV-1 plasma viremia were measured sequentially. RESULTS In both patient groups the primary, secondary and tertiary antibody responses, as expressed by geometric mean antibody titres and IgM to IgG switch, were impaired. Booster immunizations resulted in a progressive attrition of specific antibody responses to bacteriophage. Antibodies to tetanus toxoid remained stable. The HIV-1 viral loads, which were evaluated in archived specimens from eight patients, increased after immunization but returned to baseline approximately 4 weeks later. The humoral immune attrition and increases in plasma viremia were blunted by concomitant short courses of ZDV. DISCUSSION Multiple boosters of immunizations in asymptomatic treatment-naive HIV-1-infected patients may result in a specific immune attrition and vaccine-induced viremia. Short-term monotherapy with ZDV may have blunted these adverse effects. Hyperimmunization of HIV-1-infected patients may be detrimental unless accompanied by antiretroviral therapy.
Transient finite element modeling of solenoid actuators: the coupled power electronics, mechanical, and magnetic field problem

A transient 2-D finite element model for fast-acting pulse-width-modulated (PWM) solenoid actuators is presented. The unique feature of this model is that it couples the electrical, mechanical, and magnetic systems of these devices. Transient calculations taking into account the nonlinearity of the magnetic materials, eddy currents, and motion are compared with dynamic test results for a ball-type solenoid. Flexibility of the software allows one to apply it to any type of PWM solenoid actuator and any desired excitation profile. >
Effect of void shape on the macroscopic response of non-linear porous solids

Abstract The macroscopic response of an incompressible power-law matrix containing aligned spheroidal voids is investigated. The voids are assumed to be arranged in a uniform array, and the response of the solid is evaluated by isolating a typical block of the material containing a single void. The requisite boundary value problem for this “unit cell” is solved using a spectral method which is an adaption of that used by Lee and Mear “Axisymmetric Deformation of Power-law Solids containing Elliptical Inhomogeneities. Part I: Rigid Inclusions”, J. Mech. Phys. Solids , (1992) 8 , 1805. Attention is restricted to axisymmetric deformation, and results for the macroscopic strain-rates (or strains) are presented for a range of void shape, void volume concentrations, hardening exponents and remote stress triaxilities.
New optical testing methods developed at the University of Hawaii: results on ground-based telescopes and Hubble Space Telescope

New methods have been developed to test telescope optics either at the fabrication stage or while in operation. Results recently obtained at the University of Hawaii are presented.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Brain edema and intracranial hypertension in rats after total hepatectomy

Background/Aims: Glutamine, generated from ammonia in astrocytes, may account for brain edema in acute liver failure. Recent studies showing decreased intracranial pressure after hepatectomy in humans suggest that factors released by the necrotic liver could play a pathogenic role in brain swelling. The aim of this study was to examine whether brain edema and intracranial hypertension develop in hepatectomized rats. Methods: Rats underwent a portacaval anastomosis or a sham operation. At 24 hours, animals underwent a second sham operation or a total hepatectomy. Intracranial pressure was continuously monitored, and cortical water and glutamine contents were measured after the rats were killed. In a second experiment, hepatectomized and devascularized (portacaval anastomosis plus hepatic artery ligation) rats were killed every 2 hours and at the time of intracranial hypertension. Results: Although brain edema developed in both groups with liver failure, devascularization resulted in a higher brain water content in spite of an equivalent increase in glutamine concentration. Intracranial pressure increased to a similar degree in both groups, but all parameters increased earlier in anhepatic rats. Conclusions: Hepatectomized rats develop brain edema and intracranial hypertension. The temporal sequence in this model supports the role of glutamine as an organic osmolyte. In addition, other factors (e.g., brain volume) may contribute to intracranial hypertension in hepatectomized rats.
Hydrophobically modified alginate for drug delivery systems

Hydrophobically modified alginate (HMA) was synthesized by an amide coupling reaction with alkyl amine (C8) at low pH. At and above a critical concentration, HMA forms reversible physical gel in aqueous media due to hydrophobic interactions. Unreacted guluronic units of alginate were further crosslinked with divalent cations, such as Ca2+, which resulted in a gel having elastic moduli ∼ 100 kPa. Interplay of the two different gelation mechanisms, hydrophobic association and chemical crosslinking, enables us to tune the mechanical properties of the system. Solubility of a model lipophilic drug (Sulindac) was found to be improved at least by a factor of 5 compared to neat polymer, presumably due to preferential uptake of the drugs by micelles formed by hydrophobic moiety. Controlled and extended release of sulindac was observed for upto 5–6 days, probably due to stronger crosslinked alginate units surrounding the drug loaded hydrophobic rich domains.
The effects of salinity on plankton and benthic communities in the Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA: a microcosm experiment

Saline lakes change in size and salinity because of natural climate variability and especially from inflow diversions, which threaten life in these waters. We conducted a microcosm experiment in 12...
Framing processes in public commentary on US federal tobacco control regulation.

Governmental health policy officials increasingly seek to promote public participation in expert and technical decisions regarding health regulation. The issues of what role the public plays in regulatory processes, and how health policy officials orient to public opinion, matter especially in the US context, where public commentary is a requisite component of federal rule-making. This paper examines written commentary as one specific, institutionalized form of public participation. To understand the relationship between scientific evidence and public commentary in public health regulation, we examine a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation, proposed in 1995, to restrict the promotion and sale of tobacco products to minors. We use recent work on collective action frames to analyse how the FDA framed the proposed regulation as a rational, science-based policy; the discursive practices employed in the public commentary either to embrace or to contest the FDA's framing; and how the agency presented the final version of its rule as responsive to that public commentary. Our content analyses reveal a significant disparity between the FDA's emphasis on scientific evidence and the commentators' emphases on political and ideological frames, which we analyse in terms of counter-framing. An orientation to the dynamics of framing and counter-framing contributes to an understanding of the relationship between scientific evidence and public commentary in the formulation of controversial health policy regulations.
Increasing interaction and support in the formal languages and automata theory course

The introduction of educational software such as JFLAP into the course Formal Languages and Automata (FLA) has created a learning environment with automatic feedback on theoretical topics. In this paper we show how we further increase the interaction in the FLA course with the expansion of additional theoretical topics in JFLAP, and how we have added grading support into JFLAP for instructors.
Interstitial Flow as a Guide for Lymphangiogenesis

The lymphatic system is important in tissue fluid balance regulation, immune cell trafficking, edema, and cancer metastasis, yet very little is known about the sequence of events that initiate and coordinate lymphangiogenesis. Here, we characterize the process of lymphatic regeneration by uniquely correlating interstitial fluid flow and lymphatic endothelial cell migration with lymphatic function. A new model of skin regeneration using a collagen implant in a mouse tail has been developed, and it shows that (1) interstitial fluid channels form before lymphatic endothelial cell organization and (2) lymphatic cell migration, vascular endothelial growth factor-C expression, and lymphatic capillary network organization are initiated primarily in the direction of lymph flow. These data suggest that interstitial fluid channeling precedes and may even direct lymphangiogenesis (in contrast to blood angiogenesis, in which fluid flow proceeds only after the vessel develops); thus, a novel and robust model is introduced for correlating molecular events with functionality in lymphangiogenesis.
Targeted Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer: Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway

A large number of novel therapeutics is currently undergoing clinical evaluation for the treatment of prostate cancer, and small molecule signal transduction inhibitors are a promising class of agents. These inhibitors have recently become a standard therapy in renal cell carcinoma and offer significant promise in prostate cancer. Through an understanding of the key pathways involved in prostate cancer progression, a rational drug design can be aimed at the molecules critical to cellular signaling. This may enable administration of selective therapies based on the expression of molecular targets, more appropriately individualizing treatment for prostate cancer patients. One pathway with a prominent role in prostate cancer is the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Current estimates suggest that PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling is upregulated in 30-50% of prostate cancers, often through loss of PTEN. Molecular changes in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway have been demonstrated to differentiate benign from malignant prostatic epithelium and are associated with increasing tumor stage, grade, and risk of biochemical recurrence. Multiple inhibitors of this pathway have been developed and are being assessed in the laboratory and in clinical trials, with much attention focusing on mTOR inhibition. Current clinical trials in prostate cancer are assessing efficacy of mTOR inhibitors in combination with multiple targeted or traditional chemotherapies, including bevacizumab, gefitinib, and docetaxel. Completion of these trials will provide substantial information regarding the importance of this pathway in prostate cancer and the clinical implications of its targeted inhibition. In this article we review the data surrounding PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibition in prostate cancer and their clinical implications.
Resonant interband tunneling device with multiple negative differential resistance regions

The first observations of multiple negative differential resistance (NDR) regions in resonant interband tunneling devices are reported. In vertically integrated poly-type heterostructures of InAs/AlSb/GaSb, the peak voltages are reduced by a factor of 2 compared to the AlInAs/GaInAs material system, while high peak-to-valley ratios of 4:1 (17:1) at 300 K (77 K) are maintained. The InAs/AlSb/GaSb material system offers advantages for circuit applications of such devices, particularly operation at lower voltages. >
Congenital nevocytic nevi and malignant melanomas.

The subject of the relationship between congenital nevocytic nevi and malignant melanomas has many controversial aspects. Data are insufficient to come to firm conclusions concerning how often melanomas supervene in such nevi and to determine the prognosis of those melanomas. What data are available indicate that malignant melanomas develop in a substantial percentage of large (giant) nevocytic nevi. This lends support to those who recommend surgical excision of such large lesions, when feasible. On the other hand, the information currently available concerning the association of malignant melanomas with medium- and small-sized congenital nevocytic nevi (i.e., those less than 20 cm in largest diameter) is scanty. Because of this lack of data on congenital nevocytic nevi, our current approach is to take into consideration the probability of cosmetic improvement by surgical removal in conjunction with education of the patient and/or family that malignant melanomas have been known to occur in congenital nevocytic nevi but are probably rare except in nevi of large size. Such information provided to the patient and/or family will often help in making the decision for removal or continued observation. A Congenital Nevocytic Nevus Registry has been established in the Oncology Section of the Skin and Cancer Unit at New York University Medical Center in the attempt to begin a long-term prospective study which might eventually provide some meaningful information concerning the natural history of such lesions, including the incidence of malignant melanomas.
The identification of trans-associations between prostate cancer GWAS SNPs and RNA expression differences in tumor-adjacent stroma

// Xin Chen 1 , Michael McClelland 2, 3 , Zhenyu Jia 2, 4, 5 , Farah B. Rahmatpanah 2 , Anne Sawyers 2 , Jeffrey Trent 6 , David Duggan 7 , Dan Mercola 2 1 Genomics Center, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, 92354, United States of America 2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America 3 Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Irvine, California, 92697, United States of America 4 Department of Statistics, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, 44325, United States of America 5 Department of Family & Community Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, 44272, United States of America 6 Genetic Basis of Human Disease Division, The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, 85004, United States of America 7 Integrated Cancer Genomics Division, The Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, 85004, United States of America Correspondence to: Xin Chen, e-mail: xchen@llu.edu Dan Mercola, e-mail: dmercola@uci.edu Keywords: SNPs, eQTL, prostate cancer Received: August 14, 2014 Accepted: November 17, 2014 Published: February 09, 2015 ABSTRACT Here we tested the hypothesis that SNPs associated with prostate cancer risk, might differentially affect RNA expression in prostate cancer stroma. The most significant 35 SNP loci were selected from Genome Wide Association (GWA) studies of ~40,000 patients. We also selected 4030 transcripts previously associated with prostate cancer diagnosis and prognosis. eQTL analysis was carried out by a modified BAYES method to analyze the associations between the risk variants and expressed transcripts jointly in a single model. We observed 47 significant associations between eight risk variants and the expression patterns of 46 genes. This is the first study to identify associations between multiple SNPs and multiple in trans gene expression differences in cancer stroma. Potentially, a combination of SNPs and associated expression differences in prostate stroma may increase the power of risk assessment for individuals, and for cancer progression.
Maximum-Likelihood Restoration Data Processing Techniques Applied to Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Mass Spectra

Maximum-likelihood restoration (MLR) data processing is applied to matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectra of several peptide/protein samples. It is shown that this technique can enhance mass resolution for peptides (porcine insulin; MW = 5777.58 Da) sufficiently to assist in the identification of various matrix adduction species formed in the laser desorption process. For higher-molecular-weight proteins, mass resolution enhancement is such that peak overlap contributions from partially resolved matrix adduct ion species can be minimized. Mass accuracies are improved by approximately a factor of six for a sample of a bacterial protease (Subtilisin Carlsberg; Subtilopeptidase A) from Bacillus licheniformis (MW = 27,288.4 Da). The MLR technique also supports the contention that the mass resolution degradation observed with increasing analyte mass is at least partially due to ion signal tailing, presumably caused by secondary ion species being produced in the detection process. This factor is also postulated as being at least partially responsible for the lack of success at resolution enhancement for higher mass analytes (bovine serum albumin; MW = 66,430.3 Da) where the multiple matrix adduction species produced can no longer be resolved from the protonated molecular ion species, thus limiting experimental mass measurement accuracies.
Comparison of two different box styles for mass rearing of Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a biological control agent of hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae)

L'adelgide laineux de la pruche (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand, constitue la plus grande menace aux forets de pruches (Tsuga Carr.; Pinaceae) dans la zone est de l'Amerique du Nord. Sasajiscymnus tsugae (Sasaji et McClure), une coccinelle introduite du Japon, offre de bonnes possibilites pour le controle naturel des HWA. Dans l'elevage en masse des S. tsugae, on cherche avant tout a maximiser la production des coleopteres adultes et a reduire au minimum le cout de production et l'effort humain qu'il faut investir. On a constate que la production et la survie jusqu'a l'âge adulte des coleopteres eleves dans les 30 boites d'elevage modifiees etaient nettement plus importantes que dans les 30 boites conventionnelles, soit 4400 coleopteres de plus. Avec le temps, on a constate une baisse de l'ordre de 1650 larves par boite dans le taux de survie a l'âge adulte, laquelle s'expliquerait surtout par le cannibalisme des larves. En plus, le climat plus chaud a eu pour consequence de favoriser la croissance de la population d'insectes et d'araignees predateurs dans les branches de pruches infestees par les HWA. En ce qui concerne la duree de preparation des deux types de boites d'elevage pour la pontees oeufs, la difference n'etait pas majeure. Par contre, on met beaucoup moins de temps a introduire de l'eau, du miel, et des branches de pruches infestees dans les boites modifiees. Les cout et effort supplementaires qu'exige la modification des boites d'elevage sont largement compenses par le rendement superieur en S. tsugae adultes et par les economies de temps et d'effort realisees au cours des 35 jours d'entretien obligatoire a partir de l'eclosion des oeufs jusqu'a la maturation des larves.
An Empirical Study of Web-Based Knowledge Community Success

Web-based knowledge communities (WKCs) allow individuals with similar interests to collectively engage in knowledge acquisition and exchange. In spite of increased research interest in the topic of online knowledge exchange and social interaction, few studies have identified factors that contribute to WKC success. In this study we apply Preece's community success framework of usability and sociability and the information system (IS) success model as conceptual foundations for an investigation into the factors that lead to WKC success. We present and empirically test a research model for WKC success using survey data from an IT-related WKC. We find that both usability and sociability factors have a significant effect on user satisfaction which leads to increased sense of community and a greater frequency of WKC usage. This research is one of the first attempts to empirically examine Web-based knowledge community success. The implications for research and practice are also discussed
Amino- and amido-tetrabenazine derivatives: Synthesis and evaluation as potential ligands for the vesicular monoamine transporter

Tetrabenazine (TBZ) and dihydrotetrabenazine are well known inhibitors of the CNS vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT), which is responsible for the packaging of monoamine neurotransmitters in presynaptic vesicles. Amino and amido derivatives of tetrabenazine were prepared as potential ligands for the vesicular monoamine transporter. Ultimately, organotin derivatives of promising ligands were prepared for radiolabeling with 125I. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the specific binding of a selective radioligand to the transporter in rat striatal homogenates. Of the compounds evaluated, three amine derivatives of TBZ (primary, secondary and tertiary) were found to have modest to high affinity for the transporter, while two amides exhibited low to undectable affinity. The secondary propargyl amine was found to possess the highest affinity (Ki = 7.6 nM) and was chosen for further evaluation. The organotin derivative of this compound was synthesized in order to prepare the corresponding radioiodinated ligand. However, our inability to synthesize and characterize the iodinated amine precluded its evaluation as a potential radioiodinated ligand for the transporter. Alternative approaches for decreasing the lipophilicity of TBZ analogs while maintaining high binding affinity are currently being explored.
BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AND HIS COMPANIONS (SABB AL-RASUL, SABB AL-SAHABAH): THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TOPIC INTO SHAFI'I LEGAL LITERATURE AND ITS RELEVANCE FOR LEGAL PRACTICE UNDER MAMLUK RULE

La notion de blaspheme contre le prophete et ses compagnons fut consideree comme une offense dans les chapitres sur l'apostasie des manuels juridiques Shāfi'ī seulement apres la compilation de l'Umm de al-Shāfi'ī et Mukhtasar de al-Muzanī. On peut cependant noter que le debat parmi les juristes sur les consequences legales du blaspheme a ete inaugure avant le traitement classique du blaspheme dans les manuels juridiques. Ce debat fut accompagne d'un discours theologique sur la justesse du prophete. Au XIV e siecle, il existe un lien entre la jurisprudence et la pratique sociale au sujet de la notion de blaspheme
Regulation of Body Adiposity and the Problem of Obesity

The hypothesis that body adiposity is homeostatically regulated is the focus of an intensive research effort, and support for this concept is rapidly growing. While generating optimism about the future of obesity treatment, these advances also bear on our current approach to the obese patient. The observation that body adiposity appears to be subject to regulation in obese as well as lean individuals suggests that common forms of obesity may result from a primary disorder of the weight-regulatory system. As a result, voluntary efforts to lower body adiposity activate compensatory responses that limit weight loss and facilitate weight regain. The use of weight-reduction strategies based on caloric restriction, therefore, effectively pits the will of the obese individual against his or her own intrinsic weight-regulatory system. Until more effective approaches to weight reduction are available, we suggest that clinical intervention should focus on patient education and strategies to limit weight gain or modestly lower weight. Since the combination of a low-fat diet with an exercise program appears to reduce the level at which body weight is regulated without active caloric restriction, this approach may be appropriate for many obese individuals.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN CREATIONISM: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS? THINK AGAIN1

When Stephen Jay Gould died on May 20, he left behind unfinished business. The matter occupied a lot of his time but had nothing directly to do with land snails, punctuated equilibrium, or the spandrels of adaptation. Nor was it mentioned in staid journals or annual meetings where scientists usually trade data. No, Gould left behind a festering controversy of another sort, one involving public perceptions of science rather than the latest fossil find or molecular phylogeny. In fact, the increasingly boisterous brouhaha has more to do with religious and political agendas than it does evolution. I'm speaking of course of creationism in its latest mutation/incarnation, intelligent design or ID. Most biologists treat creationism like a dead skunk, dismissing the subject as too smelly to touch. Or, being much ado about nothing, it's not worth their time. But Gould knew better. If ID creationism has its way, the prospects for science as currently practiced are far direr than many reading this essay can conjure.
An Early Permian crinoid fauna from Crete

Early Permian crinoids are reported from a small cape at Bali, north central Crete, Greece. The specimens have undergone low-grade metamorphism, but are moderately well preserved. At the generic level the fauna shows greatest affinity with North American faunas and secondarily with Timor faunas. This is the first Paleozoic crinoid fauna reported from Greece. New taxa introduced are: Synbathocrinus cretensis n. sp., Apographiocrinus nodosus n. sp., Pyndaxocrinus granulatus n. sp., Protencrinus baliensis n. sp., and Artichthyocrinus koenigi n. sp.
Bacterial protein acetylation: new discoveries unanswered questions

Ne-acetylation is emerging as an abundant post-translational modification of bacterial proteins. Two mechanisms have been identified: one is enzymatic, dependent on an acetyltransferase and acetyl-coenzyme A; the other is non-enzymatic and depends on the reactivity of acetyl phosphate. Some, but not most, of those acetylations are reversed by deacetylases. This review will briefly describe the current status of the field and raise questions that need answering.
CSPG4 as a prognostic biomarker in chordoma

Abstract Background There are currently no generally accepted biomarkers used in the clinical treatment of chordoma tumors. CSPG4 has been associated with disease severity in other tumors. Purpose This study aimed to characterize the frequency of CSPG4 expression in chordoma tumors and to correlate it with disease severity and clinical outcome. Study Design A retrospective review of clinical outcomes and immunohistochemical staining using tissue micro-array was carried out. Patient Sample The sample comprised 86 patients treated for chordoma at a single center (1985–2007). Outcome Measures Survival and incidence of metastases were the outcome measures. Methods Pathologic specimens of chordoma tumors were evaluated for the expression of CSPG4 by immunohistochemical staining with mAbs. Chi-square testing and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were used to evaluate the impact of CSPG4 expression on survival and incidence of metastases, while controlling for patient age, sex, and surgical margins. Results Average patient age at the time of presentation was 59.8 years (standard deviation [SD] 13.7). Average follow-up was 6.5 years (SD 4.8). Twenty (23%) patients developed metastatic disease. At the time of final follow-up, 57 patients (66%) had died. Chordoma tumors from 62 patients (72%) stained positive for CSPG4. CSPG4 expression more than doubled the risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 2.3; 95% CI 1.04, 5.17). CSPG4 positive tumors were also associated with an increased risk of metastatic disease (31% for CSPG4 positive tumors vs. 0% in CSPG4 negative, p=.02). Conclusions Results presented here support the consideration of using CSPG4 as a biomarker establishing the prognosis for chordoma tumors. A positive CSPG4 stain may be associated with an increased risk of metastasis and mortality from disease.
Effect of Pile-up in Nanoindentation of Micro and Nano crystalline Ni using FEM

A much better understanding of the contact mechanics can be obtained through finite element modeling. The experimentally determined tip shape function was included to reproduce the same contact area for a given contact depth as in the experiment. The fundamental material properties affecting pile-up are the ratio of the effective modulus to yield stress Eeff/Y and the work hardening rate.
A semiquantitative field method for evaluating bioturbation on bedding planes

Amount of bioturbation on bedding planes records the relationship between physical and chemical depositional conditions and biological activity. We propose a simple and easy-to-use method for field estimation of horizontal disruption using bedding-plane bioturbation indices that allow rapid generation of large data sets. Photographs of a representative subset of observations can be evaluated in the laboratory using image analysis and statistical analysis programs, providing a check on accuracy and potentially yielding additional information on the size, shape, and distribution of burrows and bioturbated patches. Extent of bioturbation on bedding planes can be integrated with other sedimentologic and ichnologic characteristics to interpret the infaunal community paleoecology and to reconstruct the history of the depositional, erosional, and burrowing events. Furthermore, use of the bedding-plane bioturbation indices and ichnofabric indices on vertical surfaces facilitates comparison of the extent of bioturbation through time, within and between facies, and across and between basins. It therefore enhances recognition of significant changes in physical processes, chemical conditions, and biological activity, and is a powerful tool in identifying long-term biological trends.
Phylogenetic heterogeneity of plasma kininogens.

SummaryPlasma kininogens of a number of mammalian species differed from one another with respect to their antigenic properties detected with antiserum to human plasma kininogens. Precipitating antigenic properties of human plasma kininogens were found only in primates, and nonprecipitating antigens resembling human high molecular weight kininogen only in human and chimpanzee plasmas. Even so, the clot-promoting activity of high molecular weight kininogen was widely distributed among primates and other mammals.
The Changes of the Confucian Image in the Three Classic Works Written in the Period of Warring States

The image of Confucius is changed in the three classic works written in the Period of Warring States This thesis analyzes the image in the three books—Mozi,Zhuangzi and Hanfeizi,and further discusses the characteristics of Confucius,and also summarizes the change of his character.
Older Adults and Creative Arts: Personal and Interpersonal Change

Creative aging programs are recognized as an effective way to enhance the lives of older adults. This study examines creative arts programs offered through public libraries. Focus groups captured participants’ experiences. Themes that emerged from analysis of the focus group data generally clustered into two areas: Personal Change and Interpersonal Change. Personal change captured five perspectives: Healing; Safe Place/Freedom; New/Renewed Self; Creative; Joy/Fun. Interpersonal change entailed two perspectives: Connections and how they are Seen Differently by Others. The positive experiences of older adults who have engaged in organized creative arts programs suggest the potential life-changing possibilities of these programs.
Climate analysis for noise assessment

Abstract Long-term noise assessments are performed as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process prior to construction of facilities or significant changes to operations on military installations. In the past, these assessments have been based on a single, typical or average propagation condition. ISO 13474 dictates that a weighted set of propagation condition-specific tables shall be used within the noise assessment. In this paper we explore the differences between noise assessments using local conditions and the averaged condition. We found that the assessed annual C-weighted sound exposure level (CSEL) using conditions for seven geographically different locations differed by up to 3 dB in the four cardinal directions for distances up to 10 km, indicating that an average propagation condition may be satisfactory for most locations.
Commanding and Telemetry Operations Using Reliable CFDP Service

The Solar Probe Plus (SPP) spacecraft will fly to less than ten solar radii of the Sun and take in situ measurements to determine the mechanisms that produce the fast and slow solar winds, the coronal heating, and the transport of energetic particles. To survive in such extreme conditions, the thermal protection shield (TPS) must remain pointed toward the sun at all times.
Modes of Being and Quantification

Many philosophers have held that being comes in various kinds or sorts or “modes”. One thinks of Meinong’s Existenz and Bestand, of Russell’s existence and subsistence, of Sartre’s etre-en-soi and etrepour-soi, and of Heidegger’s Vorhandenheit, Zuhandenheit, and Existenz. But if there is more than one mode of being, what is the relation between the several modes of being and the existential quantifier? Does not the fact that there is a single existential quantifier strongly suggest that there is a single mode of being — or, perhaps better, that the concept “mode” has no application to being? I will put the idea that underlies this question in the form of an argument for the conclusion that there cannot be two or more modes of being. Suppose we add to the language of first-order logic with identity a property abstraction operator, ‘Π’. This operator takes a variable and a sentence and makes a term in which that variable is not free. If the abstraction operator is applied to a variable α and a sentence in which α alone is free, the result is a closed term that denotes the property or attribute or quality expressed by that open sentence: the expression ‘Πx x is wise’ (“The property of being an x such that x is wise”) denotes wisdom, and ‘Πz z is brave’ denotes bravery or cour-
Evaluation of a Chaplain Residency Program and Its Partnership with an In-Patient Palliative Care Team

In 2009 a Consensus Conference of experts in the field of spiritual care and palliative care recommended the inclusion of Board-certified professional chaplains with at least 1,600 hours of clinical pastoral education as members of palliative care teams. This study evaluates a clinical pastoral education residency program's effectiveness in preparing persons to provide spiritual care for those with serious illness and in increasing the palliative care team members' understanding of the chaplain as part of the palliative care team. Results showed chaplain residents felt the program prepared them to provide care for those with serious illness. It also showed that chaplain residents and palliative care team members view spirituality as an integral part of palliative care and see the chaplain as the team member to lead that effort. Suggested program improvements include longer palliative care orientation period, more shadowing with palliative care team members, and improved communication between palliative care and the chaplain residents.
The Genetic Architecture of Ovariole Number in Drosophila melanogaster: Genes with Major, Quantitative, and Pleiotropic Effects

Ovariole number has a direct role in the number of eggs produced by an insect, suggesting that it is a key morphological fitness trait. Many studies have documented the variability of ovariole number and its relationship to other fitness and life-history traits in natural populations of Drosophila. However, the genes contributing to this variability are largely unknown. Here, we conducted a genome-wide association study of ovariole number in a natural population of flies. Using mutations and RNAi-mediated knockdown, we confirmed the effects of 24 candidate genes on ovariole number, including a novel gene, anneboleyn (formerly CG32000), that impacts both ovariole morphology and numbers of offspring produced. We also identified pleiotropic genes between ovariole number traits and sleep and activity behavior. While few polymorphisms overlapped between sleep parameters and ovariole number, 39 candidate genes were nevertheless in common. We verified the effects of seven genes on both ovariole number and sleep: bin3, blot, CG42389, kirre, slim, VAChT, and zfh1. Linkage disequilibrium among the polymorphisms in these common genes was low, suggesting that these polymorphisms may evolve independently.
Genetic polymorphisms associated with venous and arterial thrombosis: an overview.

Abstract Objective.—To provide an overview of genetic polymorphisms associated with thrombotic cardiovascular disease. Data Sources.—A literature search using the National Library of Medicine database. Study Selection.—The literature on genetic polymorphisms associated with venous and arterial thrombosis was reviewed. Data Extraction.—Based on the literature review, the clinical significance of polymorphisms in various coagulation proteins was assessed and a summary was developed. Conclusions.—Thrombosis is a multifactorial disorder, with both congenital and acquired risk factors. It is now clear that there are many genetic abnormalities that impart an increased risk for thrombophilia, and the presence of more than 1 abnormality results in a further increased risk of thrombosis. In hemostasis, there is a balance between procoagulant factors and natural anticoagulant proteins. The first genetic thrombotic disorders described were deficiencies of the natural anticoagulants, such as antithrombin, protein C, ...
Foot and Ankle Arthritis

Arthritis of the foot and ankle may occur in multiple joints. These entities may be subdivided into the area of the foot or ankle in which they occur: ankle, hindfoot, midfoot, and hallux rigidus in the great toe. Etiology is often related to previous trauma. Patients may commonly present with pain or stiffness of specific joints with limitations of activities. Initial treatment is usually conservative with bracingcorticosteroid injections. Advanced arthritis may be treated with arthroplasty or arthrodesis of the involved joints.
Potential for Bias and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scoring System.

Background: The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scoring System (AOFAS-AH) has not been validated and has significant risk for researcher bias, given that 40 out of 100 po...
Facultative mushroom feeding by common woodland ants (Formicidae, Aphaenogaster spp.)

Abstract Despite the remarkable diversity of food resources exploited by ants, fungi are rarely known to be part of their diet. The notable exception is the fungal-feeding specialists in the tribe Attini, which cultivate fungi inside their nests in what is one of the earliest forms of agriculture. Previous accounts of fungivory in ants outside these fungal-feeding specialists have been questioned due to whether or not ants consume fungal tissue or prey on mycophagous insect larvae present in or on mushrooms. Here we show that ants in the widespread genus Aphaenogaster recruit to mushroom baits in the field regardless of whether or not mushrooms contained insects upon which ants might prey. When dye-stained mushrooms were provided to colonies in the lab, ants fed on mushroom tissue and dye was visible throughout their digestive tract. Evidence of mushroom feeding in Aphaenogaster suggests that facultative fungal feeding is more common in ants than previously reported, including within the myrmecine clade that contains the attines. Previous accounts of fungivory in ants have been limited to fungal-feeding specialists, but mushroom feeding by Aphaenogaster shows that fungi can also be part of a generalist ant diet. By feeding on mushrooms and transporting mushroom tissues back to the nest, Aphaenogaster workers may also serve as dispersers of fungal spores.
Pallidal deep brain stimulation modulates excessive cortical high β phase amplitude coupling in Parkinson disease

Abstract Objective Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus internus (GPi) are equally efficacious in the management of Parkinson disease (PD). Studies of STN-DBS have revealed a therapeutic reduction in excessive cortical β-γ phase-amplitude coupling (PAC). It is unclear whether this is specific to STN-DBS and potentially mediated by modulation of the hyperdirect pathway or if it is a generalizable mechanism seen with DBS of other targets. Moreover, it remains unclear how cortical signals are differentially modulated by movement versus therapy. To clarify, the effects of GPi-DBS and movement on cortical β power and β-γ PAC were examined. Methods Right sensorimotor electrocorticographic signals were recorded in 10 PD patients undergoing GPi-DBS implantation surgery. We evaluated cortical β power and β-γ PAC during blocks of rest and contralateral hand movement (finger tapping) with GPi-DBS off and on. Results Movement suppressed cortical low β power (P = 0.008) and high β-γ PAC (P = 0.028). Linear mixed effect modeling (LMEM) showed that power in low and high β bands are differentially modulated by movement (P = 0.022). GPi-DBS also results in a significant suppression of high β-γ PAC but without power modulation in either β sub-band (P = 0.008). Cortical high β-γ PAC is significantly correlated with severity of bradykinesia (Rho = 0.59, P = 0.045) and changes proportionally with therapeutic improvement (Rho = 0.61, P = 0.04). Conclusions Similar to STN-DBS, GPi-DBS reduces motor cortical β-γ PAC, like that also reported with dopaminergic mediations, suggesting it is a generalizable symptom biomarker in PD, independent of therapeutic target or proximity to the hyperdirect pathway.
Perceptual resolution of color for multiple chromatically ambiguous objects.

In a classic study, Kovacs et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA93, 15508 (1996)PNASA60027-842410.1073/pnas.93.26.15508] used an array of many disks presented dichoptically with half of the disks in one eye "red" and the other half "green;" disk chromaticities in the fellow eye were reversed, resulting in binocular color rivalry for every disk, thus creating color ambiguity. Surprisingly, the binocularly fused percept sometimes was all disks of the same color (red or green), which showed that perceptual resolution of the many ambiguous neural representations did not rely completely on monocular dominance or on independent resolution for each disk. The present study replicates and expands on the original with the aim to isolate binocularly driven neural mechanisms of perceptual resolution without contamination from monocular dominance. Observers viewed a color-rivalrous array with 16 disks presented either steadily to each eye, as in Kovacs et al., or with chromatic interocular-switch rivalry (CISR), which swaps the two images between the eyes every 133 ms. The total proportion of viewing time when the 16 disks were perceived to be all red or all green was measured. For three observers, the disks all appeared the same color more often with CISR than with steady rivalrous presentation, suggesting that monocular dominance interferes with grouped perceptual resolution of ambiguous stimuli in the Kovacs paradigm. This conclusion was supported by an additional condition using CISR, but with every disk the same color in one eye at each instant (e.g., all "red" disks in one eye and all "green" in the other). This condition was never significantly different from the original CISR condition, as expected if CISR reveals only binocularly mediated perceptual resolution of the disks' color, irrespective of monocular neural representations. In conclusion, chromatically tuned binocularly driven neurons account for perceptual resolution of CISR.
A Theoretical Morphological Approach to Tooth Replacement in Lower Vertebrates

The regulation of the pattern of tooth replacement in lower vertebrates is explored from a theoretical morphological perspective. When inhibition zones are postulated as controls on the vertical and horizontal spacing of tooth germs, all replacement geometries of extant and fossil lower vertebrates can be simulated. Further work on the existence of inhibition zones is necessary, but should they prove to be roughly as has been suggested here, then local controls at the level of tooth germs are sufficient to explain the global geometries of whole definitions.
The Second Main Theorem: Exceptional Branch Points; The Condition k > l

In this and the next chapter we want to prove our Second Main Theorem, namely the following result:
The Somatization Process and Its Relation to Psychosomatic Pathology

At the very outset, in order to frame our discussion in contemporary thought, it is important to reiterate that the scope, content and definition of psychosomatic medicine has changed dramatically since its productive beginnings as a research field in the late 1930’s. Many of the early hypotheses and theories of linear causality--whether arising out of emotional conflict or personality types--have been supplanted by broader multifactorial accounts of symptom formation and disease process as they are influenced by an almost endless array of physiologic, psychologic and social or environmental variables.